October Newsletter

     It’s October. Fall has fallen, the nights get a slight chill to them, hopefully you’ve paid your rent. The leaves will be changing soon and then things will really start to cool down. This is the time when filmmakers are running around from location to location trying to finish their exteriors so everything will still match.

     I feel like movies are my topic of the month. I’m currently involved with a production that has an opportunity to pitch the project to The Duplass Brothers. If you’re not familiar with their work, check out Baghead or Safety Not Guaranteed, they work a lot in the indy comedy genre. How would you like to bask in that warm glow of being a supporter of the arts? What if I told you that it would not cost you a cent? That’s right, send no money, that’s not what I’m here for. What I need from you is the click of a button. Part of the contest is to generate followers. If we can get people to follow the project then they take us seriously. The favor I have to ask of you is to go to www.seedandspark.com/fund/thewayitgoes and click on the “Follow” button. That’s it. It takes about 85 seconds out of your life. It’ll make you feel good and you’ll have some thankful people singing your praises.

     When I haven’t been working on The Way It Goes, I’ve been editing Order 86. I’m feeling good about the work we’ve put in on it. It’s been an intermittent project for a while but we’ve been really taking care of business the last couple of weeks. We still have some sound work to do but the rest is shaping up nicely. With a bit of luck, it could be in a theater near you by next year. And then we can focus on the next project…

     A quick plug for the live stage- if you haven’t made it out yet to see Antigone of Men In Boats, make that happen soon, they’ll be closing and you’ll miss out.

     Looking for a good book? I’ve found a few that you might want to check out-

Worth Dying For by Lee Child- Picking up after 61 Hours, Jack Reacher is passing through a small town in Nebraska where he winds up on the bad side of the local power structure after responding to a plea for help. With half of the county hunting for him and the other half too scared to help him, Reacher finds himself stuck in the middle with only himself to rely on. Sometimes those aren’t such bad odds. If you enjoyed 61 Hours then check this one out.

The Affair by Lee Child- Child went back on the timeline for this one. It’s 1997 and Jack Reacher is a major again. There has been a murder committed in Alabama that may involve a secret Ranger detachment stationed there. The locals can’t investigate base personnel so the army sends down a special investigator. Just to cover the bases, Reacher gets sent down undercover to follow the civilian investigation. If you’ve never read any of Child’s books before, this might be a good place to start. If you have, this is still a fun read that doesn’t feel like you’re being pandered to.

A Wanted Man by Lee Child- Spoiler Alert-Jack Reacher lives at the end of Worth Dying For. Okay, now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can tell you about the book. At the end of Worth Dying For, he gets a ride to a crossroads where he sticks out his thumb and ends up getting a ride in a stolen car with two guys who are wanted by the F.B.I. Remember when your mother told you not to accept rides from strangers? Read this and find out what can happen when you don’t listen to good advice.

Never Go Back by Lee Child- Reacher finally gets to Virginia and he finally gets to put a face to the voice on the phone. Unfortunately, things are never as easy as they seem in Reacher’s life. He’s been recalled into the army as he’s facing a 16 year old murder charge and a 14 year old paternity suit and the voice on the phone, Susan Turner, she’s in jail with him on a bribery charge. Things only go downhill from there. For the most part, Child writes these books in an episodic fashion but, obviously, he’s had a running plot device since 61 Hours so, if you’ve enjoyed the last three books, you might as well complete the quartet. The book is really good and after reading it I can understand why people didn’t like the movie.

Deliverance by James Dickey- It feels like I’m just reading series lately so, just to take a break, I finally picked up this American classic of four friends who start out taking a canoe trip down a river about to be dammed up and find themselves paddling through the heart of darkness. It gets a little heavy in places but still worth your time. If you’re in the mood to look behind the curtain, Burt Reynolds was in the movie adaptation and he has some choice recollections of Dickey on location in his book, But Enough About Me.

The Removers by Donald Hamilton- Matt Helm tries to take a vacation to Reno, Nevada to visit his kids. There’s no such thing as a vacation when you’re in a secret government organization. This is the third book in the series and I will say that if you didn’t quite enjoy The Wrecking Crew as much as you thought you would, give this one a look. Hamilton seems to have his mojo working again in this story.

