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Author Mickey Spillane's 'misanthrope' 1940's comic strip detective "Mike Hammer", that spun into a series of novels, TV series and motion pictures, is being developed at Warners as a new franchise of films:

The character of Hammer was created by Spillane, debuting in the 1947 book "I, the Jury", that was adapted into a feature in 1953 and 1982.

Prior to World War II, Spillane was a writer of comic books for Timely (now Marvel) Publications. After the war, he used what would be the plot of "I, the Jury" for a comic book character called 'Mike Danger' that eventually became 'Mike Hammer' in hard cover.

Hammer was a Marine veteran of the 'Battle of Guadalcanal'. As a private investigator he carries a .45 Colt in a shoulder holster under his left arm. His love for his secretary 'Velda' is only outweighed by his willingness to kill a killer.

While pulp...

Persis Khambatta, as Lt. Ilia, was the first Deltan character in Star Trek history. Lt. Ilia met a tragic end in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, disappearing while attempting to merge with the alien entity V'Ger. Persis Khambatta's legacy as Lt. Ilia inspired future Star Trek characters like Counselor Troi in The Next Generation.

Indian actress and model Persis Khambatta portrayed Lieutenant Ilia, Star Trek's first-ever Deltan, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Born in Bombay, Khambatta won the beauty pageant title of Femina Miss India in 1965. Persis' big break in Hollywood was when she was cast as Lt. Ilia in Star Trek: Phase II, the sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series meant as the flagship show of Paramount's planned TV network. Instead, Star Trek: Phase II was repurposed into 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with Persis Khambatta joining the reunited Star Trek original cast.

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture,...

Infusing 1940s noir with supernatural scares, the new graphic novel Hard Bargain is now on Kickstarter as part of Humanoids' 50th anniversary celebration, and we caught up with prolific TV writer Steven S. DeKnight to discuss teaming up with artist Leno Carvalho for the new graphic novel, the inspirations behind his hard-boiled horror tale, and the ghoulish goodies readers can look forward to from supporting the Kickstarter campaign!

Below, you can check out our full Q&a with Steven S. DeKnight as well as preview pages and blurbs for Hard Bargain, and to learn more about the supernatural graphic novel, visit its official Kickstarter page!

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Steven, and congratulations on the Kickstarter launch for your new graphic novel Hard Bargain, which follows the supernatural adventures of Private Investigator Frank Harding in 1940s Los Angeles. How and when did you initially...

When screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides was asked about the complex layers of meaning running through his adaptation of Mickey Spillane‘s classic crime novel “Kiss Me Deadly,” he denied having any conscious intention of exploring the post-wwii anxieties that gave the film its jittery core. “People ask me about the hidden meanings in the script,” he told an interviewer. “About the A-bomb, about McCarthyism, what does the poetry mean, and so on. And I can only say that I didn’t think about it when I wrote it . . . I was having fun.” Bezzerides may have been just “having fun,” but in the process, he and director Robert Aldrich crafted one of the greatest noirs of all time, an apocalyptic detective story that looks into the heart of 1950s America and sees annihilation.

It’s one of several stone-cold masterpieces written by the novelist-turned-screenwriter, whose work is being properly acknowledged by the...

Monsieur Spade is a new mystery series on AMC starring Clive Owen as Sam Spade, a once-successful private detective. The show takes place in 1963 France and follows Sam Spade as he gets pulled back into a murder case after leaving his detective life behind. While the show is not based on a book, the character of Sam Spade originated in the 1930 novel "The Maltese Falcon" and was famously portrayed by Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 film adaptation.

Monsieur Spade bears interesting connections to a literary work from the 1930s, as well as an iconic Hollywood movie. Starring Clive Owen as the titular character, Monsieur Spade is a new mystery series from AMC. The show follows the exploits of Sam Spade, a once-successful private detective.

Choosing 1963 France as its primary setting, Monsieur Spade season 1 tells a six-episode story that sees its main protagonist dive head-first into a murder case. In the timeframe of the story,...

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, prolific screenwriter Tracy Tormé has passed away at the age of 64. Tormé was a veteran of 1980s-era "Saturday Night Live" and wrote the TV movie "UFO Cover-Up?: Live!" in 1988, cementing his reputation among amateur ufologists everywhere. In the late '80s, Tormé was hand-picked by show creator Gene Roddenberry to contribute to the then-new "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Tormé became the show's executive story editor and creative consultant, a position he held for 24 of the show's early episodes. He is also the credited writer on 12 first-season episodes, including "Haven," "Skin of Evil," "The Arsenal of Freedom," and "The Big Goodbye."

That last episode, which aired on January 11, 1988, was notable in that it was the first holodeck-forward episode of the series. The holodeck was, of course, introduced in the show's pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint," which explained to audiences that the Enterprise-d was equipped with...

