THE BIG BLOWDOWN by George P. Pelecanos / Z-View

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The Big Blowdown by George P. Pelecanos

Trade Paperback: ‎ 314 pages
Publisher: ‎ Minotaur Books; First Edition (first (September 24, 1999)

First sentence…

Pete Karras dreamed.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Peter Karras, Joe Recevo, Jimmy Boyle and Perry Angelos are four kids growing up together in Washington, D.C. in the 1930s.  Their lives will separate and then come back together in ways none of them could imagine.  Boyle will become a cop and Angelos an accountant.  Karras and Recevo will become collectors for a loan shark named Burke.

When Burke becomes upset with Karras’ disrespectful attitude and unwillingness to come down hard on some families struggling to repay their high interest loans, Burke orders Recevo to betray Karras.  Recevo sets up his childhood friend and lures him into an alley where another of Burke’s goons is waiting with a baseball bat.  Karras is badly beaten and left to survive or not.

Karras, Recevo and Burke along with Jimmy Boyle and Perry Angelos will cross paths again in bloody confrontation that will leave many of them dead.  Pelecanos creates a story that has layers and substance.  None of his characters are without flaws.  They come across as real people.  The “good” guys don’t always win or survive.  If you’ve read other of Pelecanos’ novels you may recognize some characters which adds to the realism of the universe he’s created.

The Big Blowdown is another winner from George P. Pelecanos.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.

The Big Blowdown Hardcover
The Big Blowdown Trade Paperback

Rating:

“Love and a .45” (1994) / Z-View

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Love and a .45 (1994)

Director:  C.M. Talkington

Writers: C.M. Talkington

Starring:  Gil Bellows, Renée Zellweger, Rory Cochrane, Peter Fonda and Michael Bowen.

Tagline:  In The End There Are Only Two Things That Matter…

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A convenience store thief (he’s got it down to a science) and his fiancé are on the run for Mexico.  Chasing them are cops, two loan sharks and the thief’s crazy ex-crime partner.  Love and a .45 tries hard to be outrageous, hip and cool.  Characters named Watty Watts, Starlene Cheatham, Billy Mack Black, Dinosaur Bob and Creepy Cody give you an idea of what we’re dealing with.  Tarantino Lite.

Renée Zellweger is so young here that she doesn’t look like the movie star she would become.  Rory Cochrane as Billy Mack Black is good.  I saw Love and a .45 years ago and liked it better than my recent viewing, so your mileage may differ.  Love and a .45 gets 2 of 5 stars.

“The Ghoul” (1933) / Z-View

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The Ghoul (1933)

Director:  T. Hayes Hunter

Writers:  Roland Pertwee & John Hastings Turner based on the novel by Frank King and the play by Frank King and Leonard J. HInes / Rupert Downing … adaptation

Starring:  Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Ernest Thesiger and Ralph Richardson.

Tagline: An Ancient Curse Is About To Be Unleashed.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Prof. Henry Morlant (Karloff) is dying.  Morlant believes if he dies holding an ancient sacred jewel stolen from an Egyptian temple, he will be reborn.  Morlant has the jewel wrapped in his hand and warns of harm that will befall any who interfere,  When a thief steals the jewel, Morlant returns from the dead to take his revenge.  Part of the fun for the audience is trying to determine the identity of the thief, but I was just ready for Morlant to kill ’em all.

“The Alligator People” (1959) / Z-View

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The Alligator People (1959)

Director:  Roy Del Ruth

Writers:  Orville H. Hampton (screenplay), Charles O’Neal (story), Robert M. Fresco (uncredited)

Starring:  Beverly Garland, Bruce Bennett and Lon Chaney Jr..

Tagline: Her honeymoon turned into a nightmare of horror!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Joyce Webster (Garland) is on her honeymoon with her new husband (Bennett) when he suddenly runs away.  After years of searching the clues lead Joyce to her husband’s family estate on a secluded bayou. (Years of searching?  Wouldn’t her husband’s family be the first place she looked?)

