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Tarantino XX: 8 Film Collection Coming for Christmas

  • Uncategorized
  • September 20, 2012

This has us deliriously happy because Quentin Tarantino is one of the great stylists, who can deliver action, humor, and moments you have never seen before. He has a great ear for music so his soundtracks sing, and his casting is always brilliant. Go ahead and read the following then begin writing to Santa Claus.

SANTA MONICA, CA (September 17, 2012) – Celebrating Quentin Tarantino’s legendary filmmaking, Lionsgate and Miramax are proud to present the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection, arriving on Blu-ray Disc November 20th.

Tarantino XX contains eight films chosen by Tarantino to illustrate the first 20 years of his career, featuring the films that helped define his early success, including Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds.  To complete the stunning high definition 10-disc set, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection also features two discs with five hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by a critics’ retrospective on Tarantino’s groundbreaking catalog of films and  “20 Years of Filmmaking” that contains interviews with critics, stars and other masters of cinema.

Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection showcases one of the most innovative filmmakers of our time and is a must-have for serious film fans, as Tarantino’s highly-anticipated new film, Django Unchained, prepares to hit theaters.  Honoring the 20th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs – the cultural milestone that brought Tarantino to the forefront as a cinematic legend – the collection is highlighted by recurring appearances from celebrated actors including Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), and also includes starring performances from iconic actors such as Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown).

Tarantino XX on Blu-ray also features striking, original artwork designed and illustrated by MONDO (www.mondotees.com).  Housed in collectible packaging, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection will be available for the suggested retail price of $119.99.

CONTENTS SUMMARY

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES – 2 Discs*

  • Critics Corner: The Films of Quentin Tarantino – In-depth critics’ discussion piece exploring Tarantino’s films that redefined cinema and the impact of one of the most influential writers/directors of our time.
  • 20 Years of Filmmaking – Take a look at Tarantino’s career from the beginning, with interviews from co-workers, critics, stars and master filmmakers alike as well as a tribute to his greatest collaborator, Sally Menke.

RESERVOIR DOGS

Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (1992) and awarded the International Critics Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (1992), is raw, violent and unforgettable.  Four perfect strangers are assembled to pull off the perfect crime, but when a botched robbery reveals a police informant among them, their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Pulp Factoids Viewer
  • Playing It Fast and Loose
  • Profiling the Reservoir Dogs

TRUE ROMANCE – DIRECTOR’S CUT

Runaway lovers Clarence and Alabama (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) play a dangerous game with a stolen suitcase containing $5 million worth of cocaine.  They head for Los Angeles, where they’ll sell the goods and begin a new life, but both sides of the law have other ideas.  This dark comic web of crime, murder and mayhem from writer Quentin Tarantino and director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Spy Game), features an ensemble cast including Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Christopher Walken.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Audio commentary by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette
  • Audio commentary by Tony Scott
  • Audio commentary by Quentin Tarantino
  • Scene selective commentaries by Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt and Michael

Rapaport

  • Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Director Commentary
  • Alternate Ending with Optional Director and Writer Commentary
  • Original 1993 Mini-feature
  • Behind-the-Scenes Interactive Feature
  • Animated Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer

PULP FICTION

Pulp Fiction has been hailed by critics and audiences worldwide as a film that redefined cinema.  A burger-loving hit man (John Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster’s moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in four tales of violence and redemption. The film was honored with an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay (1994) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.  It has also been listed as one of the best films of all-time by Time and Entertainment Weekly.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Interviews with Cast
  • Critics’ Retrospective on the Movie’s Place in Film History
  • Behind-the-Scenes Footage
  • Pulp Fiction: The Facts
  • Production Design Feature
  • Siskel & Ebert At the Movies – The Tarantino Generation
  • Independent Spirit Awards Footage
  • Cannes Film Festival Footage
  • Charlie Rose – Tarantino Interview
  • Stills Galleries
  • Trivia Track
  • Deleted Scenes

