Best James Bond Cover Art and Opening Lines!
Those are just a few of the “best” James Bond covers that have been published over the years. You can see more as well as each Bond novel’s opening line at Shortlist.com.
Z-View: “The Mechanic” (2011)
The Pitch: “Hey, We could remake “The Mechanic” with Jason Statham in the Charles Bronson role and Ben Foster in the Jan-Michael Vincent role.”
“Let’s do it!”
The Tagline: “Someone has to fix the problems.” [Where was this person when this remake was made?]
The Overview: Jason Statham is Author Bishop aka The Mechanic. Bishop is a hit man — the best in the business and able to kill without leaving a clue. Often his hits look like fatal accidents. Bishop works alone, is precise, methodical and logical. When Bishop’s mentor is killed, Bishop takes on the mentor’s son as an apprentice. This will lead to the death of many including one or both of them.
*** Beware – minor spoilers can be found below ***
The Good:
- The original Charles Bronson version.
- Ben Foster’s fight scene with a huge guy.
The Bad:
- Statham and Foster lacked chemistry.
- It seemed out-of-place that Statham would take on a partner.
- You know you’re in trouble when the best fight in the movie doesn’t involve the star [who is known for fighting].
- A black water swimming pool? Swimming underwater below the guy you just killed, moving his arms to make it appear he is alive and swimming?
The Ugly:
- Remaking a classic and falling this short.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Rare Photos and Letters from the Titanic
The letter above written by a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic, is just one of the many rare and unseen photos and letters from the Titanic.
Jerry Gaylord and Rambo
Jerry Gaylord aka The Franchize makes his fourth, but not his last appearance in my Stallone Sketch Gallery with his take on Sly as John Rambo.
I highly recommend Jerry to all sketch collectors. He quickly responds to e-mails, his turnaround time is quick and he packages the art to ensure it arrives safely.
To check out more of Jerry’s art, head here. – Craig
“Homefront” / Z-View
The Pitch: “Hey, Sly has a great action screenplay that he was gonna use for Rambo available. It’s based on a book by Chuck Hogan. Sly says Jason Statham is up for the lead.”
“Let’s do it!”
The Tagline: “How far would you go to protect your home?”
The Overview: Jason Statham plays Phil Broker, a retired under-cover DEA agent who moved to rural Louisiana to raise his 9 year old daughter after the death of his wife. When his daughter bloodies the nose of a class bully (who happens the be the child of the local meth dealer) things quickly escalate and Statham’s past as a DEA agent becomes known. Soon an outlaw motorcycle gang and local thugs are both looking for revenge.
*** Beware – minor spoilers can be found below ***
The Good:
- The cast. Kate Bosworth kills in her role as, Cassie Bodine Klum, a redneck, methhead who is used to getting her way thanks to her brother being the local “Walter White.” James Franco as “Gator” Bodine is surprisingly effective in a role that wouldn’t at first seem to fit him. Winona Ryder, Clancy Brown and Chuck Zito all make welcome appearances. Jason Statham is of course Jason Statham (that’s good).
- Broker does his best to avoid trouble, but there is a line he won’t cross and God help you if you cross it!
- The fight scenes and the fact that they avoided Statham giving “wise-cracks.”
- Broker mistakenly thinks that Jimmy Klum is behind the threats to him.
The Bad:
- What happens when you don’t let Broker finish filling his tank.
- When you are a friend of Broker’s and go to pick up his horses.
- If you’re the class bully and you decide to pick on Broker’s daughter.
- Being married to Cassie Bodine Klum.
The Ugly:
- One of Gator Bodine’s thugs ankles after Broker has had enough.
- When you raise your gun towards dozens of cops who are armed, hyped up and have warned you to drop it.
- That Homefront is doing better at the box office.
