David M. Brown's Blog, page 63
March 28, 2013
Film Review: Funny Games
Starring: Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Arno Frisch, Frank Giering, Stefan Clapczynski
Directed by: Michael Haneke
Runtime: 108 minutes
Studio: Kino Video
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Review: Funny Games
Michael Haneke’s controversial film, Funny Games, is not one for the faint hearted. German couple Georg (Ulrich Muhe), Anna (Susanne Lothar) and their son Georgie (Stefan Clapczynski) head for their lake house in Austria for what should be a pleasant family holiday. However, their break turns into a nightmare when two young men Paul (Arno Frisch) and Peter (Frank Giering) visit and once inside the lake house they take the family hostage and subject them to the funny games of the title.
This is a tense and cruel film but notably the violence inflicted on the family takes place off-screen. Paul is first introduced by a neighbour Fred (Christoph Bantzer) and is said to be the son of a friend. Paul and Peter later return to the family lake house in what seems innocent enough circumstances. Peter asks to borrow some eggs only to drop four, then the family dog frightens him and another four are dropped. While in the kitchen he clumsily knocks Anna’s phone into a sink full of water. Anna is now uncomfortable and asks the men to leave. Georg intervenes and when the family refuse to give the two men the last of their eggs things turn violent. Georg is struck with a golf club and has his leg broken. The family are then seated together in the living room where Peter is mostly silent, gorging on the family’s food while the assertive Paul leads proceedings.
The acting in Funny Games is very good and although the violence is restricted this will still be hard for many people to watch. The suffering inflicted on the family does not stop at the adults. Their son is a victim as well. One of the worst moments is when Georgie has a cushion cover put over his head while Anna is forced to undress. The film cleverly plays with the conventions of a thriller. A few times Paul speaks directly to the audience, the almost omniscient participant in the film. He compares events to how thrillers tend to go and is very much the spokesman for the message Haneke tries to convey in his film. There is no hope in Funny Games. Brace yourself for an unhappy but clever conclusion. Paul holds all the aces, especially when one turn of events displeases him and he wants to change it. What does he do? Simple, he gets the TV remote, pauses, then rewinds the film to change things. This is tough on the audience watching Paul cheat but it is a memorable moment all the same. Tense and often unpleasant, there is something still striking about this film throughout that makes it hard to stop watching.
Funny Games is a fascinating but controversial film that will divide audiences. Despite the on-screen violence being minimal, this is not a film for the fainthearted and many may find it too difficult to watch. The film’s clever mockery of many conventions are the high points and beneath what seems an excuse to shock audiences is a deep message discussed between Paul and Peter at the end about the fine line between fiction and reality especially when violence is conveyed. Movie audiences often watch films that depict varying degrees of violence but we don’t look away. With Funny Games some will look away, but others will see it through to the end.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Funny Games | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
March 26, 2013
Book Review and Giveaway: Sacrifice – Coral Russell
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Review: Sacrifice
David’s Review
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Mr B says…
If Coral Russell’s Sacrifice was a boxing match, it would soon break out into a full-scale riot, such is the array of rival factions whose thirst for money, power, drugs and influence spills out onto the streets of Juarez then takes the short journey across the border into El Paso. Fleeing from Juarez is Roberta who is out to make a new life for herself and needs to make money fast. She finds her dream ticket in Luis, a top-notch car salesman, who falls for Roberta and finds himself entering a new and dangerous world. There is good money to be made in drug trafficking but as with most businesses, there are rivals to contend with.
Enter rival gang leader, Duke, whose devotion to his family leads to his dying great-great grandmother revealing a long buried secret that sends Duke on the warpath. It’s not all bad guys though. There’s Frankie who is the local law and finds himself working long hours when gang members’ bodies start to appear. Something has to give in this fierce battle for control and though Roberta is strong and resourceful, no one is safe with Duke seeking revenge for wrongs done to his family many years before. A resolution is reached, of course, but who survives to see the end?
My previous experience of Russell’s work was with a hotel haunting in Amador Lockdown. Sacrifice is a very different book but if forced to compare I would favour this one for it displays a growing confidence from Russell in her writing. The characters are fleshed out to give us enough insight without being a detriment to the overall narrative. This is a fast-paced, action-packed, no holds barred experience and a rewarding read as well.
Verdict: 4/5
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Donna’s Review
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Mrs B says…
After I’d read the final version of Sacrifice, Coral Russell asked me for my thoughts. I kept her waiting on my review but I shared a summary: “Sacrifice is a fast-paced, gritty story that’ll keep you guessing, gasping, and gripping your Kindle”. It did. Coral had originally sent me the story in several chunks and I grew increasingly frustrated when I didn’t have time to leap on the new one. I love the fast pace of thrillers and Sacrifice was no exception.
