Jr. | ComicMix

REVIEW: Dick Tracy

Reviews
December 10, 2012

Today, comic book fans may recall Warren Beatty’s adaptation of Dick Tracy as a memorable misfire. When it was released in 1990, it was met with, at best, mixed reviews and while it performed respectably at the box office, missed Walt Disney’s estimates so the hoped for franchise was stillborn. Blame could be squarely placed at Beatty’s feet since he had a strangle hold on the film as its director, producer, and star. It got so crazy that poor Kyle Baker had to use only three approved head shots for the 64-page comics adaptation, which stretched even his considerable skills.

We have a great opportunity to reconsider this film now that Disney is releasing it tomorrow on Blu-ray. One of the things about the production is that Beatty wanted to recreate Chester Gould’s strip as faithfully as possible, which meant he limited the color palette to a mere seven colors, predominantly red, blue, yellow, and green – all the same shade. Surrounding himself with a veteran crew consisting of production designer Richard Sylbert, set decorator Rick Simpson, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, visual effects supervisors Michael Lloyd and Harrison Ellenshaw, and costume designer Milena Canonero, Beatty got the best looking film possible. The translation was so faithful that mainstream audiences took issue with the look.

What Beatty seemed to forget is that adapting from one medium to another requires certain accommodations and this experiment just didn’t work. In vibrant Blu-ray, after a digital restoration, its sharply garish and not necessarily for the better. What did adapt better were the makeup designs that replicated the grotesque Gould rogues gallery thanks to the ministrations of prosthetic makeup designers John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler.

Only someone as major as Beatty could have corralled the roster of stars to don the latex, including Dustin Hoffman (Mumbles), William Forsythe (Flattop), James Tolkan (Numbers), Mandy Patinkin (88 Keys), R. G. Armstrong (Pruneface), Henry Silva (Influence), Paul Sorvino (Lips Manlis), James Caan (Spuds Spaldoni), Catherine O’Hara (Texie Garcia), and Robert Beecher as (Ribs Mocca). In fact, there are probably half-a-dozen too many of Gould’s creations in the mix, diluting the impact of any one foe especially when they were all under the influence of Al Pacino’s Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice.

On the side of good there’s Glenne Headly as Tracy’s longtime love, Tess Trueheart; Charlie Korsmo as The Kid, Charles Durning as Chief Brandon, and Dick Van Dyke as District Attorney John Fletcher. Headly’s little girl voice has always annoyed me and she really didn’t have much to do, which meant she was easily eclipsed by the film’s real femme fatale: Madonna as Breathless Mahoney.

The script from Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. is remarkably faithful to the golden era of the strip, with the blood-soaked streets of the big city, and a cops and robbers vibe. The main story involves the Kid witnessing a mob hit from some of Big Boy’s enforcers and the crime lord wants him silenced before a possible trial. And Breathless is the only witness to a kidnapping so Tracy spends quality time with her, where she does her best to seduce the square-jawed hero. And pulling the strings from the shadows is a criminal known only as The Blank, whose true identity is revealed late in the film and may surprise a handful of viewers.

The movie crackles along but even in the rewatching, just lacks a vital spark to make us care or cheer. The story and performances almost take themselves too seriously and when set against the uniquely colorful setting is more jarring than anything else. It’s not a bad film in the end, just not a very exciting one.

The digital restoration needs to be seen to be appreciated and Disney did a lovely job, The Blu-ray comes with a digital copy but neglects to include any extras to strongly recommend its acquisition.

Bond 50 Brings 007 to Blu-ray in 23 disc Box Set

News
May 26, 2012

We cannot begin to tell you how excited we are that this collection will be out in time for the holiday shopping season. An amazing adrenaline-fueled time capsule, it will give James Bond fans a treat as all their favorite actors, stunts, gadgets, and Bond Girls are in high definition in a complete set. Given the excitement earlier this week when the Skyfall trailer hit, it’s clear the appetitie for 007 has yet to wane. Here are the official press release details:

All the Bonds. All the girls. All the action. All in high-definition. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment mark James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary with the release of BOND 50, the complete Bond experience showcasing all 22 classic films on Blu-ray together for the first time ever, neatly packaged into one cool, sleek collectable box-set. The collection will be available beginning September 24 in the United Kingdom and September 25 in North America with additional international markets to follow that week. BOND 50 marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray and comes with a dossier of more than 122 hours of bonus features.

