Crimespree Magazine

Shake It, Baby!

2011-12-08T22:47:00.000-06:00

What are some of you fave songs that have been covered by others?

Film Review: SUPER 8

2011-07-08T08:22:00.000-05:00

Written and Directed by J.J. AbramsStarring Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths, Ron Eldard
Released June, 2011

Somehow I missed the warning that Super 8 was a kid’s movie. I remembered fondly back on the days when our little family took in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Poltergeist, E.T, The Goonies, the output from Spielberg et al in the last seventies, early eighties. What transformed those movies into something special for me as an adult was the presence of my children AND that this sort of movie was being made with terrific production values for the first time. (And you will hear that term more than once in SUPER 8). This is not to say SUPER 8 is a bad film at all—just that my experience with it was a different one from what I anticipated.

PLOT: a group of middle-school students are making a zombie movie. While filming the first scene, a horrendous train wreck takes places mere feet from where they are filming. This is the first is a series of unsettling experiences. Like all good prospective film makers, they make use of what’s going on around them: military men, car crashes, etc. It is only gradually that they come to learn the meaning of the events that have overtaken their small town and turn their ingenuity toward the larger goal.

What worked best for me in this film was just that movie making, how that group of kids take their task seriously, the quick flashes of middle school life we get. What worked least was the predictability of the reaction of the adults to the situation. I’m not sure if this was meant to be an ode to the earlier films, but it fell rather flat for me. And the monster, revealed gradually, felt stale too. As a summer movie, I can recommend it. But an homage, if that’s what it is, has to find something new to say or say it better or parody it, and I didn’t find anything new or better here. If you have a kid around ten, you’re good to go. Or if you can find the child in you still, you’ll like it too.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Hiaasen's SKINNY DIP to HBO?

2011-07-06T22:26:00.001-05:00

THR is reporting that Michael Keaton and Michael Oates Palmer are on board, as producers, for SKINNY DIP, an HBO project based on the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name.

Chaz Perrone might be the only marine scientist in the world who doesn't know which way the Gulf Stream runs. He might also be the only one who went into biology just to make a killing, and now he's found a way doctoring water samples so that a ruthless agribusiness tycoon can continue illegally dumping fertilizer into the endangered Everglades. When Chaz suspects that his wife, Joey, has figured out his scam, he pushes her overboard from a cruise liner into the night-dark Atlantic. Unfortunately for Chaz, his wife doesn't die in the fall.

Clinging blindly to a bale of Jamaican pot, Joey Perrone is plucked from the ocean by former cop and current loner Mick Stranahan. Instead of rushing to the police and reporting her husband's crime, Joey decides to stay dead and (with Mick's help) screw with Chaz until he screws himself. As Joey haunts and taunts her homicidal husband, as Chaz's cold-blooded cohorts in pollution grow uneasy about his ineptitude and increasingly erratic behavior, as Mick Stranahan discovers that six failed marriages and years of island solitude haven't killed the reckless romantic in him, we're taken on a hilarious, full-throttle, pure Hiaasen ride through the warped politics and mayhem of the human environment, and the human heart.

Do I need to talk about Keaton? He was Beetlejuice and Batman. He made his starring debut in Ron Howard's awesome NIGHT SHIFT with Henry Winkler. Michael Oates Palmer has a history in television. He worked on AMC's RUBICON as well as the remake of CUPID and did some writing for season four of THE WEST WING.

Carl's writings have made it to the big screen in the stinky STRIP TEASE, a turkey that paid Demi Moore enough money to cover all of her plastic surgery. Will this be different? I don't think it comes down to who produces, this is fly or sink based on who adapts it.

DVD Review: THE CLOSER - The Complete Sixth Season

2011-07-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

Warner Home Video
Release date: June 21, 2011
MSRP: $39.98

Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) and company return to a television near you for season six of THE CLOSER. Brenda is a CIA trained interigator that moved from Georgia to Los Angeles where she runs the Major Crimes Division of the L.A.P.D.

Over the years, Brenda has worked hard to earn the trust and respect of her crew, as well as making adjustments to living in L.A. and now being married. This season, Brenda is dealing with a new building, one that is loaded up with the latest crime-solving gear. But change is never easy and Brenda is less than pleased with being uprooted.

Brenda is also interested in becoming Chief of Police. Her main rival for the post is none other than Asst. Chief of Operations Will Pop (J.K. Simmons). Pope is the man that brought Brenda to L.A. and has a long (and at one point, steamy) history with her.

Kyra Sedgwick has done an amazing job of fleshing out the character of Brenda. While some of that must go to the producers and writers, Kyra's physical performances are top notch. She has created a number of little mannerisms (for example, the way that Brenda cranes her neck and examining a body) for the character and is pretty consistent with them. It makes it much easier to see Brenda as more than just a scripted character. The rest of the cast does fine, but Kyra shows why the role has brought her numerous awards and nominations.

After six seasons, THE CLOSER has maintained a level of consistently that few shows match. While this season did not raise the bar, it did give viewers more of what they want, and at a level that will keep them coming back for more.

Jeremy Lynch

Some movement to bring Block's Scudder back to the big screen.

2011-06-30T18:51:00.000-05:00

Deadline is reporting that that DJ Caruso (DISTURBIA, EAGLE EYE) is in talks to direct the film version of Lawrence Block's A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES.

AWATW features the iconic Matthew Scudder, a former cop whose career crumbled as his drinking problem grew. He is approached by a drug kingpin to track down the men that kidnapped his wife and sent her home to him in pieces.

Caruso has had some success with Disturbia and Eagle Eye, but no box office smashes or critically praised films to his credit. I have seen a few of his and don't see him as the one to bring Scudder back to films.

At one point, Joe Carnahan (SMOKIN' ACE, NARC) was on board to direct Harrison Ford in it, but both names have long since been removed from the project.

FOX announces 2011-2012 schedule and premiere dates.

2011-06-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

Fox has announced the premiere dates, and the overall prime time line-up, for the 2011-2012 season.

Saturday, Sept. 10
8:00 COPS (Season Premiere)
8:30 COPS (Encore Episode)

Tuesday, Sept. 20
8:00 GLEE (Season Premiere)
9:00 NEW GIRL (Series Premiere)
9:30 RAISING HOPE (Season Premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 21
8:00 THE X FACTOR (Series Premiere, Part 1)

Thursday, Sept. 22
8:00 THE X FACTOR (Series Premiere, Part 2)

Friday, Sept. 23
8:00 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season Premiere)
9:00 FRINGE (Season Premiere)

Sunday, Sept. 25
8:00 THE SIMPSONS (Season Premiere)
8:30 THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Season Premiere)
9:00 FAMILY GUY (Season Premiere)
9:30 AMERICAN DAD (Season Premiere)

Monday, Sept. 26
8:00 TERRA NOVA (Series Premiere)

Monday, Oct. 3
8:00 TERRA NOVA (All-New Episode) (Time Period Premiere)
9:00 HOUSE (Season Premiere)

Saturday, Oct. 29
8:00 AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (Quarterly Specials Premiere)

Sunday, Oct. 30
7:30 THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Time Period Premiere)
8:00 THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episode)
8:30 ALLEN GREGORY (Series Premiere)
9:00 FAMILY GUY (All-New Episode)
9:30 AMERICAN DAD (All-New Episode)

Thursday, Nov. 3
8:00 THE X FACTOR (All-New Episode)
9:00 BONES (Season Premiere)

Wednesday, Nov. 23
8:00 THE X FACTOR (All-New Episode)
9:30 I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (Series Premiere)

FOX FALL 2011 SCHEDULE
(All Times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00 TERRA NOVA (new)
9:00 HOUSE
TUESDAY
8:00 GLEE
9:00 NEW GIRL (wt) (new)
9:30 RAISING HOPE
WEDNESDAY
8:00 THE X FACTOR Performance Show (new)
9:30 I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (new)
THURSDAY
8:00 THE X FACTOR Results Show (new)
9:00 PM BONES
FRIDAY
8:00 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00 FRINGE
SATURDAY
8:00 COPS
8:30 COPS
9:00 ENCORES / AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (specials)
SUNDAY
7:00 THE OT (NFL post-game)
7:30 THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00 THE SIMPSONS
8:30 ALLEN GREGORY (new)
9:00 FAMILY GUY
9:30 AMERICAN DAD
FOX MIDSEASON 2012 SCHEDULE
(All Times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00 HOUSE
9:00 ALCATRAZ (new)
TUESDAY
8:00 GLEE
9:00 NEW GIRL (new)
9:30 RAISING HOPE
WEDNESDAY
8:00 AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:30 I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (new)
THURSDAY
8:00 AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00 THE FINDER (new) / BONES (spring)
FRIDAY
8:00 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00 FRINGE
SATURDAY
8:00 COPS
8:30 COPS
9:00 ENCORES / AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (specials)
SUNDAY
7:00 ANIMATION DOMINATION (encores)
7:30 THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00 THE SIMPSONS
8:30 NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (new)
9:00 FAMILY GUY
9:30 BOB’S BURGERS

CBS announces 2011-2012 fall schedule.

2011-06-29T18:22:00.000-05:00

Today, CBS announced their 2011 fall schedule:

The new 2011-2012 schedule is as follows:

On Monday, the veteran HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER returns at 8:00 PM, to provide a strong lead-in for another young comedy, 2 BROKE GIRLS, at 8:30 PM. Ashton Kutcher joins the cast of the top-rated comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN, at 9:00 PM, followed by returning freshman hits MIKE & MOLLY at 9:30 PM and HAWAII FIVE-0 at 10:00 PM.

On Tuesday, the #1-rated scripted series, NCIS, returns at 8:00 PM followed by the #2-rated scripted series, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, at 9:00 PM, providing a powerful lead-in to the new drama, UNFORGETTABLE, at 10:00 PM.

On Wednesday, SURVIVOR returns to the time period it improved 100% in viewers last season (8:00 PM). CRIMINAL MINDS, one of the top-rated dramas on television, is back at 9:00 PM, and is paired with CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION to form a strong two-hour crime drama block from 9:00-11:00 PM.

On Thursday, CBS adds a new comedy and drama to the middle of the line-up, book-ended by two established hit series: television's #1 comedy, THE BIG BANG THEORY, returns at 8:00 PM, providing a strong lead-in to the new comedy, HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN. J.J. Abrams' new crime-thriller, PERSON OF INTEREST, joins the line-up at 9:00 PM, followed by the time-period winning drama, THE MENTALIST, as the night's strong anchor at 10:00 PM.

On Friday, CBS's time-period winning, two-hour New York police drama block returns from 9:00-11:00 PM with CSI: NY and BLUE BLOODS. A unique new series opens the night at 8:00 PM with A GIFTED MAN, a medical drama with a spiritual twist.

On Saturday, original programming opens the night at 8:00 PM with RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, which will be paired with COMEDYTIME at 8:30 PM, featuring encore broadcasts of CBS comedies. The successful duo of CRIMETIME at 9:00 PM and the time period-winning 48 HOURS MYSTERY at 10:00 PM closes the night.

Sunday night has an award-winning flare. The acclaimed and always top-rated 60 MINUTES opens at 7:00 PM, followed by the seven-time Emmy Award winning series, THE AMAZING RACE, at 8:00 PM, leading into the critically acclaimed, award-winning drama, THE GOOD WIFE, at 9:00 PM. The always successful CSI: MIAMI caps the night at 10:00 PM.

The New Dramas are:

UNFORGETTABLE stars Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, an enigmatic former police detective with a rare condition that makes her memory so flawless that every place, every conversation, every moment of joy and every heartbreak is forever embedded in her mind. It's not just that she doesn't forget anything - she can't; except for one thing: the details that would help solve her sister's long-ago murder. Carrie has tried to put her past behind her, but she's unexpectedly reunited with her ex-boyfriend and partner, NYPD Detective Al Burns (Dylan Walsh), when she consults on a homicide case. His squad includes Det. Mike Costello (Michael Gaston), Al's right-hand man; Detective Roe Saunders (Kevin Rankin), the junior member of the team; and Detective Nina Inara (Daya Vaidya), a sassy, street-smart cop. Being back on the job after a break feels surprisingly right for Carrie. Despite her conflicted feelings for Al, she decides to permanently join his unit as a detective solving homicides - most notably, the unsolved murder of her sister. All she needs to do is remember. Ed Redlich, John Bellucci, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly are executive producers for Sony Television Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.

PERSON OF INTEREST stars Jim Caviezel, Emmy Award winner Michael Emerson and Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson in a crime thriller about a presumed dead former-CIA agent who teams up with a mysterious billionaire to prevent violent crimes by using their own brand of vigilante justice. Reese's (Caviezel) special training in covert operations appeals to Finch (Emerson), a software genius who invented a program that uses pattern recognition to identify people about to be involved in violent crimes. Using state-of-the-art surveillance technology, the two work outside of the law using Reese's adept skills and Finch's unlimited wealth to unravel the mystery of the person of interest and stop the crime before it happens. Reese's actions catch the attention of the NYPD, including homicide detective Carter (Henson), and Fusco (Kevin Chapman), a cop who Reese uses to his advantage. With infinite crimes to investigate, Reese and Finch find that the right person, with the right information, at the right time, can change everything. Emmy Award winners J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk ("Lost"), Academy Award nominee Jonathan Nolan ("Memento"), David Semel ("Heroes") and Greg Plageman ("Cold Case") are the executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.

A GIFTED MAN is a drama about a brilliant, charismatic surgeon whose life changes forever when his deceased ex-wife begins teaching him the meaning of life from the "hereafter." Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) is an exceptional doctor who lives a materialistic life of luxury thanks to his work-obsessed career and powerful and wealthy patients; however, Michael's ordered world is rocked when his ex-wife, Anna (Jennifer Ehle), an idealistic free-clinic doctor and the love of his life, mysteriously appears to him. Michael's off-beat sister, Christina (Julie Benz), a single mom to her teenaged son, Milo (Liam Aiken), is thrilled that Anna's back in her brother's life, even as an "illusion," because Michael was always a better person with her. Curious about Michael's sudden change in behavior is his efficient assistant, Rita (Margo Martindale). When Anna asks Michael to go to her clinic to help keep it running, he meets Autumn (Afton Williamson), a volunteer carrying on Anna's work with the underprivileged. Touched by those in need and accepting of Anna's compassionate "presence," Michael's attitude toward serving the rich and poor is turned upside down, and he begins to see that there's room in his life for everyone. Academy Award nominee Susannah Grant ("Erin Brockovich"), Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs"), Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Neal Baer ("ER") are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

The New Comedies are:

2 BROKE GIRLS is a comedy about two young women waitressing at a greasy spoon diner who strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business - if only they can raise the cash. Sassy, streetwise Max (Kat Dennings) works two jobs just to get by, one of which is waiting tables during the night shift at the retro-hip Williamsburg Diner. Sophisticated Caroline (Beth Behrs) is an uptown trust fund princess who's having a run of bad luck that forces her to reluctantly give waitressing a shot. At first, Max sees Caroline as yet another in a long line of inept servers she must cover for, but she's surprised to find that Caroline has as much substance as she does style. When Caroline discovers Max's knack for baking amazing cupcakes, she sees a lucrative future for them, but they first need to raise the start-up money. While they save their tips, they'll stay at the restaurant, working with Oleg (Jonathan Kite), an overly flirtatious Russian cook; Earl (Garrett Morris), a 75-year-old kool-kat cashier; and Han Lee (Matthew Moy), the new, eager-to-please owner of the diner. Working together, these two broke girls living in one expensive city might just find the perfect recipe for their big break. Michael Patrick King ("Sex and the City") and writer-comedian Whitney Cummings ("Chelsea Lately") are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.

HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN, inspired by the book of the same name, is a comedy about the unlikely friendship between a traditional, refined writer and an unrefined personal trainer. Andrew Carlson (David Hornsby) is an etiquette columnist whose devotion to ideals from a more civilized time has lead to a life detached from modern society. Infectiously optimistic, Bert Lansing (Kevin Dillon) is a reformed "bad boy" from Andrew's past who inherited a fitness center, but can still be rude, loud and sloppy. When Andrew's editor, Jerry (Dave Foley), tells him to put a modern, sexy twist on his column or be fired, he hires Bert as a life coach in the hopes of learning to be less "gentle man" and more "real man." Andrew's mom, Diane (Nancy Lenehan), and his bossy sister, Janet (Mary Lynn Rajskub), support the plan, as would Janet's husband, Mike (Rhys Darby), if he was allowed to have an opinion. Though Andrew and Bert's views may be centuries apart, they may find they're each other's missing link. David Hornsby ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), Adam Chase ("Friends"), Ted Schachter ("The Invention of Lying"), Joe Hipps and Modi Wiczyk are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

The New Midseason Series:

From Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal comes THE 2-2, which follows six diverse NYPD rookies as they patrol the gritty streets of upper Manhattan. The new trainees include Jennifer "White House" Perry (Leelee Sobieski), a former college volleyball star and Marine MP in Iraq with a take-charge attitude; Ray "Lazarus" Harper (Adam Goldberg), the oldest rookie and a former police news reporter with better sources than many seasoned cops; Tonya Sanchez (Judy Marte), who comes from a family with a criminal history and has a very personal connection inside the force; Ahmad "Kiterunner" Kahn (Tom Reed), an Afghani native who fought his way to freedom; Kenny McClaren (Stark Sands), a fourth-generation police officer with great instincts but qualms about joining the force; and Jayson Toney (Harold House Moore), a young basketball legend who squandered his opportunity in the NBA. Their demanding Field Training Officer, Daniel "Yoda" Dean (Terry Kinney), is a case-hardened, unsentimental veteran of the force who emphasizes basics and holds each cop accountable for their actions. With unique backgrounds, personalities and reasons for being on the force, the new cops will make their share of rookie mistakes while they figure out how to relate to their boss, each other and to the people they swore to protect. Two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro ("The Godfather: Part II," "Raging Bull"), Jane Rosenthal ("Meet the Parents"), Academy Award nominee Richard Price ("The Color of Money"), Ken Sanzel ("Numb3rs") and James Mangold ("Walk the Line") are executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Tribeca Productions. The pilot was directed by James Mangold.

2011-2012 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(N=New, NT=New Time, all times ET/PT)

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES

8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE

9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE (NT)

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (N)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY
10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10:00-11:00 PM UNFORGETTABLE (N)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (NT)

THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN (N)
9:00-10:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST (N)
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM A GIFTED MAN (N)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM COMEDYTIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY

Guilty Pleasures: Chris La Tray

2011-06-29T08:27:00.000-05:00

Your Memory Will Fuck You

I’m not gonna lie. I’m a pushover when it comes to movies. I tend to be the guy that Hollywood banks on to queue up and swallow a lot of their shit. Blockbusters? I watch ‘em. Not all of them, but plenty. For example, I’ll skip the new Transformers movie just as I skipped the last one. I haven’t seen Green Lantern yet, and the jury is still out as to whether or not I will. This year I have seen Fast Five, Thor, and X-Men: First Class. I loved them all. Source Code. Super 8. Hanna. The Mechanic. I don’t usually do comedies in the theater, though I did see Bridesmaids. Those movies tend to be the province of my wife, as she has the same soft spot for goofy stuff as I do for blow-everything-up action extravaganzas. We enjoyed Bridesmaids even though it was rife with flaws.

See, going to the movies is one of my favorite things to do; same for her. Get a huge soda, a gargantuan tub of popcorn, and just shut down the brain to everything but sensory stimulation for 90 minutes. She isn’t nearly as forgiving, so we compromise and go about 50/50 on my movie choices vs. hers (okay, it’s more 70/30, but she doesn’t complain so I’m not yielding any ground until I have to). Yes, I can appreciate the occasional “film” of the indie or foreign variety (thank god she loathes RomComs as much as I do) but I still prefer a friggin’ “movie” nine times out of ten. Which is why I go for the over-the-top stuff. I realize one can pick a lot of these movies to pieces, but where is the fun in that? I may be a bitter and jaded old bastard when it comes to music and what people hump their own legs over all the time, but when it comes to movies I’m a total sucker.

As you can imagine, I’ve seen a few clunkers in recent years that left me tickled while leaving reviewers falling all over themselves to tear apart. A couple of which I liked way more than their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes would have one expect. I saw GI Joe – The Rise of Cobra (33%) in the theater. Yeah, it’s pretty bad, but I still loved it enough to buy on DVD and I’ve watched it a couple times since then (another difference between my wife and I: she rarely re-watches, but I would constantly if I could find the time). I saw Whiteout and enjoyed it too – it’s carrying a 6% rating (that’s a fucking travesty if you ask me). I still watch the hell out of that King Arthur movie with Clive Owen, and that sucker’s pulling something like a 32%. A friend of mine from the heavy music community, where Conan reigns supreme, asked what I was anticipating with the new Conan the Barbarian movie looming on the horizon. I told him I was stoked. Worst case, we get a movie about a dude hacking up other dudes with a sword. Where can you go wrong with that?

I didn’t want to choose something recent when Jeremy asked if I’d like to write about a guilty pleasure, though. I wanted to go with something older, more obscure, that maybe other people hadn’t seen or heard of. At least the casual movie watcher anyway. I’m not one of those people who is going to wow anybody with clever references to movies all but the most hardcore have never heard of. So as a generally mainstream movie buff, I had my work cut out for me.

The second album I ever bought was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. After Love Gun by KISS. But it was the fucking BeeGees/Peter Frampton version because I saw the movie and loved it! However, I will not, simply refuse, to go there. I was a stupid kid. The brain was fried by staring at the nearly naked chicks lounging on the stairs on the cover of the aforementioned KISS record. Whatever the reason, I’m just saying we won’t discuss it further.

So Conan the Destroyer would have been an easy choice. People hated that movie. I liked it (see the worst case example above, add a sexy Olivia d’Abo as viewed by a high school kid, and you have multiple watchings). But I thought I could do better, maybe go with something a little more unexpected.

They look like Siamese triplets.

The Sylvester Stallone movie Victory, or Escape to Victory as it played back in the day when I saw in the theater, is one I love to this very moment, unabashedly. Add Sly to a cast that includes an international who’s who of soccer studs – especially the godlike Pele – in a WWII prison escape movie and I was in heaven. Probably one of my top 15 or 20 favorite movies all time. But researching it a little showed me it wasn’t reviled enough. Same with another pulpy masterpiece I haven’t seen in ages, nor is it available on Netflix, the Tom Selleck/Bess Armstrong vehicle High Road to China. I loved that movie when it came out, and damn near picked it for this rambling essay. A drunken Selleck having at dudes via fisticuffs, flying a biplane and blowing up a Chinese warlord’s army? And Wilford Brimley too? Please.

