Phil Giunta's Blog, page 103
July 24, 2012
Dark Knight Rises - Review
In light of the Colorado tragedy, and my insane schedule as of late, I was ambivalent about whether to write a review of Dark Knight Rises.
However, I had some time this evening and I did enjoy the film. While the middle installment remains my favorite for its intensity, Nolan's final entry in the Batman saga has a bit more depth in its portrayal of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale).
While the Batman trilogy stresses the point that the caped crusader is merely a symbol, Bruce Wayne is very much a mortal man. The street brawls have taken their toll on his body and he is emotionally drained after the loss of Rachel Dawes at the hands of the Joker in the previous film. Wayne has been reduced to a depressed, isolated cripple at the start of Dark Knight Rises and only the unexpected appearance of Selina Kyle (Catwoman, as portrayed with perfection by Anne Hathaway) in his mansion jolts the billionaire from his reclusiveness. After Kyle makes off with a string of pearls that once belonged to Wayne's late mother, Bruce learns that Selina was after something more--his fingerprints. But why?
Meanwhile, members of a terrorist group are captured by the CIA and placed aboard a plane along with a nuclear physicist. The agents begin interrogating the prisoners only to find that one of them is the leader himself - a behemoth mercenary known as Bane (played brilliantly by Tom Hardy) who wears a mask that covers the lower half of his face. Bane breaks his bonds and releases hell on the plane as another, larger craft looms overhead. Mercenaries from the other plane board the CIA craft and assist Bane in kidnapping the physicist. After a stunning aerial sequence, Bane ejects from the destroyed CIA plane with the scientist and is towed away on a cable by the larger craft. Hmmmm...
As the movie progresses, Bane arrives in Gotham. We learn that he intends to finish the job that Ra'as Al Ghul had started in the first film--destroy the den of corruption. However, at the beginning of the film, Gotham City's mayor credits the late DA and shining knight, Harvey Dent, for eliminating organized crime. The eponymously names Dent Act had been passed allowing for tougher penalties on criminals and Gotham is once again safe.
Doesn't matter to Bane as he and his mercenaries shoot up the Gotham Stock Exchange, destroy all bridges leading to the mainland (except for one) and activate a nuclear device capable of leveling Gotham. While trying to track Bane to the sewer system, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is shot and hospitalized.
Enter one of Gotham City's finest, John Blake, a young cop who still has faith in Batman, despite the dark knight's false status as cop killer and murderer of Harvey Dent. Yet Batman has not been seen in eight years. Blake might know why. In fact, he knows the identity of Batman and confronts Bruce at Wayne Manor.
Despite the protests of his butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), Bruce know that this is a job for Batman--until he goes up against Bane in a brawl that leaves the caped crusader with a broken back. Worse, it had been Catwoman that not only led him to Bane (per Batman's request) but then trapped him there with no way to escape. Later, Bruce Wayne awakens in a prison at the bottom of a pit somwhere in the Middle East. It is the same prison from which Bane had been the only one to ever escape. He challenges Bruce to do the same (impossible in his condition) but in the meantime, he allows Wayne to watch Gotham City burn via television.
Back in the city, Police Captain Foley (Matthew Modine) orders almost every cop into the sewers after Bane and his mercenaries. Of course, it's a trap!
The film's intensity ratchets up more and more and Bane takes over the city and declares martial law. All seems lost for Gotham City. Until...
Director Christopher Nolan has a way of imbuing larger than life characters and settings with very human elements, making them realistic. His Gotham City is a modern metropolis (pardon the pun) without the gargoyles and goth of the previous Batman movie series from the late 80s and 90s. Anne Hathaway's fantastic Catwoman is not exaggerated or cheesy at all. Though she wears a leather body suit, she never purrs and her cat ears are provided by her night goggles when she flips them up onto her head. In fact, I don't believe she is referred to as Catwoman at all in the film, merely Selina. Bane's origin and even his condition were altered a bit from the comics and cartoons, making him even more fierce and threatening. There are some interesting supporting actors in this including Burn Gorman (Torchwood), Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1) and back again for a slightly larger role than his cameo in last movie, Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow in Batman Begins).
All told, Dark Knight Rises was a fitting end to the legend of Batman, but the symbol lives on...
All images copyright 2012 DC Comics, Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Syncopy Films
July 22, 2012
July 21, 2012
Another Super Sized Edition of About This Writing Stuff...
