Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
‘She Rides Shotgun’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on August 1st, Nick Rowland’s crime thriller ‘She Rides Shotgun’ stars Taron Egerton as a newly released convict who must reconnect with the daughter he hardly knows while fleeing a powerful white supremacist drug ring.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The story of a man trying to find common ground with a family member they barely know while also on the run from either A) the cops B) dangerous criminals or C) both is hardly the newest one within the crime thriller genre. But it’s all about the execution.
Fortunately, ‘She Rides Shotgun’, which has been all but dumped in theaters with almost no fanfare despite starring Taron Egerton, is much better than its treatment might suggest.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Co-writer/director Nick Rowland, working with Jordan Harper (on whose novel the movie is also based), Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, has crafted something compelling and watchable, that, while it may travel a largely predictable road, is infused with enough truth, grounded action and surprise to make it worth seeking out.
And Rowland, who previously made ‘Calm with Horses’, shows a real grip on how to bring a story such as this to the screen and keep it visually interesting –– helped by the moody, dramatic backdrop of New Mexico.
The shootouts feel painful and honest, and while the big finale is certainly loaded with drama, it doesn’t lose sight of the characters.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger star in ‘She Rides Shotgun’.
This type of movie flounders if you don’t have a believable dynamic between the main characters, but here Egerton (who is typically great) and Hager have true chemistry, building slowly as Polly’s feelings towards the man she barely knows as her father flourishes and she finds her strength.
Credit also to the likes of Rob Yang as the police officer trying to help Egerton’s ex-con (albeit with his own agenda) and John Carroll Lynch, who plays a violent, psychotic drug kingpin.
Final Thoughts
Ana Sophia Heger in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
A solid script with just a few predictable moments and excellent performances by the cast add up to a surprising small gem of a crime thriller that deserved better treatment than this.
This is one that may well find its audience when it hits streaming.
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What’s the story of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
The movie follows Nathan “Nate” McClusky (Taron Egerton) and his daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), on an emotional and terrifying road trip across New Mexico as Nate tries to escape his own past — or at least to protect his 11-year-old child from paying for his mistakes.
Along the way, driving a series of stolen cars from seedy motel to seedy motel, they take shocking risks, survive daunting threats, and become profoundly close.
Polly musters courage and insight well beyond her years, and Nate displays vulnerability and fortitude he didn’t know he had.
Who is in the cast of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
Taron Egerton as Nate McClusky
Ana Sophia Heger as Polly Huff
Rob Yang as John Park
Odessa A’zion as Charlotte
David Lyons as Jimmy
John Carroll Lynch as Houser
‘She Rides Shotgun’ opens in theaters on August 1st. Photo: Lionsgate.
(L to R) Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger star in ‘She Rides Shotgun’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger about their work on ‘She Rides Shotgun’, Egerton’s first reaction to the screenplay, Heger’s character’s relationship with her father, and what it was like for the two actors to work together on set.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Moviefone: To begin with, Taron, what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of your character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Taron Egerton: I was very moved by the screenplay, and I felt that these were two people that I felt that I knew and really cared about. So, when something that is that compulsively readable, but also feels real in a way that you believe they’re real people, that’s very compelling. It’s a compelling prospect to inhabit one of those roles. I love that he’s nothing like me. I love that he’s seems like one thing but is another. You know, it’s so often in life, there’s such a truth, I think, in life with where things will seem at first glance, unfriendly or unwelcoming in some way, and with a little bit of effort, a little bit of engagement, that’s quickly demonstrated to not be the case. That’s often my experience of the world anyway, and I love that Nate encapsulates that. He’s a man that when you first meet him, you assume who he is very quickly and some of those assumptions are probably well deserved, but the core of him, the heart of him, is good, and I love that about him.
MF: Ana, can you talk about Polly’s estranged relationship with her father, how that grows through the course of the film, and what it was like creating that relationship with Taron?
Ana Sophia Heger: Well, so in the beginning of the movie, you see that they obviously haven’t been together for five years, so they don’t really know each other. They must go through all these crazy things together that throughout the movie, they just start bonding. I just thought that was special and it was. It was easy bonding with him because he’s nice in real life.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, Taron, what was your experience like working with Ana on this movie?
