STACY KEACH TRUCKS THROUGH RICHARD FRANKLIN'S 'ROADGAMES'

<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/AVvXsEgdgSU2JoI0ZH_Yv-HWE7vbrItt_nGxP1MkLUcYDeNZTHhBXl_Hqch5qOn6x145gjNezsRMxRHfZL0UUQrQsndv-9s-lst9KkMN4pr3uDzgBPkKWi7_-zNMFHhTfb1a6msv37tq55qRVjkAJlf1oV6k01x3n3wS_vCpPcTkad76-BtoS5-AAV5jSvW3gA/s2175/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-03%20at%207.17.24%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="2175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgSU2JoI0ZH_Yv-HWE7vbrItt_nGxP1MkLUcYDeNZTHhBXl_Hqch5qOn6x145gjNezsRMxRHfZL0UUQrQsndv-9s-lst9KkMN4pr3uDzgBPkKWi7_-zNMFHhTfb1a6msv37tq55qRVjkAJlf1oV6k01x3n3wS_vCpPcTkad76-BtoS5-AAV5jSvW3gA/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-03%20at%207.17.24%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Stacy Keach in ROADGAMES aka ROAD GAMES Year: 1981 Rating: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Australian exploitation director Richard Franklin was picked for the daring task of making <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2015/10/psychos.html">PSYCHO II</a> as a <i>student of Alfred Hitchcock</i>, particularly for his Down Under-set vehicle, ROADGAMES, known as a REAR WINDOW on wheels when it's actually Steven Spielberg's DUEL in reverse... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Where a carefree trucker follows and is followed by a killer in a passenger vehicle, and an otherwise optimistic Stacy Keach as Quid, who proudly states "just because I drive a truck doesn't make me a truck driver," also narrates, either in his mind or, for the most part, talking to himself out loud, like Dennis Weaver did in the groundbreaking Spielberg TV-Movie, both also winding up in a diner loaded with possible suspects... </p><span></span>

eighties, exploitation, horror, jamie lee curtis, modern western, richard franklin, road movie, robert thompson, serial killer, stacy keach, thriller

STACY KEACH TRUCKS THROUGH RICHARD FRANKLIN'S 'ROADGAMES'

Stacy Keach in ROADGAMES aka ROAD GAMES Year: 1981 Rating: **** Australian exploitation director Richard Franklin was picked for the daring ...

FREDERIC FORREST AND STEACH KEACH ARE 'THE DION BROTHERS'

<p><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></p><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/AVvXsEjwfj22cRCTIPe7Ti8pAW5k6sxJKVx34aVUSsH_rCIZgWA71T_Pm-qSZ9A1VEykR6E7sZVkBM194XsaK2lL8BpGdSwlXQwoNJni4g3vw341icCYW4FOcEAqBvbV4JjUWnejf7_uUoDB3JUFba68LdAXRZ9VYEiaoiucNLyc3vYYZmbXYT8GmZuajdEb8Iec/s1386/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-24%20at%208.47.00%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1386" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfj22cRCTIPe7Ti8pAW5k6sxJKVx34aVUSsH_rCIZgWA71T_Pm-qSZ9A1VEykR6E7sZVkBM194XsaK2lL8BpGdSwlXQwoNJni4g3vw341icCYW4FOcEAqBvbV4JjUWnejf7_uUoDB3JUFba68LdAXRZ9VYEiaoiucNLyc3vYYZmbXYT8GmZuajdEb8Iec/w400-h314/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-24%20at%208.47.00%20PM.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: The Dion Brothers Year: 1974 </u><u><span>Rating:</span> ***</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p> THE DION BROTHERS, originally titled THE GRAVY TRAIN, if taken as a serious crime film, seems kinda bad at first; even, at times, embarrassing. Terrence Malick and co-writer Bill Kerby's script is riddled with cliches, and the characters banter the words like a mediocre Las Vegas standup act... </p><p>But when you realize it's a comedy/action team-up, it's apparent they knew what they were doing: creating a fun, and sporadically gritty, heist flick...</p><p>Frederic Forrest and Stacy Keach are blue collar brothers from West Virginia. Keach has moved to Washington DC and is a con-man in the Insurance Industry i.e. a guy who wants to get rich quick. Forrest is an ex-convict working in a coal mine who joins Keach and some other slackers (including Denny Miller and Robert Romanus) to rob an armored truck, which, like all heist films, doesn't go as planned, so the last half consists of the siblings, a cross between Laurel/Hardy and Dillinger/Nelson, escaping police and mob assassins as the two leads, both terrific actors, get better as the film itself improves during the third act: when the situation gets more and more desperate. And tough guy actor/director Jack Starrett guides the few actions scenes nicely, resulting in a terrific old-school shootout reminiscent of the classic gangster movies: where crime doesn't pay.</p><p></p>

action, buddy, comedy, crime, frederic forrest, gangster, heist, jack starrett, neo noir, seventies, stacy keach, terrence malick

FREDERIC FORREST AND STEACH KEACH ARE 'THE DION BROTHERS'

Title: The Dion Brothers Year: 1974  Rating: *** THE DION BROTHERS, originally titled THE GRAVY TRAIN, if taken as a serious crime film, s...

STACY KEACH & SCOTT WILSON IN 'THE NINTH CONFIGURATION'

<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/AVvXsEg6vTn9X_z4HwVwzYjM5LwLUCiWemjcPy08DCjKxf_f3bcwE4EsCJmfyq2nKM2d6AqfvB40vDXWvPNwxWbNeD6H2dlFU_Z-KomvelPLkVyiUXfAbeIiglqhE_-TjjDd7rTVMtPex5yFaY8U/s1600/30707081_462728544156327_7884275141759205376_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="960" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vTn9X_z4HwVwzYjM5LwLUCiWemjcPy08DCjKxf_f3bcwE4EsCJmfyq2nKM2d6AqfvB40vDXWvPNwxWbNeD6H2dlFU_Z-KomvelPLkVyiUXfAbeIiglqhE_-TjjDd7rTVMtPex5yFaY8U/s400/30707081_462728544156327_7884275141759205376_n.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Good guy, Bad guys, and Linda Blatty YEAR OF RELEASE: 1980</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Writer/Director William Peter Blatty, whose novel THE EXORCIST was made into a groundbreaking horror masterpiece by THE FRENCH CONNECTION Oscar-winner William Friedkin, takes personal, independent pride in his very own picture, THE NINTH CONFIGURATION...<br> <br> Mostly because the critics deemed how insanely original it is since "Robert Loggia sings Al Jolson in blackface" and "Jason Miller rehearses HAMLET using dogs" and "Moses Gunn wears superhero spandex" or "a man dressed as a nun tries exorcising a soda machine" or "an image of the crucifixion on the moon," and on and on the weirdness goes but, in the reality of this surreal anti-war, existentialist vs religion fable — set inside a castle that serves as an insane asylum, there could have been even more nutty stuff... Anything goes in a story about human beings who are seemingly without logic or limits... And in that, NINTH is actually an extremely grounded vehicle...<br>

eighties, jason miller, mental ward, military, richard lynch, robert loggia, scott wilson, stacy keach, thriller, william peter blatty

