David Robbins's Blog, page 3

RISEN: CSI JERUSALEM

<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHPorWbVf1..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHPorWbVf1..." width="280" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">David Robbins</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">© 2016</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let’s start by being honest. Hollywood isn’t held in high regard when it comes to religious movies. Especially Christian-themed. They don’t make a lot of them. When they do, the ‘Christian elements’ they insert leave many Christians scratching their heads and going, ‘Say what?’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Take <i>The Last Temptation of Christ </i>as but one example. Jesus is portrayed as a vacillating wimp. He doesn’t die on the cross. He marries Mary Magdalene. When she dies, Jesus marries Martha ‘and’ Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. To redeem itself---pardon the pun---at the end of the movie, Jesus ends up at the site of the crucifixion, begs God for forgiveness, and presto, he’s cast back in time and on the cross again, dying to fulfill his mission. The best way to describe this concoction is that it takes everything you know about Jesus and doesn’t just throw it out the window, the movie tosses it over a cliff. And Hollywood wondered why Christians didn’t flock to the theater in droves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s7PFq51XfA..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s7PFq51XfA..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> [A battle scene from <i>Risen</i>. The phalanx tactics remind you of <i>300</i> and <i>Troy</i>.]</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> All that aside, the anathema toward Hollywood isn’t entirely justified. They do manage to make less controversial religious movies now and then. Take their Bible Extravaganza Era, when big-budget Biblical-themed movies like <i>The Ten Commandments </i>and<i> King of Kings </i>were produced.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hollywood recently, and rather accidentally, discovered that if someone makes a Christian movie that’s actually, you know, ‘Christian’, Christians will go to see it. So now we’re being treated to a new spate of religious movies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i>God’s Not Dead</i> had a lot to do with it. Made for about $2 million, it grossed $60 million at the box office. Suddenly Hollywood was seeing dollar signs. In the coming months moviegoers will be treated to a range of religious films, everything from movies about the relentless assault on Christianity in contemporary culture to <i>Young Messiah</i>, based on the Anne Rice novel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_v0Z6I_NE..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_v0Z6I_NE..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> [Cliff Curtis as Yeshua on the cross. Reportedly, he took a vow of silence and lived monastically for a month to 'cleanse' himself for the role.] </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Which, finally, brings us to <i>Risen</i>. The story revolves around a Roman Tribune who is tasked with finding out what happened to Jesus’ body after it mysteriously disappears from Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For starters, the movie is ‘very’ respectful towards its source. Jesus doesn’t run around in clown makeup (<i>Godspell)</i> or marry anybody (see above). Yes, it tweaks a few things. For instance, John doesn’t mention a Tribune being present when Jesus showed his crucifixion wounds to Thomas and the other Apostles. And you’ll find no mention anywhere in the New Testament of a Tribune preventing the Romans from killing them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These are minor elements, framed within the context of the story. And the story is about Jesus rising from the dead, as well as the clear and unequivocal assertion that Jesus was who he said he was.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak5n0fzZL4..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak5n0fzZL4..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>[Roman CSI. Trying to figure out how Yeshua's image was imprinted on his burial shroud.] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> The movie is superbly well done. Given their budget, they have crafted wonderful settings. The acting, overall, is fine. Some criticism has been directed at Joseph Fiennes, the actor who plays the Tribune, as being too ‘stoic’. But he’s portraying a hard-as-nails soldier who worships Mars, the Roman god of war. What did the critics expect? Mister Rogers with a short sword? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a Christian, one of the big questions revolves around the portrayal of Jesus. The actor is Cliff Curtis. You might know him as the father of the dysfunctional family in <i>Fear The Walking Dead</i>. We don’t see a lot of him, and when we do, Curtis is effective within the constraints of the script. This isn’t the somber Jesus of <i>The Greatest Story Ever Tol</i>d, or the grand Jesus of <i>King of Kings</i>. <i>Risen’s</i> Jesus is one of near-constant good cheer. His basic message is that all men and women are brothers/slash/sisters and should love one another. Atonement aspects are minimized.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Parents of young children should know that the movie begins with a terrific battle sequence pitting the Romans against some Zealots. We’re not talking, say, <i>Deadpool</i>-level violence, but there are some brutal moments.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you’re a Christian who has been holding off going to Hollywood’s fare because their religious movies always leave you grimacing, you might give <i>Risen</i>a try. Or if you’re a non-Christian, you might go to appreciate the movie on its own merits.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> Which are considerable.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWNN0QAUcu..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWNN0QAUcu..." width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> [The crucifixion scene. Little does Clavius, the Roman Tribune, realize that reality as he knows it is about to be forever changed.]</span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavidR..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

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Published on March 06, 2016 12:52