No, I decided to go with a comedy (and realize now I should have known better, as, aside from only a finger count’s worth of exceptions, is a genre that generally fails me). I picked the ill-fated MAD Magazine attempt to walk in National Lampoon’s footsteps, Up the Academy. I’ve remembered it fondly. A pre-Karate Kid Ralph Macchio as a mobster’s kid sent away for being, as his dad says in the opening line of the movie, “A little fart.” I remembered there being some quality sex in it, which was important because the participants were kids roughly the age of me and my horny friends. I remembered lines like “Say it again!” and “You’ll stick out like a turn in a punchbowl.” So we’re basically talking about the usual romp of teenage shenanigans, this time at a military school where a motley collection of punks have been sent by their exasperated parents in order to shape up. Fun, right?

What I remembered most about it is how later that same summer Caddyshack came out. Everyone loved that movie. I loved Up the Academy. And it kinda pissed me off because everyone was all, “Oh, Caddyshack, it’s so great! Woo, woo, woo!” and that made me resent the fucking thing (a movie which has since climbed high onto my list of favorite comedies; I may be easy, but I ain’t entirely stupid!).

So last night I popped up some corn, went to the corner store and filled up a big cup of soda, and settled in to watch Up the Academy on the Netflix and then write about it’s timeless awesomeness.

Jesus H, what a steaming pile of shit that movie is. I didn’t even make it through. Saw a couple parts that had lingered in my memory that were okay for nostalgia’s sake (for example, the girl who plays the girlfriend of the kid whose dad is running for mayor, who can’t be scandalized by his kid constantly knocking his girlfriend up while said father is running on an anti-abortion platform, is as cute and gloriously buxom as I remembered). The movie is racist, homophobic, xenophobic, misogynist . . . you name it. No wonder MAD never made another movie. By the time the obnoxious fat kid who had been kicked out of nine other boarding schools in two years arrived on the set, I turned it off.

I guess I wasn’t alone in deciding it was awful. From Wikipedia:

The film was neither a commercial nor critical success when it was originally released, and was disowned by both the staff of MAD magazine and actor Ron Leibman (who, despite his sizeable role, had his name completely removed from the credits and promotional material). Besides paying Warner Bros. $30,000 to remove all references to MAD from the film when it was released on home video, MAD's publisher William Gaines issued personal handwritten apologies to every person that wrote the magazine to complain. However, the film developed a small cult following. Following Time Warner's purchase of MAD (and after Gaines' death in 1992), all references to the magazine were reinstated on cable television. In 2006, the original version of the film was issued on DVD.

So let this be a lesson to you all, kids. Don’t trust what you thought was awesome when you were all of 13 or 14 years old or so. Unless a superhero is involved. Which reminds me: only three weeks to go until Captain America – The First Avenger comes out. Midnight showing, here I come!

Chris
Chris La Tray is a rocker, a writer, and a wannabe adventurer. His nonfiction writing has appeared in the Missoula Independent, Vintage Guitar magazine, and World Explorer magazine. His short fiction has appeared at Beat to a Pulp and the Crimefactory special edition, Kung Fu Factory. It may appear in other places too if he’d just get around to submitting it. He invites you to come visit him at http://www.chrislatray.com/

Guest Blogger: Karin Slaughter

2011-06-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

I’m supposed to write about my new book, Fallen (trust me, it’s great!) but I’d like to use my blog opportunity to talk about some of the fabulous books I’ve read lately. In a bountiful fortune of good luck, I got two different books from two of my favorite authors last week. The first was Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder and the second was The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina. Now, it might seem odd to squander my blog space on two other authors, but I’d like to point out that these are two other FEMALE authors. Women. Like Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, Megan Abbott, Lisa Unger and any other number of ladies who sell a heck of a lot of books but don’t tend to get mentioned in those critical summer round-ups. Am I the only person who noticed Stephen King’s Summer Reading List in Entertainment Weekly featured eleven men and one woman, and that woman was Kate Atkinson, which I have no problem with whatsoever, but the book Mr. King told folks to read was one she wrote seven years ago? Did no woman write a good summer book this year?! Really???

So, let me tell you about two phenomenal women writers. I am only half-joking when I say that Denise Mina is a god to me. She’s written all over the board—plays, graphic novels and some of the best crime fiction to see the light of day. She first got me with her Garnethill series, which was published around the same time my first novel, Blindsighted, came out. I wish I could say that I looked upon Denise at the competition, but I was just blown away by what she was doing. Her main character in what became the Garnethill trilogy was a beautifully awful woman named Maureen, who wakes up from an alcohol induced black-out to find herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Denise thrives on making you love unlikeable characters. Her recent work has taken a turn toward understanding the criminal mind. As you read her work, you understand why people do the awful things they do, and then she works just as hard to make sure you understand that the cops out there catching the bad guys are flawed human beings, too. I think the End of Wasp Season is one of her best books yet, which—considering her past titles—is saying a lot.

If Denise Mina is a god, then Mo Hayder is reminiscent of Zeus with a little Hades and Aphrodite thrown in. It’s hard to explain the gut-punching, roller-coaster ride of books like Birdman and the Treatment. The Devil in Nanking is the kind of book that makes you nervously touch the top of your head to see if your skull has actually blown off. Pig Island was an amazingly gripping, hilarious story about the idiocy of the media and the base stupidity of crime. With Hanging Hill, Mo has taken on another seemingly everyday story—a young girl is found dead in a field—and turned it into a horrible exploration of family, childhood and the class structure that still grips Britain. And she manages to pull off an ending that I didn’t see coming, which made me feel thrilled and foolish at the same time (after all, this is my trade; I shouldn’t be so gullible).

So, while I fervently hope you’ll all run out and get Fallen, if you don’t, these other books are well worth checking out. At the very least, you can send them on to Stephen King when you’re finished with them.

Karin

DVD Review: KISS ME DEADLY

2011-06-24T12:43:00.001-05:00

Critirion Collection
Release Date: June 21, 2011
MSRP: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95

I have a confession: Prior to reviewing this set, I had never watched Kiss Me Deadly. I am aware that admitting this may get my hardboiled/Noir membership taken away. But the original DVD release was ten years ago and I did not have a DVD player at the time!

So I was pleased as punch have a chance to watch a film that I have been told is as mean as they come.

And I can now say that I would NEVER want to visit the lands created by Mickey Spillane. Mickey was a bad-ass, but director Robert Aldrich seemingly took it up a notch. Most of today's cinematic heroes would run away, while crying for their mommies. One of the reasons that Mike Hammer can handle it all is that he is not all that heroic and is every bit as nasty as the bad guys.

Mike Hammer picks up a desperate female hitch-hiker. She confesses to having a terrible secret, but is killed before any more is revealed. Hammer decides to look into it. Now before anyone points out how kind it is of him to look to avenge her, he thinks there might be money to be had.

As with any release from Critirion, Kiss Me Deadly offers up decent bang for your buck. The picture itself has been restored and looks fantastic. Many films from the 50-70s were not taken care and the prints end up in poor condition. The print this came from must have been in good shape because this looks amazing for 50+ year old flick.

Extras include a booklet with writings from critic J Hoberman as well as the late Mr. Aldrich, a new video tribute, an audio commentary as well as a alternate ending and theatrical trailer.

Folks looking for the meanest of mean streets and the baddest of badasses should snag this set. It looks great and will tickle your dark heart.

Jeremy Lynch

Film Review: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

2011-06-24T09:07:00.000-05:00

Directed and Written by Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates

Watching Midnight in Paris I couldn’t help but wonder if today’s youth (if they even take in such movies) would be able to identify a lot of the famous personages who whiz by in this film. We get enough time with a few of them to be sure who they are, but others are little more than ghosts passing through the room. Woody still believes his audience to be the beneficiaries of a liberal arts education—and perhaps he’s right.

PLOT: Gil, a Hollywood writer, (Wilson) is about to take the big step and marry Inez (McAdams) but first the couple accompanies Inez’s parents to Paris to seal a deal.

Gil falls for Paris in a big way despite the vitriol Inez and her family toss its way, finding ways to disparage Paris and extol the U.S. at every meal, in every store.

Paris is especially enticing after dark when Gil walks the streets until midnight strikes and he is whisked away to another Paris entirely.

I am not usually an Owen Wilson fan (didn’t I say that about Will Ferrell a few weeks back) but he manages to anchor the film with the requisite sincerity and gee whizness. The film’s biggest weakness is the character McAdams plays. It is impossible to imagine anyone agreeing to spend a lifetime with her—or her family.

But all in all, it’s a real pate a choux of a film—a fantasy for anyone who loves Paris, the twenties, writing, art. It’s paper thin, but so is any first rate pastry.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

SUITS - New USA Network Show

2011-06-23T19:41:00.001-05:00

USA network has used the motto "Characters Welcome" and their ever growing line up of original programming reflects that.
I had a chance to see the pilot and second episode of Suits, a new show debuting Thursday night (June23rd)

Here's a quick run down:
Harvey Spector (played by Gabriel Macht) is the go to guy at a very prestigious law firm in New York, he's the guy who gets things done and is very charismatic. Harvey is told by his boss he must hire an associate and while very reluctant to hire some young snotty ivy leaguer to work with he stumbles across Mike Ross (Patrick J Adams). Mike is our connection to this world, while brilliant he is a bit of an everyman. He has a photographic memory and all the street smarts you could hope for. Mike has promised his Grandmother he would live up to his potential, and it seems like Harvey is going to bring that out of him.
The show's catch phrase is "Two Lawyers, One degree". Mike never graduated law school, though he has taken the tests for other people and passed a few times already.

Both Mike and Harvey are likable guys, they take down corporate big shots, and bullies. You can't help but root for them to win. The office is populated with some other great folks, the managing partner is played by Gina Torres who is just terrific in this. Harvey's secretary Donna is great as is the research assistant with a phobia for taking tests. And of course the in house nemesis, Louis (Every show needs a Frank Burns and Suits has Rick Hoffman playing the slimy guy we love to hate).

The production values are high and it felt like watching a film, not a weekly drama. Big scenes, great writing and yes, wonderful characters. I look forward to lots more episodes of this really well done new show.
Jon Jordan

Blu-ray Review: SUPERNATURAL The Complete Second Season

2011-06-23T09:08:00.010-05:00

Warner Home Video
Release date: June 14, 2011
MSRP: 59.98
Stars: Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles

Supernatural, like the older series Smallville, began before Blu-ray discs became the dominant high-definition format. For fans, it should be enough of a selling point that all of Supernatural's seasons will be released in the best quality home format to date. The same, sadly, can't be said of Smallville.

Some background for those who have waited for Season 2 on Blu-ray to start watching Supernatural (Anyone?): Sam and Dean Winchester (Padelecki and Ackles) were trained by their father John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to be demon hunters. Younger brother Sam gladly gives up the life to attend law school, but is drawn back when Dean asks his help to search for their missing father.

Season 2 picks up after the boys have found their father, but a showdown with a demon leaves Dean near death in a hospital. To save Dean's life, John makes a deal with the yellow-eyed demon he's been hunting for years. The season unfolds as Sam and Dean drive across the country pursuing the yellow-eyed demon, solving cases of the supernatural along the way.

Supernatural is satisfyingly dark with moments of humor. Ackles and Padalecki capably carry the weight and keep the humor fresh. The Season 2 Blu-ray set includes the same unaired scenes, commentaries, screen test, Webisode gallery, and gag reel as the DVD set; however, the Devil's Road Map interactive feature has been updated to reflect all five seasons currently available on Blu-ray.

Recommended for fans of smart horror.

Order season two of SUPERNATURAL on Blu-ray.
--Gerald So
For more of Gerald's thoughts and observations, check out his blog: If you want to know about my Life...

David Goyer attached to Showtime's proposed 100 BULLETS series.

2011-06-21T22:00:00.016-05:00

I've read comics my whole life, I learned how to read with them. As I've grown older my tastes have changed and what I enjoy and comics have grown with me. 100 Bullets is the ultimate example of comics for grown ups. It is straight up crime fiction, uncompromising with nothing sugar coated or twisting to a hppy ending just to make people smile. The combination of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso is a one two punch right to the gut with every single one of the 100 issues. The dialogue is amazing and the art is perfect. A quick run down of what it is wouldbe hard to do, but here's a stab at it.

A man named Agent Graves is giving people a suitcase with an untraceable gun and 100 bullets. The briefcases also contain a file with why the person being bestowed this gift might want it. And then he watches to see what they do.

Why? What is his goal? I'm not telling. Read it for yourself and let it unfold, it is some of my all time favorite crime story telling.

Jon

Deadline (who has since replaced Variety and THR as the go-to place for breaking news) has reported that David Goyer has been brought on board to write and produce a television series based on the very cool comic 100 BULLETS.

We here at Crimespree think the world of BULLETS and the amazing folks ( Brian Azzarello and illustrator Eduardo Risso)behind it. But I have to say I am mixed feelings on this. I love the idea of a series as cool as the comics, but would that happen?

Showtime is a great place to try it out, ratings are not as important as drawing (and keeping) subscribers. This is the kind of show that just might bring new folks to Showtime.

David Goyer had a hand in the screenplays for Christopher Nolan's excellent BATMAN films and has a background in comics. He has also worked on the BLADE films as well as TV series such as BLADE (Eh), Threshold and FlashForward.

If this does happen, let us hope it is done right. Goyer is a good start, but any series based on BULLETS is going to have to have a strong look and style as well.

Good and Evil in Crime Fiction

2011-06-21T19:13:00.000-05:00

By Leigh Russell

Most of us would be hard pressed to say anything in defence of real life crime, so how can we account for the popularity of crime fiction? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. As the author of a crime fiction series, I’m more than happy to see my books selling so well. But the contrast in attitudes to crime in reality and in fiction is interesting.

In real life I’m pretty squeamish when it comes to blood and guts, don’t eat meat and would quite possibly have been the world’s worst nurse had my life taken a turn along that career path. But let me loose on a fictitious murder scene and I’ll do my best to describe it, blood and all, with perhaps the odd spot of mutilation to heighten the tension by establishing just how evil my killer is. I daresay readers familiar with my books will nod and smile at that, but if I’d said I intended to embark on the odd spot of mutilation in real life, I hope their reaction would be rather different!

In his review of my 2011 novel Dead End in Crime Time, Barry Forshaw wrote that my books “take the reader into the darkest recesses of the human psyche.” Yet introduce me to anyone vaguely violent in real life and I’ll walk away, quaking, and not look back - correction, I’ll run. By contrast, my fictional killers might unnerve the boldest of readers.

Why are so many peaceful readers avid fans of murder stories like mine? To what can we attribute the powerful appeal of crime fiction?

At the most basic level, crime fiction explores the clash between good and evil. Often characterised as emerging as a genre in the nineteenth century with Wilkie Collins, solving crime has its roots in fiction long before that, as far back as Beowulf and the myths of ancient civilisations, and throughout the centuries crime has played a key role in establishing conflict and tension in literature.

Centuries before Wilkie Collins, Shakespeare’s plays were packed with crimes: fourteen killings, nine of them on stage, severed limbs, rapes, live burial, insanity and cannibalism – at least one atrocity for every 100 lines in the rarely staged Titus Andronicus. It all makes those “darkest recesses of the human psyche” in my books seem quite tame.

The conflict between good and evil is something that touches all of us at some point in our lives. In hopefully insignificant ways we engage with it on a daily basis dealing with injustices and inequities that plague our lives. Children frequently protest: ‘It’s not fair!’ Experience teaches us that life is indeed not fair, yet the notion of a just world is an attractive one, a world where we know where we stand and life makes sense. If only!

It seems to me that the appeal of crime fiction is attributable to a combination of suspense arising from the conflict between good and evil, and the reassurance of knowing that in the end some sort of moral order will be restored. With our modern obsession with originality of plot (Shakespeare never had that problem!) we’ve moved away from the Conan Doyle model of the infallible hero detective with Sherlock Holmes the precursor of Superman as well as Poirot and Rebus. Current fiction is peppered with flawed detectives. They may not be the superheroes of the past, but reflect our relatively sophisticated understanding of human nature.

The same is true of the bad guys. Where Conan Doyle introduces a snarling villain whose face was “marked with every evil passion” so there can be no doubt about who is the villain of the story, some contemporary authors present killers not as stereotypes of evil, but as damaged people. The killers in my own novels are an example, as much victims as the people they kill.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I present my killers in a sympathetic light. There can be little sympathy for someone who takes another person’s life, but I try to see the world as my killers do, and understand behaviour which I can’t condone. Unless I see the world through my killers’ eyes, I can’t create them as plausible characters.

But we can’t blur the distinction between good and evil. As detectives become less than perfect, and villains become increasingly three dimensional characters, there is still a clear line between pursuit of justice and morally unacceptable conduct. With moral guidelines prevailing less in society, perhaps the popularity of crime fiction is not only more understandable, but more important than ever in helping provide us with a moral compass for real life.

Leigh Russell writes the bestselling Geraldine Steel crime novels.

Cut Short (2009) shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award

Road Closed (2010)

Dead End (2011)

Published by No Exit Press

Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld

2011-06-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Author: Howie Carr
Forge Books
Release date: April 26, 2011
MSRP: $25.99

For a long time I have wanted to know more about what went on in Boston crime in the 1960s and 1970s. it seemed like all you would hear about was whitey Bulger and the Angiulo brothers. You have books like Black Mass, The Brothers Bulger and Paddy Whacked. Those were OK, but didn’t give me what I was looking for. Growing up in Boston, I’d hear stories and names. I knew a lot more went on then what was being written about. People would say so and so used to live there or worked out of that garage or hung out at that bakery or the F.B.I. had that placed wired up tight or they found a Cadillac on that corner with a body in the trunk. Yet the aforementioned books, and many like them, make no mention of those events or people.
One name that popped up over the years was John Martorano. Usually placed in context with Whitey Bulger and then would mention the fact that he killed 20 people, but that was it… if you’re the type of person who senses a story and does not get it, you will remain curious. The book Paddy Whacked by T.J. English came out a few years back and had a section on the Boston gang wars of the 1960s. It was a revelation to me. I knew nothing about any of it. it grabbed my interest only to be let down when the book moved on to the next Irish gangster. I was like fuck this shit, tell me more about what happened in my hometown.

Another name that if you live in or around Boston you can’t help but hear is Howie Carr Howie Carr in a columnist for the Boston herald and syndicated radio talk show host. Carr for years has been the bane of organized crime in Boston If somebody gets busted, Carr will write a column about it then make a verbal attack on his radio show. Some people love him, others think he is a loudmouth prick. Growing up the where and how I did, I was a member of the latter group. I thought he was a bully on a soapbox plain and simple.
Because Boston is a small town it was inevitable that these worlds would collide.

A couple months back I was poking around on amazon looking at upcoming releases for books when I saw the listing for HITMAN by Howie Carr I had an oh shit moment. I clicked on the link and read the summary and was stunned to realize that loudmouth prick had written the book on a subject I’ve been looking for. At this point, I had not read Carr's other book The Brothers Bulger. I was only familiar with his columns and radio show and I figured if the book had the tone of either of those, I wanted nothing to do with it. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m all about due diligence. I went to my local library and picked up The Brothers Bulger. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. It was well written and it placed many facts about the Bulgers in the proper context. Best of all, there were only hints of Carr's attitude in the writing.

Hitman was set to come out in about a month. I could wait. Dropped a line to Jeremy at Crimespree about writing it up. He said word, then did some magic and a copy showed up in my mailbox. I sat down to read it. 2 days later as I drove around Medford, Malden, Somerville, Revere, Chelsea and Boston, I had a revelation and it was kind of mind blowing for me: The area I grew up was the wild west during those years I always wondered about.

Johnny Martorano was half Irish, half Sicilian Even though his father was Sicilian and worked for the patriarchs out of providence, because he was not full blooded, he could never be a made man. Growing up south of Boston, was a high school athlete and was pre-law at Boston college for a short time. His father ran a bar in was was then known as the combat zone of Boston Basically Boston's 42nd street. From what I know about those days and that area….i would have said fuck pre law as well.

One thing led to another and in 1965, martorano killed his first man. Between then and 1982, he would add 19 more to his entourage. Many of those were during the gang wars. Best way I can describe it is that because Boston is Irish, the Italians never got big in Boston the way they did in other cities. The Italians had the city of Boston and Boston proper is small. The Irish and just about every other ethnicity were slugging it out over territory in the cities that surrounded Boston Bodies were dropping on street corners, some just disappeared. To really grasp the scope of what I’m trying to describe, you need to read the book.
After the gang wars of the 60s, the attitude was different in the 70s. martorano and the crew he ran with ( The Winter Hill Gang, named after the area of Somerville they hung out in) decided it was time to make money, which they did. Some others in the crew thought it would be cool to bring this guy named Whitey out of south Boston into the mix. After that it was a new world

This was the book I had been wanting to read. Carr delivered the goods here. HITMAN is well written, factually accurate and presents a story that needed telling. Something really cool is throughout the book are mugshots of almost all the people involved. I was even able to get past the pull quote from Bill “fuck it, we’ll do it live” O'reilly on the cover. This book should be read.

Dave Wahlman

DVD Review: TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS THE COMPLETE SERIES COLLECTOR’S EDITION

2011-06-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

Shout! Factory
Release date: June 7, 2011
MSRP: $49.99

By the mid-1990s, the popularity of the original Transformers toy line had run its course. To revitalize the franchise, Hasbro planned a line of animal-based Transformers, turning to the computer animators at Mainframe Entertainment and writers Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio to breathe life and character into the toys.

Because computer animation was in its infancy, fewer characters could be shown onscreen simultaneously, and the backdrops were rather simple. Fortunately, these limitations inspired the writers to be bolder in their storytelling.

Like the original Autobots and Decepticons, the Maximals and Predacons had chased each other from Cybertron and crash-landed on an unfamiliar planet. Due to the planet's unstable Energon deposits, both factions had to adopt beast forms to survive. The small band of characters on each side had strong personalities and often fought among themselves. In the pilot episode, in fact, the Predacon Dinobot challenges Megatron's leadership and defects to the Maximals.

