The photo at upper left is of Private Van Buren Towle, probably shortly after he enlisted in the Union army on July 5, 1861. As the war progressed, Towle aged rapidly. These tintypes are in my collection.
I wrote about the demise of Van Buren Towle of Haverhill, Mass., in an extensive post last month. A private in the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, Towle was captured at Harris Farm, near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Va., on May 19, 1864; spent nearly six months in the notorious Andersonville prisoner-of-war camp in southwestern Georgia and died of chronic diarrhea Dec. 8, 1864 aboard the Union transport ship "Northern Light" after being paroled in Charleston, S.C. He was buried at sea.
The photos of Towle above, purchased by yours truly in Gettysburg two years ago, reveal the toll war can take on a human being. Twenty-four years old when he enlisted in the Union army in Boston on July 5, 1861, Towle aged rapidly during his service. The photo at the upper left probably was taken shortly after his enlistment; the others most likely were taken just months or years afterward.
Towle's brother, Carroll, also served in the Union army, in the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. Only 19 when he was a prisoner of war with Van Buren in Andersonville, he survived the war. Van Buren's death undoubtedly was a cruel blow for his wife, Tryphena, as well as his parents and five siblings.
Perhaps William Tecumseh Sherman described the war best.
"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will," the Union general wrote in a letter to the Atlanta mayor and councilmen in 1864. "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out." (1)
(1) William T. Sherman, Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, D. Appleton and Company, 1904, Pages 124-127.
Augustus Potter, a private in the 15th Massachusetts, was wounded at Antietam, Gettysburg and Mine Run, Va.. He survived the Civil War.
As Andy Hall notes on his outstanding Dead Confederates blog, good stories don't fit on a slab of stone in a cemetery. A recent trip to Massachusetts reinforced that.
I visited West Brookfield, Mass, about and hour or so from my home in Connecticut, two weeks ago to do research on Justus Collins Wellington, a private in the 15th Massachusetts who was killed at Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862. Wellington's parents are buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in West Brookfield, but I believe Justus is probably buried under a gravestone marked "Unknown" in the national cemetery in Sharpsburg, Md.
A small Second Corps, II Division flag on Potter's grave.
In searching for the gravestones of Justus' parents, I stumbled upon the final resting place of one of his comrades: Augustus N. Potter, also a private in Co. F. in the 15th Massachusetts. Potter, who survived the Civil War, has a very interesting story.
A 24-year-old shoemaker from West Brookfield, Potter enlisted as a private in the 15th Massachusetts on July 12, 1861, the same day as Wellington. Potter probably knew Justus, who also was a shoemaker in West Brookfield. He mustered out because of a disability on Jan. 10, 1862, but was back with his regiment when it was decimated in the West Woods at Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862. Potter suffered a slight leg wound at Antietam, one of 325 casualties (including 70 killed) in his regiment in about 20 minutes.
Less than a year later, Potter was at Gettysburg, where he was wounded on July 2, 1863. A little more than four months later, Potter was wounded at Mine Run, Va., and seven months later, on June 22, 1864, he was captured at Petersburg, Va., sent to Libby Prison in Richmond and later paroled. Thanks to three of his descendants, there's an excellent breakdown of Potter's service on Susan Harnwell's terrific 15th Massachusetts site. Potter's brother, Henry, a private in Co. C of the 4th New Hampshire Infantry, was killed at Drewry's Bluff in Virginia on May 16, 1864.
Wounded three times, captured, survived the war -- I'll bet Potter had some amazing tales to tell.
After the Civil War, Potter was busy too. He fathered 10 children with his wife, Mary. He died March 9, 1918 at age 81.
I'll look to dig up much more on Potter at the National Archives next spring.
. HAPPY HOOLIGANS At the risk of being the last person in the world to give an opinion on the Stanley Cup Riot, I will throw in a few observations of my own. Rarely do my views coincide with the "Main Stream" so I will not be repeating what's already been written. The initial riot was staged between the CBC building and the Post Office, and created countless photo opportunities as the V.P.D. dispersed the crowd harbouring small pockets of experienced thugs, who roved the downtown seeking soft targets for vandalism. Not so destructive as North American riots go, this event was rather tame, but it stings local pride because of the premium Vancouverites (and their government) place on "image".
