“War Hunt” Starring Robert Knepper & Mickey Rourke – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Today we have the poster and trailer for War Hunt starring Robert Knepper, Jackson Rathbone with Mickey Rourke.  Man, oh man, War Hunt would definitely be a second feature at our local drive-in back in the day.

The poster would have been better if they used the title and everything below for the entire image.  The trailer looks okay for what it is.  What does it say about the movie when Rourke’s eyepatch switches eyes in the trailer!

With all that said, I’d probably give it a try on streaming.

The Crazy (and Sad) Lives of Silent Movie Stars!

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Adrian Sharp at Listverse came up with 10 Crazy Stories about Silent Film Stars.  It’s a good read that includes video to back up the chosen tales.  Before you click over…

I’m a silent movie fan.  When I watch a silent film, I look up information about the people who created it.  I’ve often been surprised at the lives they lead and how many ended with tragic or even mysterious deaths.  Sharp brings us the stories of ten silent film stars.  Here are my three favorite from his picks and my thoughts on each…

Stunt Pilot Ormer Locklear.  This is the one star I wasn’t aware of.  When you click over check out the video of Locklear’s stunts – wing walking, hanging by a knee, doing flips, climbing above and below the wings of a plane flying hundreds, if not thousands, of feet in the air… and WITHOUT A PARACHUTE.  Fearless or crazy – you decide.  Sadly, Locklear died performing an airplane stunt for a film.

Jean Harlow in “Kill and Be Killed”.  Jean Harlow was discovered by Howard Hughes who cast her in Hell’s Angels, Harlow would go on to work with Chaplin, Gable, Cagney to name just of a few of her leading men.  Fay Wray said that Harlow was the original choice for King Kong.  She was a close friend of gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.  She married MGM executive Paul Bern, who two months into their marriage was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head.  His death was ruled a suicide, but some believe Bern was murdered due to some unusual circumstances and the fact that the police were called AFTER Louis B, Mayer had a chance to get to the crime scene.  Harlow died at the young age of 26 under what some consider mysterious circumstances as well.

Thelma Todd’s Impossible Suicide.  Todd ruled the silver screen making over 100 shorts and feature films, appearing with Buster Keaton, The Marx Brothers and Laurel & Hardy.  Todd was found dead inside her car that was in the garage of her lover’s ex-wife.  There were conflicting reports of injuries to her body, she left no suicide note and had appeared to be in good spirits in the time preceding her death.  Although her death was considered a murder by many, it was ruled a suicide by a grand jury.

Although not on Sharp’s list, the story of Louise Brooks is another sad tale of a silent era star.  Brooks quickly rose from being an uncredited extra to getting contract offers from both MGM and Paramount.  At the start of her career she worked with top directors and stars and by the end she left Hollywood and worked as a high priced call girl.  

“Ocean’s Eleven” Trivia!

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Jon O’Brien at Mental Floss came up with 20 Fun Facts About Ocean’s Eleven.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each…

OCEAN’S ELEVEN NEARLY STARRED THE WILSON BROTHERS. (I don’t think Ocean’s Eleven starring the Wilson brothers would have had the same impact. – Craig)

THERE ARE CAMEOS FROM TWO OF THE ORIGINAL MOVIE’S CAST MEMBERS.  (Henry Silva and Angie Dickinson were in the original and had cameos in the remake.  It’s always a good idea to find cameos for stars from the original film as a sign of respect for the film that came first. – Craig)

EVERY ACTOR TOOK A SIGNIFICANT PAY CUT TO APPEAR IN THE MOVIE.  (Interesting that a Vegas movie involved actors who took “significant” pay cuts and gambled on back-end profits — which paid off! – Craig)

The Commando Starring Michael Jai White & Mickey Rourke – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster is pretty boring but the trailer for The Commando shows promise.  If you’re looking for a drive-in movie, then The Commando will fit the bill.  I’d watch.

ComingSoon is debuting the exclusive trailer, key art, and new photos for the upcoming action crime thriller The Commando. Starring Michael Jai White (Spawn, The Dark Knight, Black Dynamite) and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Sin City, Iron Man 2) Saban Films will release the film in theaters, on Digital, and On Demand on January 7, 2022.

“In this edge-of-your-seat crime thriller, an elite DEA agent (White) returns home after a failed mission when his family makes an unexpected discovery in their house – a stash of money worth $3 million,” reads the official synopsis. “They soon face the danger and threat of a newly released criminal (Rourke) and his crew who will do whatever it takes to retrieve the money – including kidnap the agent’s daughters. Stakes are high and lives are at risk in this head-to-head battle as the agent stops at nothing to protect his family against the money-hungry criminals.”

The All-Time Best Movie Fight Scenes!

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Andrew Gestalt at Listverse posted his choices for the 10 Best Fight Scenes in Movies.  Choosing the best movie fight scenes is an interesting task. Gestalt’s choices are hard to argue against.  With that said here are my thoughts on some of them…

Rocky vs Apollo (from Rocky):  Gestalt placed Rocky’s first fight against Apollo in the #2 spot.  He choose it for emotional reasons (Rocky loses the fight but achieved his goal) as much as the fight itself being awesome.  There’s no doubt that a fight scene from the Rocky series deserves to be listed as an All-Time Best Movie Fight, but is THAT the fight you would have chosen?