BATTLEFIELD MARS: BRING ON THE MAYHEM

David Robbins
© 2016

Imagine......
    Earth has colonies on Mars. Several, in fact. Protected by their domes, Bradbury, Wellsville and New Meridian are flourishing.
    No indigenous life has been discovered. The colonists believe they have the planet all to themselves, and can do with it as they please.
    Captain Archard Rahn of the United Nations Interplanetary Corps has been tasked with protecting New Meridian. With nothing to protect the colony from, he spends his days filing routine reports and overseeing the menial tasks his small unit performs. For a soldier and a warrior, it’s a dull life.
    Then a young boy goes missing.
    Archard figures the child has wandered off. It should be a simple matter to find him. But Archard is wrong.
    Something has emerged from out of the depths of a long-extinct volcano. Something that doesn’t like what it finds.
    Indigenous life does exist. Intelligent life. Mars has its own inhabitants. They have existed, literally, under the colonists’ feet.
    And now the Martians are out to reclaim what is theirs.
    Archard and his U.N.I.C. troopers must stop them. Four soldiers, pitted against an enemy unlike any other. With the fate of Earth’s colonization hanging in the balance, Mars is turned into a battlefield.
    And Archard learns a terrible truth.
    They don’t call it the Red Planet for nothing.

{Order your copy today from Amazon or another retailer.}

[An image of an actual Martian, courtesy of NASA.]

[The Martian enlarged. Any resemblance to the Martians depicted in BATTLEFIELD MARS isn't coincidental.]

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Published on February 29, 2016 15:06

THE REVENANT: GRIZZLY CLAWS AND BISON LIVER

David Robbins
© 2016

     If you’re a Leonardo DiCaprio fan, going to see THE REVENANT is a no-brainer. If you’re a Tom Hardy fan, the same. And both have a lot of fans. The movie is supposedly a retelling of an excruciating ordeal undergone by mountain man Hugh Glass. With the stress on ‘supposedly’. This is Hollywood, after all. And they have never yet come across a real-life incident they believed they couldn’t ‘improve’.

     First, ‘Just the facts, ma’am?’, as Joe Friday used to say on Dragnet. Hugh Glass, who was part of a fur-trapping expedition, was attacked by a grizzly and severely mauled. Believing Glass wouldn’t live, the rest of the men moved on, leaving a trapper named Fitzgerald and another who might have been Jim Bridger (there is debate over that) to stay with him until he died. They didn’t. They took Glass’s rifle and other effects, and left, later saying they had to because hostiles were closing in.

     Glass revived. Through sheer iron resolve, he wrapped himself in the hide of the bear they’d slain, and set out for the nearest fort, which was 200 miles away. It’s claimed that eventually he caught up with Jim Bridger and forgave him because Bridger was so young. He apparently caught up to Fitzgerald, too, but didn’t kill him, either. He did get his rifle back, and went off into the wilderness again, only to be slain by hostiles a few years later.

[Never get between a mother bear and her cubs. The consequences won't be pretty.]

Which brings us to THE REVENANT. (SPOILER ALERT! I’m about to mention a few aspects you might not want to know about in advance! Don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want any of its elements spoiled!)

The movie is beautifully filmed. DiCaprio and Hardy, among others, give riveting performances. As it is intended to, it tugs at the heartstrings. There is a measure of balance in that not all the whites are ‘bad’ and not all the Native Americans are ‘bloodthirsty savages’.

[Tom Hardy gives whole new meaning to being 'totally despicable'.]

As for the liberties the film takes with the facts, we did mention this was Hollywood, right? To list them all would take an entire page. So here are just a few of the major ‘make-believe’s’: Glass didn’t have his son with him. There were no vile French trappers involved. Nor an abducted Arikara woman. Fitzgerald didn’t murder the leader of the expedition. And as previously mentioned, Glass and Fitzgerald didn’t have a great climactic fight.

[Lavishly filmed, some of the scenery is spectacular.]

     You might be thinking, ‘Who cares? This isn’t a documentary.’ And you know what, you’re right. On its own merits, THE REVENANT is an outstanding movie. You will be thoroughly entertained.

   I certainly was. As one point, DiCaprio takes a few bites out of a raw bison liver. (In case you are unaware, DiCaprio is reportedly a vegan.) I might have been the only one in the audience who laughed. The Tom Hardy character must have rubbed off on me, because I was thinking, 'Maybe now he’ll man up and eat a hot dog now and then.'

   Yes, if you are an enraged vegan, feel free to throw broccoli.

[Raw bison liver. Yummy. Chomp down and dig in. Or you can toss it on the barbie.]

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Published on January 17, 2016 13:37

BONE TOMAHAWK: TOP-NOTCH HORROR

David Robbins
© 2016


     With all the hype over Hollywood’s endless stream of blockbusters, you might have missed a gem that bucks the tide of gazillion-dollar CGI. No, I’m not talking about THE FARCE AWAKENS. I’m referring to a movie that seamlessly blends the iconic Western with riveting Horror.

     First, my up-front admission that this film rang all my bells. If you’re a fan of my WILDERNESS series, you’ll understand why. Remember mountain man Nate King going up against the ‘red-headed cannibals’ of Paiute legend? Well, someone has taken the essence of the Native American accounts and infused them into a Western set in the traditional milieu.

