Sly Stallone by Kurt Brugel!
Kurt Brugel is a freelance artist. When I saw he was taking commissions I jumped on board for his take on Sly Stallone. Brugel scored a knockout!
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966) directed by Sergio Leone; starring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach & Lee Van Cleef / Z-View
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Director: Sergio Leone
Screenplay: Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone; story by Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone.
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef.
Tagline: The Man with No Name Returns!
The Plot…
1862. The Civil War continues to tear the country apart. $200,000 in gold is buried in a secret grave in an unknown cemetery by a Confederate soldier named Bill Carson.
“Angel Eyes”, a sadistic mercenary has heard the rumor of buried gold. He knows the name of the soldier who buried the loot, but not gold’s hiding place.
Tuco, a Mexican bandit, knows the name of the cemetery, but not the grave.
“Blondie”, a bounty hunter, knows the name on the grave, but not the name of the cemetery.
Blondie and Tuco form an uneasy alliance to get the buried gold. They believe their biggest problem is neither trusts the other. They will come to realize their gravest threat is Angel Eyes.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Most think that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was made as part of The Man with No Name Trilogy. The truth is that Eastwood originally played different characters in each film. It was Clint Eastwood’s idea to release the three films (A Fistful of Dollars; For A Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) in the US during the same year as a trilogy. Changes to dialogue were made to never tell Eastwood’s character’s real name.
Sergio Leone originally wanted Charles Bronson to play Angel Eyes. Bronson was committed to The Dirty Dozen, so Lee Van Cleef got the role.
Clint Eastwood came up with the name Angel Eyes for Van Cleef’s character.
Due to a miscommunication, the big scene where the bridge is blown up first happened when no cameras were rolling. The bridge had to be rebuilt so it could be blown up on camera.
Eli Wallach improvised the line, “When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk!”
Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack album peaked at #4, but stayed on Billboards Album chart for over a year.
Although The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was released after A Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More, it is actually a prequel to the two films.
Eastwood’s character, labeled the Good actually kills more people than the Bad and the Ugly combined. Angel Eyes, the bad, kills the fewest people in the film.
Angel Eyes is shown to be missing the tip of one of his fingers. This is not a special effect. Lee Van Cleef lost the tip of a finger in a carpentry accident.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly made Clint Eastwood a movie star.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) rates 5 of 5 stars
“Get Carter” (2000) directed by Stephen Kay; starring Sylvester Stallone, Rachael Leigh Cook, Miranda Richardson, Alan Cumming, Mickey Rourke & Michael Caine / Z-View
Get Carter (2000)
Director: Stephen Kay
Screenplay: David McKenna; based on JACK’S RETURN HOME by Ted Lewis.
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Rachael Leigh Cook, Miranda Richardson, Rhona Mitra, Johnny Strong, John C. McGinley, Alan Cumming, Gretchen Mol, Tom Sizemore, John Cassini, Mickey Rourke, Mark Boone Junior, Darryl Scheelar, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Tyler Labine, Stephen Kay, Frank Stallone and Michael Caine.
Tagline: The Truth Hurts
The Plot…
Jack Carter, a Vegas mob enforcer, returns to Seattle for his estranged brother, Ritchie’s funeral. Ritchie was killed in a car crash after drinking. Problem is Ritchie never drank. As Jack digs deeper, he starts to believe Ritchie was murdered.
But why?
Clues point in several directions. Ritchie’s death could have something to do with the club he managed. Cliff Bumbry, the owner of the club has his fingers in other pies. Did Ritchie have dirt on Cliff?
Rumor is Ritchie was having an affair. Could that have led to Ritchie’s murder?
Some leads point to tech millionaire Jeremy Kinnear. How were he and Ritchie linked?
Worse still, Cyrus Paice may be involved. Paice was a rival of Jack’s when Jack was coming up. There’s still bad blood.
As Jack digs deeper he will discover the truth.
