#sheriff when he sees hank and your character: *horror*

[saltymongoose]

Anon that request Project Nexus arena mode reader: YES YES, i want to see the main 4(aka Hank,Deimos, Samford and Doc ofc) reaction when Reader meets Phobos and other :3c

Alright, here's another part of those hcs with the rest of the characters. I split this one up again because The Auditor and Tricky's sections weren't long enough for my liking, but these two were finished and I didn't want to make y'all wait for more stuff. The finale will be out tomorrow. As always, thank you for your patience. 😅

[Part 2] They Find Out About the Unarmed Character's Player ft. Phobos & Sheriff (+ The Main 4)

(TW: Yandere, Obsessive Behavior, Violence.)

Phobos had first come to know about your character from reports by his own agents. It seemed they'd attacked one of the Nexus Core's facilities closer to Nevada Central, accompanied by others from the "Status Quo" organization. He'd never heard of anything like this happening before, the only other group he knew of that had any power was the AAHW.

But this wasn't what originally made him interested. The security footage from the attack had shown the enemy's forces breaching the facility with a great amount of efficiency, lead by one of the most unassuming grunts he'd ever seen. Though any doubt about their abilities was thrown out the window when he saw them fight.

The sheer strength they exhibited was shocking; blood splattered the halls of the facility as they crushed, ripped, and tore through his agents like they were nothing. Any and all weapons were disregarded or passed to the other grunts they arrived with, instead they used their bare hands. They didn't even wear gloves, how was it so easy for them to bust through the Nexus agents' protective armor?!?

Within the entirety of the massacre he only saw the grunt pick up a gun to use once, and they didn't even shoot it. Instead, they grabbed it by the barrel and proceeded to bludgeon someone's skull in with its stock, and quite easily at that. It was terrifying.

Although, as Phobos scrutinized the footage, he noticed something very familiar about that grunt. While they didn't use weapons, their evasion style and the way their accuracy was always on point reminded him of someone. Subject 1v02P_6.

He knew it was impossible for the two to have had contact, Subject 1v02P_6 was kept under close watch (as a direct order from him). He was completely sure that they hadn't talked to anyone from outside the Nexus Core at any time. But their maneuvers were still far too similar to ignore. Even if they had acquired one of the Sleepwalker beds and implanted Subject 1v02P_6's memories, none of the patients had ever been this successful (or really sane enough to pull off such complex strategies). There could be only one logical explanation for this.

You must've been involved. His beloved Player.

But this just made more questions come to his mind. Why were you in Nevada Central instead of in Nexus City? What made you join with the Status Quo instead of remaining with him the Nexus Core?

After gathering more intel, he decided that he'd deal with this himself. The other agents didn't deserve to experience your presence before him, and he was the only being really capable of understanding you anyway. One cannot expect lowly grunts to comprehend the matters of Gods like yourselves.

Your character was just minding their own business, having just jumped out of the Helicopter with the boys (who still hadn't left their sides). Apparently the Nexus had decided to try and take the facility again, so it was only natural that they'd be sent to beat them back another time. However, unlike last time, there were no Nexus Agents. They had turned to the others, a warning sitting on the tip of their tongue, but the sound of a door being slammed open jolted them out of their train of thought. Your character and the four who accompanied them faced the doorway, weapons (and fists) held up.

A tall grunt ducked through the entrance, straightening the crimson cape around his shoulders before walking confidently in the direction of your vessel. 2BDamned, who'd been pointing his rifle at him from the moment the door opened, faltered for a moment. What the hell was the Director of the Nexus Core doing out of the city?!?

(You were just talking with your chat before this new "cutscene" happened. "Wait, what? Phobos is here?" You asked, completely unaware of how the grunt visibly brightened at your open acknowledgement of him.)

Grinning widely underneath his bandages, he tried to close the distance between him and your current vessel. He could already feel an inkling of that comforting warmth he'd read about in the Auditor's reports, and heard about from Subject 1v02P_6. He'd been worshiping you for so long, perhaps experiencing your presence in full would be your reward for his devotion? He was already giddy at the thought of it.

Feeling quite exasperated, your character looked up at the Director's lens blankly. "Who're you supposed to be?"

But, to their displeasure, he ignored their question entirely, instead choosing to bow lowly in their direction.

"It is an honor to finally be within your presence, my Player." Oh god, not again.

The others bristled at this, hands tightening to white-knuckled grips on their weapons. Deimos and Sanford were quick to huddle up to your character's sides, the latter putting an arm out in front of them as a protective gesture. They already had to fight amongst themselves for your attention, there's no way in hell they'd let some Nexus Core bastard try and take you from them!

Hank had taken a more direct approach, stepping right in Phobos' way with his gun pointed right at the grunt's head. He knew the others weren't as good at fighting as he was, which was all the more reason why he should be responsible for defending your vessel. He didn't know a thing about who this guy was, but he was fully willing to put himself on the line. (Perhaps you'd show him more attention than the others if he took care of this problem himself?)

They were all itching to put a bullet through his skull, even Doc was gritting his teeth, almost trembling in an effort to keep himself from doing anything too drastic as he weighed his options. (Perhaps starting a war between the Nexus Core and Status Quo by ending the Director would be worth it. If it was for you, he didn't see much of an issue.)

Your character just sighed. They were getting tired of this trend.

Sheriff first "met" your character after taking a job from Phobos, who'd originally tasked him with tailing one of the Nexus scientists, Crackpot. He didn’t know what to expect as he followed him far to Nevada Central, but he was shocked when the doctor pulled up to a fence beside what must be the base of a militant organization (why else would there be armored guards outside?). Although, it’s not like he could openly confront him at the moment; this little venture was supposed to be a stealth operation.

Deciding to stick around and watch, he saw a rather plain-looking grunt step out from the building, the guards giving a nod of acknowledgement to them. They calmly strolled towards Crackpot, looking as if they knew he’d be there. (How long had he been doing this?) A voice echoed through the air, but their mouth didn’t move? “Yo, Crackpot! Got anything new for us?”

He had a dumbfounded expression on his face when the grunt spoke immediately afterward, saying “We'll take that red thing” while pointing to something in the back of Crackpot’s van. Their voice sounded completely different from what he heard earlier. Were they like an insane ventriloquist or something? (And was that Phobos’ cloak?)

Sheriff watched from behind a corner as the grunt swung the cape around their shoulders, freezing when they paused in the middle of fastening it and looked directly at him. Their eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Sheriff felt a cold sweat building up.

“What the- is that Sheriff? I thought he wasn’t in Arena Mode?”

He heard that voice from before speak, and was confused even further when the grunt cocked their head, looking oddly befuddled. “Who?”

Taking this chance to flee, he darted away, disappearing into one of the Alleys as the grunt was preoccupied with asking "themselves" about who he was. Once he was away (and alone in a place where it would be very difficult to shoot him) he reflected on what had just occurred.

There's no way the person was just doing a voice on their own. They wouldn't have been so utterly confused about who he was then. Plus, while Sheriff did like to boast about his notoriety, not many knew of him outside of Nexus City's borders. That was the entire reason Phobos sent him in the first place.

He hummed in thought. Didn't Christoff mention something about some all-powerful being before? "The Player" he called them. They spoke out loud to their "vessels" on occasion. But that was incredibly unlikely, right? Christoff compared coming across you to be like finding a needle in a haystack. And why would you be with this group instead of the Nexus?

The next time he found himself in your character's presence was on yet another mission related to Crackpot. Except this time his job involved observing your character as well.

After mulling over what had occurred last time, he was oddly excited to encounter them. Sure, finding the Player was rare, but what if it was really the Player? He wouldn't pass up a chance to meet you. Maybe you'd even help him out, you did that with Christoff, after all.