So, gritty and larger than life characters? Check. An edgy storyline that races through the book? (Obviously in a slick way, rather than an “I’m late for my bus” way.) Check. Punchy dialogue and the odd splash of humour? Check. So far so good – for me it was a clear four star suspense novel, with a heck of a lot happening and lots to get your teeth into.
There was something else though, something that didn’t happen until I’d finished reading the end product. Thrilled at the shaping of the story and how Russell had developed it, I had seen this simply as a very good thriller. But it isn’t.
The more time elapsed, the more I realised that it was another element of Russell’s writing that had stayed with me. I had enjoyed the story but – like most books of a similar nature – I was unlikely to play it over and over. So why was Sacrifice sticking with me so strongly? I finally realised it was the amount of background information Russell had supplied: about the border, about the drug cartels, about the gangs and the grudges and the culture. Small things, little descriptions to add to the story, had stayed with me and I had begun to wonder about the non-fiction side of this book. It got me thinking, wanting to know more and willing to read more.
That earned it the final star. A book that entertains is a great find. A book that entertains and educates or at least inspires the beginning of an education is a superb one. It comes as no surprise to me that Russell was a teacher. She makes you want to learn (as I also found when I read Peace on the Peninsula). At the same time, her approach is so casual that if you really are only looking for a few hours of suspenseful reading, you’ll still find it.
Verdict: 5/5
Book source: Mrs B received a review copy from the author. Mr B bought a Kindle copy on release
GiveawayPlease note Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave are NOT responsible for distributing the prizes. All prizes will be distributed by Coral Russell
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Related articles (external)
Coral Russell’s Sacrifice Book Release & Tour
Family Means Everything for Coral Russell
For the Love of Love: Coral Russell, author of Sacrifice
guest post: Now I Have Something to Say by Coral Russell
Sacrifice book tour: guest post by Coral Russell
Book Review and Giveaway: Sacrifice – Coral Russell | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
March 25, 2013
Film Review: The Sky Crawlers
Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Ryo Kase, Shôsuke Tanihara, Megumi Yamaguchi, Daisuke Hirakawa
Directed by: Mamoru Oshii
Runtime: 122 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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Review: The Sky Crawlers
A world without wars is akin to utopia but at present it’s an ideal we can only dream of. In Mamoru Oshii’s The Sky Crawlers, based on the novel by Hiroshi Mori, actually depicts the an alternate world without war but sadly the love of action, the swing of the pendulum between life and death is still highly sought by those in this idyll.
The film focuses on a world where peace is welcomed by many but for some the desire to fight is too great. Rival corporations face off in daring dogfights in the skies and these aerial duels help fuel the need for combat. On one such base a new pilot arrives by the name of Yuichi and he causes quite a stir. Much is made of Yuichi’s predecessor that flew the now empty plane that is given to him. This previous pilot is the talk of the airbase and even seems to have tugged at the heartstrings of Suito, who is withdrawn in her office and spends a lot of time smoking. Adapting to this new corporation, Yuichi fills his days socialising with his fellow pilots, pursuing women and waiting for the call to return to the skies where one pilot – the Teacher – awaits and leaves all other pilots in fear.
The Sky Crawlers was not quite what I expected when I first began watching it but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We learn that the young men and women that frequent the airbase are kildren which forms something of a mystery in the film. The kildren are forever young and it is unclear in the film just how old the characters we spend our time with really are. For a world where there is the need for war, the reality of the life and death tussles in the air weigh heavily on the characters. There is a lot of waiting around the airbase, reading newspapers (one pilot routinely folds his several times), passing the hours anyway the pilots can. What could be construed as monotonous is actually powerful in conveying characters who are forced to live each day as if it will be their last, which it could very well be.
Yuichi slowly develops a relationship of sorts with Suito. She seems very secretive, especially about Yuichi’s predecessor, and audiences will find begin to hazard a guess as to the mystery that hangs over the film. The battles scenes in the air are fantastic and the imagery is stunning but the rest of the film plays out in a fairly standard way. While the ponderous nature of the film will alienate many people, I found it completely apt given the situation all the characters are in. It’s inevitable that Yuichi’s forays into the skies will result in a meeting with the Teacher but whether he prevails against the pilot who has never been defeated is not for me to say.
