Search Results for: Victor Gischler

Lee Goldberg & Simon Brand Present Victor Gischler’s GUN MONKEYS Test Footage!

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From Lee Goldberg’s site:

Covert Media is also producing my screenplay adaptation of Victor Gischler‘s Edgar-nominated novel GUN MONKEYS , which will be directed by Simon Brand. The development history of GUN MONKEYS goes back years. I optioned the book myself, wrote the script on spec, and for a long while it was set up with actor Kevin Costner and director Ryuhei Kitamura. That project came real close to getting made…and then fell apart. A new producing team came on board, offers are going out to big-name actors now, and we’re on track to shoot in late 2017/early 2018.

Back in September, Simon shot an action scene from my script as a camera/lighting test…and I’ve just been given the okay to share it now that he’s posted it on his site. The key parts are played by his friends and it has a voice-over that isn’t in the script — I wrote it just for this so that the action makes sense out of context. I think the footage looks terrific. Here it is. I hope you like it!

Gun Monkeys from simon brand on Vimeo.

I dig everything about this test footage.  Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler is an excellent book.  Kudos to Lee Goldberg for having the faith in it and himself to option the book, write the spec script and stick with it until a deal was made.

Goldberg managed in a short video that is mostly action to create a main character that we care about, a feeling that everyone in the clip has a backstory, plus he gives us a twist at the end not only in the climax but how things are resolved.  Bravo, Lee Goldberg!

My hat is also off to director, Simon Brand and director of photography, Pedro Luque.  I certainly hope that they will work together to create this feature film.  I don’t know who the actors are in the Gun Monkeys test but I’d like to see more of the actors playing Charlie and Milt.

I’ll be in line to get a ticket when Gun Monkeys hits the big screen and will keep us posted on any updates.

Victor Gischler… and Me

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Last week I read a tweet from Victor Gischler (one of my favorite authors) saying that he was going to do a signing at Comic Central in Sanford, Florida.  I decided that when I got off work I’d drive over and see if I could get Victor to autograph a couple of my novels.  I’m really glad that I did.

Victor Gischler is a talented writer and an all-around great guy.  Not only did he autograph the four novels that I took over (Gun Monkeys; Pistol Poets; Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse and The Deputy — all highly recommended!), but he also posed for photos (I should have had my wife take a second shot since I appear to be sleep-standing), and spoke at length with each fan that came in.  It was very clear that Victor appreciated each person who came in to meet him.

It’s always nice when someone you admire for a skill (writing, drawing, etc.) turns out to be as nice as they are talented.

RIP: James Caan

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James Caan died yesterday at the age of 82.  No cause of death was given.  Mr. Caan’s family  released the following statement:

“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.  The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

James Caan attended Michigan State University for two years where he played football.  He then transferred to Hofstra University in New York.  This is where he developed his interest in acting.  Mr. Caan’s first roles were in off-Broadway plays.  Soon he was getting guest appearances on television.  Some of James Caan’s roles included parts on Naked City, Route 66, The Untouchables, Dr. Kildare, Combat!, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Get Smart.

James Caan’s first feature film appearance was in Lady in a Cage.  More film roles followed.  A few of his appearances include Red Line 7000, El Dorado, Countdown and The Rain People.

In 1971, James Caan starred as Brian Piccolo in Brian’s Song.  Brian’s Song was a tv movie that co-starred Billy Dee Williams as Gayle Sayers.  Piccolo and Sayers played for the Chicago Bears and became good friends before Piccolo tragically died from cancer.  The movie was a huge success.

The following year Mr. Caan appeared as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather.  After that there was no looking back.  James Caan racked up over 135 credits on his resume including films such as The Gambler, Rollerball, The Killer Elite, Thief, Alien Nation, Misery, Eraser, Poodle Springs, The Way of the Gun and Elf.  James Caan also starred in the television series Las Vegas from 2003 – 2007.

I probably first saw James Caan on one of his many television appearances since he appeared on many shows that I watched.  But it was his role as Brian Piccolo that got my attention.  Everyone was talking about the movie the next day at school.  James Caan was cool!  Then he followed that role up as Sonny Corleone, the hothead brother in The Godfather!  What a one-two punch.

Many people are listing their favorite James Caan roles in films such as Misery, Thief and The Godfather.  Those were all great Jimmy Caan roles, but I wish more folks were recognizing his part as Joe Sarno in The Way of the Gun.  Sarno was my favorite character in the film and Caan was perfect as the tough, old guy, (years before Jonathan Banks became a fan favorite as Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul).  Caan as Sarno had the perfect delivery on lines such as, “The only thing you can guess about a broken down old man is that he is a survivor” and “I promise you a day of reckoning that you won’t live long enough to never forget.”

I was glad to see Sly Stallone and James Caan acting together in two episodes of Caan’s series Las  Vegas.

