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Murder & Mayhem of the 2010's decade ....and the decade is not over yet
This is a list of films that were released in the 2010's that are either based on real people who were murderers or serial killers, and/or actual events, or are made for television mini-series and/or thrillers that are stories of fiction all of which include murders.
Oh what a feeling…what a rush! ♫ ♬ ♪ Movies and Television series I have rated
Murder & Mayhem of the 1970's
The 25 Best Christmas Themed - Feel Good Films
http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000088/threads/PollSuggestion<Which-of-the-following-Christmas-25-themed-"feel-Good"-films-or-Tv-specials-is-your-favorite?>
Murder & Mayhem of the 1990's
Murder & Mayhem of the 2000's
Italian Heritage ~ Mob Bosses
Christmas FEEL GOOD Movies
Reviews
Young Sheldon: A Brisket, Voodoo, and Cannonball Run (2017)
This episode proves that family matters
This is the best written episode of this newly released television series so far. There is a battle going on in the Cooper household that has continued over the past 15 years between Sheldon's father, and Sheldon's meemaw (grandmother) as George Sr. (dad) has been trying to get his hands on his mother-in-law's recipe for her delicious beef-brisket since he first start dating Sheldon's mom, Mary.
Now meemaw has her own reasons for not relinquishing her famed beef-brisket recipe to her ungrateful son-in-law George Sr., which leads meemaw to continue to tease George Sr. with a promise to release her famed beef-brisket recipe to no avail. Meemaw's refusal to share he recipe with her son-in-law is driving a wedge not only between Sheldon's dad and his meemaw, but all three Cooper kids are worried that the word "divorce" is in the cards for their parents if their dad does not get his hands on meemaw's secret beef brisket recipe.
So the chase is on and it really does get ugly, but this episode is also oh so funny. As in previous episodes, the adult Sheldon narrates to the audience how this dilemma eventually is resolved between his dad and his meemaw, and we eventually also find out the reason why meemaw would not share her recipe with George Sr, and also why she took such great pleasure in teasing her son-in-law.
The episode ends with a one on one conversation between George Sr. and meemaw with the entire Cooper clan listening in, and there is a very touching moment in the adult Sheldon's narrative as to how the Cooper clan resolve their internal issues in such a loving manner that everyone's opinion is respected, and no one gets hurt anymore.
I still believe this TV prequel spin-off of the 2007 multiple Emmy award series The Big Bang Theory, will surpass a season 1 with such strong and creative writing episodes in helping us the audience understand how adult Sheldon grew into the man he is today.
Mrs. Shullivan and I look forward to watching many more fantastic episodes of Young Sheldon as it is a very creative series, and the series extends to us their family values that are mostly lost or are non-existent in many of the other cheap and campy TV series that try to use shock value to maintain an audience. Much credit is also given to the entire cast whose parts are all extremely well done and the family is so intertwined and represent what could be many American households, minus most of us ever having a genius child/brother prodigy like the young Sheldon.
I give this episode a perfect 10/10 and I hope they win an Emmy for both the series on the back of episode 7, of Season 1.
Young Sheldon: A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac (2017)
You just don't mess with the Cooper family
For those fans "not quite sure what to make of it" of Young Sheldon, my advice would be to hang in there as this show is getting better and better with each episode. We learn how the young Sheldon learns to persist at a very early age why he had no choice but to set his career path as a theoretical physicist.
When a space scientist from NASA visits with Sheldon's school and Sheldon inquires why a space ship cannot land back in to the earth's atmosphere to reduce the enormous costs of the USA space program, the scientist attempts to appease Sheldon by giving him a token NASA patch to place on his school bag. Sheldon will have nothing to do with being ignored so he spends the next few days in his room preparing mathematical equations until he gets stomach cramps which turn out to be the early signs of a stomach ulcer to which his family doctor prescribes Zantac. Sheldon notices that his family doctor's office has an unoccupied computer so while the family doctor is talking to Sheldon's parents, Sheldon takes the opportunity to use the doctor's computer to hack in to the NASA space programs computer to finish his calculations.
The entire Cooper family then heads off to NASA as Sheldon received no response to his mailed recommendations so that Sheldon can personally explain why what NASA says "cannot be done" , Sheldon will walk NASA through why it will be done, further explaining why Sheldon is a child genius.
The entire Cooper clan realizes that Sheldon is a dweeb and quirky, but darn it, when Sheldon is right about something and won't let go, then the entire Cooper clan is there to support him, especially his football loving, beer swigging father. NASA learns that you cannot put the Cooper clan on a shelf and ignore them, because as the adult Sheldon would later in his life, knock three times on a door to make sure the person on the other side of that door would know who is on "the other side of that door", young Sheldon (and his family) have no qualms about going to NASA headquarters to satisfy young Sheldon's need to be proven right....again!