[Troglodytes in the Old West. They not only kill you, they eat you.]

That someone is a gentleman by the name of S. Craig Zahler, and he has done a superb job. It helps considerably that he was able to round up a cast that includes Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins, among others. Those four form the core ensemble, as it were.

Logging in at over two hours, this isn’t a mind-numbing blitzkrieg of unrelenting action. BONE TOMAHAWK builds slowly, letting you get to know the characters. You care about them, which makes the final half-hour of suspense and terror absolutely riveting.

[The cowboy poet. Sort of. Take his wife and he will come for you. Count on it.]

Imagine a town at the edge of unexplored wilderness. Imagine that ‘something’ has cause to pay the town a visit in the dead of night, and several people are abducted. The sheriff forms a posse to save them, and ventures into the heart of darkness.

Kurt Russell plays the sheriff with the same forceful presence he once played Snake Plissken. Patrick Wilson is a cowboy who will stop at nothing to rescue the one he loves. Matthew Fox is a gunman in the Bat Masterson mold, although far more cold-hearted. Richard Jenkins, as Russell’s motormouth ‘backup deputy’, alleviates the tension with bursts of hilarity.

[Ring his bell and he will shoot you. Seriously. Watch the movie to see what I mean.]

The script is above-average. The dialogue at times crackles. The characters are richly drawn, and the acting is excellent. I’m not the only one who thinks so. The movie has a score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, which, if you don’t know, means it’s really good.

So if you’re up for something different, try BONE TOMAHAWK. And the next time you hear something howl in the wilderness, don’t blame me if it gives you a shiver.

P.S. Did you happen to catch the second season of FARGO? (Patrick Wilson was in it) Then you might like to know that the actor who played the 'ultimate badass', Hanzee---Zahn McLarnon---has a cameo in BONE TOMAHAWK.

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Published on January 16, 2016 05:30

STAR WARS: THE FORCE SNOOZES

David Robbins
© 2016

(Before we get to the review, it’s only fair you have some idea of where I’m coming from. Like a lot of people, I loved the original three movies. Well, except for the Ewoks. Seriously, we went from the outstanding grim and gritty of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to Teddy Bear City. Then along came the next three films. My reaction? To coin a term from the 17th century: ‘Egads!’ I did like the second. But then I’m big on anything having to do with Boba Fett.)

Which brings us to the newest installment, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. It’s making a gazillion dollars, and everybody and their Wookiee praises it to high heaven.

Before you read any further, I should let you know I’m going to try and do this review without giving away any major spoilers. Even so, if you haven’t seen it yet and plan to, stop here. I don’t want to taint your possible enjoyment.

They don’t tell you this going in, but THE FORCE AWAKENS is a remake of A NEW HOPE. In both you have a ‘bad guy’ who wears black. In both you have a cutesy robot carrying an important piece of information. In both you have a young innocent drawn into a greater conflict. In both the young innocent discovers ‘the Force is strong’ within them. In both you have an evil empire out to crush rebels. In both you have a Death Star. Need I go on?

Yes, I can hear you saying, ‘The Nostalgia Factor is strong with the Makers’. Well and good. But if you’re going to remake a movie, don’t make the remake worse.

There are more than a few stupid moments in THE FORCE AWAKENS. But the single-most detrimental factor---and keep in mind I’m not picking on the actor here, he did what he could with the script he was given---is the villain.

[Darth Vader. He makes everybody's Top Ten list of all-time best movie villains.]

Be honest. From the very first moment you set eyes on Darth Vader in the original STAR WARS, you knew he was a badass. Just seeing him walk toward you on-screen, you thought, ‘Whoa. Don’t mess with this guy.’

In THE FORCE AWAKENS, the opposite takes place. Not long after first setting eyes on Kylo Ren, you realize that compared to Vader, he’s a candyass. Your surmise is confirmed when he throws not one but two world-class temper tantrums worthy of a five-year-old. Think about that. This is supposed to be someone who has been trained in using the Dark Side of the Force. They don’t teach self-control? To put it in perspective, could you ever imagine Darth Vader or Darth Maul behaving like this guy does?

Even more to the point, could you ever imagine either being nearly defeated in combat....by a sanitation engineer? Or by a newbie to the Force who has virtually no experience whatsoever?(Yes, in Finn's case, he was also a stormtrooper, but he had no real combat experience, and he's handling a light saber for only the second time in his life.)

[Kylo Ren. He may look cool but you can't judge a crybaby by his posing.]

And about the Force. Does it come with its own internal instruction manual? Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I seem to recall Luke had to undergo a ‘lot’ of training from Obi-Wan and Yoda before he became proficient. So how is it that Rey, who has never used the Force before, and to our knowledge had no idea she could, out of the blue uses ‘the Voice’ on her guard?

