“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018) A Film By Joel & Ethan Coen / Z-View

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Screenplay: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Stars:  Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, Tyne Daly, James Franco, Stephen Root, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O’Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek and Tom Waits.

Tagline: How the West Was Won (more or less)

The Plot…

The Ballad of Buster Scrugs is actually six tales from the post-Civil War west.

  • “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” – Buster Scruggs, dressed in white from head to toe, is the fastest gun in the west.  He has a wonderful singing voice as well.  Buster drifts from town to town never looking for trouble.  Trouble is, it always finds him.
  • “Near Algodones” – A small bank stands isolated on the prairie.  A lone cowboy decides the bank is easy pickins.  That decision is going to lead to a series of unexpected events that culminate with the biggest surprise of all.
  • “Meal Ticket” – An older man and a young armless and legless man named Harrison travel from frontier town to frontier town in a showman’s wagon. Harrison is a skilled orator.  In each town, Harrison recites poetry and dramatic readings for donations.  It is a hard life.  Maybe there is an easier way to make a living.
  • “All Gold Canyon” – An old weathered prospector has traveled deep into the frontier. Despite years of prospecting failure, he is determined to strike gold.  And when he does, what could go wrong?
  • “The Gal Who Got Rattled” – Alice Longabaugh and her brother Gilbert are part of a wagon train headed to Oregon. There Gilbert says he has a business opportunity waiting.  Based on Gilbert’s past business success Alice has her doubts.  When Gilbert takes ill and suddenly dies, Alice is left alone.  Things take a turn for the best when Billy, the second lead on the wagon train, proposes marriage.  Billy is a decent, honest man who had shown an interest in Alice from the journey’s start.  Alice thinks that things might turn out for the best.  She just needs to have faith.
  • “The Mortal Remains” – As a stagecoach barrels along, it’s five passengers get to know each other.  The travelers include two bounty hunters, a trapper, a religious woman, and a Frenchman.  The group appears to have nothing in common.  But they do.  Oh, do they ever.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was nominated for three Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
  • Nominee for Best Achievement in Costume Design – Mary Zophres
  • Nominee for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) – David Rawlings, Gillian Welch; for  “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings”

Tim Blake Nelson did his own singing and guitar playing.  He had to learn to play guitar for the film.

“All Gold Canyon” is based on a story by Jack London. “The Gal Who Got Rattled” inspired by a story by Stewart Edward White.

In “Near Algodones” the bank teller says he gets deposits from Val Verde. Val Verde sounds like a South American country but is a fictional location.  Val Verde was a location used in Die Hard, Predator and Commando.

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is my favorite of the six segments.  It’s a worthy send-up of singing cowboys and early western troupes.  A full-length Buster Scruggs prequel would be a blast.

“Near Algodones” has surprising changes in tone.  I ike it!  We go from traditional western to comedy (“Pan-shot!”) to drama to action to suspense to traditional western to suspense to comedy (“First time?”) to romance to surprise!

“Meal Ticket” – has an ending that is unexpected and shocking.

“All Gold Canyon” – I didn’t recognize Tom Waits who has a nearly one person showcase.

“The Girl Who Got Rattled” – is the closest of the six stories to be a traditional western.  But it’s not really.

“The Mortal Remains” – As the story unfolds, you might see it before the characters in the tale.

Many anthology movies falter when their stories vary in quality.  The Ballad of Buster Scruggs doesn’t suffer in that respect.  Each tale is entertaining.

It was cool how each segment is presented as part of an old book of short western stories.  The art that accompanied each segment was perfect as well.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone is the “Tulsa King” by Steven Fain!

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Steven Fain is a fan artist who occasionally takes commissions.  I first saw Fain’s art on a bookmark for Anthony Neil Smith’s character Billy Lafitte (I highly recommend the Lafitte novel series if you like crime/hardboiled fiction).  I subscribed to Steven Fain’s substack and saw more of his art which I liked.

So I reached out to request a sketch.  I suggested two characters (Stallone from Tulsa King or Get Carter).  Steven liked both ideas, so I ordered both!

“We Are What We Are” (2013) stars Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis, Wyatt Russell and Michael Parks / Z-View

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We Are What We Are (2013)

Director: Jim Mickle

Screenplay:  Nick Damici, Jim Mickle; based on the film We Are What We Are written and directed by Jorge Michel Grau

Stars:  Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis, Wyatt Russell and Michael Parks.