It is a touching scene when the adult Sheldon narrates to the audience it is times like the Cooper's trip to NASA that he realizes what his dad (and his whole family including his grandma) will do for him, so look out world....you cannot ignore young Sheldon!
It is an inspiring family themed episode.
The Shape of Water (2017)
🍷 🍕 Sunday, March 4, 2018...and the Best Picture goes to The Shape of Water!
Are you a movie fanatic?
Are you a movie lover?
Are you a hopeless romantic?
Are you a dreamer?
Do you enjoy films that clearly define good versus evil?
Do you wish to inspire our youth to do great things?
The Shape of Water is the fulfillment of all these inspirational beliefs. The scenery brings us back to a past time in our lives when life was simpler and hidden secrets were in abundance. The screenplay was written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. Their screenplay is both creative and at the same time haunting.
The cast was perfectly matched. Sally Hawkins plays Elisa Esposito a mute cleaning lady whose partner at work is none other than 2012 Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer who plays cleaning lady Zelda Fuller. These two ladies clean all day mopping up urine from the men's bathroom floor at a government run top secret facility in Baltimore. After work, they go home where Zelda cooks and cleans for her lazy no good husband, and Elisa spends her evenings alone in her bathtub pleasuring herself to the beat of an egg timer.
Then in walks Richard Strickland (played menacingly and true to form by Michael Shannon) with his 3 foot electric prodding cane, and a water contraption that contains some type of amphibious creature that can swim and live in both salt water and stand upright on dry land. Richard Strickland brings this strange beast to the Baltimore facility for scientists such as actor Michael Stuhlbarg who plays Doctor Robert Hoffstetler can study and examine the beast.
One very interesting character that I cannot fail to mention is actor Richard Jenkins who plays Giles, Elisa's co-tenant who both live upstairs from the local Orpheum theater. Giles character is lonely, he is a gay man, a commercial artist with great talent, but apparently without a bright future due to some previous drinking problem. Giles friendship with the mute Elisa is sincere and loving as they both are two lonely individuals looking for something more from life. Richard Jenkins character Giles, has some of the best one-liners I have heard in a long time. One such one liner was "don't play with the cats". You will have to see this wonderful film to appreciate Giles hilarious and timely comments.
When Elisa has an opportunity to meet the amphibious creature while cleaning the facility she immediately forms a bond with the creature. They communicate by hand gestures and by heart felt facial expressions which eventually lead to a romantic relationship. Michael Shannon's role as Richard Strickland is a take no prisoners type of character and he plays a despised overseer of the creature who punishes the creature at will and for his own pleasure.
Elisa realizes that if she does not react quickly to free the creature from his captivity he will surely die at the insistence and obstinate hand of Richard Strickland. So we the audience are kept in suspense on how will the meek and mild mute cleaning lady Elisa who has affection for the creature successfully save the creature?
I felt the escape plan was executed with great suspense and curiosity and contained some of the best scenes by writer/director Guillermo del Toro's vision that I would be surprised if this film does not win at least six (6) Academy Awards on Sunday March 04th, 2018, Oscar night.
Mrs Shullivan and I loved the film, and we were fortunate to be able to see the film with son number 2 and his set dresser girlfriend who contributed in making many of the films scenes so beautifully crafted and matched to both the musical score and the characters constant interactions that also happened to keep a full house of movie lovers in awe of your next Best Picture for 2018 winner.
A perfect 10 for 10 score!
Edge of the City (1957)
Great acting by Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes
This is clearly a dramatic film representative of the stylistic period films being made in the 1950's. This was director Martin Ritt's first attempt at delivering a feature film for Hollywood after first tinkering with a few television episodes for various TV series such as Somerset Maugham TV Theatre, and Starlight Theatre. Obviously director Martin Ritt was fortunate that his feature film debut starred two (2) great lead actors such as John Cassavetes, and Sidney Poitier. Subsequent to the mainstream success of this film shot in Harlem New York, Martin Ritt went on to a four (4) decade career directing many other acclaimed films starring a long list of Academy Award winner actors and actresses.