In no particular order, here are a few observations worth your consideration:

Sooooooo.....you’re the First Order. And you make this gigantic new Death Star. And you design it so that its most vulnerable point can be accessed from the surface with a few measly explosions?

Sooooooo....you’re the First Order #2. How is it all the stormtroopers ended up working for you? After the Empire was defeated, didn’t the New Republic take up the mantle of government? Wouldn’t the stormtroopers be part of their army?

And speaking of the New Republic, if it still exists, why are Leia and the others known as ‘the Resistance’? Who are they resisting, besides the First Order? By rights, shouldn’t she and the rest be part of the New Republic? Or are they resisting that, too?

And what’s with all the abandonment issues? Han runs out on Leia? Luke runs out on everybody because a pupil goes bad? Rey was abandoned.....by somebody. Does everyone in this movie have the same emotional maturity as candyass?

[Wait a minute. Luke abandoned his lightsaber, too? Now it's getting ridiculous.]

There are more points I could raise. The ambiguous ending. How predictable the ‘great dramatic scene’ was. None of it matters. THE FORCE AWAKENS will be a stellar success.

And before you ask, yes, there were parts of THE FORCE AWAKENS I enjoyed. The very best moment was when a stormtrooper with a stun baton wails on Finn. This guy was a genuine badass. ‘He’ should have been the main villain. It would have made things a lot more entertaining.

[The best part of THE FORCE AWAKENS. Otherwise known as TR-8R.]

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Published on January 01, 2016 20:20

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES: FROM STORY TO SCREEN

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOOqzFbthus..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOOqzFbthus..." width="275" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">David Robbins</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">© 2015</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With all the interest in Mars these days---just look at the huge popularity of the book and movie THE MARTIAN---you might be interested in a heads-up about another book and a miniseries that has to do with the Red Planet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before I go further, it’s fair to mention that if you’re a science geek, if every aspect about Mars must be scientifically accurate, then you might not want to read on. The works we’re talking about don’t reflect current scientific knowledge, simply because they were written and filmed long before we know what we now do about our next-door neighbor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SPccAkMR2Fs..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SPccAkMR2Fs..." width="301" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> [The DVD cover from above without all the words. Way cool.] </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES is a book by master storyteller Ray Bradbury. It’s not a novel, per se. Bradbury collected a bunch of short stories he’d had published in various magazines, strung them together, added narrative here and there, tweaked other things, and presto. The book version came out in 1950. It has since become a recognized classic.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NAdII5xqCUI..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NAdII5xqCUI..." width="243" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> [An early paperback version. There have been many printings by various publishers.]</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES isn’t about science. It’s about people. Those from Earth who want to turn the Red Planet into Earth II, as it were, and the Martians who don’t much like the idea. It’s about what happens when two cultures collide. About the mistakes made, on both sides, and the tragedies that result.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ray Bradbury was a marvelous writer. At times his prose positively shines. He takes us into the hearts and minds of the Earthers and the Martians, and has us gnashing our figurative teeth in frustration at their follies.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3uCPCzk2jJw..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3uCPCzk2jJw..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> [A 'hot mama' Martian lady and her 'green gills' hubby. You'll understand when you read the book or watch the miniseries.]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">On one side of the clash we have the Earthmen and Earthwomen, with their technology. On the other side, telepathic, shape-shifting Martians who resist the invasion the only way they know how.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OWlai8Drh9E..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OWlai8Drh9E..." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[Two Martians. The masks are an integral part of their culture. You want to avoid them when they put on the Mask of Conflict.] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">It wasn’t until 1980 that someone tried to translate the book to film. With a screenplay by none other than Richard Matheson (reportedly, Bradbury also contributed), and starring the likes of Rock Hudson, Darren McGavin, Bernie Casey and Roddy McDowell, a three-part miniseries was produced.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Instant controversy. Bradbury called the miniseries ‘boring’. When asked to comment on the end result, Matheson wouldn’t. Some reviewers thought the pacing was too slow. Others criticized the special effects. A few were upset that it included sequences that weren't in the book, or changed them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-630FPp2khn0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-630FPp2khn0..." width="293" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[A Martian and his mask. Any wonder the Earth people were scared?] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s take a closer look. Yeah, the special effects were a bit cheesy by today's standards. But that was then, and they did the best they could with the budget they had. The location filming alone makes up for the model spaceships. One thing they got spectacularly right was their depiction of Martian cities. You get a very real sense of Martian culture, too, in more ways than one. (See below)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ghlYVfY598s..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ghlYVfY598s..." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[Left: a Martian city. Right: Rock Hudson and a Martian in one of the best scenes in the miniseries.] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The pacing criticism doesn’t hold water. This wasn’t an actionfest. It’s a thinking person’s study of two cultures, and in that respect, succeeds admirably.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Much of the miniseries adheres---often word-for-word---with the book. The changes had largely to do with elements you wouldn’t ordinarily expect to see in typical TV ‘fluff’, namely, religion and philosophy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">To give you some idea of how surprisingly profound the series became, at one point Rock Hudson’s character is able to fulfill a years-long yearning to talk to a Martian. And when he asks how they lived, the Martian responds, ‘By watching life. Observing nature and cooperating with it. Making common cause with the process of existence. By living life for itself. Deriving pleasure from the gift of pure being. Life is its own answer, don’t you see? Accept it and enjoy it day by day. Live as well as possible. Expect no more. Destroy nothing. Humble nothing. Look for fault in nothing. Leave unsullied and untouched all that is beautiful. Hold that which lives in all reverence, for life is given by the Sovereign of our universe. Given to be savored. To be luxuriated in. To be respected.’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JHvAe1_KOJY..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JHvAe1_KOJY..." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">[What happens when an Earthman 'goes Martian'. Hint: run.] </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Special mention must be made of the score by Stanley Myers. He brilliantly evokes a ‘Martian atmosphere’, if you will. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So there you go. More ‘Mars’ for your enjoyment. Just don’t fall in a canal.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxJDNmWBiL0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxJDNmWBiL0..." width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> [There's a limited edition score of the miniseries that is well worth tracking down.]</span> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavidR..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

