“Payback” (1999) starring Mel Gibson & Gregg Henry / Z-View
Payback (1999)
Director: Brian Helgeland
Screenplay: Brian Helgeland, Terry Hayes based on THE HUNTER by Richard Stark aka Donald Westlake
Stars: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bellor, Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, John Glover, William Devane, Lucy Liu, Jack Conley, Kris Kristofferson, Kwame Amoaku, James Coburn and David Paymer.
Tagline: Get ready to root for the bad guy.
The Plot…
Porter is a career criminal. After ripping off a Chinese gang for $140,000.00, Porter is betrayed by his crime partners. Shot repeatedly in the back and left for dead, Parker doesn’t die. Once he recovers, Parker is determined to get his cut of the job back. Parker doesn’t care that he’s up against the Outfit or that the Chinese gang is gunning for him. Parker wants his $70,000.00.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Payback (1999) is based on Richard Stark’s novel, THE HUNTER. The novel was first filmed as Point Blank directed by John Boorman and starred Lee Marvin.
Brian Helgeland’s adaptation came to Mel Gibson’s attention who wanted to star in the movie. Helgeland wanted to direct and it would be his first feature film. He didn’t think Gibson would want to work with a first-time director. But Gibson did.
Unfortunately, Gibson and Helgeland didn’t see eye-to-eye on how the film was shaping up. Two days after winning an Academy Award (Best Screenplay Adaptation for LA Confidential), Gibson had Helgeland fired. About one third of the movie was reshot. Paul Abascal is credited with directing the reshoots. Helgeland still got director’s credit. This became the theatrical release reviewed here.
A director’s cut was released on DVD in 2007. It features a darker tone (more in line with noir), Kris Kristofferson isn’t in this version, but Sally Kellerman’s voice (as a female version of Kristofferson’s character) is. Some of the characters killed in the theatrical version survive in the director’s cut.
Gibson felt that Helgeland’s version was making his character less assessible to the audience. After the release of the director’s cut (years later), Helgeland said he could now appreciate the theatrical, audience-friendly cut, but he was shooting a grittier noir film with a less than happy ending. I think that both films work.
Gibson is excellent as Parker. He is supported by an amazing cast. Gregg Henry as Val Resnik is a scene-stealer. Kudos also to Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, William Devane, Lucy Liu, James Coburn and David Paymer.
Payback (1999) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“The Ring” (1927) written & directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View
The Ring (1927)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock, Eliot Stannard (uncredited)
Stars: Carl Brisson, Lillian Hall-Davis, Ian Hunter and Forrester Harvey.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
“One Round” Jack Sander (Brisson) is a carnival fighter. Sander takes on all-comers and has never been beaten. Then one day, a big man enters the ring. The fight is brutal and tough, but in the end the big man wins. It turns out the huge challenger is none other than Bob Corby, the Australian Heavyweight Champ.
Corby is impressed with Sander’s fighting ability and offers to help make him a pro. Truth be told, Corby is more interested in helping himself to Sander’s fiancée.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Hitchcock made no cameo appearance in this film.
The Ring (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Kinds of Kindness” – The Teaser is Here!
The poster and the teaser have me very interested in Kinds of Kindness. I want to see more.
In select theaters June 21.
KINDS OF KINDNESS is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.
Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer
“Alien” & “Aliens” Alt Posters by Aurelio Lorenzo!
Aurelio Lorenzo is a huge fan of Alien and Aliens. He created two posters that work together as one or can stand alone. They work perfectly either way. Click on the photo above to see a Nostromo-sized version. Here’s part of what Lorenzo had to say about their creation:
ALIEN and ALIENS are still unsurpassed, not only in the franchise, but in the genre. Very different movies between them, but they have one thing in common, they both are GREAT!
I aimed to create a two-poster set, each able to stand alone or as part of a diptych. The focus was on making the xenomorphs dominant, enveloping the layout with a sense of claustrophobia. I then incorporated key elements from the movies, trying to capture their essence in an attractive composition.
I say, “Mission accomplished!” If you’d like to see more of Aurelio Lorenzo’s art, you can here.
“Warriors” Alt Poster by Tom Walker!
If you follow Tom Walker on Instagram, you’ve probably seen his alt poster for Warriors. It’s a beaut.
“The Samurai” (1967) directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, starring Alain Delon / Z-View
The Samurai (1967)
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Melville, Georges Pellegrin
Stars: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon and Cathy Rosier.
Tagline: There is no solitude greater than that of the samurai.
