Category Archives: police drama

Binge Worthy Shows Influenced by Social Media

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Social Media or Popular Series

Some TV shows promote themselves well on social media. They rank so well because the shows are worthy or because their social media campaigns are brilliant. It’s the chicken-or-the-egg theory.

What came first, a well-produced show to comment about on social media or a favorite book promoted on social media as an upcoming TV show? In the following article, I speculate that the show needs to be high-ranking to capture major social media trends. Though there is one show called Outlander that was super popular before its premiere. It is another way for fans to enjoy their favorite show.

“Outlander”

Outlander airs on Starz and is an example of social media supporting both sides of the spectrum. Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are on Twitter and Instagram almost daily, plugging Outlander or their other products and movies. Heughan promotes his clothing line, Barbour, and whiskey, rightly named Sassenach. Facebook has several dedicated pages to the Scottish-themed show. Heughan’s Heughligans and the author, Gabaldon, sponsor a Facebook page.

Starz sponsored several Twitter and Facebook campaigns. Heughan and Balfe answered Twitter questions via video that played on Facebook. The campaign was such a success that Starz continued using the Q & A theme with other cast members, including Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton.

My Peak Challenge

In this video, Sam Heughan discusses receiving his honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling in Scotland. He mentions his online charity with over 12,000 members, raising over $4 million – A solid example of using social media to promote his charity.

Ellen DeGeneres Hosts the Academy Awards

The Rolling Stone Magazine reported the early ratings of the 2014 Academy Awards, which Ellen DeGeneres hosted, and the viewership was at an all-time 10-year high. The magazine credited DeGeneres’s social media activity for sharing her funny acts.

Like when she took several selfies with celebrities, the star-studded one, posted below, earned over 2.8 million retweets and is probably still popular.

The show garnered 43 million viewers. The last time such a feat occurred was in 2004 with Billy Crystal as the host.

DeGeneres draws the viewers on her own, no doubt, but her antics on social media topped the charts.

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“Stranger Things”

In a Variety interview, Winona Ryder and Millie Bobby Brown discussed tweeting about their show, Stranger Things. Only Brown understood the technology of promoting a TV show on social media. Ryder’s fascination manifested in awe about Brown’s knowledge.

Ryder does not need to worry because Netflix developed its own social media campaign for the hit show. The purpose of the movement was to ensure fans knew when the series went live on Netflix.

They hit all the popular social networks, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The campaign included plot teasers and clips from the show.

What do you think?

Which Social Media Do You Use the Most?

People surveyed about their social media preference selected Facebook as their most used social media outlet.

  • 9% Instragram
  • 1% Pinterest
  • 0% Snap Chat
  • 0% Diggs
  • 1% Reddit
  • 0% Other
  • 81% Facebook
  • 7% Twitter

“Games of Thrones”

HBO’s Games of Thrones‘ social media hype was a late bloomer. The finale season marked the best use of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Working with 360i, HBO continued the season finale’s awareness and even banked on the audience feedback to promote the hypertheoretical spin-offs.

The week before and the week after the final episode, we saw #GOT for GOT’s upcoming season. It worked so well that even those who didn’t watch the series posted how they have not ever well watch #GOT.

Spin-off rumors continue to pop up on Facebook and Twitter. We can only imagine what it would be like to have a GOT spin-off.

“Orange is the New Black”

Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black used social media to show behind-the-scenes antics. Some say the marketing department does it better than any other show. The award-winning show and its large cast offer many options for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The popular hashtag is #OITNB, and their Facebook Page posts about the final season kept fans raving about the favorite show. You can still binge-watch the show on Netflix and Amazon.

“The Walking Dead” and “Fear The Walking Dead”

The Walking Dead (#TWD) is the show posted the most on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. A fanbase of over 40 million speaks for itself.

Fear Stories

The spin-off Fear The Walking Dead (#FTWD) was released with a brilliant social media campaign called “Fear Stories.”

“Pretty Little Liars”

Pretty Little Liars trended well with Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The award-winning series followed four friends band against an anonymous enemy, and the mystery person threatens to expose their darkest secrets.
The social media campaign worked overtime to keep the fans coming back for more.