Also this week, eBooks show strong growth in a recent survey. Diane Nelson warns against poorly edited self pubbed books while Dean Wesley Smith offers advice on blurb writing. Jody Hedlund provides quick tips on character building and responding to readers. Kristen Lamb welcomes us to the publishing revolution and Crystal Patriarche zips up book publicity.
Finally, it's been quite a few weeks since I've posted articles from Writer's Digest so I thought I'd make up for that with topics ranging from marketing to thriller writing to just being a better writer in general.
Survey Shows Growing Strength of eBooks by Julie Bosman
Some Assembly Required by Diane Nelson
Penguin's New Business Model: Exploiting Writers by David Gaughran
Blurb Writing by Dean Wesley Smith
Harlequin Fail Part 2 by JA Konrath
3 Key Ways to Create Characters that Grip Readers' Hearts and Author Etiquette 101: How to Support Readers
by Jody Hedlund
How Self Publishing Has Helped All Writers by Kristen Lamb
How Book Publicity is Like a Zip-Line by Crystal Patriarche
From Writer's Digest
Catherine Coulter: 9 Simple Ways To Be A Better Writer
Daniel Palmer: Thriller Writing Made Easy: 4 Steps to Starting a Thriller
MJ Rose: Marketing Essentials Every Writer Should Know About
Don't Get Rejected Before Agents Even Read a Word by Sara Foster via Chuck Sambuchino
A Pitch vs. Synopsis: The Difference and Definitions by Chuck Sambuchino
July 16, 2012
A Mondo Edition of About This Writing Stuff...
Here and now, Konrath discusses eBook pricing while David Gaughran makes money from paperbacks. He's also none too pleased with the Author's Guild. Jami Gold wonders whether you embrace the labor of writing and advises how less information equals more imagination. Jody Hedlund offers readers tips on promoting their favorite writers.
From Writer Unboxed, advice on strenghtening that second book in your trilogy and how to overcome "writer's block". We get three articles each from the husband and wife team of Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch covering the business of publishing, pricing your books, editing and proofing, and even some Star Trek fun!
Finally, this week's list would not be complete without more updates on the new project that has many writers excited--ReDeus: Divine Tales. It is an honor for me to be part of this. Co-creators and DC Comics alumni Bob Greenberger and Paul Kupperberg make some announcements!
Zero Sum by JA Konrath
The Author's Guild Doesn't Service Writers by David Gaughran
Making Money from Paperbacks by David Gaughran
The Hard Work of Writing: Do You Embrace It? by Jami Gold
Where Less Can Be More by Jami Gold
20 Easy Ways Readers Can Help Promote a Book by Jody Hedlund
Introducing ReDeus, a Brand New World, a Bold New Anthology by Bob Greenberger
OMG! The Gods Return in ReDeus: Divine Tales by Paul Kupperburg
The Curse of the Middle Book by Juliet Marillier
Mind the Gap: Strategies for Overcoming Writers Block by CG Blake
Kristine Kathryn Rusch Triple Play
Perfection
Careers, Critics, and Professors
Writers and Business
Dean Wesley Smith Hat Trick
Some Perspective on Pricing
Some Star Trek Fun and History
Editing and Proofing
July 14, 2012
ReDeus: Divine Tales Audio Samples
Steve's story, "Axel's Song" is first followed by my Celtic tale, "There Be In Dreams No War."
And finally, we have talented artist Carmen Carnero for the interior art and I wanted to share the wonderful finished piece she did for my Celtic gods story.
July 13, 2012
Book Review: Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop
When the mayor of San Francisco slashes the police department's budget, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer is forced to terminate his consulting contract with former partner turned private detective Adrian Monk.
Nevertheless, the obsessive-compulsive detective continues to show up at crime scenes despite discouragement from his lovely and forthright assistant, Natalie Teeger. In an attempt to outwit her, Monk begins calling in anonymous tips on crimes he reads about in the newspaper until he is caught in the act by Natalie. No pay, no work!
Making matters worse, both Monk and Stottlemeyer are interviewed before a live audience at a homicide investigators convention wherein Stottlemeyer is made to look incompetent next to Monk's amazing powers of detection. The interview is conducted by homicide detective Paul Braddock of the Banning PD who clearly has a peronal axe to grind with Stottlemeyer.