Eventually he was led to the First Neveadan Matter Bank. It seemed he was a bit late to the party, the windows were shattered, and gunfire and shouts echoed through the air.

It was easy enough for Sheriff to blend in with the PrivSec forces, all he had to do was keep his head down and pull his hat a bit further over his face so they wouldn't recognize a new person. But as he hesitantly poked his head through the threshold of the doorway, he was struck by the notion that maybe this entire operation was a very bad idea.

The gore that painted the walls was the first clue. Then there were the choked gasps of a Lawman who was desperately clawing at your character's arms as their hands tightened around their throat. Sheriff grimaced as he heard a sickening crunch, blood seeping through the grunt's fingers as they finally loosened their hold on the PrivSec operative before nonchalantly dropping the body to the floor. In an instant they were back in the middle of combat as if nothing had happened; as if they hadn't just crushed the esophagus of someone with their bare hands.

The longer he watched them fight, the more horrified he grew. He was ready just to call it quits and head back to Nexus City when he saw them kick someone so hard they legitimately flew out of the window. (It was actually pretty impressive, given the fact that they were carrying several bags of stuff from inside the vault at the time. His terror was paired with awe. If you were involved, just how powerful were you?).

Before he could commit to running away (again), he was startled by the feeling of someone gripping the back of his duster and yanking him backward. He actually screamed as he scrambled back, eyes darting up to find a red gaze leering down at him. Shit. How bad was his luck for Hank to be here as well?

As he stared up at the barrel of the merc's gun, he gulped, a cold sweat starting to build up. Was this the end? Killed in a bank of all things, in a position where he couldn't even try to fight back?

As Hank's finger started to tighten on the trigger once again, he paused when he heard you.

"Oh damn, another Ranger? No wait, the hat's not right...fuck, wait a minute Hank, is that Sheriff?"

Your vessel had walked outside at your instruction (you'd been curious about why Hank hadn't returned yet, thinking he'd been caught up in another fight). They gave a suspicious look to Sheriff, recognizing his getup from last time. While ordinarily your character couldn't care less about who showed their face in missions, they knew to be cautious whenever you mentioned them. Apparently you knew some powerful (and annoying) grunts. This guy probably wasn't any different.

The cowboy immediately noticed the slight change in temperature once your character made their appearance. It felt like a blast of hot air had erupted out of the doorway, but faded into a slight warmth. His mind was racing. This was exactly what Christoff had described!

As Sheriff was internally freaking out, Hank was still keeping his gun trained on him. But he didn't shoot him. While he loathed the fact that he had your attention, he would follow your orders regardless. Meanwhile, the others had also shown up, appearing behind your character and peeking out from behind them. They knew your grunt would have it handled, but hearing their Player refer to someone else raised their ire. They'd take care of this issue, if you wanted them to.

Sheriff turned to you your character, giving them a shaky, pleading smile. He knew how dangerous those criminals with them were, and he'd rather not end up in a ditch somewhere. Plus, you were rumored to be kind. Maybe you'd help him?

Before your character could really do anything, you spoke once again.

"No, let's just leave him. I'm feeling nice today, chat. Plus you don't get xp from kills in this mission so there's no point anyway."

He let out a relieved breath once Hank begrudgingly lowed his gun. This erased all doubt, it must've been you. He didn't know anyone else who could've made these murderers stop from adding him to their list of victims.

"I-uh, I thank you for this, truly. And, it's a pleasure t'meet you, finally, Player. I've heard good things." He even added a little hat tip in your vessel's direction, how gentlemanly.

Hank's head whipped back around to look at him, and he shrunk back. His already white-knuckled grip on his shotgun tightened to the point he heard a creak from the thing. Now he had to deal with more competition for you?? (He was considering returning once the others left. If he decided to handle this on his own after the fact, he wasn't technically defying your orders, right?)

Doc huffed. Another enemy knowing about your presence wasn't a good sign. He'd never had to worry about others trying to poach your character, given how the SQ was the dominant force in Nevada Central. But if others from across Nevada had an interest in them, how could he make sure you stayed with him them? Perhaps eliminating all other threats would help? He's sure the others would assist him in that.

"Wait. He knows about them too?" Deimos muttered to Sanford, who grumbled in response. This was supposed to be a routine mission. Why must other people insist on interrupting their time with you? Perhaps they'd have to figure out where this information about you was spreading. If they managed to get rid of it, perhaps they wouldn't have to deal with more fools believing they have the right to interact with you.

Meanwhile, your character just gave Sheriff an immensely tired look. He just gazed up at them with complete awe, which they felt like sneering at. They felt a headache coming on. "Please tell me this one isn't going to be a problem too," they mentally pleaded. They just wanted to do their job without dealing with all this drama. Was that too much to ask?

[ineffable-bisexual]

Babe I'm blitzed I want all the teas and all the answers

BRING IT!!

1. Rosehip tea: Which book did you love when you were younger? Okay, I don’t know if anyone here remembers the Hank the Cowdog series. It was so wild. Hank is a mutt who lives on a ranch in Texas and acts like he’s the goddamn sheriff, but he gets into all these hilarious situations. He even has a “deputy” named Drover who is like the Barney Fife to his Andy Griffith. I’m probably dating myself here, but this was probably the first series that helped me have a sense of humor.  

2. Oolong tea: Which book series could you read again? Probably Hank the Cowdog! LOL I mean, it would be interesting to read as an adult. I would also read the Time Quintet by Madaleine L’engle again, which I have. Yes, A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in quintet of books! Same characters, too! The book Many Waters is about the twins jumping back into time before the Great Flood and it’s my favorite one. 

3. Rooibos: What is one of you favourite books? Oh man, I really can’t pick one. I love The Hobbit. Dune. All of Joe Hill’s books (The Fireman is sooo goood! Mr. Hill, please cast Philip Glenister as the Fireman if there’s a series of the book because he is a perfect fit and picturing him as such made the book even better). My favorite Seuss is “Horton Hatches the Egg.” It’s a lot of fun to read aloud, too. I could go on and on about my favorite books because I don’t have just one I love!

4. Strawberry tea: Tell me about your first kiss, if you had one. First cheek kiss was 3rd grade (8 years old) his name was Kyle. First one on the lips from my first boyfriend at 13 (omg boyfriend, that’s cute) and his name was Daniel and it was gross. 

5. Apple tea: Tell me about your first break up, if you had one. It was Daniel because I wouldn’t give him a blow job...at 14...cuz I thought it was gross and I didn’t have a libido...cuz we were 14. Ew...

6. Earl Grey: Which countries have you visited? Only Canada. I went to Nova Scotia in 2018 and it was so the best time ever! I didn’t have time to go to Prince Edward Island or Cape Breton to hike. Next time! My goal is to go to a new country every year for holiday (if money is feasible then). I couldn’t last year because my aunt passed away and I wanted to be with my mom. 

7. Chai: Where do you want to travel next? I would love to go to the UK but I would want to take off for a looonnnng time from work because I would probably be there for months haha. But as far as possibly a two-week journey, I’m not sure. Suggestions? :D 

8. Darjeeling: What languages do you speak? English, Spanish, beginner Welsh

9. Hop tea: Do you have a favourite tea? Which one? Yessss! Earl Grey, baby! Oh, and Builder’s. Best tea for milk and sugar.

10. Herbal tea: Which person would you chose to travel the world with? I usually travel better alone because I like to pace myself, taking lots of pictures, writing in a journal, etc. I think if I were to travel with my mom or best friend, we kill each other. 

