Category: Books

Z-View: “World War Z” [& That Doesn’t Stand for Zablo]

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The Pitch: “Let’s make a zombie movie [zombies are hot] based on Max Brooks’ World War Z novel [that book is hot] starring Brad Pitt [he’s hot].”

The Overview: A worldwide zombie outbreak is spreading at such an alarming rate that it threatens to wipeout humanity.  Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a former UN investigator asked to go with a young scientist and a team of Navy SEALS into a hot zone to see if the scientist can get information to stop the zombie infection. Nothing goes as planned… but does it ever during a zombie outbreak?

The Good:

  • Many thought that Max Brooks’ World War Z novel would be impossible to adapt into a movie.  Perhaps they were right.  Purists will be upset that many liberties were taken in turning World War Z  the novel into World War Z  the movie.  The writers did an excellent job of getting across the worldwide crisis and how different areas are dealing with it.
  • The movie starts off with action almost straight away and lets up only long enough for the audience to get a breath and to set up the next “are you kidding me” sequence.
  • I love the confusion when the outbreaks first hits.
  • Brad Pitt counting the time it takes a bitten person to turn and then counting again when he runs to the roof’s ledge is cool.
  • The scene when Pitt raises his hands to the cop and the officer walks past him to the baby formula makes it clear that priorities have changed and people are on their own.
  • There are several action sequences and they’re all well done.  I like that Pitt is not the man sent in to save the day, but instead he’s the man to keep “that guy” alive.

The Bad:

  • The zombie outbreak.  These zombies are fast.  Again, purists will hate fast-moving zombies.  They don’t bug me and in World War Z  they work well.
  • I was concerned that the ant-like climbing that we see in World War Z  previews would come off as hokey in the movie.  They didn’t.
  • I was also concerned that director Marc [Quantum of Solace] Forster wasn’t the best choice for this film.  I was wrong. Foster did an excellent job.
  • So really the only things bad in World War Z  [other than the outbreak itself] were my preconceived notions… oh, and that thing that happens to Brad Pitt after the commercial airliner sequence.

The Ugly:

  • What happens when you are given a firearm and aren’t trained to use it.
  • It’s also pretty ugly when you think that you’re safe behind a giant wall and start celebrating a little too soon.
  • Oh, and it’s really ugly when a zombie  makes it on a commercial airliner.

The Rating:  A

Z-View: HeroesCon 2013

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That’s the self-titled Corduroy Mafia at Heroes Con 2013.  From left to right we have Brian Jones, me, Gene Gonzales, John Nacinovich and Royce Thrower. How we gave ourselves the name Corduroy Mafia is a tale for another time.  Instead I present my HeroesCon 2013 summary.

The Drive Up:

Doralya and I left Friday morning.  We planned to leave earlier, but a late start got us on the road at about 5am.  Traffic was terrible, two different wrecks slowed us down and it rained almost the entire way.  From now on, we plan to drive up the night before the con starts.

The hotel:

We usually stay at the Weston, but this year it was the Hampton Inn Charlotte – Uptown.  What a great hotel!  It’s super-clean with the friendliest staff I’ve ever seen.  Free shuttle service and free breakfast made the stay even better. I’d definitely stay here again!

Main Goal of the Show:

My main goal was to meet (for the first time) and get a sketch from Rick Burchett.  I’m happy to report that Rick is as nice as he is talented — yeah, he’s really that friendly!  I hoped to get Rick to draw Jack Carter (Stallone) with Chris Mills/Rick Burchett’s character, Grave Digger (Lee Marvin).  Rick said he could make that happen!

I then got Greg Rucka to autograph two of my Atticus Kodiac novels.  I’ve been a Rucka fan since before he started working in comics — and was pleased when he teamed with Rick Burchett on Lady Sabre.  Eric Newsome was at the table as well.  Eric assists with the Lady Sabre website and more.  Since I am a backer of their Lady Sabre Kickstarter, I knew the password to get an advance look at a Lady Sabre script!  Eric also reminded me that he had done a Stallone sketch for the SZ!  It was great talking to Rick, Greg and Eric.