Tagline: Blood is the strongest bond.

The Plot…

The Parker family, Frank, his wife Emma, and their three children, Iris, Rose and Rory are a sternly religious family that stays to themselves in their remote mountain home. The family is currently fasting until the date of their annual ritual.  When Emma dies unexpectedly while in town, Frank sends Iris and Rose to claim her body.  They return home empty-handed.  An autopsy is required by the state.

Frank says that Iris and Rose will need to take on their mother’s duties for their family’s upcoming religious ceremony.  Meanwhile the town doctor has made a surprising disovery while conducting Emma’s autopsy.

Could the doctor’s discovery have a connection to the human bones found in the mountain creek… and his missing daughter?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Julia Garner was still a few years away from her breakthough role in Ozark.

Michael Parks is always good.  This role is no exception.

The last scenes go a bit over the top for my, uh, taste.

We Are What We Are (2013) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Momo: The Sam Giancana Story” (2011) / Z-View

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“Momo: The Sam Giancana Story” (2011)

Director: Dimitri Logothetis

Screenplay:  Nicholas Celozzi, Dimitri Logothetis

Stars:  Jack Palance, Harold J. Stone, Barbara Lang, Edward Platt and Timothy Carey.

Tagline: Full length feature documentary about the life of one of the most notorious mob leaders in history as told by his family.

The Plot…

Sam Giancana rose to become one of the most powerful figures in the underworld.  Giancana began a life of crime as a gang member when he was still in his teens.  He became known as an excellent getaway driver.  But unlike movie wheelmen, Giancana wasn’t hestiant to use a gun.  Before he was 21, Giancana was the prime subject in three murder investigations.  He wasn’t ever put on trial.

Giancana rose to power because of his willingness to make bold moves and take down those who didn’t come along.  Giancana was present at the infamous 1957 organized crime meeting that tipped off authorities that organized crime was widespread and real.

Giancana is credited to have played a major role in getting John F. Kennedy elected.  He reportedly worked with the C.I.A. on plans to assassinate Fidel Castro.  It is documented that he shared a mistress with JFK and she carried messages back and forth for them.  Rumors persist that Giancana was “behind” the Marilyn Monroe “suicide”.  He may have been involved in the JFK assassination.  Giancana was linked to the RFK assassination.  His hatred for RFK is well-documented.  Giancana was assassinated just days before he was to testify before a Senate Committee regarding the CIA-Mafia assassination plots.

Sam Giancana’s children present his life story through vintage photos, video, news reports, as well as their own remembrances.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s hard to believe the amount of influence Sam Giancana had.  Yet, despite all of his power, he was murdered in his own house by someone close to him.

“Momo: The Sam Giancana Story” (2011) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Tyson” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Tyson poster and trailer are here.  This will be a must-see for me.

Deal me in.

TYSON is a raw four-part documentary that peels back the curtain on Mike Tyson’s explosive life, from a brutal Brooklyn childhood and a meteoric rise to heavyweight glory to the addiction, jail time, public breakdowns, and infamous ear bite that almost ended it all.

Told unfiltered in Tyson’s own words, with never-before-seen material and rare access to his family, friends, and foes, it’s an intimate portrait of greatness, collapse, and a man still confronting the cost of his legacy.

Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81780624

 

“In the Hand of Dante” (2025) / Z-View

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In the Hand of Dante (2025)

Director: Julian Schnabel

Screenplay:  Julian Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg; based on IN THE HAND OF DANTE by Nick Tosches.

Stars:  Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Louis Cancelmi, Sabrina Impacciatore, Benjamin Clementine, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino and Jason Momoa.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A handwritten copy of The Divine Comedy has been found. If real, the artifact was written by The Divine Comedy’s author Dante Alighieri between 1308 and 1321.    If real, the artifact is priceless.  If real, Joe Black, a mob boss wants it.

So Joe sends Nick Tosches (a Dante expert), Louie (a killer) and Lefty (another of Joe’s thugs) to retrieve the manuscript.

What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I liked the trailer for In the Hand of Dante.  Interesting concept and a great cast.

