David Robbins's Blog, page 7

TOWN TAMERS: HARD JUSTICE

David Robbins
c 2013


Western fans!Looking for a good read? A story with all the drama, action and humor you love? Then this is me giving you a heads up about TOWN TAMERS. 
Some Western towns were notorious for being dens of vice and violence. Greed and lust ran rampant. ‘Anything goes’ was their unofficial motto, and anything did, including gun play that planted many a soul in the local Boot Hill.
Until the good folks reached a point where enough was enough, and hired someone to clean their town up. [Another Western of mine you might like. A favorite with fans.]
Which brings us to TOWN TAMERS. Asa Delaware is a former lawman who makes his living doing what few others could. He rides into a nest of vipers and proceeds to stomp every snake in sight until the rest either slither off to healthier climes or end up as worm food.
Usually, he’s pitted against hopeless odds. One man against many. Or so everyone thinks.
Asa has an ace up his sleeve. Two aces, actually, in the forms of his grown son and daughter, who help him on the sly and are as deadly as their father when the lead starts to fly.
TOWN TAMERS begins with a ‘traditional’ taming, where Asa’s talents are called on to save a town terrorized by a wild bunch that uses a local ranch as their headquarters. For Asa it’s business as usual, except for rumblings of discontent from his son. ['Some guy' and the cover of THUNDER VALLEY. Any resemblance is strictly coincidental.:)]
Another town sends for them, and suddenly the story takes an unexpected turn. Nothing is as it seems. And just when Asa must make the most important decision of his life, his son makes one of his own, and quits town taming to do something else---wait on tables at a poetry house.
It’s enough to make a grown man weep.
But Asa has no time for wrestling with personal issues. He finds himself confronted by evil of a whole new caliber. Sidewinders so cunning, they wear an air of respectability like armor. 
In short, what’s a town tamer to do when the badmen---are the good guys?
Find out for yourself. Treat yourself to  TOWN TAMERS. It’s a great read from start to FINI. 

MARATHON MAN: ALMOST GOES THE DISTANCE

David Robbins
c 2013


Any William Goldman fans here? In case you’re not aware, Goldman has a distinguished career as a wordsmith. Novels, screenplays, plays, he’s done them all, and done some of them exceptionally well, as his two Academy Awards, plus other awards, demonstrate.
 If his name still doesn’t ring your mental bell, perhaps mention of some of his works might. How about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Did you ever see The Princess Bride? Or maybe his adaptation of All The President’s Men? The list goes on and on.
This particular From Story To Screen is about Marathon Man. It came out in 1974 and was made into a movie in ’76. [The DVD. There's also a Blu-ray. Grab some popcorn and enjoy.]
How do the two compare?
The book is superlative. Ostensibly, it’s the story of a college student called Babe who gets caught up in international intrigue. Sounds typical enough, but in Goldman’s hands it becomes a riveting multi-layered thriller with suspense so keen, it keeps you on the edge of your chair. [The cover to one of the book editions. There are about half a dozen out there.]
The plot involves Nazis, and a shadow agency of the U.S. government, and a horrific torture scene that the producers of the movie wisely included, and one other element they included but didn’t portray as wisely.
That element is the college kid’s brother, an operative for the shadow agency, who also happens to be one of the top assassins in the world, if not ‘the’ best. His code name is Scylla, and it can truthfully be stated that he nearly steals the book from Babe. He would have nearly stolen the movie, too, except that the makers didn’t present him as they should have. More on that in a bit.
Goldman does a remarkable thing with Scylla, He presents him so realistically, so poignantly, that this ruthless killing machine becomes the most sympathetic character in the novel. His presumed death, in fact, (more on that in a bit, too), is one of the most emotionally charged scenes in the book.
As with so many of Goldman’s works, Hollywood leaped at the chance to do a film version. Directed by the great John Schlesinger, with Dustin Hoffman as Babe and Roy Scheider as Scylla, it sticks to the book in nearly every respect. The exception, amazingly enough, is in its depiction of the latter. [Roy Scheider as Scylla. No one can say he wasn't fit enough for the part.]
Right up front, let’s note we can’t fault Roy Scheider. He does a superb job. The problem, if you will, is that the movie doesn’t delve into the aspects of Scylla’s character that make him so terrific in the novel. Oh, we see that he’s some sort of spy, and in a fight scene we learn he kills people, but Scylla’s true stature is never made clear. It detracts from the ‘Wow!’ factor that Goldman puts in the novel, and ultimately detracts from the movie, itself.
It’s a shame. If they had done Scylla right, Marathon Man, the movie, would have ranked as one of the best of its genre. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still a fine film. It just misses greatness by a hair. [James Wing Woo as the Chinese assassin Chen. In the novel, his fight with Scylla is one of the highlights of the book. In the movie, not so much.]
Still, if you’re looking for a terrific story to read, track down the book. And if you don’t mind them missing that hair, track down the movie. Or better yet, snag both, read the one and watch the other, and see if you agree. [It would be remiss of me to talk about the movie and not mention the legendary Laurence Olivier as the vilest dude this side of anywhere. If you're planning a trip to the dentist this week, you might want to hold off watching the movie until after your visit.]
Now back to that ‘presumed’ business. You see, Scylla proved so popular that Goldman brought him back from the dead, so to speak, and wrote a sequel mostly about him.Entitled Brothers, it has some cool moments but doesn’t quite equal the excellence of its predecessor.
Those who have read Marathon Man will get a grin out of this quote, which is a fitting way to end this piece: ‘He was Scylla the rock. On his good days, anyway.’