Coined by Alfred Hitchcock in the late 1930s, a MacGuffin is simply a basic plot element that filmmakers use to propel a movie's story forward. It can be a device, an event, or even a person, and while it can often lazily be employed as a crutch by a screenwriter in a time crunch, there have been a number of iconic MacGuffins in cinema over the years. You have the titular Maltese Falcon, the Ark of the Covenant from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Death Star plans from Star Wars, and Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now. But, there is one MacGuffin that stands above the rest: the briefcase from Pulp Fiction.

Aside from its snappy dialogue and expertly crafted nonlinear storyline, Quentin Tarantino's Academy Award-winning screenplay for Pulp Fiction really works because Marcellus Wallace's briefcase pretty much ties it all together. Characterized by its mysterious golden glow,...

Brutal and violent, Mike Hammer is a no-holds-barred private investigator created by Mickey Spillane and featured in novels, movies, TV shows, comics, and more. Mike Hammer is set to return to the big screen as Skydance has acquired the rights to the franchise and is planning to develop a movie based on the iconic character.

No writers, directors, or actors attached to the new Mike Hammer movie at this time, which is hardly a surprise given the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes. The rights to the character have been in dispute for quite some time. Mickey Spillane died in 2006, just one month after the death of his manager. The manager’s estate tried to claim ownership of Mike Hammer, but following years in court, those rights reverted to Spillane’s estate.

Starting with the novel I, the Jury, Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer novels have sold over 250 million copies worldwide.

The rights to Mickey Spillane’s and Max Allan Collins’ “Mike Hammer” franchise have been acquired by Skydance, an insider with knowledge of the project said Wednesday.

Skydance intends to adapt and produce the bestselling book series into a feature film, centered around the iconic character.

At this time, the studio has not enlisted any writers, directors, or talent for the project.

The Mike Hammer franchise is an iconic and enduring series of detective novels and films created by the renowned American author Mickey Spillane.

The franchise centers around the character of Mike Hammer, a tough and hardboiled private investigator with a no-nonsense approach to solving crimes. First introduced in the 1947 novel “I, the Jury,” Mike Hammer quickly became a beloved figure in the noir fiction genre.

The franchise comprises numerous novels, short stories, and comic books, as well as several film adaptations and a television series. Throughout the years,...

Skydance has acquired rights to Mickey Spillane’s and Max Allan Collins’ Mike Hammer franchise with plans to develop and produce the bestselling book series as a feature film based on the iconic character. No writers, directors or actors are attached at this time.

Entertainment 360 joins as a producer with Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger producing with Guymon Casady producing for Entertainment 360. Benjamin Forkner and Ken F. Levin will also produce. Collins will executive produce, with Jane Spillane serving as co-producer. Carin Sage will oversee the project for Skydance.

Hammer is the protagonist of a series of hardboiled detective novels, starting with I, the Jury published in 1947, becoming one of the most popular figures of the genre.

With more than 250 million copies of Mike Hammer books sold globally, it is often recognized as the most popular American mystery/thriller series of all time. Hammer is...

Many viewers likely missed the Joseph Gordon-Levitt Knives Out cameo that happened early on in the movie. This is because it is impossible to see the actor on the screen during his cameo. Directed by Rian Johnson, the mystery thriller Knives Out included an all-star cast and a murder mystery premise. With names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, and more, it was easy to miss that Gordon-Levitt cameo, especially since he wasn't advertised as appearing in the movie. The Joseph Gordon-Levitt Knives Out moment is conceptually hidden in a frame within a frame, but the audio is the primary clue.

Gordon-Levitt understands the beauty of a cameo. After starring in Johnson's feature directorial debut, Brick, he returned for a small role in the director’s second film, The Brothers Bloom (playing a shirt-and-tie bar patron). After taking on one of the starring roles in Johnson's third movie,...

This Mickey Spillane noir tale has its good points: star Anthony Quinn gives a solid ‘tough guy’ performance, sizing up a quartet of thrill-crazy Spillane dames that promise no end of trouble. The surprisingly clever script dares to exploit the gimmicks of both amnesia and plastic surgery — without insulting our intelligence. Peggie Castle is our new favorite in the glamour sweepstakes, and Gene Evans, Charles Coburn, Mary Ellen Kay, Shawn Smith, Barry Kelley, Jay Adler and Bruno VeSota co-star. And remember: ‘Evil to Him who Evil Thinks.’

The Long Wait 4K

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

ClassicFlix

1954 / B&w / 1:75 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date March 21, 2023 / Available from ClassicFlix / 39.99

Starring: Anthony Quinn, Charles Coburn, Gene Evans, Peggie Castle, Mary Ellen Kay, Shawn Smith, Dolores Donlon, Barry Kelley, James Millican, Bruno VeSota, Jay Adler, John Damler, Frank Marlowe, Paul Dubov.

Cinematography: Franz Planer

Art Director: Boris Leven

Film Editor: Ronald Sinclair

Editorial Supervisor Otto Ludwig...

The Chevrolet Corvette, which turns 70 this week, was unveiled on Jan. 17, 1953, at the General Motors Motorama, held at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The sleek two-seater, named after a small warship, was a concept car, but interest was so high that it went into production later that year, with 300 hand-built models in Polo White. The Corvette would star in CBS’ Route 66 from 1960 to 1964, turning it into an emblem of American freedom. But its first major screen appearance was in 1955’s Kiss Me Deadly, a subversive film noir from director Robert Aldrich, who went on to direct What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and The Dirty Dozen (1967).