The film jumps back and forth in time between modern day and Dante’s time.  I became bored and ultimately, I tapped out.   I wasn’t alone.  In the Hand of Dante has a 4.9 rating on IMDb, 29% Tomatometer and 38% Popcornmeter at Rotten Tomatoes.  Of course your milage may vary.

In the Hand of Dante (2025) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Banshee”: Season 1 starring Antony Starr, Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison and Hoon Lee / Z-View

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Banshee: Season 1 (2013)

Created by:  Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler

Director:

  • Greg Yaitanes (eps. 1; 4; 8)
  • S.J. Clarkson (eps. 2; 5)
  • Ole Christian Madsen (eps. 3; 6)
  • Dean White (ep. 7)

Teleplay:

  • Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler (eps. 1-6)
  • David Schickler (ep. 7)
  • Jonathan Tropper (ep. 8)

Stars: Antony Starr, Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Rus Blackwell, Matt Servitto, Demetrius Grosse, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Matthew Rauch, Rus Blackwell, Ryann Shane, Daniel Ross Owens, Lili Simmons, Anthony Ruivivar and Ben Cross.

Tagline: Good Town.  Bad Blood.

The Plot…

A man is released after 15 years in prison.  He and his girlfriend, Ana, ripped off a Ukrainian crime boss known as Rabbit for $15 million in diamonds.  When the police were closing in, the man led them on a chase so Ana could get away with the loot.  The man went to prison.

The woman disappeared. So did the diamonds.  Rabbit still wants both… and revenge on the man.

The man heads to Banshee, a small town in Pennsylvania.  He expects to find Ana and the diamonds waiting for him.  He finds Ana.  She’s taken on a new identity as Carrie Hopewell.  The new identity was expected.  Her married to the town’s D.A. with two children was not.

The ex-con can’t believe it.  Ana moved on, got married and had kids.

The ex-con ends up  in a small bar on the outskirts of town.  He’s drinking a beer with Sugar, the bar’s owner when another man comes in.  The man introduces himself as Josh Hood.  He’s soon to be sworn in as the new sheriff of Banshee.  Turns out Hood was hired over the phone and hasn’t met anyone yet.

As the three men are talking two hoods bust in to rob the bar.  Hood engages the two and is killed in a shootout.  The ex-con kills the two thieves.  As Sugar and the ex-con bury the three bodies, the ex-con tells Sugar his plan — he’s going to take on Josh Hood’s identity and become the new sheriff.

Since no one has met the new sheriff yet, what could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Banshee was created for Cinemax and therefore doesn’t hold back on filming nudity and sexual situations.

Banshee  plays out like a really fun crime comic.  There are larger than life characters combined with over the top action.

There are enough interesting characters and subplots to keep every episode moving.

Hoon Lee is a hoot as Job.  Matthew Rauch as Clay Burton is creepy.  He reminds me of an adult Kevin from Sin City.

If you’re willing to go with the concept of an ex-con taking the identity of the new sheriff (that nobody has ever met), you’re in for a fun ride.

Banshee: Season 1 (2013) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Frazetta: Painting with Fire” (2003) / Z-View

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Frazetta: Painting with Fire (2003)

Director: Lance Laspina

Stars:  Frank Frazetta, Forrest J. Ackerman, John Buscema, Glenn Danzig, Kevin Eastman, Joe Jusko, Dave Stevens, Neal Adams, Al Williamson, Ralph Bakshi, Brom and Bo Derek.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Frank Frazetta was an art prodigy.  He began working professionally at the age of 16.  At first he was doing pencil “clean-ups” for other artists.  Before long he was drawing his own work. From 1952 to 1953, he drew Johnny Comet, the syndicated comic strip.  In 1954, Frazetta was hired by Al Capp to draw “L’il Abner”.  In 1961, Frazetta left Al Capp Studios to search for new opportunities.

Frazetta began to get work.  A painting he did of Ringo Starr for MAD magazine led to movie poster work.  Frazetta also began painting book covers.  His covers for the Conan the Barbarian novel series were groundbreaking.  Fans began buying books not for their stories, but because they had a Frazetta cover.  Frazetta’s art for Warren Publishing on magazines such as Creepy, Eerie, Blazing Combat, and Vampirella brought in more fans.  More book covers, movie posters and private commissions followed.

Later in life Frazetta had a series of strokes that left his right arm and hand paralyzed.  So Frazetta taught himself to draw and paint with his left.  Even with his left hand, Frazetta’s work was of professional quality.

