“What?” asked Zoey again, more slowly, as she struggled to sit up in her bed.
“There’s an inspector downstairs,” said Alice. “Flashed an authentic looking badge, and said that they wanted to talk with you. They said that Sean was killed last night.”
“What happened? How did he die?” started Zoey. “They couldn’t think that I…”
Her mother didn’t say anything except, “Just get dressed as fast as you can. They’re waiting for you in the sitting room.”
Zoey was somehow expecting the inspector to be a small man in a crumpled trenchcoat. Instead, the inspector was a slender woman with haunted eyes and wry lips. Standing behind her was a nondescript broad shouldered man in a suit. Was this going to be good cop / bad cop?
The inspector stood up as Zoey approached them. “I apologize for waking you, but time is of the essence in these types of investigations.”
“What type of investigation?” asked Zoey as they both sat down.
“I am Detective Maureen Fairborn, and this is my colleague, Walter Simmons.” She pulled a slim pad from her jacket pocket. “We’re here, because you were one of the last people to speak with Sean White yesterday.”
“Sean’s dead?” asked Zoey, her voice cracking as she said it. “My mother told me, that you said…”
“Unfortunately, yes,” said Maureen. “His body was found in the Wintermute Co parking lot, just a few hours ago. Apparently, he was working late, and as he was leaving, something attacked him.”
Zoey’s hands covered her nose and mouth as tears burned her eyes.
“By the look of the scene, something was trying to take him away, but he resisted. It’s possible that he was going to be taken like the others.”
“What others?”
“That’s right,” said the inspector. “You only came back to Earth the other day.”
“Yes.”
“It’s funny, because before I came here, I ran a background check on you. You’re clean, maybe too clean. The thing is I couldn’t find a ticket with your name on it for any arrivals for the past week. Explain that to me.”
“Well,” started Zoey.
“Now please.” The inspector’s voice was curt and authoritative.
“Okay, I didn’t take a regular flight home, but I don’t see how this has any bearing on the case.”
“I need to establish the exact time you have been on-planet. Now, who brought you to Earth?”
“I’m afraid that’s going to be hard to explain. My ride went back to wherever he’s from.”
“Mars?” asked Maureen.
“No.”
“Then where?”
“Further out.”
“Out? Out where?”
“As in outer space,” said Zoey finally.
“This is a serious matter,” reminded Maureen. “I don’t have time for jokes."
“You wanted the truth.”
“Yes, I did. Not some urban legend of aliens from outer space. Do I make myself clear?”
“But…”
“I don’t care if you’re some starchild hippie or Rick Daring’s assistant, I want the truth.”
“Daring? You know him?” asked Zoey.
“The story of the man who helped aliens and left with them to the stars. Everyone has.”
Zoey didn’t say anything.
“Look, this is fairly routine. Let’s not make too much of a hassle of it. Answer my questions, and I’ll let you go back to sleep.”
“Okay.”
“You knew the deceased?” started Maureen.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since high school.”
“Did you ever sleep together?”
“No.”
“Did you love him?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” replied Zoey sharply.
“Listen, kid, I decide what’s relevant. It’s called motive.” Maureen jabbed a finger at Zoey.
“But I don’t know any of these other people. You won’t even tell what’s been going on. This all feels like entrapment or something.”
“I know you’re clean,” said Maureen. “But something doesn’t add up with you and the stories you’re telling. What are you hiding?”
“I told you everything. You don’t believe me.”
Walter cleared his throat.
“Anyways, about the previous day,” said the inspector. “Was there anything he told you that was suspicious or out of the ordinary?”
“I wouldn’t know what ‘out of the ordinary’ is anymore.”
“Did he say anything to you that hinted that he was in trouble or needed help?”
“No,” said Zoey. “He told me that he was in charge of some project from the government and that he couldn’t talk about it.”
“I see.”
The questioning went on for an hour more. Zoey could feel the inspector’s redundant inquiries erode her mental well-being. All during the interview, Zoey could hear the emails piling into the inspector’s pocket pad. All she had to do was close her eyes, and she could read them.
After the inspector and her subordinate left, her parents started their own interrogation, but Zoey knew less than the police did. She made her way to her room, apologizing to her parents as she shut the door in their faces.
Zoey collapsed on the bed, drained again. Fatigue rushed through her body, numbing her. She was too tired to even cry. She buried her head in her pillow and tried to fall asleep.
After lunch, Zoey waited until her parents left the house to run some errands before going up upstairs to her room. There, she pulled a transparent plastic storage case out from under her bed. In it were her laptop and various other equipment that she had used back when she moonlighted as a hacker.
She cleared off her desk and started to set everything up. She could just use her enhanced mind, but Zoey wanted to know if she still had her old skills, and it would be good to see data on a screen for a change.
Her hands slid over the laptop’s stainless steel casing and spread it open. Her finger pressed the on button, and the touch pad lit up.
Zoey wondered if her neighbors ever noticed that she had hacked into their wireless network to bounce her signal off of. Apparently not, she thought as her computer connected without a problem.
It wasn’t hard to gain access to the local police station’s system. They were hardly the FBI, and who would want to hack into their system anyway?
This girl would. Zoey pulled up the files relating to Sean’s death. She examined the photos from the scene of the crime. It had happened outside in the parking lot, near his car. He was probably ambushed as he was about to leave. One picture showed a large claw mark raked against the side of his car.
What could have done this? Had someone done this to get to me, someone who had followed me to Earth? Zoey kept flipping through the pictures trying to find out. Unexpectedly, she came across a picture of Sean’s body, and Zoey physically turned away, unable to look at it.
Breathing harshly and feeling lightheaded, she exited out of the program without looking at it. She closed her laptop and walked downstairs. Feeling the need for fresh air, she stepped out onto the porch.
