DEAD MAN’S HAND

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from director/writer Brian Skiba, Corin Nemec and Lionsgate is the story of a couple heading west but first must deal with a DEAD MAN’S HAND.

Reno (Jack Kilmer), aka Jean Jaques Renau, and the lovely Vegas (Camille Colliard) are recently married and on a stage coach headed west. Wanting to open up a business of their own, the couple is excited about the prospects. That is until the coach is hit by bandits and Reno must defend everyone taking them all out. Moving on to the nearest town, there is something strange amiss. 

What becomes instantly clear is that one of the bandits was the brother of Mayor Bishop (Stephen Dorff) and he is not the forgiving kind. Also, in town is Marshal Roy McCutheon (Cole Hauser) and his job is to take Bishop into custody and he is just as stubborn. Bishop has other plans as he wants revenge for his brother’s death and Reno is in danger.

Trying to escape, Reno and Vegas end up on the heinous end of Bishop’s anger. Separated, Reno is left to die while Bishop holds Vegas captive. Fate is on Reno’s side as he is rescued by Manto, an Indian who owes him a life debt and is about to repay it.  Now the race is on to stop the madness Bishop has created in a town that would be happy to see him go.

It’s going to take a bitter fight to the end for one side to walk away alive!

Dorff as Bishop is as bad as he wants to be. Of course, his character is upset about the death of his brother but I have a sneaky suspicion that he enjoyed torturing for torturing sake. Dorff has made it clear through his career that he can be the bad guy and do it with his own style, sadistically, a bit of sarcasm and no conscience at all. Nothing wrong with being good at being bad.

Kilmer as Reno is a newly happily married man with big dreams to start something awesome in the west. That all is put on a huge hold when he is forced to pull his gun. Reno knows his way around a gun and has no problem using it. Once he is captured, Kilmer puts in a powerful note to his character fighting back the western way and with a little help from his new friends. Kilmer has the family name and is adding his own touch to acting.

Hauser as McCutheron is doing what Hauser does best. Be the quiet, stand back and see kind of character. When it calls for him to step in, he does, but also is not about to cross the line for someone like Bishop. Hauser has become known for his cowboy west image and, yes, I’m saying it, stands out as Rip in the series Yellowstone. That being said, he has taken on more roles outside of the western ranch image as well and it’s good to see.

Collard as Vegas is one tough cookie who knows how to handle herself around a gun. Once Bishop gets ahold of her, she bides her time waiting for either a chance to escape or Reno to take matters into his own hands.

Shout out to Mo Brings Plenty as Mahto, he is honorable and is loyal to that meaning. He looks after Reno once he is rescued and lets it be known that there is no place for people like Bishop in their world. Plenty gives his character a quietness that has always made me believe that there are two reasons for that: 1) he is assessing everything around him and 2) sometimes words aren’t needed when action speaks more clearly.

Other cast include Forrie J. Smith as Alexander, Randall Batinkoff as Sherriff Winters, Louise Linton as Carrie, Costas Mandylor as Lucas, Tait Fletcher as Goliath, Corin Nemec as Red and William MacNamara as Johnny.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000-motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

DEAD MAN’S HAND is a western that gives everything, gunfights, thieving, viciousness, and all that the wild west would be. The town itself is filled with scared townspeople who know fighting against Bishop isn’t possible. Fear is what Bishop counts on but the arrival of a U.S. Marshall puts a damper on his big power plans.

Is the film a blockbuster? Probably not, it is clearly made on a budget that would not be able to compete with what is in theatres right now. That being said, if you are a fan of westerns and all that implies, then this film is for you. Now On Demand, Digital and DVD, it’s a definetly a Sunday afternoon being lazy on the couch indulgence film.

The film is based on the graphic novel No Rest of the Wicked: Dead Man’s Hand by Kevin and Matthew Minor.

In the end – play your cards right and you just might survive!

 

It is the Beautiful Mystery of VAL

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director Ting Poo, Leo Scott and Amazon Prime Originals is a documentary about an actor that has come forward to share the life of VAL.

Val Kilmer became an iconic actor in the 80’s and with his role as Iceman in the 1986 film TOP GUN, he solidified his place in Hollywood. More roles would come including the 1991 film THE DOORS, Kilmer had the opportunity to immerse himself in the role of Jim Morrison and the role of Doc Holiday in the 1993 TOMBSTONE. Even a quick stint as BATMAN FOREVER in 1995.

That is the actor side of Val Kilmer. The documentary VAL digs deeper into the actors’ younger years with his parents and two brothers. It is the tragedy, love, learning and sidetracks of Kilmer’s life that he allows to be shown on film. Narrated by son Jack at times who sounds eerily like his father in younger years, Kilmer allows us all into his life through films that he has been making and collecting since childhood.

From life acting with brothers, to school (including Juilliard), to fellow stage actors such as Seam Penn and Kevin Bacon, to Hollywood calling, Kilmer’s life in front of the camera kept leading him in places he never expected to go. Learning the price of being in the spotlight and having it all come to an end is a reality check and a reality change.

Amazon Prime offers television shows and original content included in its Amazon Prime subscription. Original programs such as CARNIVAL ROW, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL are hit shows. Coming soon is the next series with GOLIATH starring Billy Bob Thornton and it promises to another successful and intense series.

VAL are the stories that Kilmer tells us about an eye-opening journey inside the love, tragedies, frustrations and let downs of being human. Although the story starts out with life and acting as separate, through its telling the viewer sees it all come together slowly. As Kilmer makes it clear that the actor becomes the character and the character becomes the actor.

For years there were mumbling of ‘what is wrong with Val Kilmer?’ and here are those answers but not in a way that is preaching the pitfalls of life. Instead, Kilmer gives us a door wide open view of his parents, marriage to Joanne Whalley, his two children Jack and Mercedes, returning to art and embracing Iceman.

Each moment of this documentary is such a mixture of joy to see Kilmer again, fascinating with the life he has led and the sadness for the tragedies. Through out his life when he felt out of control, VAL became a chance to be heard and deciding how deep he wanted to go and how much he wanted to say.

Using art (his own as well as his brothers) and music (his choice of songs just had my heart) along with amazing home movies, VAL is a journey of life. Not in a controlled sense because that gets thrown out the window completely and let us be honest, those who try to control their life end up the unhappiest.

Kilmer learns to look for something deeper and, like us, is trying to find meaning when he can, solace in moments, love from those who love him and embrace the glorious moments in whatever way makes him laugh and smile. The best part? Without slamming his palm on the artistic pulpit, he challenges us all to do the same.

 

From the moment I saw Kilmer in the 1985 film REAL GENIUS, and I absolutely fell for his humor and performance. Following his career, I was giddy when he played Madmartigan in the 1988 film WILLOW and will forever be sorry I never saw his live stage performance as Mark Twain. In VAL, he had my eyes watering with emotion watching his transformation and words as one of my favorite authors.

 

This film will be with me for quite some time.

 

In the end – the life you live is the story you tell!