I was born and raised in a much grittier province - New Brunswick, so I saw a few riots in my youth which were not recorded by cameras. I recall black versus white rioting, and recall the happy hell raising when this or that police union walked off the job, effectively surrendering a town to the mob. My home city of Saint John, N.B. has a history of rioting and killing (ethnic hatreds and labour clashes) which extends back to the 1840s. I was thinking of the "bad old days" as I watched on TV a pair of Vancouver policemen permitting a crowd of jubilant jerks in Canucks jerseys burn two new patrol cars. Now, we have all seen what four motivated federal troopers can do to an unarmed Polish immigrant at the YVR airport, so this surrender of authority was disheartening to say the least. Were the cops intimidated by this mob of happy hooligans? Really? NO. Something else was going on.
None of the hate inspired ugliness of historical Canadian riots can compare to the Game 7 Riot in Vancouver. This is a new phenomenon. A handsome crowd of middle and upper middle-class British Columbians trashed a downtown district for fun, and for the benefit of the media which had deployed staff to cover an eruption of emotion - win or lose, and was not to be denied. Healthy, happy and fashionably dressed, the rioters photographed themselves for hours, committing acts of vandalism, arson and theft. The media had a hot story to peddle worldwide.
SUPERLATIVES Vancouverites are a boastful bunch, seemingly starving for attention. What were the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games if not a recklessly expensive exercise in self-promotion. What my generation fails to recognize is the latent hostility and aggression in their children, which is manifested in wasteful and destructive behaviors. The fact that so many outraged citizens sought to shame the rioters, bu outing them online, was a healthy process. It would be a powerful social trend - IF - it continued. I ask myself who ultimately is the more dangerous, a teenager ("elite athlete") who brazenly tries to ignite the gas tank of a police car in the midst of crowd of people, or a gangster cold blooded enough to shoot a rival in the parking lot of an IGA? Another question might be, "Who would you prefer as a neighbor - a teen arsonist or one of the bosses of the U.N. gang?" I would rather have the gangster next door, and the reasoning is simple. The gangster has no reason to harm me, or destroy my property. But who is safe from a brazen teen who has torched a police car in front of cameras and in front of the policemen?
I am just one of many cynics who knew the Game 7 Riot was going to take place. I know that the police prefer containment over suppression, and no doubt the Blue Wall recognized many nieces and nephews in the crowd. Still, the sight of policemen standing by as Nathan Kotylak and his buddies torched their ride, was jarring. I might have preferred one of the cops pull his pistol and warn him "Back away from the taxpayer's property, lawless youth". But they didn't. Now it is left to the general public to respond to an expensive new phenomenon - anarchy as entertainment.
Both premeditated crimes - a destructive riot and a planned murder, evidence a callous disregard for human life, so it might be hard to choose between the thugs. I watched those two police cars being torched on Live television, as did a half million others. We all knew that riot would occur, just as we know that there are still thousands of bored youths in our city who fantasize of their own opportunity to put one over on Vancouver law enforcement. With the proliferation of video and cellphone cameras, it's only a matter of time before a local TV station gets the "scoop" of broadcasting someone being stomped to death, just as we got to witness Robert Dziekanski being electrocuted by RCMP tasers.
Nathan Kotylak, wearing the uniform of the Vancouver Canucks, went downtown to wage war. We don't know all he carried in that backpack, but the old dress shirt he is stuffing into the gas tank of the police cruiser did not materialize from thin air. The "star athlete" does not smoke yet he carries tools to light up. He is wearing a hoody, standard gear for the urban anarchist, but at the Game 7 Riot he chose not to conceal his identity. [Photo scraped from the Net, but attributed to Gerry Kahrmann] Video taken at the crime scene, showing Kotylak throwing burning newspaper through the window of the $50,000 police car, is available on Youtube, as is the press conference Kotylak gave to express his regrets for his part in the riot.
Nathan Kotylak, of Maple Ridge, B.C. , is once again under parental spervision. He is shown here posing with his mother Josephine Kotylak, (a Nurse), and his father Dr. Greg Kotylak. (a Surgeon) After the teenage arsonist was "outed" by Social media, he lawyered up and contacted the Vancouver Police Department. As these are his first criminal acts of record, Kotylak will not be punished. Dr. Kotylak told a reporter that "Nathan's behavior that night does not reflect his true character."