Based on the 1952 Mickey Spillane novel Kiss Me, Deadly, the film, adapted by screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides, veered wildly from the book, putting Spillane’s P.I. Mike Hammer at the center of a web of intrigue involving a dead woman (Cloris Leachman, then 29, in...

Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer hit the big screen early in the 3-D craze, in a much tamed-down adaptation. The camera legend John Alton handled the lighting and likely called the shots on the camera setups as well. As a detective noir it’s definitely flat-footed, with a bum script, weak direction and a miscast Biff Elliot as the vengeful tough-guy hero. But compensating are the seductive Dran Hamilton, Margaret Sheridan and especially Peggie Castle — the key ‘dame’ in the pulp fiction finale. The United Artists release has been mostly Mia for decades,and this release presents it three ways: flat in both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, plus a beautiful restored 3-D Blu-ray encoding.

I, the Jury

4K Ultra HD + 3-D Blu-ray + Blu-ray

ClassicFlix

1953 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 88 min. / Special Limited Edition / Street Date November 8, 2022 / Available from ClassicFlix / 34.99

Starring: Biff Elliot, Preston Foster, Peggie Castle, Margaret Sheridan, Alan Reed,...

Josh Olson and Joe Dante answer fan questions and comments.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary

Monster A-Go-Go (1965)

Infested (2002)

Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Joe Dante’s review

Straw Dogs (2011)

Mississippi Burning (1988)

The Ghost And Mrs. Muir (1947) – Axelle Carolyn’s trailer commentary

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Bad Boy Bubby (1993) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

The Mummy (1932) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

The Mummy (1999)

The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Slappy And The Stinkers (1998)

Casper (1995)

Invisible Man (2020)

The Invisible Man (1933) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Robot Monster (1953) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary

The Stewardesses (1969)

The Hole (2012) – Joe Dante’s US, Italian, British trailer commentaries, Dennis Cozzalio’s review

Love (2015)

Cave Of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

McCabe And Mrs.

According to Warners, author Mickey Spillane's 'misanthrope' 1940's comic strip detective "Mike Hammer", who went on to fame in a series of novels, TV series and motion pictures, continues in development as a new franchise of films.

The character of Hammer was created by Spillane, debuting in the 1947 book "I, the Jury", that was adapted into a feature in 1953 and 1982.

Prior to World War II, Spillane was a writer of comic books for Timely (now Marvel) Publications. After the war, he used what would be the plot of "I, the Jury" for a comic book character called 'Mike Danger' that eventually became 'Mike Hammer' in hard cover.

Hammer was a Marine veteran of the 'Battle of Guadalcanal'. As a private investigator he carries a .45 Colt in a shoulder holster under his left arm. His love for his secretary 'Velda' is only outweighed by his willingness to kill a killer.

According to Warners, author Mickey Spillane's 'misanthrope' 1940's comic strip detective "Mike Hammer", who went on to fame in a series of novels, TV series and motion pictures, continues in development as a new franchise of films.

The character of Hammer was created by Spillane, debuting in the 1947 book "I, the Jury", that was adapted into a feature in 1953 and 1982.

Prior to World War II, Spillane was a writer of comic books for Timely (now Marvel) Publications. After the war,  he used what would be the plot of "I, the Jury" for a comic book character called 'Mike Danger' that eventually became 'Mike Hammer' in hard cover. 

Hammer was a Marine veteran of the 'Battle of Guadalcanal'. As a private investigator he carries a .45 Colt in a shoulder holster under his left arm. His love for his secretary 'Velda' is only outweighed by his willingness to kill a killer.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman takes hosts Joe Dante and Josh Olson on a journey through some of his favorite cinematic tonal shifts.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Thank You For Smoking (2006)

Up In The Air (2009)

Juno (2007)

Young Adult (2011)

Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Seven Samurai (1954) Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Rififi (1955)

Titane (2021)

Cannibal Girls (1973)

Raw (2016)

Hellraiser (1987)

A Serbian Film (2010)

Cast Away (2000)

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Downhill Racer (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Breaking Away (1979)

Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

Psycho (1960) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Psycho (1998) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Last Night In Soho (2021)

Funny Games (1997)

Funny Games (2008)

The Piano Teacher (2001) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray

I, The Jury (1982)

Mother! (2017)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Tully (2018)

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links...

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (Iamtw) recognizes the wide range of authors who work on media tie-ins. Often overlooked, these writers craft exciting tales using beloved characters and settings of franchises including the likes of Mike Hammer, Firefly, Murder She Wrote, James Bond, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek. These stories can be original adventures, or adaptations of movies or television episodes. They include all genres and a wide range of lengths and formats.