The show’s final season in 2017 ranked higher than season six, and the social media surged with #littleliars. The success reinforced Freeform, a Disney based cable channel spin-off called The Perfectionist, bringing back some of the main characters — #PLLThePerfectionist.

“Empire”

Empire launched Taraji P. Henson’s career, and the show is trending even today with the final, sixth season. The show is about a hip-hop company three sons are fighting over while the ex-wife connives to reclaim what she feels is hers.

Fox marketing went all out and invested in Twitter. The social media campaign paid off. The show ranked on Nielsen’s 2016 list of Twitter MVPs — averaging 387,000 Tweets per episode. The social media campaigns consisted of inviting viewers to Tweet their questions to @EmpireFOX, and star Taraji P. Henson will answer the questions via video.

Another campaign had fans tweeting #FOXWednesdays, adding a cookie emoji (Henson’s character’s first name is Cookie Lyon). Once they twitted, they became eligible to win some treats. The cookie theme continued using different kinds of cookie themes.

Social Media and TV Shows

Episodic TV shows will continue to use social media as a send all to promoting the next and latest occurrence of each episode. How the marketing departments spin each campaign, whether unique or not, is what fans look forward to seeing. It is a whole new way to enjoy episodic television while waiting for the next episode and speculating.

Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood

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Who is Dirty Harry?

With crime escalating and the economy on a hellish rollercoaster dive, it is a perfect time to view the 1970s tough-cop action thriller Dirty Harry.

The script, by the married team Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink (based on her unpublished story), Dean Riesner, and John Milius (unaccredited), is a lesson in a tight, fast-paced story.

The .44 Magnum he carries guides a story’s worth of sharp dialogue that launched a movie legend.

Eastwood states the memorable tough-cop line while holding a .44 Magnum, “Make my Day.” He repeats the famous line at the end of the movie. He baits the punk to gamble with his streetwise Russian Roulette.

Who is Clint Eastwood?

Don Siegel’s stylish, almost surreal, at times direction and editing set the pace for Clint Eastwood’s incredible performance as Harry Callahan, a middle-aged, individualist, unconventional cop who throws away the rulebook but gets the short end of the stick.

The screenwriters give Callahan some of the most memorable lines and witty comments in film history, thus establishing the territory for how far a script can go to create the antihero of all jerks while keeping the audience on his side.

The unsolved Zodiac murder case in San Francisco is eerily contemporary today. The opening scene of a public tribute to San Francisco police officers killed in the line of duty fades to the muzzle-barrel end of a high-powered rifle of a serial sniper, a baby-faced hippie killer, on a rooftop with a telescopic lens aimed at a young woman in a yellow, one-piece swimsuit. She swims her lap, he pulls the trigger, the bullet hits her, and she sinks below the surface as the water turns red.

Who is Harry Callahan?

Enter Harry Callahan, the lone wolf investigating the crime scene by himself. He finds the used shell of the shot and a ransom note pinned to a TV antenna. The first few words he says throughout the film are direct responses: “Jesus.”

The handwritten note from the deranged sniper calling himself Scorpio says he will enjoy killing one person every day until he receives one hundred thousand dollars. It will be his pleasure to shoot a Catholic priest or a nigger. I can’t help but remind us of the sniper killings in the D.C. area.

Favorite Dirty Harry Quote

Those surveyed said their favorite Dirty Harry quote is “You’ve got to ask yourself a question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?! The next favorite quote is  “Go Ahead, Make My Day.”

Dialogue Makes the Movie

Spiteful and rude, Callahan was summoned to the Mayor’s office. After the Mayor inquires what he has done about the Scorpio case so far, Callahan complains, waiting, “Oh well, for the past three-quarters of an hour, I’ve been sitting on my ass in your outer office, waiting for you.”

Most Unforgettable Movie Cop Scene

Up next is probably one of the most unforgettable cop scenes in film history, which is often mistaken for the film’s opening scene.

Callahan drives up in his navy blue sedan on a San Francisco street and parks illegally at the red curb in front of an adult bookstore. He walks to a local Burger Den restaurant to order his jumbo hot dog. Callahan casually asks the cook about a tan Ford across the street in front of the bank, with the usual lack of excitement. He suspects a bank robbery and asks the cook to phone the police department and report a two-eleven in progress. Callahan says, “Now, just wait until the cavalry arrives.” he hears the bank’s alarm system and a gunshot after one bite of his hot dog and says, “Oh, Sh-t!”