T.H.E. CAT: OUT OF THE NIGHT.......

David Robbins
c 2013


If you follow my blog, you know I like to give a heads up on fun stuff you might like. This time around it’s a TV show from yesteryear that was far ahead of its time. That it was only on for a season was a shame, but it followed a show that was losing viewers in droves and was up against popular competition on other channels.
This action gem was called T.H.E. CAT. It has since achieved cult status, and for its many fans, was one of the coolest shows ever. Why?
Let’s take the premise. Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat is a bodyguard, the best in the business, the man who has saved a thousand lives. He wasn’t always on the side of the angels. Before he became a bodyguard he was a cat burglar, again one of the best, but even the best can be caught and put behind bars, and his hitch in a French prison was a lesson learned. [The first of four issues based on the series. Art by Sam Glanzman.]
Part of the skill set that made Cat unique was that prior to his jewel thief days, he was an aerialist with a circus. He worked the high wire without a net.
Bits of information sprinkled throughout the series reveals that Cat spent a lot of time in Europe before he came to the States and settled in San Francisco. He was well-traveled, cultured, urbane, and yet in his heart, addicted to the adrenaline rush of danger. When he had to be, he was also a brutal fighter who was highly skilled in the martial arts. (More on that in a bit.) [The second of the four issues. Photo covers were popular back then.]
Cat operates out of Casa del Gato, a nightclub operated by his Gypsy blood brother, Pepe. He drives the sweetest Corvette this side of anywhere. His weapon of choice is a knife he carries in a wrist rig but he is also a marksman with a rifle and pistol. 
Robert Loggia had the title role, and you have to see him to appreciate the finesse he brought to the small screen. Physically, he more than fit the bill. He was ‘so’ quick that if you blink during some of his fight scenes, you’ll miss his moves. [The third issue. The stories were true to the series in every respect.]
Those fights, by the way, are one of the highlights of the series. CAT was one of the first to use martial arts in a realistic way. I’ve seen it mentioned where some thought he was proficient in karate. But was that really the case?
Permit a digression. We know that Cat spent a lot of time in France. And what is the one martial art recognized worldwide as distinctly French? Savate. And what is a ‘trademark’ of savate, if you will? A lot of kicks. Cat uses a lot of kicks in his fights. More than anyone else on TV back then with the notable exception of Bruce Lee over in THE GREEN HORNET. Yes, I realize that karateka use a lot of kicks, too, but there’s yet another reason savate is more likely.
It was common back then for Dell comics to put out issues based on TV shows. This is noteworthy because the makers of the shows provided Dell with descriptions of the characters and their backgrounds so the comics would match the TV version. Dell published four issues of T.H.E. CAT, and in one of them, during a fight sequence, Cat kicks a pistol out of a bad guy’s hand and says, and I’ll quote him: ‘French savate! Voila!’ And when he administers the coup de grace, he throws in a ‘Touche!’
Savate or karate, the fights were extraordinary for their time. So was the music, by Lalo Schifrin. Once you hear it, it’s one of those you never forget. [Issue #4 with Cat in the outfit he wore when scaling high buildings.]
The series ran for 26 shows, and special mention should be made of the first 16. They are mini film noir masterpieces, or as close as TV came.

Then the makers tweaked things. Instead of the James Bondish intro sequences they had been using, they adopted a more standard beginning that went like this: ‘Out of the night comes a man who saves lives at the risk of his own. Once a circus performer, an aerialist who refused the net. Once a cat burglar, a master among jewel thieves. And now, a professional bodyguard. Primitive. Savage. In love with danger. The Cat!’ [A model kit of Cat's car was released. The real car was customized, supposedly for $350,000, a fortune in 1966.]
Unfortunately, no one has released a remastered version. You can find the series on DVD and VHS but the quality varies. Still, if you’re looking for an intelligent, mature, sophisticated series that seldom fails to entertain, T.H.E. CAT is worth tracking down.