Created, The Destroyer by Richard Sapir & Warren Murphy- I’ve been looking for this book since 1985 and I finally found it! The best part- I wasn’t disappointed. It’s not ground breaking literature or anything like that but , considering that it’s an adventure series from 1971, I found it to be pretty fun. If you can track it down, definitely give it a look. The storyline deals with a man who gets recruited into a secret government agency to become the ultimate assassin. Like I said, it’s fun.

     I’ve been busy with making movies so I haven’t been watching too many of them but, here are a few recommendations-

Death Note- If the title sounds familiar, it’s because this movie is a live action remake of a Japanimation series. The story deals with a death demon who gets bored and releases a notebook on Earth. Whoever possesses the notebook has the power of death, all you have to do is write somebody’s name in it and how they die and it comes true. A high school boy finds the notebook and problems soon find him. I liked the movie, if I were in high school I would’ve probably loved the movie. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the series  but I’m not that into Japanimation to find out. Both are currently playing on Netflix, watch for yourself and be the judge.

The Devil’s Candy- I’m not usually a fan of possession films but this one is kind of cool. If you can overlook the last five minutes, it’s really cool. The visuals are amazing and the story holds your interest for the hour and nineteen minute run time but by the end you just feel like you’ve coasted to a stop with no real payoff. Without giving anything away, I’m going to make a suggestion to help you enjoy the movie. There Is a scene where the staircase is on fire-stop the movie when you reach this point. Whatever your imagination fills in will be amazing and you will enjoy the movie more.

The Double- Richard Gere stars in this spy vs. spy thriller about a retired C.I.A. operative who’s being brought out of retirement to help find an assassin that everybody thought was dead. It’s a lot different from Invasion U.S.A. than I make it sound, it’s just hard to say too much without giving a lot away. It’s not great but it is worth a look.

Dressed To Kill- The title has been recycled a few times but this movie is from 1941 and stars Lloyd Noland as Michael Shayne. Surprisingly, it’s not based off of a Bret Halliday novel but a Richard Burke novel instead. I guess Shayne had a bigger following than Quinny Hite. It’s okay. It’s only an hour and thirteen minutes long so by the time you get bored with it, the credits are rolling. If you want some good Mike Shayne, read the Halliday novels.

Everly- This movie stars Selma Hayek, is very good and currently on Netflix. That’s all I’m going to tell you about it. Watch it now!

Repo Man- Alex Cox’s 1984 sci-fi/comedy opus was played on the big screen at a local theater. It was already on the calendar before we lost Harry Dean Stanton but, fittingly, it turned into the tribute showing and there were interview clips played and a moment of silence before the feature. Seeing it on the big screen is always a great time but having the memorial beforehand really completed the experience. If you haven’t seen it in a while, go check it out, it’ll be an intense experience.

     Finally, for the t.v. watchers, I have a couple of things I’ve been watching during mealtime-

The Andy Griffith Show season 3- It’s hard to believe that so much happens in a small town where the sidewalks roll up at 8 and the jail closes on Sunday. This season we meet the pump jockey at Wally’s Filling Station, Gomer Pyle, and then there’s everybody’s favorite musical mountain family, The Darlings. This was also the introduction to Ernest T. Bass as he protests Charlene Darlings wedding. If you enjoyed the first two seasons, you’ll like this one.

The Andy Griffith Show season 4- The Darlings are back, Ernest T. Bass is back and Gomer leaves, giving up his job to his cousin Goober. It kind of feels like they originally intended to spin-off Ernest T. but then went with Gomer instead. Another season of small town shenanigans that ends with Gomer joining the Marines. A spin-off from a spin-off is born and Danny Thomas has another hot property on his hands. It’s still fun so if you enjoy season 3, keep going.

Doctor Who series 9- Peter Capaldi enjoys his second season at the helm of the T.A.R.D.I.S. but this may be the end of The Impossible Girl. Want to know more? You’ll just have to watch the show.

     That’s all I have for this month. Tune in next time to see how far along I am on the movies and maybe I’ll watch a few more. With the holiday season coming up, it’s time to dust off my slasher collection and maybe find some other new classics to pass along. 

September Newsletter

     It’s hard to believe it’s already September. The summer has just flown by. Some of you are probably happy about it because it means that your kids get out from under foot and back in school. Personally, it just means that colder weather is on the way. Oh well, I can’t stop it so I’ll just wait until it gets here to start complaining about it.