STACY KEACH & SCOTT WILSON IN 'THE NINTH CONFIGURATION'

Good guy, Bad guys, and Linda Blatty YEAR OF RELEASE: 1980 Writer/Director William Peter Blatty, whose novel THE EXORCIST was made into ...

CARPENTER & RUSSELL ESCAPE FROM L.A.

<div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2019/08/bagful-carpy.html"><span style="font-size: large;">ESCAPE FROM LA HAS MOVED SO CLICK HERE</span></a><br><div style="text-align: right;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCWNxlTkKxDDqFcibMoYmraG_wc-n2MlbTSfyuuldsYoJwKhp5bn9MMWf-tg8fYmVbhjcqcfyMf0-CMqUh7nZLmJgDsXEknP9mYpSGlNw9yxexzgLir75f5Yox7FFZEhLbjqXb1ZbWos/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCWNxlTkKxDDqFcibMoYmraG_wc-n2MlbTSfyuuldsYoJwKhp5bn9MMWf-tg8fYmVbhjcqcfyMf0-CMqUh7nZLmJgDsXEknP9mYpSGlNw9yxexzgLir75f5Yox7FFZEhLbjqXb1ZbWos/s200/2.jpg" width="168"></a></div>

cliff robertson, john carpenter, kurt russell, nineties, pam grier, peter fonda, peter jason, robert carradine, science fiction, sequel, stacy keach, steve buscemi

CARPENTER & RUSSELL ESCAPE FROM L.A.

ESCAPE FROM LA HAS MOVED SO CLICK HERE

IF I STAY... REVIEWED BY A GROUCHY GROWNUP

<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/AVvXsEjiMpWUldGX2VZ1qU-ZwH4BNWfCxEtm5qpmn32S-VIhuZIc54nOcrHSlJTNea6YDBQ7GsuIdOA5gAJb4u6yEaf7xt_xqq6qOXJxS_cZYS5cAcLcjOMoc-7HaO_FBnLqvgbPv4sECTBejDo/s1600/If-I-Stay-fanmade-poster-if-i-stay-36948086-408-619.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/AVvXsEjiMpWUldGX2VZ1qU-ZwH4BNWfCxEtm5qpmn32S-VIhuZIc54nOcrHSlJTNea6YDBQ7GsuIdOA5gAJb4u6yEaf7xt_xqq6qOXJxS_cZYS5cAcLcjOMoc-7HaO_FBnLqvgbPv4sECTBejDo/s320/If-I-Stay-fanmade-poster-if-i-stay-36948086-408-619.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> What a romantic teenage vehicle like IF I STAY has in common with a horror movie is cause and effect… Scary flicks will cause kids to scream, and they go for that reason… So it's not much different when a movie promises to jerk tears from an audience of young girls, all ready for that particular effect... <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, for impatient adult viewers, STAY has two teen characters with  zero chemistry... She, being Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia, and he is yet another misunderstood rebel who channels his powers through Rock N Roll…<br /> <br /> At first, Jamie Blackley plays Adam with little emotion, leaving the Afterschool Special type melodrama to Moretz’s character, in spirit form after a terrible car accident with her family – begging the purgatory question and the reason for the title… If she does stay, what’s to live for? <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/AVvXsEhxOdCKdRhHqC07hkk957kxW7Xemyz8Y3FIeEbORYwb87K3w7pWXuY8FMaC7OhMoEaOiiKZrINHS-zDBvlKXTJ0_7ZlXij5vqpf3LPMyYqjHMnXctNMPRkH30pS6k9d5rTfZdr1SxTOlWo/s1600/if-i-stay-chloe-moretz-stacy-keach.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/AVvXsEhxOdCKdRhHqC07hkk957kxW7Xemyz8Y3FIeEbORYwb87K3w7pWXuY8FMaC7OhMoEaOiiKZrINHS-zDBvlKXTJ0_7ZlXij5vqpf3LPMyYqjHMnXctNMPRkH30pS6k9d5rTfZdr1SxTOlWo/s200/if-i-stay-chloe-moretz-stacy-keach.jpg" width="168" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Stacy Keach</td></tr> </tbody></table> Scenes where Mia’s limbo ghost follows friends and family around the hospital are traded off with memories of her mom and dad, who are the kind of hip/progressive parents all kids would... die for. But the real backdrop consists of Mia, a concert cellist with a possible scholarship at Julliard, falling deeply in love with the perpetually whining Adam, whose band sounds like grungy elevator music.  <br /> <br /> Moretz can be a decent actress, but in the purgatory state she doesn’t convey enough emotion to befit the horrendous tragedy, which is almost unfathomable given the eventual body count. And since her romance with Adam has zero obstacles… other than her own neurotic reluctance while pontificating like a 35-year-old intellectual… it’s hard to feel for the living Mia or the dying one: neither seem to care much about anything. Thankfully Grandpa, played by veteran actor Stacy Keach, shares a heartfelt scene or two to make Mia more human: thus giving her a reason, other than a quirky best buddy and a moody boyfriend, to possibly stick around.

2014, chloë grace moretz, stacy keach, teen

IF I STAY... REVIEWED BY A GROUCHY GROWNUP

year: 2014 rating: ** What a romantic teenage vehicle like IF I STAY has in common with a horror movie is cause and effect… Scary flicks...