THE WERELING: A HOWLING GOOD STORY

David Robbinsc 2013
In time for Halloween, Mad Hornet Pub. has released a new printing of THE WERELING.
What’s this one about?Here’s the back cover blurb:
THE JERSEY SHORE WEREWOLF
Ocean City, New Jersey. It has a beach and amusementsand good food. Tourists flock there for sun during the dayand fun on the boardwalk at night.
Now Ocean City has something else. A creature that ripsand rends and kills with wanton bloodlust.
[This was the original version from back in the day.]
THE WERELING grips the reader from the first page andnever lets go.
The new printing had been revised, updated and expanded.If you love a harrowing tale, this one’s for you.
Available in print and ebook versions at Amazon.


[The guy who wrote the book. Any resemblance to the werewolf is strictly coincidental. :)

A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING

David Robbins
c 2013


Looking for a terrific new read? Then how about the scares and chills of A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING.
From the back cover:
What’s a girl to do?Welcome to the end of the world.
Courtney Hewitt lived a perfectly ordinary life. She had her mom and dad and brother and sister and some friends and a boy she liked. School mostly bored her but they made her go, so hey.
Then several countries let fly with nuclear missiles andbiological and chemical weapons, and her life was no longerordinary.
Now Courtney has chemical clouds and radiation and mutations to deal with. To say nothing of the not-so-deadwho eat the living. A lot of people might give up in despair.Not Courtney.
A GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING.When the going gets tough, the tough kick butt.
A great Horror novel for when you want some goosebumps.
To further whet your interest, here’s an excerpt:
“Do you hear that?” Sally Ann breathlessly asked.To Courtney it sounded like a faint shriek or scream.Suddenly the rose bush was pushed flat to the ground and there was a strange concussion that made her ears pop. The picture window cracked. Outside, a lawn chair went rolling and bouncing down the middle of the street. It wasn’t alone. All sorts of things were being blown by the blast. Clothes, a towel, a paper cup, a child’s doll.“Look!” Ron said, and pointed.Up the street an old woman was trying to reach her house. She had an arm in front of her face to ward off debris and her body was bent with effort. She raised her leg to take a step and was swept off her feet and sent tumbling head over heels. Her mouth opened in a scream they couldn’t hear for the wind. Her arms and legs flapping, she was swept out of sight.“That poor woman,” Sally Ann gasped.
Get swept up yourself. Order a copy ofA GIRL, THE END OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHINGtoday.

RIDDICK: A FURYAN AND HIS DOG

David Robbins
c 2013


If you don’t have the time to read the entire review, I’ll save you the trouble. This is a cool movie. See it.
It’s especially cool if you’re a Riddick fan. In case you don’t know, this is the third in a series of films based on the character. (The fourth, if you count an animated version.) The first, PITCH BLACK, came out in 2000. A sequel, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, was released in 2004. So it’s been a while since Riddick hit the screen. The wait was worth it. [Riddick about to lay some smackdown on something that wants to kill him.]
Vin Diesel was born for this role. He plays the ultimate badass so naturally and superbly, you have no trouble believing Riddick can do the incredible things he does. He takes it even further in that deep down this badass has a heart, an aspect of Riddick’s character that Diesel ably evokes with but a look in his eyes and the slightest change of expression.
The movie takes up where CHRONICLES left off. It's interesting to note, though, that it has more in common with PITCH BLACK. I don’t want to give away how, but unless you read a review that spoils it for you, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The fact that they worked to provide a sense of continuity is an extra facet fans can appreciate.
The first third of the movie is a sort of ‘Robinson Crusoe in space’, only in this case Crusoe is the toughest mother anywhere, and the island is a planet as hostile to humans, or Furyans, as a planet can be. [Ever notice how alien planets have so many creatures that want to eat you?]
It’s amusing, and ironic, that the focus is on how Riddick---of all people---needs to ‘man up.’
Then some bounty hunters arrive, and the film becomes a sustained suspense-and-carnage bloodbath.
The cinematography is at times spectacular. The special effects are outstanding. A variety of deadly creatures are believably presented. Of special note is a ‘Dingo-dog’ that the CGI manages to imbue with a personality of its own. [Riddick and his bud. Their bonding provides for some amusing moments.]
If you’re a Riddick fan, you don’t need urging to go see the movie. If you’re not, but you enjoy a gripping story, RIDDICK satisfies on several levels. The first is the action dynamic. The next is the dynamic between Riddick and the other characters. The third is the dynamic between Riddick and himself. For unlike a lot of action heroes, Riddick has a lot going on between his ears. Part of his appeal is in seeing how his mind works. Equally fascinating is the indomitable will he displays time and time again. Nothing keeps this man down. Absolutely nothing. [This pretty much sums Riddick up right there.]
Treat yourself to the galaxy’s ‘thinking person’s badass’. And should you ever break your leg in the wilds and need to reset it, remember Riddick’s trick. All you need is some of that indomitable will. ['What's that you say? It's raining? Oh, crap. Where's a thermonuclear bomb when you need one?']