OUTING THE OUTLAWS IN OUR MIDST Kim Bolan is the famous Vancouver Sun reporter who specializes in local Asian criminals, violent street gangs and Sikh terrorists. Her reports are particularly interesting when she uncovers linkages to the white bread stakeholders in the drug trade - businessmen, lawyers, accountants, realtors, etc. who (witting or unwitting) provide capital or services to the outlaws. On June 21 she shared some of her knowledge of the visit to Burnaby Metrotown of Conor Vincent D'Monte, who is key figure in the UN Gang. Bolan's article is here: Real Estate Council of B.C. probes gang leader's house transactions.
In brief the story is this. A young, healthy male walks into a law office and requests the lawyer witness documents. He wants to transfer sole ownership of his valuable property (7350 Pandora Street , Burnaby) into the hands of his wife, who was said to be a "house wife". It transpired that Ms. Kong had secured employment as a licensed real estate sales person, for the firm which listed the property which D'Monte had transferred to her. The lawyer told the SUN that he did not know that he was witnessing the signature of a local man wanted for murder, and more - he wasn't curious. The SUN published the document on its web page: Had lawyer Larry Routtenburg simply Googled his client "Conor D'Monte", as I did after reading Bolan's story, he would have found on the first page of results an RCMP WANTED Bulletin, complete with colour photograph. The SUN was not implying that the legal profession should begin to 'rat out' clients to FINTRAC or the RCMP, but as a reader I was struck by one more telling juxtaposition - In the same week of saturation news coverage about a widespread effort by law abiding folks to assist their police in identifying the looters and arsonists of the Game 7 Riot, we also read of a professional man with a trained mind, who was not moved to question the motives of a couple who wanted to swap identities on a property.
Conor D'Monte, of Anglo-Indian ancestry, has a Middle Class background shared by several other UN Gang members. He was raised on the west side of Vancouver and his parents were initially involved in the purchase of the Pandora property in 2006. (Ref - Global TV webpage) It was listed In April for $1.58 million. Conor's late father Vincent D'Monte was a family therapist (registered with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy) and his mother Therese is said to be a photographer. Clearly the D'Monte brothers chose the life of a gangster for reasons other than poverty.
AND FINALLY THIS USEFUL LINK TO GAME 7 RIOT IMAGES- A revealing set of photos taken during the Stanley Cup Game 7 Riot was published on CRYPTOME last week. It's worth a look. VANCOUVER RIOT AS PERFORMANCE ART.
BREAKING NEWS- WAS JULY 7th BURNABY ARSON RETALIATION AGAINST U.N. GANG LEADER D'MONTE ? In the early morning hours of July 7th, one or more intruders placed two propane cylinders against the wall of the Burnaby luxury home owned by UN Gang leader Conor D'Monte, and ignited them. There were two people in the home at the time of the attack. They escaped but the property was heavily damaged. Was this just retaliation in the form of an arson, or attempted murder? We'll never know. D'Monte is currently on the run, and no doubt his wife's phones are all tapped. Burning her out, won't smoke him out. The SUN story, with photo is here. A recent Metrotown arson, the penthouse blaze on Grange Street, was definitely an attempted murder by arson. I recall Blogging that fire in March. the story is HERE.
Police spokesman John Delaney says gunfire erupted late Monday night following a "verbal and physical fight" in the city’s North End.
Twenty-one-year-old Justin Garafa, 20-year-old Alberto Nieves and 18-year-old Geovanni Saldana were taken to Baystate Medical Center. All three are listed in stable condition.
Investigators believe all three have ties to gangs.
Delaney said a large crowd created a disturbance outside the hospital’s emergency room while the men were being treated. A teenage girl was arrested after refusing to leave the hospital and becoming violent with police.
Found this over at Aint It Cool. Apparently, Jon Favreau who once hosted the great IFC Chat Show Dinner for Five, is conducting interviews with the cast of Cowboys & Aliens as a way of building excitement amongst nerd culture. First up is this rather entertaining chinwag with Harrison Ford. They talk horses, cowboys, planes, 3D Tech, and Star Wars.