11. Nettle tea: Are you jealous on a person? Why? Nah.

12. Ice tea: Do you miss somebody? Why? I miss my grandmother every day.

13. Yellow tea: What shampoo do you use? I...don’t remember?? I know it’s vegan and cruelty free and smells like mint.

14. Peppermint tea: What is your favourite gif at the moment? Well........

15. Ceylon tea: Do you have a song you like, but have bad memories with? If I do, then I’ve repressed it.

16. Hibiscus tea: What is a song you can always hear? Juice by Lizzo

17. Flowering tea: What is a movie you can always watch? The Emperor’s New Groove is the top one. 

18. Pu-erh tea: What is a book you can recommend to others? Anything by Joe Hill. Horns is good, Heart Shaped Box is a rock and roll ghost story, and NOS4A2 (don’t watch the series...it’s meh).

19. Turkish tea: What is your favourite cake? I have two!! Red Velvet and fuckingggggg strawberry with white buttercream icing oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

20. Green tea: What was the first movie you saw in a cinema? I remember going to see Bambi when I was 4 and being traumatized. I think the cinema was showing it cuz it was an anniversary showing or something.

 21. Blueberry-Muffin tea: Tell me a memory, which makes you smile. Cooking as a kid with my grandma.

22. Panda tea: Do you have pets? Which one? I say that Lucy, my parents’ goldie, is my pup!

23. Butter tea: Show / Tell me about one thing i your room you find awesome. My bed...but of course ;)

 24. Hot chocolate: Do you have (a) stuffed animal(s) sitting in your room? Which one(s)? I have three on my bed. Snoopy, a grey owl I named Oskar, and a stuffed boa constrictor I call Cupcake.

25. 24 flavors: What is your favourite word? Biiiitch

26. Jasmin tea: Can you draw / paint? Wanna show me something? I am no artist.

27. Kombucha: What do you order on a pizza? Mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. 

28. Cloud tea: Which movie do you want to watch next? Midsommar!! I never saw it in the cinema so I may just buy it. I would love to see Queen and Slim but it’s a limited release in Portland (not surprised). And any horror movie that looks worth the time.

29. Gunpowder tea: If you had the chance: would you go to space? Yes, my bags have been packed since I was 10. Let’s go.

30. Matcha: Bonus question of you choice! I might answer…  I’m not sure what this means??

[dubsism]

Today’s Movie: Forty Guns

Year of Release: 1957

Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Dean Jagger

Director: Samuel Fuller

This movie is not on my list of essential films.

NOTE: This installment of Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies is being done as part of something called The Queen of Sass: The Barbara Stanwyck Blog-A-Thon being hosted by Pale Writer.  I’ve been in enough of these events with her to know she’s a dedicated fan of the horror genre. But where she lives, there’s nowhere to get a good old-school hockey mask.  If you know where you can get one, contact her for shipping arrangements 🙂

You can see all the contributors to this blog-a-thon here:

Days One, Two, and Three

The Story:

For you Samuel Fuller fans (like myself), “Forty Guns” is his version of “My Darling Clementine” with the following tweaks…because a Fuller movie wouldn’t be a Fuller movie without his fingerprints.

Rename the Earp brothers “Bonnel” – U.S. Marshal Griff Bonnel (played by Barry Sullivan) and his two brothers, Wes (played by Gene Barry) and Chico (played by Robert Dix)

Replace “Doc Holliday” with local gunsmith “Shotgun” Spanger (played by Gerald Milton) who also has a gun-toting, sharp-shooting daughter Louvenia (played by Eve Brent)

Replace head bad guy Old Man Clanton with head bad-ass Jessica Drummond (played by Barbara Stanwyck) who also has a crazy, trigger-happy brother Brockie (played by John Ericson)

Barbara Stanwyck showing who’s boss.

Other than that, fans of “My Darling Clementine,” “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” “Tombstone,” et al, ad nauseum will recognize this movie…with a healthy dose of sexual innuendo woven through a inverted tapestry of female empowerment as only Samuel Fuller can do.

It’s the 1880s in Tombstone, Arizona. Griff Bonnell is the “Wyatt Earp-ian” reformed gunslinger who arrives in town with his brothers to clean up Tombstone.  The town is ruled with an iron fist by Jessica Drummond. She is fond of riding her white horse into Tombstone, followed by forty men on black horses…all as an exercise of reminding the citizens who rules this lawless town. Not only does Drummond rule in the finest traditions of a western despot, Sheriff Ned Logan (played by Dean Jagger) is also one of her band of quasi-mercenaries.

The presence of Griff, Logan, and Jessica sets up the beginnings of a love triangle, which isn’t so easily noted as the first part of this movie feels more like then a sex comedy than a “B”-western. The foreshadowing of what is about to come sets in early as well when Jessica is visibly concerned about the presence of Bonnel and his brothers, who as the “Earps” have a reputation of cleaning up towns like Tombstone.

Despite the fact Griff has arrest warrants for members of Jessica’s “forty guns,” they clearly have a mutual respect for each other…there’s even not-so-subtle overtones of a budding romance.  Griff seems to be able to bring law and order back to Tombstone without a lot of violence, until Jessica’s brother Brockie shoots the nearly-blind town marshal Chisum (played by Hank Worden) in the leg.  After the shooting, Brockie and his cohorts go on a drunken rampage tearing through Tombstone.

Griff and Jessica

Griff intervenes and pistol-whips Brockie while Wes covers him with a rifle from the gunsmith shop.  Griff is careful not to kill Brockie as his burgeoning relationship with Jessica has clued him in to the close nature of the brother/sister relationship between them.

Meanwhile, the sex comedy aspect of this film is draining away and the complications are becoming more apparent. The moment Jessica rejects the romantic advances of Ned Logan after he tries to shoot Griff…because she’s falling in love with him…is a perfect example. Another comes when Wes falls in love with Louvenia Spanger. As a result, he decides to settle down and become the town’s marshal.

Wes and Louvenia

In revenge for Brockie, Ned Logan and another “hired gun” Charlie Savage (played by Chuck Hayward), attempt to ambush Griff in an alley.  Chico saves Griff by killing Savage, after which Brockie and the other hired guns try to turn the town against the Bonnell brothers.

Brockie makes another attempt to kill Griff, but inadvertently kills Wes instead…on the day Wes was to marry Louvenia. Brockie is arrested and jailed for the murder, but Brockie makes an escape attempt using his sister Jessica as a shield. Brockie dares Griff to shoot, and is shocked when Griff does exactly that. Griff’s places a shot which only wounds Jessica, but kills Brockie, making him the first life the reformed gunslinger has taken in ten years.

The film closes with remaining in Tombstone to take the marshal’s job. Griff starts riding out of town believing his romance with Jessica is over considering the fact he shot her and killed her brother.  But being used as a shield by her own brother has caused Jessica to reevaluate some things in her life.  She runs down the dirt street chasing Griff’s buckboard yelling “Griff! Mr. Bonnell!”

The Hidden Sports Analogy:

NOTE: Before we get to today’s hidden sports analogy, current events dictate a preliminary bit of housekeeping. As a matter of record, I couldn’t care less about the current matter of the nickname of the Washington National Football League (NFL) team. I also am not interested in the allegations of the shenanigans happening.  First, I’ve already addressed the hypocrisy in whole “mascot” thing in an old version of the “Dubscast.” Second, in America today, we’ve allowed the weaponization of sexual harrassment/abuse claims to the point it is nearly impossible to tell the honest-to-goodness victims from the “boy that cried wolf” crowd…and a completely untrustworthy news/sports media only exacerbates that.

I only mention that only because there a lot of people right now who are going to want to jump in on those topics here.  Save your comments on that subject; there’s a more detailed exploration of that coming.  This piece is about a movie, and how it relates to a tale of a football team at a point in time decades ago; current events being completely irrelevant.

In other words, any comments which are off the topic of the movie and the sports analogies will never see the light of day.  Don’t say you weren’t warned.