Although the waiting around of the characters didn’t bother me in the slightest I was still somewhat disappointed by the end. The futility of war is captured well here, the overall irony of the love of fighting countered by the mentally exhausted characters who have to summon the will to continue flying their planes, it all seems so wasteful. By the end credits though I felt something was missing from The Sky Crawlers. It was almost as if we’d had a good build up and the film had been cut short abruptly. The end result isn’t bad but it could have been so much better.
The Sky Crawlers has some good elements especially reflecting why we don’t need wars and shouldn’t be fighting at all. All the early promise sadly subsides by the end. The ending cuts the story short too quickly and I was to lament what is in the end a missed opportunity.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Sky Crawlers | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Demons
In a mysterious cinema, an audience are watching a brutal horror flick when the horror rips out of the screen, unleashing a swarm of slathering Demons who are intent on spreading their evil plague across the globe.
Time to tool up and take no prisoners… The Demons are coming!
Directed by: Lamberto Bava
Runtime: 88 minutes
Studio: Ascot Films
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Review: Demons
Lamberto Bava’s Demons is your typical eighties horror fest with plenty of gore, a sometimes good, sometimes bad soundtrack and enough cheese to top a pizza. Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) is pursued in a deserted Berlin subway by a mysterious man wearing half of a mask (Michele Soavi). He gives her a free ticket to a horror screening at a cinema. Cheryl takes along her friend Kathy (Paola Cozzo) and they settle down for a gruesome horror flick about demons attacking people and turning them into other demons. The transfixed audience suddenly find events on the big screen becoming a reality when one woman is infected and proceeds to turn the other cinemagoers into demons. Trapped inside, the remaining people face a desperate battle for survival.
In the build up to the film a trio – Tony (Bobby Rhodes), Carmen (Fabiola Toledo) and Rosemary (Geretta Giancarlo) – are inspecting an exhibition involving a motorbike, a samurai sword and a demon mask. For unknown reasons, Rosemary puts on the demon mask which leaves a cut on her face. Watching the movie, the crowd witness some friends unearth a book of Nostradamus including the same demon mask seen earlier. When one of the friends puts it on, he becomes a demon and attacks his friends. Rosemary dashes to the toilets not feeling well and suddenly becomes a demon. She attacks and kills the other cinemagoers with anyone bitten or scratched becoming a demon themselves. Cheryl and Kathy hook up with George (Urbano Barberini) and Ken (Karl Zinny), while Tony leads the resistance with cinema seats used as barricades to temporarily great effect. Even a group of drugged up teenagers gatecrash the cinema at one stage and wish they hadn’t.
Demons is a gore fest with the cinemagoers being dispatched in pretty unpleasant ways. A lot of the effects are pretty good with the lack of computer technology evident. A soundtrack of eighties hits backs up what is a very silly but amusing film. The best bit is undoubtedly George and Cheryl hijacking the motorbike and driving around the cinema taking out the demons with a samurai sword. Absolute genius. The ending is quite surprising as well, dispensing with any soppy romance and letting the demons reign supreme.
Demons isn’t the greatest horror film but it is gruesome, cheesy and amusing in places which is all you need really. I do like the more serious and atmospheric horror films of today but you can’t beat a nostalgic trip to the eighties with a film like this. Silly but fun.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Demons | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Harold and Maude
[image error]Hal Ashby’s cult black-comedy. Harold (Bud Cort) is a death-obsessed teenager who hangs around in cemeteries and drives a hearse. When he attends a funeral and meets his polar opposite Maude (Ruth Gordon), a life-loving 79-year-old, a strange love affair ensues. However, the offbeat nature of their pairing, and their defiance of social convention, causes upset all around. With music by Cat Stevens.
Starring: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner
Directed by: Hal Ashby
Runtime: 88 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
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Review: Harold and Maude
A huge box office hit doesn’t always point to the best film of the year. Many audiences prefer glitzy effects to films made on modest budgets where a good script and acting make or break them. Many of these independent films have no success at the box office but gather cult followings later. Let’s not forget The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is highly acclaimed today but did nothing at the box office. Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude was not a success when first released back in 1971 but has since become a cult classic, so naturally I was intrigued about discovering why.
The film tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a young man, Harold Chasen (Bud Cort), and a 79 year old woman, Maude (Ruth Gordon). Harold comes from a rich family but rebels against social convention and drives his mother, Mrs Chasen (Vivian Pickles), up the wall with his obsession with death and elaborate set pieces that always lead to his fake suicide. Visiting funerals regularly, Harold meets Maude who is a free spirit, living every day to the fullest and they form a close friendship. With Harold’s mother eager for her son to marry, how long can Harold remain an insurgent to his rich family’s way of life?