Hold up. Ernest Dickerson, the man who shot Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing and directed some of my favorite 90s genre flicks in Tales From The Crypt Demon Knight and Juice has done a new movie for the Lifetime Network called The Last Man Standing? Well, Dickerson has been cranking out a lot of TV work lately with The Walking Dead, Dexter, Burn Notice, and The Vampire Diaries. That man works. So, here is the trailer for his latest job.
Am I actually starting to look forward to this Fright Night remake? After the first trailer, the R rating, and these four character posters...yep, my butt is gonna be in the theater opening weekend. Crazy. Love the Doctor Who Hunter.
ZATHURA (BLU): Remember when the Internet nearly exploded when Jon Favreau was announced as the director of Iron Man? I stood back confident. I knew he was the right man for the job because I had seen the genius that is Zathura, a film that is for my money Favreau's best (fingers crossed that Cowboys & Aliens blows it out of the water) and easily one of the best kid adventure films of the last decade. I'd put it up there right next to Explorers or The Monster Squad. And yes, it is infinitely better than that other Chris Van Allburg boardgame fantasy. Can't wait to see what this looks like on blu with those fantastic Stan Winston Lizards.
Buy!
SUCKER PUNCH (EXTENDED CUT): I had thoroughly enjoyed all of Zack Snyder's movies leading up to Sucker Punch (yes, even that owl movie is awesome). But with this girlsplosion fetish-flick he lost me. There are elements that I like. The action is cool and the blending of samurais and dragons and robots and WWI demon soldiers is really exciting. But between those style moments is a lot of boring talkie sequences and a thin plot unable to rise above some really stiff performances. A shame. But! There is enough here for me to continually enjoy and I am putting it on the Blu Ray shelf. And I'm curious to see the extended cut.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY (EXTENDED BLU RAY EDITION): I've been going back and forth on whether or not to purchase the blu rays since I already own the extended edition in standard and it's not like I watch them all the time. I really love the first and second films, but The Return of the King has always left me cold. I really just don't like the ending, which I won't go on and on about here. It just doesn't have the oomph that I want it to have. That being said, I know I'm going to break down and snatch up the blus eventually. Maybe not this week but I can't resist.
SEASON OF THE WITCH: No surprise to you folks that have been paying attention, but I love Nicolas Cage movies. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. I take all shades of Cage. Season of the Witch is nowhere near as awesome as the other 2011 Cage flick Drive Angry, but it's also not nearly as bad as the internet was spewing about this flick in January. It's fun. It's got Ron Perlman, and he's in it a lot more than I thought he was going to be. They are a fun cinematic buddy duo. That should be worth it for you.
THE WARRIOR'S WAY: This was a fun movie that nobody seemed to see. If you like Westerns, or especially Weird Westerns than you really have to check out The Warrior's Way. Geoffrey Rush and Danny Huston chew a ton of ham and are really a joy to watch. It is CG heavy, but that's kind of its charm too. I'm definitely buying it, but you might want to give it a Netflix first.
BLACK MOON: Haven't seen this one yet. But everything I've read about this surrealist fantasy has me intrigued And with the upcoming Barnes and Noble Criterion 50% sale it's even easier to blind buy. Check out the bizzaro trailer below.
Rent!
THE NESTING (BLU): Here's another one I've never seen before, but again I've been hearing good things about this seldom discussed 80s horror. We've got ghosts and a pretty wicked blade. I'm in. Eli Roth recently tweeted that it inspired at least one nasty death in Hostel Part II. "You will not live until you've killed...The Nesting!"
BARNEY'S VERSION: I've heard mixed opinions on this one, but I love Paul Giamatti and I'm always in the mood for an actor's showcase. Plus, it's Canadian!
LIVE LIKE A COP DIE LIKE A MAN: From the demented (and disgusting mind) that brought us Cannibal Holocaust and Jungle Holocaust (two films I really can't stand!) comes this crime story. I know very little about it other than that. I dig the title of course, but there have been plenty of terrible Italian movies with great titles. And maybe, just maybe the gratuitus outrageousness of Ruggero Deodato will work better for me in a police tale than that gore porn stuff he's known for. Maybe.
THE ITALIAN CONNECTION: An obvious French Connection knockoff, but this one stars Henry Silva and Woody Strode! Plus, that poster is awesome!
THE BOSS: More Henry Silva!
