“The Big Combo” (1955) starring Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Jean Wallace, Brian Donlevy, Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman / Z-View
The Big Combo (1955)
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Screenplay: Philip Yordan
Stars: Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Jean Wallace, Brian Donlevy, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Earl Holliman, Helen Walker, Jay Adler, John Hoyt, Ted de Corsia, Helene Stanton, Roy Gordon, James McCallion and Whit Bissell.
Tagline: The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!
The Plot…
Detective Lt. Leonard Diamond (Wilde) has made it his personal mission to bring down a crime boss known as Mr. Brown (Conte). Brown has his fingers in organized crime across the city. Brown is feared because of his sadistic tendencies and willingness to destroy anyone who crosses him. Brown is supported by Fante (Van Cleef) and Mingo (Holliman) thugs whose loyalty to is unquestioned.
Detective Diamond is infatuated with Mr. Brown’s girl, Susan (Wallace). Susan wants out of the relationship, but Mr. Brown would see her dead rather than lose her. Detective Diamond believes the key to taking down Mr. Brown is a mystery woman named Alicia.
Detective Diamond is getting close to the truth. Now he is in the crosshairs of Mr. Brown, Fante and Mingo.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Jack Palance was set to play Mr. Brown, but reportedly became upset when they producers refused to hire his wife. He left shortly before filming was to start, but recommended Richard Conte to replace him. (Interestingly enough Jean Wallace was Cornell Wilde’s wife at the time.)
The Big Combo pushed the boundaries of what was allowed in movies at the time. Detective Diamond has a casual sexual relationship with a stripper. Mr. Brown isn’t married to Susan, but they’re also in a sexual relationship. Thugs Fante and Mingo are clearly lovers. The torture scene is much more brutal than usually seen in movies of this era.
The Big Combo (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“The Agency” starring Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith & Richard Gere – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Deal me in!
The Agency: Covert CIA agent Martian is ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind unexpectedly reappears, their romance reignites, pitting his career, his real identity and his mission against his heart while hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.
Starring Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith and Richard Gere.
“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” starring Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr. – The New Trailer is Here!
Deal me in!
Gerard Butler (Plane, Has Fallen series) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit Den of Thieves.
In DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA, Big Nick (Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (Jackson), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.
Lionsgate presents, in association with eOne and TT Entertainment, a TT Entertainment production. An eOne Features production. A G-Base and Diamond Film Productions production.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera – in theaters January 10! Starring Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr
Superman by Mike Wieringo!
There is always a joy in art by Mike Wieringo. That is one of the things that made him a perfect artist for Superman.
“Second Wind” (1966) original title: Le deuxième souffle, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Christine Fabréga and Michel Constantin / Z-View
Second Wind (1966) original title: Le deuxième souffle
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Melville, José Giovanni based on the novel Le deuxième souffle by José Giovanni
Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Christine Fabréga and Michel Constantin.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Gustave “Gu” Minda has escaped prison and is on the lam. He needs money to get out of the country before Police Commissaire Blot’s team find him.
Gu is offered a spot on a dangerous rip-off. Two armed motorcycle cops will escort an armored truck (with two more armed guards) and over a ton of platinum. The score will not only get Gu enough cash to slip out of the country, but set him up for life.
Of course the best laid plans…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The more I think about this film, the more I like it.
One of my favorite characters in this movie is Alban (Michel Constantin), Gu’s sister’s bodyguard.
Second Wind (1966) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” – The Poster is Here!
I enjoyed Den of Thieves and am looking forward to Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.
The Collected Will Eisner’s John Law by Will Eisner and Gary Chaloner is coming!
The Collected Will Eisner’s John Law by Will Eisner and Gary Chaloner is coming! It will drop on March 4, 2025. Preorders are available now. Here is the lowdown…
Wherever men live, be they nomads or city dwellers, there they must have law and a man to enforce it.
Meet Detective John Law of Crossroads City. Strong, decent, hardworking and hard-nosed. He’s a man who believes in the law and order. He’s the last of a dying breed.
In 1948, Will Eisner produced the first issue of “John Law Detective”, which he intended to add to a line of self-published comics. However, after Eisner’s “Baseball Comics”, “Kewpies”, and “Pirate Comics” failed to find an audience, John Law never made it to the newsstand and was quietly dropped, with much of the original artwork reworked in 1950 for his most famous creation, The Spirit.
Featuring original stories by Will Eisner, Gary Chaloner’s award-winning reboot from 2004, including a previously unpublished John Law Story, and a foreword by long-time Eisner publisher Denis Kitchen, this is a must-have for not just Eisner fans but comic collectors of all ages.
Wolverine & Hellboy by Jeff Wamester!
This one came out of the Zablo vault. It’s by Jeff Wamester. I discovered Wamester through his website. He was posting cool art like this Wolverine/Hellboy above.
I was lucky to meet and get a sketch from Jeff Wamester at a convention. He rocked Sly Stallone from Nighthawks.
Jeff Wamester went on to become Director at WB animation with experience as a storyboard artist, character designer and comic book illustrator.
