“Brian’s Song” (1971) starring James Caan & Billy Dee Williams / Z-View
Brian’s Song (1971)
Director: Buzz Kulik
Screenplay: William Blinn, based on I AM THIRD by Gale Sayers, Al Silverman
Stars: James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden, Bernie Casey, Shelley Fabares, David Huddleston, Judy Pace, Harold ‘Happy’ Hairston, Stephen Coit, Stu Nahan, Dick Butkus and Doreen Lang
Tagline: An inspiring true story of friendship and courage.
The Plot…
Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sayers are rookie running backs drafted to the Chicago Bears. Piccolo is white, outgoing and a jokester while Sayers is black and shy. Despite their differences and competing for the same position, they become friends. When both make the team they become the NFL’s first interracial roommates and best friends.
Their friendship deepens when Piccolo assists Sayers through a long arduous knee rehabilitation. Later Piccolo becomes sick and Sayers is ready to return the favor. That’s when they learn Piccolo has an aggressive terminal cancer.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Brian’s Song was nominated for eleven Primetime Emmy Awards and won five…
- winner Outstanding Single Program – Drama or Comedy – Paul Junger Witt (producer)
- nominee Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – James Caan
- nominee Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Billy Dee Williams
- winner Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama – Jack Warden
- nominee Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program – Buzz Kulik
- winner Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation – William Blinn
- nominee Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition – For a Special Program – Michel Legrand
- winner Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television – Joseph F. Biroc (cinematographer)
- nominee Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing – Marvin I. Kosberg (sound editor), Harold E. Wooley (sound editor), Wayne Fury (sound editor), Ralph Hickey (sound editor), Paul Laune (sound editor), George C. Emick (sound editor), Monty Pearce (sound editor)
- nominee Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing – William J. Montague (sound mixer), Alfred E. Overton (sound mixer)
- winner Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television – Bud S. Isaacs (editor)
Louis Gossett Jr. was cast as Gayle Sayers. Gossett tore his Achilles’ tendon before filming started and was replaced by Billy Dee Williams.
Brian’s Song was so popular in the US that it received a theatrical run in Europe.
Stu Nahan who plays a sportcaster in some of the Rocky movies plays a speaker at one of the awards ceremonies.
One of the best made-for-television movies ever. It’s better than most feature films.
Brian’s Song (1971) rates 5 of 5 stars.
RIP: Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall died peacefully at her home today. Ms. Duvall’s cause of death was complications from diabetes. Shelley Duvall was 75.
Ms. Duvall was a writer, actress and producer. She was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards:
- 1988 Outstanding Children’s Program for Tall Tales & Legends (shared with Bridget Terry, Fred Fuchs)
- 1992 Outstanding Animated Program (Programming One Hour or Less) for Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories (shared with: Art Leonardi, Carol Davies)
After graduating high school in 1967, Shelley Duvall attended South Texas Junior College. Her major was nutrition and diet therapy. A chance meeting with Robert Altman at a party led to him casting her in Brewster McCloud, a film he was shooting on location in Texas. Altman was so awed by Shelley Duvall’s acting that he cast her in his next three films. Robert Altman wasn’t the only one impressed. Ms. Duvall continued to act in feature films and television until she retired in 2002. Then last year she was coaxed out retirement to appear in The Forest Hills.
Television projects that feature Shelley Duvall include: Cannon; Love American Style; Baretta; Saturday Night Live; The Paul Simon Special; Twilight Theater; Faerie Tale Theater (3 episodes); The Twilight Zone; Tall Tales & Legends; Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme; The Ray Bradbury Theater; L.A. Law; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Frasier.
Feature films that feature Shelley Duvall include: Brewster McCloud; McCabe & Mrs. Miller; Thieves Like Us; Nashville; Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson; Annie Hall; 3 Women; The Shinning; Popeye; Time Bandits; Roxanne; Suburban Commando; The Portrait of a Lady and The Forest Hills.
The first time I saw Shelley Duvall was in The Shinning. As perfect as Ms. Duvall was for that role, I think there was another part that she was even better suited to play. That was as Olive Oyl in Popeye which is my favorite Shelley Duvall performance.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Shelley Duvall’s family, friends and fans.
DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF by Lou Berney is Coming!
DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF by Lou Berney looks to be a winner…
Multi-award winning and USA Today bestselling crime writer Lou Berney returns to his critically acclaimed thriller series starring former mob wheelman Shake Bouchon, who finds himself dragged into a high-stakes hostage rescue, among the mighty temples and shadowy underground of Cambodia.
During his years as a wheelman for the Armenian mob in Los Angeles, Shake Bouchon didn’t think of himself as the settling-down type. But now he’s happily married to Gina, the love of his life—and former adversary—in Indiana, of all places.
The great thing about Bloomington, for two people with checkered pasts, is that everyone is nice and no one knows them. Until the day a brutal Armenian thug who has always hated Shake shows up in his backyard. He demands that Shake help him find his missing mob boss, the pakhan—the dangerous and beautiful Alexandra “Lexy” Ilandryan, who also happens to be Shake’s ex-girlfriend.
Shake’s got a lot of history with Lexy, so he reluctantly agrees to travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where she was last seen. Once there, he finds himself tangled in an underworld of Cambodian gangsters, mob politics, and opportunistic expats, where the stakes aren’t clear and everyone is looking to score. With only the help of a clairvoyant hippie and the Armenian thug, Shake becomes involved in a high-stakes negotiation for Lexy that might cost him his own life.
But perhaps most threatening of all is Gina’s wrath when she arrives in Cambodia intent on saving Shake from himself—and from all the people trying to kill him.
With Lou Berney’s trademark wit, flawless plotting, vibrant locale, and memorable characters, Double Barrel Bluff is another unputdownable, globe-trotting adventure.
Preorders now for a November 5, 2024 release.
“Lifeboat” (1944) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Walter Slezak & William Bendix / Z-View
Lifeboat (1944)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Jo Swerling, story by John Steinbeck
Stars: Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Walter Slezak, William Bendix, Mary Anderson, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn, Canada Lee and William Yetter Jr.
Tagline: What happens when six men and three women are alone in an open boat ?
The Plot…
During a World War II a submarine sinks a passenger ship, but is also sunk. There are only eight survivors. They end up in the same lifeboat. Introductions show they’re from diverse backgrounds. There are three ship workers, a famous columnist, a rich man, and three ship passengers (one a mother whose baby was killed in the attack).
When they see another man attempting to get in the lifeboat, they assist him. The last survivor turns out to be a German soldier from the submarine. The initial thought is to kill him. Luckily for him, the vote is to spare his life.
Lost at sea, with little food or water, the odds of survival are slim. What none know is one of them has secrets that could get them all killed.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Lifeboat was nominated for three Academy Awards…
- nominee Best Director – Alfred Hitchcock
- nominee Best Writing, Original Story – John Steinbeck
- nominee Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Glen MacWilliams
It was a rough shoot completed in a gigantic water tank. The actors were in a free-floating boat constantly sprayed with water and a mist concoction of water/oil/dry ice. Twice production had to be stopped due to actors’ illnesses and injury.
Lifeboat has no musical score which was unusual for the time.
Alfred Hitchcock originally wanted his cameo to be a dead body floating in the water. It was changed and Hitch’s image appears in a newspaper ad.
William Bendix steals every scene he’s in.
Lifeboat (1944) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“The Old Man”: Season 2 starring Jeff Bridges – The Teaser is Here!
If season two of The Old Man matches season one, we’re in for a fun ride.
The stakes couldn’t get any higher. Don’t miss the two-episode premiere of FX’s The Old Man, 9.12 on FX. Stream on Hulu.
In FX’s The Old Man Season 2, former CIA agent “Dan Chase” (Jeff Bridges) and former FBI Assistant Director “Harold Harper” (John Lithgow) set off to recover “Emily Chase” (Alia Shawkat) after she is kidnapped. As the stakes rise and secrets are uncovered, Emily finds herself in an identity crisis with dire implications, and “Zoe McDonald” (Amy Brenneman) makes surprising moves into Chase’s world.
FULL TILT by Jason Copland / Z-View
FULL TILT by Jason Copland (letters by Troy Peteri)
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Two hundred years in the future five crime families control New Manhattan. With trouble in paradise a sitdown was arranged for the boss of each family and his/her adviser. It did not end well.
An assassin appeared. It was a massacre. Massimo Miller, the consigliere of the Chessa family was the only survivor. Massimo was wounded, but barely survived. The cops and new crime bosses (even for the Chessa family) believe that Miller was the executioner.