James Caan was not only an excellent actor, he was a legit tough guy and athlete.  He did many of his own stunts. As a young man he participated in rodeos.  He played college football.  And perhaps the thing I admired most about James Caan was that what you saw is what you got.  He came across the same in all his interviews as a guy who enjoyed life.

James Caan has one final film in post-production.  It’s called Fast Charlie.  The screenplay is based on Victor Gischler’s Gun Monkeys.  (I’ve read the book and highly recommend it!)  Pierce Brosnan is the lead.  I’m happy that we have one more James Caan film coming and it should be a banger!  Of course anything that James Caan was in was better because of him.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to James Caan’s family, friends and fans.

The Best Opening Lines from Crime Novels

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Sam Wiebe and Eric Beetner got together to discuss some of their favorite crime novels’ opening lines.

It’s interesting reading and while we’re at it, here are three of my favs…

“They threw me off the hay truck about noon.”  – James M. Cain, The Postman Always Rings Twice

“I turned the Chrysler onto the Florida Turnpike with Rollo Kramer’s headless body in the trunk, and all the time I’m thinking I should have put some plastic down.”  – Victor Gischler, Gun Monkeys

 “I poisoned your drink.” – Duane Swierczynski, The Blonde

Have You Seen Goran Parlov’s Art?

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I have to admit I am really late to the Goran Parlov party.

I was cruising the web and came across the drawing above.  I liked it and decided to do a search for more of Goran’s work.  The sketch below came up next.

Then I remembered that I had seen Goran’s art in the Punisher story “Welcome to the Bayou” written by Victor Gischler (#71-74, 2009).    Why I didn’t follow-up on what Goran did after that story, I’m not sure.  Thankfully it’s not too late.

Z-View: Kiss Me Satan #1

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Kiss Me Satan #1 of a five issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Victor Gischler
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Cover Shown: Dave Johnson

Barnabus Black is a fallen angel.. one of the many that followed Lucifer out of Heaven and the only one who decided to return.  Only going back isn’t that easy.  Black must earn his return.  In the best of worlds that wouldn’t be easy.

Now that Black has a retrieval team from Hell on his tail things just got a whole lot harder.  Especially since he’s been given the task of protecting an old woman with psychic powers from a criminal organization led by werewolves.

Victor Gischler has set up a story that could easily become silly.  Yet, if you’re willing to by into the supernatural elements, you’re in for an action-packed thrill ride.  Juan Ferreyra’s art is a joy and walks the line between serious and cartoony to perfectly fit the story.

Rating: B

New Orleans is a Werewolf Town!

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Victor Gischler and artist Juan Ferreyra have a new series coming from Dark Horse comics called Witch Hunt…

Witch Hunt is the story of Cassian Steele, the boss of the werewolf mafia in New Orleans, who needs to kill an old witch Verona before she exposes a secret that could ruin him. A bounty is put out on Verona’s head, and she is forced to run from werewolf mobsters, vampire maids, voodoo wizards, and zombie ninjas that are out to kill her. What they don’t realize is that Barnabus Black, a demon desperately trying to regain his halo, is her protection.

There’s a short interview at Bloody Disgusting with Victor Gischer that will give you some more intell.

This will definitely be a pre-order for me.

Hey!  I almost forgot to mention the cool Dave Johnson cover!

Hinkson, Beetner & Robinson

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Look what was waiting for me when I got home tonight…

The Posthumous Man by Jake Hinkson

When Elliot Stilling killed himself, he thought his troubles were over. Then the ER doctors revived him. It’s infatuation at first sight when he meets his nurse, Felicia Vogan, a strange young woman with a weakness for sad sacks and losers. After she helps Elliot escape from the hospital, she takes him back to her place. He’s happy to go with her, even when she leads him straight to a gang planning a  million dollar heist. Does Felicia just want Elliot to protect her from the outfit’s psychotic leader, Stan the Man? Or is Elliot being set up to take the hard fall? One thing’s for sure: if he’s going to survive this long night of deceit and murder, Elliot will have to finally face himself and his own dark past.

One Too Many Blows to the Head by Eric Beetner

Kansas City, 1939. One story from two points of view: the hunter and the hunted. Ray Ward – seeking revenge for his brother’s death in the boxing ring. Detective Dean Fokoli – hot on a killer’s trail.Ray’s hunt takes him underground into Kansas City’s criminal nightlife. Dean Fokoli lives there full time but he’s on the run from his own troubles. Two men racing forward to collide like a knockout punch.A razor-edged story of revenge, redemption and what happens when you confront the ghosts of the past.

Dirty Words by Todd Robinson

From the creator of Thuglit.com–DIRTY WORDS The first collection from award-winning short story writer, Todd Robinson. Featuring: SO LONG JOHNNIE SCUMBAG—selected for The Year’s Best Writing 2003 by Writer’s Digest. The Derringer Award nominated short, ROSES AT HIS FEET THE LONG COUNT—selected as a Notable Story of the Year in Best American Mystery Stories 2005. PLUS eight more tales of in-your-face crime fiction.