The unfamiliar planet was not originally intended to be Earth. The animal life featured apes, cheetahs, and rhinos coexisting with dinosaurs and venomous insects. By the third and final season, the characters' beast forms had evolved into animal-machine hybrids (e.g. a rat with racing wheels, a cheetah with jet engines). The overall story was tied in to the original saga and given closure of its own.

As usual, Shout! Factory has done a fanboy's dream job rounding up the complete series (52 episodes on eight discs) and a good complement of extras including interview featurettes and original animation models. Highly recommended.

--Gerald So
For more of Gerald's thoughts and observations, check out his blog: If you want to know about my Life...

Giles Blunt looking to bring John Cardinal to Canadian television.

2011-06-18T11:30:00.000-05:00

Detective John Cardinal may be coming to Canadian television.

Author Giles Blunt has signed a deal with Bell Media, parent company of CTV, to develop his John Cardinal books for television. The deal calls for Blunt to adapt his own work into a six episode series, a format that Blunt likens to the acclaimed British series PRIME SUSPEC and one he is excited about. "That allows room for subplots and backstory that would have to be cut or severely compressed in a two-hour movie," Blunt said. "but it's still short enough to preserve a sense of urgency. Really, it's ideal."

I asked him how he felt about bringing his own characters from the page to the screen: "I'm not worried about the change of medium, as I've worked in television before and my books are conceived pretty much in cinematic terms anyway--in scenes and dialogue rather than narration, so I'm not expecting any great difficulties to crop up there."

DVD Review: LET THERE BE ROCK.

2011-06-18T08:13:00.001-05:00

Warner Home Video
Release date: June 7, 2011
MSRP: DVD $21.98, DVD collector's edition $39.98, Blu-ray collector's edition $44.98

Most AC/DC fans today are likely only familiar with Brian Johnson's coarse war cry. The Austrailian band iconic Back In Black took the band from big to HUGE and Johnson made his debut on it.

But prior to that, the late Bon Scott was the voice behind such hits as Highway to Hell, Whole Lotta Rosie and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Scott was a charismatic frontman with sex appeal (Ever think you would hear that term used with AC/DC) that, along with the Young brothers, was a creative force in the band.

But Scott died in 1980 in a tale that is a sadly common one for the era. After some very heavy partying (drinking), he was left in a car to sleep it off, and never woke up.

This release features the last recorded footage of Bon Scott. And he is at his best here, overflowing with energy and attitude. Angus, Malcom and the boys are also in fine form, tearhing through 17 songs without ever really letting up.

Folks used to the massive stage shows of today may find this wanting, there are no massive lasers and giant television screens. What we do get is a great band in front of an adoring crowd. And that is just fine for me.

Both the video and sound are quite good here, especially when you take into account the age of the footage. Care has been taken to bring it to the standards of 2011, without making it look or sound overly polished.

LET THERE BE ROCK presents the Bon fronted band at it's best. We treated to killer performances as well as some interview footage. As somebody that was only vaguely aware of AC/DC at the time (I was only 10 when Bon died), this was a fantastic experience. I can't imagine any AC/DC fan (or rock fan, for that matter) not finding this worth owning.

Jeremy Lynch

Ben Affleck to direct Coben's TELL NO ONE.

2011-06-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

Numerous trades have reported that actor/screenwriter-turned-director Ben Affleck will be direct the Hollywood film version of Harlan Coben's TELL NO ONE. The book was already made into a very successful French film. It was the success of the French film that got the studios looking at TNO again. It had previous languished at Sony for years.

In TELL NO ONE, a pediatrician discovers that his long deal wife may still be alive. But as he starts to look, he finds himself suspected of murder and on the run.

Ben's directorial track record is pretty good and shows he does well with projects based on crime novels (THE TOWN, GONE BABY GONE). He will be working with a screenplay by Chris Terrio. Terrio is relatively new to Hollywood and has one film, the widely praised HEIGHTS, under his belt. He directed HEIGHTS and did some secondary work on the script. But Affleck is familiar with his work, Ben's next directing job is ARGO, a film whose screenplay Chris wrote. I don't know if Chris being on the project got Ben involved, or if Ben brought Chris on board.

With pre-production underway for ARGO, this project likely won't get underway until the end of the year, at the earliest.

Film Review: TOAST

2011-06-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

Directed by S.J. Clarkson
Written by Lee Hail, based on the memoir by Chef, Nigel Slater’s: Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger
Starring: Oscar Kennedy, Freddie Highmore, Ken Stott, Helena Bonham Carter, Victoria Hamilton

I can almost guarantee that if Helena Bonham Carter did not play a major role in this movie we wouldn’t be seeing it abroad despite its modest charms. Those charms are diluted (thankfully) by the basic unlikability of its major players.

PLOT: Nigel Slater (Oscar Kennedy) has unluckily been born into a household that does not take its food seriously. A typical dinner is tins thrown into a pot of boiling water, which still managed to be burned. Toast is the inevitable climax of this crazy attempt to cook dinner.

Nigel’s mother (Victoria Hamilton) is ill; his father (Stott) regards Nigel warily. Any attempt to improve his mother’s cooking skills meet with little approval. But his mother, suffering from asthma, dies and the two men are alone. Mrs. Potter (Helena Bonham Carter) is hired as a cleaner, a job she takes extremely seriously, much to Nigel’s dismay. He had hoped to cook for his Dad and win his heart. The rest of the film concerns itself mostly with a competition between Nigel and Mrs. Potter to produce the better lemon meringue pie and win the affection of Mr. Slater. Nigel’s burgeoning homosexuality is tastefully explored.

It’s to the film’s great advantage that the expected ending never happens. Nigel is not the lovable boy you expect to find. And Mrs. Potter is quite crazy. This is a small film and unlikely to knock you off your feet. But the Dusty Springfield score and the portrait of middle-class English life is fun. And Helena Bonham Carter plays another in her string of roles that seem to defy the fact that she is a beautiful woman. Cheers to that.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Blu-ray Review: PLATOON

2011-06-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

MGM Home Entertainment
Release date: May 24, 2011
MSRP: $29.99

Director: Oliver Stone
Stars: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David, Forest Whitaker,

The impact of Platoon can't be overstated. When it prevmiered, vets stumbled out of theaters, tears streaming in their eyes, memories brought back to the surface because of filmmaker Olvier Stone's amazing realism.

Unlike many previous war films, Platoon does not glorify war. We see a diverse group of soldiers dealing with not just the dangerous, foreign land they have been placed in, but with each other.

Private Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a rarity: A young man with well-off parents that decides he wants to serve his country and enlists at a time in which many were doing all they could to avoid being drafted. We see just what a new recruit goes through and the difficulties of acclimating to a very different world that is full of enemies.

I think most have seen Platoon, or know about it so I am not going to go into too much detail about the story. I will say it is Stone at his finest. I did not see Platoon until I was in my early 30s. I went into it knowing all of the hype and feeling a little blase about the film, I felt it would surely fall short of the pedestal many have put it on.

But by the end, I was moved and troubled. It hurts to be reminded of the things that happened over there...and the fact that many similar things have likely happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stone does an excellent job of humanizing the soldiers and, as a result, we feel for them and are troubled when they crack under pressure.

Platoon is a powerful film that features a talented cast telling a story that is all too real. It certainly deserves all of the praise it has received.

Video:
The picture is presented in 1080p AVC encoded 1.85.1 widesreen, The transfer is pretty good, certainly better than any of the DVD releases. Visiually, the jungle looks amazing with all of the added detail. Honestly, this is a film that really should be seen in HD. Many films look better, but being upgraded does not change the viewing experience. That certainly is not the case here, you get a better feel for the hostile world that these soldiers are in.

Audio:
There is a DTS-HD 5.1 master track that sounds fine. While that may seem like faint praise, this was shot at a time when they simply could not imagine what the future would hold in terms of audio technology. Honestly, it sounds as good as something from this time is going to.

The following tracks are also available: Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian DTS 5.1, Portuguese and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, and Czech and Hungarian Dolby Digital 2.0. Subtitles are in English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Thai and Turkish.

The Extras:
We get the extras from the DVD Special edition. This is a nice collection that includes commentary tracks from Stone and advisor Capt Dale Dye as well as featurettes, trailers and deleted scenes.

Even if you own multiple DVDs, I recomend upgrading to BD. As I said, the details and color of the jungle are fantastic and really add to your viewing experience. You can't go wrong picking up this excellent copy of one of the most powerful Vietnam films ever made.

Jeremy Lynch

Guilty Pleasures: Bill Cameron.

2011-06-15T08:28:00.005-05:00

The Lord of the Rings, 1978

Directed by Ralph Bakshi

Maybe I should start with my capsule review of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy: It was … fine.

To be a bit more specific, I found it to be a striking visual spectacle, yet ultimately flawed. So … yeah. Fine.

But, before a nerdstorm of true believers claws its way through the intertubes to disembowel me with their Andúril replica swords, let me say I own—and watch, often—the Jackson films. The stuff he got right, he got reeeeally right. Gandalf? Best casting decision ever. The oliphaunts, and Gollum? Delicious. Cate Blanchett as Galadriel? More, please. The Balrog? Oh, hell yeah. I can watch the Balrog scene a hundred times over. Love it.

And, yes, Viggo Mortensen made a superb Aragorn, despite being written as an emo. And I like Sean Bean even in his bad outings, but no danger of that here; he did Boromir proud. Legolas and Gimli were solid. I know it's kind of a kewl kidz thing to hate on Orlando Bloom, but I don't.

And yet, the hobbits did nothing for me. Elijah Wood's constipated faux accent and Sam's bitchiness never rang true. Dominic Monaghan played the same asshole he played in Lost, only shorter. Whatever. The hobbits weren't very important anyway, not in this retelling. Though, credit where credit is due. Billy Boyd was convincing, the only one of the Fellowship hobbits.

The low point in casting was Liv Tyler as Arwen.

Think about this for a moment. Liv Tyler. As Arwen.

Are you kidding me? And not just Liv Tyler as Arwen, but Arwen taking Glorfindel's place in the flight to Rivendell, and then doing that magic zapping of Frodo? What the hell was that? (Did Peter Jackson and his minions actually read The Lord of the Rings. Or simply skim the Cliff's Notes.) Liv Tyler may be kinda cute, but she possesses all the gravitas of a Skipper doll. She's about as far as you can get from the heir of Luthien and still be bipedal. Give me a break. Liv Freaking Tyler. Where's my hammer?

From there, it was production design first, every thing else second, or not at all. Pretty, with splashes of stunning visual pyrotechnics. But little more. That The Return of the King got all those Oscars is a testament, I suspect, to Academy exhaustion. Or maybe it was the oliphaunts. They were very cool.

Of course, Jackson's not the only Lord of the Rings effort. Before Viggo charmed us out of our pants as Aragorn, there was Ralph Bakshi's benighted effort from the 70s, a movie I love despite the fact it is—and I admit this right upfront—awful. Oh so gloriously awful.

Way back in the Second Age, er, the 70s, Bakshi had a couple of home runs in Fritz the Cat and Wizards. Fritz was just a bit early for me to see legally, but that's okay. I saw it anyway, sneaking into a midnight showing with a friend when we were supposed to be camping out in his treehouse. I was about thirteen, which meant I thought Fritz the Cat was a sex ed documentary.

Wizards was a genuine tour de force. Dark, dramatic, with moments of rich comedy and a true pathos at its core. Visually stunning in an age when CGI was in its infancy. I saw Wizards at a midnight showing as well, but for that one I actually bought a ticket. Not that my parents knew I was there. Hell, no. But that's another story.

So when me and my friends heard Bakshi was doing The Lord of the Rings, our immediate thought was, "Oh, fuck yeah." The anticipation was palpable. It got especially intense with the official Lord of the Rings lead miniatures became available at the local games store. They weren't very good, honestly, not compared to most of the lead miniature offerings out there, but who cared? Frodo! Gandalf! A guy who might be Aragorn! We were jacked. As dungeon master, I found myself crafting scenarios which could take advantage of the swarms of orcs I was buying.

Then the movie arrived, and, and, and …

My immediate reaction was bemusement coupled with a roiling, half-acknowledged disappointment. Not that I could admit it openly. This was The Lord of the Rings, after all, and I was a nerdtron teen who re-read the book like scripture. I read The Silmarillion too. More than once. I couldn't face the fact my precious had been sullied, so I pretended it was … misunderstood.

Of course it came out at a time when it wasn't easy to see again and again like movies are now. The cinematic run ended fairly quickly. VCRs still were but an amazing device teleported from the future into the homes of rich people. In that reality, we didn't have the opportunity to dissect movies through a nigh on infinite number of viewings.

A few years later that would change. In 1981 I acquired a video disc player (from the Future!), and sure enough The Lord of the Rings was one of my first discs. And my worst fears were confirmed.

It was bad.

And yet, as I watched it, again and again, hoping yet mostly failing to find some redeeming quality, I fell in love with damnable thing.

This is a movie which is decidedly schizophrenic. That worked in Wizards, but not at all with a story like The Lord of the Rings. The production is a mix of traditional cel animation and rotoscoping, which means the visual style would change dramatically within the same scene. I know this was intentional on Bakshi's part, but when you see line drawing Fellowship characters fleeing from shaded, almost natural-looking orcs, the effect is jarring.

Wizards was striking for its use of expressionistic backgrounds to highlight characters and action at key moments. In The Lord of the Rings, the same effect comes off almost as a cheap shortcut. Splashes of bright color behind the Nazgûl as they attack the beds where the hobbits are apparently sleeping, or during the flight to the ford, detract from the drama rather than enhance it. This is particularly disappointing considering how beautiful the background artwork is when Bakshi isn't going for warpy, glowy melodrama.

Despite its obvious flaws, I find the movie has a heart. It's weird-looking and disjointed, but but I never get the sense that Bakshi didn't understand his source material the way I do with Jackson. Jackson's are among the most technically proficient films ever made. Beautifully shot, with amazing production design, costumes, sets. You name it. But emotionally flat. Bakshi's Lord of the Rings looks a bit like a Funny-or-Die send-up, but I feel it captures more of the essence of Tolkien's story.

Still, nowadays I watch Bakshi's movie more to marvel at its weirdness than to appreciate its redeeming qualities. I chuckle at the sequence when 17 years pass by in the Shire, the screen flashing through the seasons like a child's flip-book—unintentional comedy gold. The weird rotoscoping is often hypnotic, especially when the Bree men are drunkenly dancing to Frodo's song. I watched that scene so many times on my video disc version of movie it developed a terrible skip. Ah, vinyl.

As with Jackson's LOTR, there's no Tom Bombadil. And poor Glorfindel gets shortshrifted, but in Bakshi, he's replaced by Legolas. Wrong person, but at least Legolas made a certain kind of sense. (Liv Tyler? Seriously?) And Bakshi couldn't quite commit to what to call Saruman. More often than not he's referred to as Aruman, perhaps to avoid possible confusion with Sauron. But a few times Saruman slips out. Oops.

The Balrog is simply goofy, a fiery, winged pig with giant feet—not nearly as frightening as Aragorn's nose. Boromir had a terrifying nose too. I guess Bakshi's vision of Men in the Third Age of Middle Earth was as undercard boxers who'd suffered more than a few knockouts. The elves could be pretty spooky though too. And Samwise, that dude had himself some snaggle teeth.

Of course, the strangest thing about the movie is the way it suddenly ends about halfway through the story. We get a voiceover: "And then they won." Something like that. (I admit I usually doze off before I get to the voiceover.)

I guess it was a money thing. Bakshi apparently couldn't get the funding to make part two. A few years later, Rankin-Bass produced a deeply surreal made-for-TV version of The Return of the King which sort of finished what Bakshi started. I kinda liked the Rankin-Bass version of The Hobbit, but, Gott in himmel, who thought their assault on The Return of the King was a good idea?

In the end, Jackson did a much better job, despite his effort's limitations. I'm going to put one of the Jackson discs in the DVD player five times as often as my copy of Bakshi. But in the end, I have a greater affection for Bakshit's (typo, and I'm keeping it) version. What can I say? I guess that's why they call it a guilty pleasure.

Bill
Bill Cameron lives with his wife and a menagerie of critters in Portland, Oregon. His stories have appeared inSpinetingler, The Dunes Review, The Alsop Review. He is a member of Friends of Mystery and International Thriller Writers, and serves as Vice President of the Northwest Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. For more, head over to his site.

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher: A little man stepping into big shoes?

2011-06-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

At this moment in time, the mystery community is abuzz with the news that Tom Cruise might play Jack Reacher,a former Military police officer wanders the country and often wanders into nasty situations that requite him to pound the shit out of assorted McNasties, in the film version of ONE SHOT, the bestselling novel by Lee Child.

If you look really hard, you MIGHT find some positive comments about this. But most are less than pleased with this news. It does not have as much to do with Tom's acting as it does his size. Tom is not what Lee describes Jack as being six foot five inches and 250 pounds...that is with Kate standing on his shoulders.

While I am not jumping for joy about this, but I am also not quite an upset as some are. Yes, the size difference is huge and I can see why fans have trouble seeing the wee Mr. Cruise as Jack, but I think size comes second after persona.

That is the bigger question: Can Tom capture Jack's complete and utter badassness?

I am skeptical, but I will admit being surprised by his nasty turn in COLLATERAL. I sure as hell did not think he could pull that off, but he did.

In the end, I don't think anyone has to worry. I don't think Tom will commit to it. Taking the role will open him up to quite a bit of ribbing about his size and would almost certainly require him to talk about his size in interview after interview.

What actor wants to spend all of his time depending his toughness and telling folks that little dudes can kick ass too?

Vince Keenan on L.A. NOIRE

2011-06-13T21:59:00.000-05:00

Say this for Team Bondi, the independent Australian studio behind the new Rockstar Games release L.A. Noire: they don’t think small. Structuring their maiden launch around sophisticated motion scan technology wasn’t enough of a challenge. They had to revive a dormant form of gaming, recreate the Los Angeles of the late 1940s, delve deep into the mythos of film noir, and tell an unusually dense story as well. I’ll begin by awarding points for degree of difficulty.

In L.A. Noire (for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, played on Xbox 360) you’re Cole Phelps, a decorated veteran of the Pacific War who hires on with the LAPD and begins a rapid ascent through the department. Phelps is played by Mad Men actor Aaron Staton, and without his grounding presence the hard-charging do-gooder would be insufferable. Phelps handles 21 cases, all involving some traditional run-and-gun elements. Regular calls to respond to street crimes create more opportunities for head-busting. But the bulk of the gameplay is investigatory, putting a new gloss on the old school graphical adventure format. Phelps and a partner arrive at a crime scene and search it thoroughly, aided by music cues and controller vibrations. They chase down the resulting leads, conduct interviews, and eventually make arrests.

It’s in the interrogations that L.A. Noire breaks new ground, only to occasionally stumble over the spadework. Witnesses and suspects are portrayed by actors, many of them recognizable, filmed by multiple cameras that capture every nuance of facial expression. Their body language, as well as what they say and how they say it, factors into Phelps’ response to their testimony. The player decides if the character is telling the truth, hedging, or lying. It’s a fascinating mechanic that doesn’t entirely work, in part because of the broadness used by the actors but mainly because Phelps’ return volleys are wildly inconsistent. Maybe it’s how I was raised, but I don’t express doubt by jumping down a kindly old woman’s throat.

Still, these sequences are compelling, and I found myself working hard to choose the correct answers and have evidence to back up my assertions. Which is why it’s disappointing that as L.A. Noire progresses, it moves away from these signature moments and toward routine gameplay as it wraps up a complex storyline involving institutional corruption, the unsolved Black Dahlia case, a missing shipment of military surplus morphine, and Phelps’ own tragic past.

The narrative is clunky but ultimately coalesces into something that, if not quite moving, at least gestures at authentic human emotion. The sheer ambition of the story, woven together from familiar film noir elements and owing a monumental debt to the work of James Ellroy, generates its own momentum. The individual cases might not make it out of the writers’ room on a police procedural but they’re pleasantly knotty logic puzzles, engaging enough when you’re the one burning through shoe leather and providing a clear sense of satisfaction when you close them.

The meticulously recreated world of 1947 Los Angeles does the rest. The detail in the environments, from downtown to Hollywood, is nothing short of breathtaking. You won’t mind completing the game’s copious driving scenes given the array of period vehicles to take and landmarks to visit.

L.A. Noire doesn’t clear every high bar that it sets for itself. But it comes tantalizingly close on those it doesn’t vault over, and has the undeniable feel of a milestone. Crime fiction and film noir buffs will most definitely want to acquire a copy. Until time travel is perfected, the game is the closest you’ll get to going down Raymond Chandler’s mean streets yourself.

Vince Keenan
Mr. Vince is a renaissance man. He reads books (most without pictures!), makes cool computer games and enjoys long walks on the beach...he enjoys them even more if he is holding a cocktail in hand. For his thoughts on books, films, music, sports and more, Check out his blog.

DVD Review: WHITE COLLAR Season Two

2011-06-13T11:47:00.001-05:00

Fox Home Entertainment
Release date: June 7, 2011
MSRP: $48.98

For those that are not familiar with the series, White Collar is about Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), a brilliant thief and con man. Neal is out of prison under an agreement that has him working with the man that finally caught him: FBI special agent Peter Burke (Tim Dekay). Together, they solve crimes and establish a bit of an uneasy friendship.

When we last saw Neal, he had just witnessed the death of the love of his life when a plane exploded just prior to taking off. Neal was supposed to be on the plane as well, but had delayed getting on the plane when Burke confronted him.

The season-long story arc of WC revolves around Neal trying to figure out who killed Kate as well as trying to uncover the secret behind a mysterious music box. That box likely played a role in Kate's demise. While these plotlines carry through the entire season, each episode has it's own little tale.

The strength of the show is the charisma of Dekay and Bomer. The two work well together and are given fun, breezy scripts. The writers do an excellent job keeping each episode a tale in it''t own right, while still moving the larger story-arc forward.

Yes, one still has to suspend one's disbelief (and sometimes, that gets damn hard) and not think too much, but the chemistry of the cast and the slickness of the scripts make that fairly easy. While Collar is well worth the price of the set and will provide hours of entertainment.

Jeremy

Columbus discovers Koryta

2011-06-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah, the headline is a bad one, but I could not help myself.

Chris Columbus has picked up the option for Michael Koryta's THE CYPRESS HOUSE.