Zoey took a deep breath. As she exhaled, she happened to look across the street. There, in the daylight, was a strange-looking owl perched on one of the branches of a tree. Its metallic feathers sparkled in the sunlight. It stared at Zoey for a moment longer and then flew away.
“What the hell is going on around here?” Zoey wondered as she watched it disappear. It didn’t really matter right now.
There was a funeral to go to.
Click here to read Chapter 4
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Only Human Chapter 2: The Tinderbox (Of A Heart)
It was strange to wake up in one’s own bed after being away for so long. Zoey rubbed her eyes as the sunlight from her sole window burned through her eyelids. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed. The floorboards creaked as she made her way across to the bathroom.
By this time she finished and got dressed, she noticed that the house was eerily silent. Neither her mother nor her father seemed to be at home. She glanced at the wall clock, a quarter till nine. She made herself some toast and flipped on the television.
Television, and cable in particular, had gotten a lot stranger in the years Zoey had been away. Local news, on the other hand, was only more transparent than usual. As she flipped channels, she saw faces and fashions she didn’t recognize. The fact that she was watching something in English was surreal. Zoey was used to watching alien broadcasts that, if she were lucky, had English subtitles available.
“Look who’s up!” Alice and Harold came through the door, carrying some bags.
“Where were you guys?” said Zoey, turning off the television.
“We were just getting some morning air and picked up some things from the local grocery,” said Harold. He helped Alice to put the various items away. “What with us having another mouth to feed.”
“And what have you been up to?” asked Alice.
“Nothing, really. I just got up.”
“So,” said Harold. “What are your plans exactly? Are you going to be staying long or…”
“I’m not sure,” replied Zoey. “It’s all kind of new to me.”
“New?” asked Alice. “What have you been doing lately if not drifting around?”
“It’s complicated, Mom.”
“Why don’t you try and explain it to us then?”
“Because I don’t know if I can,” said Zoey. “I need to go. Can I borrow the car?”
“We’re in the middle of something,” started her mother.
“Here you go,” interrupted her father, handing her the keys. “Drive safely.”
“I will,” she replied quietly and left.
“Why did you let her go like that?” asked Alice as soon as Zoey was gone.
“Give her some space, my dear, or she’ll just run away again,” he said as he put away the groceries.
“Aren’t you the least bit worried? About what she could be hiding?”
“She’s our daughter. Would we love her any less?”
“It’s not a question of love,” countered Alice. “It’s our duty to make sure she’s not making some huge mistake. God, what if she got into drugs?”
“Have a little faith, Alice. She’ll open up when she’s ready. She’s just in a state of transition.”
“She’s always in a state of transition. She should have a steady job by now, and a boyfriend, and…”
“Life doesn’t always go according to a schedule. Sometimes, you just have to be flexible.”
“I hate being flexible.”
“Are you going to help me, or am I going to have to put these all away by myself?”
Zoey sat staring at the steering wheel in front of her. It was a strange déjà vu feeling, the distant instinct of driving. She had no use of the skill while she was on distant planets, pampered by Sara or public transportation. She could feel her mind dusting off the cobwebs as she turned the engine over.
She pulled out of the drive and onto the roads engraved in her memory. But the buildings around them had changed; the city itself had changed. Zoey watched in awe as if she was visiting the city for the first time. The stores she remembered years ago were gone, replaced by vacancy signs and realty ads.
Zoey’s mind was not focused on this. In fact, she was repeating over and over the speech she rehearsed on her trip home. In which she confessed to her parents. “I’m sorry,” she would say. “I’m just not categorically human anymore. I mean, can you have a conversation with a motherboard?”
She couldn’t even image what her parents’ reaction would be to this news. They certainly wouldn’t believe her, and she would have to prove to them that she was not insane, just cybernetically enhanced. In all honesty, she never mustered the courage to even see what the mysterious madman known only as Doctor Zeitgeist had done to her.
She soon arrived at her designation, an inconspicuous building covered with tall, reflective windows. A large sign with the embossed title, Wintermute Co., sat by the driveway. She pulled in and stopped to check in with the security guard. He waved her through, and soon, she found herself parking her parents’ car.
Zoey got out of the car, locked it, and made her way up the stairs to the entrance of Wintermute Co. After getting waved through even more security, she is met with a familiar face, Michael McManus. The man was a little older than her father and was clearly living well as evident as his round gut. His hair was more salt-and-pepper than Zoey remembered, and the 5 O’ Clock shadow meant long nights at work.
“Zoey, I hardly recognized you; you’ve grown so much,” he said as he shook her hand.
“You keeping Dad out of trouble?”
“Never,” he said with a grin. “How about you? Last I saw you, you were five inches shorter and just getting out of college.”
“This and that. Traveling some. I haven’t really settled into any one thing. How’s Kyle?”
“He’s off earning some degree. The poor lad feels like he’s got to prove himself. Do you know what I mean?”
“I believe I do.”
“My job offer still stands, by the way. Your father was one of my best employees, great at troubleshooting. I know you have your father’s knack for technology. In fact, I figured some day you and Kyle would be running the company.”
“That would be something,” said Zoey. “Is Sean still working here?”
“Sure does. Fine hardworking lad, he is.”
“How is he? We haven’t talked in ages.”
“He’s probably here by now, so why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“Well, okay, “ replied Zoey.
Michael led her down the hallway and into a noisy workroom. There, several technicians were diligently working on complicated machinery strewn out onto long tables. Miscellaneous wiring draped the table and coiled itself on the floor.
Sean White was few inches taller but the same age as Zoey. A little heavy set, he wore baggy clothes, with an unbuttoned plaid shirt over his t-shirt. His sandy blonde hair was growing long in the back, and the first signs of a beard were forming on his round face.
He smiled as he looked up and saw Zoey approach. They hugged awkwardly, fumbling with the right words to greet each other.