The truth hurts.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Get Carter (2000) is a remake of Get Carter (1971) which starred Michael Caine. Caine co-stars in the remake. Stallone and Caine also appeared together in Victory (1981). Caine was originally only supposed to appear in a one scene cameo. The scene scored so high with test audiences, the film was adjusted to give Caine a bigger role.
When producers were hesitant to hire Mickey Rourke (because of his past behaviors), Stallone guaranteed a portion of his salary, to cover any delays caused by Rourke. Rourke was on-time and ready every day.
Gretchen Mol plays an important role but is not listed in the film’s credits.
Tom Sizemore’s voice (also uncredited) is heard when Carter talks to his Vegas boss.
Director Stephen Kay appears uncredited as a party guest. Get Carter features Stephen Kay’s second outing as a feature film director. Kay would go on to direct multiple highly rated episodes of The Shield; Sons of Anarchy; Yellowstone; Mayor of Kingstown; Lioness and Landman.
Frank Stallone appears uncredited in the funeral scene.
Get Carter (2000) is one of my all-time favorite films. The movie and especially Stallone’s character resonates with me. In it you’ll see some of Stallone’s best acting (especially the roof top scene with Rachael Leigh Cook). The film isn’t perfect or a classic, but it remains one of my go-to movies. Your mileage may vary (a lot on this one).
Get Carter (2000) rates 5 of 5 stars
Conan by Oliver Vatine!
Conan by Oliver Vatine. I love everything about this… the design, the Conan figure, the background. Perfection.
Source: Eric Fabiaschi.
Marv & Nancy by R.M. Guera!
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 & Nancy by R.M. Guera.
Source: Nicolag Borch.
“Troll 2” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Troll 2 – The Poster and Trailer are Here! I found the original to be surprisingly fun. I’m looking forward to another round.
Deal me in.
When a dangerous new troll is awakened, unleashing devastation across Norway, beloved adventurers Nora, Andreas and Captain Kris are thrust into their most perilous mission yet.
Troll 2 is coming to Netflix December 1, 2025. For more on Troll 2, visit https://www.netflix.com/troll2
PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE POT by James Maxwell
I love good great crime stories. I don’t care if they are told in novel, comic, movie or episodic television form. Just make ’em great. James Maxwell’s PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE POT just might fit the bill. Here’s the downlow…
This neo-noir tale renders San Jose, California, as a stage for crime, corruption, and the hope of getting that American dream you’ve always been denied. Recommended for fans of Dennis Lehane, Jim Thompson, and films like Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
You wanna go all in with me?
Tristian Sloan is a young man frustrated with his minimum wage job and dead-end life. Why hasn’t he made anything of himself? How come he always gets a raw deal? He just wants a way out. The plan is simple, and nobody’s supposed to get hurt.
Tristian and his so-called friend, Joey Patrone, are a pair of codependent liquor store monkeys who hate each other almost as much as they hate their boss. They work their days away for minimum wage and blow their money on booze and call girls.
Now they’ve had enough. Joey comes up with a plan to get rich quick by ripping off the mob who owns the liquor store. He just needs Tristian’s help to cover his neck. But Tristian doesn’t like how reckless his friend has gotten – the guy’s totally psycho, and no longer cares who gets hurt.
Tristian sabotages Joey’s plan to take the money for himself, but everything spins into bloodshed when the wrong people catch wind of the money. Now, he is caught between a vicious gang, a psychopathic schemer, and his own failures as a man.
PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE POT is sitting with a 4.8 Amazon rating.
Deal me in.
Sly Stallone as Deke DaSilva from “Nighthawks” by Pat Broderick!
I first met Pat Broderick at OrlandoCon 1977. Pat was a young artist and I was an even younger fan. I was impressed at how easy-going and friendly Pat was (and that’s not taking into consideration what a talented artist he is). Over the years we became friends. It’s always cool to see Pat at a show. He’s still killing it with new art and comic series!