As far as the hidden sports analogy in “Forty Guns” is concerned, for purposes of full disclosure, as a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, my team has to play these divisional-rival dilcues twice a season. That means getting to the play-offs means needing to beat this team regardless of whether they are called “Redskins” or “Rainbow Sunshine Tap-Dancing Unicorns;” twice a year I want the Eagles to collectively bludgeon them with a bag of chisels and stomp on their lifeless corpses.

Naming an opposing team the “Unicorns” would guarantee great sales of unicorn meat in Philadelphia.

Keeping that “two times” theme in mind, the connection between sports analogy hidden in the 1957 Samuel Fuller western “Forty Guns” is all about the NFL’s 1987 Washington Redskins and their march to a Super Bowl championship…a season in which it was the Eagles’ turn to take the “bag of chisels.” But there’s another link hidden in that story, which means despite the fact this hidden sports analogy is about football, in honor of the impending return of baseball, today’s installment is a “double-header.”

To get today’s “twin-bill” started, as mentioned the “My Darling Clementine” story is like the western version of “A Star Is Born;” they’ve both been made and re-made tons of times. “Forty Guns” is Samuel Fuller’s take on the classic western tale of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Clantons.  Again, Fuller camouflages this a bit, but the trained eye can still spot it.  The key connecting fact here for hidden sports analogies is the fact that Barbara Stanwyck’s “Jessica Drummond” recruits the service of an army of “hired guns.” Well, that’s exactly what the NFL owners did in 1987 when the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) went on strike after the second game of the season.  Instead of negotiating with the striking players, the owners simply hired “replacement” players.

But like Drummond’s “hired guns,” the Washington Redskins got ones who proved to be better than most. It took “Earp-ian” characters to stop Drummond’s.  “Real” NFL players couldn’t stop the “Replacement Redskins.”

Washington’s 1987 season started with a win over the mediocre Philadelphia Eagles, which was followed by a loss to the downright lousy Atlanta Falcons. Then the strike came, and the games scheduled for the third week of the season were cancelled. Week Four saw the debut of the “replacements” (or “scabs” as the NFLPA called them), and they weren’t exactly welcomed by the striking players.  When the bus carrying the replacement players arrived at the Redskins’ training facility, striking defensive tackle Darryl Grant put his fist right through one of the windows.

Despite that, the following Sunday, the 50-some-odd guys now wearing Washington uniforms who two weeks previously had been construction workers or loading trucks opened with a win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The following Sunday saw another victory, this time over another division rival the New York Giants.

As the reign of the replacement players continued, the ranks of the NFLPA began to show cracks, and several striking players crossed the picket lines to rejoin the league. Thus begins the legend of the “Replacement Redskins.”

Week Five saw the “Replacement Redskins” heading to Dallas to face the Cowboys; a team who was not just a traditional rival, but a divisional foe with whom the Redskins would enter that match tied for first-place. Not only were Washington having to go on the road for this game, they had lost their starting “replacement” quarterback Ed Rubbert to an injury.  If that weren’t enough, several of the striking Dallas Cowboys had ended their participation in the strike and would be playing in this game, including Hall of Famers running back Tony Dorsett and defensive tackle Randy White, and legendary defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones.

Heading into Texas Stadium, the Redskins looked more like Custer than the Indians, especially since their new quarterback was only able to be there on a special work release from prison.  A former star at the University of Tennessee, Robinson then became a “draft pick” for the Tennessee Department of Corrections thanks to a conviction for selling cocaine.  That and a previous knee injury seemingly all but destroyed Robinson’s chances to play in the NFL.

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But during his nine-month sentence, Robinson received an offer to play for the Richmond Ravens of the Continental Interstate Football League.  A judge granted him a work release to play, and while he was playing for the Ravens in 1987, the NFLPA went on strike. In another stroke of luck, Robinson’s coach with the Ravens recommended him to his friend…Washington Redskins’ head coach Joe Gibbs.  Robinson was then signed with the Redskins in September 1987 as a backup to replacement quarterback Ed Rubbert. Once Rubbert was hurt, Robinson’s shot at the NFL was now a reality.

Robinson didn’t exactly shatter the record books with his performance; he notched 11 completions on 18 passing attempts for 152 yards and 2 interceptions.  In fact, he was borderline crappy.  But he did lead a squad of replacements to a 13-7 win over a team at least partially-populated with professional players; a feat still regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

The success of the replacement players and the mass defections of NFLPA members across the picket lines meant the strike would soon be over. The replacement player era lasted three games, but their story lived for over three decades after their day in the NFL sun.  As previously mentioned, the Washington Redskins went on to win the Super Bowl that year, and it was the three divisional games won by the replacement players that served as a springboard for that title run.

Nobody recognized the contribution of the replacement players more than did the Redskins’ fans.  The problem was the team did not share that stance. Then-assistant general manager Charley Casserly was noted to credit the “Replacement Redskins” for “holding down the fort” until the strike ended and the regulars returned.  While the replacement players did get to share in the money that came with the team’s Super Bowl championship, the Redskins’ management was reticent to give them championship rings for fear of angering the NFLPA, whose members lost four game checks and were still not happy with those who crossed the picket lines.

But as the old saying goes, time heals all wounds. In 2018, the Washington Redskins finally honored the 1987 “Replacement Redskins” with Super Bowl XXII rings.  It was pretty hard not to after Darryl “Window Puncher” Grant endorsed the idea.

The BONUS Hidden Sports Analogy:

On Opening Day 1987, Jay Schroeder was Washington’s starting quarterback, but he didn’t survive the first game in Philadelphia. After Schroeder got hurt, head coach Joe Gibbs turned to the quarterback who he drafted when Gibbs was the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…Doug Williams. The Buccaneers entered the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team and it took almost two years for them to win their first game.

But Williams played a major role in turning that around; in 1979 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly lost the NFC Championship Game to the Los Angeles Rams for a trip to the Super Bowl.  But a salary dispute with the Buccaneers, injuries, and a stint in the upstart United States Football League (USFL) saw Williams NFL stock sink to that of a back-up quarterback.

By the time the 1987 NFL playoffs roll around, Jay Schroeder is injured and the championship run started by Tony Robinson and the “Replacement Redskins” has to be brought through the home stretch by Doug Williams.  All is going according to plan, until the first quarter of Super Bowl XXII when the Denver Broncos and future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

But that was when Williams engineered the greatest single quarter in Super Bowl history, throwing four touchdown passes and earning the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player on the way to becoming the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.  In another installment in this series, I explore how John Elway played the role of Custer to Williams’ Redskins.

The analogy here is all about firsts. Joe Gibbs saw enough in Doug Williams to make him the first black quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, and eventually Williams became the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.  Likewise, Samuel Fuller saw enough in Barbara Stanwyck…especially after her roles in “The Furies” and “Johnny Guitar” to have faith in her ability to pull off being the first female “head bad-ass” in a western.  Stanwyck carries that whole movie as the “head bad-ass,” and even though she’s a woman in 1957, don’t even try to tell me you don’t think if you crossed her, she wouldn’t have you busted up…or worse.

Who knows? Maybe Doug Williams had the sheer-level of “hard-ass” to play a movie “heavy,” but I’m pretty sure despite her small stature, Barbara Stanwyck had the fortitude of a footballer.

The Morals of the Story:

Even “hired guns” deserve recognition.

That old saying about “dynamite comes in small packages” is true.

FUN FACT: Tony Robinson was the inspiration for Keanu Reeves’ “Shane Falco” in the 2000 film “The Replacements.”

BONUS FUN FACT: Once the Redskins gave Tony Robinson a Super Bowl ring, it made them the only franchise to date having two black quarterbacks to play in regular-season games during their championship season.

Check out Dubsism’s Movies and Blog-A-Thons page for a full schedule of projects past, present, and future!