JACKIE BROWN

Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch follows a cash-smuggling flight attendant (Pam Grier) who is busted by an ATF agent (Michael Keaton) and a cop (Michael Bowen).  When pressured to help with their investigation, she agrees to do one last run for a ruthless arms dealer (Samuel L. Jackson).  Mistrust and suspicions arise when Jackie plays the opposing forces against each other in an effort to walk away with the dough.  Robert Forster earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nomination for his role as Max Cherry, a bail bondsman who falls for Jackie and becomes embroiled in the scheme.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Breaking Down Jackie Brown
  • Jackie Brown: How It Went Down – Retrospective Interviews with Cast and Crew
  • A Look Back at Jackie Brown – Interview with Quentin Tarantino
  • Chicks with Guns Video
  • Siskel & Ebert At the Movies – Jackie Brown Review
  • Jackie Brown on MTV
  • Marketing Gallery
  • Stills Galleries
  • Trivia Track
  • Deleted and Alternate Scenes

KILL BILL VOL. 1

In the first volume of this gritty revenge saga, an assassin (Uma Thurman) is shot at the altar by her ruthless employer, Bill (David Carradine), and other members of his Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad.  In this epic tale of survival The Bride sets out to bring justice to all those who wronged her, including a reformed suburban mother (Vivica A. Fox) and the Japanese Yakuza crime-lord (Lucy Liu).

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • The Making of Kill Bill Vol. 1
  • The 5.6.7.8’s Bonus Musical Performances
  • Tarantino Trailers

KILL BILL VOL. 2

The murderous Bride (Uma Thurman) mercilessly continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill (David Carradine), and his two remaining associates: Bill’s degenerate younger brother (Michael Madsen) and a vicious one-eyed swordswoman (Daryl Hannah).

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • The Making of Kill Bill Vol. 2
  • Damoe Deleted Scene
  • Chingon Musical Performance

DEATH PROOF

Kurt Russell stars as a tough-talking, psychotic serial murderer who transforms his stunt car into an indestructible killing machine, then climbs behind the wheel to stalk and terrorize a group of women on the road.  What he doesn’t realize is that he’s picked the wrong babes to mess with.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
  • Introducing Zoe Bell
  • Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
  • The Uncut Version of Baby, It’s You performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
  • The Guys of Death Proof
  • Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
  • Double Dare Trailer
  • Death Proof International Trailer
  • An International Poster Gallery
  • BD Live

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

A Jewish cinema owner in Nazi-occupied Paris is forced to host a movie premiere for the Third Reich, where a radical group of American soldiers, The Basterds, led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), plan to roll out a score-settling scheme.  The film was honored with an Academy Award® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (2009, Christoph Waltz) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Motion Picture of the Year for Lawrence Bender and Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Extended and Alternate Scenes
  • Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell
  • The Making of Nation’s Pride
  • A Conversation with Rod Taylor
  • Nation’s Pride – the film within the film
  • The Original Inglorious Bastards
  • Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel
  • Film Poster Gallery Tour
  • Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter
  • Hi Sallys
  • Killin’ Nazis Trivia Challenge
  • Trailers

DYNAMITE GETS PULPY IN DECEMBER

  • Uncategorized
  • September 20, 2012

Dynamite Entertainment‘s full December 2012 solicitations will be released soon, but the publisher has released a limited number of first looks at some of their pulpy offerings. Comic book shops and bookstores are pre-ordering these titles now to be in store in December. If you want your local shop to carry these titles, please let them know now.

Join pulp heroes like Green Hornet and The Shadow, pulp warriors like Dejah Thoris, the Lord of the Jungle, the Lone Ranger, and Red Sonja as they battle the forces of evil this December. Click on covers for a larger view.

THE SHADOW #9
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +
Written by Victor Gischler
Art by Aaron Campbell
Covers by Alex Ross (25%), Michael Golden (25%), Tim Bradstreet (25%),Francesco Francavilla (25%)
Revolutionary Part 2 (of 4) – The Shadow finds himself face to face with George Orwell smack dab in the middle of the Spanish Civil War, but his mystic powers fail to illuminate what significance this literary legend holds for the world. No time to figure that out! The Shadow’s campaign against a murderous gang of gun runners takes him on a tour of Barcelona’s underbelly where he meets the beautiful and dangerous Black Sparrow! But is he really an old friend in disguise? Pause to ponder that and you might miss the deadly dogfight over the Spanish countryside. Pack a parachute, Shadow, because you’re going to need it!