There she meets the one-handed alcoholic Manon (Chaney) and her anti-social mother-in-law.  Manon takes Joyce around the swampy estate which is full of gators.  As Manon shoots gators, he explains years ago one took his hand and he’ll kill any alligator he can.  Joyce also learns that secret experiments are being performed on alligators.  As Joyce pries deeper she learns the horrific reason her husband ran away…

If only The Alligator People was as good as its poster.  As you can tell from the photo below, the special effects are lacking.  Sadly, at this point in his career Lon Chaney, Jr. playing an alcoholic didn’t require much acting.  If you like bad 1950s monster movies, you’ll like this.  Despite the less-than-stellar alligator make-up there are some fun scenes of Garland in peril surrounded by alligators.  There is also a fun fight between Manon with his hook hand and the alligator man.  Unfortunately, the title of the film is misleading, but I guess The Alligator Man doesn’t sound as exciting as The Alligator People.  With that said, The Alligator People earned 2 of 5 stars.

ICE STATION by Matthew J. Reilly / Z-View

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Ice Station by Matthew Reilly

Hardcover: ‎ 390 pages
Publisher: St. Martins Press (September 1, 1999)

First sentence…

It had been three hours since they had lost radio contact with the two divers.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When a team of American scientists at a remote Antarctic ice station send a radio message that they have discovered a metal ship buried deep in the ice, the race is on.  Military units from several countries are quickly dispatched to claim the discovery.  Lieutenant Shane Schofield and his small team of marines are the US’ closest squad so they are sent to secure the discovery at all costs until reinforcements arrive.

When they arrive at the ice station they discover the three divers who went down to the ship are missing. To make matters worse, a hostile military force is quickly approaching.  Soon Schofield and his team are fighting against military units from two countries, unknown creatures from below and the possibility of a traitor on their team!

If you’re a fan of non-stop action that would tire Indiana Jones, then Ice Station is for you.  Once Reilly gets the ball rolling (and he does quickly), the action never lets up.  Reilly puts in his characters in crazy situations and they survive by skill, wit or luck… that is, if they survive.

I kid you not when I say after reading a Matthew Reilly book, you’ll feel like you’ve been put through the ringer.  But if you’re a fan of non-stop over-the-top action (and from time to time I am), then you cannot go wrong with Ice Station.  It earns 5 of 5 stars.

Ice Station Hardcover

Ice Station Paperback

Ice Station Kindle

Ice Station Mass Market Paperback

Rating:

Reservoir Dogs (1992) / Z-View

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Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Director:  Quentin Tarantino

Writers:  Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary

Starring:  Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Kirk Baltz, Edward Bunker and Quentin Tarantino.

Tagline:  Seven Killers, Six Colors and One Perfect Crime.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Six thieves, unknown to each other, are brought together by a crime boss for a jewel heist.  The robbery goes sideways from the start. Both cops, civilians and crooks are killed.  The surviving thieves meet at the rendezvous warehouse and attempt to discover the rat.

Reservoir Dogs is arguably Quentin Tarantino’s finest film.  Well written and directed with a cast up to the task.  Reservoir Dogs earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Highlander” (1986) / Z-View

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Highlander (1986)

Director:  Russell Mulcahy

Writers:  Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson (screenplay) from a story by Gregory Widen

Starring:  Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Roxanne Hart, Beatie Edney  and Jon Polito.

Tagline: There can be only one.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Highlander is an example of catching lightning in a bottle.  Everything, the director, the cast, the editing, the locations and music came together to create a fun ride.  In the wrong hands, Highlander could have crashed and burned, but the original (avoid the sequels!) takes flight.

The opening scene finds Russell Nash (Lambert) in the audience at a professional wrestling match.  While Nash could have been at any other event, picking pro wrestling sends a signal to the audience.  Professional wrestling is about bigger than life personalities who represent good and evil.  While the bad guy often seems to be bigger and stronger, good usually prevails!  Highlander follows that formula.

From the beginning of time they have walked among us.  Immortals who can only be killed by beheading. When two immortals meet they fight to the death for when there is only one left alive in the world, that immortal will receive the prize.  That time is upon us!