FRANK MILLER'S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

<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/AVvXsEiCbuAaZvh20qxVChDcXv5-GAlDTsIYR_QRdDX8KIubZgfYHfjdK5ht5ZwoIRKC3Co5zjjyejpN2bwIXz9EwR8BRrybl5QpOh4MMZSA0ocDK-Mr9HZjZtEOfYruLgLcYTHySGyaIC0nZHw/s1600/Sin-City-A-Dame-to-Kill-For-Poster.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/AVvXsEiCbuAaZvh20qxVChDcXv5-GAlDTsIYR_QRdDX8KIubZgfYHfjdK5ht5ZwoIRKC3Co5zjjyejpN2bwIXz9EwR8BRrybl5QpOh4MMZSA0ocDK-Mr9HZjZtEOfYruLgLcYTHySGyaIC0nZHw/s320/Sin-City-A-Dame-to-Kill-For-Poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> “I was born at night,” Josh Brolin’s gritty Dwight tells the title femme fatale. “But it wasn’t last night.”<br /> <br /> That’s the kind of  pulpy camp delivered in Frank Miller’s graphic novel Film Noir purgatory, which is extremely graphic. But all the limbs flying and blood gushing, bathed in a surreal backdrop even stranger than Mickey Rourke’s abundant Dick Tracyesque jawbone, doesn’t seem very real, and that’s a good thing – escapism reigns in SIN CITY. <br /> <br /> Consisting of three intertwined tales, the best has Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Johnny, a young idealistic card shark who takes on the super nefarious Senator Roark (Powers Booth) – learning all about luck and experience the hard way. The main story centers on Brolin, who falls desperately hard for the DAME TO KILL (and/or die) FOR... Although Eva Green’s Ava isn’t entirely spellbinding, and it’s never really clear what the fuss is about. And least entertaining for last: Jessica Alba as Nancy, a stripper with a heart of golden vengeance, headed after the Senator, who has more than earned his villainy at this point... he's the Bill to Kill. Meanwhile, Rourke's muscular Marv serves as bodyguard for the vulnerable and needy. <br /> <br /> The action scenes are fun, involving, explosive, and completely over the top. But in a world where excess is commonplace, it all makes perfect sense even though the characters, intentionally befitting their dime novel personas, aren’t as memorable or significant as the trouble they quickly get into and out of. In this particular venture, once again directed by Robert Rodriquez and creator Frank Miller, it's more about the path than the journey.

christopher lloyd, franchise, james brolin, joseph gordon-levitt, mickey rourke, neo noir, powers booth, sequel, stacy keach

FRANK MILLER'S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

year: 2014 rating: *** “I was born at night,” Josh Brolin’s gritty Dwight tells the title femme fatale. “But it wasn’t last night.” Th...

BRUCE DERN & WILL FORTE IN ALEXANDER PAYNE'S 'NEBRASKA'

