Daily Archives: May 30, 2025

MAVERICK (TV Series) – starring James Garner – S2, E19: “Duel at Sundown” (Guest star – Clint Eastwood)

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Bret Maverick (James Garner) stops off and visits his old friend Jed Christianson (Edgar Buchanan). Jed is desperate to break up the hot and heavy romance between his beautiful and wild daughter, Carrie (Abby Dalton), and a good for nothing gunslinger named Red Hardigan (Clint Eastwood). He asks Bret to stay for a while and help break them up. Not really wanting to get involved, Bret changes his tune when he’s offered $1,000 to hang around for a week. There is one serious problem, though, and that’s the fact that Red has a reputation for being extremely fast and accurate with a gun, and he’s not afraid to use it. When Bret actually sees a demonstration of Red’s shooting skills, he knows he’s going to have to come up with a plan to drive Red away that avoids a gunfight at all costs. And that’s exactly what he does. I won’t give away exactly what he does, but it involves his brother Bart (Jack Kelly) and a notorious gunslinger named John Wesley Hardin, and it’s genius! 

As we continue to celebrate the birthday of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, I decided I’d watch his 1959 guest starring appearance on the TV series MAVERICK with James Garner. I recently watched Eastwood and Garner work together in the enjoyable “geezers in space” movie SPACE COWBOYS (2000), which came out about 40 years after this. With that fresh in mind, I especially enjoyed seeing them work together while they were both in their prime. “Duel at Sundown” is the first episode I’ve watched of the MAVERICK TV series, and I must say that I had a ball with it. James Garner’s effortless charisma and laid back demeanor as Bret Maverick make his character right down my alley. Nothing seems to rattle the man, and he’s as funny as hell! As of the time of this review, all five seasons of the series are streaming on PlutoTV, so I’m planning on catching some more episodes as I can. As far as the young Clint Eastwood, who was 29 when this show premiered, he definitely looks the part of a future star. Maybe I’m just being influenced by what he’s accomplished over the last 60 years, but his steely intensity, his great head of hair, and his way with the ladies are all on display. And even though his character of Red is a hot headed gunslinger who’s driven by jealousy, there are a couple of times when he flashes that million dollar smile, and you can’t help but like him. For me, it’s fun to watch these megastars in roles when they were just working actors trying to build a career. You can usually see the qualities that will make them the most popular actors in the world, but they’re still going to lose to the star of the series at the end. It’s a rite of passage. 

Overall, “Duel at Sundown” is an excellent introduction to the MAVERICK TV series for me. It’s funny and actually quite clever, as evidenced by the scheme that Bret Maverick comes up with at the end to keep from having to face Red in a gunfight. But the true highlight is seeing Garner, in one of his signature roles, working with a young Eastwood who’s destined for stardom. I highly recommend it! 

10 Films For The Weekend (5/30/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are ten films that I recommend checking out this weekend.  These films are all streaming so, if you’re stuck inside due to weather or crippling depression, give them a shot!

In Honor of Clint Eastwood

Saturday will be Clint Eastwood’s 95th birthday.  Clint’s career has stretched from the 50s t0 the present day.  (Though some thought he might retire after 2024’s Juror #2, Eastwood is reportedly working on a new film.)  We’ll be posting a lot of Eastwood reviews tomorrow but I want to take the time right now to mention three of his films that will be streaming this weekend.

First off, 2024’s legal thriller, Juror #2 (which I consider to be the best film of 2024), is still streaming on Max.  Featuring excellent performances from Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette, Juror #2 is an entertaining courtroom thriller that, in its efficient and non-flashy way, shows that Eastwood is still one of the best directors work.

Clint Eastwood was 88 years old when he gave one of his best performances in 2018’s The Mule.  The Mule tells the true story of a 90 year-old widower who found a second job smuggling drugs across the country for a Mexican cartel.  Eastwood gives a likable performance as someone who is definitely not an action hero but who gets a second lease on life by working with some very dangerous people.  This film is tense, poignant, and surprisingly funny at time.  It’s on Netflix.