Back in 2005, at a Tampa Show, I got Pat’s take on Sly Stallone as Deke DaSilva from Nighthawks.
Three “MobLand” Season 2 Character Posters featuring Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan & Helen Mirren are Here!
Paramount+ released three character posters to celebrate that MobLand had been renewed for season 2. MobLand is one of my favorite on-going series. If you’re not watching, you should.
Not only are the MobLand posters cool, you can see them with motion here.
“Saving Private Ryan” (1998) directed by Steven Spielberg; starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore / Z-View
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay: Robert Rodat
Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina, Max Martini, Nathan Fillion, Ryan Hurst, Dale Dye, Bryan Cranston, David Wohl and Vin Diesel.
Tagline: The mission is a man.
The Plot…
June 6, 1944. D Day. Operation Overlord is underway. American forces storm the German fortified beaches of Normandy. The coastline has been divided into five sections. At Omaha Beach the American forces face the most resistance.
Omaha Beach is heavily fortified with German machine gun nests, artillery, as well as mines and barbed wire. The US soldiers coming ashore have a wide-open beach with no cover making them easy targets. The Germans hold the high ground. Yet the US soldiers, despite heavy losses ultimately prevail.
Immediately following the Battle of Omaha Beach, Captain Miller is given an assignment. The US Department of War has learned that the Ryan family has four sons in the service. Against all odds, three of the four Ryan men have been killed in action. The fourth, Private James Ryan is behind enemy lines with the 101st Airborne. Captain Miller’s mission is to put together a team, penetrate into enemy territory, find Private Ryan and get him safely out. Ryan will be given a ticket home.
Captain Miller enlists six battle-tested soldiers and an interpreter with no combat experience to accompany him. No all will survive. Private Ryan may already be dead.
The man is the mission.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Saving Private Ryan was nominated for eleven 1999 Academy Awards. It won five…
- Nominee for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score – John Williams
- Nominee for Best Makeup – Lois Burwell, Conor O’Sullivan, Daniel C. Striepeke
- Nominee for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration – Thomas E. Sanders, Lisa Dean
- Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen – Robert Rodat
- Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Tom Hanks
- Nominee for Best Picture – Steven Spielberg, Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn
- Winner for Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing – Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
- Winner for Best Film Editing – Michael Kahn
- Winner for Best Sound – Gary Rydstrom, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Ron Judkins
- Winner for Best Cinematography – Janusz Kaminski
- Winner for Best Director – Steven Spielberg
Frank Darabont and Scott Frank did uncredited rewrites on Robert Rodat’s screenplay. John Milius also made suggestions.
Saving Private Ryan opens with the storming of Omaha Beach. It runs over 20 minutes and sets the tone for all to follow. It is one of the most amazing and realistic depictions of battle put on film. There were up to 1,000 extras and cost $11 million to film.
During his research Steven Spielberg spoke with many World War II veterans. They asked that Spielberg not make a typical Hollywood war movie. They wanted the audience to understand the brutality and terror of war. Spielberg was surprised that Saving Private Ryan became a hit, despite the realism of the opening scene. Spielberg further said that he would have refused to cut the film even if it had to be released with an NC-17 rating.
The Department of Veterans Affairs set up a special 800 number for past and current soldiers traumatized from the film. There were reportedly 100s of calls to the line.
Steven Spielberg cast Matt Damon as Private Ryan because he wanted an unknown actor with All-American good looks. Before Saving Private Ryan was released, Damon was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar and won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, both for Good Will Hunting. By the time Saving Private Ryan was released Damon was a star.
Vin Diesel wasn’t a star when hired for Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg saw Diesel’s self-directed short films, Multi-Facial (1995) and Strays (1997). He recognized Diesel’s talent.
Nathan Fillion, Ryan Hurst and Bryon Cranston appear in small roles.
Saving Private Ryan is a classic.
Saving Private Ryan (1998) rates 5 of 5 stars
Rocky Balboa by Joe Bluhm!
