Tagged: review

It’s ‘TAKE YOUR KID TO WORK DAY’ on ALL PULP!!!

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  • November 28, 2010

A special feature today on ALL PULP!!!!  Today, reviews and other articles will be posted on ALL PULP throughout the day that are either written by, co-written by, or inspired by the juvenile offspring of the Spectacled Seven!!!  That’s right, kids are running up and down the halls of the ALL PULP sanctum, offering their opinions on tales told full of pulpy goodness!  You think kids don’t know pulp?   Well, after today, ALL PULP thinks you’ll learn that kids have much more exposure to this field we love than we think they do! 

To kick it off, here’s my review (stepping outside my book reviews for this one, folks) of WIZARD OF OZ, co written in interview style with my five year old angel, Kailee….Enjoy!

TIPPIN’ HANCOCK’S HAT
(with special guest tipper, Kailee Hancock)
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Directed by Victor Fleming
MGM, 1939

Pulp is an interesting genre. There are stories that fall definitely in the realm that anyone would call pulp. Then there are those that have hints of pulp in them, an aspect of the genre sorta slipped in for good measure, but don’t really meet the bar most fans set. Then there’s that third interesting creature, the tales that are pulpy from beginning to end, rifled with larger than life heroes, major action, and vile villains, but that somehow, largely due in part I think to when they originated and/or how they’re pigeonholed, don’t get seen as pulp.

With this being ‘Bring Your Kid to Work’ Day on ALL PULP, I thought I’d tackle one of these elusive Pulp chameleons, a wonderful cinematic action adventure tale that has masqueraded as family friendly kids fare for over seventy years. And to help represent that kid contingent, my five year old angel, Kailee, is my expert of reference on this movie gem. So through a series of questions and answers (with commentary by me afterward), I now present the review inspired and ‘written’ by Kailee Hancock of ‘The Wizard of Oz!’

AP- “Kailee, who’s the good guy, the main hero, in Wizard of Oz?”

KH- “Dorothy”

(Clearly little Ms. Gale is the central character and the hero of this movie. She doesn’t throw punches, only melodies, and carries no gat, just all the emotional encouragement you could stand. But she is the protagonist thrown into a situation that would cripple most normal people, I mean come on, her house falls ON a witch and that’s just the beginning! And she has an unimaginable quest to undertake in a land that before Baum brought it into reality was beyond most imaginations. So, Dorothy clearly qualifies as the hero of this tale.)

AP-”Kailee, does Dorothy have a sidekick or work with a team?”

KH- “Yup. Toto is her sidekick and Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly lion help her a lot.”

(Not only does this grand epic have a hero, but she has an assistant, a sidekick, a constant companion. And Toto is not just window dressing. Actually in the movie, Toto is sort of the impetus of the whole thing with his ongoing battle with Elmira Gulch kicking off the action. He also comes to Dorothy’s rescue by escaping the witch’s castle and going for help (He is even more active in the Baum books). And who does he go to for help. Why, Dorothy’s intrepid team of experts in their fields. Well, maybe not, but they are each representative of certain types of people and, even with their own weaknesses, show through as clear examples of what they are seeking-Intelligence, Emotion, and Courage. Clearly the Scarecrow, Tin Man, The Lion, and yes, even Toto qualify as a team as much as most other pulp combinations would!)

AP- “Kailee, who is the bad guy in ‘Wizard of Oz’ and why is she bad?”

KH -”The Witch and she’s bad because she wants the ruby slippers and her sister was killed by Dorothy’s house.”

(There are very few villains in literature and especially in movies that out villain the Wicked Witch of the West. She is green, ugly, and on many levels malevolently evil. She also, however, qualifies as a pulp villain on a couple of other levels. Her goal is Oz domination, to be all powerful in the land, and to that end she pursues the ruby slippers that Dorothy now has. Also, she is out for vengeance for an imagined wrong committed against her. Well, the house landing on her sister wasn’t imagined, but the fact that Dorothy somehow did it intentionally was. So we have a wild looking, evil villainess who seeks to seize control of her world and feels like she’s entitled because of something she thinks the heroine did to her. Yep, sounds like pulp to me.)