THE LONE RANGER VOL 2 #12
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +
Written by Ande Parks
Art by Esteve Polls
Cover by Francesco Francavilla
The epic conclusion of the Native Ground arc. The Lone Ranger has traveled through Indian lands in search of a healer for his friend Tonto. Now, the healer has been found, and she is not at all what the Ranger expected. Has the Ranger come all this way just to watch his friend die? The battle for Tonto’s life and soul will be resolved. Your understanding of this iconic character will be forever changed.

THE GREEN HORNET: YEAR ONE SPECIAL #1
40 pages FC • $4.99 • Teen +
Written by Nate Cosby
Art by Ariel Padilla
Cover by Sean Chen
Ruby’s thirteen. She sells newspapers for pennies. And she’s got The Green Hornet’s gun. Will Hornet and Kato find Ruby before the mob does…or can THE GREEN GUN GIRL save herself? The original Green Hornet in a super special tale from writer Nate Cosby (Cow Boy)!

LORD OF THE JUNGLE #13
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Mature
Written by Arvid Nelson
Art by Roberto Castro
Cover by Lucio Parrillo
The savage ape-man clashes with Russian super-fiend Nicholas Rokoff in the shadow of the legendary city of Opar. Don’t worry! It’s only the fate of the free world hanging in the balance. Rokoff is holding the ape-man’s true love hostage, and he won’t hesitate to kill her. But wait – the savage denizens of Opar are out for vengeance following the ape-man’s escape from their clutches, and they could ruin everyone’s plans. Lord of the Jungle #13: Through the Valley of the Shadow!

RED SONJA #75
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +
Written by Eric Trautmann • Art by Marcio Abreu
Covers by Mel Rubi (cover A), Erik Jones (cover B), Walter Geovani (cover C)(Fans – each cover has it’s own UPC so you and your retailers can order the Special Anniversary Covers of your choice!)
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!
On the snowy steppes of Hyrkania, Red Sonja faces off against an army bent on crushing her homeland. Old scores are settled, alliances are broken, and rest assured, with the She-Devil With A Sword entering the fray, blood will surely flow.

THUN’DA #5
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +
Written by Robert Place Napton
Art by Cliff Richards
Cover by Jae Lee
The war with the Monkey Men reaches a climax as Roger Drum calls upon a dangerous power to defend Pha and the Shareen against the ruthless incursion of the talking primates! The concluding chapter of Thun’da’s first adventure! THE FINAL ISSUE!

WARLORD OF MARS: DEJAH THORIS #22
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Mature
Written by Robert Place Napton
Art by Carlos Rafael
Covers by Paul Renaud (50%), Fabiano Neves (50%)
Dejah and Gunbor’s shocking discovery of Mortus’ true plan for Barsoom leads them into an unlikely alliance with some of Barsoom’s most dangerous assassins!

For a full listing of Dynamite’s October Release, visit them at www.dynamite.net.

REVIEW: The Halloween Tree

  • Uncategorized
  • September 20, 2012

halloweentreedvd-1568591When a literary giant dies, there’s a rush to rediscover the author’s works, delighting in old favorites or finally reading a work you have somehow missed. The passing of Ray Bradbury has prompted such a journey in print and in other media. Warner Archive, to their credit, has just released The Halloween Tree, the 1993 animated adaptation of his 1972 fantasy.

The 90-minute feature was adapted by Bradbury and directed by Mario Piluso, featuring the voices of Leonard Nimoy, Annie Barker, Darleen Carr, Lindsay Crouse, Alex Greenwald, and Bradbury himself as the narrator.

A small group of four children are out trick-or-treating one Halloween when one of them, Pip, goes missing. Checking his house, they learn he has been rushed off for an emergency appendectomy. Instead of  making their rounds without him, they determine to visit him instead at the hospital. Instead, they wander off their intended path and get lost. They then encounter Mr. Moundshroud (Nimoy) who explains he’s after Pip’s ghost and refuses to help the children since they are woefully ignorant of the true meaning behind Halloween. If they can keep up with him and his giant kite, they can accompany him and suddenly, they are taken 4000 years into the past. The bulk of the tale explores the Egyptian Book of the Dead, stop by Notre Dame Cathedral and its gargoyles followed by a trip to Mexico and their Day of the Dead, which is also where they finally catch up to Pip.

