RIP: John Amos

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Yesterday it was announced that John Amos died of natural causes on on August 21, 2024, at the age of 84.

John Amos graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in sociology.  While in college, Mr. Amos played football and was a Golden Gloves boxer.  After graduating college, John Amos played semi-pro football.  He was signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos but an injury on the second day of training camp brought about his release.  He went back to semi-pro ball.  Three years later Mr. Amos was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, but was cut before the season began.

Since a pro football career didn’t work out, John Amos decided to give acting a try.  He began to get work guesting on television programs and small parts in feature films.  John Amos’ breakout role came as John Evans, Sr. on Good Times.  Mr. Amos’s career lasted over 50 years.  He acted on television, feature films and Broadway.

Some of John Amos’ awards and honors include…

  • 1977 Primetime Emmy Award nominee – Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series: Roots for playing “Toby”. For episode: “Part V”.
  • 1993 CableAce Awards nominee – Actor in a Dramatic Series for Without a Pass; Televised as “Showtime 30-Minute Movie: Without a Pass”

Television projects that feature John Amos include: The Bill Cosby Show; The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (11 episodes); The Funny Side (6 episodes); The New Dick Van Dyke Show; Love American Style (2 episodes); Sanford and Son; The President’s Plane is Missing; Maude (3 episodes); Good Times (61 episodes); Police Story; Roots (3 episodes); The Mary Tyler Moore Show (13 episodes); Future Cop (7 episodes); Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story; The Love Boat; The A-Team; Hardcastle and McCormick; Trapper John; Hunter (13 episodes); One Life to Live (2 episodes); Murder, She Wrote; Stingray; Beauty and the Beast; The Cosby Show; 704 Hauser (6 episodes); Touched by an Angel; The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire (3 episodes); Martin; Walker, Texas Ranger; In the House (12 episodes); The Rockford Files: Shootout at the Golden Panda; King of the Hill; The Outer Limits; The District (10 episodes); All About the Andersons (16 episodes); West Wing (22 episodes); Psych; Men in Trees (27 episodes); My Name is Earl; Two and a Half Men (3 episodes); 30 Rock; The Ranch (4 episodes) and Ballers (2 episodes).

Feature films that John Amos appeared in include: Vanishing Point; Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song;  The World’s Greatest Athlete; Let’s Do It Again; The Beastmaster; American Flyers; Coming to America; Lock Up; Die Hard 2; Ricochet; Madea’s Witness Protection; Uncut Gems and Coming 2 America.

I probably first saw John Amos first in one of his television guest appearances or The World’s Greatest Athlete.  Of course once Good Times began airing, like most of America, I became a John Amos fan.  I loved seeing Mr. Amos pop up in television roles and movies.  Favorite performances include those in  Good Times; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Lock Up; Die Hard 2; West Wing and Two and a Half Men.  Any time John Amos was in the credits, I knew the production was going to better because of his appearance.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to John Amos’ family, friends and fans.

“Untold: The Murder of Air McNair” (2024) / Z-View

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Untold: The Murder of Air McNair (2024)

Director: Rodney Lucas, Taylor Alexander Ward

Stars: Steve McNair.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Steve “Air” McNair had a wonderful NFL career.  McNair was the third player chosen in the first round.  He played for 12 years.  McNair was an all-pro, a passing leader and very wealthy.  McNair was married with two sons (and two sons from relationships before he was married).  At the age of 35, Steve McNair retired with a family farm in Mississippi and a restaurant he owned in Nashville.

Life should have been great.

On July 4, 2009, Steve McNair was found dead in his Nashville apartment.  He has been shot multiple times. Next to him, also dead from a gunshot wound was Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi.  McNair and Kazemi had been involved in an affair.  The person who found the two didn’t call 911 straight away.  He needed to do some things first.

When the police finally got the call the investigation ruled it a murder/suicide.  But was it?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you’re looking for a one and done murder documentary, this might fit the bill.  It clocks in at 57 minutes.

Untold: The Murder of Air McNair (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Pete Rose

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Pete Rose died yesterday.  No cause of death was given.  Mr. Rose was 83.