Books signed:

  • My original hardcover Berni Wrightson’s A Look Back
  • My first edition Chandler by Steranko
  • Two of my Greg Rucka Atticus Kodiac novels
  • Road Trip by Sean Murphy.  

All books autographed — mission accomplished.

Sketches:

  • Dave Wachter (mini-head sketches): Lords of Flatbush and Bullet to the Head
  • Drew Moss (busts): Get Carter and Rocky
  • Jerry Gaylord: Get Carter and Demolition Man
  • Mitch Gerads (head sketch): Expendables 2
  • Mike Torrance: several sketch cards
  • Gene Gonzales (head sketch): Get Carter
  • Manny Aguilera: Over the Top and Demolition Man (surprise gifts from LittleJohn312 & Patricia), Get Carter.
  • Rick Burchett is going to do my piece from home.

Panels:

  • The Inkwell Awards (and keeping with tradition, LittleJohn312 and Patricia joined me).
  • Jim Steranko (again with LJ & P) – Steranko is a charmer and captivated the crowd with his great stories!
  • Crime Panel: Greg Rucka (Whiteout), Jason Latour (Loose Ends), and Jason Aaron (Scalped) interrogated by Vito Delsante.  

It’s only been in the last several years that I’ve made a real effort to attend panels.  Without a doubt, they have made the con experience even more fun.

Drink and Draw:

Because of weather it was held in the lobby of the Hilton.  Jack the Radio provided live music — they’re good!  The place was packed, but the Hilton staff was very accommodating and brought out more seats. Patricia, Doralya and I enjoyed watching and messing with LittleJohn312 as he attempted to win some art — and he did!

HeroesCon Auction:

As always the auction was a fun night.  LittleJohn312 won a Wizard of Oz piece (as well as the companion piece that was in next day’s auction).  The move to have professional auctioneers is helpful, but Alison’s presence as the Mistress of Ceremonies was missed.

Kickstarter:

Some HeroesCon guests had Kickstarter projects that I had backed.  I made sure to swing by and congratulate each on their Kickstarter success:

  • Greg Rucka / Rick Burchett with Lady Sabre
  • Jeremy Haun with Bad Karma  (I missed seeing Alex Grecian, B. Clayton Moore & Seth Peck)
  • Eric Powell with The Goon movie

Meals:

The biggest surprise is that we only ate at Fuel once.  It was good to keep that tradition alive, but not over do it.  The best meal we had was at Fujo Bistro — we will definitely hit that place again next year!  Bojangles and Einstein’s Bagels also got our business.  Sadly we did not make it to Mert’s.

The Drive Home:

We left about 5:30 and arrived home at about 12:30am.  Traffic and rain were both light and we were exhausted, but in a good way.

In closing:

HeroesCon this year was huge with twice the floor space as previous years.  The wider aisles made movement easier.  There were also additional sections this year with chairs and tables for con guests to sit, eat and visit.  The bigger painting area was also a plus.

I’ve had to rewrite this sentence several times, because I come off like a real fanboy trying to say how “cool” it was to meet Rick Burchett and Steranko.  Let’s just say it was great and leave it at that.

Seeing old friends and meeting new ones is always a fun part of the show.  I won’t try to list them all because invariably I would leave some out.

Thanks to Shelton and his crew for another great HeroesCon — see everyone next year!

Michael Corleone’s Revenge Scene Cut from “Godfather II” is Here!

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Did you know that a scene was cut from The Godfather II in which Michael Corleone [played by Al Pacino] committed a revenge killing?

This rare deleted scene from The Godfather Part II brings closure to a massive loose end: Michael’s brutal, long-delayed revenge on Fabrizio, the man who planted the car bomb that killed his first wife, Apollonia.

The scene is a chilling display of Michael’s transformation. He ensures Fabrizio meets the exact same fate—a car bomb explosion—confirming Michael’s reign as a ruthless Don who always settles his debts. This clip was cut from the theatrical release but appears in ‘The Godfather Saga.’

