“Violent Ends” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here we have the poster and trailer for Violent Ends.

Deal me in!

Set in the Ozark Mountains, VIOLENT ENDS follows Lucas Frost (Magnussen), an honest man brought up in a crime family whose only legacy is violence. As Lucas tries to make a peaceful life of his own with his fiancée, Emma (Shipp), he is suddenly pulled back into the family business when his cousin, Eli, perpetrates an armed robbery with brutal consequences.

Director: John-Michael Powell
Starring: Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, Alexandra Shipp

MYSTIC by Jonathan Maberry / Z-View

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MYSTIC: THE MONK ADDISON CASE FILES by Jonathan Maberry

First sentences…

I see dead people.
Make a joke.  Go ahead, people do.
Fuck ’em.
I see dead people.
Not all of them.  My life would be too crowded.  Just some.  The ones who need to be seen.
The ones who need me to see them.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Monk Addison is ex-military.  Ex-Private Military Contractor.  A shooter.  If a high stakes target needed to be done, the government wanted Monk on the trigger.  But the killing took a toll.

Monk left the work and the world behind.  He decided to travel the world to find redemption.  And maybe save his soul.

What Monk learned instead was that he had a gift.  He can see and communicate with the spirits of recently murdered people.  Communicate doesn’t really convey what happens.  Monk can see the recently dead.

Yeah.

Once the murdered spirit (ghost?) appears to Monk, there’s a process.  Blood of the victim and holy water are combined.  The mixture is used as ink for Monk’s new tat… of the victim’s face.  His body is covered with faces.  Of the dead.  Of murdered souls who have come (been sent?) to Monk.  As the new body art is finished, Monk experiences (see, hears, feels) everything the victim felt when he/she was being murdered.

The process takes a toll.  But once Monk recovers, he usually knows who the murderer was.  And then Monk goes to work.  And a sniper shot would be too kind.  No, Monk has other skills he learned as a soldier and bounty hunter.  He puts them to use to meet the killer.   Then justice will be served.

+++++

MYSTIC: THE MONK ADDISON CASE FILES features a forward by Jim Butcher.  Jonathan Mayberry brings readers up to speed with About Monk Addison which is followed by eleven Monk Addison tales.

Monk Addison joins the ranks of classic Maberry characters (many who make appearances in some of the tales presented).

Jonathan Maberry has created another winner.  Bring on a Monk Addison full length adventure!

Rating:

“A House of Dynamite” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for A House of Dynamite are here.  Watching this when it premieres will be a no-brainer.

Deal me in.

From Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow comes A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE.

When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.

Starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke.

In select theaters October 3 in the UK, globally October 10 and on Netflix October 24.

Rocky – Painted and Digitized by John Beatty!

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One late afternoon back in 1986, I  got a call from John Beatty.  John said, he was going to work on a painting of Rocky that night after dinner.  He invited me over to watch.  Of course I took him up on the offer.  John worked on the piece through the night.  He finished it in one long session.

The art above is not a picture of that painting.  Years later John was messing around with a photo of the painting and came up with this.

“The Wire” Season 5 created by David Simon / Z-View

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The Wire: Season 4 (2008)

Created by: David Simon

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 1, 10) David Simon from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns;
  • (ep. 2) William F. Zorzi from a story by David Simon, William F. Zorzi
  • (ep. 3) Chris Collins from a story by David Simon, Chris Collins
  • (eps. 4, 6) Ed Burns from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns
  • (ep. 5) David Mills from a story by David Simon, David Mills
  • (ep. 7) Richard Price from a story by David Simon, Richard Price
  • (ep. 8) Dennis Lehane from a story by David Simon, Dennis Lehane
  • (ep. 9) George Pelecanos from a story by David Simon, George Pelecanos

Directed by:

  • Joe Chappelle (eps. 1, 9)
  • Ernest Dickerson (ep. 2)
  • Scott Kecken & Joy Kecken (ep. 3)
  • Dan Attias (ep. 4)
  • Agnieszka Holland (ep. 5)
  • Seith Mann (ep. 6)
  • Dominic West (ep. 7)
  • Anthony Hemingway (ep. 8)
  • Clark Johnson (ep. 10)