<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/AVvXsEgEpzLGDwvoRwE3G0QIMIQnyVGHhYOFA_xxZH9XOk1vjGraUzmkSNp8fNk4MyCq9zIKvnTIZMVjPh__IJBAnioMA2aRzUfcmuLAjjky2mJNQGUU7o5eyfYzm1WWMQRcQajOTjMgtU-xAjBx/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-12+at+5.02.52+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpzLGDwvoRwE3G0QIMIQnyVGHhYOFA_xxZH9XOk1vjGraUzmkSNp8fNk4MyCq9zIKvnTIZMVjPh__IJBAnioMA2aRzUfcmuLAjjky2mJNQGUU7o5eyfYzm1WWMQRcQajOTjMgtU-xAjBx/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-12+at+5.02.52+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Alexander Payne's directs Bruce Dern and Will Forte in NEBRASKA Year: 2013</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Will Forte has an interesting face, his mouth naturally curved to a frown. His character David Grant has very little to celebrate: His girlfriend dumped him and his father Woody, played by veteran actor Bruce Dern, is bent on taking a trip from Montana to NEBRASKA after receiving a Mega Sweepstakes Marketing Prize in the mail...<br /> <br /> David knows it’s a gimmick to sell magazines, but Woody, a lifelong drinker with rudimentary signs of dementia, keeps physically threatening to walk the impossible distance… Not an easy task of course, especially given his frail physical and mental status making even a hundred yards difficult… Thankfully, David decides to give poor dad a ride...<br /> <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/AVvXsEjJpMdmFEz6_JYFUbCwR1QV-jP27AMrofr8scb6U4sqLQ-m_T7pdcini-1Pp1zEb_aKzJtIz2nB-cEW6anG1AUcCZeugrEiknTKmLidAta0bXYTLwj4YVbOQHaLitgke4pkQQAAu8wE4Fww/s1600/103607075_992457751183401_7699488076419443338_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="1406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpMdmFEz6_JYFUbCwR1QV-jP27AMrofr8scb6U4sqLQ-m_T7pdcini-1Pp1zEb_aKzJtIz2nB-cEW6anG1AUcCZeugrEiknTKmLidAta0bXYTLwj4YVbOQHaLitgke4pkQQAAu8wE4Fww/s1600/103607075_992457751183401_7699488076419443338_o.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Rance Howard and Will Forte flank Bruce Dern and a lotta old men from NEBRASKA</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> Like director Alexander Payne’s SIDEWAYS and ABOUT SCHMIDT, this deadpan odyssey is a “road movie” epitomizing that niche; although most of the time’s spent sidetracked at Woody’s NEBRASKA hometown of Hawthorne...<br /> <br /> This is where most of the story takes place; and his brother (Rance Howard) — and then later on, several brothers — aren’t much different in tone: passive and mundane “men of few words.” But Woody has a destination and the entire town thinks he’s a millionaire already...<br /> <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/AVvXsEjloIQDptUGiKy1YHzhGfs6xTjOA8Czh03sXhgSwXQpB6j0P8RLQRRdwPxhvtu_8q0Vr6zPTlRfKuxe1ygVmX-hm2PblDAAWu2msA3h0q13_BSaFO_6JHzzks9Wy7DQiC8PZR4hA6lMNIRr/s1600/Picture%25252B6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="1135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloIQDptUGiKy1YHzhGfs6xTjOA8Czh03sXhgSwXQpB6j0P8RLQRRdwPxhvtu_8q0Vr6zPTlRfKuxe1ygVmX-hm2PblDAAWu2msA3h0q13_BSaFO_6JHzzks9Wy7DQiC8PZR4hA6lMNIRr/s1600/Picture%25252B6.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Will Forte with Bruce Dern and Stacy Keach in Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA Rating: ****</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> Enter initially subtle antagonist Stacy Keach who, like Dern himself, is known for and reveled in edgy, borderline insane guy roles during the 1970’s and 1980s… His laidback yet investigative Ed Pegram also likes to drink and hang around the local tavern, and now there’s an agenda — he wants a payoff and Woody’s family wants some too; particularly two fat oddball nephews straight out of the Coen Brothers' quirky universe.<br /> <br /> David becomes a shadow on the wall during in-house family scenes, and his barroom conversations with Keach are reminiscent of George Clooney and polite-for-a-financial-purpose Beau Bridges as his cousin in Payne's previous film, THE DESCENDANTS: a polite, friendly tone obscuring an underlying rancor.'<br /> <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/AVvXsEhbzG5zjUl66jOOT6J19T6X8UM3RyxFFX9ZOtBydB3OeAMKO_heVvPfeiHmyRdp2oAJeFLQVoOzyPg7B1DAqDSn1h9u9TyXWDwX8_9a_gi3_zrIc9I97ozDqee4GKCKtcP0DHo6UwkmScMX/s1600/Picture%252B3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="1137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzG5zjUl66jOOT6J19T6X8UM3RyxFFX9ZOtBydB3OeAMKO_heVvPfeiHmyRdp2oAJeFLQVoOzyPg7B1DAqDSn1h9u9TyXWDwX8_9a_gi3_zrIc9I97ozDqee4GKCKtcP0DHo6UwkmScMX/s1600/Picture%252B3.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Bruce Dern, June Squibb, Will Forte and an unseen Bob Odenkirk visit Woody's childhood home</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> In a story replete with intentionally sparse characters, June Squibb is the obvious audience-favorite (perhaps <i>too</i> obvious, forced) as Woody’s sarcastic, foul-mouthed, hen-pecking wife Kate, stealing scenes mostly because she has the funniest lines, and is a breath of fresh air from the monotone surrounding her presence...<br /> <br /> She seems more realistic than your typical actress/actor playing down to cliché (but not condescending) small town mentality the director previously covered in ABOUT SCHMIDT (where June was Jack Nicholson's wife)...<br /> <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/AVvXsEhauRQIlIwlis7WdtOHOQS8m7_G-u6XaAsTcqEPQxuO6I2P6sgc0dZRXRrO-OpnTTCJiqArK0SExTQ97DQVirSzzR2XNfRfiYI5IvhC4ZeWujM_OAgBeJfDsI-qxkiIMj7Gb3lNbAuPiifb/s1600/102412448_992464481182728_1783299078159423778_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauRQIlIwlis7WdtOHOQS8m7_G-u6XaAsTcqEPQxuO6I2P6sgc0dZRXRrO-OpnTTCJiqArK0SExTQ97DQVirSzzR2XNfRfiYI5IvhC4ZeWujM_OAgBeJfDsI-qxkiIMj7Gb3lNbAuPiifb/s1600/102412448_992464481182728_1783299078159423778_o.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Gorgeous yet sparse scenery from the movie and the location of NEBRASKA</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> In fact, NEBRASKA often feels like an extremely subtle art film satire, while the plush yet primitive B&W cinematography turns the titular state into a rustic hybrid of paradise and purgatory… Some of the best scenes are the scenery, taking place <i>outside</i> Woody's passenger seat window...<br /> <br /> In Will Forte's case, he initially doesn't seem up to the job (his successful brother's played by Bob Odenkirk and might've fared better)... A comedy actor, his deadpan often seems somewhat reached for instead of naturally holding back...