Got a question, comment, or just want to yell at us? Hit us up at  dubsism@yahoo.com, @Dubsism on Twitter, or on our Pinterest,  Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook pages, and be sure to bookmark Dubsism.com so you don’t miss anything from the most interesting independent sports blog on the web.

Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies – Volume 86: “Forty Guns” Today's Movie: Forty Guns Year of Release: 1957 Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Dean Jagger Director: Samuel Fuller…

[the-master-cylinder]

SUMMARY In rural Pennsylvania, a young girl screams for help in a rural meadow, her leg caught in an animal trap. A group of children, along with an older woman they call Mama, arrive, and one of the boys, Abraham, knocks the girl unconscious. Later, the children chant a Satanic prayer over the girl at the behest of their mother, and one of the children, Cynthia, proceeds to brutally stab her to death with a dagger.

Years later, teen aged Nancy Johnson runs away from her home after her stepfather Bert, a police officer, attempts to rape her. While hitchhiking to her sister’s home in San Francisco, she is picked up by two benevolent young men, Hank and Tom. In the backwoods, they pick up a Baptist preacher and his adult daughter, Sandra, who they drop off at a cemetery to visit the grave of the preacher’s wife. Sandra says a prayer and heads back toward their house; her father remains, and is stabbed to death by a man with a machete shortly after. Later, Sandra finds her father’s corpse on their doorstep, and is murdered by the man with the machete.

At a local bar, Tom, Hank, and Nancy encounter racists who refuse to serve them because Hank is African-American. Short on money, they steal groceries from a small market and are chased by two local police officers. They lose the police, and drive onto a dirt road into the woods, where they witness the murderer carrying Sandra’s corpse (covered in a sheet) into the woods. The three find a spot to camp overnight.

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In the morning, Nancy goes for a walk, and returns to the campsite to witness two police officers, Luke and Abraham, arresting Hank and Tom, accusing them of murdering a local woman. They execute both of the men, and then pursue Nancy, who flees into the woods. She comes across a farmhouse, and inside finds a teenage girl, Cynthia, playing cards. She asks for a phone, and is directed to another room; when she enters, she finds the man she, Tom, and Hank saw earlier (whom she comes to find is named Cyrus) dismembering two men. She is confronted by the two police officers, who lock her in an animal cage next to another victim, Gwen Davis. In conversation, Gwen recounts Luke and Abraham’s murder of two police officers the night before, and then stealing their uniforms.

Luke, Abraham, and Cyrus return to the campsite and burn the bodies of Hank and Tom. Later, Luke goes upstairs and has a conversation with his dead mother, a decomposed corpse the family keeps in a bed. The next day, he and Abraham kidnap teenager Sharon from her backyard. Meanwhile, Bert goes to a local police station to report Nancy missing. At the farmhouse, the family conduct a Black Mass at midnight and sacrifice Sharon in the name of Satan, as Nancy and Gwen watch from their cages. Nancy prays to God as they slit Sharon’s throat before feeding her blood to their dead mother, attempting to resurrect her. They drive Sharon’s body to a field the next morning and begin digging a shallow grave, an event witnessed by Bert, who is out searching for Nancy; he hears them discuss sacrificing Nancy and Gwen on Easter.

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Later, while Cynthia sacrifices Gwen at midnight, Nancy recites the Lord’s Prayer, and Luke drinks Gwen’s blood. After the Black Mass, Luke prepares to bring Gwen’s body outside, but is accosted by Bert, who clobbers him. He then holds Abraham and Cyrus at gunpoint, forcing Luke to retrieve Nancy. Just as Nancy is brought outside, Cynthia attacks Bert, stabbing him to death in the back. As he collapses, his gun fires off, shooting both Cyrus and Abraham. Nancy hides in the barn where Cynthia chases after her, not knowing exactly where she is concealing herself. However without warning, Nancy jumps out from behind her (seemingly almost out of nowhere) and in an expeditious act of revenge for the murder of her Stepfather, manages to gain the upperhand, then proceeds to slit Cynthia’s throat with a sickle.

Luke regains consciousness, but Nancy is to quick to react and subsequently pours gasoline on the ground then lights him on fire. Nancy watches helplessly with satisfaction and reassurance as he burns to death while simultaneously screaming in agony. Severely traumatized by the whole ordeal, tears of both relief, anguish and despair begin to uncontrollably roll down Nancy’s ashen face as she sighs to herself while realizing that the blood-curdling nightmare that she won’t soon, or most likely ever forget is finally over. Knowing that her life will never be the same again, she presses her back up against the wall of a nearby wooden shed, and then looks in the direction of the camera with an incredibly forlorn look on her face until the credits begin to roll.

Let’s discuss the hack-job the MPAA did to Midnight. Firstly, I know the prologue is longer and makes clearer the fact that the satanic murderers and the children in the prologue are one and the same. John A. Russo: Correct. The release prints are missing some of the exposition of the mother implanting the ideas of human sacrifices in the children’s minds. It shows her raising the children to believe in satanism.

Is that the basic reason the MPAA didn’t like it?! Because it may have promoted satanism? John A. Russo: No, there was a shot of the little girl, getting hit on the head. They thought it to be too violent…the little girl getting clubbed. The cuts make it hard for some people to realize that the family, when you see them as adults, is the same family that they saw as children. It’s very damaging to the movie. It makes the filmmakers look like jerks. The editing was necessitated by the MPAA to get the “R” rating, however it also caused us not to be able to deliver to the fans what they, by this time, expected out of a horror film, which is more explicit kinds of violence. Not that I’m a violence freak, but you do have to deliver what the fans expect within the bounds of good taste.

Another cut scene occurs during the frisbee-throwing between a husband and wife in their backyard. It’s where she is abducted by the satanists. In the release print we see the husband jokingly hide from his wife just before the satanists kidnap her. Here again, the MPAA deleted some very important footage that explains why the husband never tried to rescue his wife! John A. Russo: The husband is stabbed repeatedly trying to help his wife. You don’t ever see the knife going in because he’s laying behind a stack of logs with the killer hovering over him. It was done so well that it looks pretty brutal. As the prints stand now, the audience is thinking how could this girl be bound and gagged and slammed into a truck without her husband even looking for her!!

The throat-slitting scenes were also played down. John A. Russo: All of those scenes were optically cropped. Tom Savini has taken some criticism for his effects lacking the sophistication and punch that they had in other films. We had to optically crop the shots in order to play down the effect to get the “R” rating so it’s an unfair criticism of Tom. Ray Laine, Greg Besnak and I did the effects in the last 10 minutes. The gun shots, fire and the makeups

Midnight originally ended with the female lead, Nancy, being left to die by her stepfather. Would you compare your original concept with the revision? John A. Russo: In the first draft of the screenplay, originally titled The Congregation. I had the stepfather come back and save her. I was about half way through writing that ending when it occurred to me that it would be more in character to abandon her and save his own hide. So I wrote the novel that way. I turned around and wrote the screenplay with the stepfather leaving her to die.

You shot that ending? John A. Russo: We shot it that way. When Sam Sherman and Dan Kennis saw the first edit, they were very happy with the film. But Sam said it would be nice to have an action-packed ending and let the stepfather come back and save Nancy. He said this being a film rather than a book, it would pay the audience off more to see the bad guys get it. He said that one of the things the MPAA looks for in granting ratings is redeeming social value. He was afraid that if the bad guys didn’t get it in the end or one of the good characters wasn’t saved, we would have an impossible time getting an “R” rating no matter how much of the violence was cut. So there were several reasons for shooting the new ending and I was glad to do it. I saw Sam’s reasoning there. I like the ending myself. For a low-budget movie it does give you a lot of action. There’s about 10 minutes of action there. It’s more than you might find in a lot of low-budget films.