I discovered Joe Bluhm‘s art back in 2007 while surfing the internet. I absolutely loved his style. You can imagine my surprise when I saw that Joe would be a guest at an Orlando Comic convention. What made that even better was that I was already planning to attend the show.
I was able to meet Joe (what a cool guy) and get two sketches from him. The first, Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa appears above. I’ll post the second Bluhm sketch in the near future. Hope you dig ’em both. I do.
Sly Stallone as Frank Nitti by Bret Blevins!
Bret Blevins has worked as a comic artist, animation storyboard artist, and painter. I met Bret at a convention and was lucky enough to get on his commission list. I let him choose the Stallone character he wanted to draw. Bret surprised me by going with Frank Nitti from Capone! What a great choice and wonderful drawing!
“My Mom Jayne” directed by & starring Maariska Hargitay / Z-View
My Mom Jayne (2025)
Director: Mariska Hargitay
Tagline: Reclaming her mother’s story, and her own.
The Plot…
Mariska Hargitay was three years old when he mother, Jayne Mansfield was killed in a tragic auto accident. Mariska and her siblings were injured in the wreck.
Mariska grew up in a world where her mother was known everywhere because of her international celebrity. Yet because Mariska was only three when her mother was killed, she has no memories of her mom. This documentary is an effort to remedy that. Along the way Mariska will learn a secret buried for over six decades that will change everything.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Jayne Mansfield is often thought of as a knockoff of Marilyn Monroe. At first that was true. Mansfield leaned into the beautiful dumb blonde role. The truth is she could speak several languages and play multiple instruments. She was far from dumb. When she tried to change the public perception of her, it didn’t work.
Jayne Mansfield wanted fame and it led to poor choices in the men in her life. The one exception Mickey Hargitay.
Mariska’s discovery changes her world.
The bars on the back of semi-trucks that prevent cars from driving under them are called “Mansfield-bars”. Legislation was started due to Mansfield’s tragic death when he car went under a semi. Although the accident took place in 1967, the safety bars weren’t made mandatory until years later.
My Mom Jayne (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars
RIP Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin died yesterday from from complications of pneumonia. Mr. Schifrin was 93.
Lalo Schifrin was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His birth name was Boris Claudio Schifrin. He legally changed his name to Lalo when he came to the United States.
Lalo Schifrin was trained as a classical musician before falling in love with jazz. Mr. Schifrin received a scholarship to the Conservatoire de Paris. He studied during the day and played jazz in clubs at night. While still in his twenties, Mr. Schifrin returned to Argentina. He began radio, television, and film work. Mr. Schifrin wrote for Xavier Cugat’s dance orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington. He was also recording his own music.
- Lalo Schifrin began to get work for American television and films. He became one of the most prolific and productive composers. He was nominated for six Academy Awards, and in 2019 was given an Honorary Oscar. Mr. Schifrin was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards as well as three Golden Globes. He was nominated for 19 Grammy Awards and won four.
Mr. Schifrin has 226 composer credits and 207 soundtrack credits on his IMDb resume. Some of his best known works include the themes to THE Cat; Mission Impossible, Mannix and Starsky and Hutch. Some of his best known film scores include Enter the Dragon, Cool Hand Luke, Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Rush Hour, The Amityville Horror, The Eagle Has Landed and so many others.
Mr. Schifrin’s best known composition is probably the Mission Impossible theme song. It’s a classic. My sentimental favorite is for Enter the Dragon. Truth is, I loved all of his music. Mr. Schifrin is a legend for good reason. His music which will live on forever.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Lalo Schifrin’s family, friends and fans.
Jack Carter by Rodney Blackwell!
I was at MegaCon 2003. I’d never met Rodney Blackwell before. I’d never heard of him. But I liked the art he had on display and decided to get a sketch from him. Rodney’s riff on Jack Carter found a welcome place in my collection.