I enjoy a good black and white film and I truly wish other producers would consider this style format. If you recall it worked well back in 2011 for Academy Award Best Picture "The Artist". Edge of the City was filmed in Harlem New York and evolves around the new found friendship between the happy go lucky African American Tommy Tyler played by Sidney Poitier, whose friends simply called him TT or T. Tommy is a crew leader on the docks where he is in a constant battle with another racist dock crew leader named Charlie Malick, played by Jack Warden. When the desperate newcomer Axel Nordmann (played by John Cassavettes) naively joins the con man Charlie Malick's crew, Axel realizes rather quickly how racist and selfish his crew leader is, as well as being the biggest bully on the docks.
The film evolves into the push and pull friendship between Tommy and Axel, as Tommy continues to push Axel into sharing Axel's obvious fears and deepest secrets with Tommy. Axel pushes Tommy away as he feels the only one he could ever trust was his deceased older brother, who Axel feels responsible for his brothers unexpected death. The demons that Axel eventually shares with his new best friend Tommy are issues that many other men (and women) can relate to as they revolve around Axel's estranged relationship with his parents and how his current circumstances and potential future prosecution relate to Axel attempting to make his father proud.
The films ending is not as heroic, nor as vindicating and uplifting as lets say the 1976 Academy Award winning Rocky films ending was but Edge of the City is filled with superior acting by the film stars John Cassavetes, and Sidney Poitier, as well as supporting performances by Jack Warden, Kathleen Maguire, and a young Ruby Dee.
I enjoyed this dramatic 1957 film and I felt both the acting and directing were superb and why this film is so relevant for the time and yet still timeless messages for today's youth.
I give the film a 7/10 rating
Bus Riley's Back in Town (1965)
Economic classes well established that outweigh physical beauty and true love
I have watched this classic and contemporary film at least three (3) times over the past fifty-two (52) years. I will most certainly watch it again when the Criterion Collection eventually come to realize how important this film is to the North American culture of the second half of the last century. I am quite sure the Criterion Collection will eventually release this beautiful contemporary film on an extended Blu Ray format fully restored with extras that will include historical interviews with Director Harvey Hart and many of the key actors in this Peyton Place kind of small town atmosphere.
Michael Parks and his chiseled good looks plays the returning home from over seas navy seaman Bus Riley. Bus displays his own unique moody yet still charming persona that emulated the likes of James Dean and a younger Marlon Brando. Bus Riley's solemn temperament matched wildly and sexually against the 24 year old married vixen Laurel played by Ann-Margret. Director Harvey Hart brings to the screen the warmth and loving charm of the three (3) family members who Bus Riley lives with who are his mother played by Jocelyn Brando (the older sister of Marlon Brando), and his two sisters the younger Gussie, (played so lovingly and filled with innocence by Kim Darby) who is filled with life and yet still empty of any jealousy towards either brother Bus or older sister Paula, played by the attractive Mimsy Farmer.
There are many lonely ladies in this Peyton Place sort of town, one of which happens to be the divorced mother of Judy who who lays around on her couch watching romantic movies, and drinking herself into a state of stupor. Then one day the young and rather naive Bus Riley knocks on her door to sell her one of his new "top secret atomic" vacuum cleaner which he quickly gets her to sign a contract for in exchange for providing her a handsome young shoulder to cry on. But Bus does have a conscience and when he discovers that this lonely lady is Judy's mother who is her mothers sole caregiver and housekeeper and he recognizes Judy as his own sister Gussie's best friend, he quickly finds a way to dissolve the just signed contract and save Judy's drunkard mother from going further into debt.
The film is about young love, old love, personal financial gain, parental disdain, deception, heart break, the sexual revolution, it even touches on homosexuality which was a taboo topic in 1965. The Riley family has its own share of despair as we wonder why Bus's father is not in the picture, nor present in the household. Bus just returning from a three (3) year overseas tour serving in the U.S. Navy appears to have left abruptly after breaking up with his younger seventeen (17) year old virginal girlfriend Laurel, only to discover upon his return home to find out she has married a very wealthy but much older man.
There are many good actors in this film and multiple story lines. I believe that Ann-Margret's and Michael Park's performances were worthy of at least an Academy Award nomination for best actress and best actor respectively. This film moves along seamlessly from the opening scene to the last scene where the Riley's kitchen door closes behind us, the audience. It is a film filled with regrets, but more importantly it is also a film filled with compassion, awakenings, second chances and redemption.
I love this picture and therefore I give Bus Riley's Back In Town a perfect 10/10 rating. I trust the Criterion Collection has this beautifully directed and acted 1965 film on their short list for a new restored release before the end of this quarter century.