The story is set along an isolated stretch of the Florida Gulf Coast during the devastating 1935 hurricane. The protagonist, Arlen Wagner has an awful gift: he can see death in the eyes of men before it strikes. He's never wrong. He and his friend Paul Brickhill are traveling by train to a new CCC camp in the Florida Keys when Arlen’s supernatural sense tells him they have to get off the train if they want to stay alive. They find themselves at Cypress House, a strangely empty fishing resort on the Gulf Coast run by beautiful Rebecca Cady—and right in the middle of a vipers’ nest of small-town corruption and misery.

Chris Columbus brought Harry Potter and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson to the big screen as well as being behind HOME ALONE, MRS. DOUBTFIRE and GREMLINS. Columbus will handling the writing duties himself, and will produce along with his partners Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe.
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I asked Michael for his thoughts on Mr. Columbus:

"He's enjoyed a really long run, and that's indicative of talent, work ethic, and ability to connect with the audience. His stories do that consistently, and that's the first goal, isn't it? The one that matters most. While I know there are plenty of Harry Potter fans who think the series improved after Chris passed off the franchise, they forget that he put the foundation in place. He taught those kids how to act, and somehow got them through unprecedented media scrutiny. Surely, they should be better equipped to perform at 17 than they were at 11 or 12, and the CGI has been improving rapidly, so it's tough to compare that series from film to film. I really am impressed when you look at his body of work and see the longevity and the work ethic.

Not only does he respect the man but he, like myself, grew up with his films.

"I grew up on Chris's movies -- Goonies, Gremlins, come on! Great stuff. I'm most impressed by the guy himself, though. He's incredibly low-key, very humble, and loves books, loves stories. When you spend time with Chris, you have to remind yourself that he's made a few billion at the box office, because he certainly isn't going to remind you, or even imply it. I'm excited to have him on the project, to say the least. I've seen a draft of his script and we've discussed and he could not be more open to considering thoughts, or more concerned with being faithful to the novel, which is obviously a dream scenario for me."

Guilty Pleasures: Craig Johnson

2011-06-08T05:18:00.000-05:00

Rancho Deluxe: My guilty pleasure
By Craig Johnson. Author of The Cold Dish and Hell is Empty

The New York Times 1975 review remarked that, “Rancho Deluxe’ was so cool, it was barely alive; first-rate ingredients and a finesse in assembling them do not quite either a movie or a cake. At some point it is necessary to light the oven.”

All right, shoot me for actually enjoying the underplayed, lackadaisical, less-is-more quality of two, modern day cattle rustlers—kind of The Big Lebowski meets Red River. A full-blown, parody western, Deluxe was penned by Montana literary great Thomas McGuane, who knew a thing or two about the wretched excesses of the American West (ask him about wrecking his hundred thousand dollar Porsche on a ice-ridden highway at a hundred and ten miles an hour).

In McGuane’s world, the West is full of phonies (including the unhappily married, multi-million dollar ranch owners who used to run a string of beauty salons back in New Jersey). The two most honest characters in the film are the two rustlers, aptly played by Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston, who see stealing cattle as a kind of existential method of self-realization.

Think Beckett in a class war with a .45-70 Sharps Buffalo rifle.

Things are going fine until Slim Pickens shows up as a washed up range detective who shuts down the boys’ fun.

The movie has been accused of being a comedy that just isn’t funny, but I guess I’ve got to argue with that; the scene where the rustlers abduct a prize bull and hold it captive in a hotel room, another where the rustlers convince the ranch hands to become party to the thefts while playing Pong in a local bar, and my absolute favorite—when Jeff Bridges forces a self-righteous father to get on his knees and apologize to his daughter in delicto, at gunpoint (trust me, it’s funny). For poignant, just listen to Joe Spinell as Waterston’s aged, Indian father explain the obsession of westerners to new pick-up trucks as an addiction worse than dope.

Rancho Deluxe was probably meant to be another rebellion against the establishment (especially since the first part of the seventies was really just a sad echo of the sixties), but worrying too much about the political, cultural aspects of Rancho rob you of one of the better qualities of the film—that it IS funny. Sure it’s underplayed, but that’s kind of a hallmark of the West; the land where ‘yep, and ‘nope’ can make up the dialogue of an entire scene.

I’m pretty sure Tom McGuane had a good time writing this screenplay, and I’m sure that his buddy and Livingston, Montana neighbor, Jimmy Buffet had a good time writing the music. You can’t ask for two better outlaws than Bridges and Waterston, both showing us glimmers of genius to come.
Contemporary westerns are hard enough to come by, but ones that are also comedies are even harder. In a time where CGI, explosions and car chases are thrown into every lame screenplay, I enjoy the realism of Rancho Deluxe. What’d you want, New York Times, when the rustlers are confronted in an eighteen-wheeler full of stolen cattle by a .45 toting Slim Pickens,? You wan them to run him over? Nah, the boys just mosey off to the Montana State Prison Ranch and punch a few more doggies…

In addition to being an award-winning author, Craig Johnson is an actual cowboy. He lives, with his wife, on their ranch in Ucross, Wyoming. The population of which is 25. His protagonist, Sheriff Walt Longmire, is in the process of being brought to the small screen by A&E. A pilot has been shot and is awaiting a season order.

Be sure to check out Craig's website and pick up his latest book: HELL IS EMPTY. He is spending June and July of 2011 touring in support of that book. If he is in your town, stop by and see him.

DEATH CLUTCH by Brock Lesnar.

2011-06-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

For almost fifteen years, Brock Lesnar has been in the public spotlight. After winning a NCAA wrestling title, he became a WWE “superstar (WWE does not like them being refered to as wrestlers) and rose to the top of the sports entertainment world. After having enough of that, he moved on to mixed martial arts and has become the biggest star in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Now, Brock teams up with close friend, and former pro wrestling manager, Paul Heyman to tell his story. Death Clutch looks at the childhood of little Brock Lesnar (I simply can't imagine him being little) on a South Dakota farm, his journey to the University of Minnesota where he won the NCAA Heavyweight in 2000, his decision to become a professional wrestler and why he quit while still at the top and finally his leap into MMA and his swift journey to the UFC Heavyweight title.

Heyman does a nice job of capturing Brock's voice. Unlike many books like this, it really does sound as though it is coming from Brock himself and not simply a ghost writer picking and choosing stuff from recorded interviews.

But while this book talks about all aspects of Lesnar's life, it really does not go into too much detail. I would have enjoyed learning more about the man and his thoughts on all he has gone through. But Lesnar is a notoriously private man. And while that makes the idea of a biography intriguing, it prevents this from being much more than a puff piece. His time in the WWE was full of behind the scenes drama and ended with a lawsuit. Much of that is summarized with frustrating brevity.

The book does do a decent job of giving readers an idea of his childhood and the values his parents instilled in him. Much of who he is today clearly came from those early years. You work hard and get what you deserve. If you fall short, work harder.

Casual fans will likely enjoy Death Clutch, but even close pal Heyman was unable to get Brock to open up enough to make this anything more than a casual glance at the man. There are precious few revelations about his past. I do feel like I have a slightly better understanding of Brock. but only slightly.

Jeremy Lynch

THE GLADES return tonight.

2011-06-05T00:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight, A&E kicks off the second season of THE GLADES. While I found season one to be a mixed bag, the numbers were good and A&E is excited about season two. According to the network, the stories will be more complex and edgier.

In the season premiere, the daughter of a notorious Cuban mobster turns up dead in a Little Havana alley, and Longworth and the rest of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement must solve her murder to prevent an all-out war between two rival mob families. Meanwhile, Callie (Sanchez) prepares for her husband’s release from prison.

Film Review: INCENDIES

2011-06-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

Directed and Written by Denis Villeneuve, based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad
Starring Lubna Azabal, Milssa Desormeaus-Poullin, Maxim Gaudette
In French and Arabic

This French-Canadian film may never play in your neighborhood theater, but I am sure it will be available on DVD and Blueray soon. It is noir in its purest form. It’s a mystery, a suspense film, a family story, and, most of all, a war story.

PLOT After the death of their mother, Nawal, (Azabal) in Montreal, twins Jeanne (Desourneaus-Poullin) and Simon (Gaudette), are called into the office of her employer of many years and handed two envelopes. Jeanne is commissioned to find the father they never knew and give him one of the envelopes. Simon (Gaudette) is given a second one to deliver to the brother they never knew they had. The third one will be opened by them when the first two are delivered.

Jeanne travels back to the country her mother comes from (an unnamed Lebanon) and slowly uncovers the painful story of what brought her mother to Canada. In flashback, we see much of her story, which concerns the political and religious conflict between Christians and Muslims circa 1970. When Nawal, a Christian, falls in love with a Muslin, the die is cast for a lifetime on the run. The story unweaves in a painful and suspenseful way. War is everywhere for the next fifteen years and lives are cheap. I remember seeing scenes like these on TV twenty years ago: scenes of children shooting with real rifles, scenes of a country, once beautiful, ravaged by war,

To tell you much more would risk revealing the shocking conclusion of this film, We wondered at the end, why Nawal sent her two twentyish children on this mission, which was dangerous to them. Of course, the movie needed such a device to put it into motion. But was there something more?

If noir is about desperate people doing desperate things that seldom if ever turn out well, this is noir. Highly recommended.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Mystery Writers of America new E-Book Guidelines

2011-06-01T14:51:00.001-05:00

The publishing business is experiencing massive changes and if MWA is to remain relevant, we have to change, too. That’s why we’ve revised our Approved Publisher criteria to make books published solely in e-book format or using print-on-demand eligible under certain conditions for MWA membership (and, perhaps later, for Edgar eligibility as well). Self-published books, whether they are published in print or as e-books, still do not qualify for MWA active membership.

In crafting the criteria below, we had to strike a balance between including books published using those new technologies while also maintaining our high professional standards and our commitment to protecting our members (and writers in general) from the less-than-reputable publishers who seek to take advantage of them.

We hope you’ll agree that we accomplished our goal.

Item #1: Change to Publisher Guidelines - #2 will now read:

2. Works of fiction or nonfiction must be widely available in brick-and-mortar stores (not "special order" titles), through standard
wholesaling/distribution channels or, in the case of print-on-demand titles and ebooks, available directly through major internet retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, Kobo, etc. and not solely through the publisher's website. (For e-books, publishers must also meet the separate criteria regarding that format)

Item #2: Change to Library & University Market Publisher Guidelines (changes noted with asterisks):

Publishers selling primarily to the library & university market rather than to retailers must meet ALL of the rules regarding PRINT PUBLISHERS with the following exceptions/additions:

a. During the preceding year, the publisher must have paid a minimum of $1,000, in advances and/or royalties, to at least five authors with no financial or ownership interest in the company. Payment must be in monies, not in barter for advertising or copies of books.

b. ***Works of fiction or nonfiction may be distributed primarily to libraries and universities. However, the books must be readily available for purchase by the public through internet retailers (not just your own website) or by special order from bookstores. A copy of your library/university sales catalog must be included with your submission." ***

Item #3: New e-Book Publisher Guidelines:

Publishers interested in being on MWA's Approved E-Book Publishers List must fill out the affidavit and submit a sample contract. If all of the following criteria are met, contact the national office to begin the vetting process (the affidavit will be supplied if these requirements are met). The publisher must also meet all of the following criteria (the term "book" refers to all e-formats, "Publishing" refers to print, web, and other e-formats):

1. During the preceding year, the publisher must have paid a minimum of $500 in advances and/or royalties to at least five authors with no financial or ownership interest in the company.
a) The publisher must have paid a minimum royalty of least 25% of net revenue to authors.
b) The royalties must have been paid at least quarterly, with a detailed statement, breaking out books sold through affiliate sites, through the publisher's own site, as well as print books if applicable.
c) Payment must be in monies, not in barter for advertising or copies or any other considerations.
d) Payment must be actual - not, for example, a donation of writing deemed worth a given amount.
e) Payment must have been made and not merely promised.
f) A contract alone is not payment. Proof of payment may be requested by the committee.

2. The publisher must have been in business for at least two years since publication of the first e-book by a person with no financial or ownership interest in the company.

3. The publisher, within the past five years, may not have charged a fee to consider, read, submit, or comment on manuscripts; nor may the publisher, or any of the executives or editors under its employ, have offered authors self-publishing services, literary representation, paid editorial services, or paid promotional services. If the publisher is affiliated with an entity that provides self-publishing, for-pay editorial services, or for-pay promotional services, the entities must be wholly separate and isolated from the publishing entity. They must not share employees, manuscripts, or authors or interact in any way. For example, the publishing entity must not refer authors to any of the for-pay entities nor give preferential treatment to manuscripts submitted that were edited, published, or promoted by the for-pay entity. To avoid misleading authors, mentions and/or advertisements for the for-pay entities shall not be included with information on manuscript submission to the publishing company. Advertising on the publisher's website for any for-pay editorial, self-publishing or promotional services, whether affiliated with the publisher or not, must include a disclaimer that it is advertising and that use of those services offered by an affiliate of the publisher will not affect consideration of manuscripts submitted for publication.

4. The publisher must publish at least five authors per year, other than those with a financial or ownership interest in the company, such as an owner, business partner, employee, or close relative of such person. Those persons should be listed on the application.

5. The publisher is not a "self-publishing" or "subsidy publishing" firm in which the author has paid all or part of the cost of publication, marketing, distribution of the work, or any other fees pursuant to an agreement between the author and publisher, cooperative publisher or book packager. Among (but not all of) the situations defined as "self-published or cooperatively published" are:

a. Those works for which the author has paid all or part of the cost of publication, marketing, distribution of the work, or any other fees pursuant to an agreement between the author and publisher, cooperative publisher, website owner or book packager;

b. e-books published by a privately-held publisher or in collaboration with a book packager wherein the author has a familial relationship with the publisher, editor, or any managerial employee, officer, director or owner of the publisher or book packager;

c. Those works published by companies, websites or imprints that do not publish other authors;

d. Those works published by a publisher or website or in collaboration with a book packager in which the author has a direct or indirect financial interest;

e. Those works published in an anthology in which the author is also an editor, except an anthology for which the author is a guest editor;

f. Those works published in an anthology or magazine wherein the author has a familial relationship with the editor or publisher

6. The publisher pays for editing, copyediting, design, cover art, production, advertising, marketing, distribution, web design, graphics, and all other aspects of publication. They do not require authors to pay for any of the above.

7. Books must be available through major online retailers, like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iBookstore, and not just through the publisher's website.

8. The publisher must not be engaged in the practice of wrongfully withholding or delaying the payment of acceptance fees to authors.

Here is the link to the new Publisher Guidelines: http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=PublisherGuidelines

GUILTY PLEASURES: Wallace Stroby

2011-06-01T08:10:00.000-05:00

Universal mummy movies, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

To clarify: I don’t mean the big-budget Brendan Fraser CGI fests, the garish Hammer films of the 1960s, or even the subtle and moody Boris Karloff/Karl Freund original from 1932. For me, there’s only one real movie mummy, and that’s the shambling, tana-leaf-craving Kharis, who showed up in four quickly made Universal films of the early 1940s, most often played by Lon Chaney Jr.

The first of those movies, 1940’s THE MUMMY’S HAND, is actually a solid second-string Universal horror. Shot on sets left over from the James Whale-directed adventure film GREEN HELL, HAND has a look that belies its budget. Former cowboy star Tom Tyler plays Kharis, and the cast is filled out with fine character actors such as Cecil Kellaway, Wallace Ford and genre veteran George Zucco (as the high priest Andoheb, Kharis’ caretaker). Though it’s unconnected plot-wise to Karloff’s THE MUMMY, it incorporates footage from that earlier film, with inserts of Tyler cut in for the close-ups (though in the long shots, it’s still clearly Karloff).

But it’s the three sequels to HAND that are closest to my heart. THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1942), THE MUMMY’S GHOST (1943) and THE MUMMY’S CURSE (1944) were all shot quickly (often less than a month each) and rushed out to theaters as the bottom half of double-bills. It’s in these films that Kharis (now ostensibly played by Lon Chaney Jr., though in many scenes clearly a stunt double) really hit his limping stride, in a lovably low-budget way.

TOMB moves the action from Egypt to sleepy Mapleton, Mass., 30 years after the events of HAND. Dick Foran and Wallace Ford return (in old-age makeup) as two of the men who originally tussled with Kharis after they discovered the tomb of his long-lost love, Princess Ananka.

TOMB runs 60 minutes, and a full 11 minutes of that is recycled footage from HAND, recapping the story. Zucco returns as Andoheb, despite his apparent death in the first film, passing the torch on to another evil high priest, this time played by Turhan Bey. (John Carradine takes over that job in GHOST, Peter Coe in CURSE).

In addition to being the slowest monster in movie history (how did he catch anyone?), Kharis is ill-served by his minders, who must be the most incompetent high priests ever. Almost as soon as they’re entrusted with the mummy’s care and feeding, and have sworn vengeance against those who dared desecrate blah, blah, blah, a hot babe catches their eye and they forget their priestly vows. In small-town America, this inevitably leads to all kinds of trouble, up to and including angry townspeople on the march with torches and pitchforks. In TOMB, some of these mob shots are lifted directly from 1931’s FRANKENSTEIN. If you look quickly, you’ll see a few of the citizens of 1940s Mapleton are wearing lederhosen and Tyrollean hats.

What makes these films even more endearing is that, although direct sequels to HAND, all three are rife with continuity errors. Ford’s character is called “Babe Jenson” in HAND, but in TOMB he becomes “Babe Hanson” (When he’s killed by the mummy, a newspaper proclaims “BABE HANSON MURDERED!” in Pearl Harbor-sized headlines). Zucco returns as Andoheb in GHOST, but by then the high priests of Karnak have inexplicably become the high priests of Arkam. What’s more, there’s little explanation for where Kharis has been between films. In GHOST, he just shows up out of nowhere, as if he’s been wandering the backroads of Massachusetts the whole time.

The continuity gets even wonkier in CURSE. At the end of GHOST, Kharis vanishes into a New England swamp. At the beginning of CURSE, the swamp is drained and Kharis is restored to life, but the location has suddenly changed to Louisiana, and the townspeople are Cajuns. Even more fun is the timeline. HAND is clearly set in 1940 (the date is seen on-screen at one point). TOMB supposedly takes place 30 years later (as does GHOST), and CURSE refers to Kharis having disappeared in the swamp 25 years previously. Which means CURSE takes place in 1995, though it still looks a lot like 1944.

What these films do have in spades is mummy content. You get a lot of bang for your monster buck. Barely five minutes pass in any of them before Kharis is back on-screen, shuffling through the night and alarming townspeople (“There’s something outside. I seen it gone by the window!”).

I loved these movies as a kid. Still do. There’s something very upfront and unpretentious about them. Sleepless with fever a couple years ago, I watched the three of them back to back. Quite comforting, actually.

WALLACE STROBY:

Wallace Stroby ‘s latest novel is COLD SHOT TO THE HEART. His previous books include GONE ‘TIL NOVEMBER, THE HEARTBREAK LOUNGE and THE BARBED-WIRE KISS, which was a finalist for the Barry Award for Best First Novel. A New Jersey native, he spent far too much of his childhood watching movies. His website is www.wallacestroby.com.

DVD Review: BLOW OUT

2011-05-31T15:29:00.000-05:00

Criterion Collection
Release date: April 26th, 2011
MSRP: $28.98

Director: Brian De Palma
Stars: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz, Peter Boyden

The name Brian De Palma holds little meannig to many younger filmgoers. Carilto's Way and Scarface seem a lifetime ago and more recent films, such as Black Dahlia, have been underwhelming.

But one need only watch BLOW OUT to see just how good a dirctor De Palma could be.

Jack Terry is a sound engineer for a small-time studio in Philadelphia. Late one night, he is working on a project outside and witnesses, and records, a car accident. In the car is a governor aspiring to be president and a young lady (Not Mrs. Governor). Only the lady survives, thanks to Jack.

The authorities thank him, then suggest he forget it ever happened. The press plays it up as a tragic accident, but Jack hears a gunshot, as well as a tire blowing out, on the recording. His curiousity turns to determination and he looks to find the truth. Not long after, he comes across Manny (Dennis Franz) that has video footage.

BLOW OUT is my favorite of De Palma's films. It is by no means perfect, there is a subplot regarding the serial killing of women that, while connected to the main plot, seems uneccessary. But the overall story is strong and the aforementioned stuff does not really hurt things.

Visually, BO is amazing. The entire lead-up for the crash is fantastic, the cinematography is world-class and presents shots that were revolutionary at the time.

The extras are an enjoyable mix of old and new. We get three interviews with key particiapnts: De Palma, Nancy Allen and cameraman Garrett Brown. All three are interesting and do a nice job of giving us an idea of what went into making the film and what was going on at the time.

I feel that BLOW OUT is a must-own for fans of the crime genre. De Palma delivers a smart, tight film that delivers on all fronts.

NCIS- Los Angeles Season 1

2011-05-28T01:02:00.001-05:00

I am a big fan of the original NCIS, so of course I was interested in the spin off, especially after seeing the NCIS episodes that introduced it. I saw a few episodes, and while I didn't think it was as good it seemed to be worth a gamble on DVD.

The show is entertaining and I like the people on the show but I think the writing is week. It feels very formulaic and almost from a play book. It actually seems like the writers have not seen much TV themselves and don't realize just how much of a cliche a lot of this really is, or they just think most TV viewers are dumb. Some of the dialogue is just a waste of words. There are so many times when a declarative sentence announces something so the audience will catch it, when in reality you'd have to be in the other room to miss it.

When something is supposed to be cute or funny the music changes to a playful sound, and then switches when we are getting a bond moment or a learning moment.It bugs me when music tries to manipulate instead of enhanec a show or movie.

Linda Hunt is one of my favorite actresses, but it seems real clear that she is here to offset the action sequences. Way too much time discussing clothes, and very heavy handed hints to an interesting past.

LL CoolJ is damn cool, and he is fun to watch here, but again, the character is a bit of a cliche. So is our brooding hero G Callen played by Chris O'Connell. foster homes, sad childhood, blah blah blah. Newbie is like McGee lite, computer guy is too nerd hip for his own good and the pretty girl is too cute. And the head shrinker Nate? Don't get me started.

And yet I keep watching , episode after episode. I do like the interaction between the characters.The directing is actually pretty well done and would be great if the writing was stronger. Some of the plots are even a bit clver, but not a single one stumped me.

Will I watch more, sure I will. Will I pull full price for the DVD sets, probably not.

NCIS: Los Angeles Seaon1 is out on DVD now.

