Ray is a smug sadist while Albert is an emotionless sociopath. But now it's safe to tell you that, ever since I saw him in Michael Collins, Neeson has been up at the top of my personal Scudder wish list. A Walk Among the Tombstones opens in theaters Sept. 19. Parker Posey stars in this update of Chekhov, swapping familiar New York intelligentsia types for the Russian bourgeoisie. Is "A Walk Among the Tombstones" based on a book? Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Scudder reminds Kenny that there is enough evidence to put Albert behind bars for the rest of his life. Theyre not working for Pete, though: We see him stoned with a bag of drugs in his hand. "A Walk Among the Tombstones" starts out as another Film Noir-ish Liam Neeson action thriller. Liam Neesons Matt Scudder is primarily interested in seeking out clues to a crime. In New York of 1999, a drug addict named Peter Kristo approaches a retired Scudder, asking him to help his brother Kenny, a drug trafficker. Scudder's attendance at AA meetings was a bigger part of the novel, while the movie shows the first meeting between the ex-cop and his young friend/assistant TJ, but in the novels, he was introduced in an earlier book. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. In the sixties and seventies and even going back to film noir, the private eye story was very common. Coming Soon. And so, with the official movie tie-in book landing on our doorstep, we figured it was a good opportunity to investigate how the source material and movie were aligned and where changes were made, and how these choices affected the movie. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. We see their body parts, wrapped in plastic and paper, in the back of a car, in a dumpster, on the grounds of a graveyard and floating in a pond. And in both the book and movie, their crimes are stomach churning, possibly even moreso in Blocks novel which describes in detail some things you dont see on the screen, particularly when it comes to their previous victims. I also remember Ray saying that Kenny did him wrong somehow. The Grey Ending Explained: Who Wins Liam Neeson's Wolf Fight. They probably were going to kill the last girl as well, but decided to go for the ransom instead. Because this is actually more of a gumshoe investigator's tale, a gritty cop-turned-unlicensed . He interviews witnesses, finds evidence of other victims, and wanders a gray, malignant city in mourning over something he did years ago while drunk. Kenny wants to kill him but Scudder talks him down, seeing how TJ is in the room and is watching everything. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU - where Hawkeye is clearly the best character - to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle. I really liked how disconnected the killers were from emotion. A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy New York City, 1991 - Detective Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) is in a car with his partner. What saves him is that he doesnt preach. Its clear from the sunless palette and the measured, one-thing-after-another pacing that Frank loves Blocks work, and that goes a long way. And the camera looks down the gunsight as Matt takes aim and blows a third man off his feet. Cheers! Dont worry, it wont take long. Never have I been so grateful for an absent dialect coach. When a drug dealer's 14-year-old daughter is also kidnapped, Scudder heads a group to rescue her. I heard the trailers spoiled a bit much, good thing I didn't seem 'em. He did it as an unhinged dad in "Taken," as a surly air marshal in "Non-Stop" and now as a haunted ex-cop in "Tombstones.". He looks terrific in his heavy coat with the collar turned up as he walks around Green-Wood Cemetery, where pieces of a body turned up its as if his whole life is lived among tombstones. When his rehab comrade Peter Kristo invites him to visit his brother Kenny, a drug dealer, Scudder learns that Kenny's wife Carrie Kristo was abducted and cut into pieces by her kidnappers; now Kenny wants to find the killer to get revenge. but freaks out and panics after he is shot near the end of the movie. 0:57. It was a stray bullet in the midst of an unexpected shootout. Movies don't need villains even though the thriller genre, as seen in A Walk Among the Tombstones, makes it seem like they do. A Walk Among The Tombstones made the movie version of Scudder more of a loner, whereas in the book he has a relationship with a prostitute named Elaine and friendships with other characters who were trimmed out. (Though Frank adds the detail of the duo also selling videotapes of their deeds to the snuff film circuit, with lafur Darri lafssons cemetery worker acting as a narrative clue shortcut). Kenny offers to lend Yuri $600,000 and Yuri will supply $210,000 of counterfeit money. Former cop Matt Scudder is now a private eye. Meanwhile, when it comes to drug trafficker Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens) and his brother Pete (Boyd Holbrook), the wedge between them that ones successful, while the other is a junkie is the same, but changed for the film in a key way. I feel like Liam Neeson hasn't been given much to work with since the success of "Taken." Scudder leaves Kenny alone with Albert while he puts TJ in a taxi to his apartment. Hmmm. Hes centered sometimes to the point of being a little dull. Both in the book and film, TJ is urban in the most gauche way possible, complete with street speak, though arguably in Franks film, its a bit more scaled back. But his sentiment certainly doesnt put the brakes on all the bloodletting in this film. Unavailable on an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions. Two armed men come in and kill the bartender. PREVIEW. "A Walk among the Tombstones" is a gloomy crime film developed in slow pace, but with a complex story. Its a bit of a clunky change from the book, and that seems to be Franks way of explaining the otherwise unlikely relationship between a much older white man and a black teenager. He likes sitting in bars drinking coffee alongside unsavory characters. It stars Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook. Now that's out of the way, a brief introduction. Though it's not like he didn't deserve every second of it. Starring: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour. The Magical Last Hours of the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Show. The two kidnappers, Ray and Albert, surveil the home of Yuri Landau, another drug trafficker. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google I was so uncertain of what his arc would be that I even wondered briefly if he was going to end up shooting Liam Neeson in the end of the movie, right when you think the action is over. A Walk Among The Tombstones' movie finale sees Scudder and Kenny tracking down kidnapper Albert after the gunfight, with the latter having killed wounded partner Ray. Scudder and Kenny find TJ outside the house and they all silently enter the house finding Albert calmly eating his dinner. Check it out. [22] Manohla Dargis in The New York Times called it "one of those rare cinematic offerings: intelligent pulp" but also noted that the film "can be tough to watch, particularly its fleeting images of tortured women". Ray actually spots TJ peaking through the window, but it only serves as a fatal distraction just before Albert kills him. A Walk Among The Tombstones: Book Vs Movie Differences. Matt Scudder: I do favors for people, and in return, they give me gifts. People are afraid of all the wrong things. Sexual backlash was the real point of Steve McQueen's so-called "sex addiction" film Shame where a joint-swinging Michael Fassbender proved his decadence by visiting a gay sex club--referenced here in a similarly red-tinted all-male porn shop sequence where Ray and Albert attempt to lure a sad-sack henchman into a threesome. At any rate, in Blocks book, TJ is someone Scudder has known for a while already, a homeless kid who can get the kind of information that sometimes the PI cant or doesnt know how to obtain. Soon he finds that the killers have murdered other women connected to drug dealers and they get their files from the DEA. Its brutal stuff. 10 Video Games That Need a Live Action Adaptation, 2023's Most Anticipated Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-offs. The green screen at the end was pretty bad, though. Really was a bit of a shock and even then they didn't milk it for all its worth (a few Y2K references here, a subtle WTC in the final pan out.). The film is largely faithful to the core story of the novel, while cutting several subplots and supporting characters. A movie version of A Walk Among The Tombstones had been in development for years before the Scott Frank directed version, with Harrison Ford once in line to play the role. The Hard Case Crime tie-in novel is also in stores. The little girl who was accidentally killed in Scudder's shootout with the robbers at the bar. Her husband coughed up a $400,000 ransom, but it didnt save her. It's pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Scudder ultimately agrees to help him. He goes up into the rooftop and finds a shed, where Loogan is living. The little girl that was accidentally hit with a bullet. Based on an article, Scudder goes to a cemetery and speaks with a groundskeeper, Jonas Loogan, upset that Scudder reminds him of finding trash bags with body parts of the dismembered Leila in the cemetery pond. And in watching the film this past weekend, you can clearly see Franks moves to make Tombstones an action movie, while keeping the thematic texture and pulp grit of Blocks source material. Frank and Block are obviously ripping-off the heinous. He cries to Albert that he has never been wounded before. A Walk Among the Tombstones - Rotten Tomatoes Trending on RT Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Cocaine Bear The Last of Us Knock at the Cabin Most popular View All A Walk Among the Tombstones R. However, in Blocks book, Petes pain comes simply from his heroin and alcohol addiction, one that finds him routinely on and off the wagon. Albert surrenders and Scudder cuffs him. Jenna Ortega Will Dance, Dance, Dance With the Weeknd. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this . Portraits of Kennys wife show her naked in several poses, some of them revealing full-frontal nudity. 055 New movies & TV, plus Liam Neeson & Kevin Smith interviews. Parents, get practical information from a biblical worldview to help guide media decisions for your kids! Scudder initially refuses the case but then he accepts. The performances go a long way, too. Press J to jump to the feed. A drug kingpin hires troubled ex-cop Matt Scudder to find his wife's killers, a hunt that leads to shocking revelations in New York's underworld. We also hear a handful each of a and bch. Christs name is abused once or twice. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Her body was found chopped into neatly wrapped pieces in the back of an abandoned car. He is asked by a drug dealer to find the men who kidnapped his wife. As the body count goes up, he must use unreliable witnesses and gut intuition to try to catch the murderers. Maybe Jennifer would have more support if she werent wrong so often. Slim, blond types (one bland, the other goateed), they recall the gay Nazi-like killers in Michael Haneke's American remake of his sadistic art-movie Funny Games.