“How are things?” asked Sean. “You look good.”
“Thanks. So do you,” replied Zoey. “I see they’re keeping you busy.”
“Yeah, I’m managing supervisor now,” he said leading her over to a quiet corner. “No one else wanted it, so I got the job.”
“Congratulations. What are you guys working on?”
“To be honest, I can’t say. For the last year, Wintermute Co. has been filling government contracts. I’m not thrilled, but it pays the bills. It seems like forever ago that we were designing hard drives for Apple and apps for the latest toys.”
“Sworn to secrecy, huh?”
“Something like that. The strange thing is we only work on some small pieces of it. We’re never told what the whole thing is, so I’m not sure all the secrecy is worth it.”
“Maybe I’m a spy, here to steal the plans.”
“I wouldn’t joke about that here. Besides, I’ve known you long enough to think otherwise.” Sean took a glance around. “Why don’t we go somewhere a little less distracting?”
Shortly, Zoey found herself sitting in a busy bistro across the street. As Sean was getting them sandwiches, Zoey looked around at the little pockets of humanity forming around her. Zoey could only smile at the thought of something once so familiar was now so alien to her.
“What?” asked Sean as he returned with their lunch on a tray. “What is it?”
“Nothing, really,” said Zoey. “It just seems like ages since I’ve been in a café.”
“Is Mars that different from us?”
“No, Sean, not Mars.”
“Then where, Zoey? Where have you been?”
Zoey smirked and looked away. “What if I told you that beyond Mars, beyond the Solar System, there are galaxies filled with life?”
“You’re joking. Come on, aliens? Really, Zoey?”
“What’s so unbelievable about aliens?”
“Who can believe in little green men?”
“Most aliens are not little and certainly not green,” said Zoey before pausing. “Great. Now, I sound like Sara.”
“Who’s Sara?”
“She’s someone I met on my trip. She’s almost more of a mentor than a friend.”
“If she was such an influence on you, why didn’t you invite her back here?”
“The thing is,” said Zoey. “We kind of had an argument, and that’s why I came back here in the first place.”
“Not one you could forgive and forget?”
“No, though I might have been a little hotheaded at the time.”
“There’s nothing worse than when friends grow distant over time.”
They sat in silence, taking in what had just been said and what had been unsaid. Zoey urgently thought of something to say to break the dreaded silence, one thing in particular came to mind. No, no, do not ask him that, she thought. Definitely, absolutely. Not that.
“Are you seeing someone?” asked Sean, reading her mind.
“No,” said Zoey. “And you?”
“I met Sandra a couple months ago. We’ve really hit it off, and…” Sean continued to talk about his girlfriend, but Zoey no longer cared.
She just wanted to curl up in the corner until someone put her out of her misery.
The day seemed to drift by all too quickly for Zoey. Before she knew it, she was lying on her back, staring at the darkened ceiling of her room while trying to fall asleep. She kept thinking about what Sean has said to her when they arrived back at Wintermute Co.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he had asked. “I know when something’s bugging you.”
“It’s just that I have to tell my parents something, and I don’t know how to break it to them.”
“Break what to them?”
“About something that happened on Mars.”
“Well,” he said. “Whatever it is, Ms Mystery, it’s okay to tell them. They’re not going to stop loving you. I mean, I see them at Mass every week. They’ll understand.”
She believed Sean and already knew what he had said was true, but she did not have the courage to say anything during dinner, just enough to avoid starting another argument with her mother.
Zoey closed her eyes, dwelling on tomorrow. No hostages. No shootouts. No evil scientists. It wasn’t much longer after that she found herself asleep.
Zoey was in her parents’ dining room, having the same dinner she had hours earlier, only she had been chained to her chair. Her parents were talking, but she couldn’t understand them. There was a loud rumble that shook the house, and her parents instructed her to check the basement, even though she still didn’t understand what they were saying.
Zoey got out of her chair; the chains were now gone. She started down the stairs, but the stairs disappeared, and she fell into darkness. She found herself in a large cavern, not at all the sewer system she was expecting.
There had been something immense there, but it had moved on. Large tread marks led her to an area of remains, piles of wreckage of some kind. There was a skeleton lying there with red glass eyes that followed her around. She knew that it was sneering at her, if it only had lips. Digging through the mess, Zoey found a naked mannequin, or more accurately, pieces of it.
She turned it over to see its blank, smooth face. Except for its sharp green eyes.
Zoey awoke to someone shaking her.
“Zoey,” hissed Alice. “Wake up.” Though still groggy, Zoey knew it was bad if her mother was calling her by her nickname.
“What?” she managed. “What is it?”
“There’s an inspector downstairs,” said Alice. She paused, unsure how to continue. “Sean’s been killed.”
Click here to read Chapter 3
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
By this time she finished and got dressed, she noticed that the house was eerily silent. Neither her mother nor her father seemed to be at home. She glanced at the wall clock, a quarter till nine. She made herself some toast and flipped on the television.
Television, and cable in particular, had gotten a lot stranger in the years Zoey had been away. Local news, on the other hand, was only more transparent than usual. As she flipped channels, she saw faces and fashions she didn’t recognize. The fact that she was watching something in English was surreal. Zoey was used to watching alien broadcasts that, if she were lucky, had English subtitles available.
“Look who’s up!” Alice and Harold came through the door, carrying some bags.
“Where were you guys?” said Zoey, turning off the television.
“We were just getting some morning air and picked up some things from the local grocery,” said Harold. He helped Alice to put the various items away. “What with us having another mouth to feed.”
“And what have you been up to?” asked Alice.
“Nothing, really. I just got up.”
“So,” said Harold. “What are your plans exactly? Are you going to be staying long or…”
“I’m not sure,” replied Zoey. “It’s all kind of new to me.”
“New?” asked Alice. “What have you been doing lately if not drifting around?”