This is a very dark comedy at times and what’s to come isn’t better conveyed than the opening scene where Harold prepares a noose and hangs himself in his home. Is this the end and what follows all flashbacks? No. Harold’s mother walks in, takes one look at her son, rolls her eyes and walks away disgusted. Harold isn’t dead, this is just a fascination he has with death, acting out some complex methods of ending his life for good but never going through with it for real. His mother is at the end of her tether and wants Harold to grow up. The best way she can think of is to find him a wife. The film will make you smile as Harold meets a succession of women and manages to send all of them running out of house with his strange ways. My favourite was when he greeted another potential wife before excusing himself, heading outside, covering himself with a blank and dousing himself with petrol, before setting himself on fire much to the horror of the young woman looking on. Only Harold isn’t really under the blanket and wanders back into the house as happy as you please. The young woman doesn’t stay long!
Harold’s meeting with Maude changes his life. Though 79, Maude is full of energy, and meets with Harold regularly, getting into all kinds of trouble such as being pulled over by a police bike, trying to sweet talk her way out of the situation before stealing the bike! Maude enlists Harold’s help in stealing a tree from the centre of a town and taking it to the wild to grow in a more natural environment and she even teaches Harold to play the banjo, which ties in well with the great soundtrack that plays in the background to the film. What begins as a friendship develops into a deeper and more meaningful relationship much to the disgust of Harold’s mother. With such an age gap though is this really a sustainable romance that can overcome the frowns and revulsion of an unforgiving society?
Harold and Maude is very funny but very dark. Harold’s various suicide acts to frighten off his potential wives amused me but some people may find these understandably a bit too much. Cort is great as the morose Harold but Gordon is wonderful as the boundless Maude who shows Harold the many joys that life has to offer. It’s the turnaround that Harold needs, so fixated is he on death that he is missing out on life. I won’t spoil the ending but it’s inevitably bittersweet. However, the final scene is a great way to conclude this well-deserved cult classic.
Harold and Maude is a funny and at times poignant dark comedy. The idea of a relationship between a 20 year old and a 79 year old may make some people grimace but the subject is handled really well here. Harold and Maude’s friendship reminds me a little of one of my favourite films, Lost in Translation, with two kindred spirits at different phases in life but managing to find common ground. Maude is at ease with life and helps the maladjusted Harold change his perspective. Great stuff.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Harold and Maude | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
March 24, 2013
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week – Living on My Own
Freddie Mercury was unquestionably one of the greatest of front men with a fabulous vocal range, mesmerising stage presence and relentless energy that entertained millions of adoring fans that went to see Queen. Though not as extensive, Freddie also released some solo work and among his finest compositions is Living on My Own. First released in the UK in 1985, the song wouldn’t chart well but a remix in 1993, two years after Freddie’s death, would send the musical genius back to the top of the charts.
Clearly a song about loneliness, it’s hard to say how deep the emotion runs in the song which sounds surprisingly upbeat given the subject matter. With Freddie said to have been diagnosed with HIV in 1987 this song would have come to early to explore his feelings about the illness but it certainly carries some prophetic weight. A very private man, Freddie appeared in interviews to be a complete contrast to his confident stage persona. I think Living on My Own is a fine example of the side of superstars we don’t necessarily assume, those that seem to have everything on the surface but in private the reality is often very different. What isn’t in doubt is this is a fine song from one of the true greats who still eclipses popular acts today more than twenty years after his death.
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week – Living on My Own | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
March 22, 2013
Guest Post and Excerpt: From Man to Man – D.E.M. Emrys
We are delighted to welcome D.E.M. Emrys, author of From Man to Man, who joins us to share a guest post and excerpt.
Guest Post: Can there be such a thing as too much fantasy?Is the fantasy world over-populated? It’s a valid question and one that keeps raising its ugly head in the current era of ‘Lord of the Authors: The Fellowship of the Fantasy’.
Without battling out the topic of Indie vs Traditional, I want to take a moment and talk about fantasy worlds. A simple blog post can’t cover every single fantasy tome to have ever graced a book shelf (or a digital market place like Amazon, for all you e-publishing gurus), but we can highlight a few.
J.R.R. Tolkien with his elves, and his dwarves, his hobbits with their hairy feet, and his trolls. Ringwraiths, a dark lord, and a powerful artefact that is a curse to all those who bear it.
George R.R. Martin with his thrones, and his games, the squabbles of men, and the treachery, futility and thick-fast plots (oh, and if you’ve watched the tv adaptation, there’s a fair share of boobage, too).