Well, Midnight gave me the chance to work with John Russo (co-writer of Night of The Living Dead) and a long time friend of George’s. I was introduced to Russo through Raymond Laine, a friend of mine from the Playhouse…who worked with George in the early days and who played the lead in There’s Always Vanilla (1971). I haven’t revisited Midnight since it was first shot, but fans tell me they like it. John Amplas (Abraham)

I still prefer the book ending. John A. Russo: Well, that ending has a lot to recommend it. She was in that cage praying and we just held on that shot. We were going to freeze it. We had all these weird sounds, the satanists’ black-mass sounds and insane cries that Paul McCollough came up with which were actually cries of baboons! It had such an eerie effect when we threw some reverb on it and mixed it in with the black mass sounds. With that shot holding for so long, it really sunk into your mind that this girl was doomed. All her faith and religiosity didn’t save her. Evil had triumphed…which often does! It was the same thing in NOLD where we had the same argument of whether anybody should be saved. In the first draft we actually had Barbara being rescued by the sheriff. We went for the more shocking ending and it turned out to be the right decision because that’s what makes the audience walk out of the theatre feeling appalled and crushed…but they’re thinking!

What is your opinion of Midnight as a whole? John A. Russo: It think it’s a darn good job for the money. For $70,000, I don’t think there is anybody else that’s done as good a job for that kind of money, frankly. I think you could give any of the recognized names that would look at this picture and put it down-you give them $70,000, and they wouldn’t do as good a job. And the people in the industry who’ve seen it, well, they can’t believe it. Until they know the budget, they say, ‘Well why didn’t you do this or that or that?” But once they know the budget, they say, “Jesus Christ, there’s nobody doing anything for that!” The only way we could have done more was to shoot in 16mm and blow it up. Perhaps we should have shot 16mm because then, content-wise, it would have been a much better picture. Of course you would have a grainier looking release print. Another thing I’d like to say about Midnight is that when I wrote the script back in 1977, and even while the film was being made, most of the pictures like Friday the 13th and Halloween and the whole glut of those pictures hadn’t happened yet! So once Midnight was released last year, a lot of things that would have frightened an audience, well, by the time they saw Midnight, they’d seen those things 15 times already. If Midnight could have come out when it was first written, it would have had more impact. When your movie comes out late, you get accused of imitation when that’s not the case. Fang: Do you have a steady group of film people with whom you prefer to work? Russo: Well, my relationship with Sam Sherman and Dan Kennis at Independent International Pictures has been excellent. We’re anxious to work together again. They have a lot of talent and expertise as distributors and we’re trying to get other projects going, with a little bigger budgets. On the production end, I have a small group of really dedicated and talented people from cinematographer and editor, Paul McCollough, Ray Laine who is a casting director and production manager, Eric Baca who is an excellent sound engineer, and John Rice, the assistant cinematographer and lighting man.

Midnight Soundtrack (1982) Quintessence & Paul McCollough John Russo’s MIDNIGHT soundtrack which was originally released on the Traq record label back in 1982.

Midnight is a 1982 film by John A. Russo. It is based on Russo’s 1980 novel of the same name, published by Pocket Books. The reprint was issued in 1982 by “Independent-International Pictures” to coincide with their film release.

While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film was seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic

CAST/CREW Directed John A. Russo Produced Donald Redinger Written  John A. Russo

Melanie Verlin – Nancy Johnson Lawrence Tierney – Bert Johnson John Amplas – Abraham John Hall – Tom Charles Jackson – Hank Doris Hackney – Harriet Johnson

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY terrortrap Fangoria#32

Midnight (1982) Retrospective SUMMARY In rural Pennsylvania, a young girl screams for help in a rural meadow, her leg caught in an animal trap.

[joneswilliam72]

Meet filmmaker James Cullen Bressack (2017's Bethany) and actor Mark Rolston (The Shawshank Redemption), of Blood Craft.

I caught up with filmmaker James Cullen Bressack (Bethany, Pernicious) and actor Mark Rolston (The Shawshank Redemption, Aliens, The Shield, The Departed) for two separate interviews on all things film and acting as they relate to their new horror piece, Blood Craft – available On Demand April 9.

Blood Craft is a revenge tale with one hell of a twist: what if you could bring back the spirit of a dead person who viciously wronged and violated you, and then exact your revenge? That is exactly the premise here when two sisters – played by Madeleine Wade (who wrote the picture and added a lot of heart to Blood Craft as a film, made even more extraordinary as it is her writing debut too) and Augie Duke – use witchcraft to resurrect the spirit of their abusive father.

Bressack's directorial approach to Blood Craft is psychologically-penetrating, beautifully-cerebral, highly-surreal, and sublimely-frenetic (as is all great horror) – it keeps you off balance in all the right ways. He is a very much a talent to watch out for when looking for great horror that is not just jump scares, but also highly intelligent. Bressack is at today's vanguard of these trends in the horror indie scene, especially considering what he has shown he can do with relatively small budgets.

Seeing someone with Bressack's filmic vision teamed with such a prolific veteran actor as Mark Rolston is pretty great too. Rolston has 175 credits to his name from 1982 to today on IMDb. He is no stranger to villain roles and the amorality of the associated characters either (something put to good use here in Blood Craft), having played Bogs Diamond in Stephen King's The Shawshank Redemption as but one example from his vast catalog – and one we talk about in the interview below.

James Cullen Bressack. Source:The Hollywood Reporter.

Mark Rolston as Sheriff Waters in BLOOD CRAFT.

Enjoy the interviews and check out Blood Craft On Demand now.

Mark Rolston

Hello Mark and welcome to The 405! To begin, what attracted you to Blood Craft and the role of Sheriff Waters?

Hi! I met James Cullen Bressack on the set of an indie film Gangster Land. He mentioned that he had something I might be interested in, and he sent over what was then called "Together". I thought the script was great, and had a relevance in light of the #MeToo movement.

I agree on both counts Mark. What was it like getting into the headspace necessary for the character?

As with all characters, they want something. With Sheriff Waters, he has ulterior motives. Money.

He really does. He reminded me a bit of Orson Welles's Captain Hank Quinlan in 1958's Touch of Evil. What were the challenges like?

Well, time on a indie is always a challenge, and the day we shot on the porch, we were fighting the traffic noise, but James is so clever, we add one line to my dialogue which justified it brilliantly.

[Laughs] that's great. Any funny or memorable moments from the behind the scenes process of filming that stick in your memory?

For me, the funniest moments revolved around James assigning points to crew members for working efficiently. Well, I assumed that actors got points too, so I wanted to be rewarded for takes that I did in one; "One Takes" in film parlance. I am good at that, but was disappointed to learn that actors didn't get points. I made a joke about it with James for my time on set.

[Laughs] interesting. I've never heard of a director using a system like that. Which is an interesting pivot as I have a few questions about some of your bigger roles.

Mark Rolston as Private Drake in 1986’s ALIENS. Source: The After Movie Diner.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask, Lethal Weapon 2 is 30 this year, any reflections on it?

Wow! I have had a few of those landmarks arrive of late with Aliens, Shawshank, etc. That comes with getting older and having a body of work. The best memory I have of Lethal 2 is working with Director Dick Donner. I loved watching him work, hearing his booming voice, and feeling his enthusiasm and presence.

You have worked with a bunch of fantastic directors. Shawshank is 25 this year and undoubtedly a film that's justifiably cemented a major cultural legacy; and is helmed by another great director: Frank Darabont. What was your experience like playing Bogs Diamond in Darabont's film?