“It’s complicated, Mom.”
“Why don’t you try and explain it to us then?”
“Because I don’t know if I can,” said Zoey. “I need to go. Can I borrow the car?”
“We’re in the middle of something,” started her mother.
“Here you go,” interrupted her father, handing her the keys. “Drive safely.”
“I will,” she replied quietly and left.
“Why did you let her go like that?” asked Alice as soon as Zoey was gone.
“Give her some space, my dear, or she’ll just run away again,” he said as he put away the groceries.
“Aren’t you the least bit worried? About what she could be hiding?”
“She’s our daughter. Would we love her any less?”
“It’s not a question of love,” countered Alice. “It’s our duty to make sure she’s not making some huge mistake. God, what if she got into drugs?”
“Have a little faith, Alice. She’ll open up when she’s ready. She’s just in a state of transition.”
“She’s always in a state of transition. She should have a steady job by now, and a boyfriend, and…”
“Life doesn’t always go according to a schedule. Sometimes, you just have to be flexible.”
“I hate being flexible.”
“Are you going to help me, or am I going to have to put these all away by myself?”
Zoey sat staring at the steering wheel in front of her. It was a strange déjà vu feeling, the distant instinct of driving. She had no use of the skill while she was on distant planets, pampered by Sara or public transportation. She could feel her mind dusting off the cobwebs as she turned the engine over.
She pulled out of the drive and onto the roads engraved in her memory. But the buildings around them had changed; the city itself had changed. Zoey watched in awe as if she was visiting the city for the first time. The stores she remembered years ago were gone, replaced by vacancy signs and realty ads.
Zoey’s mind was not focused on this. In fact, she was repeating over and over the speech she rehearsed on her trip home. In which she confessed to her parents. “I’m sorry,” she would say. “I’m just not categorically human anymore. I mean, can you have a conversation with a motherboard?”
She couldn’t even image what her parents’ reaction would be to this news. They certainly wouldn’t believe her, and she would have to prove to them that she was not insane, just cybernetically enhanced. In all honesty, she never mustered the courage to even see what the mysterious madman known only as Doctor Zeitgeist had done to her.
She soon arrived at her designation, an inconspicuous building covered with tall, reflective windows. A large sign with the embossed title, Wintermute Co., sat by the driveway. She pulled in and stopped to check in with the security guard. He waved her through, and soon, she found herself parking her parents’ car.
Zoey got out of the car, locked it, and made her way up the stairs to the entrance of Wintermute Co. After getting waved through even more security, she is met with a familiar face, Michael McManus. The man was a little older than her father and was clearly living well as evident as his round gut. His hair was more salt-and-pepper than Zoey remembered, and the 5 O’ Clock shadow meant long nights at work.
“Zoey, I hardly recognized you; you’ve grown so much,” he said as he shook her hand.
“You keeping Dad out of trouble?”
“Never,” he said with a grin. “How about you? Last I saw you, you were five inches shorter and just getting out of college.”
“This and that. Traveling some. I haven’t really settled into any one thing. How’s Kyle?”
“He’s off earning some degree. The poor lad feels like he’s got to prove himself. Do you know what I mean?”
“I believe I do.”
“My job offer still stands, by the way. Your father was one of my best employees, great at troubleshooting. I know you have your father’s knack for technology. In fact, I figured some day you and Kyle would be running the company.”
“That would be something,” said Zoey. “Is Sean still working here?”
“Sure does. Fine hardworking lad, he is.”
“How is he? We haven’t talked in ages.”
“He’s probably here by now, so why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“Well, okay, “ replied Zoey.
Michael led her down the hallway and into a noisy workroom. There, several technicians were diligently working on complicated machinery strewn out onto long tables. Miscellaneous wiring draped the table and coiled itself on the floor.
Sean White was few inches taller but the same age as Zoey. A little heavy set, he wore baggy clothes, with an unbuttoned plaid shirt over his t-shirt. His sandy blonde hair was growing long in the back, and the first signs of a beard were forming on his round face.
He smiled as he looked up and saw Zoey approach. They hugged awkwardly, fumbling with the right words to greet each other.
“How are things?” asked Sean. “You look good.”
“Thanks. So do you,” replied Zoey. “I see they’re keeping you busy.”
“Yeah, I’m managing supervisor now,” he said leading her over to a quiet corner. “No one else wanted it, so I got the job.”
“Congratulations. What are you guys working on?”
“To be honest, I can’t say. For the last year, Wintermute Co. has been filling government contracts. I’m not thrilled, but it pays the bills. It seems like forever ago that we were designing hard drives for Apple and apps for the latest toys.”
“Sworn to secrecy, huh?”
“Something like that. The strange thing is we only work on some small pieces of it. We’re never told what the whole thing is, so I’m not sure all the secrecy is worth it.”
“Maybe I’m a spy, here to steal the plans.”
“I wouldn’t joke about that here. Besides, I’ve known you long enough to think otherwise.” Sean took a glance around. “Why don’t we go somewhere a little less distracting?”
Shortly, Zoey found herself sitting in a busy bistro across the street. As Sean was getting them sandwiches, Zoey looked around at the little pockets of humanity forming around her. Zoey could only smile at the thought of something once so familiar was now so alien to her.
“What?” asked Sean as he returned with their lunch on a tray. “What is it?”
“Nothing, really,” said Zoey. “It just seems like ages since I’ve been in a café.”
“Is Mars that different from us?”
“No, Sean, not Mars.”
“Then where, Zoey? Where have you been?”
Zoey smirked and looked away. “What if I told you that beyond Mars, beyond the Solar System, there are galaxies filled with life?”
“You’re joking. Come on, aliens? Really, Zoey?”
“What’s so unbelievable about aliens?”
“Who can believe in little green men?”
“Most aliens are not little and certainly not green,” said Zoey before pausing. “Great. Now, I sound like Sara.”