“Tulsa King”: Season 2 (2024) starring Sylvester Stallone / Z-View
Tulsa King: Season 2 (2024)
Created by: Taylor Sheridan
Director: Craig Zisk (Eps. 1-2; 9-10); Joshua Marston (Eps. 3-4); David Semel (Eps. 5-6); Kevin Dowling (Eps. 7-8)
Teleplay: Taylor Elmore and Terence Winter & Sylvester Stallone (Ep. 1); Stephen Scaia and Terence Winter (Ep. 2); Terence Winter & Joseph Riccobene (Ep. 3); Terence Winter & Dave Flebotte (Ep. 4); William Schmidt (Ep. 5); Terence Winter (Ep. 6); Dave Flebotte (Ep. 7); William Schmidt & Terence Winter (Ep. 8); Joseph Riccobene (Ep. 9); Terence Winter & Sylvester Stallone (Ep. 10)
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Vincent Piazza, Tatiana Zappardino, Annabella Sciorra, Neal McDonough, Frank Grillo, Domenick Lombardozzi, Andrea Savage, Garrett Hedlund, Dana Delany, Chris Caldovino, Dashiell Connery, McKenna Quigley Harrington, Justin Garcia-Pruneda, Michael Beach, Scarlet Rose Stallone, Steve Witting, Rich Ting, Glen Gould, J.D. Walsh, Jelly Roll, Graham Greene and Cash Flo.
Tagline: The Boss Is Back.
The Plot…
Dwight’s see an opportunity to get a wind farm on the cheap. He’ll use it to power a marijuana farm. This puts him at odds with Cal Thresher, the biggest medical marijuana supplier in Tulsa (and business partner of Bill Bevilaqua, the organized crime don of the territory).
Dwight learns that a Chinese triad is also involved with marijuana farming in the area and could be a problem. Chickie reaches out to one of Dwight’s team to set up a doublecross. Meanwhile Thresher has gets the hook in another on Dwight’s team. An attempt is made on Dwight’s life.
Tensions mount as Dwight refuses to give Bevilaqua the percentage he wants and offers nothing to Chickie. People will die and there will be collateral damage.
The season ends with a cliffhanger.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Tulsa King was nominated for one 2023 PrimeTime Emmy Award – Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or a Variety Program: Freddie Poole
As you might have guessed, Tulsa King continues to be my current favorite television show. Bring on season three!
Tulsa King: Season 2 (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Dick Dynamite: 1944” – Two Posters and a Trailer!
The two posters and the trailer for Dick Dynamite: 1944 are so over-the-top low-budget fun-looking, I have got to check out the movie.
Deal me in.
In the dying days of World War II, Dick Dynamite and his ragtag team of Nazi-killing commandos must stop a group of depraved German scientists from turning the population of New York into flesh-eating zombies.
CHARLIE OPERA by Charlie Stella
Charlie Opera by Charlie Stella
First sentence…
Donna Bella, a twenty-six foot cabin cruiser, was anchored directly under the Marine Park Bridge in Jamaica Bay.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Charlie Pellecchia took his wife to Vegas for a nice little getaway. He had no idea she was about to leave him. Or that he’d get mugged and a broken nose. And who knew that the guy’s jaw he broke belonged to New York mobster Nicky Cuccia?
Now Charlie has been marked for death. A professional killer and his muscle-bound wannabe plus some Vietnamese gangbangers look to cash in. The FBI, the DEA and Las Vegas’ finest want Charlie too. Who gets to him first is yet to be seen!
Rating:
That’s NOT Marv by Ron Garney!
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. I originally posted the drawing above was Marv by Ron Garney. While it is by Ron Garney, the character isn’t Marv.
It is actually Ira Rath from the MEN OF WRATH series Garney did with Jason Aaron. I should have known that since I’ve read (and enjoyed) MEN OF WRATH.
Thanks to Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo for the correction!
“One False Move” (1992) starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams & Michael Beach / Z-View
One False Move (1992)
Director: Carl Franklin
Screenplay: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
Stars: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams, Michael Beach, Jim Metzler, Earl Billings, Natalie Canerday, Robert Ginnaven and Kevin Hunter.
Tagline: There was no crime in Star City, Arkansas. No murder. And no fear. Until now.
The Plot…
Ray (Thorton), his girl Fantasia (Williams) and Lane ‘Pluto’ Franklin (Beach) went on a crime spree. They committed six brutal murders in two locations in one night. Now they’ve got several thousand dollars and a big bag of cocaine. They plan to sell the cocaine for $200,000 to a buyer in another state. The three pack the car and leave LA.
Cops investigating the murder scenes figure out who the killers are and where they’re heading. LAPD detectives Dud Cole (Metzler) and his partner John McFeely (Billings) head to Star City, Arkansas. There they meet their liaison Police Chief Dale ‘Hurricane’ Dixon (Paxton). Hurricane has never had to draw his gun in six years as Chief of Police. He’s excited to be part of a “big city” task force. The LA cops see that Hurricane is in over his head.
The bodies pile up as Ray, Fantasia and Pluto make their way to star city. Hurricane’s past will come back to haunt him.
This will not end well.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
One False Move was originally made to go straight to video. It won several awards in film festivals and then was given a limited release. Word spread and it went into a wide theatrical release.
Billy Bob Thorton and Cynda Williams played lovers in the movie. They were married after filming ended. Sadly, they were divorced a couple of years later.
Carl Franklin’s direction is top notch.
Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Cynda Williams are excellent. Michael Beach steals every scene he’s in. He’s THAT frightening as the genius level sociopathic killer.
One False Move (1992) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Batman and Friends by Matt Wagner!
I never grow tired of Matt Wagner‘s Batman.