Avoid!
BEASTLY: Ugh, just ugh. Please stop with all these Twilight ripoffs. The Twilights are bad enough.
I'm sure you guys have heard that DC Comics is relaunching their universe with 52 New Titles in the DCnU. All these titles will be available in the normal monthly print form as well as the digital format. My initial response to all this rigmarole was, "Yawn." Whether its an Infinite Crisis or an Identity Crisis or whatever, it all gets returned back to the status quo eventually. This is a given when it comes to comics and you just have to accept it. Okay.
Jonah Hex has always been one of my favorite comic characters. An ugly Man With No Name type that has been played realistically, futuristically, and bugnutscrazily. Well, according to Newsarama, Jonah Hex's ongoing title is getting the revamp with All Star Western. The new comic is still be handled by the duo of Justin Grey and Jimmy Palmiotti, but the stand alone format will finally shift to story arc narratives. And the setting is switching to Old West Gotham City. I'm happy to see the stand-alones fall away since Jonah Hex is a character that could really benefit from some narrative growth. But I'm not to crazy about Gotham City. Seems a little too gimmicky. That being said, All Star Western is the only title from the DCnU relaunch that I really give a darn about. And I really need some good Hex to wash the Josh Brolin taint outta my mouth.
Oh man, I love this print from the British company Social Fabrik. It's the perfect print for my bathroom. Above the john, staring back at me is Kubrick. All knowing.
Pop Artist, Mr. Whaite has started a new series centered around a deck of cards and his latest is the above King of Clubs, the eighth wonder of the world. Below are the previous entries in the series. Nifty.
Still haven't gotten myself out to see Pixar's latest (and I'm probably gonna pass to be honest, the Cars franchise just does not appeal to me whatsoever) and even though I'm not as in love with Toy Story 3 like the rest of the world seems to be, I can't deny the utter brilliance of flicks like UP, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo. And the below trailer for Brave gives me those geek goosebumps. The Bear on its haunches--this could be really exciting.
This Wednesday you better hit up your local comic shop cuz the fourth issue of the prequel comic Captain America: First Avenger has one badass cover supplied by Mondo and artist Tyler Stout. I think this is some seriously cool news, especially for all you Mondo fans like me. App Games, VHS Releases, and now Comics. Mondo is stretching out into all kinds of formats and I can't wait to see them take over Pop Culture.
As for their poster line, well that's still kickin' butt too. Below you'll see their latest. Transformers: Dark of the Moon comes to you from artist Jesse Phillips and will be released this Wednesday on the Mondo website. Both the standard and the varient measure 18 x 36.
Started off this Week in Dork right with The Monkees at Wolf Trap. And it was loads of fun. For whatever reason, when most girls were heartthrobbing after boybands like Backstreet Boys and *NSynch my wife got starry-eyed for Micky, Davy, Peter, and Mike. She still has all their albums, all their TV episodes (VHS & DVDs), their bobbleheads, magazine appearances, and even The Monkeemobile. And through her I've become quite a Monkees dork as well. Nothing to her level, but I've been loving the music, the TV show (and as you'll read below), the amazing cinematic experience that is HEAD.
Now Mike no longer tours with The Monkees, so seeing Micky Davy and Peter up on stage this past Sunday might not be the full experience, but the boys still cranked out an excellent 2 Hour show without an opening act or an intermission. They played all the expected classics as well as a few select choices from HEAD.
MOVIES OF THE WEEK!
Green Lantern: Green Lantern AKA So Much Wasted Potential. Ryan Reynold's doesn't actually suck up the place, but Blake Lively and all the other Earth based blahness sure as hell does. But I'm not gonna lie, seeing Abin Sur, Sinestro, Kilowog, and Tomar Re walking around still managed to fill me with geeky tingles but the GL Corps' presence in the film is so minuscule it's nearly infuriating. Really, really wish Green Lantern embraced its Science Fiction origin but what you've got is another superhero origin story that I'm guessing really wants to be the DC Universe Iron Man. Lame.