To recognize the accomplishments of the unsung authors in this particular field, the Iamtw sponsors the annual Scribe Awards. This year’s awards have six categories to highlight excellence in Novels, Short Stories, Audio Dramas, Young Adult/Middle Grade works, and Graphic Novels.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

Audio Drama:

The Enemy of My Enemy by Tracey Ann Baines

He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not by Carrie Thompson...

Hard Case Crime previously published two of my favorite Stephen King novels—The Colorado Kid and Joyland—so I'm thrilled that they've teamed up with King once again to publish his new book, Later. With the supernatural noir now available in paperback, audio, and digital (ahead of its limited edition hardcover release on March 30th), we've been provided with an excerpt to share with Daily Dead readers!

Click the cover art below to read an excerpt from Later, and to learn more about King's new novel, read the official press release and visit:

https://titanbooks.com/70537-later/

Press Release: Hard Case Crime, the award-winning line of pulp-styled crime novels published by Titan Books, will publish Later, a brand-new novel by Stephen King, on March 2, 2021.

Later tells the story of Jamie Conklin, a boy whose unusual abilities could aid his single mom and her police detective lover – but only at a terrible cost.

Only a few days short of January’s end, 2021 has seen the loss of its first Oscar winner. Here’s how the Associated Press broke the news:

Cloris Leachman, an Oscar-winner for her portrayal of a lonely housewife in “The Last Picture Show” and a comedic delight as the fearsome Frau Blücher in “Young Frankenstein” and self-absorbed neighbor Phyllis on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” has died. She was 94.

Leachman died in her sleep of natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California, publicist Monique Moss said Wednesday. Her daughter Dinah Englund was at her side, Moss said.

Remarkably those 94 years encompassed nine decades of work on the big and small(er) screen. A truly versatile actress, her knack for comedy wasn’t really showcased until nearly twenty years into her astounding career. As a tribute we offer a fond look back at the work of a true cinema “scene-stealer...

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By John M. Whalen

In “My Gun Is Quick” (1957), Mickey Spillane’s famous private detective Mike Hammer (Robert Bray) meets a sad young hooker named “Red” (Patricia Donahue) in a greasy spoon and rescues her from a goon trying to put the muscle on her. Hammer slaps him around and kicks him out the door and gives her bus fare plus change to go back home and start over. He’s a hardnose but he’s got a tender spot somewhere under that tough exterior. He writes down his name and number on a slip of paper and tell her to call him to let him know she made it okay. Before they part he notices a very ornate ring on the third finger of her right hand. Hammer has been up for 52 hours and just wants to go home and get some sleep,...

Acclaimed stuntman and action director extraordinaire Jesse V. Johnson joins us to discuss the U.S. based action films and filmmakers that have influenced him the most.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

On The Waterfront (1954)

Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House (1922)

Undisputed (2002)

Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)

Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

Boyka: Undisputed (2016)

The Killer Elite (1975)

Convoy (1978)

The Osterman Weekend (1983)

Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Straw Dogs (1971)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Birdcage (1996)

Cross of Iron (1977)

Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)

Easy Rider (1969)

Fail Safe (1964)

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Ride The High Country (1962)

Major Dundee (1965)

Jinxed! (1982)

Beowulf (2007)

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

The Girl Hunters (1963)

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Point Blank (1967)

Falling Down (1993)

M (1951)

M (1931)

The Black Vampire (1953)

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Scum (1979)

Elephant (1989)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), possibly Joe’s favorite John Ford...

According to Warners, author Mickey Spillane's 'misanthrope' 1940's comic strip detective "Mike Hammer", who went on to fame in a series of novels, TV series and motion pictures, continues in development as a new franchise of films.

The character of Hammer was created by Spillane, debuting in the 1947 book "I, the Jury", that was adapted into a feature in 1953 and 1982.

Prior to World War II, Spillane was a writer of comic books for Timely (now Marvel) Publications. After the war,  he used what would be the plot of "I, the Jury" for a comic book character called 'Mike Danger' that eventually became 'Mike Hammer' in hard cover. 

Hammer was a Marine veteran of the 'Battle of Guadalcanal'. As a private investigator he carries a .45 Colt in a shoulder holster under his left arm. His love for his secretary 'Velda' is only outweighed by his willingness to kill a killer.

Mike Hammer is in action again! Well, not exactly. Producer Victor Saville’s third go-round with Mickey Spillane’s famed character doesn’t do the franchise justice. Hammer-philes will be astounded by this thriller’s decidedly un-thrilling thrills: there’s little to connect the inexpressive nice guy Robert Bray with the super-popular, super-violent avenger of the books. Spillane’s original is abandoned in favor of a tame ‘who’s got the diamonds?’ storyline, with some compensation in a string of exciting ‘Hammer dames.’ I checked twice — Mike doesn’t shoot Any of them in the stomach.

My Gun Is Quick

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1957 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 91 min. / available through Kino Lorber / Street Date March 24, 2020 / 24.95

Starring: Robert Bray, Whitney Blake, Patricia Donahue, Donald Randolph, Pamela Duncan, Booth Coleman, Jan Chaney, Genie Coree, Richard Garland, Charles Boaz, Peter Mamakos, Claire Carleton, Phil Arnold, John Dennis, Terence de Marney, Ray Kellogg.