Sly probably would go with Rocky’s battle against Drago.  I’ve always loved Rocky’s return fight against Clubber.  The Rocky / Apollo rematch would be hard to argue against.  

Lee vs Han (from Enter the Dragon):  is another excellent choice, but it is not the Enter the Dragon fight that I would have picked.  I would have gone with Lee’s fight with the guards.  As Han himself said, “The battle with the guards was magnificent.”  Who can argue with that?

John Wick vs Too Many To Name (John Wick 1 -3):  Agreed… but which fight from the Wick franchise is the best?  I love ’em all.

#1 vs Shack (Emperor of the North): Lee Marvin vs Ernest Borgnine.  This fight didn’t make Gestalt’s list but should have.

Indiana Jones vs German Soldier (Raiders of the Lost Ark): Tell me a more memorable fight scene.  I’ll wait.  ; )

Robert B. Parker’s BYE BYE BABY (A Spenser Novel) by Ace Atkins is Coming!

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Sometimes you only see family or friends once a year, but as the meeting date draws closer you begin to anticipate the fun you’re going to have.  Robert B. Parker’s Spenser is one of those friends.  Thanks to Ace Atkins, Spenser will be coming around again on January 11th with Bye Bye Baby!

Boston PI Spenser takes on a new case in this installment in Robert B. Parker’s iconic New York Times bestselling series.

Carolina Garcia-Ramirez is a rising star in national politics, taking on the establishment with her progressive agenda. Tough, outspoken, and driven, the young congresswoman has ignited a new conversation in Boston about race, poverty, health care, and the environment. Now facing her second campaign, she finds herself not only fighting a tight primary with an old guard challenger but also contending with numerous death threats coming from hundreds of suspects.

When her chief of staff reaches out to Spenser for security and help finding the culprits of what he believes to be the most credible threats, Garcia-Ramirez is less than thrilled. Since her first grassroots run, she’s used to the antipathy and intimidation women of color often face when seeking power. To her, it’s all noise. But it turns out an FBI agent disagrees, warning Spenser that Garcia-Ramirez might be in real danger this time.

It doesn’t take long for Spenser to cross paths with an extremist group called The Minutemen, led by a wealthy Harvard grad named Bishop Graves. Although Graves is a social media sensation, pushing an agenda of white supremacy and toxic masculinity, he denies he’s behind the attacks. As the primary nears and threats become a deadly plot, it’s up to Spenser, Hawk, and a surprise trusted ally to ensure the congresswoman is safe. This is Spenser doing what he does best, living by a personal code and moral compass that can’t ever be broken.

Pre-orders are available now!

“Mr. Saturday Night” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I don’t think the poster or the trailer for Mr. Saturday Night are all that great, but Saturday Night Fever and that era hits a sweet spot for me.  If you’re old enough to remember how the film and soundtrack exploded you’ll understand.  Saturday Night Fever quickly began to influence everything from the way we dressed to clubs we hung out in.  I’ll tune in to Mr. Saturday Night just to get a taste of that bygone time and if the documentary is good that will be a bonus.

#MrSaturdayNightHBO, an HBO original documentary and #MusicBoxHBO film about Robert Stigwood’s gamble that turned Saturday Night Fever into a cultural touchstone, premieres December 9 on HBO Max.

The All-Time Best Noir Films Ranked!

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Fiona Underhill at /Film came up with her list of The 14 Best Noir Movies Ranked.  Underhill’s choices are excellent examples of the genre.

We both placed Double Indemnity in our top two (#1 for Underhill and #2 for me).  Coming in first for me was The Postman Always Rings Twice (#7 for Underhill).  My third spot went to The Big Sleep which surprisingly Underhill listed at 14th on her list.

One movie that didn’t make Underhill’s list and would have easily made mine was The Big Heat. (And now that I think about it, I would have also found a spot for Body Heat.)

“Run & Gun” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’m not a big fan of the Run & Gun poster, but since it is art and not Photoshopped heads I won’t complain too loudly.  The trailer isn’t great but by the end it had grown on me.  I think Run & Gun might be an okay way to spend a late night when nothing was popping.

After leaving a life of crime and violence, Ray is a reformed good guy, enjoying a quiet family life in the ‘burbs. But when his past is discovered, Ray is blackmailed into one last job to collect a mysterious package. After a deadly double-cross, he finds himself wounded and on the run from ruthless assassins who will stop at nothing to get what he has. Now, with the lives of his loved ones hanging in the balance and danger at every turn, Ray’s only hope is to draw upon his violent past to survive.

Featuring: Ben Milliken, Brad William Henke, Janel Parrish, Mark Dacascos, Celestino Cornielle, Angela Sarafyan, Alison Thorton, Hudson Yang, Michelle Campbell, Ari Barkan, Rafael Cebrián, Richard Kind