The animation design is adequate if uninspired but it does convey a nice sense of atmosphere, aided by the vocal cast, which does a nice job. Overall, this is something that should be in regular rotation alongside the annual Peanuts special so people can delight in Bradbury’s work and learn a little something, too. Rather than hope it gets rerun on the Cartoon Network, you might want to get this for your home collection.

You should seek out the 2005 edition of the book which has the “author’s preferred text” along with the screen adaptation script.

Dennis O’Neil’s Autumnal Time Warp

The sunshine is warm, but the air carries a tiny bite of chill. The trees are still green, except for a pioneering dogwood in the front yard, which is in the process of color changing. And our teacher friends are back at work. So is fall about to glorify the geography? Indeed.

What are we waiting for? Bundle the crowd into the car and let’s go down to he Chevy dealer’s to inspect next year’s models and after that we can go to the Ford dealer and we’ll still have time to visit the Chrysler showroom before supper. Then maybe we can stop at the soda fountain for a malt and wonder if the St. Louis Browns will ever climb out of the American League cellar…

Oooops. Time warp. I’ve been revisiting my childhood. The debut of new cars is no big event, not anymore. Oh, savvy shoppers may be aware that September is a good month to hunt the elusive bargain, but there’s not much hoopla attached to auto shopping, no balloons, no clowns, no big red signs. (The Edsel Is Here!!!) New sleds are just something that happens.

Same with television. Sure, (like a lot of you?) I scan the TV listings and make a mental note of premiers of shows I might want to sample. If we again time warp, we’ll see an era when the three networks (not counting the occasional wannabe) presented their wares pretty much simultaneously in early autumn like the car guys, and it was pretty darn stimulating to meet the folks who would keep is entertained while the snow fell. But with the coming of King Cable, shows pop up throughout the year, and some of our favorites are limited series that run in the summer. (Has anything recent been better than Newsroom?)

In the land of comics, back when comics cost maybe fifteen cents, the big moments tended to be in early summer when the oversize publications known as “annuals” graced the newsstands because, the wisdom went, readers weren’t busy during the warm months and had more time, and maybe more disposable income, for the funny books. At summer’s end, well… we got the things out and expected a slight dip in circulation. Later, when hardcover graphic novels became a factor, we had to have them almost done by September because, again nodding to conventional wisdom, we had to have the in stores by Thanksgiving to catch customers who might want them for Christmas gifts. If they weren’t ready for the printer by October, trouble was looming. In any case, autumn equaled doldrums.

I’d better quit blathering because I’ve got to get this to Mike so I can free the evening for television watching and… wait! What’s this? An unfamiliar vehicle in my driveway? What has that wife of mine been up to?

RECOMMENDED VIEWING: When Mike Gold and I initiated the Recommended Reading feature in The Question, lo those many years ago, most of my good information came from books. That’s less true now. So instead of recommending a book, let me direct you to a movie which you can rent from Netflix: Carbon Nation. Everyone should see this.

FRIDAY: Martha Thomases and Living Better in Reality

Marvel Adds “Castle Miniseries to be Written by Peter David

  • Uncategorized
  • September 19, 2012

Marvel Entertainment and ABC Studios are proud to announce Castle: A Calm Before A Storm, an all-new comic book limited series by the popular Castle television series. The first issue of this five issue series, based the titular novel from noted author Richard Castle, hits comic shops, the Marvel Comics app and the Marvel Web Store on December 5th, 2012. Following issues will ship monthly through April 2013. Castle: A Calm Before A Storm is written by New York Times best-selling author Peter David (Stephen King’s Dark Tower, X-Factor), penciled by popular artist Robert Atkins (Amazing Spider-Man) and features powerful covers by Mico Suayan (Moon Knight).