Frazetta’s work was universally loved by professionals and fans.  His legacy will live forever.

Thoughts…

Frazetta’s life story is told through interviews with artists, fans, family members and Frank Frazetta himself.

When I was a child, Frank Frazetta was the first artist I remember kids getting excited about.

Frazetta: Painting with Fire (2003) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“American Godfathers: The Five Families” (2024) / Z-View

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American Godfathers: The Five Families (2024)

Director:

  • Pouria Baladi, Jason Wright (eps. 1-3)

Teleplay:

  • Selwyn Raab (eps. 1-3)

Narrator: Michael Imperioli

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Members of the Sicilian Mafia immigrate to America and set-up  shop in New York City.  Prohibition provides opportunities for increased wealth and power.  There is a tradition of honor and omerta (a strict code of silence and non-cooperation with legal authorities) that protects the crime families.

As time passes and American born crime bosses rise, the old traditions are lost.  Some mafia bosses are more concerned with their personal wealth and public persona.  This attracts attention from the FBI and politicians.

The FBI uses RICO statutes for the first time to bring down mafia families.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Michael Imperioli is an excellent choice to narrate the series.

The series does an excellent job of covering the century of organized crime.  While there isn’t much new ground broken, there is a lot of acreage to cover.

American Godfathers: The Five Families (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“MegaDoc” (2025) directed by Mike Figgis / Z-View

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MegaDoc (2025)

Director: Mike Figgis

Stars:  Francis Ford Coppola, Eleanor Coppola, Talia Shire, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, George Lucas, Giancarlo Esposito, Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Adam Driver  and Jon Voight.

Tagline: The magic and making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

The Plot…

Francis Ford Coppola financed his dream project, the movie Megalopolis, with his own money to the tune of $120 – $140 million.  Director Mike Figgis was given complete access to the set and actors from pre-production through the actual filming of the movie.  Figgis and one assistant filmed using a small camera in order to create as little presence as possible.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Going behind the scenes is always interesting to most movie buffs.  I found the pre-production acting exercises that Coppola put the cast through surprising.

Coppola had planned to make Megalopolis for decades.  Particuarly interesting is footage from a 2001 table read that included Robert DeNiro and Uma Thurman.  There is also footage from 2003 featuring Ryan Gosling.

Adam Driver requested his performance not be filmed for the documentary.

There were several scenes of Shia LaBeouf arguing with Coppola about how to stage or play scenes.  If I was the director, putting up my own money, I would have wanted it understood from the start, this will be done my way.

MegaDoc (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Long Lonesome Highway: The Michael Parks Story” (2025) / Z-View

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Long Lonesome Highway: The Story of Michael Parks (2025)

Director: Josh Roush

Screenplay:  Josh Roush

Stars:  Michael Parks, James Parks, Kurt Russell, Haley Joel Osment, Robert Rodriguez, Leonard Maltin, Mickey Rourke, Justin Long and Wyatt Russell.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Michael Parks is perhaps the greatest actor you’ve never heard of.

He began getting television roles in 1960 and quickly became a popular guest star.  Some of the shows he appeared on include Zane Grey Theater, The Untouchables, The Real McCoys, Gunsmoke, Ben Casey, Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Wagon Train and Route 66.

In 1965, he started appearing in feature films as well.  In 1966, Michael Parks was nominated as a Photoplay Most Promising New Star.   Then in 1969, Mr. Parks was given the lead in the television series Then Came Bronson.   The show was well received, but behind the scenes there was trouble.  Michael Parks pushed back on ideas he didn’t like.  The show lasted one season and Michael Parks developed the reputation as difficult.

When the series ended, Mr. Parks didn’t act on television or films for a couple of years.  Then he began to get guest spots and small roles in both tv and feature films.  Those that worked with Michael Parks universally praised his acting… but also tempered that with Parks’ offscreen behavior could be  non-conformist.

This is Michael Parks story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was a kid when Then Came Bronson premiered.  I liked the show and expected Michael Parks to become a bigger star.  Now we learn part of the reason it didn’t happen.

Michael Parks was an amazing actor.  His scene in From Dusk Till Dawn is one of my favorites.  A small role, but man did he nail it.

Long Lonesome Highway: The Story of Michael Parks (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.