Certainly one of the best of my life. The script by Frank Darabont is quite simply a masterpiece. Bringing Bogs to life was thrilling; it's always good to play the antagonist. I am especially grateful to Frank for including quite a few of my improvisations during rehearsal into the shooting script. Some of my most quoted lines like: "Anyone get to you yet?", "I could be a friend to you", are my creations, and Frank was very kind to credit me in his book of the making of Shawshank.

That's awesome Mark. Speaks to your caliber as an actor and really also of the entire production, in my opinion.

The fact that we rehearsed at all, is one of the reasons the film is so good. Usually, there is very little rehearsal on films, but on Shawshank we rehearsed for nearly three weeks.

Wow. You've also been directed by other big names like James Cameron and Martin Scorsese over your incredible career as an actor. What do you consider the greatest lesson you've learned from them, whether about film or about life more generally?

My favourite director was John Frankenhiemer. He directed me in [George] Wallace starring Gary Sinise and Angelina Jolie. He loved actors and gave us space to do our work. I recall how he would silence the crew with his booming voice, commanding "Quiet! There are actors working here!" Old school and brilliant.

Wow. Absolutely brilliant. Love that.

The greatest lessons were learned long before I made films. The lessons were learned as I trained at The Drama Centre London for three solid years with mentors like John Blatchley, Yat Malmgren, Doreen Cannon and Christopher Fettes. The training I received there is the foundation of my work. The Drama Centre has produced the likes of Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, and Pierce Brosnan.

Mark Rolston as Bogs Diamond in 1994’s THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Source: CNN.

Quite the mentors list there Mark. You've also been in a lot of TV shows of various stripes since 1980's Ekkusu Bonbâ, '97's Calamity Jane and Zorro, The Shield, TURN: Washington's Spies (TURN is a favorite of mine, being a history nerd), Bosch, and many others. What are the challenges like in playing and developing a film character versus a series character? Do you prefer one over the other?

I like to think of myself as a film guy, but the creative process is the same no matter the medium. Although each has its own challenge; in theatre, the challenge is to be "on" at every moment, in TV the pace of the work is a challenge and you don't have endless takes and time, which is why I prefer film, because it affords you the time to shoot until you get in perfect… one hopes.

Interesting. Time is the most valuable resource, indeed. A question I ask everyone: what makes a great film?

Serendipity. The confluence of a writer's brilliance, the director's guidance, and the actor's creativity.

What other films, directors, and performances have really stuck with and molded you as an artist over the years?

It was my audition for Shawshank that cemented the idea in my head that "just talking", "being in the moment" was the most important thing in film acting. That notion is parallel to being able to bring Shakespeare to life by, as Hamlet implored the players to: "Speak the speech, I pray you, trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had life the town crier spoke my lines."

Well said. Final question: what's next for you?

I will be returning for Season 6 of Bosch as Lt. Thorne. I love working with Amy Aquino. And most importantly, I will be appearing as Admiral Ernest J. King in what should be this year’s blockbuster masterpiece by Roland Emmerich: Midway. The script was amazing, and working with Roland and Woody Harrelson was a complete joy.

Follow Mark on Twitter and like his on Facebook.

ALIENS (1986) trailer.

LETHAL WEAPON 2 (1989) trailer.

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) trailer.

THE DEPARTED (2006) trailer.

BOSCH Season 5 trailer.

__________________________________________________________________________

James Cullen Bressack

Hello and welcome James! Getting right into it. The first question I had, what was it that initially inspired the movie?

So the script was actually originally written by Madeleine. She wrote the first draft and then she had approached me to see if I wanted to direct it. And I was like, "oh well we'd have to change this, this, this, in the script." Because it was a bit more graphic and crazy actually originally, and I just wanted to streamline it and make it a little bit more accessible to moviegoers and audiences. And I think we accomplished that with the story.

Interesting. What were the challenges like?

So the challenge for me was shooting a movie inside of pretty much predominantly one location. Because for me, I wanted to make sure the audience would get bored being in the same place. So I tried to make each room feel and sound different and look different. We have a lot of the time where we spend in the living room, like foyer area. I was trying to make sure that we shot it and lit it a different way, while still keeping the story intact.

So that's why we have a couple hallucinogenic moments. And I think we have some stuff where I tried to really put the audience in the place of what the character was going through mentally through this journey and had the camera work and storytelling kind of evolve with the character's emotional space.

That was another part I really liked was that lighting. It had almost a surreal feel to a lot of it.

Yeah. Which not to give away any spoilers, but I think it ties into the movie.

Madeleine Wade and Augie Duke in this still from BLOOD CRAFT.

Oh, I would say so. But yeah, that and the editing, I thought. It was paced really well and it flowed really well.

Thank you. Yeah, this was the second movie I did with Bobby Richardson, the editor. The movie he did before that with me was Bethany, and I think it had similar themes of childhood trauma and people going in and out of the mind of our main character. And I think we established that with flashbacks as well as really it's driven by this sole performance, surrounded by an ensemble cast. But the story is driven specifically by the emotional state of our lead character.

I need to watch that one yet. Are there any memorable or funny moments that stick out from that process of filming Blood Craft?

Yeah, one of the things that was really funny for us is because it was such like an intense environment when we were filming we joked around a lot between takes. So I think it was just funny because we were being very silly when not filming, like at lunch and stuff like that. Because we all had to kind of shake off some of the stuff that was going on in front of the camera.

That's definitely understandable considering those heavy topics that inform the film's story and really its trajectory. Shifting gears a little bit to a question I like to ask everybody. What directors and films would you consider most influential on you as an artist?

I've always enjoyed this storytelling of Akira Kurosawa. I'm a huge fan of Orson Welles as well as some of these other older filmmakers. But for me it's Park Chan-wook, Quentin Tarantino, and Robert Rodriguez were all idols and heroes of mine.

Fantastic list. The next question is kind of a big one too. What makes a great film and because you've done a lot with horror, what makes great horror?

So a great horror movie, I think, is taking the familiar and turning it on its head. So what we take is what people expect, and then we flip it on them.

You absolutely did. Great definition too. For the last question that I had, what's next for you?

I'm gearing up to do a new movie. I can't really give details on it, but I like to keep busy and I'm trying to do something different with this new one. It's more of like a neo-noir type film.

Follow James on Twitter, Instagram, and like his page on Facebook.

BETHANY (2017) trailer.

MY PURE JOY (2012) trailer.

from The 405 http://bit.ly/2OXnt41

[rob-blog1234]

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND TV HOT FILM PICKS!

Check out my guide to the top films on TV this extended weekend, Friday through to Monday and the best of the rest. Enjoy!

LATE FRIDAY 28th APRIL

HOT PICKS!

ITV2 @ 2100     Shaun of the Dead (2004) *****

Edgar Wright has created something rather special here. This film really proved his capacity for film making. It’s intelligent yet silly but packed full of enough quality jokes to make this a firm favourite that will make you laugh out loud every single time you see it. Pegg and Frost’s tag team are perfect here and the hilarious script is executed with comedy precision dealing some of the best quotable lines ever. I don’t think I’ll be able to order a Cornetto without a smirk ever again.

ITV4 @ 2300       Beetlejuice (1988) *****

I’ve always been a big fan of Michael Keaton and here he pulls out an astounding performance as the green haired, un-dead and thoroughly unpleasant Beetlejuice. A young couple are in a fatal accident and find themselves as poltergeists in their home. As the fail to scare away the new owners of their family home they call upon the crazy striped suited scare monger to help them out. But all is not as it seems. The pace of this horror comedy is relentless and always a delight to watch. Creative, crazy and full of carnage - this is a Tim Burton film we all can enjoy before we got fed up with his insistence of churning out the same old formula. When’s the last time you saw Beetlejuice? No doubt too long ago. Get this on your watch list.