Derrick Storm is looking forward to finally getting out of the game – stocking up his cabin cruiser and heading out into the open Atlantic for good. But his plans are put on hold when, on the eve of a UN summit, the severed head of a Russian diplomat is found bobbing in the backwaters of the Hudson. Storm’s CIA handler Clara Strike, enlists him to crack a plot of global proportions, pitting the uncanny PI against a legion of eastern bloc mercenaries, and an ex-KGB hit-man known simply as “The Fear.”

“The continued success by Marvel with these graphic fiction adaptations of my work is incredible. I’m thrilled to welcome Peter, Robert and Mico to the family,” said Richard Castle.  “Derrick Storm is one of my favorite creations and it’s great to have such an excellent creative team join us with this new comic series,”

This is the third Castle graphic fiction adaptation to be released through a collaborative effort between Marvel, ABC Studios and the producers of Castle. In 2011, Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm dominated sales charts and garner worldwide acclaim. And on October 15th, 2012, Castle: Richard Castle’s Storm Season will be released on sale in comic shops, the Marvel Comics app, Marvel Web Store, iBookstore, Nook Bookstore and everywhere books are sold

“The partnership with Marvel has been a dream,” said Andrew W. Marlowe, “Castle” creator/executive producer. ‘Their extraordinary creative vision has given our audience a new and exciting way to enjoy Richard Castle’s work.”

“With the newest adaptation of the Derrick Storm novels it’s safe to say that Richard Castle’s work is a hit with comic book fans around the world!” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Entertainment Editor in Chief. “Castle: A Calm Before A Storm follows in the tradition of our Castle projects full of great characters, international intrigue and packs every page with lots of action!”

CASTLE: A CALM BEFORE THE STORM #1
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by ROBERT ATKINS
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
13 & Up …$3.99
ON SALE DECEMBER 5, 2012

Castle stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as NYPD Captain Roy Montgomery, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito, and Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan.

Castle is produced by ABC Studios. Andrew Marlowe is the show’s creator/executive producer, along with executive producers Rob Bowman, David Amann, Laurie Zaks and Armyan Bernstein.

David Selby Relocates from Collinsport to Gotham City

  • News
  • September 19, 2012

Having made his mark as a villain for many of his 45 years in the entertainment industry, David Selby is only too happy to provide the heroic voice of Commissioner James Gordon for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1.

Selby is best known for his long-running roles as Quentin Collins, the werewolf brother to vampire Barnabus Collins on the original series Dark Shadows, and as the ruthless, vengeful Richard Channing on the 1980s primetime soap opera Falcon Crest. Between those two series alone, Selby logged more than 500 episodes as an antagonist.

Finally, Selby gets a beloved protagonist turn as the everyman hero James Gordon, a straight-shooting, intelligent lawman bent on doing what’s right … with the help of his old pal, Bruce Wayne (and his alter ego, Batman).

Selby will be in attendance on both coasts for the World and West Coast Premieres of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1. Selby is the lone actor on the September 20 post-screening panel at the Paley Center in New York, and he’ll be joined by co-stars Peter Weller and Ariel Winter for the panel discussion on Monday, September 24, at the Paley Center in Los Angeles.

After making his professional acting debut on Dark Shadows in 1968, Selby found fame on the large and small screens as well as Broadway. His film career runs the gamut from early starring roles opposite Barbara Streisand in Up The Sandbox and alongside Ron Liebman in The Super Cops to a memorable role as one of the key lawyers in The Social Network. On television, surrounding his 209 episodes of Falcon Crest, Selby has been seen on everything from The Waltons, Police Woman and Kojak to Ally McBeal, Cold Case, Mad Men, and HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me.

Selby is also one of the more learned actors around the industry, having earned a Master’s Degree from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Theatre from Southern Illinois University. Beyond the stage and screen, Selby has written two volumes of poetry.

The affable Selby was happy to discuss his role as James Gordon following his initial recording session for the two halves of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Here’s what he had to say …

QUESTION: Having spent several hours in his mind, how do you see Police Commissioner James Gordon in this film?