Cliint Eastwood shows how to point a gun at the camera.
Clint Eastwood shows how to point a gun at the camera.

“I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it.”— Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry Quotes

Callahan’s calm and collected strides outside pull out his monstrous, long-barreled, heavyweight Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum. He single-handedly stops the heist by shooting the fleeing bank robbers. Still chewing his hot dog, Dirty Harry fires his sixth shot at the last fleeing robber. He looks down at his pant leg, which indicates blood seeped through from a leg wound. Dirty Harry walks over to the bank entrance. He threatens the wounded robber, who is reaching for his shotgun on the sidewalk.

Aiming the .44 Magnum, Callahan says his memorable tough-cop line baits the criminal to try and use the shotgun- gamble on luck with his streetwise version of Russian Roulette.

The dialogue contributes to the fast-paced movie, while the audience sees Callahan as a tough, unscrupulous cop. In the film review for the New York Times, critic Roger Greenspun describes Callahan as: “Dirty is Harry’s given epithet, and he carries it proudly enough. But he is a knight in shining armor whose dirtiness is mostly rubbed off from the scummy world he keeps trying to wipe clean.”

Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

Clint Eastwood is not only a fine actor but also an award-winning director and jazz musician. Each project he works on has a social message important to our society.

Like Dirty Harry, Eastwood communicates the need to help the underdogs and support this generation’s heroes.

Actor Michael Jai White Workout Routine

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“For Better or For Worse”

Before Michael Jai White starred in For Better or For Worse from 2011 to 2017, he worked on other television shows and starred in martial arts movies and for Better or For Worse aired on OWN in its third season after being canceled by TBS.

He starred in well-known martial arts movies. He looked incredibly fit. You watch the films you are streaming and see a mighty fine-looking man.

Body Aesthetics

White discusses body aesthetics in this video. As a fitness enthusiast, White provides a summary or introduction to the particular type of training. The training concentrates on building a proportional, symmetrical body. It is not lifting heavy weights or working on just one specific body aspect. Instead, it is a guide to developing your statuesque physique. He shares his secret for looking so good on camera.

Michael Jai White Movies

White’s movie career began in 1989 with minor roles, including Alley Man #1 and Audience Man. His work developed and gradually grew. He was cast in meatier roles on television, including Jag and NYPD Blue. Eventually, he landed starring roles in both TV and movies.

His starring role in Black Dynamite is a story about a 1970s movie that exploited black people as stereotypical characters. White plays Black Dynamite, an impressive crime fighter.

The 2009 movie dramatizes the portrayal of black people in film. The premise is like the movies Dolemite and Trouble Man. Black Dynamite even pokes fun at these types of films because, viewed today, they appear demeaning. I am glad Black Dynamite pokes fun at these movies because they do demoralize the black race.

Years later, only White’s voice starred in the Black Dynamite animated TV series. The series lasted three years and featured the same types of characters as the movie. You can still catch some of the episodes on YouTube.

Martial Arts Training

White spoke to interviewers about how martial arts is a significant part of his life because it helps him achieve his goals.

Michael Jai White’s martial arts training takes his acting ability to a whole new level. He discussed how the body becomes conditioned by the mind’s actions. Building his discipline and focus is the driving force behind his dedication.

He can shut out anything in his life he wants to, so he can focus on acting or business ventures. He knows the importance of discipline because he can accomplish anything with it.

Michael Jai White starred in “Spawn” in 1997 as the superhero. A milestone for him because he was the first African American to play a superhero in a blockbuster movie.

Action Martial Arts

White starred in Universal Soldier: The Return with Jean-Claude Van Damme, a sci-fi combat and action martial arts movie.

To stay in shape for his role, he put himself on a strict diet of only protein and three gallons of water a day. He worked out on the set when he wasn’t shooting a scene.

He refined his martial arts skills and avoided weightlifting. He felt that using weights made the body weight heavier, not lighter. He needed to keep his body trim and agile.

Enthralling Movie Roles

White starred in The Dark Knight, playing Gambol opposite the late Heath Ledger’s Joker.

White played Mike Tyson in the movie Tyson. He received positive feedback.