Best of the rest:

Film4 @ 2100      Speed (1994) ****

W @ 2240            Little Miss Sunshine (2006) *****

Syfy @ 2300        Paranormal Activity (2007) ****

Film4 @ 2315      Darkman (1990) ****

BBC1 @ 2355      Fright Night (2011) ***

C4 @ 0010           Attack the Block (2011) ***

5* @ 0020            The Town (2010) ****

SATURDAY 29th APRIL

HOT PICKS!

5* @ 1300       Teen Wolf (1985) *****

This is one of the films that always holds a place in my heart… I love it a little more than it deserves, but who cares. Michael J. Fox is Scott Howard, an average kid who plays for his unsuccessful school basketball team and works part time for his Dad in the local Hardware store. He is fed up of being so average and craves for excitement and success, but he could have never prepared for what happens next. Scott soon realises he comes from a family of Werewolves as one night at a party he begins to go through changes that alter the course of his school life, basketball success and relationships with his family and friends, forever. Teen Wolf is a great bit of 80’s family fun; Michael J. Fox is in his prime and really makes this film a success. With a great 80’s soundtrack and a superb story, Teen Wolf has everything you need for Weekend film escapism. It’s great fun, full of comedy and certainly has the feel good factor.

BBC2 @ 2130      Calvary (2014) *****

How can a film whose opening line is "I first tasted semen when I was seven years old" and a storyline revolving around abuse, revenge, murder and with a consistent undertone of grimness still hold up - and dare I say it be a pleasant experience? Well its amazing balance of quirk with some perfectly placed comedy gives for an interesting emotional ride - I just do not know how it works - but somehow Michael McDonagh - who we have to thank for the excellent buddy cop movie "The Guard" - has woven these inexplicably polarized emotional reactions into a quite perfect dark toned drama with an odd comedy edge. Just writing it doesn't sound right - but you'll see what I mean. Brendan Gleeson is the Priest of a remote Irish Village and from the offset we are reassured he is not involved in any of the awful themes this film navigates. This film dances with serious subjects and beliefs, it steers you from interest, laughter, shock and disgust with an ease that is testament to McDonagh's vision for this film. Its storytelling is spot on and a score and cinematography that on subsequent watches I appreciated even more. This film left me pretty much stunned on first watch and even with its sombre overall feel, it haunted me until a re-watch and continues to do so to this day.

Film4 @ 0025      Troll Hunter (2010) ****

A fantastic addition to the super saturated genre of found footage films. This an example of how it should be done. From the very moment “TROLL!” is yelled I guarantee you will be hooked and when anyone asks you if you’ve seen the film, instead of responding “yes” you are bound to yell “Troll” in their face. The film is silly but with a dramatic edge, it’s ludicrous but the dialogue is so natural, which was impressively mostly ad-libbed. Different to a lot of it found footage poor relations, Troll Hunter gets two big, troll sized, thumbs up for the CGI, the special effects are stunning and add an important vein of quality to the film which is what all successful found footage films need to not feel cheap or just look amateurish. Troll Hunter is a great bit of fun bringing an original edge to a stagnating genre. Watch this.

Best of the rest:

C4 @ 2100         Carol (2015) ****

Syfy @ 2100       Outbreak (1995) ***

W @ 2200          Goodfellas (1990) *****

ITV4 @ 2205      The Devil's Advocate (1997) *****

TCM @ 2310      Escape from LA (1996) ***

C4 @ 2320          Zombieland (2009) ****

ITV4 @ 2355       Don't Say a Word (2001) ***

Gold @ 0010      Little Miss Sunshine (2006) *****

Dave @ 0045     Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003) *****

SUNDAY 30th APRIL

HOT PICKS!

C5 @ 1800      Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) *****

This is one of my guilty pleasures. I adore this film and it is one of my most watched films to date. It is my favourite Robin Hood film packed full of action and comedy. The very American Kevin Costner robs the rich to feed the poor along with his Moorish companion Azeem played by Morgan Freeman. After an escape from their imprisonment by the Turks during the Crusades, Robin and Azeem arrive in England to find Robin’s home and world have been turned upside down. His father has been murdered for crimes he did not commit. Robin swears to avenge his fathers’ death and is pitted against the Sheriff of Nottingham who is brought life by the great Alan Rickman in one of his most memorable performances. He has some of the best lines in the film and adds an edge of brilliance to an already great film. It’s full of adventure and action with stunning rural backdrops of a medieval England. I just dare you not to enjoy yourself - it’s a great film for kids and adults alike.

BBC2 @ 2300      Drive (2011) *****

My top film of 2011 by a long mark. Nicolas Winding Refn goes from strength to strength. Subtle, stunning, a stellar soundtrack and great performances from everyone involved. The glances and looks between Mulligan and Gosling are brilliant. So much is said with so few words. Refn is my currently one of my favourite Directors. Each and every shot is perfect in this film. After ump-teen re-watches, it simply gets better and better. This will no doubt become cult cool. In my book it already is.

C4 @ 0005      Mud (2012) ****

McConaughey confirmed he was back in style and an actor to watch in recent years. This was 100% confirmed with Mud. He pays a fugitive who is living on a remote island in the Mississippi, after an encounter with two adventurous teenage boys, they strike up a tenuous friendship and they agree to help him escape the island. A quality, realistic drama which sticks you right in the centre of this very authentic time and place. Directed by Jeff Nichols who we have to thank for the equally good Take Shelter and has his most recent film Midnight Special was fantastic. Tackling some interesting issues with calibre and style. This is an all American drama not to be missed.

Best of the rest:

ITV1 @ 1600        On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) ****

Horror @ 2100    Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2010) ****

TCM @ 2100        Escape from LA (1996) ***

ITV4 @ 2205        Beetlejuice (1988) *****

Film4 @ 0120      The Player (1992) ****

MONDAY 1st MAY

HOT PICKS!

Dave @ 1200       Kelly's Heroes (1970) *****

Kelly’s Heroes is one of my most watched war films. Well, it’s more of a heist film that just so happens to be set slap bang in the middle of a war zone in WW2. It’s very funny and from the very start Telly Savalas’s rants put a smile on your face and you know exactly what you are in for. The cast are the main driver for this film’s success with a host of interesting and outrageous characters from Telly Savalas’s larger than life Big Joe to Donald Sutherland’s stoner hippy tank driver, Oddball. It certainly doesn’t scrimp on the action either and there are enough bullets and explosions to take down a small country. It’s not all fun and frolics and it still has a few satirical barbs thrown in for good measure. Kelly’s Heroes is a fantastically fun film. Watch this.

BBC1 @ 2030       Saving Mr. Banks (2013) ****

I absolutely love Mary Poppins - such a great film that I grew up watching it over and over - loving it’s fantastical world each and every time - so I came into Saving Mr. Banks very much looking forward to a view on how this piece of my childhood was brought to the big screen. Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney who is desperately trying to get the rights for Mary Poppins signed off from the Emma Thompson’s stubborn P.L. Travers who holds the story very close to her as a personal and private affair. Thompson’s character is frustrating to the core but this simply builds on the reward for the developments she (and we as an audience) witness. Charming, funny albeit a little sickly sweet in parts - it certainly pressed all my buttons. It made me immediately want to escape back into the world of the wonderful Mary Poppins once again.

Film4 @ 2315      The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) *****

The Grand Budapest Hotel is Wes Anderson’s most substantial & accomplished film yet. Beautifully rich with a cast to die for. Ralph Fiennes is nothing short of perfect. His versatility and comedy timing is truly impressive and will be difficult to match. This still firmly remains my top film of 2014. It was and is a pure pleasure to re-watch every time.

Best of the rest:

ITV4 @ 1600      Superman (1978) *****

Syfy @ 2100       Robot Overlords (2014) ***

5* @ 2100          The Equalizer (2014) ***

TCM @ 2100      Zoolander (2001) ***