<br /> <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/AVvXsEhUBXo66orZTYOpdGXj3560prUwPROg9Co9uk-CGnQ69vi4doJ0M7GHz-2TY8Cj040SRr0rURH91MooNohdGELkHFmJh6qVrtudDiw4lZXUYpzTv0k3lLcP-Dx9O5RKRWLtuJAGshJlG-z-/s1600/47391779_611151372647376_7915830141928865792_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="1064" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBXo66orZTYOpdGXj3560prUwPROg9Co9uk-CGnQ69vi4doJ0M7GHz-2TY8Cj040SRr0rURH91MooNohdGELkHFmJh6qVrtudDiw4lZXUYpzTv0k3lLcP-Dx9O5RKRWLtuJAGshJlG-z-/s1600/47391779_611151372647376_7915830141928865792_o.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u> Bruce Dern and Will Forte at the dead dive of two NEBRASKA bars</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> But (after a recommended second, third or fourth viewings) once you realize his fourth fiddle status to the location, and the overall journey, and especially to his father... it becomes more clear...<br /> <br /> Forte's an awkward yet ultimately wise choice opposite Dern, existing <i>beneath</i> the father's jangily rhythm instead of playing loggerhead to his unnerving, unapologetic neurosis. His David Grant seems to have given up long ago; and despite being the driver on this trip, he’s merely along for the ride.<br /> <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/AVvXsEgHvyjw0-diU-UWOgNwHnLqWhHw6lUvGbiIhydRZ693T-lb7nMIWNUVn3ZPoDvFqham_cLsF6HJn-cfnZqOn89MAaqX69cmfpekrnhc7K8-7YItizvuSQ5ahu6XGoEFqHGLuSOxhVHxMw1x/s1600/47305792_611153559313824_5308624305645420544_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvyjw0-diU-UWOgNwHnLqWhHw6lUvGbiIhydRZ693T-lb7nMIWNUVn3ZPoDvFqham_cLsF6HJn-cfnZqOn89MAaqX69cmfpekrnhc7K8-7YItizvuSQ5ahu6XGoEFqHGLuSOxhVHxMw1x/s1600/47305792_611153559313824_5308624305645420544_o.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce Dern and Will Forte in NEBRASKA</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> Meanwhile, the “man of the hour,” Bruce Dern (nominated for an Oscar) seems almost too authentic. The sporadic dialogue and a few blunt moments of passion aside, his expressions are what really matter…<br /> <br /> Old Woody's a man who's kept everything inside while traces of a buried life seep out from his gently confused, timeworn face, painfully etched with age and mileage but not without a faint glimmer of hope, no matter how unavailing and desperately futile: therein lies the mystery and adventure of Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <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/AVvXsEi0b_V-WCiRXpzb2OH_P3_qK3ZIqxx5uExI8Yy8BR1LRq19PSVUkr7nU6T0swCkJn8ndyeJ1Fe9EWq08XWdTkPkTXmrgg65_FtlMp1-TBoRvZhnwIfCk1jJ398ZPacKSQ1XFa_LXIEQzgbM/s1600/Picture%25252B1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="932" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0b_V-WCiRXpzb2OH_P3_qK3ZIqxx5uExI8Yy8BR1LRq19PSVUkr7nU6T0swCkJn8ndyeJ1Fe9EWq08XWdTkPkTXmrgg65_FtlMp1-TBoRvZhnwIfCk1jJ398ZPacKSQ1XFa_LXIEQzgbM/s1600/Picture%25252B1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Missy Dotty in NEBRASKA who had played Cammi the Waitress in Payne's SIDEWAYS</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <i><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u>MISSY DOTTY</u>: Working with Alexander is a dream for any actor... because he's an actor's director...</span></span></i><br /> <i><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">And what I mean by that is he lets you do your work and gently guides you so that he can let the camera discover the character as it comes to life... </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Much like an audience member watching the characters come to life on screen.</span> </span> </span></i> <br /> <i><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></i> <i><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Working on SIDEWAYS was so much fun... the whole crew, production team, cast... we all felt like family. And it's highly known that Alexander is loyal to anyone who works with him, so walking onto the set of NEBRASKA, it was like coming home... Comfortable and welcoming.</span></span></i><br /> <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/AVvXsEhUrSbehTC1Df_cfVVzXxvGYt0qyYSDEPW4e7cgZujUPO1xdStn7_X0iJUq6y8zjxVHcGZ1uyoZc0iUi-e2TsG__nsmmldE7UgSAjj4LwsjRhVHsgcHwJ_SRHkLcY46cwlDbf06iL5HW213/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-12+at+4.58.27+AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrSbehTC1Df_cfVVzXxvGYt0qyYSDEPW4e7cgZujUPO1xdStn7_X0iJUq6y8zjxVHcGZ1uyoZc0iUi-e2TsG__nsmmldE7UgSAjj4LwsjRhVHsgcHwJ_SRHkLcY46cwlDbf06iL5HW213/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-12+at+4.58.27+AM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Missy Dotty as Cammi in Sideways turned black and white so to fit the non-color scheme of Nebraska</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <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/AVvXsEiYNzkaOwTMqlBH3QN-DINX2-stMjpqw6B1exsg44tnFgjRY52RT_DahL0ImpjeOcmk7sTdbJnfFA-6vTBUKyOGAPeuClNRTcAbqcz5PGMKpQmEMHrHuivC7JCLVJHPPubzoSVd12b1hd9v/s1600/nebraska-alexander-payne.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNzkaOwTMqlBH3QN-DINX2-stMjpqw6B1exsg44tnFgjRY52RT_DahL0ImpjeOcmk7sTdbJnfFA-6vTBUKyOGAPeuClNRTcAbqcz5PGMKpQmEMHrHuivC7JCLVJHPPubzoSVd12b1hd9v/s1600/nebraska-alexander-payne.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>And Alexander Payne himself (resembling Richard Gere's kangaroo) directing Bruce Dern for Nebraska</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEjkB6PpwPuFyTuZY3suDMlATBZL-z4Dpqym6r0Y0pD9bsJ-Z7KWW55E-ZxKVKKpBdfyaBJVWSzbHhqbT9oNs5L4r1LuMcmS5YjCaFrDQ6vRUxKtySEgFM-dJXIRymvhh_RfBrw1-MgCcvnv/s1600/DERN.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB6PpwPuFyTuZY3suDMlATBZL-z4Dpqym6r0Y0pD9bsJ-Z7KWW55E-ZxKVKKpBdfyaBJVWSzbHhqbT9oNs5L4r1LuMcmS5YjCaFrDQ6vRUxKtySEgFM-dJXIRymvhh_RfBrw1-MgCcvnv/s1600/DERN.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Bruce Dern and Will Forte as father and son in Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEgtmoXPxqMzCOqNfARGrk5p13W7XYNaHN5jLE9r93zFlKjv0VlgyXPVY93fUAbLccbLvFMPyaRqGntBi1kFsNhaKijaoF4wpElv8s5uGaHbGwozkArHGu2ul8KjP4yRLGltpOQvHiAAPyrC/s1600/Picture%25252B7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="1076" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmoXPxqMzCOqNfARGrk5p13W7XYNaHN5jLE9r93zFlKjv0VlgyXPVY93fUAbLccbLvFMPyaRqGntBi1kFsNhaKijaoF4wpElv8s5uGaHbGwozkArHGu2ul8KjP4yRLGltpOQvHiAAPyrC/s1600/Picture%25252B7.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Bruce Dern plays father to Will Forte as son in Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA Year: 2013</u></td></tr> </tbody></table>