AP -”Dorothy is trying to do what in the movie? What is she trying to find? And once she finds it, what does she have to do?”

KH- “She wants to go home. The Wizard. He makes her go get the Witch’s broomstick.”

(Not only does Dorothy have her own personal quest, to get home, but she has to undertake a different one, to find the Wizard, to meet her own need. Along the way she picks up friends, enemies, and when she finally does locate the Great and Powerful Oz, the talking head gives her yet another, even more death defying mission to complete. I don’t think most pulp heroes have to complete THREE missions in their stories. Whew, give that girl a fedora.)

AP- “Are there weird creatures or monsters in ‘The Wizard of Oz’?”

KH- “Oh yeah! Munchkins, flying monkeys work for the Witch, trees in the woods whack at them. And then there’s a horse in the city that changes colors!”

(Fantastical beings, monsters hell-bent on the destruction of the heroine and serving the villainess blindly, and a tiny civilization living under the threat of a great evil….need I say more?)

AP- “Who wins in “The Wizard of Oz”? How does the good guy beat the bad guy?”

KH- “Dorothy! She melts the Witch with water!”

(Not only does the hero win, but the viewer is given a great climactic final confrontation scene where the villain is not simply beaten, but MELTED out of existence! And the hero doesn’t bring this end about intentionally, but out of a sense of trying to help the Witch, to save her life. Yeah, clearly defined good guy and obvious bad guy. To the end.)

Now, remember, this review is on the movie. We haven’t even addressed the multiple books Baum wrote in the ‘Oz’ series and the fact that although they didn’t appear in pulp magazines, they did appear as newspaper serials initially, sort of the precursor of pulp fiction.

So, you make the call. As for me and Kailee, “The Wizard of Oz” isn’t JUST a good kid and family movie.
It’s also one great pulp romp!

RATING-
As determined by Kailee, Five Tips of the Princess’ tiara-The best of the best for a five year old. Her dad has to agree.

Review: ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’

Let me start by telling you right off that I enjoyed watching [[[Scott Pilgrim vs.the World]]] because it was a visual delight with an appealing collection of performers. As other reviewers have noted, this film was the best feature to adapt the video game playing experience to the screen. Universal Pictures gets credit for giving the production crew the freedom to play with everything from their opening titles through the graphics and sound effects.

The movie, despite an aggressive and pervasive marketing campaign, crashed and burned in August and the answer to that disconnect may well be in the story and characters. At its core, Scott Pilgrim is a love story or a series of love stories but you are left to wonder what the attraction is.

Scott (Michael Cera) is a 22 year old slacker with no apparent profession, about to be tossed from the dingy apartment he shares with his best pal, the very gay Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin). Whenever he’s not aimlessly wandering about, he plays bass in the band Sex Bob-omb and is said to have gone through numerous girlfriends during his high school years but it’s been a year since his last major breakup. To compensate, he’s been chastely dating Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), a 17 year old high school student.  That is, until he spots the pink-haired Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) at a party.

Before even exchanging a hello, he has learned that the pretty girl has a powerful and somewhat awe-inspiring reputation. But here she is, living in Toronto and seemingly employed as a delivery person. He falls for her and she seems to blithely accept this and then comes the price to be paid for dating this woman. Scott must defeat Ramona’s seven deadly exes which forms the spine of the film set against a Battle of the Bands competition.

(more…)

Review: ‘Batman Beyond the Complete Series’

batman-beyond-complete-series1-4554306I admit to being leery when Warner Animation announced their plans to follow the  amazing [[[Batman the Animated Adventures]]] with a next generation hero called [[[Batman Beyond]]]. After all, it was a clear departure from the source material and there was no knowing how this would work.

As it turns out, there was little to fear. The series, which ran from January 1999 through December 2001, honored the past and showed us a future Gotham City that still needed a Dark Knight. Rather than just add wrinkles and gray hair to all the familiar figures, things have changed. Dick Grayson seems to be gone, Alfred and Jim Gordon are dead with Barbara Gordon now the police commissioner. And sitting in the gloom of Wayne Mansion is a still-angry, infirm Bruce Wayne.