In another movie, he played a unique superhero in Spawn, a supernatural being who can kick some evil booty.

He even kicked some booty in Exit Wounds with Steven Seagal.

Black Belt Certification

White maintains his persona in these action movies because he trained with several well-known Black Belt Hall of Famers. They all hold a Black Belt in Six Sigma. That means they are leaders, teachers, and mentors of martial arts.

White flourishes on film and in life by learning and applying martial arts, and believes that tying on a white belt rather than a black belt is a way of “looking forward to learning something new.”

White’s Spiritual Journey

White identifies the spiritual journey of his body as it reaches maturity. As a martial artist, he is willing to confront the philosophical aspect of being himself. White has discussed with interviewers the notion of taking the bait of just looking good as a disservice to himself. As a martial artist, he explained that he intends to be the best he can be, no matter what else is happening in his life. It is this philosophy that has guided him and contributed to his success.

White looks good in the reruns of For Better or For Worse. It will be interesting to see his next move in the industry. According to his IMDb profile, he stars in several movies. They are either in pre-production or post-production.

On his Facebook page, he posted, “I have some cool things planned… and an announcement of the first Jaigantic feature.” Jaigantic looks like it’s his own production company, making action movies. All in all, he still has a lot of kicks and jabs left in him.

How to Write a Crime Story

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Write thrillers, mysteries, and other related crime dramas and avoid writing cliches by following these rules.

Joe Friday: “Just the facts, Ma’am”

Dragnet
Dragnet

Don’t use “Let’s take him downtown for questioning.” Roth writes that real cops never say that.

What is Attempted Murder?

The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide, 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder by the late Martin Roth, is not a book that you read for pleasure on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

When writing a story that requires an accurate portrayal of a crime, you reach for it and use it to describe blood. You’ll need to read it, though, so you know why you write with accuracy and detail a fictional crime story.

Of course, you don’t want to be as dry as a crime report, but you want to write real-life drama.

When you are writing a story that needs an accurate portrait of anything that deals with a crime, you reach for this book and use it for blood.

How to Become a Serial Killer

Take a story about a serial killer. You need to create a profile and look up serial murder in the book’s glossary. Turn to the designated pages and discover that there is not just one type of serial killer, but four. You read the passage in the book, “studies reveal that most serial killers are white males between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five and are usually products of working- or lower-middle-class families.”

Your profile takes shape, and you read on, “Many serial killers are charming, selfish, impulsive, and ambitious. Many come from broken homes or homes where they were abused. Few serial killers express any feelings of guilt or remorse for their crimes.” A brilliant start for a classic character study. Now that I think about it, most of the crime stories I have read or seen in movies fit this profile.

Turn to the designated pages and discover that there is not just one type of serial killer but four.

Writing Crime Dialogue

I enjoyed the chapter on language. It is an essential tool for any crime writer, with terms such as “throwaway,” which refers to guns or clothes the mugger wears and discards to avoid pursuit.

How about “pigeon,” which means victim. This chapter supplies enough dialogue ideas to keep you writing dialogue for twelve CSI spin-offs. Wait, CSI spin-offs are close to twelve and counting.

All kidding aside, you need this book dog-eared and well-used if you write about crime.

How to Write a List of Character Traits

Reading the book filled my head with straightforward ideas for stories and ample characters. What also fascinated me was the character description of cops, including what their lives are like and what they are not like, which sparked a range of ideas. My fingers were itching to click the keys on my keyboard and start writing.

Roth’s book gives you all the information you need to create a crime. You can start with the criminal act, the crime scene investigation, the prosecution of the criminal, and conclude with a life sentence in prison. He offers numerous examples of television shows that accurately portray crime stories.

As an exercise, you can watch a few crime shows and see if the production company followed Roth’s standards.

Listen to the Police Dialogue

Mark Wahlberg stars in Mile 22, a drama about a secret special forces unit within the government. I recommend you listen to the dialogue in this movie. You will hear crime jargon, such as “motive” and “driven.”

Director Peter Berg shoots scenes with a handheld camera that follows agents, police, and special forces as they meet and collaborate to solve the crime.

Although it is a dramatization, you get the idea of what it’s like within a collaborative meeting between police forces.

Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade

Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart

“He said: “I’m going to send you over. The chances are you’ll get off with life. That means you’ll be out again in twenty years. You’re an angel. I’ll wait for you.” He cleared his throat. “If they hang you, I’ll always remember you.”— Dashiell Hammett, “The Maltese Falcon”

The Crime Writer's Reference Guide: 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder

The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide: 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder

Finally, if the chapter you are reading isn’t enough to fill your creative imagination, which is hard to believe, there is a section called “Where do you go from here.” This chapter includes a list of other books on the same subject. You can head to the library and create a new pastime of reading how-to-write crime stories instruction books. “The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide, 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder” is the reference book for any writer about to write a story centered on crime. Even if you have it written, you can use this book to cross-check your accuracy. “Just the facts, Ma’am.”

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“The Roundup” South Korean Action Film

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Enjoy this action-packed South Korean film by Lee Sang-yong. The Roundup stars Don Lee and CHOI Guy-hwa as two South Korean cops. Geumcheon Police’s Major Crimes Unit takes on missing to repatriate a fugitive who fled to Vietnam.

Lee plays a beast cop — detective Ma, pounding and slugging his way to solving the crime and situation with the fugitive. GHOI Guy-hwa plays the partner. Together, they intuitively realize that something is wrong. The suspect’s willingness to turn himself in to help uncover a series of crimes.

A terrifying killer name Dang Hae-sang, played by SON Sukku, is behind the suspect’s wavering and evasion. Detective Ma and his force of cops investigate, going across two countries. Witness bloody harsh crimes left behind by Kang Hae.

This film is for fans of action, South Korean and comedy. The humor gives this movie levity to the dire situation. Action sequences are mesmerizing and unbelievable in the delivery. It’s worth watching with a large bowl of popcorn and friends.

Extraordinary Mission Brutal and Raw

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From Alan Mak and Felix Chong, co-writers of The Departed and director of Infernal Affairs, the movie follows Lin Kai, played by Huang Xuan, in Extraordinary Mission. The movie is razor sharp with intense lighting that heightens the tension in each scene.

The movie takes place in Hong Kong where crime is center staged. Lin Kai is an undercover officer delegated to break through the Twin Eagles drug cartel. The story moves fast and the shots are tight. I never found my thoughts wandering.  The subtitles were tough to follow at times because the movie moved fast with raw intensity.

Yihong Duan plays an impressive cartel boss and a firm conviction in his ruthlessness.  Seeing both Xuan and Duan in scenes together was like watching a full charged emotional push-and-pull. Their scenes were not just a cat and mouse game.  It was brutal and raw.

The movie takes a turn that I was not expecting. Xuan acting talent shines when Kai is coerced into gradual drug addiction while attempting to locate the cartel’s production base.  Being strung out on drugs creates more complications when Kai realizes Eagle has been plotting a violent revenge against his supervisor Li Jianguo, played by Jiadong Xing, for over a decade.

The ending is brutal but fun to watch.  The creative minds of Mak and Chong is a vision you don’t want to miss.

Andy Lau’s Shock Wave High-Action

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Written and directed by Herman Yau, Shock Wave is spellbinding with all the action scenes in the movie. The fact that it seized the #1 box office spot in China and Hong Kong when it hit theaters speaks about how much explosive action there is in the movie. Producing the movie on a $23 million budget, Shock Wave is one of Hong Kong’s highest grossing domestic movies for 2017. Take a look at the movie’s trailer, and you will see what I mean.

The movie follows, Cheung Choi-san, played by Andy Lau, as he works as a bomb disposal expert among the busy streets of Hong Kong.  Along comes a terrorist who specializes in explosives, Hung Kai-pang, played by Jiang Wu, takes hold of the busy Cross-Harbor Tunnel. He threatens to kill hostages if his demands are not met.

This is a typical action movie plot, but the director executes these scenes is riveting, so unlike some American action movies. In Shock Wave, they are very realistic, almost scary. The movie is intense and kept my attention throughout even though there are English subtitles.

The movie has a flair for cat and mouse. Cheung effectively broke up Hung’s criminal gang, but in the course of the raid, Hung triumphs and escapes whereas his younger brother and allies are captured.