2013, alexander payne, bruce dern, drama, june squibb, rance howard, road movie, stacy keach, will forte

BRUCE DERN & WILL FORTE IN ALEXANDER PAYNE'S 'NEBRASKA'

Alexander Payne's directs Bruce Dern and Will Forte in NEBRASKA Year: 2013 Will Forte has an interesting face, his mouth naturally c...

THE NEW CENTURIONS

<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/AVvXsEg96740kyWEwx5n7JvnCuLLpeRkBGO_nYUScemooYhuWW2IR-wz72PEDnSGOxamQ5Vf7uqgLTU-aDEnPKT9TrXqvvh4KnG63ef9FI6FyQNV-Fou4oMruLh5gydYVzhFFU6tllsvspEannaE0h9eZTgITvpLVPMbMZMart2sYrftE7mzrPQoDfwYh3DuNZC2/s840/nc7_zpsaad0b7b6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96740kyWEwx5n7JvnCuLLpeRkBGO_nYUScemooYhuWW2IR-wz72PEDnSGOxamQ5Vf7uqgLTU-aDEnPKT9TrXqvvh4KnG63ef9FI6FyQNV-Fou4oMruLh5gydYVzhFFU6tllsvspEannaE0h9eZTgITvpLVPMbMZMart2sYrftE7mzrPQoDfwYh3DuNZC2/s16000/nc7_zpsaad0b7b6.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1972 cast: Stacy Keach, George C. Scott, Erik Estrada, Scott Wilson, Clifton James rating: ***1/2</td></tr></tbody></table> Whether it’s an exploitive early 70’s crime flick with an underlying mainstream influence, or a mainstream cop movie that sporadically delves into a gritty no-nonsense peripheral, THE NEW CENTURIONS is an entertaining piece of cinema…<br /> <br /> After an opening credit montage of rookies – including Stacy Keach’s Roy Fehler, Scott Wilson’s Gus and Erik Estrada’s Sergio – training at the police academy, we skip right to the chase… almost. Your typical gruff sergeant (Dolph Sweet) is barking orders to a group of world-weary police officers… And with a fresh rookie partner in tow, they enter into the dark Noiry streets of downtown Los Angeles.<br /> <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/AVvXsEgn8aWf0Nb4fGZNBGTE-sa2hnoSLC3qNQMWFwyEMfe-LcqX1zmf6c0xY0ACDSQqbOHWyugQ4eHqk8-t4XwNUHYW4SqjIeCceUUv2KBlShXzW7_6Z4H5qLEFdSEl3noQDl78jxvz7LRmiCBh/s1600/nc1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8aWf0Nb4fGZNBGTE-sa2hnoSLC3qNQMWFwyEMfe-LcqX1zmf6c0xY0ACDSQqbOHWyugQ4eHqk8-t4XwNUHYW4SqjIeCceUUv2KBlShXzW7_6Z4H5qLEFdSEl3noQDl78jxvz7LRmiCBh/s1600/nc1.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George C. Scott as Kilvinski in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> At first, the centerpiece is George C. Scott’s veteran cop Kilvinski, who, with his own implied “laws” aka philosophies of life, provides Keach's clean slate Roy exposition through random busts including bickering prostitutes and, cutting back and forth from Clifton James’s Whitey paired with Scott Wilson's Gus, and Ed Lauter with former gang member Sergio (Estrada), domestic dispute calls that wind up humorously reminiscent of a television cop show.<br /> <br /> But there’s a point where CENTURIONS, compared by Kilvinski as a new brand of Roman guard (equally hated and needed by that society like our own) kicks into second gear. Standout scenes include Wilson’s Gus gunning down an innocent man… The IN COLD BLOOD actor’s shocked expression, as well as Estrada’s Sergio explaining his backstory as a gang member reluctantly brought back to his hellish home town, make this more character-driven than action-packed.<br /> <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/AVvXsEhRURMytb90qJD3TpOrfta9NMauv__DfSOc2eJ2YozgG0t_Uy9U7MvKbQksr1l_H1Ao0unBnYEQIrJGdb66zqzleew8JVpSwrFzXeiyPZHhdAd-0IxLpcZQkxMKBnEz4RLQBkzrIrD428dY/s1600/nc9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRURMytb90qJD3TpOrfta9NMauv__DfSOc2eJ2YozgG0t_Uy9U7MvKbQksr1l_H1Ao0unBnYEQIrJGdb66zqzleew8JVpSwrFzXeiyPZHhdAd-0IxLpcZQkxMKBnEz4RLQBkzrIrD428dY/s1600/nc9.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacy Keach as Roy in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> Although noted as a vehicle for the PATTON Oscar-winning Scott, remaining the wise mentor till a gloomy retirement, the story truly belongs to Stacy Keach, whose character-arc from an idealistic rookie to a seasoned cop to a reluctant vice squad officer to a hopeless drunk is underlined by the dwindling relationship with his wife and child: the domestic scenes border on melodrama but never take away from the gritty base: We always promptly return to the streets. <br /> <br /> Based on a novel by former lawman Joseph Wambaugh, insightful glimpses outshine the sporadic cinematic clichés, and a few scenes would be considered politically-incorrect to modern audiences. But underrated director Richard Fleischer… whose eclectic hit & miss career labeled him more of a talented hired hand than creative auteur… using grainy film stock makes even the lighter moments look and feel completely intense and (despite a tacked-on conclusion) jarringly unpredictable.<br /> <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/AVvXsEhO_BH9G1B4qjPsVrUwJAWP6tdacp5-m4l_RKWUQSt5i-REpMifq3OjK5RtrNGCvdVeOoq9D3nRtQbtKdMIM15hhqEN5fo9xZyCJu1K0r7xt_ftWB4yCq7TNpEn4TcQtCTXdmjTELKn0YfX/s1600/nc2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_BH9G1B4qjPsVrUwJAWP6tdacp5-m4l_RKWUQSt5i-REpMifq3OjK5RtrNGCvdVeOoq9D3nRtQbtKdMIM15hhqEN5fo9xZyCJu1K0r7xt_ftWB4yCq7TNpEn4TcQtCTXdmjTELKn0YfX/s1600/nc2.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Wilson as Gus in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEiqkIp03WdDCBN5oxErE5DGscensR8skCzTOQo7dc9pPU0IVsqQPTaZ48ktVs29l4ZEdqZj6nIOQM6BHjNrq_PcDyJNZmwXYJT05CrIDM7Dj5Z18iWio5Qk2PB-AD3kM9CuctIik9Y23T13/s1600/nc3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkIp03WdDCBN5oxErE5DGscensR8skCzTOQo7dc9pPU0IVsqQPTaZ48ktVs29l4ZEdqZj6nIOQM6BHjNrq_PcDyJNZmwXYJT05CrIDM7Dj5Z18iWio5Qk2PB-AD3kM9CuctIik9Y23T13/s1600/nc3.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger E. Mosley being hassled in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEi0lLetI1WemUu8BoAgzGW38NYU-kcSbbC1-AwUsBJF2X0UIVaDbfTA9U-fl7OrGNZrmubwUPfkqtEaKea3kJFWtWUlDHyOZVBsd5sR4rgBuimMcKh6HPb6yEEbCWc7hCKqSn9p1wxLJltk/s1600/nc4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lLetI1WemUu8BoAgzGW38NYU-kcSbbC1-AwUsBJF2X0UIVaDbfTA9U-fl7OrGNZrmubwUPfkqtEaKea3kJFWtWUlDHyOZVBsd5sR4rgBuimMcKh6HPb6yEEbCWc7hCKqSn9p1wxLJltk/s1600/nc4.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pepe Serna getting some help in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEiAtJilCS9BKOdZJH2PBq1BK76Wr3r1qjpNeLzhNt0xI9oQ6j8LZ8NyZKUdYaTfqrWj_CnvNeLZLVMCVLyhHd2tGBigBZELJSCVAHr9LpmuurB-IUQw9i-__1A1p4ssxTVlehjuveUNKhtT/s1600/nc8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtJilCS9BKOdZJH2PBq1BK76Wr3r1qjpNeLzhNt0xI9oQ6j8LZ8NyZKUdYaTfqrWj_CnvNeLZLVMCVLyhHd2tGBigBZELJSCVAHr9LpmuurB-IUQw9i-__1A1p4ssxTVlehjuveUNKhtT/s1600/nc8.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Lauter listens to Erik Estrada in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEjOiAtNZsBXi7kPO3XRRvjP-CtjMyQ-FCDLAWupmB6qG2DeWl8r_golJ5JU8SBf4fJmmT3nw8N40s_xrQBVSOp4qQhGOcVllmNHNASBgFSHSvnyDaMymK8Y1ZZwxYLd0dGeUV4Z-x6Q1gaC/s1600/nc6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiAtNZsBXi7kPO3XRRvjP-CtjMyQ-FCDLAWupmB6qG2DeWl8r_golJ5JU8SBf4fJmmT3nw8N40s_xrQBVSOp4qQhGOcVllmNHNASBgFSHSvnyDaMymK8Y1ZZwxYLd0dGeUV4Z-x6Q1gaC/s1600/nc6.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George C. Scott in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table>

action, clifton james, cop, crime, erik estrada, george c. scott, richard fleischer, scott wilson, seventies, stacy keach, vice

