NICK NOLTE IN 'WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN' WITH MICHAEL MORIARTY

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQY5-yrCpxKX-Vd1C3rU5Ms8szVfRzRmx-LQY3FDDLBdDsFwnVa4EaPpfOQpwek1mwpTgft1WrJjEBaHU3NXgYFNIk1O-OPASbm58yHTkMW4nWjN2Um58M2QNCM6aWCEArxl9f9H72OHE7BZTemwbHyXchZ3JBwgtQDL8n3Ud3hDpoQolHR7UuMtYSDE-/s2800/Screen%20Shot%202025-02-07%20at%2011.47.31%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="2800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQY5-yrCpxKX-Vd1C3rU5Ms8szVfRzRmx-LQY3FDDLBdDsFwnVa4EaPpfOQpwek1mwpTgft1WrJjEBaHU3NXgYFNIk1O-OPASbm58yHTkMW4nWjN2Um58M2QNCM6aWCEArxl9f9H72OHE7BZTemwbHyXchZ3JBwgtQDL8n3Ud3hDpoQolHR7UuMtYSDE-/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202025-02-07%20at%2011.47.31%20PM.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Nick Nolte in WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN Year: 1978 Rating: ***</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In the same year that the groundbreaking BOYS IN COMPANY C showed soldiers fighting in Vietnam, WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN (influenced by the previous years' <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2023/08/rollingthunder.html">ROLLING THUNDER</a>) centered on the desperately flawed American soldiers right afterwards...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Beginning with a character quirky enough for his own movie, whose intro/setup has its own beginning, middle and end with the always-intriguingly-strange Michael Moriarty, returning to the war (with cameos by young non-famous Wings Hauser and Jonathan Banks) to find a buddy to do what the rest of the picture's about...</p><p><span></span></p>

action, adventure, anthony zerbe, charles haid, jonathan banks, michael moriarty, nick nolte, ray sharkey, richard masur, seventies, thriller, tuesday weld, vietnam, wings hauser

NICK NOLTE IN 'WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN' WITH MICHAEL MORIARTY

Nick Nolte in WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN Year: 1978 Rating: *** In the same year that the groundbreaking BOYS IN COMPANY C showed soldiers fig...

EDDIE MURPHY LEADS THE ACTION/COMEDY 'BEVERLY HILLS COP'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflnzmpkDCNle3iGzpb3e-c9gfa0b-SOhnhjJAgAWwwsQBcKgmtOC_4YzyAfJxvkrlUEMcpHI8HxYA_kaIxCUcUkHHjUWYmE0VUZt2-gMyaQ_HyFnfb_xsI3Jvsim36srPjKY7Z5gmgzS6x7iWwyljpB-phZUkDZjX9DDD9lzGA5qmfyVYBYl8Uu-5-Kh5/s2062/Screen%20Shot%202024-06-28%20at%2010.59.05%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2062" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflnzmpkDCNle3iGzpb3e-c9gfa0b-SOhnhjJAgAWwwsQBcKgmtOC_4YzyAfJxvkrlUEMcpHI8HxYA_kaIxCUcUkHHjUWYmE0VUZt2-gMyaQ_HyFnfb_xsI3Jvsim36srPjKY7Z5gmgzS6x7iWwyljpB-phZUkDZjX9DDD9lzGA5qmfyVYBYl8Uu-5-Kh5/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-06-28%20at%2010.59.05%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Eddie Murphy in BEVERLY HILLS COP Year: 1984 Rating: ****1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Eddie Murphy had one of the greatest trifectas in the history of hot young stars: while the breakout favorite of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, he co-starred opposite Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's action flick with comedy 48 HRS; then against Dan Aykroyd in John Landis's straight-out comedy <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2023/11/TP.html">TRADING PLACES</a>; followed by his first solo starring role in BEVERLY HILLS COP, both a full-blown comedy and deadly serious action flick... <br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The latter because his buddy's brutal death by Jonathan Banks is as grim as things get, leading Murphy's cocky yet misadventurous Detroit cop Axl Foley into Beverly Hills, California, where the contrast between the black former street kid and the plastic rich white man's land provides a sublime template for an edgy yet affable Murphy...<br></p>

action, bronson pinchot, comedy, cop, eddie murphy, eighties, frank pesce, john ashton, jonathan banks, judge reinhold, Lisa Eilbacher, martin brest, ronny cox, stephen elliott, steven berkoff

EDDIE MURPHY LEADS THE ACTION/COMEDY 'BEVERLY HILLS COP'

Eddie Murphy in BEVERLY HILLS COP Year: 1984 Rating: ****1/2 Eddie Murphy had one of the greatest trifectas in the history of hot young star...