Pete Rose played professional baseball for 23 years…

  • Cincinnati Reds (1963–1978)
  • Philadelphia Phillies (1979–1983)
  • Montreal Expos (1984)
  • Cincinnati Reds (1984–1986)
    As manager for the Cincinnati Reds (1984–1989)

Pete Rose’s Honors and Awards…

  • 17 time All-Star Team (1965, 1967–1971, 1973–1982, 1985)
  • 3 time World Series champion (1975, 1976, 1980)
  • National League Most Valuable Player (1973)
  • World Series Most Valuable Payer (1975)
  • National League Rookie of the Year (1963)
  • 2 time Gold Glove Award (1969, 1970)
  • Silver Slugger Award (1981)
  • Roberto Clemente Award (1976)
  • 3 time National League batting champion (1968, 1969, 1973)
  • Cincinnati Reds retired his No. 14
  • Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
  • Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Pete Rose holds Major League Baseball records for…

  • Hits: 4,256
  • Games Played: 3,562
  • At-Bats: 14,053
  • Singles: 3,215

For all of these achievements and records that he still holds, Pete Rose is not in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.  The reason: Pete Rose bet on baseball.  Although he denied allegations, there was enough evidence to support the charges.  Pete Rose was banned from baseball and made ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Rose finally admitted admitted that in addition to betting on horse racing, basketball and other things, he did bet on baseball.  Pete Rose claimed that he only bet on his team to win.  Still baseball players are not allowed to bet on baseball.  So Pete Rose was made ineligible for the Hall of Fame, despite many requests for reconsideration over the years.

I had always hoped that Pete Rose would make it into the Hall of Fame during his life.  You would think that these days where every sporting event has commercials for legalized betting and Major League Baseball is entering partnerships with sports betting services, the attitude toward Mr. Rose would have changed.  I am not in any way defending Pete Rose’s lying about betting.  Nor am I saying that he shouldn’t have faced a severe penalty for violating baseball’s rules against betting.  What I am saying is, Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame.

When I was a little kid growing up in Terre Haute, Indiana, the Cincinnati Reds were my favorite team.  I loved watching Pete Rose play.  He always gave it his all more than earning the nickname Charlie Hustle. Pete Rose was still playing and at the top of his game when I graduated high school and headed into college.  What a career!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Pete Rose’s family, fans and friends.

Clint Eastwood’s Five Best Films (According to Craig)

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Clint Eastwood has 73 credits on his acting resume.  Picking his top five film performances isn’t an easy task.  Depending on my mood, there could even be some changes.  With that said, these are my choices for his five best (in alphabetical order)…

  • Dirty Harry (1971) directed by Don Siegel.  Eastwood’s best known character and the movie that started the Dirty Harry franchise.  

 

  • Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The (1966) directed by Sergio Leone.  The third and best of the trio of Leone/Eastwood westerns.  The final film in the Man With No Name franchise.

 

  • In the Line of Fire (1993) directed by Wolfgang Peterson.  Eastwood played aging secret service agent Frank Horrigan who is taunted by a former CIA agent out to kill the President.  

 

  • Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) directed by Clint Eastwood.  There are days I consider this Eastwood’s best western.  Yeah, I know… 

 

  • Play Misty for Me (1971) directed by Clint Eastwood.  What a year Eastwood had in 1971.  Play Misty for Me released in November and in December we got Dirty Harry!

“Gilbert” (2017) starring Gilbert Gottfried / Z-View

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Gilbert (2017)

Director: Neil Berkeley

Screenplay: Neil Berkeley, James Leche

Stars: Gilbert Gottfried, Joy Behar, Richard Belzer, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, Dick Van Dyke, Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, Penn Jillette, Richard Kind, Artie Lang, Jay Leno, Howie Mandel, Patton Oswalt and Arsenio Hall.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Gilbert takes us behind the scenes to show us the quirky comedian’s lifestyle.  We learn about his family, his idiosyncrasies, the reason he busted out The Aristocrats joke a Hugh Hefner’s roast, the joke that got Aflec to fire him and more.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’ve always enjoyed Gilbert Gottfried in small doses.  This documentary helps fans and non-fans to better understand Gottfried’s humor.  Early in his career Gottfried didn’t work blue (use dirty words) but over the years morphed into a foul mouthed, dirty joke king.  It always amazed me that didn’t hurt the work he got for kids’ movies.

Gilbert (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Kris Kristofferson

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Kris Kristofferson died peacefully at his home on September 28, 2024.  Mr. Kristofferson was 88.  No cause of death was given.

After graduating high school Kris Kristofferson enrolled in Pomona College in California.  He hoped to become a writer.  Mr. Kristofferson excelled in football, rugby, as well as track and field while at Pomona.  Because of his athletic prowess, Kris Kristofferson was featured in the March 31, 1958 edition of Sports Illustrated.  Mr. Kristofferson graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature.

Kris Kristofferson was then awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford.  While there he achieved honors in rugby and boxing.  It was at this point that Mr. Kristofferson began writing and recording songs with Top Rank Records under the name Kris Carson.  Due to the lack of success with this venture, Mr. Kristofferson enlisted in the U.S. Army.

While in the service Mr. Kristofferson completed Ranger school, became a helicopter pilot and earned the rank of Captain.  He also continued performing with a band when possible.  When his enlistment was coming to an end, Mr. Kristofferson was given the opportunity to teach at West Point.  He instead opted to leave the service and move to Nashville.