Stars: Ralph Meeker, Nick Dennis, Maxine Cooper, Cloris Leachman, Gaby Rodgers | Written by A.I. Bezzerides | Directed by Robert Aldritch

Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) is driving down the freeway, minding his own business, when he almost hits a woman. Mike is a private investigator, and he knows trouble when he sees it, but he can’t just leave her in the road. His decision to stop and help triggers a confrontation with a group of thugs. When he comes around, the lady is dead – and Mike wants to know what the hell just happened.

With the help of his assistant and lover, Velda (Maxine Cooper), Mike takes a deep dive into the L.A. underworld. Scouring the backstreets, bars and boxing clubs, he uncovers a web of intrigue and violence, involving all the usual men of power, i.e. gangsters and cops. Countless bodies are left in the wake of his...

Earle Hagen, the Emmy-winning composer who wrote the iconic themes for “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “I Spy” and many others, would have turned 100 years old on July 9.

He was one of the most influential composers in TV history, formally recognized for his landmark work when the Television Academy inducted him, posthumously, into its Hall of Fame in 2011. He was only the second musician to be so honored.

Hagen pioneered the creation of original music for television in the 1950s, when most TV music was cheaply recorded mood music licensed from pre-existing libraries. By the 1960s, he was composing, arranging and conducting for as many as five shows a week — “The Danny Thomas Show,” “That Girl” and “The Mod Squad” among them — and set a high standard that other TV composers would aspire to in years to come.

“Earle was a huge influence on us, and really good with the tunes,...

By Todd Garbarini

If you’re one of the many moviegoers who are unfamiliar with the Jacques Lacerte thriller Love Me Deadly, you’re not alone. A product of early 1970s low-budget motion picture production, this film is the sole title directed by Mr. Lacerte who passed away in 1988. Lensed in 1971 and released in San Francisco right around the same time as Gerard Damiano’s wildly popular and controversial couples-flick Deep Throat in June 1972 just before the Watergate burglary, the film played in roughly ten markets, including rained-out drive-ins, before it nearly disappeared from view. However, there are subsequent movie posters for the film that have the audacity to mention William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) and give the impression that spiritual possession is somehow to blame for the unsavory goings-on. It’s not.

Love Me Deadly was originally titled Kiss Me Deadly, however Mickey Spillane had the rights to that title,...

Written by Max Allan Collins | Art by Marcelo Salaza, Marcio Freire | Published by Titan Comics

This has been something of a romp, albeit a noir romp, and has been very enjoyable because of that. No high brow entertainment here, Collins has gone for crowd pleasing guns, fights, dames, and sex. Can’t really go wrong with that I guess. I’ve been a little torn between enjoying the delights spread out before me each month, and wishing for that little bit extra to distinguish this from the crowd, to add a little cherry on top of a decent dessert. This series of course was never meant to reinvent the wheel, just showcase Mike Hammer and to an extent Mickey Spillane, and that it does extremely well.

So, where were we? Mike has got caught up with client Helen Venn, on the run from gangster boss Carmen Rich who thinks she has $10 million of his money.

Written by Max Allan Collins | Art by Marcelo Salaza, Marcio Freire | Published by Titan Comics

Before jumping into the review proper, a quick observation about recap pages or ‘what’s come before’ text in the front of books. As readers, we both like and need them. I reviewed the first issue of Mike Hammer a couple of months ago, but managed to miss issue 2 along the way, real life intruding as it does on your time. So, I sit down to start reading Issue 3, expecting a few brief lines of recap on Page 1. Nothing. Nada. As I read quite a few comics every month, I’m not really able to pick up everything from two issues ago, then fill in the gaps as to what happened last issue, and jump in to this issue. As a consequence, I can review the issue in front of me, but may be missing some ongoing plots.

Written by Max Allan Collins | Art by Marcelo Salaza, Marcio Freire | Published by Hard Case Crime/Titan Comics

I’m guessing pretty much everyone has heard of Mickey Spillane, even those not really fans of the hardboiled detective genre, which he practically invented. When Mickey Spillane’s most famous character, Mike Hammer, first hit the stands it ramped up the levels of sex and violence previously seen and became a huge success. Although mainly a comics guy, I do dabble a little in genre fiction, sci-fi, horror, detective noir etc and have always had a soft spot for Mickey Spillane and Mike Hammer. The soft spot for Mickey Spillane comes from the fact he got his start in comics, where he wrote a ton of stuff for a lot of publishers in the early 1940′s. My soft spot for Mike Hammer? Two reasons.

Firstly, I remember watching, and loving, that...

Titan Comics' imprint 'Hard Case' will release "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer" #1, June 27, 2018, written by Spillane, Max Allan Collins ("Road To Perdition") and illustrated by Marcelo Salaza, with covers by Robert McGinnis, Alex Ronald and Mack Chater:

"...in 1946, Mickey Spillane, an established comic-book writer, worked with illustrator Mike Roy to create the private-eye character 'Mike Danger' for a proposed comic-book or comic-strip publication. Unable to sell the project as a comic, he reworked the story as the novel 'I, the Jury', converting Mike Danger to 'Mike Hammer'.