BRAD DAVIS AND SHARON STONE IN 'COLD STEEL' WITH ADAM ANT

<p> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kS3HpRI0wL1cXNRg9gNRC-XHqcFVnXW5hQ60wcsc_Q-zh2vMdbaNmt3eI1P8yYYYBVPMnnfX9mZmkxoeg07hlCAUM7HJ98Qwe4IyGbchRzqV9mYP9PXNoLeKkGbGpQU7m0jytAY7SP52RfwnA9zQuTgC-Aff5AXzXTTbeUtAsx7bGpL-TZzxp4zZqtUc/s1816/Screen%20Shot%202024-12-24%20at%207.48.18%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1816" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kS3HpRI0wL1cXNRg9gNRC-XHqcFVnXW5hQ60wcsc_Q-zh2vMdbaNmt3eI1P8yYYYBVPMnnfX9mZmkxoeg07hlCAUM7HJ98Qwe4IyGbchRzqV9mYP9PXNoLeKkGbGpQU7m0jytAY7SP52RfwnA9zQuTgC-Aff5AXzXTTbeUtAsx7bGpL-TZzxp4zZqtUc/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-12-24%20at%207.48.18%20PM.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: COLD STEEL Year: 1987 Rating: ***1/2</u><br></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Sometimes those unknown flicks that seem straight-to-video or befitting a light night cable channel can actually work, like COLD STEEL, now billed as a Sharon Stone vehicle since her BASIC INSTINCT breakthrough, a cop action drama actually literally driven by MIDNIGHT EXPRESS actor Brad Davis as a cop whose father is murdered, and he wants revenge... <br> <br> On the peripheral, looming in the antagonist spot is Iceman, a villain both living up to his name and the film's title... <br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijljEmE8BeMBa4nIF2WYUePvTKVmbfe3VuLGWmuJWWJX4HZnC9hB6MMRnrB7RfagNf2PL37c1wmrzb-LfghWitXzy2VCI7Cd6ah6FpacVJLa9NYTSI8Z8GwuBdpyBlnFt63gq2ot8Pp-pBuL8b0cNPMhNfgc-nD768NUTnjfFvgUPs6tqrY6nkS2Upa3B/s1797/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-01%20at%2010.03.24%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1797" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijljEmE8BeMBa4nIF2WYUePvTKVmbfe3VuLGWmuJWWJX4HZnC9hB6MMRnrB7RfagNf2PL37c1wmrzb-LfghWitXzy2VCI7Cd6ah6FpacVJLa9NYTSI8Z8GwuBdpyBlnFt63gq2ot8Pp-pBuL8b0cNPMhNfgc-nD768NUTnjfFvgUPs6tqrY6nkS2Upa3B/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-01%20at%2010.03.24%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Brad Davis and Sharon Stone in COLD STEEL</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Like any thug played by Jonathan Banks, fresh from BEVERLY HILLS COP only in charge this time and equally formidable, frightening and with a robotic voice-box in his throat, each pre-kill threat has a creepy and sinister vibe...</p><p></p><p></p><p>As Davis and his comic-relief partner venture from one near-death situation to the next, the suspense builds nicely, as does the action, in particular one car chase starting on the streets and winding up in the middle of a stock car race, about as good as any big venue mainstream action flick...</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kkQEsFica-sf0UiK2NWMSIzsVTUcp-kzx37VrEYfd59zxbYmxu87vro9g1H9kM78uUlqBOSd3mkvlkxpAivHT9FBfjNr-nQ68nnKedQUYvfyC_NKotQ9OUKBlXg1fA0KctgsGLo44f52vkcWHlLSdbiXQZhJ4SaS1vE-V8XqSho6Gx_geA2zFgHrZJrk/s1806/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-01%20at%2010.08.42%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1806" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kkQEsFica-sf0UiK2NWMSIzsVTUcp-kzx37VrEYfd59zxbYmxu87vro9g1H9kM78uUlqBOSd3mkvlkxpAivHT9FBfjNr-nQ68nnKedQUYvfyC_NKotQ9OUKBlXg1fA0KctgsGLo44f52vkcWHlLSdbiXQZhJ4SaS1vE-V8XqSho6Gx_geA2zFgHrZJrk/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-01%20at%2010.08.42%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Adam Ant in COLD STEEL</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And he's chasing none other than 80's new wave icon Adam Ant as Iceman’s hyperactive, cool and ultra-quirky British partner, and a pretty good actor for a musician, providing a terrific balance of overboard zany and lethal menace, as if this were his very own cult b-movie, especially with the line "I feel bigger with a trigger!" </p><p></p><p>And, last but not least is Sharon Stone, whose gorgeous blond ingenue enters our hero’s life so breezily you’ll know there's something  under her sleeve, and, okay fine, so it’s not THE FRENCH CONNECTION: but for an unknown underdog cop thriller, this has bite.</p><p><span></span></p>