28 DAYS TO 28 WEEKS: SELENA'S STORY

David Robbins
c 2013


This time around we’re going to do things differently. Usually, From Story to Screen is just that. We talk about how a novel or short story or even a screenplay has been made into a movie. This time, we’re delving into not one but two movies that became the basis for a comic book series.
[The DVD for the first movie. Not just for zombie nuts, it's a Horror flick for anyone who likes a good scare.]
A lot of people don’t or won’t read comics. I’ve talked before about how they are depriving themselves of some seriously sweet stories. And no comic series has been sweeter than BOOM! Studios 28 DAYS LATER.
Are you familiar with the movies? 28 DAYS LATER came out in 2003. It was a hit and spawned a sequel, 28 WEEKS LATER, released in 2007. it, too, did very well, and there is talk of a third. [The DVD for the sequel. New story, different characters, and even scarier than the first.]
The basic premise involves zombies. If you’re not a zombie nut, you might be thinking you’re not interested. But here’s the deal. These aren’t your ‘ordinary’ zombies. These are 'new' ones. Ordinary zombies move slowly and like to feast on the living. This new kind, spawned by a chemically created virus known as ‘Rage’, move as fast as anything, and they’re not so much interested in eating you are they are simply killing you or turning you into one of them. [Cover for the second issue. The cover for the first is at the top.]
As an aside, this spawned sometimes heated debates in the zombie subculture. If you’ve ever watched THE BIG BANG THEORY, you know that geeks love to argue about their pet passions. In this case, arguments erupted over whether zombies should be ‘slow‘ or ‘fast’. Some of the ‘slow’ crowd were outraged that anyone would violate zombie canon by making zombies ‘fast’. Some of the ‘fast’ crowd then offered a hundred and one scientific reasons why zombies didn’t always have to be ‘slow’. The middle-of-the-roaders jumped in with their arguments on why it was perfectly feasible to have both ‘fast’ and ‘slow’. The end result is that there are ‘slow’ lovers who will not go to any movie that has ‘fast’ zombies, and ‘fast’ lovers who look down their noses at ‘slow’ lovers for having closed minds. The middle-of-the-roaders just shake their heads and go to movies that have both. But I digress.
Somewhere along the line, someone decided it would be a cool idea to do a comic series linking the two movies. 28 WEEKS LATER does not stem directly from 28 DAYS LATER except in regards to the Rage virus. [Another cover. The 'red' is a motif throughout. With the Rage virus, it's all about the blood.]
The comic links them by taking one of the main characters from DAYS and carrying her through to WEEKS. Her name is Selena, and seldom has a comic character been presented so poignantly. She starts out as a badass, as she was in the movie. But issue by issue, her layers are peeled away to reveal the woman she was before the outbreak, and still is. By the 24th issue a remarkable transformation has taken place. It’s great storytelling.
I do have a quibble, a minor one, which I'll get to in a bit.

[The cover to the final issue. The symbolism is eloquent.]
Michael Alan Nelson is the writer. I’d never read any of his stuff before but now intend to look more of it up based on his work here. 
The artists varied but all did fine rendering. Reading these comics, as I’ve said before about comics in general, is like reading a movie. [An interior scene. You can see how fine the art is.]
The ‘linkage’, by the way, is flawless. Nelson includes elements from both DAYS and WEEKS, and seques them into a seamless whole.
If you like good stories, if you’re a zombie nut, if you loved 28 DAYS LATER and 28 WEEKS LATER, I can’t recommend these comics highly enough. You can snag the single issues or the collected trades for a great reading experience. [Mess with Selena and her machete and you're in for a world of hurt.]
Oh. About that quibble. I don’t know if there was a disconnect between Nelson and the artist involved, but a shotgun ‘isn’t’ a rifle. I was cruising along savoring the story---and was jarred to a glaring halt. Granted, it’s only a couple of panels in the middle of 500 pages of an otherwise superb tale. But if you know anything about geeks, you know we're nitpickers par exellence. Just ask the ‘slow’ and the ‘fast’ crowd. The middle-of-the-roaders don’t count. They’re too reasonable. :) [You can run and you can hide but the infected always find you.]