Film Review: EVERYTHING MUST GO

2011-05-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

Directed by Dan Rush
Written by Dan Rush, based on a story by Raymond Carver (“Why Don’t You Dance”)
Starring Will Ferrell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Rebecca Hall, Michael Pena, Laura Dern

Although I’m not usually much of a Will Ferrell fan, he brought more to this somewhat wan movie than most actors could. I almost wonder if it was a relief to him to play someonr other than the boy-man his comedies have demanded. You never doubt he is this man and this is his life. He totally inhabits the part.

PLOT: This movie scraps most of Carver’s brilliant story in favor of telling its own. Carver’s story is but a few pages long and as is as much about the newly married as the newly separated. What Rush keeps from the original story is the best part of the movie though: the story of a man, Nick Halsey, who has let alcohol fuel his demise. When his wife leaves, locking him and his possessions out of the house, he sets up housekeeping on his front lawn, meeting cute with an African-American twelve year old (Wallace) and a new neighbor (Hall) across the street. Ferrell plays this sad sack without a twitch of a smile. What jokes there are arise from the material and don’t seem soldered on. It is hard to make a six-page story into a ninety-minute movie and a lot of the additional material seems overly familiar and overly sentimental.

I almost think I could have watched Ferrell without the secondary characters. Half as much of the kid and the neighbor would have made it twice as good of a movie. And it’s very hard to understand why Rush scrapped the newlyweds and the dance that gave the story its title. Still enough here to recommend it.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Crimespree Signs with DOWN AND OUT BOOKS for e-versions of magazine

2011-05-25T17:47:00.000-05:00

We've signed with Down and Out books to do versions of Crimespree for e-book readers.

Down and Out Books is the brainstorm of Eric Campbell, formerly with Tyrus and Bob Truluck, author extraordinaire. Look for more announcements from them soon.

So far Crimespree 40 and Crimespree 41 are available on Kindle.

Guilty Pleasures: Libby Fischer Hellman

2011-05-25T08:21:00.001-05:00

“If Love is the Answer could you rephrase the Question?”

Lily Tomlin made that comment decades ago, but it makes total sense for me today. The question – rephrased, of course -- is what film constitutes my guilty pleasure. The answer, actually, is “Love, Actually.”

I can’t resist it. Every time it shows on cable, I find myself drawn in. I watch it – again – and I love it – again. It’s silly, it’s cynical, it’s melodramatic, and Hugh Grant dances around in his underwear. What more could you want? (Editor's note: Hugh is fully dressed when he does his little dance, it was Tom Cruise, in Risky Business, that did his dance in his whiteys.)

Well, actually, it’s not just Hugh Grant. The film boasts a superb cast in a series of vignettes where everyone is pursuing or running away from love in a mosaic of different perspectives. There’s the stoic Laura Linney -- except for one scene where she celebrates bringing a guy home behind a wall-- to the bewildered Alan Rickman, to the unctuous Rowan Atkinson, to the ever-suffering Emma Thompson. Even now, I’m mentally replaying the scene where she thinks she’s getting a beautiful necklace for Christmas but gets a Joni Mitchell CD instead. Her anguished, deflated expression is unforgettable. There’s Colin Firth as a stuffed shirt Englishman, Keira Knightley as a slightly ditzy bride, and the wonderfully sleazy Bill Nighy, who is now, because of the film, one of my favorite actors. (He was excellent in MI-5, btw.) Even Billy Bob Thornton makes a cameo appearance as a randy US President.

There’s also the young Brit who goes to Wisconsin and returns with some girls who sound like they’re from Texas – apparently geography wasn’t a priority in the script – and there’s Liam Neeson, who by helping his son pursue love, helps resolve his grief at losing the wife he loved.

Because it’s set over the Christmas holidays, we expect a “feel-good” ending, but a few of the vignettes keep the saccharine element to a minimum. In fact, the first time I saw it, I was surprised there wasn’t a happy ending for everyone. And yet, there’s a sense of acceptance and resolution that goes beyond the superficial and makes those scenes very satisfying.

And the ending multi-split scene montage with the Beach Boys singing “God Only Knows” is dazzling. In fact, the entire sound track, including “Christmas is All Around You,” and “All I Want for Christmas is You” is a delight. I could go on for another page or so – I know I’ve probably left out someone’s favorite character, but you get the idea.

Color me sophomoric, sentimental, and riddled with guilt, but I love “Love Actually.”

Libby

Libby Fischer Hellmann is the award-winning author of the Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, and Nice Girl Does Noir, a two volume short story collection. She also edited the highly praised crime fiction anthology, Chicago Blues. She has lived in the Chicago area over thirty years. Set the Night on Fire is her first stand-alone novel. For more information go to the author's website: http://libbyhellmann.com/

Blu-ray Review: THE HUSTLER

2011-05-23T13:36:00.001-05:00

Fox Home Entertainment
Release date: May 17, 2011
MSRP: $34.98

Director: Robert Rossen
Stars: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott,

Paul Newman. What can you say? The man was not only an unbelievable actor, but a spectacular human being and from all accounts just a really nice guy. Not only was he been involved in politics, but gave until it hurt to charities. He started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for disabled children, all of the profits for his Newman’s Own food company go to charity, and he sends money to help impoverished countries in Africa.

I first saw The Hustler when I was 17, and said, “Hmm. That was long and depressing...but good.” (I was 17.) The reason that I saw it was that I had gone to see The Color of Money, and thought it was a very good movie, and wanted to see where the Fast Eddie Felson character had started…and I liked to play pool. I have watched the film several times since then and have changed my opinion. It is long, yes. It is depressing, yes. But it is a very good movie. What I realize now is that it is not so much about pool, but about self destructive people; set in the seedy, smoky, alcohol filled world of pool halls.

Paul Newman plays Fast Eddie Felson, a pool hustler who thinks he is the best player in the world, and who wants to beat the reigning pool champion Minnesota Fats, played by Jackie Gleason.

Newman was nominated for an Academy Award (for the second time) for his role as Fast Eddie. He would not win, but 20 some years later when he reprised the role in The Color of Money, he would win the little, bald, gold one. Apparently he was the losingest actor in the history of the awards, so much so that they gave him a lifetime achievement award a few years before he won a trophy on his own. (Paul wouldn’t say it, but I will: IN YOUR FACE, ACADEMY AWARDS!) But because he was tired of losing, he decided not to attend the ceremony that year--oops.

Video:
The Hustler is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen ratio, in 1080p, using the AVC encode and looks very nice. Blacks are sharp and play a big role in the film looking as good as it does. There is some grain present, but not enough to hurt the overall viewing experience. Overall, the film looks far better than one would expect a film this old to look.

Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is used, but not really needed here since, there are little audio gymnastics here. The jazz soundtrack sounds great, as does the dialogue.

Extras:
Pretty much all of the extras from the last DVD release are included, along with a few new ones: "Paul Newman At Fox" (27:11), looks at the various films that Paul made with Fox, his relationship with the studio and his overall impact on the business. Very interesting, for both fans of cinema history as well as those that simply want to learn more about Mr. Paul.

"Jack Gleason: The Big Man" (12:04), looks at Big Jack and his stellar performance in The Hustler. Solid, but not as engaging as Paul's piece.

"The Real Author" (18:55), focuses on author Walter S. Tevis, the man whose book the film is based on. We hear from his children as well as from the man himself, via old radio interviews.

The Hustler is a great film and Fox stepped up and delivered a damn nice release here. There are also 24 pages of photos and background info. The result is a release that is worth having. If you already own it on DVD, I would still recommended upgrading to this Blu-ray.

Film Review: BRIDESMAIDS

2011-05-20T07:52:00.000-05:00

Directed by: Paul Feig
Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy.

Watching the previews for this film for months before it opened, I cringed. Reading the reviews after it opened, I smiled. The final result fell somewhere between those two reactions.

PLOT: Annie’s (Wiig) life is on a definite downturn in terms of a job, a credible boyfriend, roommates, everything. When her BFF, Lillian (Rudolph) asks her to be Maid of Honor at her wedding, she’s happy, but concerns about her ability to pull this off, (screw-up that she is), begin to surface when she meets the ultimate wedding planner in a new friend of the bride (Rose Byrne). The plot concerns the rivalry between these two women as the wedding closes in on them.

There are at least half a dozen scenes in this film that are as funny as any you’ve seen in similar fare like THE HANGOVER, GET ME TO THE GREEK, etc. Wiig is winning in the lead role and her no-holds-barred approach goes a long way toward the film’s success. It avoids being a series of sketches as often happens in SNL alumni films. It had a cohesive plot.

Things that didn’t work out as well for me was the constant theme of jealousy between women that ran through the film—just too stereotypical. The slapsticky bits were first rate, but there were almost no lines of dialogue you’d remember after leaving the theater. It was also very long for a comedy and perhaps overly sentimental. How many hugging scenes do we need? I counted at least five in this one. Estrogen-induced or not, too much.

All in all, I’d recommend it though. Women have the right to be as vulgar and desperate and funny as men.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Turow, North Patterson, Brown, Gardner, Higgins Clark heading to TNT.

2011-05-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

TNT is working with several chart-topping authors on a new lineup of original movies set to debut in November and December 2011. The TNT Tuesday Night Mystery(working title) will feature a slate of six contemporary crime dramas, from true-crime stories to fictional mysteries. TNT is developing the two-hour movie Innocent, based on the book by best-selling author Scott Turow. TNT is also developing movies based on Richard North Patterson’s Silent Witness; Sandra Brown’s Ricochet; Lisa Gardner’s Hide; April Smith’s Good Morning, Killer; and Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark’s Deck the Halls. The TNT Tuesday Night Mystery marks TNT’s return to original TV movies, a format that has earned the network many Emmys, along with unprecedented ratings that hold records yet today.

More and more, TNT seems to becoming a full network. Their dramatic programming is based primarily on crime drama (THE CLOSER, MEMPHIS BEAT, SOUTHLAND, LEVERAGE, RIZZOLI & ISLES) and these should appeal to the followers of those series. While it sounds like a smart move, it is too bad they are not looking beyond the established best-sellers for material. I could rattle off a dozen novels that would be fabulous picks for this series. Hopefully the next batch looks deeper into the crime genre.

INNOCENT is Scott Turow's follow-up to the massively successful PRESUMED INNOCENT, the novel that was a hit movie with Harrison Ford (Back when Harry acted and made good films).

Guilty Pleasures: Vince Keenan.

2011-05-18T10:54:00.001-05:00

I know how these guilty pleasure posts are supposed to work. I make the argument that no pleasure should be considered guilty, then go on to name a movie that isn’t actually that terrible – and in fact underscores whatever meager badass credentials I have.

I’m not doing that. My guilty pleasure is a movie that I know for a fact to be lousy, that I like in spite and in part because of that lousiness. It also features roller disco. Which, science has proven, is the least hardboiled activity known to man.

My guilty pleasure is Xanadu. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081777/) Judge away. Here’s more ammunition.

I have watched Xanadu more than a dozen times.

I own Xanadu on DVD and VHS.

I saw Xanadu on Broadway. I went to New York specifically to see Xanadu on Broadway.

Do your worst. Your slings and arrows will leave me unbowed. And I will watch Xanadu again. Some part of me, maybe the best part of me, loves this movie without condition or irony.

The plot of this fantasy musical in brief: one of the mythological muses comes to 1980 Los Angeles in the person of Olivia Newton-John and inspires artist Michael Beck to join forces with one of her former flames (Gene Kelly in his final big screen performance) to open a nightclub. A nightclub that features, as mentioned above, roller disco.

For years I’ve referred to Xanadu as the cocaine simulator. You want to know what riding the white horse is like, son? It makes greenlighting Xanadu seem like a good idea. A musical with both the legendary Kelly and rock band The Tubes? Starring an actor who can neither sing nor dance, and won the role because of his success playing a stone-faced gang leader in the previous year’s The Warriors? With a director (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0339254/) who would go on to achieve his greatest success making documentaries about Fox News and Walmart? Sold!

There’s an animated sequence in the middle of it, for crying out loud.

Yet my affection for Xanadu is genuine. Why do I return to it again and again? Two reasons.

One is the music. I will defend Electric Light Orchestra to the death. I think Jeff Lynne is a daft genius. And I believe his baroque melodies are perfectly suited to the silver screen. Even and especially when they’re used to score the tackiest shopping excursion in cinema history. (http://youtu.be/gdPJ9BtqK7w)

And the other, more important reason is the philosophy. Believe it or not, Xanadu has one.

The movie was released as the 1980s dawned, but cast its eye back to the glory days of Hollywood. It’s an unofficial remake of the 1947 Rita Hayworth film Down to Earth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039337/), and Kelly reprises his character from another Hayworth movie, Cover Girl. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036723/) Xanadu is about bridging the gap between the decades, suggesting that true art will speak to an appreciative audience no matter when it’s created. As a fan of classic film noir who works in the video game industry, I find comfort in this notion. The idea is baldly presented in “Dancin’,” as eras literally collide. (http://youtu.be/Ts9GdyGD5e4)

Is it a great number? No. But I love what it says. Consequently I love how it says it, in all its vulgar glory. Both Gene Kelly and Fee Waybill seem vaguely embarrassed by the proceedings. Thus are the generations spanned.

More goes wrong in Xanadu than right. Which make the rare moments that work all the more affecting. There’s a close-up of Michael Beck as his character decides to do something foolish and potentially dangerous simply because he’s in love that catches me off-guard every time. And yes, he’s wearing roller skates when it happens. Ultimately, I love Xanadu because its gaudy heart brims with optimism and enthusiasm. Two qualities I endorse, although you might never know it.

Vince Keenan
Mr. Vince is a renaissance man. He reads books (most without pictures!), makes cool computer games and enjoys long walks on the beach...he enjoys them even more if he is holding a cocktail in hand. For his thoughts on books, films, music, sports and more, Check out his blog.

PERCEPTION: First photo of Eric McCormack.

2011-05-17T21:26:00.000-05:00

We have the first official photo from the upcoming TNT series PERCEPTION.

The series stars Eric McCormack (WILL AND GRACE) as Dr. Geoffrey Pierce (McCormack), a neuroscienist that described as having an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the mind as well as an odd and imaginative view of the world. He also apparently is goofy as can be and will certainly cause much frustration for the Feds.

Rachael Leigh Cook (SHE'S ALL THAT, LAS VEGAS) also stars as Kate Rossi, Pierce’s former student and the person responsible for recruiting him to work for the government. My guess is that she will not only play straight person for Peirce, but also be responsible for keeping him in line.

TNT has ordered a ten episode first season, there is no date for it's premiere.

PRIME SUSPECT: First promo, interviews for NBC remake.

2011-05-17T00:03:00.003-05:00

A) I am a big fan of the BBC series PRIME SUSPECT.
B) I am a fan of actress Maria Bello.
C) I am VERY skeptical of the NBC remake of PRIME SUSPECT starring Maria Bello.

NBC has ordered a season of this series. I have not seen the pilot, it may be fantastic, but a very major part of the original series was Jane Tennison taking a position tradionally held by men and dealing with the pressures of the job, the pressures of being a woman in a "man's job" and the pressures of balancing work with her home life.

Call me a negative nancy, but I don't see this holding up to the high standard of source material. I am not sure who is writing it, IMDB only lists those that created the original series. Peter Berg is directing. He previously directed HANCOCK, THE RUNDOWN and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS...I am not seeing anything there that gives me hope. Oh, he is also directing BATTLESHIP, the movie based on the BOARD GAME. Hmm, that does nothing to bolster my negative view of this project.

Cable channels create new shows, networks do remakes and spin-offs.

One upside, Aiden Quinn is playing Jane Timoney (Maria Bello)'s boss. I like Quinn.

Based on the critically acclaimed British television series of the same name, “Prime Suspect” has been redeveloped for American audiences by writer Alexandra Cunningham (“Desperate Housewives,” “NYPD Blue”), director Peter Berg (NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”) — and stars Maria Bello (“A History of Violence”) as tough-as-nails Detective Jane Timoney. Timoney finds that being a homicide detective in New York City is tough enough and having to contend with a male-dominated police department to get respect makes it that much tougher. She’s an outsider who has just transferred to a new precinct dominated by an impenetrable clique of a boys’ club. Timoney has her own vices too — with a questionable past — and she tends to be forceful, rude and reckless. But she’s also a brilliant cop who keeps her eye on one thing: the prime suspect. Also starring are Aidan Quinn (“Unknown”), Brian O’Byrne (“Flash Forward”), Tim Griffin (“Star Trek”), Kirk Acevedo (“Fringe”), Joe Nieves (“How I Met Your Mother”), Damon Gupton (“The Last Airbender”) and Peter Gerety (“Blue Bloods”). “Prime Suspect” is produced by Universal Media Studios, ITV and Film 44. Cunningham is the executive producer/writer along with executive producer/director Berg and executive producers Sarah Aubrey, Julie Meldal-Johnson, Paul Buccieri and Lynda LaPlante.

Here is Maria giving her sales pitch:

And Aiden as well:

THE GLADES: Season two promos.

2011-05-16T08:54:00.001-05:00

A&E's THE GLADES returns for season two Sunday, June 5 at 10PM ET.

Season one averaged just over three million viewers and was the most successful drama in the history of A&E.

In “The Glades,” Passmore stars as Jim Longworth, an attractive and brilliant Chicago homicide detective with a reputation for being difficult. When his captain wrongfully accuses him of sleeping with his wife and shoots him, he is exiled and forced to relocate. He lands in the sleepy, middle-of-nowhere town of Palm Glade, outside of the Florida Everglades, where sunshine and golf are plentiful and crime is seemingly at a minimum. But Longworth soon finds out this town isn’t quite as idyllic as he originally thought, when murders keep piling up. Each case pulls Longworth off the golf course and reluctantly into his element as one of the sharpest homicide detectives to wear a badge.

In the season premiere, the daughter of a notorious Cuban mobster turns up dead in a Little Havana alley, and Longworth and the rest of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement must solve her murder to prevent an all-out war between two rival mob families. Meanwhile, Callie (Kiele Sanchez) prepares for her husband’s release from prison.
“The Glades” is produced by Fox Television Studios for A&E Network. The series executive producers are Clifton Campbell (“White Collar,” “Profiler,” “21 Jump Street”) for Innuendo Productions and Gary Randall (“Saving Grace”) for Grand Productions, Inc. The series is created by Clifton Campbell.

According to that last video, the show will be a little edgier. To me, the show had a bit of a late 80s CBS feel to it, and I don't mean that as a compliment. Kiele Sanchez is the highlight of the show and the relationship between Jim and her was the one reason I kept up with it.

I think The Glades has potential and hope season two sees them realize it.

Blu-ray Review: THE USUAL SUSPECTS

2011-05-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

MGM/Fox Home Entertainment
Release date: May 10th, 2011
MSRP: $34.98

The Usual Suspects is, in my opinion, one of the best crime films of the last 25 years. Director Bryan Singer and writer Chris McQuarrie crafted an exquisite tale that was blessed by the cinematic gods. How else do you explain a good performance by Stephen Baldwin?

Five cons (Well, four cons and one ex-con) are brought in for questioning regarding a hijacked load of weapson. While in a holding cell, they begin talking and soon agree to work together on a job that will bring them money and allow them to get a bit of revenge against New York's finest.

But one job turns into two and they find themselves on the wrong side of a legendary crime boss. Faced with the options of accepting a job with a high chance of death and turning it down and risking not just their own lives, but those closest to them, the crew takes on one final job.

Video: The film is presented in 1080p with a ratio of 2.39:1. Visually, the film looks good. The clothes look sharp and the colors stand out nicely. There is a bit of dirt, but not enough to bother me too much.

Audio: The main audio track is DTS-HD 5.1. Sound is good, but this is not a film filled with audio effects. The mix of dialogue and music is very good. In addition to the main track, there is also French Dolby Digital 2.0 and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0

There is also English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles.

Extras: Nope. This is just stupid. At the very least, transfer the DVD extras over.

Any excuse to watch TUS is a good one. It is every bit as good as I remembered. I can't understand why MGM has not opted to deliver a proper BD release with bells and whistles, but folks simply looking for an HD version of the film will find this suitable.

Television stuff: Treme, Fairly Legal renewed, many network shows cancelled.

2011-05-14T23:49:00.001-05:00

Well, it has been a fairly newsworthy week in terms of television dramas.

EW is reporting that HBO has ordered a third season of David Simon's TREME. The show's audience is somewhat limited, but David Simon has an excellent relationship with HBO and the show is seen as one that has passionate viewers. I have enjoyed season two more than the first and look forward to seeing what Simon and co have in store for the folks of New Orleans.

THE CHICAGO CODE, LIE TO ME, HUMAN TARGET, DETROIT 1-8-7, LAW & ORDER: L.A. and V all canceled. I can't speak too much about Human Target, V or L&O: L.A., but the others do not shock me. I thought season two of Lie To Me was good, but the first part of season three was bad enough that I stopped watching it. It is sad that Shawn Ryan left to do The Chicago Code, but both shows bit the dust. I liked TCC somewhat, but it never felt like it found it's groove. Detroit 1-8-7 is the kind of show that could survive on cable, but network television requires too large an audience for a show like this.

WONDER WOMAN not ordered: Is anyone surprised that WW did not get ordered? I know many comic book fans wanted to see this make it, but I just did not see enough appeal for a show like this to make it on a broadcast network.

PRIME SUSPECT remake greenlit: I am VERY skeptical about this one. I like Maria Bello, but a big part of what make PS so engaging was the fact that Jane Tennison was stepping into what was seen as a man's role. That tension played a big part in the show. While I am not going to say that men and women share total equality in the police force, the thought of a woman heading things up is not novel and fresh.

FAIRLY LEGAL renewed, but with promises of creative changes. I would guess that means anyone not named Sarah Shahi should be very concerned about future paychecks. The show grew on me, but I still think it is the weakest of USA's Characters Welcome" format.

Guest Blogger DAVE WHITE

2011-05-13T11:43:00.001-05:00

Dave White is the author of the heralded Jackson Donne Series and this week he’s back, baby. There’s a new side kick for White’s mayhem. John Brighton is a young school teacher who quickly finds himself in the middle of a murder plot.

WITNESS TO DEATH is out this week on Kindle and Nook. Press the button, you know you want to. I promise it is well worth it.

And now without further ado, Mr. White has a secret to share with you, the reader.

Gonna reveal something about myself that might make you like me a little less.

I read all my reviews. Every damn one I can find. Whether it’s from a story I wrote in 2002 that someone just read or something that came out last week, if there’s a review out there, I’m going to read it.

