Noir by Dan Brereton!
Dan Brereton recently posted this excellent painting he did for an illustrated prose crime magazine way back in the 90s. We need a magazine like that these days.
“Out of Time” (2003) directed by Carl Franklin, starring Denzel Washington, Sanaa Lathan & Eva Mendes / Z-View
Out of Time (2003)
Director: Carl Franklin
Screenplay: David Collard
Stars: Denzel Washington, Sanaa Lathan, Eva Mendes, Dean Cain, John Billingsley, Robert Baker, Alex Carter,
Antoni Corone, Terry Loughlin, Nora Dunn, Tom Hillmann, Arian Ash and James Murtaugh.
Tagline: How do you solve a murder when all the evidence points to you.
The Plot…
Matt Whitlock (Washington) and his wife, Alex (Mendes) are separated. He loves her, but realizes she’s moving on. Their jobs were a big part of the problem. Matt is Chief of Police in the small town of Banyan Key, Florida. Alex just was promoted to detective in Miami.
Since the separation Matt has been secretly seeing Ann Merai-Harrison (Lathan). They were a thing years ago. Ann’s married to an ex-NFL quarterback named Chris (Cain). It’s a bad marriage. Chris has hit Ann more than once.
Things get worse when Matt takes Ann to a doctor’s appointment. They learn Ann has an aggressive incurable cancer. Ann’s only hope is an expensive new treatment. She plans to take a cash payment on her life insurance policy to cover the cost. Her hopes are dashed when she learns that it will take time to get the money. Time she doesn’t have.
After some consideration, Matt decides to take the money from the evidence locker. He gives the cash to Ann. Matt made a major bust and had nearly $500,000 in the evidence vault. The money has to stay put until after the trail and that’s months away. Ann’s insurance will pay off by then and he’ll replace the cash. No one will ever know it was missing.
At least that was the plan.
Matt gets a call of a major fire with two fatalities. The blaze is at Ann’s house. It appears Ann and Chris were killed before the fire was set. Matt remembers that Ann had made him the beneficiary of her substantial life insurance. The money Matt gave Ann is missing.
As the evidence unfolds, Matt realizes that he will be the main suspect. He was secretly sleeping with the victim and is the beneficiary of her life insurance. A neighbor saw him sneaking out of her house on at least one occasion.
Matt can’t imagine that this can get any worse. Then he gets a call that the Feds have another case involving the cash in the vault — the cash Matt gave to Ann that’s now missing — and the Feds are on their way to get it.
Matt needs to find the killer(s), the cash and the clock is ticking. Soon he will be… Out of Time.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Denzel Washington attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fl. It’s the same high school that Vince Carter (and I) attended. Denzel was there before me and Vince after.
I love the ever increasing tension in this film.
Carl Franklin and Denzel Washington worked together before on Devil in a Blue Dress. I wish they had done more films together.
The balcony fight scene is a standout.
Denzel Washington and (just the right amount of comedic relief from) John Billingsley made for a great team.
Out of Time (2003) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“Sinners” – The New Poster is Here!
The movie that I am anticipating the most, Sinners, got another poster!
From the World of John Wick — “Ballerina” — The second trailer is here!
From the World of John Wick — Ballerina. The second trailer is here!
Deal me in.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina – in theaters June 6! Starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves.
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Ballerina follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
“Duster” starring Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson and Keith David – The Teaser is Here!
The teaser for Duster starring Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, and Keith David has me on board.
Let’s ride!
Vengeance is a wild ride.
The new Max Original Series Duster, from J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan starring Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, and Keith David, premieres May 15 on Max.
Rare Noir Art by Howard Chaykin!
I love this Noir illustration that Howard Chaykin created for a role-playing game. Pretty rare art, wouldn’t ya say?
Source: Jeffery A. Dobberpuhl.