“Who’s Sara?”
“She’s someone I met on my trip. She’s almost more of a mentor than a friend.”
“If she was such an influence on you, why didn’t you invite her back here?”
“The thing is,” said Zoey. “We kind of had an argument, and that’s why I came back here in the first place.”
“Not one you could forgive and forget?”
“No, though I might have been a little hotheaded at the time.”
“There’s nothing worse than when friends grow distant over time.”
They sat in silence, taking in what had just been said and what had been unsaid. Zoey urgently thought of something to say to break the dreaded silence, one thing in particular came to mind. No, no, do not ask him that, she thought. Definitely, absolutely. Not that.
“Are you seeing someone?” asked Sean, reading her mind.
“No,” said Zoey. “And you?”
“I met Sandra a couple months ago. We’ve really hit it off, and…” Sean continued to talk about his girlfriend, but Zoey no longer cared.
She just wanted to curl up in the corner until someone put her out of her misery.
The day seemed to drift by all too quickly for Zoey. Before she knew it, she was lying on her back, staring at the darkened ceiling of her room while trying to fall asleep. She kept thinking about what Sean has said to her when they arrived back at Wintermute Co.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he had asked. “I know when something’s bugging you.”
“It’s just that I have to tell my parents something, and I don’t know how to break it to them.”
“Break what to them?”
“About something that happened on Mars.”
“Well,” he said. “Whatever it is, Ms Mystery, it’s okay to tell them. They’re not going to stop loving you. I mean, I see them at Mass every week. They’ll understand.”
She believed Sean and already knew what he had said was true, but she did not have the courage to say anything during dinner, just enough to avoid starting another argument with her mother.
Zoey closed her eyes, dwelling on tomorrow. No hostages. No shootouts. No evil scientists. It wasn’t much longer after that she found herself asleep.
Zoey was in her parents’ dining room, having the same dinner she had hours earlier, only she had been chained to her chair. Her parents were talking, but she couldn’t understand them. There was a loud rumble that shook the house, and her parents instructed her to check the basement, even though she still didn’t understand what they were saying.
Zoey got out of her chair; the chains were now gone. She started down the stairs, but the stairs disappeared, and she fell into darkness. She found herself in a large cavern, not at all the sewer system she was expecting.
There had been something immense there, but it had moved on. Large tread marks led her to an area of remains, piles of wreckage of some kind. There was a skeleton lying there with red glass eyes that followed her around. She knew that it was sneering at her, if it only had lips. Digging through the mess, Zoey found a naked mannequin, or more accurately, pieces of it.
She turned it over to see its blank, smooth face. Except for its sharp green eyes.
Zoey awoke to someone shaking her.
“Zoey,” hissed Alice. “Wake up.” Though still groggy, Zoey knew it was bad if her mother was calling her by her nickname.
“What?” she managed. “What is it?”
“There’s an inspector downstairs,” said Alice. She paused, unsure how to continue. “Sean’s been killed.”
Click here to read Chapter 3
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Only Human Chapter 1: Heaven or Las Vegas
Dusk had just settled over peaceful suburbia, while automatic lampposts flickered on. As the occasional car buzzed by, there was no one around except for a stranger standing under a tree, one of many surrounded by cement. The rustling sound of trees and the far-off song of crickets were welcoming to her, for it was many years since she last heard either of them.
She looked skywards as an inverted falling star arched overhead. It would go unnoticed by the nearby populace who had forgotten how to look up to the stars. It was not so long ago that she, too, was among the stars, but now her feet were planted on terra firma.
She pulled her tattered denim jacket tightly against herself as she continued walking down the sidewalk. The night was brisk, and winter was not far off by the feel of it. She brushed back some of her redish-blonde hair as she gulped in some of the cold night air. The sight of a Seven Eleven made her pause, torn between temptation and her destination.
The newcomer stalked through the automatic sliding doors, pass the lone attendant hiding behind thick bars, and straight to the coolers lining the back wall. She grabbed a 20 oz. bottle and took it to the counter. She peeled two wrinkled bills from the inner lining of her pocket.
She could barely wait until she got outside before she twisted the cap and downed the drink. A heady mix of caffeine, sugar, and citric acid burned down her throat. She let out a satisfied sigh, and said, “Now, I’m home.” There was no one in particular around to reply to her statement.
It wasn’t much longer before she found the house she was looking for. It was a two-storey home, modest in appearance with a small satellite dish grafted onto one side of the house. The woman paused, almost knocking on the wooden door, before pressing the doorbell. There were muffled sounds coming from the inside of the house.
The door swung open to reveal a woman in her sixties with predominately grey hair. She wore a simple dress with a modest necklace with an even more modest cross at the end. Her aging face widen into a smile. “Elizabeth!” she cried out.
“Mother,” replied the newcomer at her doorstep. “It’s Zoey.” Before she could continue, her mother unabashedly hugged her.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” asked her mother. “We would have baked you something.”
“I’m fine,” replied Zoey. “I had something on my way here.”
“We could have met you at the airport.”
“I took a taxi,” lied Zoey.
“Well, come on in,” said her mother. “Harold! Harold! Elizabeth’s back, Harold.” From the bowels of the house came a slightly overweight older man with thinning hair and grey highlights. “Well, if it isn’t our long lost daughter?” he said. “Come here, pum’kin.” And before Zoey could protest, she found herself hugged yet again.
Zoey’s mother, Alice, helped her out of her battered denim jacket. “You still have this old thing?” she asked her daughter.
“I happen to be fond of it, Mother,” Zoey replied. Harold showed her into the dining area. The refrigerator and the microwave were set into the wall surrounded by cabinets. Zoey sat at the table with her father. Alice took a frozen meal from the freezer.
“Wow, this place has not changed a bit,” said Zoey, looking around. “So, how’s everything?”