Peter V Brett – demons galore! How ‘man’ (and woman!) can overcome their fears for what they believe is right.
Mark Lawrence explores the moral depravity of a Prince who won’t let anything – or anyone – stand in his way, even if that involves burning the world just to keep warm.
Michael J Sullivan brings bromance to the fold (Webster’s unofficial definition of bromance: bro-mance, a combination of brother and romance, meaning ‘a brotherly romance’ between two males. Often seen sharing large quantities of bruises, beauties, and beatings) with a healthy dose of death-defying escapades and swashbuckling adventures.
John Gwynne breaths fresh life into the folklore and legend side of fantasy, giving Giants, Wyrms and even Angels a gritty new lease with a Nordic/Celtic feel.
Brent Weeks forefronts assassins in one, and mages in another, but above all else they struggle with their own powers for further means.
Brandon Sanderson…magic, need I say more? But then again, his world-building is second to none.
Joe Abercrombie touts more knives than any sane man should ever need, but lucky for us not all of his characters can be deemed sane enough to count or care for that matter. But when all is said and done, it’s down to being what you’re meant to be, and (as he often states by way of infamous barbarian Logen NineFingers) once you’ve got a task to do, it’s better to do it than live with the fear of it.
I’ve barely even touched the surface here. I could go on for hours. James Barclay, David Gemmell (big daddy of British heroic-fantasy), Robert E Howard, Patrick Rothfuss, Robert Jordan, David Dalglish, Mazarkis Williams, Moses Sirergar III, Ben Galley, Steven Erikson, Christopher Paolini…ok, ok – I’ll stop.
So, fantasy is a busy world(s). But each and every one of them is different. Yes, a lot of them share themes or creatures (elves, dragons, hobbits, dwarves, damsels in distress…hobbits, or other creatures with hairy feet?), but would you really say: ‘No more’! Heck, I’m sure if you asked a lot of these authors they’d admit to being inspired by one another. Of course they would.
Ok, let’s imagine if someone said ‘No more’ to Robert Jordan. Would we have the Peter V Brett’s, and Christopher Paolini’s of today? ‘Put that pen down’ David Gemmell…and voila, no John Gwynne’s or James Barclay. How many would we lose if Robert E. Howard had run out of ink on the first page, and Conan had been lost to an unfinished sentence?
IMAGINE THE CHAOS if someone told J.R.R. Tolkien to shave his hobbit and write a romcom. Think of the children, pray for their futures!
Publishing is an ever changing industry, and fantasy is an ever changing realm of possibilities. If you’re Indie or Traditional, reader or writer…could you really say NO to one last fantasy? And before you start culling dwarves, shaving hobbit feet, or cashing in dragon fangs for the last copy of ’50 Shades of Grey’ from Amazon…just remember:
A Fantasy author isn’t just for Christmas. They’re for life.
(And even then, they’ll think of a way to come back and haunt you from the afterlife – they’re fantasy authors after all).
Excerpt: From Man to Man
I.
‘I never meant to let you down.’
Draven lifted a stray curl of his wife’s hair from her face. She smiled in her sleep as if knowing he was there. As silently as he could, he leaned over the bed and kissed her softly on the cheek.
‘I’ve tried everything.’
Rising slowly, as quietly as he could on the wooden floorboards, Draven retreated from the bed. By the fractured light from the shutters he made for the bedroom door. The walls of the house were thin and he heard a creak from the neighbouring room.
‘Best be off before Kale wakes.’
Reaching for the door behind him, still facing the bed and his sleeping wife, Draven paused. Drawn, painfully drawn like poison from a wound, he found his eyes stray to the chest at the foot of the bed. Shut away from the world under key and lock, he lingered a moment longer.
The chest stared back blankly.
‘I promised…’
The chest never gave up staring at him.
A stained apron had been discarded atop the chest. He had tried being a server at the tafarn, only to start a bar brawl. A pair of muddy boots sat before the chest. He had tried being a hand at the farm, only to get into a punch-up over accidentally letting the chickens out. A horseshoe, a misshapen pot, a scattering of nails – proof that he had let her down.
The chest never once looked away.
‘…I gave you up for her.’ Draven looked to his wife, to the chest, to his wife, and back again a hundred times or more. ‘I’ve known your way of living too long, it’s time I left it behind.’
Even though he turned his back on both his wife and the chest, Draven had chosen between the two. Trembling, he opened the door. A cold breath greeted him as he stepped from the room. It coiled along his neck, curled at his chin. It bid him to reconsider. He glanced back over his shoulder.