This is Russell Mulcahy’s finest film.  Sean Connery may have been born to play James Bond, but I cannot think of anyone who could have done a better job as Ramirez (and the two characters are vastly different).  This was Clancy Brown’s breakout role – he’s big, terrifying and perfect as Kurgan.  Christopher Lambert is the star and this is his finest role.  Queen was hired to provide one song for the film, but after seeing a rough cut wrote two more.  Honestly, I had my doubts how well Queen would work with the story, but I was wrong. The music helps make the movie so good.

If you’ve never seen Highlander, give it a go.  It’s definitely a film of the 80s, but still holds up.  Avoid the sequels.  As for the original Highlander, with me it rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Cop Land” (1997) / Z-View

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Cop Land alt poster created by Andi Ewington

Cop Land (1997)

Director:  James Mangold

Writer: James Mangold

Starring:  Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Peter Berg, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick,  Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, Noah Emmerich, Cathy Moriarty, John Spencer, Frank Vincent, Malik Yoba, Arthur J. Nascarella  and Edie Falco.

Tagline:  No One Is Above The Law.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

James Mangold brought together an all-star cast to create a modern day western.  Freddy Heflin (Stallone) is the Sherriff of Garrison, New Jersey.  Garrison is a small town where a high percentage of the folks who live there are New York City police officers.  They work in the city and then drive over the bridge to their nice safe little town.  Most residents don’t know that a small group of the cops living in Garrison have mob connections.

Freddy Heflin always wanted to be a New York City cop, but hearing loss in one ear made him un-hirable. Hefflin owes his job as Sherriff of Garrison to Ray Donlan (Keitel). Heflin admires Donlan and the New York cops that live in Garrison.  They have a  camaraderie that he wants to be part of.

An Internal Affairs investigation involving Ray Donlan and several other police officers leads to Garrison, Although Heflin doubts the legitimacy of the complaints, he later discovers the concerns are legit and the corruption goes much deeper than anyone knew.   Heflin wants to do the right thing but finds himself alone and outgunned.

When you look at the cast that Mangold brought together for this relatively low budget film, you know it goes back to the screenplay.  Mangold created a rich story with multiple characters, all having an integral part in the tale.  Many folks who thought Rocky was Stallone and doubted his acting ability were surprised to see him hold his own against heavyweights like De Niro and Keitel.  Ray Liotta also shines in his role as Freddy’s lone cop friend who is intent on getting out of Garrison.

Cop Land is a film that gets better with every viewing.  I loved it and rate it 5 of 5 stars.

“The Northman” Red Band Trailer is Here!

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The Northman red band trailer is below.  Heads will roll.

From visionary director Robert Eggers comes THE NORTHMAN, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. With an all-star cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

“Corrective Measures” Starring Michael Rooker and Bruce Willis – The Trailer is Here!

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Below is the trailer for Corrective Measures starring Michael Rooker and Bruce Willis.  With the recent news about Bruce Willis’ health, watching this will be bittersweet.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES takes place at San Tiburon, an Ubermax prison hidden in the Great Northwest, resided by monsters, cyborgs and supervillains, all equipped with 24-hour power inhibitors and shock-collars. The overseer, Warden Devlin (Michael Rooker, “Suicide Squad”) is as corrupt as his charges. His sole interest is in getting his hands on Julius Loeb’s (Bruce Willis, “Die Hard”) untraceable fortune. But Julius Lobe, AKA “The Lobe,” is the most notorious prisoner, and a super genius who may not be so willing to part with his riches. The already fragile peace of the prison descends into chaos with the arrival of Payback (Dan Payne, “Watchmen”), a murderous vigilante with red intentions, and Diego Diaz (Brennan Mejia, “Power Rangers”), a driver on a trumped-up sentence. As tensions between the inmates and staff heighten, “The Conductor” (Tom Cavanagh, “The Flash”) sends shocks through the prison system and order is officially turned upside down. CORRECTIVE MEASURES is the story of an everyman’s journey into darkness. The film also stars Kat Ruston (“The 100”), Kevin Zegers (“Rebel”), and Hayley Sales (“Deadpool 2”).

“Jaws” by Alistair Little and “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” by Vance Kelly!