“Can’t complain,” said Harold. “Retirement’s nice, but you have to find something to do to pass the time.”
“Don’t let your father fool you. He’s been volunteering to revamp St. Joan’s website, and he’s a consultant at the local optimization company.”
“They finally going have someone update their site?” said Zoey. “Good for them. I’m glad you’re staying out of trouble, Dad.”
“Don’t listen to her, pum’kin. She’s had her hands full with the garden and all the laundry.”
“Lies, lies! I do no such thing,” remarked Alice as she placed the meal into the microwave. “So, what have you been doing all these years?”
“Yeah, how’s life on Mars?”
“Well,” started Zoey, looking into the palms of her hands. I accidentally got recruited into a madman’s human experiments and had my brain lobotomized, so now I can have conversations with computers. Sara, the woman who nursed me back to sanity, took me across the galaxy, and I saw many beautiful and terrifying things.
Zoey looked at her parents. “Nothing much.”
“That’s it?” asked Alice. The microwave quietly hummed to life.
“Nothing interesting, I mean,” Zoey added hastily. “I was living with my old roommate from college, and you know, had some job prospects. Did some temp work. Things not going so well there, with the embargo and everything.”
“The embargo ended a year ago.”
“Right, I meant before that,” said Zoey.
“So, what brings you back here?” asked Harold.
I had an argument with my best friend, the woman I owe my life to, over information that would have led me to the man who ruined my life. So, I did what I always do and ran away. That’s what led me to Mars in the first place.
Zoey cleared her throat. “Well, I missed you guys.”
“You could have just called,” said Harold.
“Which you never did,” said Alice.
The microwave beeped.
Soundlessly, Alice took the now steaming meal from the microwave and placed it in front of Zoey.
“I wanted to call you guys, but that ten second delay is creepy, and I couldn’t afford calling long distance, as it were.”
“It’s okay. Mom’s just joking with you. Right, Alice?”
“Of course, Harold. Elizabeth’s a grown woman who can choose to ignore the people who gave her life if she chooses to.”
“Mom, it’s not like that,” said Zoey between bites of a white clump posing as mashed potatoes.
“We understand, don’t we Harold?”
“I don’t understand why the two of you can’t just be normal to each other and say how much you miss each other,” he replied. “I’ll be in the other room watching the newscasts.”
“We’re women, Dad,” said Zoey as he rose. “We’re not normal.”
Alice sat down next to Zoey. “I thought he’d never leave. So,” she said with a certain look in her eyes. “Did you meet anyone?”
“Mom!”
“You should be thinking of starting your own family.”
“Mom, it’s none of your business if I’m dating someone.”
“You didn’t have an abortion, did you?”
“No, I didn’t have an abortion!”
“Well, I don’t know,” said Alice. “You seem so secretive today.”
“I am not secretive.”
“If you say so.”
“Okay, Okay,” said Zoey. “I did meet someone.” He’s part of an elite group of super geniuses. He’s familiar with every language in existence, and, more importantly, he’s cute. “He helped me through a rough spot I was going through.” Trapped on a dead planet. “He’s just funny and charming, and I don’t know.” He makes me forget that I’m a freak.
“So, when do we get to meet him?”
“I’ll get back to you on that,” said Zoey as she started to stand up. “My bedroom still there or did you make it into a sunroom?”
“Everything’s just as you left it.” Her mother hugged her warmly. “It is nice to see you again.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Zoey walked past her father who stared soundlessly at his laptop’s screen. She went up the carpeted stairs and found her room to be untouched for the last five years. Her bed was neatly tucked, and everything was cleaned off the floor. Zoey could barely recognize her own room.
She went over to her desk where her cell phone lay. Out of her pocket, Zoey pulled out a similar device for intergalactic calls, the personal line to the Brilliant 5. She set it on her desk and took the cell with her back to the bed. She flipped her cell open as she plopped onto the bed. It took a few seconds for the cell to turn on. During which, Zoey closed her eyes and gathered her wits. Her mind, strange and enhanced, could feel the data floating all around her. Unlike other planets, Earth’s data was crowded, disorganized, and almost chaotic.
Zoey reined in her senses and focused on her cell phone as it started to download her emails. In her mind’s eye were flashes of the email speeding into her inbox. Like her mental training, Zoey tried reading and sorting them as a normal person would with a computer screen. And for a time, she accomplished it, until the weight of the incoming emails became too much for her mind.
Realizing this, Zoey furrowed her brow in concentration. She started pushing the data out of her mind, before she became overrun with it. She exerted all the willpower she could muster in raising her guard and shutting out all of the data around her. She finally managed this small feat and felt utterly drained.
She looked down at the cell phone. Anger and frustration suddenly seized her through the weariness, and she tossed the cell down. It bounced off the bed and slid across the floor. With the floodgates opened, a surge of emotions twisted in her chest.
Zoey, exhausted and lonely, cried. She started to smother her face in the sheets to dry her eyes and to muffle her sobbing from her parents below.
Click here to read Chapter 2
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
She looked skywards as an inverted falling star arched overhead. It would go unnoticed by the nearby populace who had forgotten how to look up to the stars. It was not so long ago that she, too, was among the stars, but now her feet were planted on terra firma.
She pulled her tattered denim jacket tightly against herself as she continued walking down the sidewalk. The night was brisk, and winter was not far off by the feel of it. She brushed back some of her redish-blonde hair as she gulped in some of the cold night air. The sight of a Seven Eleven made her pause, torn between temptation and her destination.
The newcomer stalked through the automatic sliding doors, pass the lone attendant hiding behind thick bars, and straight to the coolers lining the back wall. She grabbed a 20 oz. bottle and took it to the counter. She peeled two wrinkled bills from the inner lining of her pocket.