Stars: Dominic West, Reg E. Cathey, Aidan Gillen, Clark Johnson, Tom McCarthy, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Sonja Sohn, Michelle Paress, John Doman, Deirdre Lovejoy, Lance Reddick, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jamie Hector, Neal Huff, Corey Parker Robinson, Tristan Wilds, Jermaine Crawford, Seth Gilliam, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Andre Royo, Domenick Lombardozzi, Michael Kostroff, Jim True-Frost, Frankie Faison, Chad Coleman, Robert F. Chew, Method Man, Felicia Pearson and Michael K. Williams.

Tagline: Read Between the Lines.

The Plot…

The economy is hurting everyone.  Budget cuts have forced The Baltimore Sun newspaper to cut personnel.  Carcetti, the newly elected mayor isn’t able to institute the changes he wanted because of the school system shortfall.  Money needed to be diverted there.  This has caused shortfalls for the police who are no longer getting or being paid overtime.  The Major Crimes Unit has been shut down.  This has left the Vacant Buildings Murders and the Stansfield Investigation stopped in their tracks.

McNulty, back to his old drinking ways, comes up with a plan.  He arrives on a murder scene before anyone else.  He then disfigures the corpse and ties a ribbon around the dead man’s wrist.  McNulty figures if there is a serial killer on the loose, the department will have to find funds to investigate.  He leaks the story to a reporter.

A dead homeless person.  The story doesn’t create a buzz.  So McNulty takes it to the next level.  He uses dentures to put bite marks on another homeless person who died on the street.  He leaks the story.  Now it appears there is a serial killer with a sexual fetish preying on the homeless.  The killer seems to be escalating.  More murders are assured.  No one is safe.

The story takes off. Under pressure to catch the killer, the mayor (who wants to run for Governor in the next election) finds funds to bring back the Major Crimes Unit.  McNulty now has access to unlimited overtime that he plans to use to bring down the Stansfield crime family and solve the Vacant Buildings Murders.  Despite institgating a plan that would get him fired and arrested, McNulty seems to have things under control.

Then a Baltimore Sun Reporter claims that the killer is in contact with him.  Although the reporter is lying everyone believes him.  Papers are flying off the stands. The reporter keeps upping the ante with his tales of the killer contacting him.  Soon the FBI is called in.

McNulty knows the reporter is lying but the only way to prove it is to turn himself in.  With the publicity the case is getting, plus the Feds itching to get involved, McNulty feels the noose tightening.

Meanwhile Omar is back to his old ways ripping off drug dealers.  But now there is a price on his head.  And every criminal in the city is looking to collect.

Marlo is feeling his increasing power.  He shuts down the co-op.  Snoop and Chris are turned loose on any who oppose him.  Especially anyone considered a snitch.  Michael, who had been on the rise in Marlo’s organization may be talking to the cops.  If that’s the case, he has to disappear.

The Wire’s final season goes out with a bang.  Not all will survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Wire was a Nominee for a 2008 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series –  David Simon (writer/story by), Ed Burns (story by) for the -30- episode

The Wire‘s final season builds upon everything that came before. It finished as it started: well written, well directed and well acted.

The Wire: Season 5 (2008) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Boneyard” (2024) starring Brian Van Holt, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson and Mel Gibson / Z-View

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Boneyard (2024)

Director:  Asif Akbar

Screenplay:  Vincent E. McDaniel, Asif Akbar, Hank Byrd, Koji Steven Sakai; story by Vincent E. McDaniel

Stars: Mel Gibson, 50 Cent, Brian Van Holt, Nora Zehetner, Weston Cage and Randall J. Bacon.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When the remains of eleven women are found buried in a field, there is no doubt a serial killer is at work in Albuquerque.  The F.B.I. sends in profiler Special Agent Petrovick to assist the team led by Chief Carter.

There are many leads, but evidence doesn’t point to a single killer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Boneyard is based on a real case. The remains of eleven women were found buried in the desert west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Several suspects were considered. None were arrested or charged.  If you’re hoping the movie has a better resolution… don’t.