And I’m going to take it seriously.

Good or bad. Well written or poorly written. Whether or not the reviewer got the book. I’m going to care about what they say and how they say it and try to understand why they feel the way they do about my writing.

That’s not to say I’m going to take it personally. Yeah, a bad review may bug me for a few hours, but not because the person hates me. No, the person dislikes the book. And there’s a good reason to look at that.

I like to know what the reviewer didn’t like about the book. Is it something that can be addressed down the line in future books? Is it something I messed up on? Reviews are an important way to analyze your own work.

My writing is not just for me. It’s for as many readers as we can find. And if something’s not working for one reviewer, maybe it’s not working for a bunch of other people as well.

At the same time, a good review is something to celebrate. You connected with that reader. You made them have an emotional response. They got up and cheered. Or at least felt compelled enough to write how much they enjoyed your work.

So I read every review. It’s possible I’m a bit of an attention seeker. I want to know what people think of me, me, me. Wait, that’s not right. I want to know what people think of my work. But don’t we all? We all want to have our writing out there, read by millions

To me, reviews are important. Reviewers are important. It gives an idea of what the masses are thinking. What works. What doesn’t work. And they let other people know about it as well.

So, thank you, reviewers, for spreading the word of the writer.

Guilty Pleasures: Steve Brewer

2011-05-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

I like my cheese spicy with extra gunfire, so my choice for Guilty Pleasure would be "Desperado," the 1995 hit with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek.

The movie is the middle episode in the "El Mariachi" trilogy, directed by Robert Rodriguez. In the trilogy, a guitarist becomes a Mexican legend when vengeance turns him from strumming to shooting.
The first film, called "El Mariachi" (1992), is a legend in its own right because Rodriguez made it for $7,000 (yes, you read that right) and it became a Sundance hit and launched his career. By the time he wrote and directed "Desperado," he had Hollywood backing and the budget was $7 million. The third film, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (2003) was made for $26 million. And so it goes.

All three films have an ultra-violent comic-book sensibility that Rodriguez has also shown off in films such as "Sin City" and "Machete."

"Desperado" is one of those movies I can never pass on the television dial. I've seen it half a dozen times now, so it's easy to dive in anywhere. It's essentially a collection of action sequences, strung together by a fairly flimsy storyline: Carrying a guitar case full of weapons, El Mariachi (Banderas) goes to a lawless Mexican town in search of a crime boss called Bucho (Joaquin de Almeida). There he falls for the local beauty (Hayek) while sparking a war with Bucho's gang.

But, oh, the action scenes. The incredible shootout in the bar. The rooftop escape. The gunmen approaching outside the filmy curtains while Hayek plays guitar with her eyes closed. The knife-throwing killer. The absurd climactic battle when El Mariachi is joined by two others just like him. The final faceoff with Bucho.

Fun stuff, beautifully choreographed. There's a reason people compare Rodriguez to action director John Woo.

The two stars have never looked more beautiful than they do in this movie. Banderas flings his hair around and emotes his ass off. Salma Hayek runs around in heels and curls and flippy skirts that could stop a man's heart. And that candlelit love scene between the two of them? Great googly-moogly.
Plus, you've got star turns by Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, Quentin Tarentino, Danny Trejo and some chubby kid who only wants to learn guitar, but is distracted by all the gunfights.

Best line in the movie? When a priest asks El Mariachi if he'd like to confess, and Banderas says, "Maybe later, Father. 'Cause where I am going, I'd just have to come right back."

Shootouts, explosions, showdowns and Salma Hayek, too. How could you possibly change the channel?

Steve

Steve Brewer is the author of 16 crime novels, including the Bubba Mabry private eye series and such standalones as "Firepower," "Cutthroat" and "Bank Job." The first Bubba book, "Lonely Street," was made into an indie comedy starring Robert Patrick and Jay Mohr. Steve's car-thief caper "Boost" is currently under option in Hollywood. A former newspaper reporter and columnist, Steve also writes humor books and a blog (www.stevebrewer.blogspot.com). He lives in Santa Cruz, CA.

25th Annual Anthony Award Nominees Announced

2011-05-09T18:27:00.000-05:00

Milwaukee - May 10, 2011 – The nominees for this year’s Anthony Awards, which are given at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, were announced today by conference chair, Jon Jordan and Awards Chair John Purcell.

Best Novel
Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny - Minotaur Books
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - Tom Franklin – William Morrow
Faithful Place - Tana French - Viking
I'd Know You Anywhere - Laura Lippman - William Morrow
The Lock Artist - Steve Hamilton - Minotaur

Best First Novel
Damage Done - Hilary Davidson - Forge Books
The Poacher's Son - Paul Doiron - Minotaur Books
Rogue Island- Bruce DeSilva - Forge Books
The Sherlockian - Graham Moore - Twelve
Snow Angels - James Thompson - Putnam

Best Paperback Original
Drive Time - Hank Phillipi Ryan - Mira
Expiration Date - Duane Swierczynski - Minotaur Books
The Hanging Tree - Bryan Gruley – Touchstone (Simon and Schuster)
Long Time Coming - Robert Goddard - Bantam
Vienna Secrets - Frank Tallis - Random House
Best Short Story
The Frame Maker - Simon Wood - The Back Alley
The Hitter - Chris Holm – Needle
Homeless - Pat Morin - Mystery Montage
Scent of Lilacs - Doug Allyn – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sept/Oct 2010
So Much in Common - Mary Jane Maffini - EQMM Sept/Oct. 2010
Swing Shift - Dana Cameron - Crimes By Moonlight

Best Graphic Novel
Beasts of Burden – Jill Thompson/Evan Dorkin – Dark Horse
The Chill - Jason Starr – Vertigo Crime
Richard Stark's Parker, Vol. 2: The Outfit –Darwyn Cooke - IDW Press
Scalped Vol 6 - The Gnawing - Jason Aaron – Vertigo
Sickness in the Family - Denise Mina – Vertigo Crime
Tumor - Joshua Hale Fialkov/ Noel Tuazon - ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS

Best Critical /Non-Fiction
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks - John Curran – Harper Collins
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History - Yunte Huang - W. W. Norton & Company
Sherlock Holmes for Dummies - Steve Doyle - For Dummies
Thrillers: 100 Must Reads - David Morrell - Oceanview
The Wire: Truth Be Told - Rafael Alvarez - Grove Press
Best Website/Blog
Jen's Book Thoughts - Jen Forbus
The Rap Sheet - J. Kingston Pierce
Sirens of Suspense - Chantelle Aimée Osman
Spinetingler - Sandra Ruttan
Stop. You're Killing Me - Surber/Ulrich

The nominations are taken from votes cast by members of Bouchercon, the current year (2011) and the previous year (2010). The awards are named after Anthony Boucher, a book reviewer and early champion of the mystery genre.

Previous winners include New York Times bestselling authors, Robert Crais (The Monkey’s Raincoat), Laura Lippman (What The Dead Know), Charlaine Harris (Dead Until Dark), and Nevada Barr (Track of the Cat). The first Anthony Awards were given out in 1986 and included Sue Grafton, Jonathan Kellerman, and Nancy Pickard.

Attendees will vote for this year’s winners at the 2011 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in St. Louis (Sep 15 – 18). The winners will be announced at the awards brunch on the morning of September 18th.

For more information about the Anthony Awards and the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, please visit www.Bouchercon2011.com.

Film Review: OF GODS AND MEN

2011-05-06T11:22:00.000-05:00

Directed by Xavier Beauvois
Written by Beauvois and Etienne Comar
Starring: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach

There is a scene near the end in this movie that brought me to tears, an uncommon event. One of the eight monks living in a monastery in Algeria in the nineties brings two bottles of wine and the music from Swan Lake into the common area. As the men drink the wine and listen to the music, the camera moves closer and closer until we are in an extreme close-up. Their faces, so pure, so old, stressed to the breaking point, become the faces of saints or martyrs: alabaster or marble countenances that look like statuary. A trace of tears in every eye.

PLOTS: Of Gods and Men is based on an event which took place in Algeria in 1996. A small group of monks, living in and medically serving a Muslim community, become pawns in a showdown between terrorists and government officials. The Church and the local government want the monks to leave. Only the villagers, a small group of people needing medical assistance, asks them to stay. The movie shows us the lives of these men in the weeks leading up to their decision. We watch them pray, chant, serve the population and struggle with the right thing for both God and men.

The terrorists are a real threat: they have killed Croatian migrant workers and have threatened the monks before. But the government officials are bullies as well. Staying serves little purpose and, in fact, brings too much attention to the struggling villagers, but leaving is difficult for each of them for various reasons.

The last scenes of this film will haunt you. Highly recommended.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Guest blog from M.L. Malcolm

2011-05-05T12:25:00.000-05:00

Before Waleran , before Aliena, before Gwenda and Godwyn and Billy Williams, there was Faber, the German spy, an assassin known as “the Needle.”

I don’t remember how many years ago I first read Ken Follet’s, The Eye of the Needle, but I will never forget how absolutely terrified I was by the end of it. Faber is hunting down a woman, trapping his prey in her own house. She wants to survive, but also to keep him from escaping, because if he gets away the Germans will learn about the upcoming D-Day invasion. “The war has come down to the two of us,” he tells her, and as nasty as Donald Sutherland was in the movie version, he could not live up to the heinousness of the Faber that Follet created in my imagination.

Follet, a best-selling writer for years, leapt into the highest stratosphere of international acclaim when Oprah selected his non thriller, non spy story, The Pillars of the Earth for her book club. Follet writes great historical sagas, but to me his espionage tales are the true classics, because he writes so compelling about this: “The war has come down to the two of us.” It’s a lonely business, this intelligence work, and the direct results are often imperceptible, but the dance of two quarks within one proton can change the shape of the world.

That’s what inspired me to incorporate espionage into my latest novel, Heart of Deception. Alas, I quickly learned that most spy work is very, very boring. Very few spies serve as international assassins, few ever have much to report, and even fewer produce anything that changes the fate of a single country, much less the world. Think of the Russian spies that were ejected from the country last year. What did these people do? Were they spying within the Pentagon? No. Were they stealing the codes needed to launch our nuclear weapons? Nope. It’s not clear that any one of them ever got a hold of anything that would even justify their pay. No James Bond in that crowd. Spying nowadays is all about economics and trade secrets (at least in the western world). All very Wall Street Journal stuff.

But World War II…now, those were the platinum years for spies. That’s the sandbox I wanted to play in. One of the main characters in my latest novel, Leo Hoffman, is recruited to work in military intelligence at the very beginning of the war, in part because he speaks seven languages. He accepts because by doing so he can earn his American citizenship, which will allow him to get to the U.S. and find his daughter. So he’s off to become a spy.

The U.S. spy game began In North Africa, under the command of Colonel William Eddy. Eddy had an outstanding service record as a Marine in WWI military intelligence. He’d spent most of his post-military career in academia, and in 1940 was president of a small college in upstate New York when he ran into one General Holcomb at a cocktail party and offered to return to uniform. Within weeks of that meeting he was in Algiers, having been appointed by William “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of the American Office of Strategic Services, to head up the spy network in North Africa. It probably helped that Eddy was the only commissioned officer in the U.S. military who could speak Arabic; he’d been raised in the Middle East by missionary parents.

The Allies’ efforts to delude the Nazis into thinking that the invasion of France would take place somewhere other than Normandy are well-documented, and were very successful. But the first Allied invasion actually occurred in North Africa, Operation Torch, and it, too was successful in part because the spy network there was able to plant a suspicion in the minds of the enemy that the attack would come elsewhere: Darfur. And Eddy had to execute that plan.

And so that becomes Leo’s mission in Heart of Deception. Plant misinformation. Make them look the other way. Dance with a few other quarks inside the mysterious depths of a proton, and change the way the world is shaped.

M.L. Malcolm's latest book is Heart of Deception available now!

A look at the different Batman comics.

2011-05-05T08:21:00.000-05:00

Everybody likes Batman. Seriously. He’s the character that people just enjoy. There isn’t anyone that will say “I hate Batman” because Batman is cool. He’s the epitome of cool. There might be characters that people like more, but no one hates Batman. Thanks to movies, TV, Halloween, everyone likes Batman. He’s always popular but right now the Bat-Family has gone such a big change in the titles that combined with “The Dark Knight” it’s arguable that he’s more popular now than ever. There certainly is more devotion to him in comics.

So this week we focus on the Bat-books. We’ll discuss, grade, pan, and praise so you know what‘s good and what you should avoid.

Shockingly, the most important book in the universe is “Batman, Inc.” Writer Grant Morrison has spent the past five years crafting one of the most intricate, epic stories he’s even been involved in. Last year’s “Batman: the Return of Bruce Wayne” saw the culmination of the past years and made everything worthwhile. The big moment came when Bruce Wayne “came out” and said he funded Batman. Finally, announcing ‘Batman Incorporated.’ A Batman (or representative) in every major city in the world. And let us say, wow, Morrison gets it. Inc. is the coolest Batman centric book out. Using moments and forgotten characters from every decade he’s been around Morrison’s Bat-opus continues and is building to somewhere we can’t even imagine. Must Read

“Batman: The Dark Knight” is the newest addition to the family and it shows. One of Batman’s quirks is he believes magic is just another science yet to be explored. But things are happening he can’t explain so he’s delving into the supernatural. Superstar artist David Finch was given this book as his major writing duty and it shows. Aside from the perennial lateness of the book due to his doubling as writer and artist he is quickly needs to learn how to not fall into comic clichés. (and if that’s his intent, it doesn’t work) There’s a ton of potential in the story but it needs to be tightened up. His art is, as always, gorgeous and gritty. Sadly, he’s leaving art duties with issue four. Hopefully, this will give him time to work on becoming a more solid writer. Read When Collected.

The book the launched Batman has undergone a revolution once again and we thank the comic gods for it. “Detective Comics” was a bright spot in comics for almost a year with Batwoman as the central character. After she left all we got was filler. Scott Snyder picked up the book and has made the most compelling Batman stories in years, and Batman isn’t even the main character. Snyder took the title to heart and the book is now a dark, noir, crime saga involving Batman of Gotham City (remember Batman Inc? Dick Grayson, former first Robin, is currently Batman in Gotham) and Commissioner Gordon. Gordon’s estranged son has returned and he’s about as creepy as can be. Beautiful art by Jock and Francesco Francavilla really accentuate the mood. The combination have made this the best Batman book on the stands. Must Read.

You‘d think with the title “Batman” that the this should be the book to read. Sadly, that’s not the case. It’s just another book dealing with Batman vs. villains. But since writer/artist Tony Daniel took over, it’s been the same villains. Two-Face, Ninjas, and Mobsters. There isn’t any variety to his characters. He writes Dick as Bruce, which he’s not and shouldn’t be. He’s Dick, and has fun being Batman. Lately, Daniel has understood that and started dropping hints of that but overall, this book is just another pretty book dealing with the same stories. If You’re Bored.

“Batman and Robin” has had a train ride existence in it‘s short life. Morrision wrote the first incredible sixteen issues. There was a last-second rush-job 3-issue filler was done by Paul Cornell which is best ignored in favor of underrated writer Peter Tomasi’s current run. Someone is murdering the family members of Arkham inmates and the dynamic duo need to figure out who. Sadly, the story just ended and another new writer starts his run with the next issue. This book went from a must read to a Read When Collected extremely quick.

“Batgirl” is easily the most delightful of the Bat-books on the stands. Now that might not sound appealing for a Bat title but it’s nice to have a bright spot in the surrounding darkness. Stephanie Brown (former Spoiler and Robin 4) is the current Batgirl and she has her own back-up, tech, arch-nemesis, and problems as she juggles college, hiding her identity from her mom (who knows about the past heroics) and super-heroing. There are a lot of great done-in-one stories (which are a rarity in comics these days) with some fun and thrilling overarching stories. You might not think this book is worth reading by the title but it is a Must Read.

Tim Drake has gotten the shaft in the past couple years. While he’s easily one of the most respected characters in the D.C.U. no one can give him the respect he deserves. After basically being forced out of the Robin persona he took over as “Red Robin.” While Bruce was bouncing around time, Tim was the only one that believed he wasn’t dead. And no one believed him. So he proved it. And proved himself as an worthy successor to the “World’s Greatest Detective” title. The majority of the series has been about Tim proving Bruce is alive and what a well-crafted long-game story it was. Since then, writer Fabian Nicieza has returned to a character he’s written before and taken him even further. We’re glad someone respects Tim Drake and Fabian does. While Red Robin is deeply rooted in the Bat and D.C. mythos he has his own universe and weaves it well. The only criticism is that because there is many flowing stories going on, it would be difficult for someone new to just jump on board. So start from the beginning and Read As Collected.

“Gotham City Sirens” has every making of a fantastic cheesecake book. Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn living together and talk about boys, money, and stealing things. It’s a recipe worthy of Darren Star. Thankfully, though, it’s not as painful. In fact, it’s the hidden gem of the Bat family. Catwoman, by and large is a good guy. So how does she work with two villains/murderers? It’s quite a genius book that doesn’t fall into the cheesecake it should. Every one of these characters is very flawed but the book is very strong. It can be read right now but it’s best to read this one As Collected.

Finally, the book most on the fringe of the family is “Birds of Prey.” A team book featuring the strongest women of the D.C.U. somehow managed to become a massive fan favorite. Starring Batman’s ear to the world Barbra Gordon/Oracle she’s the greatest hacker in the world and uses her skills to keep it running smoothly. When this book was cancelled a few years ago the fans prayed, demanded and begged it come back. Shockingly, D.C. listened. The series came back with everyone’s favorite writer Gail Simone back in the drivers seat and has moved… rather slow. It’s not been bad, in fact, it’s been pretty darn good. But we’ve been building to the next issue since the first. One of the problems is the art has been so inconsistent month to month that it’s difficult to keep in the story. The most recent story “Death of Oracle” was a highpoint for the new run and the next issue welcomes a new, fantastic and most importantly, regular artist Jesus Saiz on. With the utmost faith in Mrs. Simone pick up the next issue because it’s going to be a great jumping on point and definitely a Must Read.

Jo Schmidt

The Devil's Plaything by Matt Rhichtel - book trailer

2011-05-04T12:29:00.002-05:00

Guilty Pleasures: Michael Lister

2011-05-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

Guilt and Guts

When Jeremy asked me to contribute an essay about a guilty pleasure, I was happy to do it, but afterwards, as I began to think about it, I realized I don’t really have any.

Guilt, like shame and fear and envy and hate, is a negative, mostly useless emotion. I experience remorse when I realize I’ve been wrong (which is often) and do my best to take responsibility for it, repent, and attempt to rectify the situation. But I associate guilt with feelings produced by cultural and parental programming, voices of shame inside us that don’t lead to change, but only to continual condemnation.

I’m in no way saying I never feel guilt. I do—even the negative, waste-of-time kind. But I do my best to identify it and eighty-six it as quickly as possible.

I live a very deliberate life—one, as much as possible, from my soul, by my design, based on my callings and convictions, not those of the culture around me. In this, I feel a deep kinship to Emerson, attempting to be and not conform, to, as he said, “Be, and not seem.”

Given this, and my conviction that, as Emerson said, “genuine action will explain itself,” I try neither to do anything because of how it looks or apologize for anything I do—and this includes movies. But, when thinking of guilty pleasures two genres come to mind—romance and horror.

I don’t feel guilty about the films I enjoy in either genre because I’m very selective, but both genres seem to have an inordinate amount of inanity and insipidity, movies deserving of the guilty pleasure moniker.

For my not-so-guilty “guilty pleasure,” I choose a new horror movie.

Last Thursday I drove over and took my soon to be twenty-one year old daughter to the midnight showing of “Scream 4.”

And you’re thinking, surely I should feel guilty about that, right? Well, I don’t. Not even a little. And here’s why: Not only is “Scream 4” a smart, funny, self-conscious, suspenseful meta-art masterpiece, but well-made suspense-based horror movies are something I’ve used to connect with my daughter since her early adolescence when I had to tell her what parts to close her eyes during.

In the fourth “Scream” installment, Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. Unfortunately, Sidney’s appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, her old friends, Gale and Dewey, along with her teenage niece Jill and her friends, in danger.

I don’t care for horrific or shocking images, don’t like to be subjected to what has come to be known as the torture porn. But I do love suspense—the art of “Psycho,” the German Expressionism and relentless tension of the original “Halloween”—the Hitchcockian brand of anxiety that causes an audience to forget to breathe. And I appreciate smart, well-written scripts. “Scream 4” has a bit of both of these—along with humor and hipness to spare.

Like the original, and to a lesser extent the other two sequels, “Scream 4” works on a lot of levels, but is perhaps at its best when exploring genre. It not only looks at horror genre conventions in general, but at the micro sub-genre of “Scream” itself. At one point I thought, I’m sitting in a theater watching a movie in which kids inside a movie are watching a movie based on a movie based on a book based on a movie—and in the process the characters are not only talking about the other movies, but the one they’re in.

If you like smart, hip, fun, suspenseful horror with all of the pleasure and none of the guilt, treat yourself to “Scream 4.”

Michael Lister
Michael Lister is a novelist, essayist, and screenwriter who lives in North Florida. He is the author of the "Blood" series featuring prison chaplain, John Jordan (Power in the Blood, Blood of the Lamb, Flesh and Blood, and the just released, The Body and the Blood), a second series featuring 1940s Panama City PI Jimmy "Soldier" Riley (The Big Goodbye), and two thrillers, Double Exposure, a literary thriller set in the North Florida river swamps deep in the Apalachicola River Basin, and Thunder Beach, set on Panama City Beach during the annual biker rally. His website is www.MichaelLister.com

Mulholland authors partner with Rockstar Games for L.A. NOIRE.

2011-05-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

New York, NY – May 3, 2011 - Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), in conjunction with Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, has partnered with notable authors of the thriller genre to publish a series of short stories some of which are based on characters and cases from the world of L.A. Noire. "L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories" will be available for digital download on June 6, 2011 through all major eBook retailers.

“L.A. Noire draws on a rich history of not just film, but also great crime literature for inspiration,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Using the game’s world as a springboard, we worked with the genre’s best writers to create stories that lived up to the finest traditions of crime fiction.”

“We are thrilled to be embarking on a creative partnership with the team at Rockstar Games,” said Michael Pietsch, Publisher of Little, Brown and Company. “The possibilities for cross-promotions of this nature, encouraging gamers to read and readers to play games are huge. We’re looking forward to a new frontier of book publishing possibilities and see Rockstar as an ideal partner.”