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Published on November 15, 2015 21:11

SHANE: FROM STORY TO SCREEN---TO SCREEN.

<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujffGgsd6-U..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujffGgsd6-U..." width="242" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">David Robbins</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">©2015</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We’ll start things off way back in 1946. That’s when Jack Schaefer had a three-part story he called RIDER FROM NOWHERE published in ARGOSY magazine. Later he added to it, and the novel version was released in 1949 with the simple title of SHANE. It hasn't been out of print since, with editions in over 30 languages.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">You’ll find the novel on many ‘best of the West’ lists. It’s the quintessential story of a stranger who rides into the middle of a rancher/homesteader feud and uses his deadly skill with a six-shooter to decide the issue. What separates Schaefer’s story from the hundreds of similar ‘noble gunfighter versus vile gunmen’ tales is the literary excellence he brought to the telling. SHANE is superb from start to FINI, with nuances of meaning and character interplay that few Western novels rival.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was inevitable, then, that Hollywood saw fit to make the novel into a movie. They didn’t waste any time about it. SHANE, starring Alan Ladd in the lead role, lit the screen in 1953, only four years after the novel came out. The film is widely regarded as a classic. Western Writers of America has called it the greatest Western movie of all time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-32Er8Dd36Ko..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-32Er8Dd36Ko..." width="305" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">[One of the best Westerns ever made. If you appreciate excellence, here you go.}</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was perhaps also inevitable that when TV came along, they tapped into Schaefer’s literary vein, with a series starring David Carradine. Yes, the same DC of KUNG FU fame. It lasted seventeen episodes. For the longest time the series was difficult to acquire. Not long ago, though, it was released on DVD.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HV0DNRL9rYI..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HV0DNRL9rYI..." width="286" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>[The series that took forever to make it to DVD. The wait, as they say, was worth it.]</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The question naturally arises: how do they compare, the novel to the movie to the series? Let’s take a look.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The basic plot in each is the same. Shane comes to the aid of the Starrett family in their dispute with a rancher. But the Shane in the movie is not quite the same as the Shane in the novel. Carradine’s Shane, interestingly enough, includes elements of both, and is far deadlier than either. The violence quotient in the TV version---in one episode he shoots three men, in another he kills five, in yet another he shoots six---may have helped contribute to its early demise.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It has been said that you can tell a lot about a person by the clothes they wear, and it’s worth noting that Shane’s attire in the novel is considerably different from the movie and the series. Here’s how Jack Schaefer described his knight errant: ‘As he came near, what impressed me first was his clothes. He wore dark trousers of some serge material tucked into tall boots and held at the waist by a wide belt, both of a soft black leather tooled in intricate design. A coat of the same dark material as the trousers was neatly folded and strapped to his saddle-roll. His shirt was finespun linen, rich brown in color. The handkerchief loosely knotted around his throat was black silk. His hat was not the familiar Stetson, not the familiar gray or muddy tan. It was a plain black, soft in texture, unlike any hat I had ever seen, with a creased crown and a wide curling brim swept down in front to shield the face.’</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Clearly, this was no cowboy. The description matches that of a gambler. They were known for their wide-brimmed black hats and dark suits and coats. Indeed, toward the end of the novel, when the narrator is speculating on Shane’s real identity, mention is made that ‘he was a certain Shannon who was famous as a gunman and gambler way down in Arkansas and Texas’.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A more important clue to the special qualities that made Shane so fascinating occurs when he reaches the Starrett place. One of the first things he does is to pluck a petunia from the flower garden and stick it in his hat band. Think about that. A man in the Old West, going around with a flower in his hat?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now let’s contrast that with Alan Ladd’s version. Ladd wore fringed buckskins. They were popular with scouts and other frontiersmen. Most were plain. Others could be as fancy as Shane’s outfit. Take those worn by Wild Bill Hickok, often called the Prince of Pistoleers. His were not only fringed, they had a fur collar and fur around the wrists and again at the bottom of the shirt. If you saw him coming down the street with his pearl-handled revolvers sticking butts-first from his belt or sash, you’d look twice.