“No,” Draven said to the chest.
Silence.
‘Good.’
He snatched the axe from its resting place against the wall and left. This time he did not look back.
II.
‘So, it’s come to this?’
Draven stared down his opponent. The axe was heavy in his grip, knuckled white. Circling to the left, boots crunching on the forest floor, his breath came even and steady. He circled back to the right, sizing, gauging. Hefting the handle high, blade glinting in the sun, Draven’s muscles coiled.
‘I’ve traded my old enemies for just this one…’
The axe thundered home.
‘…I miss the old ones.’
Crunching the head back and forth, Draven wrenched the axe free. Even as the spray caught him in the face he swung the axe again.
Twice more he struck, then a dozen times more. He felt nothing – thought lost in the rhythmic economy of each axe-fall. The spray continued, shards and splinters flying.
Draven’s opponent groaned.
With a final yawning cry the tree surrendered. The ground rumbled as distant thunder, branches cracking as the trunk crashed to the floor. Draven advanced on his fallen foe, axe resting over his shoulders.
The dull drum of other axe-falls wore at his patience, the heat of the summer day stifling under collar. He dared not work bare-chested for the other fellers kept enough of a distance without seeing the scars of his old life. He ignored them and they ignored him. It had worked. So far.
‘So, it’s come to this.’
The trunk bled sap from its mortal wound, the final crackling of branches rattling a dying breath.
A voice cut through Draven’s thoughts as he knelt beside the tree. “Strong arm – t’ain’t no tree-feller’s arm, though!” The voice was gruff and hoarse, more used to shouting than speaking.
Straightening up, Draven turned on the speaker.
The speaker picked his way through the graveyard of stumps, scratching at the seat of his pants. Paying little attention to the other fellers working in Splitter’s Cross, the stranger pulled short of Draven and crossed his arms.
“You’ve just moved into Hidann?” The stranger’s tone was more accusation than question.
Draven nodded. He did not recognise the stranger. Portly but stout of muscle rather than glutton, the man was thick of beard and brow, sleeves rolled to the elbow, leather apron marred with soot and pocked with burn-holes. His forearms bulged with muscles as he wrung his large hands together, the hairs on his skin scorched and blackened.
The stranger tugged on his fist-length beard. “Things t’ain’t working out for you, I heard. Started a brawl in the tafarn the other night? Cost ya job and a day’s labour mending the chairs you broke.”
‘What’s it to you?’
Draven grunted.
The stranger rambled on. “Job at the farm ended the same way. Broke Herdsman Raines’ nose and spent an hour or so fetching the chickens back.”
The axe was a welcome reassurance to Draven as he remembered how his other jobs within Hidann Village had ended. Though the other fellers had yet to take notice of the conversation, Draven could feel their ears pinned back as if they were eyes on the back of his neck.
“T’ain’t had much luck working as a villager.” The stranger smiled a gap-toothed smile. He rolled the word villager on his tongue as if it were a promise of riches.
‘What do you know?’ Draven let the axe drop to his side. He caught himself tensing. ‘Stop it.’ The urge took more than a thought to banish and Draven forced his hand to settle the axe against the tree.
The stranger glanced to the axe. Draven could not help but smile when he saw the man waver. The axe was still in arm’s reach and the stranger stood within the axe’s reach. It would take a moment and nothing more.
Draven growled, “Villager work takes a little getting used to.” He stepped away from the tree, leaving the axe behind.
The stranger visibly relaxed. “Aye, that it does. Takes time to settle in – took me long enough when I became a villager.”
Draven pulled the bandana from his crown and mopped at the sweat on his brow. “How do you know?”
The stranger’s brow furrowed. “Know? Know what?”
“Don’t try pulling the wool over my eyes. Villager this, villager that. I came here to get away from it all – I’m trying to get away from it. But, you’re bringing it all back.”
“T’ain’t no harm meant by it, by Fraid and Govannon’s bloodied blades I swear it!”
Draven fixed the man with his best glare. “Start talking or start walking, now.”
“You’re a Merc-”
Draven interrupted the stranger, “I was.”
“No offense meant, none at all! I seen you visit the Huntsman last winter. You and that other one – the big man with the big axe.”
“So?”
“So, nothing! Nothing at all.”
Draven clenched his jaw, retying the bandana about his head. “What do you want then?”
The stranger looked down, feet shuffling in the scattered splinters and twigs. “Got a job for you,” he murmured.
“What kind of job?”
“Not one for a tree-feller’s arm – not a villager job.”
Draven turned his back on the stranger. “Sorry – not interested.”