Following the interview, former homicide detective turned millionaire PI Nick Slade extends a lucrative job offer to Monk and Natalie to join his company Intertect as investigators. In addition to the company car (a Lexus SUV that Natalie drives), Monk is also assigned a a gorgeous young assitant named Danielle. Though slightly jealous, Natalie gets along well with her until Danielle tasks Monk with hundreds of cases per week. Undaunted, Monk's obsessive nature allows him to solve one after the other without fail and without sleep--all from reading the case files.
Meanwhile, a long time friend of Stottlemeyer's, Bill Peschel, is found dead in a swimming pool. Peschel had been suffering with Alzheimer's and thought that he was still a bartender in a tavern he had purchased decades earlier but no longer owned. Whenever people would visit him at his daughter's home, he would serve them "drinks" at the bar, all of which turned out to be nothing more than water. Peschel also had a habit of calling in anonymous tips about crimes that had been solved years ago. At Peschel's wake, Braddock and Stottlemeyer end up in a fistfight over the humiliating interview from the day before.
The following night, Braddock is found dead in his hotel room and all of the evidence points to Stottlemeyer. Despite warnings from Slade, Monk begins to investigate the case after Stottlemeyer is arrested by his own partner, the quirky, hero-worshipping Lt. Randy Disher.
Will Monk be able to clear the captain? How is the murder of Braddock connected to the death of Bill Peschel and is there a connection to millionaire Nick Slade? Even Adrian Monk is stumped, albeit only briefly...
Once again, Lee Goldberg gives us a quick, fun read and remains true to the characters from the TV show. This is the fifth Monk novel I've read and I have yet to be disappointed.
Book Review: Mr. Monk in Outer Space
When a fast food chain executive is shot three times in his office by a professional hit man, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer of the SFPD calls former partner turned private investigator Adrian Monk. Along with his lovely assistant, Natalie Teeger, Monk arrives on the scene (after outsmarting a revolving door) and reveals that the victim's death had been caused by a heart attack. In other words, the corpse had been desecreated.
This prompts Stottlemeyer's current partner, the quirky and sometimes ditzy Lt. Randy Disher, to form the Special Desecration Unit, placing himself in charge, of course.
The question is, who shot the dead man?
Meanwhile, when Adrian Monk's living room carpet is soiled by a coffee stain that can only be seen with a magnifying glass, the obsessive-compulsive detective orders a new carpet. Since he cannot live in his home until the new carpet is installed, he finds himself staying with his agoraphobic brother, Ambrose. As the two of them rarely speak, it makes for an awkward situation.
Monk is then called to the scene of another shooting murder, this time outside of a convention center. The creator of an long canceled sci-fi TV show called Beyond Earth had been shot in the head while exiting a cab. Security footage revealed the killer to be...Mr. Snork!
As Natalie explains, Snork is one of the lead characters in Beyond Earth. He is a crewmember of the USS Discovery, lost in space after Earth is destroyed. The ship's crew encounters other aliens and helps to form the Confederation of Planets. Snork has pointy ears, an elephant trunk for a nose, and speaks Dratch.
The costumed killer from the security footage is seen running into the nearby convention center. According to Monk, it should be easy to catch the "freak" until he learns that the convention center is hosting a Beyond Earth convention with scores of fans dressed like Mr. Snork and other aliens.
Monk is absolutely appalled at the idea of dressing up like a television character and upon visiting the Beyond Earth convention, is further shocked to learn that his tech writer brother, Ambrose, has penned three reference books about the show!
But how does the murder of a has-been TV executive connect with the desecration of a fast food franchise exec? Only Adrian Monk can answer that question, once he learns to get over his fear of odd numbers, quirky TV show fans, carpet stains, eye patches, revolving doors, and more. More importantly, will he listen to his brother, Ambrose, who might have vital information thanks to his knowledge about Beyond Earth?
Lee Goldberg delivers yet another amusing story of "defective detective" Adrian Monk paired with an hilarious spoof of hardcore pop sci-fi fandom.
Goldberg's brilliant approach of telling the Monk stories using the first person POV of Natalie serves to clarify the concept of Adrian Monk as a flawed, fearful, egotistical, hypocritical, and ultimately sympathetic character. In other words, a human being. More, readers become familiar with what drives Monk to be the "best detective on Earth"...and possibly Beyond!