TE: Look, we just connected very easily and very quickly, and I think we both felt it was very easy for us both to feel that the story was important. When it feels important, it feels like it’s no longer about you, it’s about the project. Then you gain a lot of energy for free. That’s the truth of it. It’s when the project feels more important than anything that you have going on, it all starts to happen very easily in my experience, or more easily. You just get a lot of free energy. I think we both really cared about Nate and Polly’s story, and we wanted to really do it justice and although they’re not real people, they felt real to us. We wanted to do the best job we could playing them. So, I think the abundant emotion in the piece came quite readily in this situation and that’s not always the case.
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What is the plot of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
Nate (Taron Egerton) tries to make a fresh start after his release from jail. However, he is forced to go on the run from his enemies with his daughter Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), who has grown up without him.
Who is in the cast of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
Taron Egerton as Nate
Ana Sophia Heger as Polly
Rob Yang as Josh Park
John Carroll Lynch as Houser
Odessa A’zion as Charlotte
David Lyons as Jimmy
‘She Rides Shotgun’ opens in theaters on August 1st. Photo: Lionsgate.
(L to R) Courtney Taylor, Maggie Q and John Carroll Lynch star in ‘Ballard’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Maggie Q, John Carroll Lynch and Courtney Taylor to talk about their work on ‘Ballard’. Q discussed introducing the character first on ‘Bosch: Legacy’, working with Titus Welliver, the team Ballard puts together and the future of the series, while Lynch talked about his character’s past with Ballard and his brother’s love for author Michael Connelly’s work, and Taylor talked about her character’s backstory and working with the cast.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
Moviefone: To begin with, Maggie, coming off the introduction of Renée Ballard in ‘Bosch: Legacy’, what has it been like for you as an actress to have the opportunity to really explore not only her past and her present, but her future with this new series?
Maggie Q: I mean, how cool is it that we were able to introduce her in that way, and I was able to just feel out the world through the eyes of obviously the ‘Bosch’ community and universe who have been established and obviously have all known each other? It was just this club, right? I come into this club, and it’s so warm and welcoming and wonderful that it just gave me such a grounding in the universe. Without that cast, and the producers and their reaction to me and the welcoming that they gave me, I mean, I don’t know that I would’ve been as grounded going into ‘Ballard’, so that was a huge gift. I mean, the episode is fun, and our outro, Titus and I, maybe we have a future together, maybe we don’t. She thinks he’s kind of a dangerous guy, and I think it set us up for a nice friendship that allows for Bosch to dip in and out and be that person that she can confide in about high-level stuff, and someone who understands her. I mean, the only other person she really has that she has history with is Laffont. It provides her something that I think we wouldn’t have without his presence. I think, building and going to the future, we’re obviously making something very different from ‘Bosch’, similar but different, in that we really wanted to create a world that was honoring the past, but also building on what they obviously did so successfully. I think that everything they did successfully, if we were smart, we would nod to wherever we can.
MF: John, can you talk about Thomas Laffont’s past with Renée Ballard, and why he decides to come out of retirement and help her on this new journey?
John Carroll Lynch: It’s funny to think about that somewhere, while all these stories were told in the ‘Bosch’ universe with Harry Bosch, somewhere in the department, Tom Laffont’s working. It’s an interesting thing to play a character that you hadn’t met in a whole new light. He retired from the police force. He changed his life. Then I think he came back to help Renée because not only of the connection that they have and that she needs the help right now, but also, I think there’s a sense he has of a debt to pay, because he wasn’t truly himself with her and he wants to be. More importantly, he wants to support her through this. I think he wants to help a good cop that he knows is a good cop.
(L to R) Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
MF: Courtney, just like Ballard, Parker has also had a bad experience working with the LAPD in the past. How has meeting Ballard and working with her team began to heal the trauma that she went through as a police officer?
Courtney Taylor: I believe for Parker, it allows her to see that the job that she loves did come with good people, and I don’t think she’s ever been able to lean on people the way that she’s always wanted to, and I think because of her bad experience, it made her go inward. When she meets Ballard and she meets Laffont and meets this team of passionate people on the cold case unit, I think it just reminds her of like, “Oh, that’s right. I got in this job for a reason, because not only do I love it, but I wanted to work with other people who loved it too.” I think that’s part of her healing journey, which is recognizing she’s not the only one who loves the job as much as she does.