action, adam ant, brad davis, cop, eighties, import, jonathan banks, revenge, sharon stone

BRAD DAVIS AND SHARON STONE IN 'COLD STEEL' WITH ADAM ANT

Title: COLD STEEL Year: 1987 Rating: ***1/2 Sometimes those unknown flicks that seem straight-to-video or befitting a light night cable cha...

FINALE OF 'BETTER CALL SAUL' IS STILL MILES FROM GOODMAN

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRJCCwBDypyeTef5ubD5wljMK3LB-MKHIJTf0d78uD2cX3ESaMUYEu-oQZXi0Ebl9twexTKnrkCoXpadl5d3DV7eBlL8XhIrSIGeqeEEk7tuD4UvcdfWLGB4XO9MhQLdni9xJEHh0Q1s4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-10-10+at+3.13.51+PM.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRJCCwBDypyeTef5ubD5wljMK3LB-MKHIJTf0d78uD2cX3ESaMUYEu-oQZXi0Ebl9twexTKnrkCoXpadl5d3DV7eBlL8XhIrSIGeqeEEk7tuD4UvcdfWLGB4XO9MhQLdni9xJEHh0Q1s4/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-10-10+at+3.13.51+PM.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn on Better Call Saul: Winning</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Turns out BETTER CALL SAUL, at least concerning Season Four, isn't following its predecessor's footsteps. Instead, SEINFELD seems to be the muse. For this has been a season about nothing... which still can be pretty entertaining and addictive... But not much ground was covered...  <br> <br> Having gone back to rewatch BREAKING BAD, the slimey, lip-puckered, pudgy, balding, crooked-as-hell (and awesomely hilarious) Saul Goodman <i>still </i>has almost nothing to do with this show's endearing Jimmy McGill fella who, with the perfect girl's perfect girl, Kim Wexler, faithfully by his side, would never, ever amount to Walter White's sociopath lawyer: a guy who easily contacts master criminals ranging from a meth kingpin to paid assassins. Sure, he's dishonest and getting proverbially worse. But the BAD Saul is so crooked, his world leans conveniently in his own direction so that, in another reality, he's standing completely upright.  <br>

bob odenkirk, cable, crime, jonathan banks, neo noir, rhea seeborn, rhea seehorn, series

FINALE OF 'BETTER CALL SAUL' IS STILL MILES FROM GOODMAN

Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn on Better Call Saul: Winning Turns out BETTER CALL SAUL, at least concerning Season Four, isn't follo...