He knows there’s work to be done and in time, targets teenager Terry McGuinness as his successor. The youth has just lost his father to violence and Wayne’s appeal sounds logical so he signs on to don a high-tech cowl, sans cape. With Wayne barking orders in his ear, Terry is the new Batman, instilling fear in the hearts of 21st century criminals.

The series lasted a strong 52 episodes plus spawned a direct-to-video film and the character wound up on other series such as [[[Static Shock]]] and was given an epilogue in episodes of [[[Justice League Unlimited]]]. There was even the tangentially-related spinoff [[[The Zeta Project]]].

Obviously the brain trust that included Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Dwayne McDuffie, and Glen Murakami rose to the occasion, taking everything they learned from their previous efforts and poured it into this series. The future was recognizable with sleeker architecture that cast new shadows on the city’s streets. The miniaturization and sophistication of the gear was not stretching the imagination and the new sorts of threats owe a nod to the rogues of the past but were fresh menaces.

Today, Warner Home Video has released the long–awaited [[[Batman Beyond the Complete Series]]] in a nifty box set. You get all three seasons of the series and the original extras plus a bonus disc. Tucked within the box is a nice 24-page booklet with character and set designs and some glimpses into the process. The box is slipped inside a plastic wrap that approximates animation cels and makes this a lovely package, perfect for the holiday season.

The episodes look great on DVD and the stories hold up after all these years.

There are three new featurettes all running about five minutes each, which looks back at the show’s origins and the thinking that went into the series’ design and architecture. You don’t learn a lot that’s new but the creators’ affection for Terry and his world is clear. There is also the 75th anniversary documentary [[[Secret Origin]]], which is nice but it would have been nicer to have the episodes and movie that Terry’s Batman appeared in, making this a real complete set.

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GUEST REVIEW OF THE WEEK! DR. HERMES RETURNS

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  • November 23, 2010

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From February 1975, this was adapted from Lee Falk’s original 1963 story by Warren Shanahan, who did a really good job with it, much better than most of the other books in the Avon series. THE ISLAND OF DOGS gives the Phantom a worthwhile challenge to face and presents a hero who is as impressive and competent as he should be portrayed. Unfortunately, as nice as George Wilson’s cover is, it does give away the story completely, spoiling any mystery about exactly what is going on upon the Island of Dogs. But the layout is so neat, leading your eye down in an S-shape to the title that it’s worth it.

One great thing about Shanahan’s work is that he takes the time and energy to present background information beyond the standard Phantom lore. The horrifying history of the Island of Dogs makes for three pages that will haunt you. It’s not strictly necessary to the story, but it adds ominous undertones. The same goes for the life stories of the main villain, General Serge, and the impudent heroine, Janice Helm– the background doesn’t go on for too long but it makes them more believable and increases the stakes.

Shanahan also handles the Phantom’s first action scene in a fascinating way. He treats the Ghost Who Walk’s handling of two gunmen as if discussing an athletic event on videotape, stopping to point out details and mention how remarkable the hero’s deeds are. This is so much more interesting than the usual “The Phantom hit the roughneck hard, and then turned to the other” stuff we too often get. I smiled at details such as the Phantom grabbing one thug by the shirt and then slugging him so hard that the shirt front rips off as the guy flies backwards.

One bit of Phantom mythology that always intrigues is the Sign of the Skull left on goons’ faces as they are punched by our hero. Twice, we are told here that these marks have been examined by forensic scientists, who are at a loss to explain the phenomenon. “..the marks are applied with tremendous force, much more than one man could exert, even a professional boxer.” Once it’s implied that it would take something like a pile driver to make a mark like that.

On the other hand (haw!), the Phantom also leaves his good mark with the left-hand ring, gently pressing it against the recipient’s wrist. He certainly doesn’t smash his ring against a child’s wrist with shattering impact.