MF: Maggie, can you talk about the team that Ballard puts together to help solve these cold cases and what it’s been like for you working with this ensemble cast?
MQ: It’s perfectly cast, right? Everybody brings something so unique to the table. What I love about that is how the writing is very clear with each character, what their journey is, who they are to the team, so that’s a huge leg up. A lot of times you’re having to create something out of thin air that doesn’t exist on the page, so having that was huge. I was able to know the whole entire arc from episode one to ten before I ever signed on. In knowing that, it was hugely invaluable to have the gift of going to be able to do character studies on each person and know really what I want to achieve with each person, and in doing that, what that would bring to the show. You don’t get that, because you’re not able to see it. I mean, people usually sign onto a show and it’s a Hail Mary, right? “I hope it’s good.” I knew that the arc of the season was great, and if the cast was going to come together correctly, that it was going to be great. I was betting on a horse that I knew was fast, thank goodness, and it doesn’t happen like that. You don’t get that gift, and so that was huge.
(L to R) John Carroll Lynch (Thomas Laffont) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
MF: John, were you a fan of Michael Connolly’s books or TV shows before joining the cast of ‘Ballard’?
JCL: I was aware of the work, and I had seen the work. I really liked the ‘Bosch’ shows. I really liked ‘Lincoln Lawyer.’ I liked those shows and I thought they were good, and I also loved the feeling of different parts of the city. Truth be told, the person in my family who knew it was my brother. When I got the offer, he was like, “I’ve read every single book. I’m waiting for the next one.” He goes, “Oh, you got to take this.” Thanks, David.
MF: Courtney, what has it been like for you personally to join this world that Michael Connolly has created and to be joined by former ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ actors, essentially giving their blessing for this new series?
CT: Well, I was always a fan of Michael Connelly’s stuff. I think ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ is great and the ‘Bosch’ series has done so well, and I think it’s an honor to be able to be a part of Michael Connelly’s legacy, which is this new ‘Ballard’ inspired series. I think just watching Titus and seeing him whenever he came to set and him not even tripping, just very much like, “You guys got it.” He was so supportive, and no giving us notes. He’s like, “You guys got it. You guys understand it. I don’t need to really say anything. I’m just here to read the lines they told me to do, to serve whatever you all need.” It was a very big support from his end, in a way where he was just like, “I don’t need to say anything. You guys have got it in the bag.” It was nice to feel that.
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Titus Welliver (Bosch) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
MF: Finally, Maggie, what does it mean to you to have Titus Welliver reprise his role as Harry Bosch in season 1 of ‘Ballard’ and in a sense pass the baton of this franchise on to you?
MQ: Literally, and he was so generous. I say this to anyone who’ll listen. People who’ve had that amount of success for a decade, who look at the people who will carry the torch forward and carry the baton forward and give them their blessing and have graciousness in their spirit, in their heart, and want to contribute to good things for us, that is not normal, by the way. I wish it was, but Titus ends up being somebody very special because that is who he is to us, and that’s what he wants to do for the show. It’s awesome.
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What is the plot of ‘Ballard’?
Ballard continues to bring Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels to life, following Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) as she leads the LAPD’s new and underfunded cold case division, tackling the city’s most challenging long-forgotten crimes with empathy and relentless determination. As she peels back layers of crimes spanning decades, including a serial killer’s string of murders and a murdered John Doe, she soon uncovers a dangerous conspiracy within the LAPD. With the help of her volunteer team and retired detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), Detective Ballard navigates personal trauma, professional challenges, and life-threatening dangers to expose the truth.
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
Based on a character created by author Michael Connolly and technically a spinoff of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, ‘Ballard’ is an adequate cop series but lacks the style and magic of its predecessor. While the title character was introduced in the final episode of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, the new series has almost nothing in common with the former other than a few mentions of past characters and an occasional appearance from Titus Welliver and other ‘Bosch’ actors.
It’s more akin to ‘The Closer’, ‘Cold Case’ or ABC’s ‘Highly Potential’ with Kaitlin Olson. Maggie Q does the best she can with the role but lacks the charisma or gravitas to truly lead the series. John Carroll Lynch and the supporting cast also do their best to fill in the gaps, but it’s not enough to pick up the pace and tone, which otherwise falls flat. The series does get better as it goes on, gaining momentum as the audience gets to know the cast of characters and their backstories, but it never exceeds the level of just your generic cop series.