Set for release just prior to the theatrical premiere of SKYFALL, BOND 50 will offer a look at the latest Bond film through videoblogs shot with the cast and crew. The BOND 50 collection also provides two all-new pieces that spotlight the history of 007. “The World of Bond” takes a look at the style and attitude that is signature to Bond; pulling together the cars, the women, the villains and the music that have been a staple of these films for the past 50 years. “Being Bond” profiles the six distinguished actors that have had the honor of portraying 007.

“We have a whole program of exciting activities planned for our 50th anniversary year, beginning with today’s announcement, by Fox, of the release of all 22 films on Blu-ray for the very first time,’’ added Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, with Eon Productions. “We are also delighted that Fox has unveiled a specially designed anniversary poster which we hope the fans will love as much as we do. Our website, 007.com will be regularly updated with all the latest anniversary news and events.” (more…)

Derrick Ferguson Hires HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE

News
November 9, 2011

Publication Date: Oct 27 2011

ISBN/EAN13: 1466481900 / 9781466481909

Page Count: 184

Binding Type: US Trade Paper

Trim Size: 6″ x 9″

Language: English

Color: Black and White

Related Categories: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Short Stories

The hard-boiled private eye genre is one I dearly love. The trench-coated shamus with a cigarette dangling from his lip, .45 automatic or .38 revolver in a well-worn shoulder holster, fedora pulled down low over his forehead, the faithful gum-chewing secretary and even more faithful fifth of scotch in the desk drawer…it’s a genre I never get enough of. And since television and movies have apparently abandoned the P.I. it’s up to writers like Lee Houston, Jr. and books like HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE to give me my fix.

Let me explain; even though Hugh Monn lives and works on the far distant planet of Frontera interacting with many different species and using advanced technology, the tone and feel of the character and the eight stories in the book are pure 1950’s. Lee drops in a mention here and there of some bit of sci-fi such as a character having green or purple skin or Hugh’s weapon of choice being a Nuke 653 Rechargeable but that’s just throwaways Lee lobs at us once in a while to remind us that we’re not on Earth. But he doesn’t go into any real detail as to how this future civilization operates or how the technology works. When the subject of detective stories crossed with science fiction comes up, I usually mention Larry Niven’s stories and novels about Gil The Arm or Roger Zelazny’s “My Name Is Legion” since in those stories, the science fiction is integral to the story. Take out the science fiction and you wouldn’t have a story. Not so with Lee’s Hugh Monn stories. They could easily have been set in 1950’s Los Angeles or New York with a little rewriting. But I digress…let’s take HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE for what it is, not for what it isn’t.

Hugh Monn is a Human and yes, he freely admits to his clients that his name is a gag. But one he prefers to use as he’s got some pretty big secrets in his past he’d prefer to keep to himself. As a detective, Hugh is capable, sharp, principled and dogged in his determination to solve his cases and get to the truth. Hugh isn’t a pain-in-the-ass who rebels against authority and isn’t a lone wolf who doesn’t play by the rules. Matter of fact, Hugh conducts himself as a total professional. He doesn’t shoot when he doesn’t have to, he’s polite to everybody he meets and he co-operates with the authorities. In particular, Lawbot 714 who he runs into in a couple of stories and who I wouldn’t mind seeing become a regular if Lee gives us more Hugh Monn cases. He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, he likes kids; he holds open the doors for old ladies. I think you can tell where I’m going with this. Hugh’s a fine detective but as a character I found myself wishing that once in a while he’d haul off and slug a suspect for no good reason other than he doesn’t like the fact the guy has eight eyes. Hugh could stand to be a little rougher and not so polite.

The story “Shortages” is a good example of how Hugh Monn solves a case using his understanding of both humans and aliens and his powers of observation. It also introduces the character of Big Louie, a Primoid. Big Louie is the main suspect in a series of thefts being committed at a high security pier. It’s a pretty good locked room mystery and the relationship between Hugh and Big Louie is the primary attraction in this story, as in “At What Price Gloria?” Hugh and Big Louie have to rescue Big Louie’s wife Gloria and stop an assassination attempt. I only wish more of the stories had been as suspenseful as this one. In some of them, the mystery really isn’t that hard to figure out as there’s a lack of suspects so the solution comes down to either being this one or that one. And I never got a sense of Hugh being in any real danger in any of these stories. But Lee should be commended for trying different types of stories such as “For The Benefit of Master Tyke” which hinges more on the healing of a family than the solving of any real crime. I picked up halfway through “Where Can I Get A Witness?” is intended as a homage to the 1944 film noir “Laura” and I enjoyed it until the very last paragraph where it felt to me as if the writer had stepped in to give his opinion of his own story and didn’t allow his character to do so.