Who is Going “Under the Dome”?

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I’m looking forward to Under the Dome.  Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name, Under the Dome is the story of a small town that is suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by a massive transparent dome.

Under the Dome’s official site is now live.  If you go there, you can see the dome drop over your house.  Yeah, you’re house.  Or any home or business that you know the address for.  Oh, and you can learn more about the show there too.

Todd Robinson, Dirty Words & The Hard Bounce

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I have a feeling that Todd Robinson may be one of those overnight sensations that everyone discovers after a decade.

Since I’m a big fan of crime fiction, I’m always on the lookout for new authors.  I’d heard great things about Todd Robinson.  So I ordered his Dirty Words collection.  Eleven short crime stories and not a bad one in the bunch.  Yeah, it left me wanting to read more of his work — especially about two of his characters, Boo and Junior.

Boo and Junior are two tough guys who spend most nights bouncing at a local bar, but aren’t against making a few extra bucks if muscle is needed.  Dirty Words was bookended with Boo and Junior stories.  I was stoked to see that Robinson’s new novel The Hard Bounce is about Boo and Junior.  Oh, and let’s not forget their buddy, Twitch.

The Hard Bounce is currently getting rave reviews and will be in my next book order.  If you like crime fiction, it should be in yours as well.

I think you’re gonna like Boo and Junior.  As for Todd Robinson, here’s a short interview with him and you can decide for yourself.

Hinkson, Beetner & Robinson

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Look what was waiting for me when I got home tonight…

The Posthumous Man by Jake Hinkson

When Elliot Stilling killed himself, he thought his troubles were over. Then the ER doctors revived him. It’s infatuation at first sight when he meets his nurse, Felicia Vogan, a strange young woman with a weakness for sad sacks and losers. After she helps Elliot escape from the hospital, she takes him back to her place. He’s happy to go with her, even when she leads him straight to a gang planning a  million dollar heist. Does Felicia just want Elliot to protect her from the outfit’s psychotic leader, Stan the Man? Or is Elliot being set up to take the hard fall? One thing’s for sure: if he’s going to survive this long night of deceit and murder, Elliot will have to finally face himself and his own dark past.

One Too Many Blows to the Head by Eric Beetner

Kansas City, 1939. One story from two points of view: the hunter and the hunted. Ray Ward – seeking revenge for his brother’s death in the boxing ring. Detective Dean Fokoli – hot on a killer’s trail.Ray’s hunt takes him underground into Kansas City’s criminal nightlife. Dean Fokoli lives there full time but he’s on the run from his own troubles. Two men racing forward to collide like a knockout punch.A razor-edged story of revenge, redemption and what happens when you confront the ghosts of the past.

Dirty Words by Todd Robinson

From the creator of Thuglit.com–DIRTY WORDS The first collection from award-winning short story writer, Todd Robinson. Featuring: SO LONG JOHNNIE SCUMBAG—selected for The Year’s Best Writing 2003 by Writer’s Digest. The Derringer Award nominated short, ROSES AT HIS FEET THE LONG COUNT—selected as a Notable Story of the Year in Best American Mystery Stories 2005. PLUS eight more tales of in-your-face crime fiction.

Dig Two Graves by Eric Beetner

Dig Two Graves is a novella-length piece about Val, an ex-con who thinks he has figured out the trick to continuing his bank robbing life without ever getting caught. Except then he gets caught.

It’s not his plan that backfires, oh no. There’s a rat somewhere and Val is pretty damn sure who it is. Ernesto, his prison lover who has joined him on the outside as his partner in bank robbery.

Val stalks the city night on the hunt for Ernesto to exact revenge for breaking the ultimate criminal code: you don’t rat out a partner.