Seeking retribution for Cheung’s duplicity, Hung returns after seven years and plants a series of bombs in Hong Kong. The result is a public terror and attracts Cheung where he discovers the greatest plan for revenge.

The Blu-ray + DVD Combo is on the streets and includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, including an interview with Andy Lau.  Andy Lau is the most popular actor in China. His interview is worth purchasing the DVD.

Officer Downe

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Directed by Shawn Crahan, Officer Downe is based on the graphic novel of the same name. The movie is a blood-soaked tale of resurrection, revenge, and justice as the story follows an immortal, crime-fighting police officer, played by Kim Coates, and his rookie sidekick, played by Tyler Ross, who learns that being stuck between doing what he thinks is right and what he thinks is best is not an easy task.

The best way to describe this movie is Sin City meets dark science technology. The L.A. policeman is repeatedly resurrected and returned to active duty through a mysterious technology. When a rookie officer named Gable arrives on the scene as backup, we get to see Downe in a different way because Gable discovers there’s much more to the super-cop than a mindless law enforcement super-cop warring against twisted over-the-top super-villains.

The way the movie is told with over the top acting and action might be enjoyable for those you are looking for mindless entertainment. There is no thinking involved with this movie but, like I said, you will be entertained. You might even laugh because it is so over-the-top and unreal.

Sure, there will be those who felt they wasted their time watching the movie because there really isn’t much to it besides mindless fun.

Gridlocked

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3D_CMYK_Gridlocked_DVDWrpDirected by Canadian Allan Ungar, Gridlocked is a typical action thriller resembling a combination of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

The story follows former SWAT leader David Hendrix, played by Australian-born Dominic Purcell, is down on his luck and has failed to receive medical clearance after taking a bullet on the job. Despite being highly trained and competent, his efforts have been reduced to routine tasks for the NYPD. As if things couldn’t get any worse, he’s been forced to babysit movie star Brody Walker, played by Canadian and 5x World Karate Champion Cody Hackman, a hard-partying celebrity that’s been sent on a mandatory ride along as part of his probation.  Pampered and irritating, Walker is the last thing Hendrix needs. But all of that changes when a police training facility comes under attack by a team of ruthless mercenaries led by the mysterious Korver, played by Tony-nominated Stephan Lang.  Now, Hendrix and Walker must band together with the remaining survivors to fight back and keep the mercenaries from overtaking the compound. The only problem is Hendrix and Walker do not get along, and they just might kill each other before the mercenaries do.

Lethal Weapon’s Danny Glover plays fatherly-type Sully, and it great to see how him in this role and makes the movie more gratifying.  Other supporting actors such as Vinnie Jones and Trish Stratus do a pretty decent job of moving the story along, and the main mystery to the storyline is revealed about half way through the movie. With Purcell as a good guy and Vinnie as a bad guy, we all know where this goes with some manageable humor in their remarks in a teasing way

I am not going so far as to recommend the movie. But if you are looking for an action thriller that you haven’t seen yet, then stream or rent this one. It’s worth it.

Movies Giveaway

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Movie Roar is giving away three movies. Each person who comments on this page will be entered in the giveaway. Once we have a good number of comments the winner will be picked from a drawing.

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger: United States of America v. James J. Bulger

WhiteyDirected by Oscar-nominated Joe Berlinger, we witness the sweeping and revelatory documentary film that follows the trial of the infamous gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, using the courtroom action as a springboard to examine accusations of multi-faceted corruption within our nation’s law enforcement and legal systems. Some of you are familiar with Johnny Depp’s Black Mass will recognize this story which is dramatized in Depp’s portrayal of Whitey.

 

 

Tangerine

tangerineDirected by Sean Baker, it’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee, played by Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend, played by James Ransone, hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the sex worker and her best friend, Alexandra, played by Mya Taylor, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles.

 

 

White God

whitegodA Hungarian movie and Cannes Film Festival winner, directed by Kornél Mundruczó, White God is an allegory of the human experience. Young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog Hagen because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed unfit by The State. After the separation, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back towards each other. At the same time, all the unwanted, unloved and so-called unfit dogs rise up under a new leader, Hagen, the one-time house-pet. Hagen has learned all too well from his Masters in his journey through the streets and animal control centers that man is not always dog’s best friend.