Bikers

THE REBEL ROUSERS-1970-Strange biker film with Bruce Dern as JJ Weston, the philosophical leader of a weird motorcycle gang which includes Bunny (Jack Nicholson decked out in wool hat and striped pants), the seemingly out of place Halverson (Harry Dean Stanton) and (phony) Mexican Miguel (Robert Dix). Weston meets his old high school buddy Paul Collier (Cameron Mitchell) now an architect who's having problems with his pregnant girlfriend Karen (Diane Ladd who was married to Dern at the time). They smoke pot and talk about abortion and marriage. Eventually she's kidnapped by the gang. Paul is beaten up and escapes but no one in town will help him except some Mexican migrant workers. Weston and Bunny wind up having a knife fight. 

Many people who worked with Al Adamson contributed to this Paragon Entertainment Pictures production. It's also the only movie directed by Martin B. Cohen who years later provided the story for and produced HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP. He was the executive producer of Adamson's BLOOD FROM DRACULA'S CASTLE the year before.

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It's A Bird, It's A Plane....

HOLLYWOODLAND-2006-The “mysterious death” of George Reeves is the topic of this fictional biopic. Ben Affleck plays the actor who gained immortality playing “Superman” on TV in the 1950’s. Adrian Brody is the fictional PI investigating his suicide. Diane Ladd is slightly miscast as Reeves’ married lover Toni Lanier. It touches on several conspiracy theories but in the end seems to say that Reeves did in fact kill himself.


Affleck is good but lacks whatever it was that made the real Reeves so likable and perfect as the man of steel. It’s really not his fault though. There’s probably no actor around who could have captured it!

Since Brody’s character is fictional why delve into his personal life? Who cares? This side story really brings the film down a notch.

Bob Hoskins is Eddie Mannix, Toni’s producer/husband. Also with Robin Tunney (TV’s PRISON BREAK), Jeffery DeMunn and Larry Cedar. This was the first theatrical movie for director Allen Coulter who’d previously done TV episodes of THE SOPRANOS, THE X-FILES, SEX AND THE CITY and other shows. 

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