In the interviews I’ve read with Lee Falk, he always just said that this is one of the Phantom’s mysteries and perhaps it’s best to leave it at that. But speculation is in my blood and I can’t help it. There could be some sort of caustic, acidic substance inside the hollow ring, cutting into skin through the sharp edges of the skull outline (or those crossed Ps or sabers on the other ring). These marks would then be not much a tattoo as a literal brand. In a real all-out brawl, if the Phantom felt it necessary to use both fists, he could either turn the lefthand ring around so its symbol was on the inside of his fist (although maybe then it would print the mark on the inside of his hand, so that might not work). Or perhaps the symbol on the rings can be twisted a half-turn to prevent the mark from being left, as certainly there must be times when the Ghost Who Slugs must be compelled to punch some misguided soul who doesn’t deserve being branded for life.

On second thought, Lee Falk knew what works. The marks left by the rings are best left a mystery.

GUEST REVIEW OF THE WEEK-Author Reviews ‘Masked Gun Mystery #1’!!

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  • November 18, 2010
Andrew Salmon-Reviewer/Award Winning Author

Pro Se’s Masked Gun Mystery Number One-UNMASKED!
Any pulp fan worth his or her salt knows that the pulps flourished for decades in magazine form before giving way to the booming paperback market after WW2. Thankfully we live in an era where classic pulp fiction is back with a vengeance and us pulp fans couldn’t be happier. Whether reprints of classic tales are your thing, or new pulp yarns from today’s top purveyors of purple prose, there’s one thing that’s been missing from this pulp resurgence: pulp magazines. Sure, online mags abound, but where are the new print magazines at these days?
Well, Pro Se Productions has answered that question with the launch of 3 new pulp magazines for today’s audience. One of these is Masked Gun Mystery, the first issue of which is the subject of this review.
The first issue of Masked Gun Mystery doesn’t mess around. You get an impressive 90 pages of pulp excitement in a well laid-out, large (8.5 X 11) format and features 8 mystery stories. There’s something for everyone here as the issue contains tales set in the modern day as well as the 1930s. Let’s break down each story.
The issue kicks off with “The Things He Leaves Behind” by Aric Mitchell. The tale deals with the tragic consequences of domestic violence and is a great kick off to the issue. Although I found the story overly long, the subject matter was handled well and the mystery kept me reading.
“Hello New Life, Hello Old” by Ken Janssens introduces us to reluctant private eye, Aloha McCoy. This tale is also set in the modern day and was entertaining start to finish. Plucky McCoy’s search for a missing rich-kid is memorable and the brisk pace of the tale makes it one of the standouts.
Aaron Smith’s “The Day He Found The Clown” is a nice change of pace from the first two tales which were longer yarns. Here we’ve got a former hockey player turned police detective on the trail of a clown’s murderer. Picard, saddled with celebrity from his playing days, is trying to embrace his new life dedicated to helping those in need. The dialogue is crisp and the action captivating in this one. Another standout.
“Dineena’s Dilemma” by Lee Huston, Jr. flings us into the future on an alien world where we meet private detective Hugh Monn. I found this tale to be low on plot but high on gadgetry. Flying cars, robots, alien life forms all contribute to an interesting and promising setting although the mystery itself is not all that mind-bending. There’s promise here and the tale, at a mere 9 pages, is a quick, somewhat enjoyable read.
Tommy Hancock checks in with a period piece set in 1929. “Murphy’s Wake” is a cop tale of corruption, vengeance and honor told in an offbeat, engaging style through the use of newspaper reports, journal entries and live action. The deft mixture of styles makes for a great read and the pacing is white hot.
It’s back to the modern day for C. William Russette’s “Demon Night” or is it “Dragon Night”? It’s listed as ‘Demon’ in the table of contents and ‘Dragon’ in the story itself. I really enjoyed this tale as it featured a very memorable protagonist and a set up that begs for future instalments. I don’t want to spoil any of the fun here by revealing too much. Let’s just say that the tale is a shoot-em-up you don’t want to miss.
There’s no way I can objectively review the next tale as it is my contribution to the issue. So I hope you’ll settle for a quick recap of the story’s plot. “Run” by Andrew Salmon is set just after the end of WW2 and tells the tale of recently discharged Clark Logan looking to put the horrors of war behind him. Instead he stumbles into a mess of trouble that has him running for his life from start to finish.
The issue closes with a trip back to 1989 courtesy of Robert E. Kennedy. “Crime Of The Arts, Part One” is this issue crowning glory. I ripped through this tale like it was nobody’s business and experienced intense aggravation (the good kind) when I got to the end. You see, it is the first part of a serial and a great one at that. Kennedy gives us a modern day pulp hero that is instantly relatable and likeable, a relatively modern day avenger bad guys do not want to mess with. This is a must read although you might want to wait until you have more instalments to read before scorching your eyes across this one lest you be left storming the Pro Se offices for Part Two.
And there you have it. For only $7.50, Masked Gun Mystery #1 is sure to satisfy even the most discerning pulp fan. With a great mix of vintage, modern and futuristic tales, every reader will have their favorite. The tales are trussed up with spot illustrations from artists Armando Rillo, Fernando Sosa, Peter Cooper and Fuller Bumpers. This first issue also sports a moody cover by John A. Palmer IV.
So do yourself a favor and experience pulps the way they began, as magazines. Masked Gun Mystery delivers, schweetheart.

