Steven Barnes's Blog, page 6

A Cubic Inch of Opportunity

“From time to time, life gives you a cubic inch of opportunity. Either grab it, or its gone forever.” — Unknown.

Almost twenty-five years ago, my wife Toni decided to move to the Northwest. I had a choice: preserve and promote my Hollywood career, or be a father to my daughter Nicki. That was no choice: I’m a Dad.

During my ten years up there I struggled to keep my career in play, even while unable to take pitch meetings or network. My marriage dissolved, I fell in love and married Tananarive...

“The Godfather” (1972) and “Breaking Bad”

(Spoilers)

Generally considered one of the greatest American films, Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster epic really is a magnificent effort, stellar in almost every part. Even the ad libs (“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli”) are just priceless.

I suppose everyone loves movies for different reasons, and takes home different things from them. I see “Godfather” as a fairly classic tragedy: the downfall of a great man, generally due to a character flaw. And “Godfather” has this in spades.

Michael Corl...

2019: The year to avoid the “Talent Trap”

“Max” was the new guy in karate class. He’d been there about two weeks the first time we fought.  He was a white belt. I was a green belt. And…he was so strong, so fast, so aggressive that I could barely hold him off.  What was clear was that in a few months I wouldn’t be able to. I knew that the first time I fought him.  He was “a natural”.  He had “talent.”  I felt sick, anxious.  It was unfair.  What the hell was the point in trying, when there were guys like Max who could just walk off th...

Where “Bumblebee” (2018) and “Mary Poppins” meet

This is the first Transformers movie that really felt like playing with the toys on a Saturday afternoon, especially in a mash-up with your G.I. Joe dolls.  Heck, Barbie and Ken damned near makes cameos.

 

No one is going to mistake two hours of product placement for Shakespeare, but there is enough genuine heart to keep things humming along.

 

So…Charlie, (Hailee Steinfeld) is a teenaged girl who lost her father to a heart attack two years ago. The rest of the family has moved on, but she ca...

“Bandersnatch” (2018)

 

Netflix’ justifiably notorious experiment in “choose your own adventure” video storytelling is here, and it is something to behold.   I’ve only played with it once, but understand that depending on the choices you make, the experience is between 50 and 120 (!) minutes.  As anyone who has ever “read” (or better, “experienced”) a CYOA, they are gimmicks, and fun, but we don’t expect emotional response. The fractured story lines make it difficult if not impossible to BOTH have genuine choices...

My Fourteen Year Old Called Me A Liar…Good!

Last night, Jason accused me of lying, was angry and accusatory. I was almost happy. This, I thought, is a teachable moment.

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Getting Jason to engage with his homework is always a struggle. As is getting him to stop playing his video games.

But there may be a small breakthrough. Three weeks ago Jason broke his ankle, and has been home-schooled ever since. Serious resistance, every day, combined with savage cabin fever. Last week, we bundled Jason up and got him to the Glendora Public Librar...

“Rare Exports” (2010) and a Christmas gift of love…to you.

I have to admit loving evil Santa movies. Maybe it’s a matter of needing a palate cleanser sometimes before diving into “Love, Actually” or “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “Silent Night, Deadly Night” with its faux Christmas Carols (“Santa’s watching, Santa’s creeping, now you’re nodding, now you’re sleeping. Hope that you’ve been good this year…too late now, ’cause Santa’s here!” Brrrr) is your typical 70’s slasher movie with a very, very nasty sense of humor.

But “Rare Exports” just might take the...

“Aquaman” (2018) and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989)

Pleasant, fun, visually gorgeous, “Aquaman” forms, with “Wonder Woman”, a foundational piece in how the DC Universe should proceed. When its bad (some cheesy dialogue, a bit of unclear spacial geometry, and oh, Jason Mamoa is a personality, not an “actor”) its bad in a fond, familiar way, and what the heck, it’s a comic book movie: you knew what you were going to see.

I was asking myself why we so love these simple colorful stories of heroes, and I think it is because their basic structure i...

How “Shmoos” became Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae: A love story

I was tagged in the following post by a Facebook friend, Talitha McEachin:

“I’m on the train & this young woman (20–24 yrs old) just went off on this older dude because he sat in the only seat left (several people standing on the full train) and didn’t let her have it. She talked about his lack of manners in not giving the seat to her or another standing woman. Now, normally I’d agree that men should have such courtesy, and no I’m not some flaming feminist who resists such gender based courte...

“Hey Man, Gimme Your Money”

I was a thirty-five year old coward, standing on a deserted Oakland street. He was huge, hulking, looming over me. Had appeared out of nowhere on that Oakland street at two in the morning, He wanted my wallet. And it seemed that every moment of my life had led to this instant. This was the test.

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I’d been a small, gentle vulnerable boy with no father, brother or uncles. A poet, a reader, a loner who didn’t understand male energy at all. Beaten up by the other guys, mocked by the girls. I wa...