Authors with stories in the anthology include such renowned writers as Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss. 1940s Hollywood, murder, deception and mystery take center stage as readers reintroduce themselves to characters seen in L.A. Noire. Explore the lives of actresses desperate for the Hollywood spotlight; heroes turned defeated men; and classic Noir villains. Readers will come across not only familiar faces, but familiar cases from the game that take on a new spin to tell the tales of emotionally torn protagonists, depraved schemers and their ill-fated victims.

Select stories will be available across various media outlets prior to the launch of L.A. Noire on May 17, 2011 in North America and May 20, 2011 in Europe. An excerpt from “The Girl” by Megan Abbott is now available for readers at www.rockstargames.com.

I like this, I like it alot.
Almost from the start, Mulholland books come across and being energetic and having a fresh approach. This is a smart attempt to reach a totally different audience. I think that most publishers, and many authors for that matter, fail to take full advantage of the internet and computer technology. This type of cross-marketing can't hurt and may well benefit all parties involved.
L.A. NOIRE had already caught my eye, but this news actually got me to spend some time looking into the game all but guarantees that I will pick up a copy (Note to Rockstar: I am still willing to review it, it is not too late to send a copy!). Rockstar is smart to reach out to the mystery world because this appears to be a game right up our alley.

Edgar Week in New York

2011-05-01T10:15:00.002-05:00

I love New York. Sharing it with friends and family makes it even better. And that's what I got to do this past week. I feel a little like Cinderella today. You know, if Cinderella was closer to 50 than 40 still had to do her workout, pay the bills and unpack her suitcase. I'm going to go all fan girl here, this rundown of last week is from me to my friends and may be a little lengthy.

I'm going to begin this tale in front of our hotel as we were waiting for a cab. Just behind us was a lovely couple in Black Tie. She looking slightly nervous, he looking quite proud. Jon said, "I think they must be going to the Edgars." I replied, "It can't be the only event in New York tonight." Three hours later Dori Hillestad Butler walked to the podium to receive the Edgar for Best Juvenile Mystery and I knew Jon was right. We later got an opportunity to congratulate her. In her acceptance speech Dori recalled the first time she heard of the Edgar Award and how it immediately became something she dreamed of. Watching this young woman reach her dream was a special moment. Edgar is always full of them.
Has been for 65 years. When did I first hear of Edgar?? The book was THE ONION FIELD. The year was 1975. The venue was the back of a paperback novel that began my affair with the contemporary crime novel. I never really knew Edgar. He was an award I looked for at the back of books. If someone had secured one of these it was a plus but never necessary for purchase. In 1987 I received a care package from my Mom and Dad. Amongst the treats was a book with an inscription from my Dad. "Read this, the lead character reminds me of you." The book was A IS FOR ALIBI. I was about to get hot and heavy with the mystery genre. Reading more and more exclusively within its definition. Finding more and more books. I fell hard for Hammish Macbeth, wanted to be V.I.. Safely from my reading perch I traveled with the genre, admiring both the classics and debuts. The year now is 2011. I've sat at the Edgar banquet for a second time. I have become a fan not only of the work but also of the people who support it. MWA is high on that list. The publishing world a magnificent enigma. How I got here I don't really know. The joy of being here? It will never go away. In the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt on Thursday night I was one of hundreds of people who felt that way. Margery Flax coordinated a very special evening. Dan Hale orchestrated a delightful week. Kris Montee put together a beautiful program. I met a lot of people Thursday. Two I feel I've known forever and yet don't know at all. Steve Hamilton and Duane Swiercynski both have spouses as special as you'd imagine. I'm so happy for both of these men. To see their work honored by their peers. Heck I was happy for everyone nominated. The category of best novel brought back a lot of memories for me. Six outstanding books. Everyone of them a treat to read. A choice that would have been impossible for me to make. I smiled at the idea of Harlan and Laura and Steve sharing this evening though. I have to admit it. I've been eavesdropping on their friendship for close to twenty years now. This seems somehow impossible. It seems like just yesterday that I stumbled across the AOL Hardboiled board and joined in a chorus of people celebrating and talking about crime fiction. It seems like three hours ago when we welcomed Michael Connelly to the Women of Mystery Chat to talk about his new book. So on Thursday I dressed up a little and shared another day in their lives. A piece of mystery history. Me, the reader. I got to be at the biggest party of the year. As I caught up with Laura and shared a laugh with Tom Franklin's wife, I felt in a dream. As I cooed over Dana Cameron's shoes and Roseann Coleman's dress, I felt rather out of body. As I caught up with Kate Flora and wished Jeff Deaver luck, I thought about what remarkable life I have. Friends Judy and Clair met up with us afterward. I got to chat with Mary and Sarah and I got a too brief moment with Maggie. I saw Alison and Jason and Megan. I spoke with Oline and Donna. It's all a blur. For this community isn't a fantasy life. It is the biggest part of me. My love for these books has led me to a place where I do try to champion them. It's led me to a world where writers scrambling for words ask my opinion. It's led me to a world where not a day goes by when I don't plot out some sort of exposure with someone for something to do with mystery. It's not a coincidence that Jon and I had our first date at a Steve Hamilton signing. The mutual love we share for this genre has opened up both of our lives and made us better people. We are amongst the happiest couples I know. So after a swanky evening and fantastic week in New York I am remembering giving Sara Paretsky a big hug and hearty thank you for all she's done. I am remembering my beautiful friend Margery coming downstairs for a nightcap in comfortable but stylish shoes. I am remembering Laura's sleek style & awesome biceps and adding more weight to my arm regimen. So I cannot equate myself with Cinderella, for although the ball is over the glamor continues. I'll read Pelecanos and Krueger this week. I'll interview Julia Spencer Fleming. I'll call my friend Jen Forbus and see both Reed and Margery later in the week. What was I doing there? I don't question it anymore, I simply rejoice that I've found this world and Jon both. I know it's home.

Agatha Award winners.

2011-05-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

The 2010 Agatha Awards was announced at Malice Domestic 23 in Bethesda, MA.

Best Novel:
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Best First Novel:
The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames (Berkley)

Best Non-fiction:
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: 50 Years of Mysteries in the Making by John Curran (Harper)

Best Short Story:
So Much in Common by Mary Jane Maffini, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - Sept./Oct. 2010

Best Children's/Young Adult:
The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith (Atheneum)

Congratulations to all the winners.

Film Review: CERTIFIED COPY

2011-04-29T08:16:00.000-05:00

Directed and Written by Abbas Kiarostami
Stars:Juliet Binoche, James Miller
In French, Italian and English with English subtitles

Note the three languages mentioned above. I felt like I was listening to or reading this movie in at least three languages. Every time I began to feel anchored to an idea of what the film was about, the ground shifted. If this doesn’t bother you as a viewer, you are likely to have a good time at Certified Copy. But unlike SOURCE CODE, you are not adrift because the science behind the film is difficult. It is the intentions of the writer/director that frustrates a viewer that likes to have his feet planted solidly.

PLOT: A woman attends a lecture by an art historian in Italy. Her teenage son distracts her, but before she goes, she leaves a note for the lecturer. In the next scene, he wanders into her antique shop (as the note suggested) and on an impulse, she invites him to see something she think pertains to his new book—a book about originals and copies.

As they travel across the Tuscan countryside, we believe we are watching a relationship in its first stages but as the movie progresses, our ideas about this couple changes. More and more it seems like they have a history, a rather intense one. Or do they? Are they the original or a copy? Or it might not be about that at all? It’s up to you to decide. You bright ones out there.

I know at least three people who liked this movie and three others who found it frustrating and annoying. I was one of the latter but because the three who liked it are all people whose opinions I trust, I am going to recommend it. Maybe you can explain it to me.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

2011 Edgar winners.

2011-04-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce the winners of the 2011 Edgar Allan Poe Awards,
honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2010. The
Edgar® Awards were presented to the winners at our 65th Gala Banquet, April 28, 2011 at the Grand
Hyatt Hotel, New York City.
BEST NOVEL
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton (Minotaur Books)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva (Tom Doherty Associates – Forge Books)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Long Time Coming by Robert Goddard (Random House - Bantam)
BEST FACT CRIME
Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime and Complicity
by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry (University of Nebraska Press – Bison Original)
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and his Rendezvouz with American
History by Yunte Huang (W.W. Norton)
BEST SHORT STORY
"The Scent of Lilacs" – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Doug Allyn (Dell Magazines)
2
BEST JUVENILE
The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler (Albert Whitman & Co.)
BEST YOUNG ADULT
Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price (Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers)
BEST PLAY
The Psychic by Sam Bobrick (Falcon Theatre – Burbank, CA)
BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
“Episode 1” - Luther, Teleplay by Neil Cross (BBC America)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD
"Skyler Hobbs and the Rabbit Man" – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
by Evan Lewis (Dell Magazines)
GRAND MASTER
Sara Paretsky
RAVEN AWARDS
Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore, Forest Park, Illinois
Once Upon A Crime Bookstore, Minneapolis, Minnesota
THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
(Presented at MWA’s Agents & Editors Party on Wednesday, April 27, 2011)
The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

DVD Review: A MIND TO KILL - Series Three

2011-04-28T16:11:00.001-05:00

Acorn Media
Release date: April 19th, 2011
MSRP: $69.99
Stars: Philip Madoc, Steve Thomas, Ffion Wilkins, Sharon Morgan, Gillian Elisa
Folks that like their murders off screen and the folk genteel had best look pass on A Mind To Kill. But if you have a strong stomach, if you can handle a bit of the red stuff (and I am not talking about wine), you will be rewarded with a pretty entertaining show.
Philip Madoc stars as DCI Bain, a top notch detective that is tough enough to handle the brutal crimes he sees every day. He is also a widower with a seventeen year-old daughter that is able to still let his guard down at home and be a loving father to her.
As this set begins, Noel Bain has returned from a leave of absence any finds himself struggling with his place in fast-changing department that seemingly worries as much about the bottom line as it does enforcing the law and serving justice. His team is no more and he must deal with the fact that his own daughter is now following in his footsteps as a cop.

AMTK is a sharp, smart series. Madoc does a good job of playing the different aspects of Bain: The father and the copper. I was not joking when I said that the show requires a strong stomach, there is blood, violence and nudity, but if that does not bother you, give A Mind To Kill a shot.

Jeremy Lynch

Guilty Pleasures: Bill Crider.

2011-04-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

I’ve written twice on my blog about one of my favorite Guilty Pleasures, and I’m happy to be able to write about it again here. It’s a movie called The Good Humor Man, and it stars Jack Carson and Lola Albright. I saw it first when I was eight or nine years old, which was the perfect age for it..

Jack Carson sells ice cream, and he’s the only alleged adult who’s a member of a secret kids’ club devoted to Captain Marvel. He’s a lot like a kid himself, and that’s a problem. He’s happy selling ice cream, but he needs more money if he’s going to marry Albright, who’s the sole support of her kid brother. Albright works for George Reeves (Superman!), an insurance investigator.

Carson gets hooked up with a young woman named Bonnie, who’s in trouble with some gangsters. He tries to help her, but she’s murdered. Hilarity ensues.

Hilarity? That’s right. The screenplay was written by Frank Tashlin, animator, comic book writer, and film director, whose work is notable for its goofy, cartoonish sensibility, and it’s certainly evident in The Good Humor Man: slapstick, chase scenes, and fights that would be right at home in a Warner Brothers cartoon. A pie fight! A buzz saw in a swimming pool! A jackass! Need I say more?

The mystery element isn’t much, and you’ll figure out the villain immediately, but who cares? This movie was made for 8-year-olds and those of us who’ve never gotten too far beyond that age mentally. Jack Carson’s great as the big guy who’s never quite grown up, and Lola Albright is a really good sport to go through everything she does. The movie’s climactic scene, when the club rallies to Carson’s aid, was so thrilling to the kids in the theater all those years ago that the stomping, cheering, and clapping nearly drowned out the rallying cry of the secret password. I still get a chill just thinking about it.

They really don’t make ‘em like this anymore, mainly because nobody would go to see it. Probably anybody under fifty would think it was terrible. But I’m an old guy, and I have my VHS tape, and I can watch it anytime I want to. So get off my lawn! And niatpac levram!

Bill
Bill Crider is the talented, and slightly cracked, author of a over 50 books ranging from mystery to western to horror. He is best known for the award-winning Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. He is a life-long resident of Texas and lives with his wife and cats. You can learn more from his website or have a hell of a lot of fun with his blog, which should be in the favorites of every single one of you!

2011 Audies Nominations

2011-04-26T18:35:00.000-05:00

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced
nominations for the 2011 Audies® competition. Winners will be
announced at the Audies Gala on May 24, 2011, at The TimesCenter in New York City.

MYSTERY
Dog Tags, by David Rosenfelt, Narrated by Grover Gardner, Listen & Live Audio
Her Royal Spyness: A Royal Spyness Mystery, by Rhys Bowen, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren, Audible, Inc.
Our Kind of Traitor, by John LeCarre, Narrated by Robin Sachs, Penguin Audio
The Dead Room, by Chris Mooney, Narrated by Regina Reagan, Isis Publishing Ltd
The Reversal, by Michael Connelly, Narrated by Peter Giles, Hachette Audio
This Body of Death, by Elizabeth George, Narrated by John Lee, HarperAudio
THRILLER/SUSPENSE
Dead Aim, by Thomas Perry, Narrated by Michael Kramer, Tantor Audio
Interface, by Neal Stephenson and J. Frederick George, Narrated by Oliver Wyman, Audible, Inc.
The Book of Spies, by Gayle Lynds, Narrated by Kate Reading, Blackstone Audio
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, by Stieg Larsson, Narrated by Simon Vance, Random
House Audio
Vengeance, by AJ Scudiere, Narrated by Kristoffer Tabori, Stephanie Zimbalist and Don Leslie,
Griffyn Ink Corp

Other members of the Crime Ficton community that were nominated:
FICTION
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, by Steve Hockensmith, Narrated by
Katherine Kellgren, Audible, Inc.
JUDGES' AWARD: PARANORMAL
So Cold the River, by Michael Koryta, Narrated by Robert Petkoff, Hachette Audio
ORIGINAL WORK
New Adventures of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer Vol. 2: The Little Death, by Max Allan Collins from a story by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins, Narrated by Stacy Keach and a full cast, Blackstone Audio
SHORT STORIES/COLLECTIONS
A Touch of Dead, by Charlaine Harris, Narrated by Johanna Parker, Recorded Books

DVD Review: THE AVENGERS: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Volumes 1 and 2.

2011-04-26T10:52:00.001-05:00

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Vols. 1 and 2)Disney Home Video
Release date: April 26, 2011
MSRP: $19.99 each

Not having the money to collect comic books, I learned about comic book characters from cartoons. I grew up favoring Marvel over DC. Marvel's characters lived in real-world cities, not Metropolis, Gotham City, Central City, or Coast City. Marvel's characters also seemed edgier, not all-encompassing.
My allegiance shifted to DC in the early 90s with the premiere of Batman: The Animated Series, and DC's cartoons maintained that level of quality while Marvel's lagged. With The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which premiered on Disney XD last October, Marvel has won me back.

Simply put, the animation is eye-popping and the voice acting is top-notch, particularly Eric Loomis's mimicry of Robert Downey Jr.'s popular Tony Stark/Iron Man. My other favorite character is Janet van Dyne/The Wasp, voiced by actress and comedian Colleen O'Shaughnessey, but as I say, the acting is uniformly excellent.

Volume 1 lists seven episodes, but five of these 22-minute episodes originally appeared online as a 20-episode "micro-series" featuring the heroes before they teamed up. Episodes 6 and 7 are the two parts of the TV series premiere "Breakout", in which S.H.I.E.L.D.'s four major prisons fail and seventy-four supervillains escape, prompting the first team-up of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor, and the Hulk..
Together, the two volumes (one disc each) cover the first half of Season One, telling classic stories of the team's earlier days, yet successfully giving them a contemporary vibe. Each episode closes hinting at a season-long arc, duplicating the feel of comics' "See You in 30".
Speaking of that, each volume includes a different featurette with producer Joshua Fine and writer Christopher Yost teasing what's to come in Season Two.

--Gerald So

TREME: A preview of tonight's episode.

2011-04-24T08:12:00.001-05:00

Tonight begins season two of David Simon's TREME. Here is the summary from HBO as well as some of my own thoughts on it.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: April 24 (midnight), 26 (2:05 a.m.), 27 (midnight) and 28 (10:00 p.m.), and May 12 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: April 25 (10:00 p.m.), 29 (11:00 p.m.) and 30 (9:00 p.m.)
Antoine contemplates a move, while LaDonna resists one; Davis moves in new directions, personally and professionally; Toni worries about Sofia’s emotional distance; Colson contends with the return of crime to New Orleans; Annie returns from a national tour. In New York, Delmond debuts his new album, while Janette holds her tongue in the kitchen of a demanding boss. Juvenile sits in with Galactic and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Written by Eric Overmyer; directed by Anthony Hemingway.
What to expect tonight:
*Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce) steps front and center and does some singing. This gets him thinking about forming his own band. Anything that keeps us from seeing him having sex is a good thing.
*You can see Anthony Bourdain's hand pretty early with Janette (Kim Darby)'s scenes in New York. I have no doubt he provided the insight for the kitchen segments. Her boss, while reportedly being a brilliant chef, comes across as a total nutcase. I have no doubt he is based on a real person (or persons).
*David Simon vet James Ransone (Ziggy from season two of THE WIRE)plays a roommate of Janette. First ep sees him getting stoned and eating cereal and showing off his tattooed upper body. Hopefully better things are coming for him. He also works in a NYC restaraunt, but not the same one as Janette.
* Annie (Lucia Micarelli)is doing well and is seen playing with Galactic.
*Lieutenant Terry Colson (Daved Morse) steps into the spotlight a bit and looks to walk the fine line of enforcing the law while respecting the things that make New Orleans special. The Bourbon Street speech is awesome.

*Toni Bernette (Oscar Winner Melissa Leo)struggles balancing work with being a single mother and still mourning the loss of Creighton (John Goodman). Daughter Sofia has gone from being a charming teen to a surly rebellious one that makes me happy I don't have any kids.
*Jon Seda joins the cast as Nelson Hidalgo, a charming and ambitious entrepreneur from Texas that comes to New Orleans both to see it and to take advantage of the business opportunities.

It feels like Treme is putting a lot of different storylines in play here. Whether or not they all work remains to be seen. I liked the overall feel here and am excited for season two. Season one, at times, was a tad preachy and I did not see that in the first part of season two. I especially like David Morse and how the police are portrayed here. We get to see the problems they are dealing with instead of them being the heavies like they were in season one.

Law and Order:Criminal Intent - Vincent D’Onofrio is back

2011-04-22T15:48:00.001-05:00

For the final season of Law and Order:Criminal Intent Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are back as Goren and Eames which I consider a victory for the fans of the show. I liked Chirstopher Noth on the show and Jeff Goldblum, but what makes this show really work for me is D'Onofrio as Detective Goren, his quirkiness, his attention to detail and his drive. I know some people don't care for the character, but I think it really works, similar to Holmes his brain works on a different level and as such he's sometimes hard to understand. He doesn't have time for people to catch up to where he already is.

This first episode of season 10 includes Neal McDonough (Band Of Brothers) as a church official who doesn't always act Christian. I won't get into the plot, because the truth is, they are all great. What makes this episode a stand out is the acting. D'Ononfrio is amazing as he steers Goren through the return to duty which includes mandatory sessions with a shrink. McDonough is also terrific as the Monsignor who has a dark shady side. He does more with his face and eyes than most actors can do with everything they have. And I really missed Kathryn Erbe, she is the prefect foil to D'Onofrio and they have let her character grow into such a great detective over the years, she's the backbone of the show.

This is my favorite Law and Order show and this is a great start to the final season. I watched the episode twice.

Look for it May 1st on its NEW night – Sundays at 9/8c

Now if they would hurry up and put the rest out on DVD.....

Film Review: SOURCE CODE

2011-04-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

Directed by Duncan Jones
Written by Ben Ripley
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright

Sometimes Hollywood gets it right and this is a perfect example of it. I must admit upfront I am a sucker for GROUNDHOG DAY and its conceit that humans can get it right if given a million tries. When a thriller like SOURCE CODE infuses its story with intelligent characters that engage with each other, excellent writing and an exciting narrative what’s not to like. It doesn’t even really matter than I cannot explain exactly what happened here any more than I can explain string theory.

PLOT: Navy pilot, Colter, on a mission in Afghanistan, suddenly finds himself on a commuter train going into Chicago. The attractive girl, Christina, (Monaghan) seated across from him knows him, but as another person. And that same other person stares back at him from the bathroom mirror seconds later. Within eight minutes, (time Colter gives over to trying to figure out what has happened to him), the train explodes and he is suddenly whisked away to another location where Goodwin (Farmiga), a scientist explains his new mission.

He will return again and again to that hurtling train, trying to discover who the terrorist is and preventing him from launching a far greater attack. Each trip will reveal a bit more of activity on the car and it also allows a relationship to grow between Colter and Christina. To tell you any more would risk exposing too much of the plot as well as my lack of completely understanding it.

It doesn’t matter though. SOURCE CODE is ingenious both in its plot and its ability to carry you along. Duncan’s earlier movie MOON shared some of the same traits. But that film was static compared to this one. Highly recommended.

Patti

Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Guilty Pleasures: Scott Phillips

2011-04-20T10:45:00.001-05:00

Guilty isn't really a word I much associate with the movies. (Music is another story. I have CDs of artists I liked when I was an adolescent that I don't even let my wife know about.) Maybe porn would have qualified once, but even that doesn't inspire guilt any more. So the closest I can come to a cinematic guilty pleasure is something that I know isn't very good, that fails on its own terms, but that I love anyway.

Here are two such movies, each from a different part of Universal's mid-century Horror cycle: "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman" (1943, directed by Roy William Neill and written by Curt Siodmak) and "The Creature Walks Among Us" (1956, directed by John Sherwood and written by Arthur A. Ross.) They're both sequels to sequels, they're both programmers made with much lowered ambitions, and I saw them both on the late, lamented "Nightmare" on Friday nights at midnight on KARD TV in Wichita, hosted by the late, great Tom Leahy.