RUMMAGING THROUGH THE LOST CULT HORROR FLICK 'PIN'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcen15-4a89f8EvLe0fD3Lmpl_bPgigQp9sfv-2jmwwtouE1NjZzW48xWUZ2y0BtqY57H3XAcWgkhQNaqthjrI2NsvY_24HXbyfBewo7lVhh8nKqfC2QtRMyi3Wht_Rmzj1zikMNYzumD/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcen15-4a89f8EvLe0fD3Lmpl_bPgigQp9sfv-2jmwwtouE1NjZzW48xWUZ2y0BtqY57H3XAcWgkhQNaqthjrI2NsvY_24HXbyfBewo7lVhh8nKqfC2QtRMyi3Wht_Rmzj1zikMNYzumD/s400/11.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Hereby one of our favorite horror starlets Cynthia Preston YEAR: 1988</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Adding a layer to the otherwise cliché twisted persona so he's not just another young tortured soul...</blockquote> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Canadian horror flick PIN came out a year after THE STEPFATHER; that movie starring and this one featuring Terry O'Quinn — here he's a strict father who, a doctor by trade, uses a medical dummy... wherein all veins and innards are visible... to speak to his children. Although very different, and only having Canada in common, both THE STEPFATHER and PIN share the same visual aesthetic and budget, but PIN is more of a PSYCHO clone, albeit a unique and extremely original one, borrowing from the iconic Hitchcock thriller right down to the image of a static and spooky human figure/silhouette staring out the upstairs window (or a SENTINEL, perhaps). There's one scary house in every neighborhood and this is it... Peaking the curiosity of the same neighborhood kids that double as hardcore bullies at school, targeting the doc's passive son, Leon, played by David Hewlett once he's of age, in high school, after what seems like a backstory but is really Act One of the standard Three...</span><br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2jP2W7mDI7TCH0__ss6kEwp9bT3KsdQvlQQAqviWYx0XPqAB6hvQXy6YhHd2wR9Xj_tsOTWpZTV6a6uxr2BNDgNWTYPVaSsMmqntgJec7mAlut9EpEJyjtA11jXfmeZO7hqRQx7FLYvU/s1600/18268529_311989192563597_6477607676544455706_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2jP2W7mDI7TCH0__ss6kEwp9bT3KsdQvlQQAqviWYx0XPqAB6hvQXy6YhHd2wR9Xj_tsOTWpZTV6a6uxr2BNDgNWTYPVaSsMmqntgJec7mAlut9EpEJyjtA11jXfmeZO7hqRQx7FLYvU/s320/18268529_311989192563597_6477607676544455706_n.jpg" width="160"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>PINScore: ***1/2</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> As for the plot, PIN is the only solace in the poor kid's life, and the title, on the poster, DVD, VHS and even the opening credit itself ends with a three-period ellipsis as the rest of the word is covered up — that being the medical dummy's full name, based on the legendary children's story puppet who turns into a jackass when he parties and can't tell a lie without it showing. So Pin's first master, controlled by father doing his best Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy imitation, throws his voice while teaching both shy son and curious, confident daughter about everything ranging from the the birds and the bees to your basic household chores...<br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJODYHj2d5BJGjEoShqBPcOERuPfsMt260-Kfu9K5ahk92wTH0ppv1tIRakS6f3f8HbhDXOaGcmlEaCb2ew7zKNuMpatVtltdkoHl1knH_WVq97rc5wuEpBFpQCv9fSmwufx3AP0egUAps/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-07+at+8.23.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJODYHj2d5BJGjEoShqBPcOERuPfsMt260-Kfu9K5ahk92wTH0ppv1tIRakS6f3f8HbhDXOaGcmlEaCb2ew7zKNuMpatVtltdkoHl1knH_WVq97rc5wuEpBFpQCv9fSmwufx3AP0egUAps/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-05-07+at+8.23.00+AM.png" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>PIN the dummy before & after: Going from Peter Weller-esque to Preppy</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> What seems like a short story in itself when as the kids are young has a beginning, middle and.. Skip to high school, and Leon needs the doll to continue his education — terrified and annoyed by the opposite sex, he begs that PIN be allowed to be moved from dad's office to their home. The most important death of this body count horror allows for Leon to be free. So PIN, his sister, and for a little while, a bickering aunt live at the house...<br>

cynthia preston, david hewlett, eighties, horror, jonathan banks, suspense, terry o'quinn

RUMMAGING THROUGH THE LOST CULT HORROR FLICK 'PIN'

Hereby one of our favorite horror starlets Cynthia Preston YEAR: 1988 Adding a layer to the otherwise cliché twisted persona so he'...