     Last month, I finally broke my yoga cherry. I’ve always been curious to try it but never had the opportunity. My doctor is in training to be an instructor (she’s an amazing multi-tasker, I keep waiting for her to form a rock band and start test driving rocket cars) and they had a bring-a-beginner-night. I couldn’t be more of a beginner if I tried, so with those qualifications, I took two classes on the first night and then went back for a free week to try out some of the other classes. They’re all pretty cool and the more I get into it the more I’m realizing that it’s not just stretching and breathing, there’s a lot more to it. I now have my own mat and a couple of towels (oh yes, you will sweat) and I’m going a few times a week when my schedule allows it.

     I’m trying to get into a self- improvement regimen where I can balance the physical side of my life with the mental side. It’s slow going so far but I’ve been doing it for about a week. Hopefully, I’ll have more to report next month.

     The Junior Warriors played the last game of the season in August. Team Black ended up taking it 2 to 1. Next season could get real interesting since some of these girls are getting too old for Juniors and planning to level up to the home teams. I’m making the prediction now that 400 point games will start becoming common place in the next couple of seasons.

     While I’m thinking about it, what is your favorite “ghost story” movie? I have a new idea roaming around in my head and I need your help, so click “reply” and let me know. Thanks.

     One other thing, while we’re on the subject of ghost stories and horror movies, I’m sad to report that Tobe Hooper passed away. I know he hasn’t done much recently, but when you can leave behind a legacy that has touched so many, you get my condolences.

     Here’s the rest of what I’ve been up to in the past month, maybe you’ll get some good suggestions or just a warning-

Tarzan The Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs- The Great War has come to East Africa (keep in mind, this was written in 1919) and Lord Greystoke feels a certain obligation to join the resistance against the Huns of the German empire. I won’t say too much about this book because spoilers are like a minefield with this one. If you have enjoyed the series up to this point, I think you’ll like it. It has a familiar feel to it while at the same time going way out into left field.

O Pioneers by Willa Cather- The epic story of a pioneer family on the Nebraska plains. I picked this up out of curiosity and while I can’t say wow, this is amazing, you should read this right now, it is worth a look if you’re so inclined.

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child- Imagine yourself on a New York subway. It’s 2:00 on a sweltering summer morning. There are eight other people in the car with you, most look like they just got off of a late shift, a couple of others may be getting home from the bars, but one is wearing a coat, zipped up and a big hand bag in her lap with both of her hands in it. Knowing the profile of suicide bombers, you know that the only option you have for all concerned is to try to talk her down. You approach and strike up a conversation. She takes one hand out of the bag and then the other, but that one has a .357 Magnum in it. She points it at you and before your life is finished flashing before your eyes, without a word, she puts it under her own chin and pulls the trigger. Figuring out the thread of the events that lead to this moment will keep you guessing through the whole book. This is definitely worth your time.  

61 Hours by Lee Child- Nothing is ever easy in Jack Reacher’s world. He was just minding his own business, riding on a bus through South Dakota when a chance patch of ice causes him to end up smack dab in the middle of a remote town where the local police have their hands full protecting a witness who’s due to testify about a drug deal she witnessed. Winter storms approaching from the north and west, drug dealers approaching from the south and his biggest ally is a voice on the phone from the east. If you’re a fan of the series and you liked the last one (see above), definitely give this one a look. A quick side note- for all of the criticisms you may have about Tom Cruise in the movies, you have to applaud the casting directors of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. This book introduces the character of Susan Turner and it was published in ’10; Coby Smulders fits the description perfectly.

The Wrecking Crew by Donald Hamilton- Everybody’s favorite swingin’ spy is back…well, sort of. He doesn’t sing like Dino, but when you need somebody to get the job done, you can always count on Matt Helm. This time he’s in Sweden trying to track down an international assassin. If you liked the first one then give this one a try.

     Here are a few suggestions for my movie watching friends-

The 101-Year-Old Man Who Skipped Out On The Bill And Disappeared- This is a direct sequel of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared. If you haven’t seen this in a while, or ever, then start at the beginning because you will be lost. They’re both comedies from Sweden and very good, so check them out if you’re in the mood.

Being Charlie- I ran across this one on Netflix. It got my attention because it was directed by Rob Reiner. The story follows a young man who is trying to kick a drug habit with varying results. It’s definitely worth a look.