Story and Direction
Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
The series begins by reintroducing us to Los Angeles detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), who has recently gone through an internal affairs investigation after reporting misconduct by one of her colleagues and has now been assigned to lead her own cold case department, which she sees as a demotion. Ballard’s first case is to solve the murder of councilman Jake Pearlman’s (Noah Bean) sister, which leads to discovering other victims.
Ballard puts together a new team of her own including her former partner, retired detective Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), volunteer and possible psychic Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field), intern Martina Castro (Victoria Moroles), reserve policeman and Pearlman’s friend Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley), and former detective Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor), who was also forced out of the department because of accusing her co-workers of misconduct.
In addition to investigating the councilman’s sister’s murder, Ballard and her team take on several other high-profile cold cases, eventually leading to an investigation into a team of crooked cops, that is directly connected to both Ballard and Parker’s pasts. While carefully investigating the dirty police officers, Ballard confides in her old friend Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) for advice, as he is a former LA detective turned private investigator who has had his own troubles in the past navigating the politics of the Los Angeles police department.
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Michael Mosley (Ted Rawls) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Patrick Wymore/Prime Video.
I know that ‘Ballard’ is technically a spinoff of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, but the series tries to have it’s cake and eat it too by completely stripping the tone and style of its predecessor and yet still shoehorning in ‘Bosch’ characters as if to say, “Hey, remember this is still ‘Bosch’!” And it’s not just the great Titus Welliver who returns with almost nothing to do, but more on that in a moment.
The series jumps right in as if we are supposed to already care about these characters, with no backstory explaining how they got here. To be fair, the backstories unfold as the series progresses, and that’s when you begin to care about these characters and the team they have created, but its several episodes in before that happens, and I’m afraid the casual watcher won’t give the series that long to get going.
‘Ballard’ is also missing the style and substance of ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’, which is what made the show so compelling. Those series had a noir feeling that ‘Ballard’ just can’t replicate. Ballard lives on the west side of LA, by the beach, which is in stark contrast to the Downtown LA/Hollywood vibe of the original series and fails to create an intriguing atmosphere. While the series builds some momentum as the episodes progress, it’s not enough to transcend the standard cop show syndrome the series is stuck in.
With the character of Renée Ballard only introduced in the final episode of season 3 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’, it’s not like even ‘Bosch’ fans have a long history with her and the series does nothing in the first few episodes to show us why we should care about her or the show. Ballard’s catch phrase is “The past is always present”, which holds a different meaning through the prism of solving cold cases, but rings hollow in the context of the series and just seems like a substitute for Bosch’s famous motto, “Everybody counts, or nobody counts.”
Cast and Performances
(L to R) John Carroll Lynch (Thomas Laffont) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
Maggie Q is a capable actress and has been quite good in action driven movies like ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and ‘The Protégé’ but lacks the charismas or gravitas to lead a series like this in the same way Titus Welliver did with the ‘Bosch’ franchise. Welliver became synonymous with the character, and it was hard to know the difference between Bosch and the actor playing him. Welliver also had a magnetic quality on screen, you couldn’t take your eyes off him, and Q does not possess the same characteristics as Ballard.
With popular series like ‘Nikita’ and ‘Designated Survivor’ under her belt, Q is more than qualified to lead her own series, but perhaps this was not the best marriage of actor and character, as she has difficulty being believable in the role. What should be a showcase for another complex and likable Michael Connolly character instead seems like a run-of-the-mill cop you would find on any network police procedural.
The supporting cast does their best including acclaimed actor John Carroll Lynch (‘Zodiac’ and ‘The Founder’), who plays Ballard’s former partner Thomas Laffont, who has come out of retirement to back up Renée. As their past together and the reasons why Laffont retired come to the surface, there is more for Lynch to work with, but his character is a standout from the very beginning of the season.
(L to R) Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) and Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Greg Gayne/Prime Video.
Courtney Taylor’s Samira Parker has a big redemption arc in the first season and the actress is solid in the role. Having her past connect with Ballard’s was smart, if not also predictable, but works for the conspiracy plot and bringing Parker and Ballard closer together as friends.