THE NEW CENTURIONS

year: 1972 cast: Stacy Keach, George C. Scott, Erik Estrada, Scott Wilson, Clifton James rating: ***1/2 Whether it’s an exploitive early 70...

PLANES

<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/AVvXsEhTMBK2FuShuck6zudxt8F2twQJBQi2i4jQPTtntzAwxg9X5JwC1WH9BkLYOWo4irY9HkVQ2pE09-TOkEp-NjksXjutqlQQsDNRjl5xTHNAC4ILmdVF1Q1v4dh0vUenjEcYszXpkq3v5E32/s1600/planes-disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMBK2FuShuck6zudxt8F2twQJBQi2i4jQPTtntzAwxg9X5JwC1WH9BkLYOWo4irY9HkVQ2pE09-TOkEp-NjksXjutqlQQsDNRjl5xTHNAC4ILmdVF1Q1v4dh0vUenjEcYszXpkq3v5E32/s640/planes-disney.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 voices: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, John Cleese, Teri Hatcher, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> In the world of underdog characters, a little crop-dusting plane named Dusty Crophopper stands, or rather, flies alone. Unlike other put-upon heroes, he is, right off the bat, utterly intrepid and gracefully confident and knows exactly what must be done. First he's gotta qualify against really fast jet planes and then compete in an around-the-world race. Sound easy? <br /> <br /> The way Disney tells this basic story, there are few problems for our little flying engine that could – expect he's afraid of heights, and one plane will do anything in the Tortoise/Hare dirty trick fashion to make him lose everything. After all, the longshot Dusty has taken all the media from his competitors including a Spanish romantic, a British snob, two sexy females and that one cocky villain. But it's really nothing stressful, no worries... he has his future all mapped out.<br /> <br /> The problem with PLANES, other than seeming like a bland straight-to-DVD semi-sequel to CARS, is the downtime between each leg of the race. Dusty and his two closest friends (a gas station truck and an old war jet serving as a tattered mentor) talk up a tedious storm during overlong pockets of downtime, making those high-flying scenes the only thing to look forward to… And while the colorfully rip-roaring aerial shots are pretty darn cool, especially in 3D, the action can  be easily matched by playing PLANES THE VIDEO GAME in the cozy confides of home.

2013, anthony edwards, computer animated, disney, stacy keach, val kilmer

PLANES

year: 2013 voices: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, John Cleese, Teri Hatcher, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer rating: ** In the world of underdog ch...

