L.A. Noire 2.8 - Another Pin Down

L.A. Noire - Another Pin Down

Genre: Crime

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Writer: John Malone

Based on the video game

Cast: Joe Alwyn, Brent Sexton, Brian F. O'Byrne, Walter Perez, Robin Lord Taylor and Calum Worthy

Plot: 1947 - Cole Phelps (Joe Alwyn) and Rusty Galloway (Brent Sexton) pull their car up outside Rawling's Bowling alley. Galloway asks Phelps if he remembers the name of the guy they're looking for. Phelps reminds Galloway that Gorsvenor McCaffrey said that he saw Evelyn Summers enter the bowling alley with some guy called "Tiernan" and a bottle of booze. Galloway takes a swig from his flask and walks toward the building, Phelps follows. When they enter the building, the clerk asks Galloway if he'd like the usual lane. Phelps laughs and introduces himself to the clerk. She asks him his show size, but Phelps tells her that he and Galloway are there conducting an investigation. He then asks the clerk if she knows a woman by the name of Evelyn Summers. She says that could be the woman who has been palling around with the pin setter, James Tiernan. She points toward a door in the back, telling them that Tiernan is back there. When they enter the back hallway, they see James Tiernan (Calum Worthy), who bolts out the back exit and into the parking lot when he sees them. Phelps and Galloway give chase, but Tiernan gets into his car. Galloway fires his gun, at the car, popping a front tire. Tiernan gets out of the car with his hands in the air.

Galloway and Phelps load Tiernan into the back of a squad car driven by Officer Enrique Gonzales (Walter Perez). Phelps tells Gonzales to have Tiernan taken to an interrogation room and they will get to him when they can. Gonzales confirms and drives off with Tiernan in the back seat. Phelps tells Galloway that he still wants to take another look at McCaffrey at his apartment. Galloway doesn't know why since they have a viable suspect like Tiernan in custody already. Phelps asks Galloway to simply humor his curiousity on this one.

When they arrive at McCaffery's apartment, nobody answers the door. Galloway kicks open the door, then comments that it looks like the door was left unlocked. Once inside, the detectives quickly find a bloody shirt. Wrapped up in the shirt is a bloody wrench with Rawling's Bowling printed on it. Looking at the evidence, Galloway says he'd like to see Malcolm Carruthers argue this one. Phelps and Galloway walk out to the hall where a neighbor tells them that if they're looking for McCaffrey, that he is on the roof of the building tending to his pigeon coops. The detectives make their way up the stairwell and to the roof, but when Grosvenor McCaffrey (Robin Lord Taylor) sees the detectives, he runs away. Phelps and Galloway give chase, with Galloway commenting that he's sick of chasing after guys today. McCaffrey makes his way down the fire escape and tries running away down an alley, but Phelps manages to catch up with him and tackle him to the ground. Phelps tells McCaffrey that he is under arrest for suspicion of the murder of Evelyn Summers.

Phelps and Galloway load McCaffrey into the back of a squad car, then get into their own car and start driving back toward the station. On the drive, Phelps says that McCaffrey has to be their guy, unless Tiernan somehow set him up. Galloway says that at the very least they know the Dahlia didn't do it. Phelps asks Galloway how he knows that McCaffrey isn't the Black Dahlia killer. Galloway says that they have a list of over 200 suspects and McCaffrey's name isn't on it. Phelps begins a rebuttal, but Galloway interrupts him and says that need to just work the case at hand now. They can sit down and put all the puzzle pieces together at a later date.

Once they arrive back at the Central Police Station, they are greeted by Captain James Donnelly (Brian F. O'Byrne) who tells them that they better be able to make the murder stick to one of their suspects. Phelps assures Donnelly that it's either McCaffrey or Tiernan, he has no doubt. Donnelly tells Phelps that he wants a confession from one of them. Phelps and Galloway walk into an interrogation room where James Tiernan is waiting. Phelps asks him why he ran. Tiernan says that he knows he was the last one to see Evelyn that night and thought they would think it was him that killed her. Phelps says he was right about that. Phelps asks about his relationship with Evelyn, and Tiernan claims he barely knew her. Galloway smacks Tiernan in the back of the head and tells him that they'll have him in front of a Grand Jury in a flash if he doesn't cooperate. Tiernan tells them to prove he was more than just a casual acquaintance of Evelyn's. Phelps tells Tiernan that McCaffrey gave him up and saw him with Evelyn last night. Tiernan admits that he and Evelyn would read and drink together. They snuck into the back room of the bowling alley last night and he passed out drunk. When he woke up Evelyn was gone. Tiernan tells the detectives that McCaffrey isn't someone they should trust since he's been in trouble with the law before. Galloway says that McCaffrey already told them about his involvement in labor disputes. Phelps asks Tiernan if he has access to a lug wrench. Tiernan says they use them all the time at the bowling alley. Phelps tells Tiernan that the murder weapon was potentially a lug wrench from the bowling alley. Tiernan puts his head down, insisting that he didn't kill Evelyn.

Phelps and Galloway next head into the other interrogation room where Gosvenor McCaffrey is waiting in handcuffs. Phelps and Galloway ask him if he's ready to answer some questions. McCaffrey says it's presumptuous of them to assume he has answers to their questions. Galloway barks back that guys who run from the cops usually have something to answer for. Phelps asks McCaffrey where he was last night around midnight. McCaffrey says he was at home working on some writing. Galloway leaves the room. Phelps then drops a bomb and says that they found the lug wrench that Evelyn Summers was battered with in McCaffrey's apartment, as well as some blood-stained clothing. McCaffrey says that even if he was compelled to kill Evelyn, do they really think he would be stupid enough to leave the evidence in his apartment. Galloway says that the evidence heavily points to him being the killer. Phelps adds that Tiernan is prepared to testify that he heard him threaten Evelyn after she stole a book from him. McCaffrey suggests that such a tale is simply self-preservation on Tiernan's part. Galloway returns to the room with a jacket on McCaffrey. Galloway asks why he didn't tell them that he was kicked out of the military for beating a woman nearly to death. McCaffrey grows angry, saying that peasant whore he beat had stolen from him. Phelps points out that Evelyn Summers stole McCaffrey's book. McCaffrey yells that she got what she deserved. Phelps formally charges McCaffrey with the murder of Evelyn Summers.