Mel Gibson is featured first on the movie poster.  Gibson also appears prominently in the movie’s trailer.  Boneyard has a run time of 96 minutes.  Mel Gibson gets approximately 15 minutes of screen time.

Boneyard (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Riff Raff” (2024) starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson and Bill Murray / Z-View

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Riff Raff (2024)

Director:  Dito Montiel

Screenplay:  John Pollono

Stars: Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Miles J. Harvey, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson, Scott Michael Campbell, Roger Guenveur Smith, Angelic Zambrana and Bill Murray.

Tagline: Crime is a family affair.

The Plot…

Vincent Gauthier’s life is good.  He quit a life of crime.  He’s reached an age most in his former line of work never do.  Vincent is married to Sandy.  She’s a beautiful much younger woman.  Vincent and Sandy along with DJ (his stepson) are spending winter break at their vacation cabin.

Yes, life is good.

Then in the middle of the night Vincent’s oldest son shows up.  Rocco’s brought his pregnant girlfriend along… and his mom.  Vincent’s first wife.  They’re on the run.  Rocco killed a mobster’s son.

And now the mobster and a hitman are closing in.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bill Murray and Pete Davidson have good on-screen chemistry.

I was expecting more laughs.

Riff Raff (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

THE GUNMAN JACKSON SWAGGER by Stephen Hunter!

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Like  a lot of folks, I’m a fan of Stephen Hunter’s Swagger tales.  THE GUNMAN JACKSON SWAGGER looks to be another winner.  Here’s the synopsis…

Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter, “a true master at the pinnacle of his craft” (Jack Carr), returns with a classic Western — gunfights, horses, saloons, and looming above, the ominous presence of the railroad — about a Civil War veteran investigating the dark reality of a prosperous ranch.

In the frying pan of a drought-scorched 1890s Southwest, an old man shows up at the region’s only prosperous spread, the Callahan ranch, seeking work. Jack is flinty, shrewd, tough, and a natural with a gun. As an incentive to be taken on at his age, he shows the foreman an uncanny skill with one of Mr. Winchester’s latest models. He knows a sharpshooter would be valuable to Colonel Callahan and head gun man Tom Voth.

But he has his own mission. Aware that a young cowboy on the ranch has died mysteriously, Jack begins to investigate. He soon realizes that the death and the source of the Callahan wealth are dangerously entwined and that many of the dark forces of the American West are at play on the ranch. Soon enough, it’s the season of the six-gun and its fastest shootist.

THE GUNMAN JACKSON SWAGGER becomes available on October 14, 2026.  Pre-orders are available now.

THE GUNMAN JACKSON SWAGGER hardback

THE GUNMAN JACKSON SWAGGER Kindle

THE HADACOL BOOGIE (A Dave Robicheaux Novel) by James Lee Burke is Coming!

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A new Dave Robicheaux novel is coming from James Lee Burke!  It’s titled THE HADACOL BOOGIE.  Here’s the lowdown…

Dave Robicheaux, James Lee Burke’s iconic detective, returns to investigate the death of an unidentified woman, pulling him into a vortex of corruption and violence in the Louisiana bayou

When a cloaked, disfigured man leaves a dead woman in a garbage bag on Dave Robicheaux’s property, he knows his world and family are about to change.

With Valerie Benoit, a detective new to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Department who is grappling with sexist and racist harassment from their colleagues, and the volatile but fiercely loyal Clete Purcel, Dave embarks on an investigation that brings him into the most dangerous moments of his career and threatens the lives of Valerie and his daughter Alafair.

He encounters a local handyman who leaves cryptic notes and warns of the ghosts who roam the shores of the bayou and is targeted by a vicious New Orleans button man and gangsters from the north.

Through brilliant prose and a quintessential cast of characters, James Lee Burke weaves a portrait of a gritty, violent Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century. Visceral, atmospheric, and wholly original, THE HADACOL BOOGIE brings to life Dave Robicheaux’s fierce determination to confront evil both past and present.

Pre-orders are available now for a February 10, 2026 release.

THE HADACOL BOOGIE  Harback

THE HADACOL BOOGIE  Kindle