“Pay Day” (1922) written, directed and staring Charlie Chaplin / Z-View
Pay Day (1922)
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Screenplay: Charlie Chaplin
Stars: Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, Edna Purviance, Syd Chaplin, Albert Austin, John Rand, Loyal Underwood, Henry Bergman and Al Ernest Garcia.
Tagline: See Charlie juggle bricks and dodge the foreman—and hide his pay check from his wife.
The Plot…
Charlie Chaplin is a construction worker. On pay day Charlie’s wife takes his cash (even the money he’s hidden). Charlie sneaks enough of it back for a night out drinking and having fun. Too much fun (and drinking) and Charlie discovers getting home won’t be easy.
And Charlie knows his wife will be waiting.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Pay Day was Charlie Chaplin’s last short and reportedly one of his favorites.
Pay Day (1922) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Marv by Alex Maleev! “I love hitmen. No matter what you do to them, you don’t feel bad.”
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have Marv by Alex Maleev!
Source: Luis Romero.
“Hellboy: The Crooked Man” (2024) starring Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph and Martin Bassindale / Z-View
Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)
Director: Brian Taylor
Screenplay: Christopher Golden, Mike Mignola, Brian Taylor
Stars: Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Leah McNamara, Joseph Marcell, Anton Trendafilov and Martin Bassindale.
Tagline: From original story by Mike Mignola.
The Plot…
1959. Hellboy (Kesy) and rookie BRPD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) agent, Bobbie Jo Song, (Rudolph) find themselves stranded deep in the woods of the Appalachian Mountains following a train derailment. There the meet Tom Ferrell (White). Ferrell has returned hoping to make things right. Years ago Ferrell made a deal with The Crooked Man.
The deal will cost Ferrell his soul. Hellboy has other plans.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Although there have been four Hellboy movies this is the first where Mike Mignola, Hellboy creator, received a co-screenwriter credit.
This is the first Hellboy movie that feels like a horror film. The music is especially creepy.
The biggest shock for me was the look of Hellboy this time out. I am so used to Ron Perlman as the big lug. Hellboy: The Crooked Man is set in 1959. Since Hellboy first appeared on earth in 1944 and the Perlman version appears around 1999, I put it in my mind we were seeing a much younger Hellboy and one day he would grow to look like Perlman’s Hellboy. That fixed that.
I really liked Hellboy: The Crooked Man. I’m surprised that it doesn’t have better ratings. It could be most of these folks only know Hellboy from Guillermo Del Toro and Ron Perlman. If so, they should give the Mike Mignola stories a look. Perhaps then they’d appreciate Hellboy: The Crooked Man more.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.
GOOD DAY IN HELL by J.D. Rhodes / Z-View
GOOD DAY IN HELL by J.D. Rhodes
First sentence…
The first blow split Stan’s lip and knocked him into a stack of recapped tires at the back of the repair bay.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Jack Keller is an ex-vet who makes a living as a bounty hunter. Keller still deals with personal issues from an attack that left him the sole survivor of his unit. His relationship with sheriff’s deputy Marie Jones has been tested more than once because of this.
Keller’s latest assignment is to bring in Laurel Marks. She’s a nineteen year old who didn’t show up for a court hearing. Bringing her in should be easy money.
Meanwhile Deputy Jones is first on the scene of a brutal gas station robbery. The owner of the station was repeatedly shot, with the death blow being point blank to the face. The station owner’s son is missing.
Shortly after the gas station robbery, a trio of killers begin their mass murder spree. They film the executions for a local newscaster. The killings come hours apart and are low risk/high target spots. The killers become immediate nationwide news sensations.
When Keller is almost killed following up on a lead, it becomes clear Laurel Marks is part of the murderous trio. Keller is ordered by the police to stand down. He refuses. Now it’s personal. Keller will bring her in, no matter the cost.
With every police officer in the state on the lookout for them, the killers know it’s just a matter of time before they’re brought down. They’ve always planned to go out in a blaze of glory. They want publicity. What better way to get it than to take down a police officer broadcast live on television. And what sweet revenge since it will be Keller’s lover, sheriff’s deputy Marie Jones.