The Plot…
Jef Costello (Delon) is a contract killer for the mob. As Costello walks away from a hit on a nightclub owner, he is seen by the club’s pianist (Rosier). Soon Costello is brought in for a police line-up. Rosier and a few other potential witnesses fail to identify Jef as the killer. Although the police don’t have enough evidence to hold him, the commissaire still believes Jef is the killer.
When Jef goes to collect his fee for the hit, he is almost killed by the mob. They believe that Jef is now compromised. They believe that if the police bring Jef in for the killing, it will put them at risk. Their plan is to kill Jeff. Meanwhile the police are closing in.
Alone and without friends or resources, what chance does one man have against the mob and the police?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Jean-Pierre Melville wrote the screenplay specifically for Alain Delon to star. This, of course, made Alain Delon the perfect choice for the role. Kudos also to Cathy Rosier. I wish we got to see her in many more roles.
The Samurai is one of the most influential films in the history of cinema. John Woo’s The Killer and Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai are two examples of films that can be traced back to The Samurai. Other directors similarly influenced include Walter Hill, John Frankenheimer, Michael Mann, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, David Fincher and many others.
The film is included on Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” list and THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE, edited by Steven Schneider and Ian Haydn Smith.
When The Samurai was released in the US, it was titled The Godson to cash in on the success of The Godfather.
The Samurai has an almost dream-like feel at times. Hats off to Jean-Pierre Melville for having the vision and talent to bring everything together to make a classic film.
The Samurai has an 8.0 rating on the IMDb. At Rotten Tomatoes it has an 100% rating with critics and 94% with audiences.
The Samurai (1967) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“Psycho” Alt Poster by Paul Mann!
Psycho is a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie. Paul Mann has created a poster worthy of it. Of course Mann’s art is always exemplary. You can see more of it here.
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” starring Will Smith & Martin Lawrence – The Trailer is Here!
The trailer for Bad Boys: Ride or Die is her and looks to be a fun ride.
Deal me in.
This Summer, the world’s favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami’s finest are now on the run.
RELEASE DATE: June 7
CAST: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens
Marv by kundo krunch!
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 kundo krunch.
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“Number 17” directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View
Number 17 (1932)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Rodney Ackland based on Number Seventeen by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon
Stars: Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart and Ann Casson.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
A detective enters an old, dark house late one evening. Clues from a diamond necklace robbery have led him there. Once inside the detective discovers a man who claims he’s homeless and was looking for shelter for the evening. The two discover the body of a man who was recently murdered. Suddenly a woman falls from above! As they question her, two additional men and a woman enter the house. Some, maybe eveand ryone is involved in the diamond necklace theft. Expect twists and not all will survive to the end.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Alfred Hitchcock wasn’t a fan of Number 17. It wasn’t a film that he wanted to make. Number 17 was adapted from a stage play. Although conceived as a comedy-thriller, the end result fell short of expectations. Although Hitchcock considered it a “disaster” it’s not as bad as that.
Hitchcock has no cameo in this one.
Number 17 (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Darkness of Man” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
The poster and trailer for Darkness of Man looks like the best Jean-Claude Van Damme movie in a while!
“The Dead Don’t Hurt” written, directed and starring Viggo Mortensen – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
The poster and trailer for The Veil starring Elisabeth Moss worked well enough that I’ll tune in to check it out.
The Dead Don’t Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together.
The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garrett Dillahunt). Alfred’s violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.
Official Trailer | The Dead Don’t Hurt | In Theaters May 31
“Hitchcock/Truffaut” (2015) / Z-View
Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)
Director: Kent Jones
Screenplay: Kent Jones, Serge Toubiana based on HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT by François Truffaut
Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut, Wes Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher, Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese.
Tagline: The Greatest Story Hitchcock Ever Told
The Plot.
In 1962, François Truffaut was on a hot streak. Seen as one of the best young directors of the time, Truffaut was already a triple Oscar nominee and double-award winner at Cannes. Truffaut was also a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock. So later that year, over the course of a week, Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock met for eight plus hours daily. They discussed in detail Hitchcock’s films, his rationale for directing decisions and his thoughts on filmmaking.
Their conversations were recorded and transcribed. In 1966, Truffaut released HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT. The book reached legendary status among filmmakers. This documentary explores the interviews and highlights from Truffaut’s interviews with Hitchcock.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
This is a must-see for Hitchcock fans.
Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Marv by Denis Medri!
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 Denis Medri.
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