Now badly inured and alone, Massimo has one thing on his mind: vengeance. To get it, Massimo will have to travel across the city with the soldiers of the five families and cops on his trail. How can one man, even one as formidable as Massimo have a chance? There’s only one way… go full tilt.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Jason Copland’s FULL TILT is a masterpiece. The mobster storyline in a sci-fi setting is perfect for Copland’s world building. He’s developed interesting, original characters built using genre troupes. Copland’s story and art raise the bar. I’m sad for the folks who missed out.
Rating:
Below are examples of unfinished/unlettered pages used to promote FULL TILT.
Rocky by Fabian Zaccaria!
Fabian Zaccaria created this awesome art of Sly Stallone as Rocky. You can see more of Zaccaria’s art here.
“Life” (2017) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson & Ryan Reynolds / Z-View
Life (2017)
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Screenplay: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare
Tagline: Fear life. Not death.
The Plot…
An unmanned probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars. The six astronauts aboard the station are surprised to find a single cell organism in the soil. As they experiment with the sample it begins to grow exponentially. It escapes it’s container and devours a lab rat. Then the creature turns its sights on the astronauts.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Director Daniel Espinosa said the twist ending is in the spirit of The Twilight Zone and Night of the Living Dead.
I hate it when movie characters repeatedly make stupid decisions. Especially when they’re supposed to be intelligent.
Life (2017) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Gladiator II” – The Trailer is Here!
Except for the music, I think that the Gladiator II trailer works. I’m not expecting the sequel to be as good as the original, but so far I like what we’re seeing.
From director Ridley Scott, watch the new Official Trailer for #GladiatorII starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger – Only in theatres November 22.
“Rambo: First Blood, Part II” by Tony Stella!
Tony Stella created this amazing art for the reprint cover of Rambo: First Blood, Part II.
“Interview with the Vampire”: Season 2 (2024) starring Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles & Assad Zaman / Z-View
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 (2024)
Directors: Craig Zisk (eps. 1, 5); Levan Akin (eps. 2-4, 8); Emma Freeman (eps. 6-7)
Teleplay: Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 1); Jonathan Ceniceroz & Shane Munson (ep. 2); Heather Bellson (ep. 3); Coline Abert & A. Zell Williams (ep. 4); Jonathan Ceniceroz & Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 5); Hannah Moscovitch & Shane Munson (ep. 6); Kevin Hanna & Rolin Jones (ep. 7); Rolin Jones (ep. 8)
Stars: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Ben Daniels, Esme Appleton, Christopher Geary, Khetphet Phagnasay, Andrew Van Wilpe, Jan Hofman, Ben Bradshaw, Roxane Duran, Luke Brandon Field, Elander Moore, Justin Kirk, Blake Ritson, Stanislav Callas, Ed Birch, Roxane Duran and Bally Gill
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Interview with a Vampire is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel, Interview with a Vampire.
Through a series of interview flashbacks we learn that in World War II’s final years Louis (Anderson) and Claudia’s (Hayles) search for other vampires lead to Romania and Paris. They are discovered by a vampire coven in Paris. All is not what it seems. Jealously, lies and betrayals abound. Most will not survive.
Daniel Malloy (Bogosian) discovers government agents are aware of the vampires. Malloy also determines that he’s not being told the truth throughout the interview. Malloy realizes with increasing certainty that his life is in danger.
When the interview concludes lies will be uncovered, truths revealed.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Interview with the Vampire Season 1 was a tour de force. Season 2 meets and exceeds the bar that it set. The series continues to be well written with wonderful actors joined by top notch directors.
Delainey Hayles who replaced Bailey Bass as Claudia does an excellent job.
There are more twists and surprises in season two.
I love the idea of a coven of vampires hiding in plain sight. The vampire pretend to be human actors playing vampires on stage nightly. The audience has no idea that the victims killed on stage are not actors.
Ben Daniels as Santiago provides a riveting performance as Santiago.
I have no idea how season 3 can live up to, let alone surpass season 2… but I’ll be ready to find out.
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 (2024) earns 5 of 5 stars.
“Gladiator 2” – The Poster is Here!
Today we get the Gladiator 2 poster. Tomorrow the trailer. Lookin’ good.
Marv by Ben Oliver!
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. Today we have Marv by Ben Oliver.