+++++
This is the second in J.D. Rhodes’ Jack Keller series. You don’t need to have read the first to enjoy this outing.
Rating:
“Sin City” (2005) directed by Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller; starring Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba & Benico Del Toro / Z-View
Sin City (2005)
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller based on Sin City created by Frank Miller
Screenplay: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Powers Boothe, Jude Ciccolella, Jeff Dashnaw, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Carla Gugino, Josh Hartnett, Rutger Hauer, Greg Ingram, Nicky Katt, Jaime King, Michael Madsen, Frank Miller, Brittany Murphy, Nick Stahl, Nick Offerman, Jason Douglas, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rick Gomez and Tommy Flanagan.
Tagline: Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything.
The Plot…
Four interconnected tales from Sin City…
The Customer is Always Right… A hitman that marks don’t see coming until it is too late. (Bookends the movie.)
That Yellow Bastard… For Detective John Hartigan (Willis) it’s his last day on the job. He’s thinking about the thick steak his wife has waiting for him at the end of his shift. But first, Hartigan is going to have a run-in with a serial killer who preys on children. Hartigan learns that the sick bastard is the son of a Senator, and is now prepping his next victim. Hartigan knows this can only end one way. He’ll save the child or die trying.
The Hard Goodbye… Marv (Rourke) is a ex-con hardcase. Last night he had a one night stand with a goddess named Goldie. She was beautiful beyond belief. Marv wonders why she picked a big scary mug like him when she could have any man she wanted. He’ll have to work it out later. He just woke up. Goldie is in bed beside him. Dead. Someone snuck in and murdered her while they were sleeping. And now Marv hears cops coming up the stairs. Someone set him up. Someone killed Goldie. Marv knows once he finds the killer the hell he sends the murderer to will seem like heaven after what Marv does to him. But first the cops outside his door…
The Big Fat Kill… When Shellie’s ex-boyfriend, Jackie Boy (Del Toro) shows up unexpectedly with his crew, he’s surprised to find Shellie’s new boyfriend, Dwight (Owen) there. The events that follow will lead to a potential turf war… unless Dwight and some of his friends from Old Town can set things right.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Sin City, the movie, is what Robert Rodriguez called a “translation” of three of Frank Miller’s Sin City graphic novels – The Hard Goodbye; The Big Fat Kill, That Yellow Bastard and Miller’s Sin City short, The Customer is Always Right. They are some of my all time favorite comics and the movie is a beautiful “translation”.
Quentin Tarantino is listed as a guest director. Tarantino directed the scene between Dwight and Jackie Boy before the cop pulls the car over.
Rodriguez filmed the opening “intro” before Miller agreed to the Sin City “translation”. Rodriguez wanted to prove that Miller’s Sin City tales could work as a movie that complemented the comics. The comic panels from each tale were used as storyboards.
Robert Rodriguez working with Frank Miller to bring Sin City to the big screen was a dream project for me. Magnificent casting was the icing on the cake. If you like the comics, you should enjoy the movie.
Sin City (2005) rates 5 of 5 stars.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE OFFICIAL STORY OF THE FILM by Simon Braund is Coming (to get you, Barbara)!
Has any film influenced a genre and had an impact on movies, television, books, comics, graphic novels, video games and pop culture like George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead? I don’t think so.
Fans of the movie are in for a treat on September 30th when NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE OFFICIAL STORY OF THE FILM by Simon Braund is released. Here’s the info…
The official retrospective of one of cinema’s most important films – Night of the Living Dead.
The full story of the first “zombie” movie, the 1968 George A. Romero cult film that denoted the birth of modern horror genre.
Released in 1968, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead revolutionized horror, redefining the zombie subgenre and influencing filmmakers for generations.