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Carrdine’s Shane wore a buckskin shirt. He was also partial to a sheepskin coat. Neither he nor Ladd wore a black hat; they went for the ‘muddy brown’ variety. The most distinctive aspect of their attire was their gunbelt.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Which brings us to one of the core elements of the book, the movie, and the series. Because in each, and most especially in the series, the gun becomes almost a character unto itself.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PCi4ymxiyTw..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PCi4ymxiyTw..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">[Alan Ladd in action as Shane. Note his gunbelt.]</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s take the novel first. It surprises those who have never read it that Shane doesn’t strap his revolver on until near the end. That scene in the movie where he gives the young boy a lesson in how to draw and shoot? They took that from the book, but in the novel Shane doesn’t strap his own revolver on to demonstrate how it’s done. He uses an old broken revolver the boy is playing with.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Worth noting is Schaefer’s description of Shane’s real Colt:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘There it was, the most beautiful-looking weapon I ever saw. Beautiful, and deadly-looking. The holster and filled cartridge belt were of the same soft black leather as the boots tucked under the bunk, in the same intricate design. I knew enough to know that the gun was a single-action Colt, the same model as the Regular Army issue that was the favorite of all men in those days and that oldtimers used to say was the finest pistol ever made.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the same model. But this was no Army gun. It was black, almost blue black, with the darkness not in any enamel but in the metal itself. The grip was clear on the outer curve, shaped to the fingers on the inner curve, and two ivory plates were set into it with exquisite skill, one on each side.’</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Throughout the novel, Shane’s revolver has a tangible presence as potent as the man who owns it. The same can be said of the movie, to a degree, and especially so the TV series.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ladd’s Shane uses a Colt Single Action Army model with a 7½ inch barrel and ivory grips. (In the movie they were actually plastic, but hey). The front sight is missing. His gunbelt is black leather with large silver conchos. It’s quite distinctive.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So much so, the makers of the TV series decided that their Shane should have a similar belt. His Colt has a much shorter barrel and different grips. But it is as much a star as Shane. The opening credits, in fact, begin with a close-up of the Colt being loaded. Just Shane’s hands are shown. When he hears Joey calling, he twirls the revolver into his holster, then takes his gunbelt off and hangs it on the wall.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AoDQtN9kf0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AoDQtN9kf0..." width="260" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">[The shot of Carradine they used for the DVD release. Note his gunbelt.]</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The impression those credits give, as in the novel and the movie, is that Shane has forsaken his violent past and no longer wants to live by the gun. But again, just as in the novel and the movie, circumstances force him to strap on those silver conchos and demonstrate how deadly he is.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The TV series stresses, again and again, that Shane is a killer. Where in the novel others are wary of him---in the movie not so much---in the TV series many are outright afraid. And you can’t blame them, given the number of times he threatens to kill someone. And the number of times he actually does.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Envision, if you will, a typical Saturday night back in ’66. There were only three main channels on TV then. (Yes, you read that right. ‘Three’.) On one channel you had FLIPPER, a family-oriented show about a dolphin, followed by PLEASE DON’T EAT THE DAISIES, another family show. On the second channel you had the JACKIE GLEASON SHOW, a variety hour with comedy and music. On the third channel you had SHANE, a Western about a gunfighter with a lot of shootouts and a high body count. This at a time when violence on TV was decried as a bad influence. Which show do you think a typical parent wasn't going to let their child watch?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So there you go. Looking for a great<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>novel to read? Or a great movie? Or a great TV-series? Treat yourself to one or both or all three.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_yvoZu3IBY..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_yvoZu3IBY..." width="268" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> [The Critical Edition. For those who might like more background on the author and all things SHANE.]</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavidR..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

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Published on October 25, 2015 13:23