"While other hardboiled heroes bend and manipulate the law, Hammer often views it as an impediment to justice, the one virtue he holds in absolute esteem. Hammer nevertheless has a strong respect for the majority of police, realizing they have a difficult job and their hands are frequently tied by the law when trying to stop criminals..."

Click the images to enlarge...

The Titan Comics' imprint 'Hard Case' will release "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer" #1, June 27, 2018, written by Spillane, Max Allan Collins ("Road To Perdition") and illustrated by Marcelo Salaza, with covers by Robert McGinnis, Alex Ronald and Mack Chater:

"...in 1946, Mickey Spillane, an established comic-book writer, worked with illustrator Mike Roy to create the private-eye character 'Mike Danger' for a proposed comic-book or comic-strip publication. Unable to sell the project as a comic, he reworked the story as the novel 'I, the Jury', converting Mike Danger to 'Mike Hammer'.

"While other hardboiled heroes bend and manipulate the law, Hammer often views it as an impediment to justice, the one virtue he holds in absolute esteem. Hammer nevertheless has a strong respect for the majority of police, realizing they have a difficult job and their hands are frequently tied by the law when trying to stop criminals..."

Click the images to...

By Giacomo Selloni

Published for the first time anywhere, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Mickey Spillane's birth, come two short novels in the same book. "The Last Stand" (Spillane's final novel) is preceded by "A Bullet for Satisfaction," an unfinished manuscript that was finalized by Spillane's long-time collaborator Max Allan Collins. Both stories are satisfying reads. The book has been published by the Hard Case Crime imprint from Titan Books.

Mickey Spillane is best known for his character Mike Hammer, the fictional P.I. that redefined the "action hero" and spawned countless imitators. Unlike private investigators before him, Mike Hammer was a merciless executor of villains who slept with countless beautiful, willing women. Sound like anyone we know? The first Mike Hammer novel, "I, The Jury," was published in 1947, six years prior to Ian Fleming's James Bond debut, "Casino Royale." It may be argued that if Fleming...

By Alex DeleonRéka Tenki, a hot new presence on the Hungarian film scene in an authentic Hungarian film noir with a kosher twist.

At the 2017 Berlinale, Tenki was named one of Variety’s “10 Europeans to Watch” and was seen in Ildiko Enyedi’s acclaimed On Body and Soul (Golden Bear winner and Hungary’s entry as Best Foreign Language Film for the Oscars). See interview with Réka Tenki here.

Réka Tenki

Budapest Noir is a murder mystery set in the German influenced Budapest of 1936 with Antisemitism on the rise. Superbly directed, acted, and beautifully lensed by master cinematographer Elemér Ragály. This is by far the best Hungarian film of the year in what has been a very good year for Magyar cinema generally. In terms of genre the very first film of its kind from this country and an eye opener of the first order.

Zsigmond Gordon (Krisztián Kolovratnik) is...

Hard-boiled Hammer

By Raymond Benson

As 2018 is the official centenary of Mickey Spillane, we at Cinema Retro thought it would be a good idea to examine this excellent digest of the author’s works on the silver screen and on television.

Author and filmmaker Max Allan Collins (probably best-known for writing the graphic novel Road to Perdition, the basis of the 2002 film, but also author of 100+ other books) is the literary executor for the estate of Mickey Spillane. Not only has he co-written this excellent “bedside companion” on Spillane’s big-and-small screen adaptations, Collins has co-authored/finished manuscripts originally begun by Spillane before his death in 2006 at the age of 88. Co-author James L. Traylor has also had a long career of writing critical analyses on crime authors and novels. One can be confident, then, that in Mickey Spillane on Screen, the authors know what they’re talking about.

Mickey Spillane...

To celebrate the centenary year of Mickey Spillane, Titan Comics have announced Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, a brand-new Hard Case Crime comic book series, based on a story originally written by Mickey Spillane and adapted by Max Allan Collins (Road To Perdition, Quarry’s War) – coming in June 2018.

Following his debut novel, I, The Jury in 1947 (which was also made into a fantastic movie in 1982), Mickey Spillane became one of the best-selling novelists of all-time, with more than 225 million copies of his books sold internationally. Famed, yet controversial for the depictions of sex and violence in his novels, Spillane created Mike Hammer, one of the most famous of all fictional detectives, and even starred as Hammer in one of the many movies made from his books.

Entitled “The Night I Died,” Titan’s new comic series is based on an unproduced 1950s Spillane screenplay. Now, with this new comic book series,...