Bowie: The Man Who Changed The World- The documentary is interesting in that it tells a lot about Bowie as a young man and struggling artist but after a while you start to wonder if this is some kind of unauthorized biography. There are a couple of interviews with old flames and friends but for the most part it’s all random press footage with a narrative. The glaringly obvious question that gets posed in this movie is- why do you talk about Bowie’s music but we never hear any of Bowie’s music? It’s not a total waste of time but it leaves you with that Kurt And Courtney kind of feeling as far as how much has actually been cleared.

Chinese Zodiac- It’s refreshing to see a decent Jackie Chan film again. He wrote, directed and starred in this one and, of course, did all of his own stunts (at 58!). This falls in line with the Armour Of God series where he plays a treasure hunting adventurer. This time he’s looking for 12 golden statues of the zodiac. It’s definitely worth your time. Side note- as of 2012, Jackie held the Guinness record for most stunts performed by a living actor. What did you do today?

Cousin Bette- Based on the novel by Balzac, the story follows a woman (Jessica Lange) who enlists the aid of an actress (Elisabeth Shue) to help her win over an artist. This was a lot better than I was expecting and definitely worth a look.

Dawn Of The Dead- Back in July, we lost George Romero. A local theater had a memorial screening of Dawn Of The Dead in 35mm so, of course, I had to go check it out. It was cool to see it on the big screen, I can’t remember the last time that happened. If there is a screening near you any time soon, you should check it out. A couple of quick side notes- Back in ’05, I visited the Monroeville Mall. They don’t have the ice skating rink anymore and some of the stores have changed but it’s still pretty much the same place. The security guards get a little touchy when you start taking pictures. My other Dawn Of The Dead experience was when I was at a Sci-Fi/Horror convention a couple of years ago and Ken Foree was there. I didn’t really get a chance to meet him during the actual festivities but afterward as things were winding down and everybody was packing up and going back to the airport, I was hanging out by the hotel entrance with Tiffany Shepis and Debbie Rochon (watch your toes, not trying to name drop but the story makes more sense if you know who’s involved). I think it was Tiffany who was waiting for a ride and she and Debbie were off saying good-bye to a couple of other people when Ken Foree came over to where I was standing and put his bags next to the column I was leaning against. He asked me if I could keep an eye on his stuff while he checked out. I said it was no problem. I guess I just looked trustworthy hanging out with Tiffany and Debbie or maybe he’s in the habit of leaving his bags unattended with strangers ( does he admit this to the airlines?). I was kind of hoping he would have said something like “Hey troop, watch my gear, I’m coming back” , but since he wasn’t looking at me as a fanboy, I didn’t feel the need to act the part. He came back and we introduced ourselves, shook hands and he got in a car and went to the airport. I didn’t say it was a great story, just said it related to the movie.

Dunkirk- Christopher Noland’s war film has arrived. I wish I could say that I saw this in 70mm but I was a little late getting to this party so, I just had to settle for digital cinema. The story is still good and everything looks great. It manages to draw you in even though you know how it ends, and that’s always a challenge for a historical drama. If you haven’t seen it yet, go now, it definitely needs to be seen on the big screen.

They Live- The Golden Age of Carpenter was between 1978 and 1989. Anytime a movie that falls on this timeline plays at a theater near you, drop what you are doing and go watch it, especially if it’s in 35mm. This movie is still amazing, check it out if it plays in your neighborhood.

     And finally, for the t.v. watchers-

The Andy Griffith Show season 2- It’s time to take down your fishin’ pole and meet at the fishin’ hole again for another season. If you got into season 1, you’ll enjoy it. There are some writing inconsistencies with some of the characters but if you just use that sit-com suspension of disbelief, you’ll get past it.

The Defenders- Okay, I’ll admit that it wasn’t as cool as I had hoped it would be but, it was still pretty damn good. Out of respect for those of you who still have it on your list and are waiting for time to watch it, I won’t pick over all of the plot points. I will recommend watching an episode at a time since it is only eight episodes. Plus, by watching it daily, you really start to feel with the characters when they start talking about the crazy week they’ve been having. I did find it interesting that with four different stunt coordinators to choose from, they went with Matt Mullins from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It doesn’t really show outside of some of Daredevils’ scenes. Iron Fist looks like he’s advanced in his training from the last time you saw him. Jones is still a brawler who goes for the quick and simple take down or knock out. Cage has the one man wrecking crew thing down but Daredevil just feels a little too much martial artist and not enough boxer. If you enjoyed the four series, definitely check it out, you won’t be sorry.  

     That’s all I have for this month. Tune in next time and see what happens because even I don’t have that answer.