Kris Krisofferson continued to work at odd jobs and later as a helicopter pilot while he pursued a music career.  Within a few years singers such as Ray Stevens, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roger Miller began recording Mr. Kristofferson’s songs.  Mr. Kristofferson also got his own recording contract.  In 1971, Kris Kristofferson’s album Me & Bobby McGee became a hit.  It was also the same year that Mr. Kristofferson made his feature film debut.  For the remainder of his career, Kris Kristofferson performed as a singer, song writer, as well as an actor in feature films and television.

Kris Kristofferson’s awards and honors include…

  • 1970 CMA winner – Song of the Year for “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Song for “Me And Bobby Mc Gee”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Song for “For The Good Times”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Song of the Year for “Me And Bobby Mc Gee”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Song of the Year for “Help Me Make It Through The Night”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards winner – Best Country Song for “Help Me Make It Through The Night” Sammi Smith
  • 1973 CMA nominee – Song of the Year for “Why Me Lord”
  • 1974 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Song for “Why Me”
  • 1974 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for “Why Me”
  • 1974 Grammy Awards winner – Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “From The Bottle To The Bottom”; shared with: Rita Coolidge
  • 1975 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Loving Arms”; shared with: Rita Coolidge
  • 1976 Grammy Awards winner – Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Lover Please”; shared with: Rita Coolidge
  • 1977 Golden Globe Awards winner – Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for A Star Is Born
  • 1985 Academy Awards nominee –  Best Music, Original Song Score for Songwriter
  • 1985 CMA nominee – Music Video of the Year for The Highwaymen: Highwayman shared with: Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson · Waylon Jennings · Peter Israelson
  • 1985 CMA nominee – Single of the Year for “Highwayman” shared with: Willie Nelson · Waylon Jennings · Johnny Cash
  • 1986 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Highwayman”; shared with: Willie Nelson · Johnny Cash · Waylon Jennings
  • 1990 CMA nominee – Vocal Event of the Year for “Highwaymen” shared with: Waylon Jennings · Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson
  • 1991 CMA nominee – Vocal Event of the Year for “Highwaymen” shared with: Waylon Jennings · Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson
  • 1991 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Vocal Collaboration for “Highwayman 2” shared with: Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson · Waylon Jennings
  • 2004 Country Music Hall of Fame
  • 2012 CMA nominee – Musical Event of the Year for “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” shared with: Jamey Johnson · Willie Nelson · Snoop Dogg
  • 2014 Grammy Awards winner – Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2017 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Americana Album for “The Cedar Creek Sessions”

Television projects that feature Kris Kristofferson include: Freedom Road; The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck; The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James; Stagecoach; Amerika (7 episodes); The Tracker; The Larry Sanders Show; Dead Man’s Gun; Two for Texas; Dead Man’s Gun (narrator; 44 episodes); Where the Red Fern Grows; The Break; Lives of the Saints and Texas Rising (5 episodes).

Feature films that Kris Kristofferson appeared in include: The Last Movie; Cisco Pike; Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid; Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia; Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea; Vigilante Force; A Star is Born; Semi-Tough; Convoy; Heaven’s Gate; Songwriter; Trouble in Mind; Big Top Pee-Wee; Mellennium; Lone Star; Fire Down Below; Blade; Payback; Planet of the Apes; Eye See You; Blade II; Blade Trinity and The Jacket; Dreamer.

I probably first saw Kris Kristofferson in A Star is Born. My favorite Kris Kristofferson role was in Lone Star, followed closely by his appearances in Payback; Eye See You and the Blade movies.  Two movies that Mr. Kristofferson starred in are The Tracker and Trouble in Mind.  I remember liking them both, but haven’t see them in years.  I going to try to rectify that.

What a life Kris Kristofferson led.  If you were creating a hero for a story and you said he was an ex-Ranger, three sport college athlete with the heart of a poet, your editor would say, “C’mon.  That guy is too good to be true.”  And he’d be wrong.  Kris Kristofferson was THAT guy.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Kris Kristofferson’s family, friends and fans.

“The Union” (2024) starring Mark Wahlberg & Halle Berry / Z-View

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The Union (2024)

Director: Julian Farino

Screenplay: Joe Barton, David Guggenheim; story by David Guggenheim

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Lucy Cork, Juan Carlos Hernández, Adam Collins, Dana Delany, Lorraine Bracco and Jackie Earle Haley.

Tagline: Old flame. New mission.

The Plot…

Mike McKenna (Wahlberg) works the same job he got when he graduated high school 25 years ago.  His life is a string of meaningless relationships and hanging out with his local friends.  So when his high school girlfriend, Roxanne (Berry) shows up one night, he’s shocked.  He hasn’t seen Roxanne since she left for college.  They had just drifted apart.