This official retrospective tells the full story of how the film was made by a small group of people at the outset of their film-making careers. Interviews with cast and production company members explore the genesis of the movie, from persuading friends and family to become investors, finding the perfect run-down farmhouse in rural western Pennsylvania for the central location, assembling a cast of extras to portray “flesh-eating ghouls”, and the ground-breaking casting of a black actor in a leading role — Duane Jones as Ben — to therough-and-tumble guerilla-style shoot.
The book explores how Night of the Living Dead went from controversial to iconic over the years, gaining critical acclaim and a hardcore cult following. And how zombies — as envisioned by Romero and his co-creators—now permeate everything from video games to literature, all tracing back to the unparalleled original.
Illustrated with movie stills, memorabilia, and unpublished on-set photos never previously seen, and including analysis of the original shooting script annotated by George A. Romero, this book is a must-have for horror fans.
“Clipped Wings” (1953) starring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall and the Bowery Boys / Z-View
Clipped Wings (1953)
Director: Edward Bernds
Screenplay: Elwood Ullman, Charles R. Marion
Stars: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Renie Riano, Todd Karns, June Vincent, Fay Roope, Mary Treen, David Gorcey,
Benny Bartlett, Philip Van Zandt, Lyle Talbot, Ray Walker, Conrad Brooks and Bernard Gorcey.
Tagline: Fasten Your LAFF-Belts! They’re JET JOCKEYS NOW!
The Plot…
Slip (L. Gorcey) and Sach (Hall) learn that their buddy, Dave Moreno (Karns) has been charged with treason by the US Air Force. So the boys decide to go to the base to find out what is going on. Leave it to Slip and Satch to think that they are signing in to the air force base when they are actually enlisting!
To further screw things up, Sach is mistakenly assigned to the WAF (Women’s Air Force) barracks!
Even if the boys are able to prove Dave’s innocent, they are in the Air Force now!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Clipped Wings is the 31st of 48 Bowery Boys movies.
Clipped Wings (1953) rates 2 of 5 stars.
The Crow by Fran Galán!
I’m diggin’ Fran Galán‘s take on The Crow. Hope you are as well.
“Paradise”: Season 1 (2025) starring Sterling K. Brown; Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden / Z-View
Paradise: Season 1 (2025)
Created by: Dan Fogelman
Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (Eps. 1-2; 7-8); Gandja Monteiro (Eps. 3-4); Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 5-6)
Teleplay: Dan Fogelman (Ep. 1); Dan Fogelman & Katie French (Ep. 2); Jason Wilborn (Ep. 3); Scott Weinger (Ep. 4); Stephen Markley (Ep. 5); Gina Lucita Monreal (Ep. 6); John Hoberg (Ep. 7); Nadra Widatalla (Ep. 8)
Stars: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Aliyah Mastin, James Marsden, Krys Marshall, Cassidy Freeman, Scott Lawrence, Richard Robichaux, Gerald McRaney, Rafael Cabrera, Eddie Diaz, Roberto Portales, Christopher Sanders, Matt Malloy, Tuc Watkins, Geoffrey Arend, Charlie Evans, Ian Merrigan, Vien Hong, Carlos Sanz, Michelle Meredith, Glynn Turman, Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman, Micah Fitzgerald, Amy Pietz, Joe Holt, Tyler Jacob Moore, Walter Belenky and Jon Beavers.
Tagline: Read between the lies
The Plot…
Xavier Collins (Brown) is part of the President’s Secret Service detail and the last person to see him alive. The President was killed sometime during the night. When Xavier is brought in for questioning, he realizes that it may be up to him to find the person who killed the President.
And the answer to that isn’t the biggest plot twist!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I went into Paradise: Season 1 thinking it would be a murder mystery with behind-the-scenes intrigue, double crosses, action and more. It is, but on a much larger scale than I imagined. The first episode plot twist is a shocker and sets up the entire season.
Paradise has a great cast of actors. Standouts include Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Aliyah Mastin, James Marsden, Glynn Turman and Jon Beavers.
I love all episodes of Paradise, but episode 7 is a standout.
Paradise: Season 1 (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.