Rounding out the cast are Michael Mosley, whose Ted Rawls is annoying at first but grows on you as time goes on, Victoria Moroles’ Martina, who’s not given much to do until the final episodes, and Rebecca Field’s possibly psychic Colleen, who is bubbly and funny, and is a standout the entire season.
Connections to ‘Bosch’
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Titus Welliver (Bosch) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Tyler Golden/Prime Video.
While the series seems completely devoid of any connections or even a similar tone to ‘Bosch’ in the opening episodes, several characters, both big and small, make their return in ‘Ballard’. The most obvious is Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch. While Welliver’s appearance is always welcome, Harry seems out of place in ‘Ballard’, regulated to basically an advisory character.
Keep in mind, when ‘Ballard’ was first announced, it was assumed that ‘Bosch: Legacy’ would get a fourth season after she was introduced in season three, but after ‘Ballard’ got picked up, the decision was made to cancel the show. Unfortunately, Ballard was not introduced early in ‘Bosch: Legacy’s final season and given time to build, instead she was injected into the final episode, which always felt more like a backdoor pilot.
Let’s get this out of the way: ‘Bosch: Legacy’ never should have been canceled! Sadly, it was and while I want nothing more than to see Titus Welliver on screen as Harry Bosch once again, this was not the right way to do it. Major kudos to Welliver for being a class act and donating his time to appear on the new series, but why the showrunners would waste his appearance like this is beyond me. If you are going to bring Bosch back, make him part of the story. Give him some actions scenes and something to recite other than exposition, please!
Jamie Hector on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch.’ Credit: Hopper Stone. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Hardcore ‘Bosch’ fans will be over-the-moon to know that Jamie Hector returns as Detective Jerry Edgar, but again, don’t get too excited. His appearances are nothing more than cameos, and a way of bridging the gap between the two series and making ‘Ballard’ feel more like it is part of the ‘Bosch’ world. But again, these attempts feel hollow and not only don’t work to connect it to the overall ‘Bosch’ universe but keeps it from standing apart as its own distinct series.
It’s also particularly disappointing as ‘Bosch’ fans were really hoping for J. Edgar to reunite with Harry on screen before the end of ‘Legacy’, which didn’t happen. So, seeing him here seems like another wasted moment. Speaking of wasted moments, Stephen Chang who was a series regular on ‘Legacy’ for three seasons as Mo Bassi returns for one scene where he has no dialogue and only walks out of a house. I appreciate the continuity, but why make Chang return for that?
Several other recognizable faces from the two previous series return, including Troy Evans as Barrel and Mimi Rogers as Honey “Money” Chandler. Just like Welliver and Hector’s returns, they don’t amount to much other than connecting ‘Ballard’ to the greater ‘Bosch’ universe. But since the show goes so far out of its way to establish that this show is not ‘Bosch’, it confuses me as to why they even bothered with the cameos. In all other ways, style, substance, tone, music, there are no connections to the previous shows, so these cameo appearances feel a bit off. But if you are going to bring back these excellent actors in the future, please give them more to do.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Maggie Q (Renée Ballard) and Courtney Taylor (Zamira Parker) in ‘Ballard’. Photo: Adam Rose/Prime Video.
While ‘Ballard’ is a fine cop show, it just can’t hold a candle to the previous two ‘Bosch’ series, which is probably an unfair comparison. But since ‘Ballard’ tries so hard to both be part of the ‘Bosch’ universe and something completely new, it fails on both counts. Maggie Q lacks the gravitas required for the role and the series fails to create any real urgency to watch. In the end, ‘Ballard’ is just another cop show and does not live up to the legacy of ‘Bosch’.
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What is the plot of ‘Ballard’?
Ballard continues to bring Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels to life, following Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) as she leads the LAPD’s new and underfunded cold case division, tackling the city’s most challenging long-forgotten crimes with empathy and relentless determination. As she peels back layers of crimes spanning decades, including a serial killer’s string of murders and a murdered John Doe, she soon uncovers a dangerous conspiracy within the LAPD. With the help of her volunteer team and retired detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), Detective Ballard navigates personal trauma, professional challenges, and life-threatening dangers to expose the truth.
