I’m sure I don’t need to offer an introduction to THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, but just in case, here it is:
Back in the late 1900s, a bouncer at a bar in L.A. wrote a hard-boiled crime thriller that ignited a bidding war in Hollywood. The resultant film, THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, released in mid-1999, was a cultural milestone. Critics thrashed it and, honestly, they can’t be blamed. The film is misogynistic, racist, and glorifies violence. Actually, “glorifies” isn’t a strong enough word. THE BOONDOCK SAINTS treats violence like it’s the best thing since sliced arteries... er, bread.
But the critics, ultimately, didn’t write the story of the film’s success; that was left to the fans. The film’s release was quiet, but word-of-mouth made the cacophony surrounding the film rise to deafening levels. (I, personally, might never have found the film if I hadn’t been working in a video store at the time, shelving the admittedly fetching VHS sleeve.) THE BOONDOCK SAINTS became a massive cult hit. Many identified with the film’s themes of fraternal bonds, justice, morality, loyalty, and vigilante revenge fantasy. It’s a perfect time capsule of the late-90’s crime caper movie: it’s funny, irreverent, brash, profane, stylish, bloody, and oddly uplifting. More than anything, though, it’s just fucking cool.
The film centers around the MacManus Brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus), working-class Irish immigrants in Boston who run afoul of the Russian and Italian Mafia. No shrinking wallflowers, these capable fighters with an iron-clad Irish Catholic code of morality take the war to their oppressors, meting out deadly justice while staying one step ahead of both the bad guys and the FBI profiler (Willem Dafoe) brought in to expose them.
Due to Hollywood red tape, the inevitable sequel was long-coming and hard-fought, but eventually surfaced in late 2009. The brothers, now reunited with their estranged father, bring aboard a new protégé in Romeo (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and return to Boston to take on a newly rejuvenated Italian Mafia. Garnering similar critical and audience reaction as the first film, ALL SAINTS DAY was lambasted by critics and embraced by fans.
Then, again, the property lay dormant. Ten years came and went, and still nothing. Rumors rose and blew away like gunsmoke. Where, or where, have our Saints gone, and what of their enigmatic creator, writer/director Troy Duffy?
Imagine my surprise when, just a few days after securing press access to Norman Reedus’s press room at NYCC 2025 for “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” I get an email asking if I’d like to chat with Troy Duffy about his new book, THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, VOL 1: BLOOD ORIGIN. Obviously, I said yes. (In case I haven’t made it apparent, I am a fan.)
Yeah, you read that right: book. BLOOD ORIGIN traces the, well, origins of the MacManus Brothers, from rebellious preteens in Ireland to fully baptized vigilantes in Boston. In preparation for this interview, I rewatched my BluRay of BOONDOCK SAINTS, starting with the deleted scenes, and noted that at least one is recreated in the book. The novel BLOOD ORIGIN features plenty of Easter Eggs for fans of the films while still serving as an excellent introduction to those who’ve never caught a frame of the infamous Brothers MacManus.
BLOOD ORIGIN reads like the best of the modern crime thriller books, with short, snappy chapters, well-researched world-building, multiple story and character threads, and pop culture references aplenty. One thing that stood out to me as I was reading was the time frame evidenced by many of the book’s references. While THE BOONDOCK SAINTS film certainly paints itself into 1999 with flip-phones, phone booths, landlines, beepers and the like, BLOOD ORIGIN references television shows like “Peaky Blinders” and “Property Brothers,” the MacManus Brothers use phones with flashlight apps and video capability, mapping apps, and exist alongside post-9/11 racism.
Despite talking for forty-five minutes, I neglected to ask Troy Duffy about this time shift, so I sent a follow-up email. He graciously answered.
“It seemed like a pointless half step back in history that would only be slightly nostalgic to the first fans,” he replied. “I thought bringing in some of the current tech could add new facets to their ‘work’ in terms of new story elements related to degree of success and/or avoiding detection. When the boys learn how to use it, tech could help keep them one step ahead, or infiltrate, escape, etc. But the biggest reason was that I wanted the Brothers to be with us in the here and now. I wanted them to see what we see and have to deal with what we all deal with. The world is changing fast and we all have to roll with it. So do the boys. Makes them more relatable / tangible. I mean, even crime and criminals have changed in the last quarter century. So, it is not only a more target rich environment, we can hit center mass in terms of the ‘new age scumbags’ that we hate now.”
To this end, BLOOD ORIGIN is less of a prequel than it is an apocryphal reboot. Viewers of the film (and its deleted scenes) will recognize classic moments recontextualized into similar but different adventures. They’ll read names that spark recognition throughout the franchise of characters in differing positions of their respective careers. There’s even a brand new genie joke for fans of the original’s infamous “I’ll have a coke!” bombshell.
As a fan, I loved reading this book, and devoured most of it with a smile on my face. If the movie can be accused of glorifying violence, the same cannot be said of this novel. Perhaps there’s no way to make beatings and killings sexy on the page, bereft of the benefits of slow-motion, a soaring score, and lens flare. This book lays bare the monsters we’re meant to revile and the conflict of heroes pushed towards capital justice. There’s a particularly powerful moment toward the middle where we find an innocent soul caught up in the whirlwind of these monsters and angels, struggling with fighting for salvation or becoming a monster themselves. It’s a nuanced take on the old “hurt people hurt people” adage that asks what we, angels in our own right if we only choose, can do to make a difference in an indifferent world.
Duffy and I shared an expansive chat, discussing the writing of this book, the legacy of the films and their fans, the implications of true vigilantes, narrating the audiobook, films that influenced him and current works that continue to inspire him, and more.
THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, VOL. 1: BLOOD ORIGIN is out now. You can find a link to order the book through the official Boondock Saints Website and also keep up to date on all the updates about future film projects, books, and more.
Until next time, take care.
-McEric, aka Eric McClanahan-