Rolling Stone 3.8 - Nobody Loves The Hulk

Rolling Stone - Nobody Loves The Hulk

Genre: Drama

Director: Oliver Stone

Writer: D.R. Cobb

Based on the Rolling Stone magazine

Cast: Josh Hartnett, Aimee Teegarden, Lou Taylor Pucci, Karl Glusman, Alicia Witt, Marc Maron, David Costabile and Mark Hamill

Plot: August 1971. Brady Conroy (Josh Hartnett) is sitting in the conference room of the Rolling Stone magazine offices opposite Jann Wenner (Karl Glusman) and Ben Fong-Torres (Ross Butler). Jann explains that Brady's next assignment is to hop on a plane with Ben to New York City and meet with the people at Marvel Comics for a big cover story. Ben is excited since he is a big comic fan, but Brady isn't quite as familiar with the subject matter and asks if it has to do with Superman or Batman. Ben, annoyed, replies that those are DC Comics characters. He then proceeds to list superheroes like The Hulk, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. Brady nods his head, but it's not clear if he actually recognizes any of those names. Brady asks Jann if he's sure he should work on the piece since he's not very familiar with the subject matter. Jann says that's not important as the main article has already been written. He says that he needs Ben and Brady to interview some of the writers, get some quotes and descriptions of the Marvel offices and talk to the company's editor, a man named Stan Lee. One his way out of the offices, Kylee Hargrove (Alicia Witt) asks Brady if he's excited about the trip to New York. Brady admits that he doesn't know what to make of the trip.

Back at his apartment, Brady asks his younger brother Jimmy (Lou Taylor Pucci) about Marvel Comics. Jimmy's eyes light up and he begins to tell Brady all about the characters: how Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, how Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb, how Doctor Strange harnessed the mystical arts. Brady is taken aback by all the information and asks Jimmy how popular these stories are. Jimmy is baffled by Brady's lack of knowledge on the subject, and tells Brady that the comics are super popular and the characters are surpassing old school characters like Superman with people today. Jimmy pulls out a Daredevil comic and tosses it to Brady and tells him to read it. Brady looks at the cover and asks what the hero's superpower is. Jimmy says that Daredevil is blind. Brady is confused as that is generally considered a handicap. Jimmy elaborates that the loss of his sight due to radioactive chemicals enhanced all of his other senses to superhuman levels.

Before Brady leaves for the airport, he checks in on Celeste (Aimee Teegarden), who has been in the bedroom all day. He asks her what she's been up to, and she tells him that she is touching up some material for the publishing guy she met at her class reading since she's meeting with him later. Brady wishes her good luck with that and gives her a kiss. She says thanks and tells him good luck with the superhero stuff. Brady then heads back out to the living room where Jimmy is just about to light up his bong. Brady tells Jimmy to hold off since he needs a ride to the airport.

Celeste meets with the man she met at her class reading, Peter Cousins (David Costabile). She hands him a stack of poems. He tells her that he loves them, but unfortunately his employers are not looking to publish any unknown poets at this time. Celeste's face drops, but Cousins says he does have some good news for her though. He has talked with a friend who works with City Light Publishers and they would like to meet with her and read her stuff. She asks him if he is talking about the City Lights that published Allen Ginsberg's Howl. Cousins says it is one and the same. He tells her that he has arranged to meet with the company's founder later that day and tells her to make sure her schedule is clear.

Brady and Ben arrive at the Marvel Comics headquarters in a nondescript Manhattan office building. Comic book covers line the walls of the reception area. Ben is distracted by the artwork, so Brady tells the receptionist that they are from Rolling Stone magazine and are there to see Stan Lee. The receptionist makes a phone call and tells them he'll be with them shortly. Brady takes a seat while Ben walks around staring at the art on the walls. Finally, Stan Lee (Marc Maron) comes out of his office and excitedly greets Brady and Ben. Stan sees that Ben has his eyes glued to a Fantastic Four cover and jokes that clearly Ben is more interested in meeting the Invisible Woman. Ben tells Stan it's an honor to meet him. Stan starts giving the men a tour of the offices. Brady admits to Stan that he's not really familiar with any of the Marvel comic books. Stan says that's alright and admits that some days he thinks he'd be happy if he never had to see another comic book for the rest of his life. Ben is shocked that someone like Stan Lee would admit to something like that. Brady asks Stan what drew him to writing superhero comic books since that surely wasn't his career plan as a child. Stan says that it actually was what he was always fascinated by. He liked the idea of using fantastical characters to explore real-life issues. At the end of the tour, Stan tells Ben and Brady that he sincerely hopes they got enough material for the big piece the magazine is doing. 

Cousins takes Celeste to City Lights Bookstore. They head into the poetry room where they are met by the company's founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Mark Hamill). He asks Celeste if she wants her work to be on the shelves in that room. Celeste nods her head and says very much so. Ferlinghetti tells her that her poems better be damn good then since he has managed to build quite the reputation in the city and wouldn't want to publish any works that would tarnish that reputation with is regular readers. Celeste hands him her poems and he tells her that he'll give them a look over and have Cousins contact her if City Lights decides to publish her poems.