Dig Two Graves by Eric Beetner

Dig Two Graves is a novella-length piece about Val, an ex-con who thinks he has figured out the trick to continuing his bank robbing life without ever getting caught. Except then he gets caught.

It’s not his plan that backfires, oh no. There’s a rat somewhere and Val is pretty damn sure who it is. Ernesto, his prison lover who has joined him on the outside as his partner in bank robbery.

Val stalks the city night on the hunt for Ernesto to exact revenge for breaking the ultimate criminal code: you don’t rat out a partner.

A Bouquet of Bullets by Eric Beetner

From Award-winning short story writer Eric Beetner comes a collection of hardboiled crime tales about losers, punks and wanna-be criminals. These gritty stories bleed and sweat all over the page, but always with a pitch black sense of humor. For fans of Victor Gischler and Duane Swierczynski as much as Cornell Woolrich and Raymond Chandler these crime tales represent the new wave in pulp writers at its best. Winner of the 2012 Stalker award for Most Underrated Author, a finalist in the Derringer Awards, the Watery Grave International and the Million Writers Award, Eric Beetner’s short stories have appeared in Thuglit, Needle Magazine, Crimefactory, A Twist Of Noir, Beat To A Pulp, Pulp Pusher, Powder Burn Flash, Darkest Before Dawn, Thrillers, Killers N Chillers, Flash Fiction Offensive and more.

The toughest part will be deciding which to read first.

I Support Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse II, Too

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Way back in August of 2008, I posted a very positive review of Victor Gischler’s Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse.  The fact that I really enjoyed Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse wasn’t surprising, since I’ve enjoyed all of Victor’s novels and also highly recommend Gun Monkeys; Pistol Poets; and The Deputy. 

Victor recently announced that he’s doing a sequel to Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse which will be called, appropriately enough, Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse II: The Luxury Wars.  The cool thing is that Victor is bringing Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse II: The Luxury Wars directly to his fans as a Kickstarter project.

I’m on board as a backer of the book and encourage you to consider becoming one as well.       

 

Win a Copy of The Deputy

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You’ve heard me singing the praises of Victor Gischler many times before.  It’s no secret that I’m really looking forward to his soon-to-be-released crime/noir novel, The Deputy.

If you’re feelin’ lucky [said in my best Clint Eastwood voice], then you might want to enter a contest that Keith Rawson is running over at his Bloody Knuckles, Callused Fingers site.  If you win you’ll get an advanced reading copy of, you guessed it, Gischler’s The Deputy.

Of course you can also order The Deputy from the publisher and use the promo code “twitter” to  get three bucks off and free shipping!  And if you prefer Amazon, here’s a link for that as well.  The cool thing about ordering the book is that you’re a guaranteed winner!

Crime/Noir: “The Deputy”

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I’m a big Victor Gischler fan.  I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve read by him and am really looking forward to his latest novel, The Deputy.  Fans of crime/noir can look forward to a worthy read.  I know I do.  Here’s part of the publisher’s summary…

Toby doesn’t have a lot going for him. Twenty-five, a couple of years of junior college, married to a girl he got pregnant and living in a trailer on the edge of town. He’s working part time for the police department, hoping the budget comes through and they can put him on full time, so he can get health benefits. His wife is a waitress at a little crap diner near the railroad tracks. When he gets the call about the dead body, he pins his tin star to his Weezer t-shirt, slips into a pair of sweatpants and grabs his revolver…

As you can imagine, it’s all downhill from there.

If you order The Deputy from the publisher and use the promo code “twitter” you’ll get three bucks off and free shipping!  Prefer Amazon?  Here’s a link for that as well.

Make Mine Marvel… Again

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When I was in high school and college I bought a lot of Marvel comics. Then as I got older I found myself bying fewer and fewer Marvels. It even got to the point that I’d go months [years?] without getting anything from the house that Stan and Jack built. Of course I was buying fewer comics in general…

Imagine my surprise to find that my Preview order this month has nine comics and four of them are from Marvel [Punisher Annual #1, Punisher: Frank Castle Max #74, Dominic Fortune #2 and Criminal: Sinners #1]. Of course if Marvel continues to feature art by Dave Johnson, Jason Pearson, Howard Chaykin and Sean Phillips with stories by Rick Remender, Victor Gischler, Howard Chaykin and Ed Brubaker, how can I not buy ’em?

Welcome to the Bayou

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That sweet Reverand Dave Johnson cover will kick off a four-part mini-series by writer Victor Gischler and artist Goran Parlov.  Titled “Welcome to Bayou” begins in “Punisher: Frank Castle” #71, in stores June 10th. Gischler describes the mini-series as

‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ meets ‘Devil’s Rejects’ with a little ‘Deliverance’ thrown in,”

You can get a six page preview thanks to the good folks at CBR.com simply by clicking here.