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Today at noon, Bottleneck Art Gallery will release two new prints.  The one above is the Jaws print by Alistair Little and the second is The Creature from the Black Lagoon by Vance Kelly.  You can click on the art above and below to see bigger versions.  Click over to Bottleneck Art Gallery for details if you’re interested in either (or both)!

HEAD WOUNDS: SPARROW is Coming!

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Head Wounds: Sparrow is a graphic novel written by Brian Buccellato from a story by Robert Johnson & John Alvey.  The art is by Christian Ward.  Here’s the synopsis…

Tangled up in the battle between Good and Evil, a crooked Louisiana detective with a higher purpose must psychically suffer the wounds of those he’s sworn to protect until he brings their assailants to justice.

No one would call Leo a good person – much less a good cop. But when his best friend is shot in front of him, he wakes up with a hole in his own head that only he can see, and a host of mysterious strangers calling on him for action.

Most people go about their daily lives ignoring or unable to see the divine battle for Good and Evil raging around them, but it has just become very very real for Leo. As angels and demons vie for the fate of humanity, he must choose a side or risk seeing everyone and everything he has ever known destroyed as the stakes get higher and higher.

As Leo sees the true faces of the people around him he must decide – will he do what’s best for him alone, or follow a higher purpose?

 

 

If Head Wounds: Sparrow sounds/looks like something you’d like, pre-orders are available now.  The graphic novel premieres on August 9, 2022.

COMICS for UKRAINE: SUNFLOWER SEEDS – An Amazing All Star Book to Support Ukraine Relief!

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These are just two of the covers available for the benefit book, Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds.  The cover on the left is by Alex Ross and the right is by Dave Johnson.  Click on either to see them biggie-sized.

Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds features an incredible roster of comics talent united under the mission of providing relief to the war-torn Ukraine, which has suffered attacks from neighboring Russia since late February.

“Like everyone, I have been sickened by the atrocities perpetrated on the Ukrainian people for nearly two months,” said Scott Dunbier, editor of the anthology, “and I had to do something, anything, to try and help. The comic-book community is full of good and caring people who have stepped up to say, ‘I stand with Ukraine,’ and to contribute to this book.”

With the exception of hard costs (printing, credit-card fees, marketing) all of the funds raised by Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds will benefit the relief efforts in Ukraine in partnership with Operation USA. Since time of of the essence, once the campaign concludes and payments have been collected by Zoop, all funds will be sent to Operation USA immediately.

“We at OpUSA are so grateful for the support of Mr. Dunbier and all artists and writers involved with this project” says Mary Dolan, Director of Communications. “Operation USA is entirely privately funded, so projects such as Comics for Ukraine play a vital role in building our capacity to provide critical relief where needed most. Proceeds from this project will have a direct impact on the lives of those deeply affected by the ongoing war—improving conditions for Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other nearby countries via the provision of emergency grants and in-kind material aid. We thank all those involved in this meaningful project.”

Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds includes,,,

  • Covers by Alex Ross, Dave Johnson, Art Adams, Bill Sienkiewicz
  • A brand new Astro City short story by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
  • A brand new Chew short story by John Layman and Rob Guillory
  • A brand new Star Slammers short story by Walt Simonson
  • A brand new American Flagg short story by Howard Chaykin
  • A brand new Usagi Yojimbo short story by Stan Sakai
  • A brand new Grendel short story by Matt Wagner
  • A brand new Groo short story by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones
  • A brand new Scary Godmother short story by Jill Thompson
  • The Cost of War short story by Louise Simonson and June Brigman
  • Hardrada short story by Dave Gibbons and Chris Sprouse
  • A short story by Mark Waid and Gabriel Rodriguez
  • Bombings short story by Emil Ferris
  • And More…

Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds features an amazing array of talent including many more folks than I’ve listed above.  Plus with “the exception of hard costs (printing, credit-card fees, marketing) all of the funds raised by Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds will benefit the relief efforts in Ukraine in partnership with Operation USA” makes supporting the project a no-brainer.

Click over to get full details.  If you’re not a comics fan, but want to donate to the cause, there’s a place for that as well.  It’s a tough choice on which variant to get, but I’ve settled on the Dave Johnson cover.  Sound off with your choice if you’re in!