Also on Netflix is 2014’s American Sniper, a film that Eastwood directed.  Bradley Cooper gives a strong performance as Chris Kyle and Eastwood direction will leave you breathless.  This film was controversial when it was released.  It had only been two years since Eastwood gave his speech at the Republican Convention and, amongst the online crowd, there was still a lot of anger at him.  (Considering that the online critics often presented themselves as being film experts, it was surprising how many of them apparently did not know that Eastwood was, at the time, a lifelong Republican.  Apparently, he’s currently registered as a Libertarian.)  Personally, I don’t find American Sniper to be a political film.  Eastwood’s made a lot of films about war and he’s never been one to glorify it.  Instead, as with many of Eastwood’s films, it’s a character study of man who has to learn how to live with his actions.

Here’s Some More Action

If you’re in the mood for some non-Eastwood action, here’s some suggestions.

Rolling Thunder (1978), starring William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones, is both a revenge film and a look at the struggle of two men returning to a country that they no longer recognize.  Devane and Jones’s characters have recently returned from a Vietnamese POW camp.  When Devane’s wife and son are killed by bandits and Devane’s hand is lost in a garbage disposal, he and Jones join forces to “clean them up.”  This film is a favorite of Quentin Tarantino’s and I personally consider it to be one of the best Texas-set films ever made.  Devane has never been better and Jones deserved an Oscar for his performance as the emotionally shattered and withdrawn vet who comes to life when it time to “kill a bunch of people.”  Rolling Thunder is currently on Tubi.

Jeff says that The Delta Force (1986) is the greatest film of all time.  And while I personally don’t think that’s possible as long as Money Plane exists, I will say that there is something very emotionally satisfying about watching Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin take out a bunch of terrorists.  I dare you not to shed a tear when George Kennedy’s priest walks to the front of the plane and declares that if the terrorists are taking the Jewish passengers hostage, they’ll have to take him as well because “I’m Jewish.”  The Delta Force can be found on Tubi and Prime.

Finally, I don’t think Brad would forgive me if I left out Charles Bronson.  Breakheart Pass (1975) is an interesting and unfairly overlooked Bronson western, one that mixes a genuine murder mystery with all the action that one could hope for.  Playing a 19th century detective on a train, Bronson more than holds his own against an impressive array character actors, including Charles Durning and Ben Johnson.  It can currently be viewed on Tubi and Prime.

Odds and Ends

I read a story this week that France is planning on banning outdoor smoking.  Seriously, what is happening to that country?  How did they go from being the country of sexy ennui to the country that bans smoking?  It’s a shame.  If you want to remember France the way it was and the way it should still be, check out Jean-Luc Godard’s classic Breathless (1960), a film that still packs quite a stylistic punch.  Jean-Luc Belmondo is the ultimate existential outlaw.  Jean Seberg is the perfect femme fatale beatnik.  The ending remains haunting and unforgettable.  Belmondo would never let anyone tell him whether or not he could smoke.  The film is currently streaming on Max.

Uh-oh!  This weekend might be your last chance to see my favorite film of 2020, Money Plane, on Tubi!  (It’s currently listed in the dreaded “Leaving Soon” category.)  Ignore what the critics not named Lisa might tell you.  Money Plane is an absolute blast.  If for no other reason, see it for Kelsey Grammer’s wonderfully unhinged performance as the Rumble.  For now, Money Plane is on Tubi and Prime.

Also listed as “Leaving Soon,” is Dario Argento’s classic directorial debut, Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970).  One of the best giallo films ever, Argento’s thriller continues to be a twisted delight, featuring excellent performance from Tony Mustante and Suzy Kendall and one death scene that literally makes me put my hands over my eyes every time I watch the movie.  This is one of the great shockers.  For now, it can be found on Tubi and Prime.

Finally, The Last Movie Star (2017) is a flawed film but it features a wonderful, late career performance from Burt Reynolds.  The Last Movie Star pays tribute to both Reynolds as an actor and a cinematic icon.  It can be found on Tubi.

Check out last week’s suggestions here!

 

A Book To Read This Weekend (5/30/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

If you’ve got a lot of time to kill this weekend and if you’re interested in how a dictator could come to power in the United States of America, check out Huey Long by T. Harry Williams.

The winner of 1970’s Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, this 900-page book tells the story of Louisiana’s Huey Long.  Long went from being an outsider to being governor of his state to being a member of the United States Senate and finally, to the verge of running for the presidency.  The only that that stopped Huey from running for President in 1936 were multiple bullets, at least one of which was fired by the son of a political rival.  (The majority of them were probably fired by Long’s own bodyguards, with Huey falling victim to “friendly fire.”)  Huey was a controversial figure, a socialist who talked like a populist, a clever politician who pretended to be a buffoon, and a leader who was hates by many but who was also so beloved by many other that his family held control of Louisiana politics for decades after his death.