RETURN OF BETTER CALL SAUL

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaSmkXQfSHyJFyla8QpmqCO6BCz_-De9VD3z2kUchkP6e8gwdHv0wb5lwb_fwFLeMisLuUU21TsaYKOiGtWvXib-H7PCAghUkBjIwHnpSvtkGHO5FYaYeaUMb5IN34qEwC5IhMAU6v-U/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaSmkXQfSHyJFyla8QpmqCO6BCz_-De9VD3z2kUchkP6e8gwdHv0wb5lwb_fwFLeMisLuUU21TsaYKOiGtWvXib-H7PCAghUkBjIwHnpSvtkGHO5FYaYeaUMb5IN34qEwC5IhMAU6v-U/s640/1.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>The Return of the BREAKING BAD spinoff BETTER CALL SAUL starring Bob Odenkirk</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Last season, we covered and rated almost every episode of <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/p/cable.html">BETTER CALL SAUL</a>, a spinoff from THE GODFATHER of television cable series, BREAKING BAD, wherein the lovably lowlife lawyer Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk, was using a fake name in BAD as we now know him as Jimmy McGill, and catching the first episode of the second season along with the first episode of the entirely new series, TALKING SAUL, with the usual charming host of TALKING DEAD, Chris Hardwick, always looking (and acting) like every parent's daughter's dream date, continuing his reign as the nightcap conversationalist of cool television shows; but does the more mellow, pulpy, dialogue-driven SAUL deserve a discussion board (?) like THE WALKING DEAD or BREAKING BAD, both which are/were like rollercoaster rides from hell while SAUL consists of more parenthetical, episodic misadventures centering on an anti-hero that, hopefully, doesn't morph from JIMMY to SAUL too quickly.<br>

2016, bob odenkirk, cable, jonathan banks, neo noir

RETURN OF BETTER CALL SAUL

The Return of the BREAKING BAD spinoff BETTER CALL SAUL starring Bob Odenkirk Last season, we covered and rated almost every episode of ...

WRITTEN INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS GRETA BLACKBURN

<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQP3TiV-uGhZ2D58KVt8JROjJBDyUgriuCdobbMNArRtT28L64PYPisKOZvU6WPOy0Rqx-CeDYO1Hi_w3ZsJYMcG04pvp1xmnhtg8UCKqpU5ypMdieaS3l4fYJsmcaebz33KI7ADEQdU4/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQP3TiV-uGhZ2D58KVt8JROjJBDyUgriuCdobbMNArRtT28L64PYPisKOZvU6WPOy0Rqx-CeDYO1Hi_w3ZsJYMcG04pvp1xmnhtg8UCKqpU5ypMdieaS3l4fYJsmcaebz33KI7ADEQdU4/s320/4.png" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interview with actress Greta Blackburn</td></tr> </tbody></table> Greta Blackburn is tall, blond, gorgeous, and most important of all, a terrific actress. The proof is not only in the pudding, but the ingredients...<br> <br> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYzqo8ZSN3kvF9TS1EEFJiB3tLOwLi2J8-u2JvzxSsAsaJfil5AYMTNRQOsbWTYwwGRA2BmCDu9USRhmuxp6HEwaVwWzTnUwRoXgCj2vE01eTJJ87b-NE55LJOpD2dVENBKua_MDxwYG2/s1600/22050267_377831929312656_4128004685753283352_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="454" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYzqo8ZSN3kvF9TS1EEFJiB3tLOwLi2J8-u2JvzxSsAsaJfil5AYMTNRQOsbWTYwwGRA2BmCDu9USRhmuxp6HEwaVwWzTnUwRoXgCj2vE01eTJJ87b-NE55LJOpD2dVENBKua_MDxwYG2/s320/22050267_377831929312656_4128004685753283352_n.jpg" width="168"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Greta in V: FINAL BATTLE</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Within two key scenes from Walter Hill’s crime classic 48 HRS, centering on a seasoned cop played by Nick Nolte reluctantly teamed with a convict... Eddie Murphy in his first movie role...<br> <br> Greta more than holds her own opposite Nolte in one scene, where the real action begins and the story gets underway, starting off with the always-intense James Remar while her character, Lisa, is a hooker brushing her teeth one minute, and the next she has a gun pointed at her head.</div> <div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">In 48 HRS, known mostly for being Eddie Murphy's first feature but a very edgy Walter Hill thriller, actually headlined by Nick Nolte: what was it like working on the very intense hotel scene that also included actors Jonathan Banks and Sonny Landham?</span></div>

eighties, graham chapman, greta blackburn, interview, james remar, jonathan banks, nick nolte, sonny landham, steve martin

WRITTEN INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS GRETA BLACKBURN

Interview with actress Greta Blackburn Greta Blackburn is tall, blond, gorgeous, and most important of all, a terrific actress. The pro...

BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: EPISODE 109 PIMENTO

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIHhBXNDzLvMxOgY1XQzKUK5_dc8WF6FisxKMyJ6sbiVt2lyZ_dJr1TjdFQ7xRP4htmdkpEYDKuo8BQFs1ZldgMUsb26g9jaZ3za_D-yIO73SWKlC0pYqL9lG0OwR73_ap_GeB5_8WPA/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIHhBXNDzLvMxOgY1XQzKUK5_dc8WF6FisxKMyJ6sbiVt2lyZ_dJr1TjdFQ7xRP4htmdkpEYDKuo8BQFs1ZldgMUsb26g9jaZ3za_D-yIO73SWKlC0pYqL9lG0OwR73_ap_GeB5_8WPA/s1600/1.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E9 Grade: A–</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> Michael McKean is sort of a Working Icon. He never fell off the map, and always continued to find jobs after his airhead Lenny from LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY made him a star. And the moody rhythm guitarist David St. Hubbins from SPINAL TAP killed the stereotype of merely being Squiggy’s tall friend. But in BETTER CALL SAUL, his character… Jimmy McGill’s older, more responsible and legitimate lawyer brother Chuck… is a little too unique for his own good. Suffering a self-imposed allergy to electricity is downright vapid. He should have shaken that by now because it’s getting just too distracting to make him a worthy character... Like at the end of this one where he more than proves his worth as a dramatic actor...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvT0Rx5I6ga84uj5vt6PlT9ku6gnVexfxejY9aDHVPrYhbXhLYD33sCsACCw2nZAAM0XLriySkaZ1S71qbDeJoAJP9drMbXrGDVT4sM474T3FeeBTq2qEnlrJXBjqbMmqg5mseKPAakc/s1600/2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvT0Rx5I6ga84uj5vt6PlT9ku6gnVexfxejY9aDHVPrYhbXhLYD33sCsACCw2nZAAM0XLriySkaZ1S71qbDeJoAJP9drMbXrGDVT4sM474T3FeeBTq2qEnlrJXBjqbMmqg5mseKPAakc/s1600/2.jpg" width="103" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MM's 2nd icon</td></tr> </tbody></table> Not that Chuck's problems hinder Mike and his… let’s call it a <i>skit</i> as most of the show's scenarios play out with a beginning, middle and end. Herein Mike and two other hired bodyguards display their individual worth, and it’s obvious to any BREAKING BAD fan who will come out on top. Leading to the birth of the unbreakable Mike we all know, love and equally fear – and thus bringing Michael Mando's drug cartel thug back into the mix, fulfilling his opening credit status he’s been mostly absent from throughout the first season, which is nearly at an end.<br /> <br /> Overall, PIMENTO, describing a particular cheese Mike has in his lunch bag, is not a bridge episode, which is leading to next week’s finale... The main purpose, along with Mike progressing into thug/bodyguard status, occurs during the pivotal “Et Tu Brute” moment between Jimmy and Chuck, thus establishing our hero's existence mirroring his brother’s embroidered logo on a jacket decades earlier… LONE WOLF.

2015, bob odenkirk, cable, jonathan banks, michael mckean

BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: EPISODE 109 PIMENTO

E9 Grade: A– Michael McKean is sort of a Working Icon. He never fell off the map, and always continued to find jobs after his airhead ...

BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: MIKE STEPS OUT IN EPISODE 106 FIVE-O