Superman and the Mole Men: I really enjoy George Reeves' Clark Kent. He's a real reporter, not just a bumbling baffoon...well, except when he says "I just saved-I mean, Superman just saved that kitten." His Superman is cool too; he can fly and bend rifles but that's about it. When a small town oil company accidently drills to the center of the Hollow Earth they unleash an army (well, three) mole men! But, in Twilight Zone fashion, it's the raving lunatic townsfolk that are the real problem and Supes has to come to the rescue of these curious burrowers. Fun, light entertainment.
Dracula 2000: Sigh. Late 90s Early 00s flick that tries. Unfortunately, Johnny Lee Miller (remember when he was gonna be the next big thing? Me neither) and Justine Waddell are just utterly forgettable leads. It's fun to see Gerard Butler as Dracula and the origin revelation might have been a little interesting if handled properly, but at the end of the day he falls somewhere just ahead of that Van Helsing Drac and the Blade Trinity Drac as the all time worst interpretations. But I do get a kick outta the very PG-13ish Brides of Dracula comprised of Jennifer Esposito, Jeri Ryan, and Colleen Fitzpatrick and if they had gone 80s R on us, they might have made the flick for me. Thankfully, Patrick Lussier would go on to Drive Angry glory.
Kiss Me Deadly: "Woman are worse than flies." Ralph Meeker is the first cinematic Mike Hammer and he's easily the most brutal, loathsome, and angry incarnation of the famous P.I. An animal enjoying a vicious contempt for his prey. After his little hitchhiker is snuffed out under his watch, Meeker slaps and pummels his way through a variety of lowlifes and poor bastard bystanders. Kiss Me Deadly eventually erupts in one of the Great Noir climaxes, and it would make an excellent double-feature with Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street.
Twins of Evil: One of the lesser known Hammer Horror films, Twins of Evil is an absolute delight of camp that sees Peter Cushing burning potential witches/vampires left and right while dealing with the inappropriately dressed twin nieces that have been forced upon his moral sensibilities. Medeleine and Mary Collinson (Playboy's first ever identical Playmates) relish the opportunity to sink their teeth into the Hammer genre and even though there are plenty of unintentional laughs, Twins of Evil is an absolute watch for the studio's fans.
The Tree of Life: Despite never quite connecting to the central story of the 1950s Texas family, The Tree of Life is nevertheless captivating with Malick's uncontrollable visual poetry and existential narration. In fact, I found myself relishing the Big Bang excursions, the Dino predators, and the sea of sunflowers more so than Brad Pitt's overbearing father or Sean Penn's struggling offspring. And Brad Pitt is excellent, another stellar turn in his quality-increasing and happily eclectic career. Maybe not for everybody, but there is plenty to ponder in The Tree of Life.
The Rite: Having now seen The Rite, why would I (or you) ever rewatch this film when you can easily just as watch the far superior The Exorcist? I am amazed at how ineffective this Devil tale is when it comes to the scares or the philosophy of the characters. I do like the brief appearances of both Toby Jones and Rutger Hauer and it's impossible to not like Anthony Hopkins even in these paycheck roles--and his CGIed screaming face is maybe a little eerie. But, come on! This will never be seen as anything but an Exorcist wannabe.
Unknown: Liam Neeson and his special set of skills are at it again, but instead of chasing down his daughter's kidnappers in Taken he's battling Aidan Quinn's villainous doppelganger and remembering how to kick his ass. I've always loved Liam Neeson--he's Darkman for cryin' out loud! But after Batman Begins, Seraphim Falls, Taken, The A-Team, and now Unknown I AM LOVING BadAssKicker Liam Neeson. Knockin' dudes through walls, slamin' sharp objects in their throats. Yep, Neeson is my favorite contemporary action star and I want to see more of him. Like Taken, Unknown could have benefited from a stronger rating and the conspiracy is typically blah but it still manages to be loads of fun. And it's got a great knockout supporting performance from everyone's favorite Hitler, Bruno Ganz.
Head: Written in the basement of Harry Dean Stanton's home by Bob Rafaelson and Jack Nicolson, HEAD takes the joyful hippie silliness of TV's The Monkees and cranks the Acid up to 11, delivering an AWEsome 60s culture roller coaster that explodes through bonkers backlots that apparently rest atop the luscious locks of Victor Mature. Holy Cow. Bask in the glory and acknowledge HEAD as the greatest Rock n Roll cinematic entertainment to ever force its way onto the screen.