“But it’s what you do!”
“I’m retired.” Draven fetched the axe from its resting place. The haft felt good in his callused palm, though not half as good as a sword-grip.
His thoughts strayed to the chest at the end of his bed.
“I can pay! Forty silver-marks. Twice as much as feller wages – for a day’s work. All you’d have to do is-”
Draven spun on the stranger, cutting him off. “What’s your name?”
The man took a step back. “McGowan.”
Few of the other fellers looked up from their work but Draven took no notice of them. “What do you do, McGowan?”
“I’m the village Blacksmith.”
“Well, McGowan the Blacksmith, I’m Draven the feller – best you remember that before I remember what I was before this -” he raised the axe, nodding to it. “This might not be the tool of my old trade, but it’s got a blade all the same.”
About From Man to Man (2012)[image error]‘I’ve traded my old enemies for just this one…’ The axe thundered home. ‘I miss the old ones.’Every man has a past, none more so than Draven Reinhardt. Abandoning his old life to settle down as a villager, he struggles to fit in, let alone hold down a job. When opportunity offers the much needed coin, Draven is torn between a promise and a purpose.
But, what’s one last job if you’ve already got blood on your hands?
‘From Man to Man’ is the story of how one man can change – or not – for the best. Prequel to the upcoming novel ‘It Began With Ashes’, the short (6400 words) introduces the reader to a world of suspense, intrigue, and action.
D.E.M. Emrys. Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night – Writer in between. Knows war to write war.
David Emrys, known as D to his friends, is a serving soldier and author. He has clearance to know more than he should, but not the sense to know better. Leaving education with no more than a fifteen year olds understanding of English Literature, D’s storytelling craft is self-taught.
Growing up with the heroic tales written by authors such as David Gemmell and James Barclay, D was inspired to write stories of his own. After joining the army D used his free time to focus on his dream of sharing shelf-space with his idols.
D testifies to the fact that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword – but swords make for better letter-openers. He lives where the army send him, but home is in Chelmsford with his girlfriend. They say that behind every great man there is a woman pulling the strings, but she lets him dance to his own song whilst being the perfect partner in step. D claims that his books would not have been written without her.
David Emrys is not his real name.
Nor is D.
Guest Post and Excerpt: From Man to Man – D.E.M. Emrys | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: The Outlaw Josey Wales
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Chief Dan George, Bill McKinney, John Vernon
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Runtime: 130 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
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Review: The Outlaw Josey Wales
Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, The Outlaw Josey Wales was a significant Western from the seventies which tells the story of Missouri farmer Josey Wales (Eastwood) who seeks revenge when his wife and son are killed by Redlegs from Kansas who have sided with the Union in the American Civil War (1861-5). Wales joins a group of Confederate supporters led by Bloody Bill Anderson (John Russell). Following the Union victory in 1865, Captain Fletcher (John Vernon) convinces his men to surrender, swear loyalty to the Union and then they can go free. All agree except Wales who becomes a wanted outlaw and is hunted by Captain Terrill (Bill McKinney), Fletcher and bounty hunters. Can he evade capture and seek revenge or is Wales destined for an early death?
Wales is a peaceful man at the start, working the land and caring for his family but when Redlegs destroy his home and kill his loved ones, he is a changed man. Wales hooks up with the Confederates and fights in the war but they cannot defeat the Unionists. Wales refuses to surrender but the rest of the men wish to be free. Wales is too late to stop them being massacred but he does escape with one man, Jamie (Sam Bottoms), who is wounded. Wales goes on the run, finding new companions including an old Cherokee Lone Watie (Chief Dan George) and a young woman, Laura Lee (Sondra Locke). They band together with Wales as Terrill closes in.
I found The Outlaw Josey Wales to be a solid Western, not the best one I have seen but it has some great moments. It’s gritty in places, painting a bleak image of the West during after the American Civil War. Eastwood is commanding in the central role as he usually is in his films but the supporting cast at the end are good too. The shoot out between Wales’ band and the Unionists may stretch credibility a little (everyone in Wales’ group are all suddenly amazing shooters!), but the ending is still satisfying with a somewhat open-ended conclusion as Wales faces both Terrill and Fletcher.