I first bought this book in high school.  My history teacher had assigned the class to write book reports about a political figure.  My teacher was impressed when I said that I would be writing about Huey Long.  Of course, I put off writing the report until the day before it was due.  I also put off reading (and, for that matter, even opening) the book.  When I mentioned this to my mom, she took one look at the 900-page biography that I hadn’t even started to read, and said, “Why did you pick such a long book!?”

(I always pick the longest books I can find.  I like to read and, when it comes to biographies, I like to get all the details.)

For the next few hours, I skimmed through the book as I wrote my report.  I wrote about his early political campaigns, the role he played in the elections of both Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt, and the steady stream of corrupt flunkies that he brought into Louisiana’s government.  I included the details of Huey Long’s Share The Wealth plan and explained why Huey’s scheme was just a bunch of commie propaganda.  My teacher gave my report a 100 (and he added an “A++,” which he circled in red!), said that it was good enough for college, and commended me on my hard work.  My mom read my teacher’s comments and said I had more lives than a cat.

Even just skimming the book, I found Huey’s story to be fascinating.  He stood up to the power brokers.  He fought for the poor.  He took kickbacks from the same corporations that he claimed to despise.  He treated Louisiana like his own fiefdom.  He might have ordered a few murders.  And, years later, when I sat down and actually read the book, I discovered that Huey’s life was even more interesting than I initially realized.  Huey Long may be 900 words long but he lived his life in such an over-the-top fashion and the times in which he lived were so interesting that the book becomes a surprisingly quick read.  It helps that T. Harry Williams was a lively writer.  This isn’t some slow-moving, self-consciously scholarly tome.  This is a book that really captures the unique oddness of Louisiana and its politics.

If you’re looking for a long but rewarding read and if you’re a history nerd like me, check this book out.  And then watch All The King’s Men (the original, not the remake!).  Willie Stark, the governor at the heart of All The King’s Men, was based on Huey Long.  Somehow, Long lived a life that was even more dramatic than his fictional counterpart.

(Check out last week’s Books For The Weekend here!)

 

 

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for A Fistful of Dollars!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly watch parties.  On Twitter, I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday and I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday.  On Mastodon, I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting #FridayNightFlix!  The movie?  A Fistful of Dollars, starring the great Clint Eastwood!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  I’ll be there tweeting and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

A Fistful of Dollars is available on Prime and Tubi!

See you there!

Scene That I Love: The End of Franklin J. Schaffner’s Planet of the Apes

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The late director Franklin J. Schaffner was born 105 years ago today.

Though Schaffner won an Oscar for directing Patton, my favorite Schaffner film will always be Planet of the Apes.  In this scene, Charlton Heston discovers where he’s actually been for the entire movie.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Howard Hawks Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

129 years ago, on this date, the great American filmmaker Howard Hawks was born in Indiana.  Over a career that spanned several decades, Hawks proved himself to be a master of every genre.  He made great crime films, great noirs, great comedies, and great westerns.  His influence continues to be felt to this day.  In honor of his legacy, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Howard Hawks Films

Scarface (1932, dir by Howard Hawks, DP: Lee Garmes)

Bringing Up Baby (1938, dir by Howard Hawks, DP: Russell Metty)

The Big Sleep (1946, dir by Howard Hawks, DP: Sidney Hickox)

Rio Bravo (1959, dir by Howard Hawks, DP: Russell Harlan)

Music Video of the Day: 5 Minutes Alone by Pantera (1994, directed by Wayne Isham)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Vinnie Paul explained how this song came about:

“The story behind this song is we were opening for Megadeth, and there was a guy that was flipping us off the whole show and so we stopped the show. And I was like, ‘Listen, in case you haven’t noticed there’s 18,000 people who really dig what we’re doing. You’re the only one doing that stupid shit without even having to egg the crowd on.’ Ten guys just jumped the guy and beat the shit out of him. His dad called the manager after all the lawsuits and this and that, and basically said, ‘Give me five minutes with that Phil Anselmo guy. I want to whup his ass.’ “

The music video, not surprisingly was directed by Wayne Isham.  Isham was one of those directors who worked everybody who was anybody.  Isham especially understood had to capture metal energy in video form.

Enjoy!