Ron Fortier reviews a tale that may be ‘ a new kind of Pulp’!!

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  • November 18, 2010
PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier
KNIGHTS OF THE SALTIER
By William Speir
Eloquent Books
Release date – 24 July 2010
ISBN : 1609761561
ISBN : 978-1609761561
214 pages
Action – Adventure – Pulp
In the past five years, since I started to examine and review the pulp genre field, it soon became clear that there were only two really different types of pulp stories. The first is that of the lone avenger/vigilante who works outside the law to battle the bad guys. The second is the team approach wherein we are given a group of characters who act in unison to achieve the same noble goals. Generally, when reading a new pulp title, I can easily drop it into one of these two branches. It is not often that a book comes along that doesn’t fit in either of those molds as much a break them completely and provide us with a brand new spin on things. KNIGHTS OF THE SALTIER is such book and thus an eye opening pleasure for this reviewer. It is something new under the pulp umbrella and extremely well realized.

Secret fraternal organizations ala the Masons have been around for hundreds of years and have been the fodder for many a pulp adventure. From the Illuminati to the Harvard Skull and Crossbones club, the idea of a group working in the shadows to bring about political and social change has been a well worn plot device to entice paranoiac readers of every generation. What Saltier proposes in this, the first of a trilogy, is that a modern secret society has come into existence with the sole purpose of aiding the police in helping to bring criminals to justice. The group is based on the old English order of chivalry and its members, called Knights and Dames, take an oath of loyalty and secrecy to the group when being inducted. At one point in the story, the Grand Master explains to the protagonist that the only way the group can exist, per its own ideals of civilized jurisprudence is to support the legal system and never usurp the goals and authority of the police. To do so would make them no better than the people they investigate and capture. Their role is to gather evidence, behind the scenes, that will convict the law breakers, then apprehend them and deliver them, along with that data to the police.

Thus the public remains totally unaware of their existence and operations, continuing to believe that the established legal system works as it should. Thus the secrecy element is crucial as is their group loyalty. No single individual is unique or exceptional, each Knight and Dame is a vital component of the group. Which is why this particular concept is original to pulps and cleverly thought out. The philosophy behind the Knights of the Saltier (a symbolic cross shaped like the letter X) is central to the book’s plot and the hero’s reaction to it.

Tom Anderson is an ex-military engineer looking for a cause to give his life purpose. It isn’t enough to work, get paid and socialize with friends. Anderson, in part due to his inherent patriotism, believes he has more to give his country, but as a civilian is stymied in finding an answer to his moral quest. When he is approached by the Knights, he is reasonably suspicious of them and their stated mission. Most secret organizations are radical in nature, which is why the Knights’ tempered existence intrigues him and he ultimately comes to accept their offer. Once an active member of the Knights, Anderson also discovers the groups singular vulnerability, their exposure to the criminal world that they are helping the police combat.

When one of their members turns traitor and gives up the Knights to a brutal mob boss, Anderson and his new found brothers find themselves in a pitched battle for survival.
The repercussions are savage and their very struggle to survive challenges the Knights with their greatest dilemma of becoming the very things they abhor.