(L to R) Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles in ‘Outlaw Posse.’ Photo: Quiver Distribution.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles about their new Western, developing the screenplay, returning to the genre, if it is a sequel to Van Peebles’ 1993 movie ‘Posse,’ playing father and son on screen, working together on set, putting together the terrific cast, preparing for their roles, and if Allen Payne’s final line is a ‘New Jack City’ Easter egg.
You can read the full interview below of click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Mario and Mandela Van Peebles, as well as John Carroll Lynch, William Mapother, Jake Manley, and Amber Reign Smith.
(L to R) Mario Van Peebles and Melvin Van Peebles in 1993’s ‘Posse.’ Photo: Quiver Distribution.
Moviefone: To begin with, Mario, can you talk about returning to the Western genre with ‘Outlaw Posse,’ and do you consider it just a companion piece or an unofficial sequel to 1993’s ‘Posse’?
Mario Van Peebles: I would say companion. Like you saw Clint Eastwood in multiple spaghetti Westerns, this one has its own thing. Now, let me just say this, when I did ‘Posse’ 30 years ago, my first Western, my dad (Melvin Van Peebles) was around, and my son wasn’t born yet. When I did ‘Outlaw Posse’ recently, my dad wasn’t around, and here Mandela is. When I wrote the script, I was thinking about that Johnny Cash song, ‘A Boy Named Sue,’ about a boy who has got a challenging relationship with his pop. I thought, “Who better to play my onscreen son than Mandela here?” So, here we are again.
(L to R) Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles in ‘Outlaw Posse.’ Photo: Quiver Distribution.
MF: Mandela, what was it like for you to be directed by your father?
Mandela Van Peebles: It was a lot of fun. We have a relationship where we get to wear many different hats, and this time around, we got to wear cowboy hats, ride horses, and basically enjoy life in Montana together. So, the experience was great. We’ve been father-son on set before, where he’s directed. We’ve been father and son where we’ve both been acting. This was one of the ones where we got to do both together, and that’s a lot of fun. The stunts, doing that was also a blast, because it’s an indie. So, a lot of the effects, a lot of the things you see on screen were as practical as can be. ‘Outlaw Posse,’ it’s a Western, but the genre is very much still relevant to what’s going on today, as far as the issues we’re touching on in the film.
Mario Van Peebles in ‘Outlaw Posse.’ Photo: Quiver Distribution.
MF: Mario, can you talk about developing the screenplay and the themes that you wanted to explore as a director?
Mario Van Peebles: One of every three cowboys was Black. The very named cowboy, they gave to Black guys as sort of a derogatory term, and they used to give them the dirty jobs. They said, “Take care of the horses, boy. Take care of the cow, boy. Where’d those cowboys go?” The white guys liked being called Rough Riders, which is a cool name. But once Hollywood started to glorify cowboys, then they brought in white actors to play them and even to play Native Americans. So, the Westerns we grew up on were more whitewashed than the reality of what the West was. Before women could vote, you had Stagecoach Mary, who’s a badass sister with a rifle and a stagecoach and a deal with the US Postal Service. She’s played by Whoopi Goldberg and played well. At the end, you go, “Wow, she looks like the real Stagecoach Mary.” So not only do you see the real diversity of the West, but you see the pictures of the real people that we’re portraying at the end. I always love that, truth is stranger than fiction, right? When I did ‘Heartbreak Ridge’ with Clint Eastwood, he talked about the incredible diversity, which is why, in ‘Unforgiven,’ he put Morgan Freeman right there, because that was the ratio of cowboys. It’s fun to get it out there and say, “This is more the reality than what we’ve been seeing, and we can learn from it.” As the French say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
(L to R) Mandela Van Peebles, Mario Van Peebles and Amber Reign Smith in ‘Outlaw Posse.’ Photo: Quiver Distribution.
MF: Mario, can you talk about what it means to you personally to have had this opportunity to work with your son, as well as putting together the rest of the talented cast?