Featuring: Martin Scorsese, Eric Roberts, Traci Lords, J.J. Abrams, john landis, Robert Forster, Barbara Carrera, Rick Baker, Joe Dante, Yaphet Kotto, Michael Moriarty, Fred Williamson, Eric Bogosian | Written and Directed by Steve Mitchell

Buckle up for the true story of writer, producer, director, creator and all-around maverick, Larry Cohen. Told through compelling live interviews, stills and film/TV clips, the people who helped fulfill his vision, and industry icons such as Martin Scorsese, John Landis, Michael Moriarty, Fred Williamson, Yaphet Kotto and many more, including Larry himself, bring one-of-a-kind insight into the work, process and legacy of a true American auteur…

I’m not going to lie, there’s no way I can talk about the documentary King Cohen without any bias. Larry Cohen is, to this day, one of my all-time favourite filmmakers. He has been since the first time I saw Q The Winged Serpent on TV. Seeing...

I’m a sucker for crime fiction, whether it’s served up by Raymond Chandler or by Harlan Coben. As a kid, my passion for adventure stories started it all. But like a Chevy Impala on a rain-soaked highway, my interest slid all over the road. I’d devour mysteries, detective novels, pulps and crime thrillers.

In the world of comics, lately we’ve been treated to outstanding fantastic crime thrillers. Ed Brubaker leads the way, of course, with his various crime noir and spy series. Greg Rucka’s stuff is always fun and I hope Oni publishes more Stumptown soon. And other publishers, like Dynamite, Idw, and Boom! Studios have been providing strong contributions as well.

In the traditional book world, Hard Case Crime has been on the forefront of hardboiled crime fiction. Charles Ardai is the man behind it all, and he combines his love for this genre...

Close-Up is a column that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy (2004) is showing on Mubi from May 14 - June 13, 2017 in the United Kingdom.It is hard to imagine a more perfect marriage of director and source material than Guillermo Del Toro with Hellboy. Mike Mignola’s graphic novel series about a demon put to work by the Feds could have been tailor-made for the Mexican fantasy auteur. Hellboy’s panels pit brutish monsters against mad visionaries in dank subterranean crypts, drawing on European folklore and making a fetish of clanking machinery, crumbling ruins and otherworldly magic. Mignola’s primary theme is always the past’s unshakeable hold over the present, the dead’s habit of returning to haunt the living. All of the above are the sort of gothic tropes that have recurred again and again in some form or other throughout Del Toro’s filmography too,...

How did Kiss Me Deadly come to be restored? The real question should be, how did filmdom lose track of its original ending in the first place? Savant uncovers evidence that may explain when, and why, United Artists mutilated the finish of Robert Aldrich’s apocalyptic film noir.

(Note: The images below with text can be enlarged for reading, just click on them.)

Before home video the final home for Hollywood films was Television. Robert Aldrich’s 1955 Kiss Me Deadly never saw a theatrical reissue, and it dropped out of major TV visibility in 1962. I saw the documentation in United Artists’ legal folder on the film. To secure capital to launch more movies, Robert Aldrich sold all of his ‘Associates and Aldrich’ pictures back to UA after their original releases were concluded. More papers showed Kiss Me Deadly being included in at least two TV syndication packages, and then each time pointedly removed.

I have wonderful Yuletide memories. Like every young boy, I quickly learned that the true meaning of the Holiday Season was… getting more stuff. And being the greedy little monster I was, (and, I guess, I remain) I also learned that I could extend that wonderful feeling of “Christmas Acquisition” through books. More than a toy, or apparel or certainly candy, the enjoyment of a book would linger well past the twelve days of Christmas.

As a comics fan back in the day, actual books about comics were few and far between. One that did make it onto the traditional bookstore shelves was Jules Feiffer’s The Great Comic Book Heroes. Soon after Superman: From the 30’s to the 70’s was a one of those “big wow” books about comics that was gifted to me. It was so massively thick that I couldn’t imagine anyone would be able...

It's Noirvember. Here's Bill Curran on a Robert Aldrich's neo-noir

The world turned upside down, inside out. Film noir depends on following innate impulses to that most ultimate, unthinkable, irrational end: death. Noir explores that nasty thing called "human nature, revealing (and revelling in) the elemental urges that really make us tick. Noir unmasks the mechanics of this crazy world with some variation on a guy, a girl, and a gun. Upending sexual-patriarchal dynamics, leveling the tenants of justice and who is responsible for carrying it out, filming what we do in the shadows in the half-light: when you flip the script on taste and convention, you can learn a lot about how topsy-turvy this whole mess called Earth can be.

Kiss Me Deadly stews in and subverts these genre contradictions more brazenly than almost any other film noir before or since, perhaps because it is, in the end,...

It's ring-a-ding time, with producer-star Frank Sinatra and his cooperative director Gordon Douglas doing a variation on the hipster detective saga. The two Tony Rome pictures are lively and fun and chock-ful of borderline offensive content, like smash-zooms into women's rear ends. Tony Rome & Lady in Cement Blu-ray Twilight Time 1967, 1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 110 and 93 min. / Street Date September 8, 2016 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95 Starring Frank Sinatra, Richard Conte; Tony Rome: Jill St. John, Sue Lyon, Gena Rowlands, Simon Oakland, Lloyd Bochner, Robert J. Wilke, Virginia Vincent, Joan Shawlee, Lloyd Gough, Rocky Graziano, Elisabeth Fraser, Shecky Greene, Jeanne Cooper, Joe E. Ross, Tiffany Bolling, Deanna Lund. Lady in Cement: Raquel Welch, Dan Blocker, Martin Gabel, Lainie Kazan, Paul Mungar, Richard Deacon, Joe E. Lewis, Bunny Yeager. Cinematography Joseph Biroc Original Music Billy May, Hugo Montenegro; song by Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra Written by Richard L. Breen...