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sqF4BOIRGLDxJIkiUzBjo87m-EJZf7EpB03erR177y9gVr5tRL0ZCRFTsH7kqwTNQLSCxRae0-5GYkJzj5HhgZkW_XBme14AUv1GuMBfzY-Wey0a545j-7tjpPwBVfdIA5sgs-aWNOA/s1600/Better-Call-Saul-Five-O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sqF4BOIRGLDxJIkiUzBjo87m-EJZf7EpB03erR177y9gVr5tRL0ZCRFTsH7kqwTNQLSCxRae0-5GYkJzj5HhgZkW_XBme14AUv1GuMBfzY-Wey0a545j-7tjpPwBVfdIA5sgs-aWNOA/s1600/Better-Call-Saul-Five-O.jpg" width="137" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FIVE-0 Grade: A–</td></tr> </tbody></table> No one’s allergic to electricity. There’s no time for that. Put away childish things. It’s Mike’s turn at bat…<br /> <br /> Jonathan Banks has played villains for an entire career, and since 2008 he’s been a "good guy" on two shows about crooked anti-heroes. And what’s ironic about the title of this BREAKING BAD spinoff, BETTER CALL SAUL, is that Saul... whose name was, and is, Jimmy McGill... would call Mike after Walter White called him...<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bCyxhnL2u0xdVYdHoobBBcVMk7cSSRmizfGP8haSTTzw-S1HuRyKvHpBfR0fimRXCSAfPB3Wmkbp2kAI_roeG1LtlpX9Q61cZVviSyYgHnZFaaqvKku9lswbWnJk8eQbWHVhpLEi8mk/s1600/600px-BevCopRemington4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bCyxhnL2u0xdVYdHoobBBcVMk7cSSRmizfGP8haSTTzw-S1HuRyKvHpBfR0fimRXCSAfPB3Wmkbp2kAI_roeG1LtlpX9Q61cZVviSyYgHnZFaaqvKku9lswbWnJk8eQbWHVhpLEi8mk/s1600/600px-BevCopRemington4.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverly Hills Cop, 1984</td></tr> </tbody></table> Because Mike is the bottom line, and this entire episode, FIVE-O, centers on his backstory – arriving into town before holding that catatonic job at the parking booth: getting off a train, bandaging a mysterious wound, and bonding with his daughter-in-law and granddaughter in a dilapidated Albuquerque backyard.<br /> <br /> Then we learn more about what we need to learn, as usual, and it’s an intentionally slow, Neo-Noir potboiler of a process: Including a crooked cabbie and a secret cash-only doctor. And, of course, a shifty lawyer. Surprisingly enough, Jimmy still holds onto a few remaining shards of honesty. And the nickle-plated payoff comes towards the end when we flashback even further. But what makes this a real keeper are all the expressions Jonathan Banks can morph into one cold-blooded stare that's still completely sympathetic. It’s an amazing thing and difficult to explain. Finally unchained from cameo guest-spots, let’s hope he’s more than just a random backup. Maybe his prequel story will continue. Now that's a "cop show" with real edge!

2015, bob odenkirk, cable, crime, jonathan banks

BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: MIKE STEPS OUT IN EPISODE 106 FIVE-O

FIVE-0 Grade: A– No one’s allergic to electricity. There’s no time for that. Put away childish things. It’s Mike’s turn at bat… Jonath...

BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: EPISODE 105 ALPINE SHEPARD BOY

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZV-4q6Pkjzbr3LqMjA0w6iElS5_0cG3avSxmtQuZdpVKPN5LyxnbnectYngpJNfAB9fhgDbnlp8HSjkAhvYkzvNgxvz6q44_I69gYXJFt5RTlfotu4oqObPAXczEb3PptKsONiplap8/s1600/photo-176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZV-4q6Pkjzbr3LqMjA0w6iElS5_0cG3avSxmtQuZdpVKPN5LyxnbnectYngpJNfAB9fhgDbnlp8HSjkAhvYkzvNgxvz6q44_I69gYXJFt5RTlfotu4oqObPAXczEb3PptKsONiplap8/s1600/photo-176.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Episode 105 Grade: B–</td></tr> </tbody></table> A building episode includes an intriguing cliffhanger, a big revelation and the first BETTER CALL SAUL with a title longer than one word, ALPINE SHEPARD BOY is a reference to a statue during a string of low-rent and/or misleading jobs Jimmy McGill gets as benefits of HERO, which is ironic since the entire purpose of all that work was to make more money with real clients – nothing doing…<br /> <br /> Beginning with Michael McKean as the mysteriously bizarre Chuck McGill, Jimmy’s older brother lawyer who suffers from what we finally discover is called ELECTROMAGNETIC HYPER-SENSITIVITY, and it’s not very… legit…<br /> <br /> Either is one scene that, involving an unintentionally perverted toilet bowl a married father wants to patent, seems readymade for show-fans to quote at the Tuesday morning water cooler. (Jimmy even shares the experience with his pseudo-girlfriend a few minutes later... just in case we missed something.) But most of the episode is searching for an outlet – pun intended given Chuck’s illness; yet it’s true... While an intriguing glimpse into Jimmy’s kitschy progression, getting clothing tips from a MATLOCK rerun, and a niche for doing wills for the elderly (Elder Law)… including THE THIRD MAN theme playing with orchestration at an old folk's home… the best is saved for last: And it’s about time real light is shed on Mike, Jonathan Bank’s tough crooked ex cop and the only other connection to BREAKING BAD. Now we’re getting somewhere since Mike was one of the best BAD characters, and that’s a show with many great characters. And while ALPINE is mostly weird and offbeat – resembling something from the Coen Brothers universe (the toilet bowl voice sounded like the creepy Asian dude from FARGO) – there’s something real edgy to wait for. To look forward to.