Cop Hater: This early adaptation of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novel is not particularily good, but I definitely enjoyed the shockingly young Robert Loggia and his throttle carpet headbashing antics. The film is also notable for one of the best Punch-Outs in cinema, blink and you'll miss the THWACK WHAM FLOOR. Other than that, Cop Hater is pretty ordinary.
Superman Returns: Maybe a little too in love with the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve era, Superman Returns is an entertaining if plodding comic book adventure with an excellent lead in Brandon Routh and a so-so villain in Kevin Spacey's not-quite-goofy-not-quite-scary Lex Luthor. And again, real estate plots? Sigh. But I kinda dig the bravado of the Lois child subplot and I like that James Marsden's fiance is not an expected a-hole, but a good guy trying to do what's right. Curious to see where this franchise would have gone if given the chance.
Gordon's War: "You Tell That To Spanish Harry, Bitch!" Paul Winfield has been a part of a lot of excellent genre pictures (Trouble Man, Star Trek II, The Terminator, White Dog), but in Gordon's War the audience is blessed with an intense lead performance in which Winfield's Nam Vet takes vengeance on the pimps & pushers responsible for the devastation of his much beloved Harlem. Directed with exploitation class by Ossie Davis, Gordon's War never goes as bugnuts viciously violent and angry as I would like, but it's a solid execution with a pretty fantastic climactic chase sequence.
Off Limits: Mix the buddy cop banter of Lethal Weapon with some Vietnam commentary and you've got yourself Off Limits, an enjoyable Military Police procedural that doesn't rock your core with its obvious climax but does deliver an appropriate amount of intrigue. Plus, some seriously fun supporting turns from Keith David (he watches the MOD Squad!), David Allen Grier, Fred Ward, and the kinky Scott Glenn.
Steele Justice: The kind of movie my thirteen year old self would have stayed up till the wee hours of the morning watching on the USA Network, Steele Justice is a low-budget 80s action flick worth a rental but not serious thought. Martin Kove of Cobra Kai fame sneers seriously while brandishing himself in various forms of inappropriate neck ware (snakes and pink sweaters) and somehow manages to maintain a relationship with music video choreographer Sela Ward while gunfights constantly interrupt her MTV world. Nice, but forgettable appearances from character actors Ronny Cox, Bernie Casey, and Shannon Tweed add to the ridiculous entertainment.
Razorback: From the director of Highlander! (and Highlander 2...) comes this really fantastic killer pig movie. First off, it's beautiful. The opening burning house rampage sets the epic tone for this stunning bit of Aussie Horror and you'll be screaming/choking on the smoke along with the brutalized first player. Secondly, the charging, monstrous beast is pretty darn brilliant for a muppet. And thirdly, similar to great bits of Zombie terror, it's the people who are the real threat--and eventual fodder for Razorback, who you'll be cheering on as the film progresses. Available from the Warner Archive, Razorback should belong in every exploitation junkie's collection.
COMIC OF THE WEEK!
Black Dynamite Slave Island One Shot: "His Afro's So Bad It Won't Ever Relax. When He Go To The Barber They Part His Hair With An Axe!" The Retro Adventures of the Rawly Majestic Black Dynamite continue on the four-colored page, and Brian Ash's Slave Island perfectly captures the ridiculous but somehow sweetly sincere tone of the Michael Jai White film. When Black Dynamite learns of the resort getaway Slave Island he vows to Burn That Muther Down! Along the way he tears apart a Great White Shark, makes serious good outta 61 Hours, and starts a revolution. Best of all is Jun Lofamia's amazing art that really does capture that late 70s comic book look. I really hope Adult Swim delivers on the Black Dynamite cartoon promise but if it doesn't I definitely want more comics.
Had lawyer Larry Routtenburg simply Googled his client "Conor D'Monte", as I did after reading Bolan's story, he would have found on the first page of results an RCMP WANTED Bulletin, complete with colour photograph. The SUN was not implying that the legal profession should begin to 'rat out' clients to FINTRAC or the RCMP, but as a reader I was struck by one more telling juxtaposition - In the same week of saturation news coverage about a widespread effort by law abiding folks to assist their police in identifying the looters and arsonists of the Game 7 Riot, we also read of a professional man with a trained mind, who was not moved to question the motives of a couple who wanted to swap identities on a property. 