DAVID SELBY: Because Bruce Wayne is Batman, and even though we all want to be heroes, Gordon is willing to take a quieter, more backseat role. I think he’s persistent, he’s calm. He’s a very practical man, like certain presidents. Lincoln was a very pragmatic guy, and I think Gordon is a very pragmatic commissioner.

Gordon is the type of guy that would think, “If I’ve gotta do it, and it’s going to make it right, and I look out and I know that my wife is going to be fine, and the children are going to be fine, then if a certain kind of justice is required to do this, I can live with it.” That’s my kind of Gordon. A very strong, practical guy.

QUESTION: In this film, James Gordon is 70 years old and about to retire. David Selby is now 70 years old. Usually it doesn’t matter in voice acting, but does that age similarity help increase the bond between actor and character?

SELBY: What are you saying? (laughs) That I’ve been playing this game for 50 years? (laughs harder) Well, I guess that’s true. You know the frustrations, the thinking of “Okay, I’ve got a few years to go, and there’s still one thing I want to do.” Maybe I want to play Macbeth. I don’t know. There’s definitely some parallels. Really, though, it’s the whole life experience – that’s the thing that ties me to Gordon. Having been around and seen what we’ve seen. I understand his frustrations. My God, all you have to do is pick up a bloody newspaper. It’s hard to not get frustrated. Sometimes the best thing to do is to avoid the paper in the morning.

QUESTION: Was there a centering emotion you used in James Gordon to help you focus on his motivations?

SELBY: For Gordon, what he wants to do more than anything in the world is that he wants to leave the world a little better place than when he came into it. And he thinks of how awful it would be to live your life and not be able to do that.

I like Gordon. Sometimes you have to draw the line in the sand, the morality line, and each of us has to decide how far you’re willing to go for success. Now if you’re battling the Mutants, you can go a long way. You can step over that line, as long as you know why you’re doing it. That’s my little take on that.

QUESTION: You had more than 300 episodes to get to know Quentin Collins for Dark Shadows. You spent 209 episodes creating Richard Channing for Falcon Crest. Today you had about four hours to become James Gordon. How do you develop a character that quickly?

SELBY: You don’t. You just sort of depend upon Andrea (Romano) and Bruce (Timm), because they know this territory far better than you. I did do a little research, though. I asked my son, who is a great aficionado of Frank Miller and all of these things. That was my first call. He gave me a great rundown, so there was a little preparation. So mostly you put yourself in the hands of those that know the character, and learn from their experience.

QUESTION: So your son is a Frank Miller fan. Do you have newfound street cred in the family?

SELBY: You can’t imagine. My son-in-law is a big fan, too. I’m in like flint now. I couldn’t have done better than to be able to make that call. “Do you know Dark Knight?” “What do you mean, do I know Dark Knight? Who do you think you’re talking to?” “Well, I’m playing the Commissioner.” “You’re playing James Gordon? You’re playing Gordon?!? Commissioner Gordon?!?!?” I never mentioned the Gordon’s name. (laughs) I just said the Commissioner. Oh my God. How special is that? I like that.

QUESTION: Did you read comics when you were a kid?

SELBY: We lived in a little community called Woodburn, where I grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia. There was a store down the street from where I grew up – a confectionary, you know, “beer on tap” – and they had a comic rack. Tom and Ann Torch owned the place – Tom would sit in the corner by the Coke machine and play checkers. And then guys would come in and order … Dewey would order egg in his beer, and all the regulars who lived in the neighborhood would be around. We could look in the comics, and they never once said “Put the comics down.” Now, once we graduated from comic books and went on to Sexology and Golden Nugget girls, then Ann and her sister Hortense got concerned. But as long as we stuck to the comics, it was okay, so I read all the comics. I’d also go two houses down to my friend Wally’s house – he had a lot of comics. But at the Richwood Confectionary, that was terrific place to grow up. Sit in there, drink a Nehi Orange for a nickel, and read your comics.

QUESTION: What was going on in 1966 that made it right for both Dark Shadows and Batman to premiere and explode in popularity?