2015, bob odenkirk, cable, jonathan banks, michael mckean

BETTER CALL SAUL SCRAWL: EPISODE 105 ALPINE SHEPARD BOY

Episode 105 Grade: B– A building episode includes an intriguing cliffhanger, a big revelation and the first BETTER CALL SAUL with a titl...

IDENTITY THIEF

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDIImARw3KJUjULfJIccP8r2ygec06UjEalHO9le45GUeVrMj0-7M__8VvRnPHhX7nEDTeXj1WFchCNe_jaLll6AV9AF3RPl1M5az2oX4qXmZ0gAhrTv5aSvLIMQipP3IdUO0xCeGSNU/s1600/id+theif.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDIImARw3KJUjULfJIccP8r2ygec06UjEalHO9le45GUeVrMj0-7M__8VvRnPHhX7nEDTeXj1WFchCNe_jaLll6AV9AF3RPl1M5az2oX4qXmZ0gAhrTv5aSvLIMQipP3IdUO0xCeGSNU/s640/id+theif.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>year: 2013 cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau rating: **1/2</b></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> Melissa McCarthy is really hot. Disagree? Well she has this movie in theaters about to nab number one at the box office, and another under way with a trailer shown right before IDENTITY THIEF: where everyman husband/father Sandy Pettersen, played by Jason Bateman, pays the price of having a first name often attributed to females. This is how con artist McCarthy’s resilient Diana steals his identity, using his credit cards to buy everything from a jet ski to a brand new car. <br /> <br /> Sandy… that is, the real Sandy… works as an accountant while the fake Sandy has turned his life upside-down. <br /> <br /> We’ll skip past his really bad day (Bateman doing a stock glib victim-of-circumstance role) and cut to the plot at hand: he’s given a week to go from Colorado to Florida to find his thief, and then bring her back to the police. Of course anyone familiar with TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES, DUE DATE and the recent GUILT TRIP knows this won’t be as simple as planned. <br /> <br /> Actually, finding this woman is easy enough, but trying to subdue her is the difficult part. She has a penchant for painful throat jabs and can survive more brutal accidents than a crash test dummy and Wile E. Coyote combined.  <br /> <br /> Eventually, since they can't take a plane, Sandy and Diana have to drive cross-country and the inevitable road movie begins. A few semi funny moments occur, including an action-packed car chase, but a lot of McCarthy’s humor is too gross and over-the-top to seem like she’s earned laughs on her own accord. Perhaps HORRIBLE BOSSES director Seth Gordon is competing for the Judd Apatow/Seth McFarland super-R rated spotlight. But in this particular case, the gross out factor only serves as a crutch or distraction.<br /> <br /> It's when Sandy has to become more like Diana, both cutting corners to escape vicious thugs and the law, that the characters not only grow closer, they become more real. And you gotta give credit to the lead actors for trudging through some deliberately sappy moments centering on Diana’s back story and shortcomings: shy's made much too sympathetic throughout.  <br /> <br /> The important thing is both Bateman and McCarthy make a decent team, and are often more likable  than the somewhat standard script allows.

2013, comedy, jason bateman, jon favreau, jonathan banks, melissa mccarthy, road movie, robert patrick

IDENTITY THIEF

year: 2013 cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau rating: **1/2 Melissa McCarthy is really hot. Disagree? Well she has this ...