She could barely wait until she got outside before she twisted the cap and downed the drink. A heady mix of caffeine, sugar, and citric acid burned down her throat. She let out a satisfied sigh, and said, “Now, I’m home.” There was no one in particular around to reply to her statement.
It wasn’t much longer before she found the house she was looking for. It was a two-storey home, modest in appearance with a small satellite dish grafted onto one side of the house. The woman paused, almost knocking on the wooden door, before pressing the doorbell. There were muffled sounds coming from the inside of the house.
The door swung open to reveal a woman in her sixties with predominately grey hair. She wore a simple dress with a modest necklace with an even more modest cross at the end. Her aging face widen into a smile. “Elizabeth!” she cried out.
“Mother,” replied the newcomer at her doorstep. “It’s Zoey.” Before she could continue, her mother unabashedly hugged her.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” asked her mother. “We would have baked you something.”
“I’m fine,” replied Zoey. “I had something on my way here.”
“We could have met you at the airport.”
“I took a taxi,” lied Zoey.
“Well, come on in,” said her mother. “Harold! Harold! Elizabeth’s back, Harold.” From the bowels of the house came a slightly overweight older man with thinning hair and grey highlights. “Well, if it isn’t our long lost daughter?” he said. “Come here, pum’kin.” And before Zoey could protest, she found herself hugged yet again.
Zoey’s mother, Alice, helped her out of her battered denim jacket. “You still have this old thing?” she asked her daughter.
“I happen to be fond of it, Mother,” Zoey replied. Harold showed her into the dining area. The refrigerator and the microwave were set into the wall surrounded by cabinets. Zoey sat at the table with her father. Alice took a frozen meal from the freezer.
“Wow, this place has not changed a bit,” said Zoey, looking around. “So, how’s everything?”
“Can’t complain,” said Harold. “Retirement’s nice, but you have to find something to do to pass the time.”
“Don’t let your father fool you. He’s been volunteering to revamp St. Joan’s website, and he’s a consultant at the local optimization company.”
“They finally going have someone update their site?” said Zoey. “Good for them. I’m glad you’re staying out of trouble, Dad.”
“Don’t listen to her, pum’kin. She’s had her hands full with the garden and all the laundry.”
“Lies, lies! I do no such thing,” remarked Alice as she placed the meal into the microwave. “So, what have you been doing all these years?”
“Yeah, how’s life on Mars?”
“Well,” started Zoey, looking into the palms of her hands. I accidentally got recruited into a madman’s human experiments and had my brain lobotomized, so now I can have conversations with computers. Sara, the woman who nursed me back to sanity, took me across the galaxy, and I saw many beautiful and terrifying things.
Zoey looked at her parents. “Nothing much.”
“That’s it?” asked Alice. The microwave quietly hummed to life.
“Nothing interesting, I mean,” Zoey added hastily. “I was living with my old roommate from college, and you know, had some job prospects. Did some temp work. Things not going so well there, with the embargo and everything.”
“The embargo ended a year ago.”
“Right, I meant before that,” said Zoey.
“So, what brings you back here?” asked Harold.
I had an argument with my best friend, the woman I owe my life to, over information that would have led me to the man who ruined my life. So, I did what I always do and ran away. That’s what led me to Mars in the first place.
Zoey cleared her throat. “Well, I missed you guys.”
“You could have just called,” said Harold.
“Which you never did,” said Alice.
The microwave beeped.
Soundlessly, Alice took the now steaming meal from the microwave and placed it in front of Zoey.
“I wanted to call you guys, but that ten second delay is creepy, and I couldn’t afford calling long distance, as it were.”
“It’s okay. Mom’s just joking with you. Right, Alice?”
“Of course, Harold. Elizabeth’s a grown woman who can choose to ignore the people who gave her life if she chooses to.”
“Mom, it’s not like that,” said Zoey between bites of a white clump posing as mashed potatoes.
“We understand, don’t we Harold?”
“I don’t understand why the two of you can’t just be normal to each other and say how much you miss each other,” he replied. “I’ll be in the other room watching the newscasts.”
“We’re women, Dad,” said Zoey as he rose. “We’re not normal.”
Alice sat down next to Zoey. “I thought he’d never leave. So,” she said with a certain look in her eyes. “Did you meet anyone?”
“Mom!”
“You should be thinking of starting your own family.”
“Mom, it’s none of your business if I’m dating someone.”
“You didn’t have an abortion, did you?”
“No, I didn’t have an abortion!”
“Well, I don’t know,” said Alice. “You seem so secretive today.”
“I am not secretive.”
“If you say so.”
“Okay, Okay,” said Zoey. “I did meet someone.” He’s part of an elite group of super geniuses. He’s familiar with every language in existence, and, more importantly, he’s cute. “He helped me through a rough spot I was going through.” Trapped on a dead planet. “He’s just funny and charming, and I don’t know.” He makes me forget that I’m a freak.
“So, when do we get to meet him?”
“I’ll get back to you on that,” said Zoey as she started to stand up. “My bedroom still there or did you make it into a sunroom?”
“Everything’s just as you left it.” Her mother hugged her warmly. “It is nice to see you again.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Zoey walked past her father who stared soundlessly at his laptop’s screen. She went up the carpeted stairs and found her room to be untouched for the last five years. Her bed was neatly tucked, and everything was cleaned off the floor. Zoey could barely recognize her own room.
She went over to her desk where her cell phone lay. Out of her pocket, Zoey pulled out a similar device for intergalactic calls, the personal line to the Brilliant 5. She set it on her desk and took the cell with her back to the bed. She flipped her cell open as she plopped onto the bed. It took a few seconds for the cell to turn on. During which, Zoey closed her eyes and gathered her wits. Her mind, strange and enhanced, could feel the data floating all around her. Unlike other planets, Earth’s data was crowded, disorganized, and almost chaotic.