Rating: 4 out of 5
(Re)Discovering Hitchcock’s Rope
When movie fans talk about the films of Alfred Hitchock the first ones mentioned are usually, Vertigo, Psycho, North by Northwest, and Rear Window. Often the list goes on a bit more before Rope is mentioned. And that’s too bad because many folks never get around to seeing it.
Rope stars Jimmy Stewart in Hitchock’s adaptation of a play based on the infamous Leopold-Loeb murder case. (Another excellent movie based on the Leopold-Loeb murder case is Compulsion starring Orson Welles, Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman.) It’s interesting to note that Hitchcock filmed Rope as if it was done with one continuous shot to keep the feel of a stage play!
Neal Adams’ Batman vs a Werewolf!
Do you ever get the urge to see Batman vs a werewolf? Thanks to Neal Adams we can.
Justin Jordan Seeks Revenge in DEAD BODY ROAD
Dead Body Road by Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera is a six issue mini-series that tells the story of an ex-cop named Gage who is killing those he feels are responsible for his wife’s death. According to Jordan it’s amodern-day western, crime thriller, with noir sensibilities.
You can see more of the art and read an interview with Justin Jordan over at Newsarama.
1960’s Batmobile Recreation Available
Over the years, I’ve always said if I was a very rich man, I’d commission a recreation of the Batmobile used in the 1960’s tv series.
Although I’m not a rich man (so I won’t order one) Hammcher Schlemmer has a recreation that you can pick up for $200,000. Here’s what you’ll get for your dough:
Built on a custom Lincoln chassis, this crime-fighting cruiser comes standard with a 430-horsepower, 383 Blueprint Crate engine and a Monster TH350 automatic transmission. Though equipped with neither atomic batteries for power nor turbines for speed, a rear-facing propane tank creates the same afterburner effect as the original. The vehicle’s cockpit honors the gadgetry of the TV series with a blinking Batphone, switch-operated electric actuators that open the hood and trunk, and a rotating red beacon to alert citizens while in pursuit of fiendish criminals. Other intriguing, if less functional, accessories include a glowing detect-a-scope screen, a Batbeam ray that raises from a hood-mounted antenna, and empty rear parachute packs. The vehicle’s exterior bears all the hallmarks of its namesake, from bubble-canopy windshields to chrome “rocket” tubes behind the rear windshield…
So, if any of you decide to pick up the Batmobile, how about giving me a ride sometime. I’ve always wanted a chance to say “Atomic turbines to power…”
Z-View: “Rififi”… Means Trouble
The Pitch: “Hey, Jules Dassin the director behind American films such as “Brute Force” and “The Naked City” has been blacklisted in America. I bet we could get him on the cheap to make a low-budget heist film!”
“Let’s do it!”
The Tagline: “Rififi …means Trouble!”
The Overview: After returning home after a five-year stint in prison for a jewelry heist, Tony le Stéphanois is recruited by his old crime partners for a hit and run heist on a jewelry store. Tony declines, but later counters with a bigger plan… against all odds they’ll pull a robbery that will get them millions if they’re successful and dead if they’re not. Before it is over one of the crew will betray them. A child will be kidnapped and both the cops and gangsters will be after them.
The Good:
- The planning for the heist. It’s interesting how the characters work out their elaborate plan where any mistake – any sound – could cause it to go sideways.
- The heist itself – around 30 minutes without dialogue. It’s tense, brilliant film-making.
- The fact that the robbery isn’t at the climax of the film. It would be the endgame in a normal film. In “Rififi” it is the catalyst for a bigger story.
- The characters in this film are perfectly cast.
- The director’s stylistic choices. I love this movie! “Rififi” is a classic!
The Bad:
- What happens when Tony finds out his girl has taken up with a mobster.
- How a foolish mistake [to impress a dame!] causes everything to unravel.
- What happens [even when you are sincerely sorry] for breaking “the rules.”
The Ugly:
- Even the best laid plans…
Rating: 5 out of 5
Batman Noir by Henrik Sahlstrom
Henrik Sahlstrom created the very moody Batman Noir piece above.