Mike and Roxanne have a great evening.  Until she tranquilizes him.  Mike wakes up in London.  Roxanne explains that she’s a secret agent working for a government department known as The Union.  Because on a recent mission several agents were killed, The Union needs new recruits.  Roxanne has recommended Mike for the job.  The Union is made up of everyday people that are given special training.  Because they haven’t stood out in any areas, they are not on anyone’s radar and make good spies.

Mike reluctantly agrees.  Let the good times roll.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you’re willing to go with the silly idea of The Union’s rationale for recruits, you will have a relatively good time.  Much of this is because of the casting: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Dana Delany, Lorraine Bracco and Jackie Earle Haley.

The Union (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

ROBERT B. PARKER’S BULL RIVER: A COLE AND HITCH NOVEL by Robert Knott / Z-View

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ROBERT B. PARKER’S BULL RIVER: A COLE AND HITCH NOVEL by Robert Knott

First sentence…

We rode hard up the road to the governor’s mansion.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

US Marshall Virgil Cole and his Deputy Everette Hitch are tasked to escort “Captain” Alejandro Vasquez to San Cristobal.  Vasquez, a Mexican desperado, is accused of killing two men. Vasquez claims he’s innocent.  Virgil’s woman, Allie French is worried that they won’t be back in time to attend Appaloosa’s huge citywide celebration.

The trip to San Cristobal is uneventful .  Cole and Hitch transfer Vasquez to the local authorities.  Before Cole and Hitch head back, the local bank is robbed.  One of the robbers is Henry Strode, the bank’s President.  The sheriff asks Cole and Hitch to assist.  Fairly quickly Strode is found.  He’s lying badly beaten and unconscious in the middle of the road.  They take Strode into a house and leave him with a local deputy hoping he’ll regain consciousness.

Strode does come to.  He steals a gun and makes his escape.  Turns out Strode isn’t his real name.  He only assisted in robbing the bank because his brother had his wife and threatened to kill her.  Now Strode’s brother has the bank money, his wife and is headed to Mexico.  So is Strode.

Cole and Hitch prepare to head to Mexico to capture Strode, his brother and hopefully return with the bank’s cash.  Then they learn that Strode isn’t his real name!  “Captain” Alejandro Vasquez says that he knows the real identity of Strode and his brother.  Vasquez also says he knows where they’re heading.  If Cole and Hitch get him released from jail, Vasquez will show them the way.  Oh, and he’ll want Cole to put in a good word to the judge.  Cole says he’ll tell the judge the truth about whatever help Vasquez gives, but makes no other promise.

Vasquez may be lying and his plan may be to escape.  Cole decides to chance it.  Cole, Hitch and Vasquez head into Mexico looking for the desperados.  Little do they know that a worse problem is brewing in  Appaloosa.

+++++

Robert Knott was an excellent choice to continue Robert B. Parker’s Cole and Hitch series.  Each new yarn is an automatic pick-up.

Rating:

RIP: John Ashton

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John Ashton died on September 26, 2024.  Mr. Ashton was 85.  The cause of death was cancer.

John Ashton was a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre.  Mr. Ashton appeared in both feature films and television roles throughout his career.  He is probably best known for his roles of John Taggart in three Beverly Hills Cop films and Marvin Dorfler in Midnight Run.

Television projects that feature John Ashton include: Kojak; Emergency!; Columbo; My Father’s House; Phyllis; Police Story; Barnaby Jones; Police Woman; Wonder Woman; Code R; M*A*S*H; Starsky and Hutch (2 episodes); Carter Country; Dallas (6 episodes); Breaking Away (2 episodes); Police Squad!; The A-Team; The Twilight Zone; Hardcastle and McCormick; The Deliberate Stranger (2 episodes); Brothers; I Know My First Name is Steven (2 episodes); The Tracy Ullman Show; Hardball (18 episodes); Love, Lies and Murder (2 episodes); The Tommyknockers (2 episodes); EastEnders (2 episodes); JAG; Brookside (5 episodes); The Day Lincoln Was Shot; King of the Hill; Fantasy Island; Judging Amy; Family (2 episodes) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Feature films that John Ashton appeared in include: An Eye for an Eye (1973); Oh God!; Breaking Away; Borderline; The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension; Beverly Hills Cop; Some Kind of Wonderful; Beverly Hills Cop II; She’s Having a Baby; Midnight Run; Curly Sue; Little Big League; Instinct; Gone, Baby, Gone and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

I probably first saw John Ashton on one of his television guest appearances since he appeared on many of the shows we regularly watched. My favorite John Ashton role was in Midnight Run, followed closely by his appearances in the Beverly Hills Cop movies.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to John Ashton’s family, friends and fans.