KNIGHTS OF THE SALTIER is a fascinating book. Speir’s writing is competent enough, although I hope as it matures; it will take on more color and verve that comes with confidence. I sense he is still feeling his way down this new literary path he’s taken on. I strongly recommend KNIGHTS OF THE SALTIER to all pulp fans. It’s not often we get something this original in the genre, don’t let it pass you by.

Review: ‘Sherlock’

It has been a very good year for producer Steven Moffat. He took over [[[Doctor Who]]], hired Matt Smith (after rejecting him for Watson) to replace the incredible David Tennant and kept the show high in the ratings. He has proven exceptionally versatile with the recent [[[Jekyll]]] miniseries, wrote the script for [[[The Adventures of Tintin]]] for Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg and now has updated [[[Sherlock Holmes]]].

Arthur Conan Doyle’s indelible detective has survived pastiche, parody, and endless retellings of the classic stories. Moffat and Mark Gatiss took all the trappings and characters bringing them to the 21st Century. Dr. John Watson arrives after a tour in Afghanistan (some things never change) and meets Holmes, moving in with him at 221B Baker Street. Instead of a journal, Watson blogs about their cases and marvels at Holmes’ disinterest in the extraneous, even things like who is the current Prime Minister.

Benedict Cumberbatch is a strong Holmes, with an intense gaze and unshakeable focus making him reminiscent of another famous figure who stands apart from humanity, a certain Spock. He’s fortunate to be matched with Martin Freeman’s even-keeled Watson. They make a very enjoyable duo.

His intellect needs to be constantly engaged or he fears slowly going mad, using Watson as his tether to the world he seeks to protect. Watson craves a normal life, dating Sarah (Zoe Telford), a doctor, and making a respectable living. As a consulting detective, Holmes continues to take on cases, earning him the respect of DI Lestrade (Rupert Graves).  The only downside to the updating is that by placing Holmes in 2010, it oddly echoes [[[Fox’s House]]], which is directly inspired by Holmes with both figures driven and detached from mankind.

The three episodes that aired on the BBC over the summer and just completed a run on PBS are now available on a two-disc set from Warner Home Video/BBC Video. The roughly 90 minute stories give all the characters plenty of room to breathe while letting Holmes investigate his mysteries. Behind all three is the invisible hand of Moriarity, who finally reveals himself in time for the finale. The good news is that a second season of three episodes will arrive in fall 2011.

The stories, including “A Study in Pink” written by Moffat, are involving and enjoyable, requiring you to keep up and pay attention. The discs are complemented by the original 60 minute pilot, which was produced in January 2009 and was so well received by the BBC that they ordered 90 minute shows requiring them to rework and reshoot the story. It’s an interesting comparison. There’s also a 32-minute behind-the-scenes look at production of the trio of stories which is interesting. You can watch “A Study in Pink” with commentary by Moffat, Gatiss and Sue Vertue, while Cumberbatch, Freeman and Gatiss can be heard during “[[[The Great Game]]]”.

Review: ‘V the Complete First Season’

Kenneth Johnson set out to produce a television miniseries with allegorical elements to the way humanity surrendered to the forceful appeal of the Third Reich – except for an underground resistance that proved to save the world for freedom. His initial[[[V]]] miniseries on NBC was filled with memorable characters, some spooky reveals and was quite effective. The sequel mini wasn’t bad but then Johnson was gone but NBC wanted a weekly series and that was a train wreck. Since then, Johnson and the networks have danced around reviving the story of humanity’s struggle to control its destiny in the face of overwhelming alien forces. When it was clear the creator wasn’t going to see things his way, he turned his premise into a turgid and frankly, not very good novel while Warner Bros. moved ahead without him and that may have been for the best.