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY

<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/AVvXsEgvKScXuOJlNNUXhyphenhyphen6dRHteWzsNomRatPZamTDqrBi0IKR8GsAZZod9fMOEiRTfBC6AXkdlxYRr9VwUYL7-WtGmMoLE_s8HP5R7tm48OoupaFluB4BdU2VgGbcBxKCt8hISQYtwdciKwKA/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKScXuOJlNNUXhyphenhyphen6dRHteWzsNomRatPZamTDqrBi0IKR8GsAZZod9fMOEiRTfBC6AXkdlxYRr9VwUYL7-WtGmMoLE_s8HP5R7tm48OoupaFluB4BdU2VgGbcBxKCt8hISQYtwdciKwKA/s16000/blue+and+the+gray+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1982 cast: John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Gregory Peck, Penny Peyser, Bruce Abbott rating: ****</td></tr> </tbody></table> In making a story about the Civil War, where “Brother fought Brother” on American soil, what better medium than an artist to tell the Civil War saga from both sides. <br /> <br /> In this exceptional TV miniseries, we meet John Hammond’s passive John Geyser, who dreams of sketching illustrations in the big city. He lives on a farm in the South and his family’s bent on defending their land from the Northern Yankees. Although when THE BLUE AND THE GRAY begins and John (to the chagrin of his father and patriotic brothers) leaves home – traveling north to get a job from his cousin at a small town newspaper – there’s only the impending rumor of war… Which doesn’t last long.   <br /> <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/AVvXsEgMmRv67hFUCJPXGPJcj68xSqKE5omTby7wdaXj_mqQpPs62pC_NTiGgJ3TQMRlrCEJH1oW48lrQMS0sSbS6Z9Lr_VBU1Slmnrs7uqKSzq6zizNvDqQxuEuEk-QSVfyA9n4bgJl40FLHFpe/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmRv67hFUCJPXGPJcj68xSqKE5omTby7wdaXj_mqQpPs62pC_NTiGgJ3TQMRlrCEJH1oW48lrQMS0sSbS6Z9Lr_VBU1Slmnrs7uqKSzq6zizNvDqQxuEuEk-QSVfyA9n4bgJl40FLHFpe/s640/blue+and+the+gray+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Hammond's John Geyser sketching both sides</td></tr> </tbody></table> When the war begins, after his brothers and cousins have all signed up, Geyser has a meeting with Abe Lincoln – who saw him sketching he and wife Mary Todd. The 16th President gives John permission to sketch both sides of the war so he doesn’t have to eventually fight his own siblings. In a previous scene, John had turned against the South because of racism: his friend, a freed slave played by Paul Winfield, was lynched for harboring runaways. This was the last straw. <br /> <br /> The big battle scenes are shot well, and best yet, they're up close and personal. Of John’s four Yankee cousins (including Bruce Abbott and David W. Harper), Brian Kerwin as Malachy, who’s afraid of battle and surreptitiously runs away when things get hairy, is mainly centered on as he goes from “coward” to hero in the course of several campaigns.  <br /> <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/AVvXsEjy2yHkSHKT5gEOA8wBOJWO5rq9Rwc7OjQmEgv_OcRclFuIaLfrxMr4X3VPz5Ln7727no_y-toJ41ahFdj7FAFvumMbNbd6DHKWogkCxpqhTPb5ePnqFh3xfiRqKwxB2xp9S3cFx5IPo8C1/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2yHkSHKT5gEOA8wBOJWO5rq9Rwc7OjQmEgv_OcRclFuIaLfrxMr4X3VPz5Ln7727no_y-toJ41ahFdj7FAFvumMbNbd6DHKWogkCxpqhTPb5ePnqFh3xfiRqKwxB2xp9S3cFx5IPo8C1/s640/blue+and+the+gray+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny Peyser's Emma Geyser loses her cool</td></tr> </tbody></table> Stacy Keach plays an intrepid scout named Jonas Steele – he works for Lincoln personally and has the dangerous job of riding to the front lines to check on what the South is up to. The always dependable Keach makes a worthy maverick and takes John under his wing, but his constant dreams of the future are annoyingly farfetched. These scenes (and a few subplots, mostly involving top men discussing strategies) are the only slight drawback to an otherwise perfect tale that, despite a three-part run time, is hardly searing or tedious. <br /> <br /> There are many locations and situations on and off the battlefield, like John’s romance with society girl turned front line nurse; Steele’s courtship with John’s pretty cousin; and John’s tough sister (Penny Peyser) slowly losing her sanity – yet the baseline remains at the rural Geyser home. The final stand takes place here, and as some exceptionally cutthroat Yankee soldiers attack his family, John must chose which side he’s really on.   <br /> <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/AVvXsEj-Q-pb6JMW-3Gm55BF5hwYLPmg0f2rh3hHxFrk9sAqAfpNpUpcZoYR5vT9skVt0QyUp9_Hp0dWgHoZ9pKNAk15QPtP49lAF4JdsZXiFwtZ4-y_TzJXh4-WYVOXC-pD3oXVNVH8hn2G3NFU/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q-pb6JMW-3Gm55BF5hwYLPmg0f2rh3hHxFrk9sAqAfpNpUpcZoYR5vT9skVt0QyUp9_Hp0dWgHoZ9pKNAk15QPtP49lAF4JdsZXiFwtZ4-y_TzJXh4-WYVOXC-pD3oXVNVH8hn2G3NFU/s640/blue+and+the+gray+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Kerwin (right) faces battle</td></tr> </tbody></table> An excellent miniseries that... despite the presence of bigger stars including Gregory Peck as Lincoln and Lloyd Bridges as the Geyser patriarch... never loses place of the important "smaller" characters, providing not only historic battles but involving undercover missions and plenty of suspenseful one-on-one fights, including a good old fashion duel.<br /> <br /> THE BLUE AND THE GRAY has everything for both historians and die hard fans of the <i>war movie</i> genre.<br /> <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/AVvXsEh1GKk69W49JijVqJbgUMg8iArCTPBCasKv0-HqUJBwFzi9zePpUS2QYCw0R0AFZmJ8fgGHHh6-yHpcyPowne8_E_9FxQR6pG7Viq4HgRhdcN82g5NqFNylC9YlxwlYKWblKXoPRxgyRrE/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GKk69W49JijVqJbgUMg8iArCTPBCasKv0-HqUJBwFzi9zePpUS2QYCw0R0AFZmJ8fgGHHh6-yHpcyPowne8_E_9FxQR6pG7Viq4HgRhdcN82g5NqFNylC9YlxwlYKWblKXoPRxgyRrE/s640/blue+and+the+gray+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacy Keach as Jonas Steele</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <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/AVvXsEhZ_b0NQXPx3eZ4T3JngPXxFUNNJ4cUxgGyT6h1ENAtY6ztbBr3CEFsldG8A5JrFWb_O7RzWfhMj8uxaVHZdbhU57ENOl6Y0GN_d9gzqXxeSCiB7RDLXbPJuiX93P_nYf8UJMZghK9swME/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_b0NQXPx3eZ4T3JngPXxFUNNJ4cUxgGyT6h1ENAtY6ztbBr3CEFsldG8A5JrFWb_O7RzWfhMj8uxaVHZdbhU57ENOl6Y0GN_d9gzqXxeSCiB7RDLXbPJuiX93P_nYf8UJMZghK9swME/s640/blue+and+the+gray+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Kathleen Beller as Kathy Reynolds</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <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/AVvXsEjfPIWwHjR8l4FFWdMXe3zjgzoKEV9U-GmT8ZQnFcz7MRY8s3NLMEoA9HTy_55q5DAm5oEBiYLlqtkk0HNO6fK6mE7BW-yUZsLK-IqAki5tUhkAcYIHmfqXDZObyFAzq7XtCZXilXnkmB4/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPIWwHjR8l4FFWdMXe3zjgzoKEV9U-GmT8ZQnFcz7MRY8s3NLMEoA9HTy_55q5DAm5oEBiYLlqtkk0HNO6fK6mE7BW-yUZsLK-IqAki5tUhkAcYIHmfqXDZObyFAzq7XtCZXilXnkmB4/s640/blue+and+the+gray+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Haymond as buried lead character John Geyser</td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEjLMzuy8oUBaBS7g5vVyhMI1NtyX7Hsl_833YLa_eMnLhFjvPsZIV-fcXjyBI9CQOYWFrf2tLIfZHenL5OixBWXaZcnTYVFfqA9Zff4s5QSt0P8SXgxD3H48v82bVTR0KH11qX67JQ9-2k/s1600/penny+peyser+the+blue+and+the+gray.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMzuy8oUBaBS7g5vVyhMI1NtyX7Hsl_833YLa_eMnLhFjvPsZIV-fcXjyBI9CQOYWFrf2tLIfZHenL5OixBWXaZcnTYVFfqA9Zff4s5QSt0P8SXgxD3H48v82bVTR0KH11qX67JQ9-2k/s640/penny+peyser+the+blue+and+the+gray.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Penny Peyser rides a fast and furious stagecoach</td></tr> </tbody></table>

brian kerwin, bruce abbott, cooper huckabee, eighties, gregory peck, john hammond, jordan rhodes, kathleen beller, miniseries, penny peyser, stacy keach, war, warren oates

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY

year: 1982 cast: John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Gregory Peck, Penny Peyser, Bruce Abbott rating: **** In making a story about the Civil War,...