So should you read HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE? As a first book from a new writer, I’m inclined to give Lee a pat on the back. There’s a lot to like in his writing style. He does know how to keep a story moving but he shouldn’t shy away from rolling in the dirt and giving his characters some sharp edges. I wouldn’t mind seeing Hugh Monn tackle some more cases but I also wouldn’t mind seeing Lee Houston, Jr. strip away the political correctness and explore the real darkness of Frontera.

HANCOCK TIPS HIS HAT TO A TOME ON THE SHADOW!!

News
June 23, 2011

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT-Reviews of All Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock

THE SHADOW-The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954
Written by Martin Grams, Jr.
Published by OTR Publishing
2011
830 pages

Reviewing Pulp is fun. Reading a story full of derring do and dastardly do badders is invigorating. Tackling a novel with larger than life heroes and plots that boggle the mind and senses makes me eager to pick up the next one and share with the world what I think. I think the process of reviewing, of sharing insight and opinion on anything has to be, at its basis, fun for the reviewer. Many would think, then, that tackling a book that is nonfiction, historical, and full of facts and such would be boring for a Pulp reviewer. Maybe so.

But not this book. Wow.

THE SHADOW-The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954, written by Martin Grams, Jr. opens with both of those on the first page-history and mystery. Welcoming the reader in with opening paragraphs that could well be the lead in of a pulp story in any magazine or collection, Grams takes what some might consider mundane information only for the most die hard of radio and/or Shadow fans and makes this entire work a sprawling, epic narrative bulging not only with what happened, but why things happened and who was involved. Grams tackles the variety of personalities involved in the development of the Shadow radio program and injects the feats and fallacies of all involved into every page.

This book is exactly what the title states, an extremely complex and comprehensive history of the phenomenon that was the long running SHADOW radio program. Grams starts with the origins of the character as a narrator for pulp tales and step by step takes the reader through the growth spurts and growing pains of the program that truly made The Shadow a part of the modern pantheon of American heroes. Although one would think that there would be urges to devote a lot of space to Orson Welles’ time on the program or to the intricacies and involvement of Street and Smith, Grams not only gives those and other well known aspects of this history their due, but he brings into light so many, one would daresay every aspect of this show and then does something even more startling. He makes every bit of it interesting, from the details about all the creative minds involved to the advertising to the effect that this program had on the industry and society alike.

One stand out section of this fantastic work is the episode guide. Grams is meticulous in not only describing the episode, but the way his guide is constructed lets you know not only where everything fits in continuity, but also gives you a sense of the impact of many of the episodes. This is not simply a reprinting or even a presentation of a new broadcast log or notes taken on each episode. Grams did a truly masterful job of providing information that was simultaneously educational and gratifying in this well done blow by blow episode guide.

THE SHADOW-The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954 is a must read for so many people-For the die hard pulp fan; for the Shadow fan; for the reader interested in OTR; for students of American culture; for the casual reader who wants to be exposed to multiple interests all at once; and probably several others I’m forgetting. This may sit on shelves as a reference or research book, which it is, but it is also highly entertaining and engaging.

FIVE OUT FIVE TIPS OF HANCOCK’S HAT-The Shadow may know what evil lurks in the hearts of men, but nobody knows the Shadow radio program and its history like Martin Grams, Jr.

PULPS!-Second Column from Mark Halegua!

News
June 14, 2011

PULPS!- A Column by Mark Halegua

Continuing from the previous column-

During the next six years from 1917 through 1923 there was a further explosion in titles and publishers.

The titles ranged from short runs like Thrill Book, to long running weekly titles like Western Story, both by Street and Smith. Western Story was the first all western title, renamed from a nickel paper, New Buffalo Bill Weekly. For most of 20 years it was published weekly. Street and Smith also published Love Story (another weekly) and Sport Story (twice a month for a long period).

Other important and long running titles in this period include Ace High (which later become Ace High Western), Action Stories, Black Mask, and Weird Tales.

The latter two were never best selling titles. Weird Tales in fact, by many accounts, was hanging on by the skin of its teeth with bankruptcy never far from the door.

But, they were important far beyond their sales for what they published. They were important for their impact on the pulps and later popular literature, for the authors and artists they introduced and the style of writing.

Initially Black Mask was created to help pay for another magazine with poor sales figures, The Smart Set – which was supposed to compete with the New Yorker. It wasn’t making money, but it was a prestigious title and so H. L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan decided to try publishing a pulp to help pay the bills. This wasn’t their first, having published Parisienne and Saucy Stories.