Seeking other nifty genre properties to capitalize on the success of[[[Lost]]], ABC commissioned some fanciful stuff the audiences weren’t ready for ([[[Pushing Daisies]]],[[[ Eli Stone]]]) and then tried closer copies ([[[The Nine]]]) and finally turned to fiction (FlashForward). All along, it toyed with V; developing it slowly until finally committing to a half-season’s worth of episodes to see what might work. Last fall, we got the first four episodes, got hooked, and then had to wait until the spring for the rest. By then, we got restless and decided what we got may not have been worth waiting for. Still, when it was time to commit for the current season, ABC chose V, which seemed to hold more promise, than [[[FlashForward]]] which never should have been an open-ended series to begin with.

The second season was to begin this month, hence the current release of the first season from Warner Home Video. Instead, the alphabet network delayed the show until January 4. So, we have all holiday season to renew our acquaintances with the current Visitors and get ready for what is being promised as higher stakes and a faster pace.

The show is a delight to look at, with that high sheen and gloss you expect from prime time. The alien ships are vast, spacious, and gleaming with chrome and polish. The lizard-like humanoids are disguised as uniformly attractive humans, making them appealing to a world that cautiously seems to welcome them.

They’re here for a reason and we don’t know it. But whatever they want, they want it badly given the size and scope of the forces brought from their homeworld to Earth. And, unlike the original incarnation, they’ve been infiltrating humanity for years. This is perhaps the best alteration to the original followed by shifting the fascist themes to more contemporary concerns, although it doesn’t strike me as mirroring the Obama administration as Slate has suggested. Largely because humanity doesn’t have an Obama-like figure to rally around. Instead, the scrappy resistance is led by the wonderful Elizabeth Mitchell as an FBI agent and mother, whose teen son can’t seem to think straight (and who can blame him with the seductive Laura Vandervoort revving up his hormones?).

Since we don’t fully understand their level of technology or their need for Earth, the story feels murky and the pacing doesn’t service the growing ensemble all that well, which may also be attributable to the behind-the-scenes politics which saw showrunners come and go. The core cast grows a bit when Anna’s mother arrives this season in the form of Jane Badler, a holdover from the original and a nice way to acknowledge the first series. And where Mitchell is passionate and tenacity, Morena Baccarin’s Anna is cool, calculating and quite deadly.

The box set contains the entire 12 episode first season along with commentary on episode eleven from executive producers Steve Pearlman and Scott Rosenbaum. There are also 17 minutes’ worth of deleted scenes, none of which are sorely missed but all welcome as they fill in some gaps. You get another 17 minutes with The Actor’s Journey from Human to V as the cast discuss the original series and compare it with the version they’re working on. Better, and again at 17 minutes, is Breaking Story: The World of V, where Rosenbaum and some of the production crew discuss how they craft the episodes, a nice glimpse into the writers’ room. An Alien in Human Skin: The Makeup FX of V, a mere 12 minutes, looks at the current state of television makeup effects while The Visual Effects of V is an engaging 16 minute piece on the associated visuals.

If you like the premise or the cast or missed the show and want to see for yourself, this is a handsome, solid package.

CASING THE CON-Convention Reports and Reviews by Bobby Nash

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  • November 11, 2010

Convention Review: Memphis Comic And Fantasy Convention

On November 5 – 6, 2010 I was proud to be one of the guests on hand for the first Memphis Comic And Fantasy Convention in Memphis Tennessee. First year conventions are always a mystery when deciding whether to do the show as a guest. Like most first time shows, this one had a few first year bugs to work out, but they were minor. The guest list was impressive and I had a wonderful time. The set up was well done although I would have preferred to see more events happening in the main hall of the Cook Convention Center. Along with the open main hall there was a dealer’s room, artist alley (where I was set up), and a panel room.

The convention was very family friendly and I was excited to see a lot of kids on hand. Which brings me to the highlight of my weekend. The show opened to the public at 1 p.m. on Friday. However, before that, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. the convention, in conjunction with local schools brought kids to the show on a field trip. There were Q & A sessions with actors, artists, and writers as well as demonstrations, cartoons, video games, movies, and costumed heroes and villains all signing autographs. I was excited to see all of the kids on hand. Not only was their enthusiasm infectious, but it was great to see them looking over the comic books and art. If I had known about the field trip beforehand I would have made sure to bring some Life In The Faster Lane cards to pass out. Still, everyone who stopped by my table got a Lance Star: Sky Ranger postcard, which the kids seemed to enjoy.