A Bouquet of Bullets by Eric Beetner

From Award-winning short story writer Eric Beetner comes a collection of hardboiled crime tales about losers, punks and wanna-be criminals. These gritty stories bleed and sweat all over the page, but always with a pitch black sense of humor. For fans of Victor Gischler and Duane Swierczynski as much as Cornell Woolrich and Raymond Chandler these crime tales represent the new wave in pulp writers at its best. Winner of the 2012 Stalker award for Most Underrated Author, a finalist in the Derringer Awards, the Watery Grave International and the Million Writers Award, Eric Beetner’s short stories have appeared in Thuglit, Needle Magazine, Crimefactory, A Twist Of Noir, Beat To A Pulp, Pulp Pusher, Powder Burn Flash, Darkest Before Dawn, Thrillers, Killers N Chillers, Flash Fiction Offensive and more.

The toughest part will be deciding which to read first.

Meet Crime Writer/Reviewer Eric Beetner

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I first learned about Eric Beetner from his 60 Second Book Reviews blog.

Beetner and I like the same type of books [crime fiction]. His reviews, for the books that I’ve read, are directly in line with my thoughts. So, if Beetner likes it, it’s a good bet that I will as well.

Then I learned Eric Beetner was a writer of crime fiction and his books were all getting 5 star reviews. Now I was intrigued.  So I bookmarked Beetner’s blog.

Next I discovered this trailer for Beetner’s The Devil Doesn’t Want Me. Nice.

So the other night I broke down and ordered Beetner’s Dig Two Graves; One Too Many Blows to the Head and A Bouquet of Bullets.

Well played, Eric Beetner.  Well played.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Tarzan

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When I was a kid I enjoyed Tarzan movies [Johnny Weissmuller was my favorite], the Tarzan tv show and the occasional Tarzan comic book.  

Over the years, I’ve watched many [if not all] of the  various movie Tarzans from the silent era, to the 60’s when he was a jet-setter, to the 80’s  when Christopher Lambert played him.  

Surprisingly, I’ve never read any of the  Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novels that gave the character his start.

If you’ve read this far, then there’s a good chance you’ll get a kick out 10 Things You Might Not Know About Tarzan.

Cruise is Jack Reacher…

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When Tom Cruise was first announced to play Lee Child’s character, Jack Reacher, I thought the role had been miscast.  Even when Lee Child said that Cruise embodied Reacher [despite the fact that Cruise doesn’t physically resemble the character] I still had my doubts.  

As we’ve seen more about more about the movie, I’ve started to change my opinion.  Perhaps Cruise will be a very good movie version Jack Reacher.  Check out the latest trailer and see if you agree.

 

“LA Noir” is Coming to TNT

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LA Noir is an original series from TNT that has a lot of potential.  Frank [The Walking Dead; Shawshank Redemption; The Mist] Darabont not only serves as Executive Producer, but also wrote and directed the pilot. 

Jon (The Walking Dead)  Bernthal headlines as ex-marine/LA cop, Joe Teague in an era of mobsters and corrupt cops.  LA Noir is based on John Buntin’s book of the same name. Coming Soon has more info about the series.     

 

Mike Hammer Making a Comeback!

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Earlier this week, Deadline.com posted that Warner Bros. had picked up the rights to Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.  Although it hasn’t been decided whether Hammer will be turned loose in a modern day setting or the film will be a period piece, I think that either way we’re in for a potentially fun movie. 

The real question is, who to play Mike Hammer?  If they’re not going with an unknown, then I’d suggest Karl Urban.  I’ll be interested to see who others (especially Chris Mills) would have step into the role.  Your thoughts? 

Oh, and while we’re making suggestions, might I suggest that Armand Assante’s outing as Mike Hammer in I, the Jury be brought out on dvd?

Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher Could Be a Stretch

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That’s the latest poster for Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise.  Fans of Lee Child’s novels have been pretty vocal that Cruise is not right for the role of the 6′ 5″ tough guy.  I’d have to agree.  Still, I’ll judge the movie based on how it plays out rather than Cruise’s height [or lack of]. 

I don’t really care for this poster.  This trailer isn’t much better, although I do enjoy it from the point that Cruise steps out of the moving car right before the police arrive.