From the beginning Black Mask was a general fiction title. One of many in the period. It advertised on its covers Detective, Adventure, Mystery, Romance, and Occult stories. Early issues also published westerns. The quality of these early issues wasn’t high but they sold the title for a huge profit from their initial investment.

Still, it took the new publishers a couple of years before an editor took over who changed the face of the magazine and crime fiction forever. Joseph “Cap” Shaw took over the reins in 1926 and decided that crime fiction should fit the times, gritty, direct, and powerful. He was also in favor of justice and depicting criminals as cowardly and no account.

Even at this stage of the pulps, entering their third decade, crime fiction was still somewhat laid back. No longer the drawing room mysteries of years earlier, but relatively soft. Yes, you had gun battles, Private Investigators, police, criminals, but it was still didn’t have the hard edge, the punch it would have under the new editorship.

Under Cap Shaw that punch was delivered. The stories started at a 60 miles per hour pace and just revved up, non-stop. Shaw also realized Black Mask couldn’t compete as a general fiction magazine against such titles as Argosy, Adventure, Blue Book, and Short Stories, among others. Black Mask had to concentrate on detective stories. It took awhile, but eventually detective was all it published.

In 1923 Carroll John Daly wrote his first story for Black Mask, titled “Three Gun Terry,” about private investigator Terry Mack. He would write later stories about Race Williams. Williams wasn’t the first detective, but he was an uneducated, rough talking, rough acting individual, and always with something to say. He was a street fighter and used his gun without compunction or remorse. If he thought you deserved a bullet in the brain, you got it.

A year before Daly introduced Race Williams one-time Pinkerton agent, Dashiel Hammett, wrote about the Continental Op. You never knew his name. This first story, “The Road Home” appeared in the December 1922 issue of Black Mask under the name Peter Collinson. In December 1923 Earle Stanley Gardner’s first story appeared, “The Shrieking Skeleton,” under the pen name of Charles M. Green. Gardner would later leave the Black Mask stable as he chaffed under the constant editorial hand of Shaw trying to shape all of his writers after Hammett. In 1933 Raymond Chandler joined the pulp.

And so, with these and other authors, was born the hard boiled detective!

For 10 years Cap Shaw helmed Black Mask, and circulation grew. Never a best selling title but one with great respect accorded to it. How could it not with stories like the Maltese Falcon?

In 1923 Weird Tales entered the picture. This was the first all fantasy and horror title. Over its 30 year history it would change physical formats from pulp to bedsheet back to pulp and, finally, near the end in the 50s digest.

During those 30 years Harry Houdini, H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Seabury Quinn, Robert E. Howard, Edmond Hamilton, Robert Bloch, and many others, including Tennessee Williams first story (“The Vengeance of Nitocris”) would grace the pages with characters from Cthulu, Conan, King Kull, Jules De Grandin, Dr. Satan, and more.

Covers were done by J. Allen St. John, Margaret Brundage, Virgil Finlay, Hannes Bok, and others, these being the most notable. Brundage’s covers included whipping nude or semi-nude nubile young women. Rumor has it she used her daughter as a model, and many decried the covers which, of course, brought more attention and more sales.

Never a best selling title, always on the verge of bankruptcy, its impact resonated beyond the pulp world. One story, by C. M. Eddy, Jr., included necrophilia and forced the magazine’s removal from some newsstands. But, it also drew interest and sold well enough to stave off the bank.

There have been several attempts to revive Weird Tales after its original run ended in 1954 and there is one now been out for a couple of years. If you’re interested in this number of current writers (Stephen King for one) have written for it. Go to: http://weirdtalesmagazine.com

Otto Penzler has edited a huge (over 1,100 pages) compendium of Black Mask stories in the Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask.

This book includes the original Maltese Falcon story, the first time seeing publication since its original Black Mask publication, it having been modified since that original printing.

Authors include Carroll John Daly and his Race Williams (against the KKK no less), Earle Stanley Gardner, Richard Sale, Raoul Whitfield, Dashiel Hammet (as Peter Collinson), Fredric Brown, and more. All the stories come with the original illustrations.

You can find this book at most bookstores and on Amazon.

All of the images are from my Pulp Image Library version 7 disk, on sale at pulps1st.com.

News
June 14, 2011

Second All Pulp Blog

History of the Pulps part 4

June 2, 2011

by Mark S. Halegua