OUR MAN FLINT: COOLEST SPY EVER

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdb_Y5LLp7A..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdb_Y5LLp7A..." width="303" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">David Robbins</div><div class="MsoNormal">© 2015</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">With another James Bond film in the offing, it’s fitting to call your attention to a guy many consider the classiest spy ever. No, not Bond, whose undeniable appeal has resulted in one of the highest-grossing film franchises ever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">We’re talking about Derek Flint, an uber cool blend of Bond and Doc Savage, who was featured in two hit movies from the 1960’s. Both starred the inimitable James Coburn.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8AQSD9XCOnw..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8AQSD9XCOnw..." width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[Flint unleashes some karate. Coburn had a genuine interest in the martial arts. He trained under Bruce Lee for a number of years, and the two reportedly became friends.]</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Way back then, the movie Bond had kicked off a spy craze. TV jumped on the bandwagon with a host of shows: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., SECRET AGENT, I SPY, and more.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">There were also spy spoofs, big screen and small. And the best of the bunch were OUR MAN FLINT and its sequel, IN LIKE FLINT.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Ironically, Derek Flint wasn’t really a spy. He was everything else. A scientist, who wrote the textbook on ‘isomerism’. A cetologist, who developed a ‘dictionary’ on dolphin sounds so humans and dolphins could communicate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A martial artist, with black belts in karate and judo. A ballet <i>artiste</i>, so exceptional, he taught ballet. A painter, whose oil works hung in international galleries. He spoke scores of languages, was an Olympic medalist in fencing, the pentathlon, and other sports, he played a dozen instruments, had degrees in medicine and law and……well, you get the idea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaT-pi3ATdc..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaT-pi3ATdc..." width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[Flint 'talking' to a dolphin. The talent later proved handy.]</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Coburn played this paragon of excellence absolutely straight, and therein likes much of the appeal. Whether he’s traipsing around on a Russian stage in tights or going up against a score of soldiers, hand-to-hand, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coburn is the quintessential sophisticated superman.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">In OUR MAN FLINT, a triumvirate of mad scientists have perfected a way to control the weather and are out to control the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After following a series of clues, Flint invades their island fortress to rescue his coterie of special ladies, and in a spectacular finale, disposes of the villains. The plot is over the top, the humor nonstop, the action sequences hold up well even today, and the score, by the prolific Jerry Goldsmth, is extraordinary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bqwKhwh_92w..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bqwKhwh_92w..." width="388" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[Flint working out. He also fences, and does a pretty mean high-bar.]</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">OMF did so well, the studio rushed out a sequel the following year. IN LIKE FLINT tries mightily to be as entertaining, and almost succeeds. The weakness, if you can all it that, has to do with the ‘bad guys’. They aren’t guys at all. They’re gals. No problem, right? After all, there are a lot of kick-butt women in movies. But where a lady today would, literally, pound the snot out of someone---take a look at, oh, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow---these ladies walk up to them…and kiss them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>To say the least, ILF is more than a little outdated. But if you realize it was a product of its time, and can get past that aspect, you’re in for another rollicking adventure with some great highlights.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrygonnvj6A..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrygonnvj6A..." width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">[You don't sleep on chairs? It does wonders for the heart rate.}</span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, Coburn is outstanding. No more so than in the best action sequence from either film. Flint sneaks into a top secret installation, unaware he has walked into a trap. A dastardly general unleashes his henchmen, and Flint cuts loose.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Which brings us to an aside. Flint is no milquetoast. Take him on and he takes you down. In OUR MAN FLINT, he riddles two bad guys with a Thompson sub-machine gun, brutally kills another with a knife, and in his most badass moment, kicks two guys from a high catwalk and stands there staring down after they splat on the concrete.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">So it’s no surprise that in the extended fight in Z.O.W.I.E. headquarters, Flint goes for the throat. And the spine. And the kidney. And the knee. No ten minute slugfests for him. One or two blows and down they go.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QkkWtSiQ4X0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QkkWtSiQ4X0..." width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[In addition to this rare card, there were novelizations of both movies. Not long ago, Moonstone came out with a comic based on them, THAT MAN FLINT.]</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">You might be wondering why I’m doing a post on Flint after all this time. It’s because I only recently found out that Twilight Time has produced Blu-ray versions. Outstanding sets, with a treasure-trove of special features, including the scores.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">So if you’re a Flint fan, or if you remember these films fondly, or just want the fun of watching them for the first time, treat yourself. You might end up being as impressed as Austin Powers. What’s that? You didn’t know that IN LIKE FLINT was his favorite movie?</span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> For shame, baby.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A0pqjELZITU..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A0pqjELZITU..." width="297" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavidR..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

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Published on October 10, 2015 19:52

Z NATION: ZOMBIELICIOUS

David Robbins © 2015
Are you a zombie nut? Can’t get enough necroapocalypse? Then I’ve got a heads up that you don’t want to miss.
First, though, I should mention I’m a huge WALKING DEAD fan. I started reading the comic version way back with the first issue. When the TV series came along, like a lot of others I hopped on board and was hooked. And now, of course, the TV show has proven so popular, it’s spawned a sequel, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD.
One of the complaints you’ll hear about TWD is that whole shows go by and not much happens. Epic zombie slaughters are infrequent. On the sequel, they’re even less so.
Which is why, if you’re a zombie nerd, you should check out Z NATION, the SyFy’s channel’s foray into the Undead. Far and away, it’s more action-oriented, and the truth be told, a lot more fun. How can that be? Because unlike TWD and FTWD, it makes no pretense at being profound or artsy. It’s brought to you by the same gonzo outfit that gave the world SHARKNADO, which should tell you a lot right there.