Mario Van Peebles: Well, working with him is fun. It’s a dream come true. We wrestle, we play, we laugh, we agree sometimes, we disagree sometimes, but I think, when I’m directing him, he knows that it’s coming from a place of love. Because when you hit the ground running, you want to know that everyone knows their part. Well, one thing I know, he knows how to play my son and I know how to play his dad. So, we’ve been practicing that for a few years. But also, what I try to do as a director is I like to give the foot rub I want to get. What does that mean? That means that John Carroll Lynch is going to get a great introduction as the big guy with the little bird. No animal’s ever lied to him yet. Whoopi Goldberg’s going to great and M. Emmett Walsh and Neal McDonough. So, you’re going to get great actors in even just cameo roles that are going to come in. I like to look at an actor and know that they know way more than they need for that character, that there is an intelligence there that I get. I think, when you’re that kind of filmmaker, and you say, “My own ego can get out of the way, because I don’t care about that. I want the movie to be great. If you can bring some great secret sauce and we can collectively bring the generosity, let’s do that and let’s get in the saddle and make it happen.”
Mandela Van Peebles in ‘Outlaw Posse.’ Photo: Quiver Distribution.
MF: Mandela, can you talk about preparing for this role?
Mandela Van Peebles: Yeah, the prep work was fun. We spent, what was it, around two months, just being in that environment, being in the wardrobe, seeing that landscape and that just puts you in the head space to make a Western. The wranglers, who helped us out, they were great and professional. We got plenty of time to basically, I like to call it free riding, but practicing. I got to ride horses as much as I wanted, and that’s a win for me. I had a great time. The stunts were fun. We did our own stunts. It was all kind of great stuff. Shooting a lot of the old guns is very different than modern guns.
(Center) Allen Payne in ‘New Jack City.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
MF: Finally, Mario, actor Allen Payne’s last line in ‘Outlaw Posse’ is a callback to his famous line from ‘New Jack City,’ “Am I my brother’s keeper.” Was that line originally in the script, or was it a ‘New Jack City’ Easter egg that was improvised on set?
Mario Van Peebles: Totally. No one’s gotten that yet, but there’s a lot of things that, if you watch this movie, there’s some layers, even from the Native American brothers and sisters that are in this movie. But yeah, when I brought Allen in and we talked about that, I was like, because what we were saying is that, in that tunnel, when we all dropped the peyote, and again, in Westerns, you don’t typically see that, but I was like, “Oh, I always loved that scene in ‘Easy Rider,’ where they get stoned, and you see this different side of them.” So, Allen Payne’s character sees his mother alive, and his mother said to him as a kid, “A Black man will never get any respect, unless he’s got money, unless he’s got gold.” So, he has this whole thing, and yet, Chief has respect from a multiracial group of people, which is kind of a mindblower to him. Then, he’s like, “But you’re supposed to be my keeper.” So, Allen and I were unpacking that character and saying, “Let’s bring these levels.” So, I’m glad you noticed that.
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What is the Plot of ‘Outlaw Posse’?
In 1908, Chief (Mario Van Peebles) returns from years of hiding in Mexico to claim stolen gold hidden in the hills of Montana. In his quest, he reunites an ensemble of fresh & familiar faces – together they fight off Angel (William Mapother), whose rationale to the gold leaves a trail of deception and dead bodies.
“American Horror Story” creator Ryan Murphy loves a good theme, and the latest installment of the anthology series has a pretty excellent — and specific — one: The year 1984, and the slasher flicks that reigned supreme during that era. Murphy has already hinted that he’s taking that inspiration seriously, and the newest teaser for “American Horror Story: 1984” proves that the show will be a pitch-perfect homage to the genre.
The clip opens with a large group of pals cranking tunes and cracking open beers while driving down a dirt road to Camp Redwood, a secluded lakeside retreat. But in classic horror fashion, it becomes immediately clear that there’s danger lurking around every corner — and under every truck bed.
Sun-dappled scenery and carefree young people abound, as do jump-scare interruptions featuring a hulking masked man wielding a giant knife (“AHS” mainstay John Carroll Lynch, who’s once again playing the terrifying antagonist). A sunbather in a canoe is an all too easy target (and a very familiar visual reference for fans of the genre).
“American Horror Story: 1984” features a stacked cast, including Emma Roberts, Olympian Gus Kenworthy, Billie Lourd, Cody Fern, Leslie Grossman, Matthew Morrison, DeRon Horton, Zach Villa, and “Pose” star Angelica Ross. Its season premiere is set for September 18 on FX.