Guests for the weekend included Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Denise Crosby, wrestler and comic book artist Jerry (The King) Lawler, Actor and comic book artist Arne Starr, along with artists such as Billy Tackett, Martheus Wade, Gary Friedrich, Mitch Brietwiester, Jason Craig, Mitch Foust, and more. Also on hand were writers like myself, Sean Taylor, Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, and more.

I had a great time at the first Memphis Comic And Fantasy Convention. I certainly hope there is a second show in 2011 and that they invite me back again. You can learn more about the convention at http://www.memphiscfc.com/. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=573923&id=625160511&l=b22ef141ce (photos can be viewed even if you don’t have a Facebook account).

Photos from the weekend can be found on my Facebook page at
Bobby

Bobby Nash, conventions, Memphis Comic And Fantasy Convention, Memphis, Tennessee

GUEST REVIEW THIS WEEK FROM PERCIVAL CONSTANTINE!!

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  • November 10, 2010

Percival Constantine http://percivalconstantine.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/dracula-lives/

 

Dracula Lives!

25 10 2010


I’m going to admit something here and now, something which I’m sure my fellow horror fans will probably want to flay me alive for even thinking, let alone giving voice to:
I’m not a fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.


I’m not sure what it is, but something about the book just doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve tried reading it a few times and each time I do, I just can’t get into it (although interestingly enough, the other horror classic, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, is in my eyes one of the greatest books ever written).


But that’s quite different from the character of Dracula. I love the character of Dracula, I just don’t care much for his first outing. He is, without a doubt, one of the best villains ever created. So popular that even now, over a century after his creation, he still manages to raise hairs on the back of your neck. That’s nothing to scoff at.


One of the best things about Dracula is also one of the worst. Since Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in the public domain, anyone can use one of literature’s greatest villains in their story. The downside to this is that…well, anyone can use one of literature’s greatest villains in their story. This has led to some truly awful renditions of the character (if you’ve seen Dracula 2000 or Blade: Trinity, you know what I’m talking about).


Dracula has transcended the medium of literature. He’s been depicted in film, television, comic books, video games, stage (including a puppet musical in Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and so on. There are some very iconic Dracula renditions, my personal favorite being Christopher Lee’s portrayal in the classic Hammer films.


Of course, this is all just rambling and for that I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be talking about Joshua Reynolds’ latest book, Dracula Lives! And I should devote some time to it, because remember how I mentioned lesser writers who completely abused Dracula’s character?
Josh isn’t one of those guys.


Josh’s Dracula is menacing, imposing, monstrously vicious and savage, but also with a certain charm and elegance. And the amazing thing about Dracula Lives? For the most part, Dracula’s not in it. He remains an imposing figure in the background, and the build-up and tension to his first appearance is handled with masterful subtlety and suspense. By the time Dracula does show his face, you might think it’d be a let-down. But no, not at all — Dracula’s debut in this novel is well-worth the wait.


Of course, you won’t be doing much waiting. The book’s not very long and there’s plenty to keep you entertained up until the titular character stands revealed. Dracula’s been portrayed in gothic romances, slasher flicks, comedies, but it’s not often you see him in a tale of espionage and mystery. And that’s exactly what this is — an espionage thriller, complete with backstabs, shady characters from shady organizations, and some femme fatales for added bonus.


The book centers around an assassin named Jonas Cream. And if you’re like me, you may have chuckled a little when you first read that name. But fortunately, Josh doesn’t give you much time to mock the character and quickly, you’re shown that Cream is the kind of guy you don’t want to mess around with. Unless of course you’re part of one of the shady organizations pulling his strings or trying to kill him.


The thrills never let up, and the veil of mystery over why Cream is so important to these people is handled masterfully. But even better than that, even better than Cream’s development through the book, is the growing menace that casts a shadow over every page. So by the time the last page hits, you are left dumbfounded.


This is only the first of a series of Dracula novels Josh is working on. The second one is titled Dracula Unbound! which if the preview at the end of this book is any indication, hopefully won’t be too far off.


180 pages, available from Pulpwork Press
 

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