[The cast of Z NATION when the show kicked off. Alas, some are no longer with us.] You’ll see where people say that Z NATION is nothing but an inferior rip-off of TWD, but that's ridiculous. Z NATION goes out of its way to be nothing like TWD, and succeeds superbly. Where TWD is largely somber and grim, Z NATION is infused with a lighthearted vein that’s a welcome respite from seriosio overload. One minute Z NATION has you laughing out loud, the next you’re jumping out of your skin.
The basic plot goes like this. It’s three years after most of civilization has been wiped out by a zombie plague. There’s this guy---shades of OMEGA MAN---who was injected with an experimental serum designed to keep people from turning into zombies, and it worked. Now the government, or what’s left of it, wants to get him from the East Coast to California where there’s a facility that can mass produce the serum, and save humanity.
But there’s a hitch. The guy wasn’t a volunteer. He was a convict, forced to become a guinea pig against his will, and then left strapped to a table while zombies tried to devour him alive. To say he has issues is an understatement.

[This is the guy who is going to save humankind? Not if he can help it.] Keith Allan is hilarious as the reluctant savior who’d much rather the world taking a flying leap. His antics become more and more outrageous as the bites begin to have an unforeseen effect---and he discovers he has something in common, sort of, with Aquaman. (Yes, you read that right.) The rest of the ensemble cast does an admirable job. Kellita Smith and DJ Quallis merit particular mention for making their characters sympathetic.

[Trying to keep your grip in a world that has gone insane isn't easy.] Be advised, though. As with TWD, you might not want to become too attached to the characters. Why? Because like TWD, they can die at any time.
And let’s not forget the whole reason for the show, namely, the zombies. Not just slow zombies, either. There are fast zombies, blaster zombies, and more. They die in spectacular numbers. It’s no exaggeration to say that Z NATION is a slaughterfest of seldom-seen dimensions. Even sweeter, they constantly give us new and creative ways to off the living dead.

[How can you not like a show that has glow-in-the-dark zombies?]
Again, the key word is fun. Three words will prove my case: zombie pole dancer.

[Your eyes do not deceive you. Yes, that is a zombienado.] Check the series out. The first season is on DVD. Keep in mind that, as with a lot of shows, Z NATION gets even better as it rolls along.
Now if you’ll excuse me, ‘You have a finger in your hair’.

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Published on September 27, 2015 22:15

KAIJU SPAWN: TITAN TERRORS

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7AslrfIHq0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7AslrfIHq0..." width="253" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">David Robbins</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">©2015 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> In the mood for a thrilling read? Treat yourself to KAIJU SPAWN, a new novella from the combined pens---or keyboards---of the hugely talented Eric S. Brown, and yours truly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘Kaiju’, it’s all about monsters. Specifically, it refers to movies, books and comics that have to do with ‘strange beasts’. Or if you want to get technical, we can call it ‘daikaiju’, which is Japanese for really ‘big strange beasts’.</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> Godzilla is the most famous example. Mothra and Rodan and a host of others are in the same genre. It might surprise you to learn that so is <i>THE BEAST FROM 20,000 PHANTOMS, THE DEADLY MANTIS, THE GIANT BEHEMOTH</i> and other monster flicks from the ‘50’s and beyond. Recent examples include <i>PACIFIC RIM</i> and <i>CLOVERFIELD.</i></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> The monster need not be a giant reptile or a gargantuan bug. Yep, you guessed it: King Kong is included in the same category.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2TPGsUyiWk..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2TPGsUyiWk..." width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">[The Big Guy from the original film. He also tangled with Godzilla. They might tangle again, as a remake is reportedly in the works.]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> In keeping with this fine tradition, enter KAIJU SPAWN. A leviathan has heaved up out of the sea and is leaving a swath of destruction and chaos in its wake. And something else arises, horrors no one foresaw.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> When a father realizes his young daughter is directly in the monster's path, he sets out in a desperate attempt to save her....and soon finds himself fighting for his life against those new horrors.</span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> Chills and thrills galore. Find out for yourself. Get your copy of KAIJU SPAWN today.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> P.S. About Eric S. Brown:</span><br /><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> He’s </span><span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">the author of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bigfoot War</i>series, The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kaiju Apocalypse</i> series (with Jason Cordova), and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crypto-Squad</i>series with Jason Brannon. Some of his stand alone works include <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Megalodon</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night of the Kaiju</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dawn of the Kaiju</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War of the Dead</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sasquatch Lake</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies</i>. His short fiction has been published hundreds of times, including the Onward Drake anthology from Baen Books, the Grantville Gazette, and Walmart World Magazine. Two of his books have been made into feature films- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bigfoot War</i> (2014) from Origin Releasing and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Werewolf Massacre at Hell’s Gate</i> (2015) from Ingy Films. He loves to write tales of giant monsters, blazing guns, hungry corpses, and things that lurk in the woods.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This is Eric: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cs2sNefZ9LQ..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cs2sNefZ9LQ..." width="281" /></a></div> <br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavidR..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

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Published on September 17, 2015 15:34