July 12, 2012
ReDeus: Divine Tales UPDATE II
July 6, 2012
Book Review: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula
In the middle of a sudden and fierce storm, the Russian schooner Demeter runs aground in Whitby Harbor, England. Immediately after, witnesses state that a large black dog had leapt from the boat and run off into the darkness. The Demeter's dead captain was found with his wrists bound at the wheel beside a set of rosary beads. Two small puncture wounds, nearly an inch apart, were found on his neck.
Such were the facts presented to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson by a local reporter. Intrigued, the pair set off from London to Whitby where they find themselves confronted by the ghostly form of Lucy Westenra, now a vampire, kidnapping children and draining them of blood. Holmes and Watson attempt to trap her late one night but she escapes back to her crypt--only to be killed by a stake driven through the heart. The trap had been set by four men including Professor Abraham Van Helsing,
After an exchange of information with Holmes, Van Helsing warns the famous detective to keep out of his way and do not interfere with his pursuit of Dracula. For it was the Count himself that had fled the Demeter in the form of a wolf.
While Watson is blatantly dismissive of such ludicrous claims, Holmes is suprisingly receptive. The detective even goes so far as to buy a book on vampires, to the good doctor's chagrin. A series of confrontations with Dracula follows, including one resulting from his abduction of Watson's wife, Mary.
Loren Estleman does an admirable job presenting the tale in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As with all Sherlock Holmes stories, they are told from first person perspective of Dr. Watson. This time, Watson "writes" an introdcution in which he claims that Bram Stoker completely ignored the facts of the case when he deliberately failed to mention Holmes or Watson in his novel.
There are one or two weak chapters in the middle but they provide the service of leading up to a suspenseful climax aboard an American ship, the Baltimore. Van Helsing and the other characters from Bram Stoker's Dracula made cameo appearances for the sole sake of explaining much of Dracula's history and to warn off Holmes. I had hoped for teamwork between Van Helsing and Holmes and was disappointed when the vampire hunter never returned to the story.
All told, it was a quick and enjoyable adventure but one that had potential to be much more.
ReDeus: Divine Tales UPDATE
In an earlier blog post, I talked about new project for which I had been invited to submit a short story. With just over three weeks until the debut of the ReDeus: Divine Tales anthology, I wanted to offer a summary of my story. "There Be In Dreams No War" is a tale based on the Celtic mythology of the Tuatha de Danann, the gods who brought human civilization to Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Following the summary is the ReDeus logo, then a rough sketch of the gorgeous interior artwork by the amazing Carmen Carnero. I hope to post the finished, inked piece shortly.
In 2250 B.C., two divine races battled for dominion over the land known today as Ireland. Weary of oppression at the hands of Fomorian ogres, the benevolent people of the Tuatha de Danann rebelled, led by their king known as the Dagda and the sea god, Manannan.
Yet their victory was not achieved solely by the blade but also with a magical harp known as Uaithne. Among its many amazing powers was the ability to put an enemy to sleep with its song. As the Fomorians fell, their queen Cethleen assassinated the Dagda and stole his harp. Upon discovering that the Uaithne would sing for no one but the Dagda and his harper, Cethlenn cast it into the Irish Sea never to be played again.
Four thousand years later, the gods have returned and Ireland is again divided between them. This time, the Tuatha de Danann find themselves gravely outnumbered and without their mighty king. When the harp is recovered by a diving expedition, the sea god Manannan takes possession. Believing he has found the reincarnation of the Dagda's harper in a New Yorker named Laurie Golden, Manannan brings her to his castle on the Isle of Man on the eve of invasion by the Fomorians.
As Manannan prepares for a showdown with Cethlenn's forces, will the Uaithne sing once more and lead the Tuatha de Danann to victory or will the Fomorians slaughter the last of the benevolent gods?
ReDeus is the creation of award winning writers Robert Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Paul Kupperberg, and Steve Savile. The premise: What if all of the ancient gods of every Earth culture returned in 2012? Fast forward to 2032. What would life be like in those two decades?
Other contributing writers include Steven H. Wilson, Lawrence Schoen, Allyn Gibson, Dave Galanter and more.
ReDeus will be published by Crazy 8 Press and available in print and eBook in early August 2012. We will have a book launch at Shore Leave 34, an annual SF convention in Hunt Valley, MD.