Oh, and they both stink. But "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" has a great opening sequence of a mausoleum being robbed by a couple of unfortunate morons who don't realize that the moonlight shining through the transom upon the apparently dead body of Larry Talbot will revive him and turn him into a ravenous beast; for my money it's one of the best sequences in the whole Universal Horror canon, right up there with Karloff's slow awakening in "The Mummy." Unfortunately after Talbot (the barely adequate Lon Chaney, Jr.) awakes in a hospital and starts wandering around Europe looking for a cure for lycanthropy, the thing descends into an unbearable mess.

Things start looking up again when Larry and company find Frankenstein's monster frozen beneath his maker's old castle, and when he's brought back to life the two of them fight it out in the ruins until some village dynamites a dam and floods the place. Some of you older readers will remember Castle Films's abridgments of old movies on 16 and 8 mm (see the Cinema issue of The Believer, out right now, for a good article on
those); the ten minute or so Castle Films version contains only the mausoleum ad fight sequences, and I must have watched it a couple of hundred times in those pre-video days. "Creature" is another story; a sequel to "Creature from The Black Lagoon" and "Revenge of the Creature," the story involves the Gill-Man getting badly burned and an inexplicable attempt to save him by taking away his aquatic features surgically and making him human enough that at one point in the picture he's wearing, no shit, jammies.

It reeks, but what can I say? I may watch it again tonight.

Scott
cott Phillips is the author of three of the most highly acclaimed crime novels of recent years. His debut novel, The Ice Harvest, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and won the California Book Award, a Silver Medal for Best First Fiction, and was a finalist for the Edgar Awards, the Hammett Prize and the Anthony Award. It is now a major motion picture from Focus Features. Its followup The Walkaway continued his success, with The New York Times calling it "wicked fun." His third novel, Cottonwood, is now out in paperback.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, where much of his first two books are set, Scott lived for many years in Paris, and then in Southern California, where he worked on screenplays. Those who frequent Showtime in the middle of the night may see his name on Crosscut (1996). He now lives in St. Louis with his wife and daughter. For more on Scott, check out his website.

A quick look at HBO's LUCK.

2011-04-18T21:36:00.001-05:00

Michael Mann (HEAT, THE INSIDER) and David Milch (NYPD BLUE, DEADWOOD) are teaming with HBO for a new series based in the world of Horse Racing.

LUCK stars Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn,
Richard Kind, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Coster, Ian Hart, Tom Payne, Kerry Condon, Gary Stevens and Nick Nolte.

Hoffman plays Chester "Ace" Bernstein, a powerful organized crime figure and was one of the first to be attached to the series.

Here is a quick look behind the scenes of this upcoming series.

Film Review: WIN WIN

2011-04-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

Written and Directed by Tom McCarthy
Starring; Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Carnavale, Alex Shaffer, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey

I saw this movie at my local art house, elbowed in between two foreign language films. This seemed strange to me because it’s exactly the sort of movie you used to find everywhere. Did Hoosiers play at arthouses? How about Terms of Endearment?

Paul Giamatti is enough of a star that he should draw something of a crowd, but I think films that cannot attract teenagers in droves or do not come out in the six weeks before Christmas are consigned to smaller venues. It’s very possible you will only be able to see this on DVD if you don’t live in a major market. It’s a shame because it is a nice little movie I think most people would enjoy.

PLOT: Mike Flaherty (Giamatti) earns a mediocre living as a lawyer in a small town. More and more, he can’t make ends meet. He gets more satisfaction as a wrestling coach at the local high school than from practicing law. He has a good marriage (Amy Ryan, in a ordinary role that wastes her gifts) and nice kids.

An opportunity comes along to supplement Flaherty’s income. An elderly man (Young) depends on him to see to his care and the court agrees to this arrangement. His method of providing this care is at odds with his client’s request. When his client’s grandson (Shaffer) comes to visit, Flaherty takes him in, for various reasons, not all of them altruistic. So in Flaherty, we have a complicated character although the story is content to end the dilemma predictably. Lynskey plays the grandson’s troublesome mother, who almost upends our happy ending. Carnivale is especially good as his pal, Terry, and Jeffrey Tambor does his usual dour act.

McCarthy’s last two films were two of my favorites: THE STATION AGENT (2003) and THE VISITOR (2007). This is not quite up to their high standard. They were quirkier, less predictable. But this is a worthy follow-up. Recommended.

Patti

Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Michael Lister adapting DOUBLE EXPOSURE for the big screen.

2011-04-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

If the screenplay for DOUBLE EXPOSURE falls flat, Michael Lister will have no one to blame but himself.

As part of the deal for his novel, Michael has agreed to co-write the screenplay with director/producer Jason Hreno.

Hreno is a trilingual (English, French and Spanish) Canadian writer-director, has worked internationally on telefilms, documentaries and shorts. This will be his first, full-length feature film.

Michael is excited to bring his characters to the big screen: I've adapted other novels and written original spec scripts, but this is the first time I'll be adapting one of my own novels. I'm really enjoying the process. It's a very cool exercise to revisit and reimagining the material. It's such a different medium, art form, it's an entirely different creative process.

In D E, a wildlife photographer finds his camera traps have captured a murder. Unfortunately, the killers want the footage and pursue the photographer through the sweeps and woods of the Apalachicola River Basin in Northern Florida.

DE is a hell of a good book and has received oodles of praise as well as having won the Florida Book Award for 2010. Lister does a great job of using the steamy, dangerous environmental of his home state to build suspense and create atmosphere.

For a more in depth article, with comments from the director and producer, check out the latest issue of CRIMESPREE magazine.

Film Review: THE LINCOLN LAWYER

2011-04-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

Directed by Brad Furman
Written by John Romano, based on the novel by Michael Connelly
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Frances, Fisher, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy

Good cast right? I don’t usually go this long with listing cast members, but this was a first-rate cast assembled for a first-rate legal thriller. All of them kept up their end of the bargain. However, the Lincoln in the title could have fit between the holes in the plot, holes I doubt were in the novel. I really wish Connelly would get the kind of treatment Lehane got in Mystic River or Gone Baby Gone. Instead he gets another Blood Work.

PLOT: Mickey Haller (McConaughy) runs his practice from the back seat of his Lincoln. It’s mostly the down and dirty defenses you’d expect. He has two ex-wives (although I didn’t realize the second one was a wife until later) and a daughter. His Lincoln is driven by an ex-client who owes him money. A motorcycle gang, also in debt to him, acts as enforcers when the case calls for it.

One day, a well-heeled client, Louis Roulet, (Phillippe) asks for his services. A woman has been beaten and nearly murdered and fingers Roulet as the perp. Why does this rich kid choose a lawyer practicing from a backseat instead of a swanky Beverly Hills office? The story rests on this question.

The woman’s face resembles the face of a woman beaten earlier. Links to a former case of Haller’s, one he mishandled, arise. The story becomes garbled early on (was there too much plot for a movie to be coherent or is the director too much a novice?) and we’re expected to find a case about a guy who beat up a woman, and maybe did it before, interesting enough to sustain us. I never really got a clear idea of what the client was up to. Nor his mother. When she turns up in Haller’s apartment near the end, we can’t really identify her with much of anything.

With TV shows like JUSTIFIED, BREAKING BAD, THE KILLING and THE GOOD WIFE, putting out complex stories with complicated characters week after week, this movie seems dated. Several characters have so little to do you wonder why they didn’t cut them (Macy, Fisher, Lucas.) The attempt to elbow in a romance with his ex-wife here also seems forced. Yes, they still love each other; no, they don’t.

This is not a terrible movie if you don’t expect to follow every plot strand to its conclusion. The acting, music and ambiance work well. And perhaps if you go to having read the book, it will all come together.

Patti

Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Marcus Sakey

2011-04-10T01:01:00.001-05:00

oI first met Marcus Sakey about a year before his book came out. I liked him right off. Months later we got an advance copy of his first book, THE BLADE ITSELF to review. I was a little nervous. What if I didn't like it? I like Marcus, what would I say? Turns out there was no need to worry. The dude can write and I loved the book.And I've enjoyed all his books since then as well.

I look forward to them now, like arctic orange shakes, the first day in spring we open the windows and that first nice clean snow fall, a new Sakey book is reason for being happy. And this year is no exception. THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES is an ass kicker of a story and I read it in one sitting.

There is also extra fun, Marcus is having a contest.

Here are the details direct from his newsletter:

I’m beyond delighted to announce that I have a new book coming this summer; The Two Deaths Of Daniel Hayes will be released on June 9th. As the father, I recognize that I’m biased, but I’m really in love with this one. Others seem to feel the same:

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes confirms Marcus Sakey’s
place as one of our best storytellers. A terrific read.
—Michael Connelly

Part dazzling California noir, part dark American road trip,
part psychological thriller—and entirely ingenious.
—Gillian Flynn

Sakey writes like a dream, creates characters exactly like
people you know, and above all keeps you turning pages.
—Lee Child

“But Marcus,” I can hear you say, “it’s April. Why are you emailing about a book that doesn’t come out for two months?”

Well, I’ll tell you, but I’ll have to take you behind the curtain a little bit.

What it comes down to is this—enough people ordering in advance can make a big difference to the success of the book as a whole. Preorders impact marketing decisions, how many copies bookstores order, and can even lead to additional printings.

Which is where we come to the favor. I’m reaching out, hat in hand, to ask that if you think you might buy the book anyway, you consider preordering it now. You can preorder from any of these fine booksellers:

           amazon.com >
           barnesandnoble.com >
           borders.com >
           indiebound.org >

And because I’m asking your help, I want to give something back. I figured maybe an audiobook version of The Amateurs—along with an iPod to play it on. Sound good?

To enter, just send proof of purchase (the confirmation email will work fine) to preorder@marcussakey.com. You’ll automatically be entered in the drawing.

Thank you all!

-Marcus

So go and pick up this great book and enter to win a cool prize.

Jon

Film Review: JANE EYRE

2011-04-08T07:47:00.000-05:00

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

Written by Moira Buffini, based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte

Starring: Mia Wasikowski, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Sally Hawkins, Judi Dench

Release date: March 11, 2011

This is my favorite version of JANE EYRE. I might as well say that at the outset. It’s also a favorite novel of mine. Not always. As a college freshman, I thought it absurd. Coming on it as I did in the late sixties, it lacked the sparseness that appealed to me at that age. I saw little difference between JANE EYRE and VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.

Twenty years on, I could appreciate it for its portrayal of nineteenth century England’s societal ills and its love story made sense within that framework.

Last week I criticized THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU for being too much a love story embedded as it was in science fiction trappings. The romance submerged the more interesting idea for me.

But JANE EYRE was written as a romance and the impediments put between Jane and Rochester were part of a tradition in such novels.

PLOT: Is there anyone who does not know it? Briefly, Jane (Wasikowski) is an orphan, a plain girl who’s had a Dickensian childhood at the hands of her hateful aunt. But through pluck and intelligence, she survives the boarding school she’s sent off to and becomes an educated woman. She takes a position as a governess in the home of Mr. Rochester (Fassbender), educating his “ward.” Thornhill is a dark and gloomy place that only comes to life when Mr. Rochester comes home on a visit. He is a frightening man at first but romance wins out—almost. But Jane must come to terms with the secrets of Thornhill to find love.

A Japanese director seems especially appropriate for a book that Japanese children read to learn English. When we were fortunate enough to visit the Bronte home in northern England, all the signage was in English and Japanese.

And perhaps repression is familiar to the Japanese people too. JANE is about repression and, finally, its unleashing. I am sure Bronte was familiar with repression, being the daughter of a clergyman and living in the place she did.

The acting in this film is superb; the leads perfectly cast. Previous films have used actresses far too old to play Jane Eyre. She is nineteen after all. Some have criticized the film’s unrelentingly dark look. But that’s entirely in keeping with the book. This is not the Bennett family. This is not Jane Austen. Highly recommended.

Patti

Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at http://www.pattinase.blogspot.com/ She hopes you'll join in.

Guilty Pleasures: Last minute bit o' Lynch edition.

2011-04-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Once I started to ponder this undertaking, I found myself torn between a number of films. I could pick a film that is actually pretty good, but the content is a tad embarrassing for me to admit to liking. I could pick a turkey of a film that is the sort of oddball flick that is entertaining or I could pick a mediorce film that...well, it mediocre.

I am taking the latter.

PCU

In the tradition of ANIMAL HOUSE (But not as good), PCU features a group of underachieving outcasts that rub the authority figures the wrong way.

President Garcia-Thompson: You passed out cigarettes for a smoke-a-thon on Earth Day. You installed speed bumps on the handicapped ramps and, most recently, you dumped 100 pounds of... MEAT on a peaceful vegan protest!

Droz: Oh, come on! That was way more than 100 pounds.

Jeremy Pivens stars as James 'Droz' Andrews, student that is part con man, part slacker. He has spent his college years enjoying life and college. While they never come out and say it, it appears likely that he has spent more than the traditional four years.

He is the leader of a crew of misfits that inhabit a former frat house that is now called The Pit. While the school has become uptight and politically correct, this group just wants to relax and enjoy life.

His nemesis is Rand McPherson (David Spade) a preppy leader of an underground frat called Balls and Shaft. They wear khakis, blue blazers and striped ties. He works with President Garcia-Thompson, the uptight University president that wants everything to be PC. She wants nobody to be offended or feel excluded. In the process, she creates a safe, and boring, campus.

Doesn't sound like Oscar material, does it? But PCU does have a few things going for it:

Piven is a very charismatic guy and he is given some pretty fun dialogue to play with. While I think he does a fine job on ENTOURAGE, he should be doing more comedies. He looks like the guy next door, but is charming enough for folks to cheer for him and believe that he can get the girl.

Droz: Ladies and gentlemen, I think it's time to revive an ancient tradition we seem to have long forgotten.
Cecilia: They confiscated the altar, Droz.
Droz: No, I'm not talking about human sacrifice, Ceel. I'm talking about something we used to do every Saturday night as a matter of principle. Here's a hint. Legions of hand-stamped meatheads... in coed naked lacrosse T-shirts... power-chugging watered-down Meisterchau... regurgitating on the glue-matted floors.
Mullaney: Kiln-like temperatures, fights with townies... lines of drunken people waiting for the bathroom.
Katy: Wait a second. You guys are talking about a party.
Droz: Ding-ding-ding. Gutter, tell her what's she's won.

Jeremy is fun as hell here, I wish I had known him while in college.

David Spade is pretty good here as your basic David Spade character: an arrogant, snob.

George Clinton performs. Yes, GEORGE CLINTON, Dr. Funkenstein, the master of interplanetary funk!

Droz: Listen, uh, we couldn't help but notice that you're George Clinton.
George: Yeah?
Droz: Listen, George, we've had a real bad day. The president of the university has been spanking us with a seven-grand damage bill. We were gonna rob a Seven-Eleven, but we don't have enough ski masks. So what are we gonna do?We're gonna throw an all-campus rocker. The only problem is, we don't have the artillery.
George: Please, what you want from me? What you tryin' to say?
Droz: We were hoping you could play our party.
George: What?
[Droz gives him a pleading look.]
George: Can't nobody make no face that ugly and not be serious.
[Chuckles]
We'll do it, man. Jesus.

So George and the boys lay down some solid funk as Droz and co manage to draw all of the different groups on campus to The Pit for a rockin' party.

Now this goes about as well as the Toga Party in ANIMAL HOUSE. They raise the money to pay the damage bill, but get kicked off campus because of all of the complaints.

Naturally they strike back and chaos ensues.

PCU is a Sunday afternoon film. For a while, Comedy Central seemingly ran it every weekend. And if I came across it. Much like the characters in it, PCU is charming despite it's mediocrity. So grab a beverage, pull last night's pizza out of the fridge and veg out with Droz and the gang.

Jeremy Lynch

Guilty Pleasures: Where is it? edition

2011-04-06T13:49:00.000-05:00

Today's GP participant, Scott Phillips, was unexpectedly called to South America and did not get a chance to submit his confession. It turns out that the Hovito tribe reveres him as a god and needed him to solve a dispute. I don't know if you know much about the Hovitos, but you don't say no to them.

If all goes well, we will have one up by the end of the day. Check back this evening.

Thank you and have a nice day...unless you don't want one. If that is the case, have a crappy day.

Jeremy

Never read a comic before? Here’s the list for you

2011-04-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

We here at Crimespree know comics aren’t just for kids. They are tools that writers use to showcase other aspects of literature that ranges in every genre. Crime/noir, action/super hero, romance, comedy, indie. There is every kind of comic book out there, just like how there is every kind of novel out there. What this blog hopes to do is bring comics to the forefront of reading. If you’ve never read a comic before we hope the endorsements of us at Crimespree will help you “take the risk,” as it were, to give them a try. Chances are you’ll find more than you expected. This list will give you perfect introductions in to comics referencing genre’s you might like.

Like Political Thrillers? Try “Ex Machina.” This is what we call the comic for smart people. The world this book was set it mirrored ours in realms of political hot topics including: the war in the Middle East, legalizing marijuana, 9/11, gay marriage, the 2008 election and much more. All was from the focus point of an Independent-run Mayor of New York City, Mitchell Hundred. The hook for the series adds a nice touch of sci-fi. Mitchell can “talk” to machines. Before being mayor he strapped on a jet-pack and became a (very poor) “Super-hero” and realized he would do more good in a political office. It’s a brilliant series collected in ten volumes available from DC/Wildstorm comics.

Like Horror or Character Study? “Walking Dead” is perfect. There’s a good chance you’ve seen show, and if you haven’t, do. As exceptional as the TV series is, the inspiration for it takes intensity in reading to a new level. On paper, it’s a premise we’ve seen before, a group of people doing everything they can to survive the zombie apocalypse. But what makes it so much more is the devotion to the characters you’re able to feel. Every single one has a role and you feel for them. Whether it’s love, pity or hate, there is no character that is just “there.” Their struggle in a book where, honest-to-god, no character is safe make “Walking Dead” the best book, all around, being published right now. The series is available through Image Comics.

Like Romance and intrigue? Try “Strangers In Paradise.” SiP was a long-running, much beloved indy book that masked a political, conspiracy thriller in the guise of a romance comic. The opening storyline focuses on the relationship between lovelorn Francine, former teenage prostitute Katchoo, and their new friend David. They are the heart of the story, who they are and who they love but Katchoo’s past comes back to make trouble for all of them. Her former boss is the woman the runs the world. She “owns” politicians, celebrities, entrepreneurs, anyone with power. It’s an powerful epic of a series that wonderfully balances the personal connections and power-plays. The series is collected from Abstract Studios.

Like Action? Try “Global Frequency.” You’re an expert in a field. You get a call, not on your personal cell but on a special phone. “You’re on the frequency.” Dropping everything, you use your expertise to accomplish a task. A task the world needs to keep it running. You’re in the Global Frequency. A collection of 1,001 experts around the world that can be called upon at any moment to solve crises. Each issue is a stand alone story that reads like an epic. It’s fast-paced, page-turning action. The series is collected by DC/Wildstorm Comics.

Like Sci-Fi? Try Planetary. Take every one of your favorite sci-fi movies, mix with pulp dime-novels, super heroes, fables, and technology and twist it till the ideas themselves are unrecognizable to the best possible way and you have Planetary. The intelligence that went into Planetary is spellbinding. A group of super powered people all working to gather information on reality’s biggest mysteries sounds simple, but the concepts that are played with make every reference used seem completely new. There is so much to this intricate, heady book you’ll want to read it more than once, happily. Collected by DC/Wildstorm comics.

Like Super-heroes? There are many fantastic places to start if you like super-heroes. “Watchmen“, Batman: the Dark Knight Returns,” and “Kingdom Come” are the biggest and best. But we’re gonna suggest something new, “Irredeemable.” There is a concept that weaves these four titles together. Super-heroes, aging, look at the world with different eyes. From the realistic raw nature of WM, to the generational-gap vision of KC, “Irredeemable” shows us what would happen if a Superman-level hero turned evil. This idea is not new, but the story is so well written and is taken in so many unforeseeable twists and turns that while it might not be the first time it’s been done, it’s arguably the best. The heroes that have survived Plutonian’s (the superman alagory) destruction and “take-over” of Earth, do everything they can to fight his power. But how would someone like Hawkman truly be able to beat Superman? Truly? This book explores how. The series is currently being released by BOOM Studios.

So much for this week. Who knows what the blog’ll bring next.

Jo Schmidt

"Editor's note: Jo has been my go to comics guru for a number of years, he's one of a very small group who can recommend things for me that I will ALWAYS like.He's also an all around damn nice guy"

DVD Review: UFC - THE BEST OF 2010

2011-04-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

Anchor Bay
Released: March 29th, 2011
MSRP: $19.98

2010 was a notable year, both inside the cage and out, for the UFC. In UFC: The Best of 2010, we are treated to some of the best or, in some cases, more notable matches of the 2010 (Hence the title of best of 2010). This set is not just a list of fights, each weight class has it's own section with narration, highlights and summaries of other bouts in that class. Some fighters (GSP, Matt Hughes for example) get their own little featurettes.

Lightweight
UFC 119: Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham
UFC 110: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
Bonus LW bouts:
UFC 108: Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon
UFC 117: Melvin Guillard vs. Waylon Lowe
UFC 122: Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner
UFC 123: George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
UFC 124: Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira

Welterweight:
UFC 123: Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn
UFC 115: Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Bonus WW bouts:
UFC 120: Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit

Middleweight
UFC 117: Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva

Light Heavyweight
UFC 113: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
UFC 114: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans
UFC on Versus 1: Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones
UFC on Versus 2: Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Bonus LHW bouts
UFC 115: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
UFC 116: Stephan Bonnar vs. Krysztof Soszynski

Heavyweight
UFC 110: Minotauro Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
UFC 121: Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
Following are HW bonus fights:
UFC on Versus 2: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior dos Santos
UFC 118: Randy Couture vs. James Toney

This set does a nice job of offering up an overview of each weight class for 2010. I will say that not including UFC 116's Chris Leben vs. Akiyama is insane. That bout was one of the best of 2010 overall and had the arena (as well as the bar I watched it in, rocking. While there are a number of other bouts that one could make a case for, that bout is a no-brainer. And while the WEC existed through 2010, it would have been a nice touch to include WEC bouts here to help familiarize casual fans with those fighters.

I don't get why there are "bonus" matches separated from the main segments, unless the main segments are meant for television broadcast.

But with all of the bouts, this set is well worth the money and provides some bouts not available elsewhere on DVD. This set is ideal for those that casually watch the UFC and do not buy all of the DVDs.

Order UFC: The Best of 2010.

Jeremy Lynch