For the month of July, contributing writers of DestroytheBrain.com will be watching, reviewing and commenting on giallo cinema. We will be covering the sub-genre from a beginner’s angle and on the assumption that the majority of our readers are not aware of this giallo. Later on in the month, we will be getting into recent films that celebrate the idea of gialli cinema. Thanks for reading!

How Does One Get Into Giallo Cinema?

When I was mass exploring the VHS & DVD territories of horror cinema in the 90’s and into the mid-2000’s, most of my film discoveries were American horror films. Yes, there were some films, as I would later come to find, that were imports from Italy but when I watched those, I just figured there was bad dubbing and didn’t take into play that they were re-edited foreign films. In the early 2000’s, I...

Jim Knipfel May 17, 2019

Kiss Me Deadly remains the greatest hardboiled apocalyptic sci-fi noir ever.

Former comic book writer Mickey Spillane published his first Mike Hammer mystery, I, The Jury, in 1947. In a way, it wasn’t that far removed from the superhero stories he’d been writing, even if it was a bit earthier without all the funny costumes. Spillane’s own alter-ego, the burly, hard-drinking, tough-talking Hammer was harder-boiled than that mealy-mouthed wimp, Sam Spade. And unlike that other wet blanket named Philip Marlowe, Hammer had few if any qualms about taking sleazy divorce cases or pulling his gun.

Over the next three decades, the Brooklyn-born Spillane pumped out a dozen more Hammer mysteries, including My Gun is Quick, Vengeance is Mine, and The Girl Hunters. Along with Spillane’s no-nonsense writing style and stories packed with extreme (for the 1950s) sex and violence, the lurid and suggestive cover...

From a pop culture perspective, private detectives stand for all that’s memorable about film noir. The indifference, the wittiness, and the moral ambiguity that define each urban knight has since become the stuff of parodied legend. We’re talking about the mediators between the crooks and the cops, the embodiment of back alley grayness that’s so tough to pin down. P.I.’s could cooperate with the law if needed, but they could just as soon do business with the bad guys for the right price. To a certain extent, that is – shamus work has always attracted the ignored and the ethical. The Wild West has mythical men with no name, The Asphalt Jungle has names with investigating licenses attached to them. Instead of a poncho and a ten gallon hat, they’re provided a fedora and trench coat.

The archetype has undergone many faces throughout Hollywood’s history,...

As I watched Fox’s Lucifer the other night, I uttered my all-too common refrain “Oh, that’s from a comic book.” Even I am amazed how often I recite it. The frequency with which we all say that simple phrase is proof that Geek Culture is thriving in 2016.

But in many ways Geek Culture never went away, it’s just that the momentum driving pop culture has gained so much visible traction in the last few years. This week I’m turning back the clock to 1954 to take a look at something that seems unique, but actually isn’t unique at all. I’d like to focus on comic that was a copy of another wildly popular comic. But therein lies the charm. Amazingly, its publication resulted in a ban from the state of Massachusetts, a police raid and an arrest.

Panic was EC’s other parody comic and...

By Hank Reineke

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll admit up front that Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir’s character, Remo Williams (aka “The Destroyer”) has played a small, but significant role in my life.

My older sister had been a high-school friend of one of the author’s daughters. Though the passing of time has made the chronology of events a bit hazy, I’m guessing it was through that friendship that I was first introduced to Warren Murphy’s teenage son. It was the son who – upon learning I was a big fan of his father’s pulp-paperback novels – graciously gifted me a personally autographed copy of The Destroyer #3: Chinese Puzzle (1972). This now-tattered paperback proudly sits on my book shelf to this very day. This, I guess, would have been about 1978. I was seventeen years old. I’m fifty-four now and admit I hadn’t...

This one's a keeper, a film that generates a meaningful emotional charge. Ian McKellen and director Bill Condon re-team for an intensely felt portrait of Sherlock Holmes in his sunset years, holding on to his intellectual capacities as he reappraises a tragic case from years before. Laura Linney is his housekeeper, who fears Holmes is a bad influence on her son -- but the relationship is mutually beneficial. Mr. Holmes Blu-ray + Digital HD Lionsgate/Miramax 2015 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date November 10, 2015 / 24.99 Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker , Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan, Patrick Kennedy, Roger Allam, Philip Davis, Frances de la Tour, Charles Maddox, Takako Akashi, Zak Shukor, John Sessions, Nicholas Rowe, Frances Barber, Colin Starkey, Sarah Crowden. Cinematography Tobias A. Schleisser Film Editor Virginia Katz Original Music Carter Burwell Written by Jeffrey Hatcher from a novel by Mitch Cullin from characters by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Produced by Iain Canning,...