SELBY: That was a special time in the 60s, and for whatever reasons these shows captivated the public’s imagination. Maybe we just needed it in the 60s. They were shows that allowed you to escape … shows that made life a little easier to cope. I think about New York City at that time and all the things that were going on. The corruption, the racial conflicts, the unrest at Columbia University. There were protests everywhere. Then there was Chicago, and the election in 1968. The assassination of Martin Luther King, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Vietnam was raging. And then you had these shows. I’m sure some sociologist is examining all of this and working it out. But I think those two shows, Batman and Dark Shadows, they fit that expression, “Whatever gets you through the night.” It is interesting that they both came out of that period. But maybe not. Maybe the times were right.

QUESTION: You’ve obviously had the experience. But do you like playing the villain?

SELBY: I’m not complaining – a lot of times the villain is the most interesting character. But I’ve played some awful people. I played a character who got rid of his own sister. In doing these characters, I like them, and you have to get your audience on your side somehow. They have to understand where you’ve come from. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll hang in there with you.

CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY WITH FREE FICTION.

  • Uncategorized
  • September 19, 2012
Cover Art: Sean E. Ali

New Pulp Author Derrick Ferguson is celebrating the worldwide phenomenon known as International Talk Like A Pirate Day, which marks it’s 10th anniversary today by sharing another chapter of Dillon and The Pirates of Xonira to go along with the two that have been presented earlier:

Dillon And The Pirates of Xonira: Chapter One
Dillon And The Pirates of Xonira: Chapter Two
Dillon And The Pirates of Xonira: Chapter Three

Dillon

Dillon And The Pirates Of Xonira
DILLON AND THE PIRATES OF XONIRA is a novel that’s a semi-sequel to DILLON AND THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN BELL. While on vacation, Dillon is contacted by the beautiful and seductive Toi Lahayne, an operative of The Braithwaite Group. They’ve uncovered information that Dillon’s old friend, Lord Murphy C’jai is involved with the renewed pirate activity on Xonira. Dillon assembles a motley crew of modern day pirates to return to the island kingdom of Xonira and finds that once more that island kingdom is beleaguered by nefarious threats from both within and without.

Learn more about Dillion here.

FIGHT FICTIONEERS – ENJOYING THE SWEET SCIENCE OF PULP

  • Uncategorized
  • September 19, 2012

AVAILABLE NOW: FIGHT FICTIONEERS MAGAZINE VOLUME 2!
CELEBRATING THE BEST IN FIGHT FICTION . . .

PRESS RELEASE:

FOR YOUR FREE COPY OF THIS ACTION PACKED E-ZINE SEND AN EMAIL REQUEST TO: fightcardseries@gmail.com

Fight Fictioneers Magazine (FFM) is a vehicle for both promoting the Fight Card series and also the best fight fiction in general. Immense thanks are due to our Fight Card team member in Australia, David Foster (Fight Card: King Of The Outback), for his hard work and diligence in formatting and bringing this issue of FFM into the virtual world (as he did with Vol 1).

Hopefully, there will be another issue to kick off the new year as we march into 2013 with the Fight Card banner held high. FFM Vol 2 will be made available for free to anyone who asks for a copy, so please distribute copies to your friends and fans. Any feedback would also be appreciated …

Fight Fictioneers Magazine Volume 1 can still be accessed under the Fight Fictioneers tab on the new Fight Card website (www.fightcardbooks.com). Thx to author and Fight Card team member Jeremy Brown for his efforts in creating and maintaining the Fight Card website.

Upcoming Fight Card releases through the end of the year include Fight Card: Golden Gate Gloves (October – Robert Evans), Fight Card: The Knockout (November – Robert Randisi), and our second internationally set Fight Card tale (following Fight Card: King Of The Outback), Fight Card: Irish Dukes (December – Mike Faricy). Covers can be found on the Fight Card website www.fightcardbooks.com.

Congratulations to Fight Card authors Mel Odom (Omega Blue), Eric Beetner (The Devil Doesn’t Want Me), Heath Lowrance (City Of Heretics), Mike Faricy (Bombshell), and David Foster (The Librio Defection / Bushwhacked – both under his James Hopewood pseudonym), among others for the successful launching of new critically acclaimed titles – all available on Amazon. Way to go, gang!