The Outlaw Josey Wales isn’t the greatest Western but it’s a safe one in Eastwood’s capable hands. As an actor and director, Eastwood has made some fantastic films but he seems at his best when it comes to Westerns. This is another example of his undoubted gift as an actor and director.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Outlaw Josey Wales | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
March 20, 2013
Film Review: The Ghost
Based on the bestseller by Robert Harris (Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel) The Ghost is an edgy, atmospheric and enthralling thriller from Academy Award-winning director Roman Polanski.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Robert Pugh, Eli Wallach
Directed by: Roman Polanski, Herve De Luze
Runtime: 123 minutes
Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment
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Review: The Ghost
Roman Polanski’s thriller sees a ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) hired to work with former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) on his memoirs. Lang’s aide Mike McAra who was working with him has died mysteriously having fallen from a ferry and drowned in what is believed to be an accident. The ghost stays in a hotel in the Old Haven on Martha’s Vineyard where he travels to visit Lang and gain access to the manuscript that needs to be turned into a book. Among Lang’s residents are his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) and Lang’s PA Amelia (Kim Cattrall) who explains the manuscript can not be taken from the house.
While working on the memoirs the ghost begins to wander the island and finds that not everything is as it seems. A local resident tells the ghost that the tides could not have carried McAra’s body from a ferry to the beach where it was found. The ghost also learns that another resident saw flashlights on the beach the night of the accident but she is now in a coma following a fall. It seems that McAra may have uncovered something he shouldn’t have while researching Lang’s life. The question is can the ghost find out the truth or will he end up in danger as well?
This was an enjoyable and fascinating thriller throughout. It was great to see Ewan McGregor again who puts in a good performance as the ghost while Brosnan is equally good as the controversial former PM whose days in office come back to haunt him as he tries to pen his memoirs. Cattrall and Williams offer good support and there is a welcome appearance from Tom Wilkinson as well. You will struggle to work out the complete mystery and with the characters the ghost meets seeming somewhat elusive from the start it is hard to decipher who is keeping secrets.
The Ghost is a solid and intriguing thriller that offers a compelling puzzle. A good cast do their best to throw you off the scent and the ending, though a little surprising, is an effective conclusion to what we have just experienced.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Ghost | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
March 19, 2013
Game Review: Apidya
I used to love the horizontal-scrolling shooters. My earliest memory of these games was playing R-Type on the Atari ST. I was useless at that game but it never stopped me playing it. Back in the Amiga days I recall debate about what was the best of these horizontal-scrolling shooter games. The choice fell on two candidates – R-Type 2 and Apidya. While R-Type was sci-fi, Apidya blended both fantasy and sci-fi, giving the gamer not a spaceship to blow enemies up with but a bee!
Hexaee, the Evil Lord of Black Magic (cool name that!), wages war not against a kingdom but one couple – Yuri and Ikuro. Seems a bit harsh! Hexaee sends some mutated insects which attack Ikuro and poison her. Yuri comes home and promises his ailing wife that he will find an antidote for her and seek vengeance against Hexaee. Our hero doesn’t take up his sword and walk to Hexaee’s fortress though, he turns into a giant bee and sets out that way! The story is a bit similar to Toki only this hero chooses to turn into something else! I’d have turned into a machine gun personally but it’s up to him.
There are five levels in total with the settings in a meadow, a pond, a sewer, a machine and finally a series of tunnels. Each level is divided into stages with your trusted bee travelling from left to right and having to negotiate a myriad of threats on the ground and in the air. At the end of the stage you might sometimes have to tackle a boss such as a mole or a giant doll and you’ll have to ascertain their attack patterns to evade their fire and get shots in yourself. Some bosses need to be hit in certain sports to do damage but this is something you will need to figure out as you go along. The landscapes are quite varied with the meadow and pond working best for me. The advance into the sewer was good too but suddenly going from that to technological advancements just seemed a bit strange, then again the game’s plot is too!
Your bee isn’t alone in his quest. As you kill enemies they leave red and yellow flowers which power up a bar at the bottom of the screen giving you access to heavier and wider range of fire and even two small companions that can offer much needed support. This isn’t just a simple case of shooting though. The landscapes throw in some obstacle that you’ll need to evade and one of the bosses is so large that you’ll need to slot into the small gaps he leaves on the screen otherwise risk being killed outright and having to start again.
Apidya is backed by a great soundtrack. My favourite piece of music is when you first enter the sewers. The sight of insects may not be ideal for the squeamish but the game remains great fun to this day and after twenty years it still looks great. The storyline is pretty ludicrous and the ending robs the gamer of the satisfaction that comes with vengeance but other than that this is remains a memorable game.
Apidya is a classic horizontal-scrolling shooter replacing a spaceship for a bee but despite a peculiar plot it delivers on the action. Some of the later levels may not be as good as the opening segments and it is painfully short but what’s there is worth the experience.
Verdict: 4/5
Game Review: Apidya | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