Sahlstrom also gave the same treatment to the Riddler, the Joker and Catwoman. You can see how those turned out at Sahlstrom’s blog.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a Batman Noir story created by Sahlstrom.
DC Comics are you listening?
Z-View: “Red Dawn” 2012
The Pitch: “Hey, we could remake ‘Red Dawn’!”
“Let’s do it!”
The Tagline: “Welcome To the Home of the Brave”
The Overview: When North Korea invades the US, a group of high school resistance fighters [led by Thor on leave from the Special Forces] decide to become resistance fighters.
The Good:
- The original movie.
- The scenes when North Korea parachute into town and the kids make their getaway is exciting.
- Making the Patrick Swayze character a military man is a nice touch.
The Bad:
- The invading force was originally filmed as Chinese. Producers decided to change the invaders to North Korean in post-production so as to not alienate the Chinese box office. “Hey, the invading force looks Chinese… but they are really Korean?” “Those clever ********.”
- The invading army in the original 1984 movie was the Soviet Union, which no longer exists. Now you know just how bad the “original” Wolverines were!
- These high school kids go in and out of the occupied town easier than they could sneak out of their parents homes at night before the takeover.
- Hiding in the woods, the students shoot off dozens [hundreds?] of rounds of ammo, without a worry that the invading force will use the sound to locate them.
- Hiding in the woods, the students shoot off dozens [hundreds?] of rounds of ammo, without a worry that they will run out. [I guess there is no worry since it is so easy to sneak in and out of town and get more.]
- What teenage love will cause a freedom fighter to do… or not do.
The Ugly:
- What happens to Thor when he doesn’t have his hammer.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Tomer Hanuka is an Amazing Artist
Tomer Hanuka created the piece above. The art, of Rocky Balboa in battle with Apollo Creed as Adrian looks on, appeared recently in The New Yorker accompanying a preview of Rocky on Broadway.
I liked Hanuka’s art a lot and decided to do a search. I discovered Mr. Hanuka’s website and spent a good amount of time checking out all the art he had on display. Hanuka not only shares his art, but often breaks down his process in creating a piece.
Recently my friends started e-mailing me links to the piece below. Tomer Hanuka created it as a limited edition silk screen print, for Mondo. The Rambo piece wasn’t at Tomer’s sitewhen I first checked, but it is now. What a beautiful poster!
Tomer Hanuka is an amazing artist and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
Z-View: “The Evil of Frankenstein”
The Pitch: “Hey, I think Frankenstein is in the public domain. Let’s make a Frankenstein movie!”
“We can but Universal has a copyright on the look of the monster.”
“Oh well. Let’s do it!”
The Tagline: “He’s never been more shocking! shocking! shocking!”
The Overview: Dr. Frankenstein is at it again. He creates a monster that he can’t control. So Frankenstein gets an assist from a carnival hypnotist. The sideshow mentalist hypnotizes the monster and then secretly sends it in to steal from the townspeople. This does not sit well with either the townspeople or Dr. Frankenstein.
The Good:
- Minute 85. [The movie runs 84 minutes.]
- Actually, if you’re watching with the right crowd, this is a great movie to goof on as it plays. MST3K, anyone?
The Bad:
- The story.
- The look of the monster.
- Dr. Frankenstein and his partner wearing masks that make them look like cosplayers.
- The carnival hypnotist’s name is Zoltan.
The Ugly:
- Have you seen the monster?
Rating: 2 out of 5
Rare “Thing from Another World” Photos
One of my favorite sci-fi movies/monster movies is The Thing from Another World.
Jame Arness (who would later go to fame as Marshall Matt Dillon in the long-running western series Gunsmoke) played the Thing. Arness is seen in a rare photo above without full make-up as they prep him for a shot.
The photo below is Arness in full Thing make-up (and in a shot clearer than any ever seen in the movie)!
Source: Vic’s Movie Den and Classic Horror Movies.