There are other specific plans afoot for Fight Card in 2013, which I will reveal both as they firm up and as I am allowed to talk specifics.

THX TO ALL THE FIGHT CARD FANS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THE SERIES THIS YEAR …

For those who missed it, you can also request a copy of Fight Fictioneers #1 as well. Email fightcardseries@gmail.com for details.

REVIEW: Terra Nova

Any time Steven Spielberg comes to television, it’s always with something different. He honored the anthology series of his youth with Amazing Stories and lent his storytelling expertise to get ER launched, making that into a smash hit for NBC. So, when Fox heard of a series about humans and dinosaurs and Spielberg, it seemed like a no brainer. If anyone could get dinosaurs to work convincingly on the small screen, it was the director of Jurassic Park. What the network couldn’t count on was the full extent of Spielberg’s involvement and in time the series was placed under showrunner Brannon Braga’s control. Braga cut his teeth on Star Trek: The Next Generation and has gone on to do other genre fare, but he can’t seem to repeatedly sacrifice characterization in favor of conspiracy and that’s where Terra Nova fell off the rails.

Delayed by schedule issues as the massive CGI prehistoric creatures proved more difficult to execute on a budget, the series debuted last fall and for 14 episodes, we were treated to a series with tremendous potential, most of it wasted.

In 2149, mankind has choked the world so badly that time travel to resettle humanity in the past was the best hope for survival. A colony was established and those fortunate enough to be picked were sent in waves, controlling the impact of man altering the past. We follow the Shannon family from this wretched dystopia to the clean air of the past and see if people can do better when given a better chance. Jim Shannon (Jason O’Mara) is in jail for violating population laws and conceiving a third child but is broken free and joins his wife, Dr. Elisabeth Shannon (Shelley Conn), 17 year old son Josh (Landon Liboiron), 16 year old daughter Maddy (Naomi Scott), and five year old Zoe (Alana Mansour), as they join the Tenth Pilgrimage 85 Million years back in time.

Terra Nova is a thriving colony under the command of Commander Nathaniel Taylor (Stephen Lang) and contains enough raw power to protect the populace from the mammoth critters that wander the jungles just beyond their walls. While the thrust of the stories should have been the struggle to adapt to the environment and its deadly inhabitants, Braga had other ideas. Apparently, The Others, I mean the Sixers split back during the sixth pilgrimage and are working with unknown forces back in the future to seize the pristine world’s resources. Then there’s the mystery of Taylor’s son, a genius who was either part of the conspiracy or its pawn. Add in a blackmarketeer, a teen turned traitor to save her ill mother, young romance, and a few other threads, you get a crazy quilt of plots that could actually be told in any other environment.

The show failed to be different from its genre competitors because it avoided the most unique element going for it: dinosaurs! Man versus nature! How do the people adapt to diseases, microbes, and minerals they never encountered before? How do they ensure each step they take beyond the colony does not in some way create a vastly different tomorrow? Nope, the show skips all of those possibilities for conspiracies and soap operas.

The appealing cast does its best with weak material but by the end of the series, it was clear that there would be little progress in solving these dilemmas and when the plug was mercifully pulled in March, it vanished without much of an imprint in the genre or prime time television.

The complete series is presented on four standard definition discs from 20th Century Home Entertainment. In addition to fourteen hours of drama, the set comes with complete with some vaguely interesting deleted scenes and an extended version of “Occupation/Resistance”, the two-part finale (there’s also an audio commentary from Stephen Lang, Brannon Braga and Rene Echevarria). There are a handful of somewhat interesting “Director’s Diaries – Making the Pilot” with comments from Alex Graves, whose work I have generally admired. Finally, there is a brief look at “Cretaceous Life: The Dinosaurs of Terra Nova”, which should enlighten younger viewers who can’t get enough dinosaurs, and “Mysteries Explored”, delving into the less interest aspects of this failed series. Rounding things out is a gag reel.

A series with potential like this is all the more disappointing when it does not embrace its strengths in favor of a creator’s personal interests. Had Spielberg been more hands on, things might have turned out differently, but as it stands, the show is a mildly engaging misfire.

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