NCIS: New Orleans: The Accident (2017)
Talk about the best episode epitomizing "Jumping the Shark"
Okay, now I have seen everything! In this episode Patton Plame's (Daryl Mitchell) ex-wife who is Doctor Anna Yoon (played by Kelly Hu) is brought in to assist the team. There is one scene nearer to the end of the episode in which there is a perpetrator that breaks into Patton's work space on the lower floor. So Patton the protector steps up, or in his case rolls up, and tells his ex-wife to stand back so that he can wheel himself up to the second floor window and peer down on the criminal below. So the bad guy shoots at Patton and of course he conveniently misses Patton but blows up the floor to ceiling window which is the only thing standing between Patton on the second floor, and the criminal down below.
Now this is where this episode goes beyond the extreme. Patton who also enjoys to para glide in his spare time, tells his ex-wife to wheel him as fast as she can towards the shattered window on the second floor so that he and his wheelchair can miraculously fly through the air and land on top of the criminal below in which they then begin to tussle for the criminal's gun.
There you have it in a nutshell! This episode epitomizes the term "jumping the shark" which is how the family TV series Happy Days ended after eleven (11) seasons when the Fonz (Henry Winkler) in full dress including his famous leather biker jacket, literally jumped over a shark while water skiing.
When Patton and his wheelchair flew out of his second floor window and knocked the criminal on his butt, Mrs. Shullivan and I laughed so hard and said to each other, now we have seen everything. This is NCIS, New Orleans version of "jumping the shark". Now we have seen a TV scene titled "jumping the wheelchair". What an absolute hoot! This is supposed to be an action/drama/crime series, but we can now add comedy and science fiction to this TV series description.
Patton gets a perfect 10 out of 10 score for his high flying (through a second floor window) wheelchair arrest.
Men of Boys Town (1941)
Late night viewing with Mickey and Spencer prompted my tear ducts so be forewarned this is a real tear jerker
Let me be clear that the film Men of Boys Town is well worth the watch if for no other reason than the re-matching of the two great actors Spencer Tracy who plays Father Flanagan and Mickey Rooney who plays Whitey Marsh, the Mayor of Boys Town. Mickey's role is key to the film in terms of him being portrayed as the protector of all boys who end up in a reform school. Of course there is abuse at some of these school for boys and you only have to be reminded of the Catholic Churches in Boston who eventually paid out tens of millions of dollars for their decades of abuse of young boys in their control.
In this film there is one young man named Ted Martley, played by Larry Munn, who is beaten so badly by the guards at his reform school that he cannot even walk due to paralysis of the leg. Father Flanagan travels over a thousand miles to bring the young and disengaged Ted Martley to Boys Town where he encourages his greatest supporter Whitey Marsh, the so-called ordained Mayor of Boys Town, played by Mickey Rooney, to show this young man that everyone deserves a second chance and that there are people out there who truly care for the impoverished youth of society to ensure they grow up with both a spiritual and moral compass.
Whitey Marsh is the epitome of believing in himself and the younger boys of Boys Town so he sets his goal to make this paralyzed youth Ted Martley recognize that he does have true friends at Boys Town. Oh, and of course the director, Norman Taurog, brings in a cute little dog who just loves to jump on Ted's lap and lick his face so much so that Ted finally comes out of his self absorbed shell and cracks his first smile while sitting up in his bed.
The Men of Boys Town is aptly named as these young boys must face real challenges both in life and in death, and no one can bring these emotions to life better than Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy. This is well worth the watch even in this century some 76 years later from its initial release. Be sure to keep a box of tissues close to you though, especially late at night when your guard may be down, as mine was. Tears will flow, but joy and redemption is their main message.
I give the film an 8 out of 10 rating.
Stablemates (1938)
awww schucks, I would be honored if you called me pops
Why the Hollywood producers of today continue to insist on regurgitating a very stale action/adventure CGI (computer generated imagery) formula to equate to box office success is pure stupidity. Since all Hollywood producers are competing for the abundance of entertainment dollars from the same (what seems to be) stunned audience, I would suggest that these same Hollywood producers should learn a basic film development lesson by sitting down and viewing this now 80 year old film "Stablemates". If even one of these so called Hollywood producers took 90 minutes to watch the film Stablemates they would be enlightened on a very simple formula that works to put bums in movie theater seats.
The formula that has proved to work time and time again is to put together on the large screen a young up and coming actor with a seasoned veteran actor, and provide them with a story that includes light humor, hard knocks, and of course an animal that needs tender loving care. In essence, we the audience are smarter than today's Hollywood producers think we are. Today's Hollywood producers seem to think that they can wow an audience with more and more of the same crap CGI, instead of encouraging their audience to turn off their cell phones, stop texting, and to listen to the conversation taking place on the silver screen, and the emotional interactions of the film stars such as in this film Stablemates.
Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney had such great on screen chemistry in this film Stablemates and if it were not for Wallace Beery's unfortunate demise at a relatively young age (64) I am quite sure we would have a series of films starring these two remarkable warm and loving entertainers. They also starred in the 1935 film Ah, Wilderness! I was also pleasantly surprised to see the harsh and bombastic character Beulah Flanders, (played superbly by Margaret Hamilton better known for her role as Miss Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West, in the 1939 film The Wizard Of Oz) who in this film was a widower five (5) times over and she insists on marrying Wallace Beery's character, the has-been drunkard veterinarian, Doc Thomas 'Tom' Terry, played to be her sixth (6th) husband.
I don't believe I am an old soul who is unique in the opinion that Stablemates is an underrated film classic. Rather, i implore families of all ages and all generations to watch this film Stablemates that uses a simple formula of utilizing great actors, a small cast, a hard knocks life background, an injured animal, the sport of kings, horse racing, and overcoming long odds to bring to the silver screen what all human beings have in them, hope and inspiration.
This is a truly under rated classic that deserves your full attention, so put down those cell phones, laptops, and gameboys and sit back and enjoy a film classic from the year 1938.
The Disappearance (2017)
Child rearing "nature versus nurture" leads to a superlative mystery mini series
This mini-series reflects a families three generations and how each generations' children grow up vastly different as a result of being reared in vastly different family environments. Mrs. Shullivan and I recorded the six (6) episodes and then binge watched them, simply because after watching the first episode in which a retired Judge named Henry Sullivan (played brilliantly by Peter Coyote) has plotted out a special treasure hunt for his grandson's Anthony 10th year birthday (played by Michael Riendeau), we could not stop wondering what was going to happen next. Anthony can't wait to start his annual treasure hunt that his Grandfather has plotted out for him this year so when he picks up his batch of clues he immediately starts out on his bicycle to commence his new treasure hunt adventure.
While Anthony's parents, his Aunt, and his Grandfather who he loves dearly, all wait patiently for Anthony to return successful from this years treasure hunt, the hours pass by and Anthony never returns home. Retired Judge Sullivan contacts the police directly calling in some old favors to assist in the initial frantic search for ten (10) year old missing Anthony.
The remaining five episodes loop seamlessly (and very cleverly I must add) back and forth over three (3) decades, but mainly the back flashes concentrate over the last twelve (12) year span providing the audience with tidbits of the Sullivan family dynamics and their history and how emotionally attached all family members are to the missing ten (10) year old Anthony. Judge Sullivan met his future wife when he was a young prosecuting attorney and the future Mrs. Sullivan was a rape victim, who was carrying her rapists child and she refused to abort the pregnancy as it was her decision to carry this child of rape to full term. Judge Sullivan's wife passed away just a few years ago from cancer and so their two adult children rely on their fond memories of their mother to keep her alive in their minds and in their hearts. Without the matriarch of the Sullivan family being alive during the disappearance of ten (10) year old Anthony, Anthony's parents, his Aunt and grandfather Sullivan, are at each others throats blaming his disappearance on each other.
Gradually the family and the police work together to identify clue by clue but the Sullivan families hope is running out to find Anthony alive as Anthony disappeared two years ago, and the police are not any closer to identifying a prime suspect.
The Disappearance is a first rate suspenseful TV mini-series and I will most certainly add it to my purchase list when it is released on DVD. Mrs. Shullivan and I talked about how good this mini-series was and how it gripped us until the bitter end. This is one of the very best mystery mini-series we have watched in the past few years. I rate this six (6) episode special a 9/10 and it is well worth watching every minute of every episode....at least twice.
S.W.A.T. (2017)
H.o.k.e.y.
H.O.K.E.Y. would have been a more appropriate name for this reboot version of the 1975 original S.W.A.T. TV action series. I don't expect to watch TV crime shows for any sense of realism, but nor do I wish to be insulted with a hokey story line unless it is for a Saturday morning cartoon show.
Shemar Moore is extremely fit and he is a handsome man, but me being just a regular guy, I have no interest in seeing him without a shirt on unless the scene includes his character Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson being in a boxing ring getting the crap kicked out of him.
I would have expected Shemar Moore to be a lot more picky in what TV series he starred in after so many good seasons on Criminal Minds. I did notice that each of the first several episodes have a different writer assigned which could be a good thing, or a bad thing. As for the pilot episode all I can say is it was pretty hokey.
4/10