Zoey reined in her senses and focused on her cell phone as it started to download her emails. In her mind’s eye were flashes of the email speeding into her inbox. Like her mental training, Zoey tried reading and sorting them as a normal person would with a computer screen. And for a time, she accomplished it, until the weight of the incoming emails became too much for her mind.
Realizing this, Zoey furrowed her brow in concentration. She started pushing the data out of her mind, before she became overrun with it. She exerted all the willpower she could muster in raising her guard and shutting out all of the data around her. She finally managed this small feat and felt utterly drained.
She looked down at the cell phone. Anger and frustration suddenly seized her through the weariness, and she tossed the cell down. It bounced off the bed and slid across the floor. With the floodgates opened, a surge of emotions twisted in her chest.
Zoey, exhausted and lonely, cried. She started to smother her face in the sheets to dry her eyes and to muffle her sobbing from her parents below.
Click here to read Chapter 2
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A Prayer For Tomorrow
Dearest Lord, I thank You for the end of another day, and the good health and good family and friends you have bestowed upon me. Tomorrow, I go back to work, ultimately for money and pride, neither of which You exalt. Nevertheless, please give me the ability to do the best with the talents You have given me, and the grace to recognize any mistakes I have made, and the courage to correct them. I wish not fear, avarice, or sloth to stay my hand, and most importantly, the patience to do what is need to be done, not what I want done.
Give me the cool head to prevail in whatever trials await me tomorrow. Amen.
Give me the cool head to prevail in whatever trials await me tomorrow. Amen.
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Thankful Trooper
I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving.
Today, some of us go back to work while others are able to spend time with their family and loved ones. Not to mention, to sleep off their ridiculously full bellies. In either case, take a moment to count your many blessings, and step away from Black Shopping Madness for a moment of silence and remembrance.
Everyone at this moment in time is very lucky, even if they haven't realized that yet.
Today, some of us go back to work while others are able to spend time with their family and loved ones. Not to mention, to sleep off their ridiculously full bellies. In either case, take a moment to count your many blessings, and step away from Black Shopping Madness for a moment of silence and remembrance.
Everyone at this moment in time is very lucky, even if they haven't realized that yet.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday Movie: Bar 20 Rides Again
There was a time when westerns were the prevalent genre of the day. Yes, cowboys were the heroes that rode off into the sunset adored by all not super heroes, aliens, vampires, zombies, or horror-torture puppets. There are many well-known actors who were associated with westerns, such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry. There are also a few fictional characters who are synonymous with westerns, and no two come to my mind quicker than the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy.
Hopalong Cassidy was brought to life on the silver screen by William Boyd, and "Bar 20 Rides Again" was his third outing as the black-clad, sure-shooting foreman of the Bar 20. Cassidy and his two sidekicks, Red Connors and Johnny Nelson, ride out to the Arnolds' settlement to stop a gang of rustlers from scaring them off their ranch.
The plot is pretty paint-by-numbers. A "sophisticate" secretly plots to drive honest ranchers off while pretending to be their friend. Nevertheless, the movie is very entertaining, and it may be just better written than some of the sequels. Hopalong spends most of the time in the disguise of a card shark to get into the gang terrorizing the Arnolds, a plot device that isn't used too often.
Perhaps what makes this movie more interesting is that the villain is a little more unique. He has a Napoleon complex, literally obsessed with the "tiny" terror from France. His comeuppance is a little more poetic than the usual gunfight allows.
Another appealing factor is the inclusion of George "Gabby" Hayes. "Gabby" is simply put one of the greatest actors who ever lived. Watching any of his films, you would never guess that Hayes was really a suave, city slicker who was the complete opposite of the "old timers" he constantly played. Hayes' first scene, where he's bragging to Hopalong (in disguise) about how close he was to the famous Hopalong Cassidy, is just one of many examples of Hayes enriching any movie he was in.
It's easy to claim this film as one of my favorite Hoppy films, but I could say the same about a lot of other of Hopalong Cassidy's adventures as well.
Hopalong Cassidy was brought to life on the silver screen by William Boyd, and "Bar 20 Rides Again" was his third outing as the black-clad, sure-shooting foreman of the Bar 20. Cassidy and his two sidekicks, Red Connors and Johnny Nelson, ride out to the Arnolds' settlement to stop a gang of rustlers from scaring them off their ranch.
The plot is pretty paint-by-numbers. A "sophisticate" secretly plots to drive honest ranchers off while pretending to be their friend. Nevertheless, the movie is very entertaining, and it may be just better written than some of the sequels. Hopalong spends most of the time in the disguise of a card shark to get into the gang terrorizing the Arnolds, a plot device that isn't used too often.
Perhaps what makes this movie more interesting is that the villain is a little more unique. He has a Napoleon complex, literally obsessed with the "tiny" terror from France. His comeuppance is a little more poetic than the usual gunfight allows.
Another appealing factor is the inclusion of George "Gabby" Hayes. "Gabby" is simply put one of the greatest actors who ever lived. Watching any of his films, you would never guess that Hayes was really a suave, city slicker who was the complete opposite of the "old timers" he constantly played. Hayes' first scene, where he's bragging to Hopalong (in disguise) about how close he was to the famous Hopalong Cassidy, is just one of many examples of Hayes enriching any movie he was in.
It's easy to claim this film as one of my favorite Hoppy films, but I could say the same about a lot of other of Hopalong Cassidy's adventures as well.
Friday, November 05, 2010
The Clone Wars Rage On (Quietly)
The third season of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" started about a month ago, and again, with the start of a season, the series shifts its focus. Of the seven episodes shown so far, only one of them is an all-out battle-type story. All six of the remaining episodes are character-oriented pieces focused more on intrigue and suspense than huge battle epics. The last handful of episodes have been put an emphasis on the female characters including Padme Amidala, Padawan Ahsoka, Satine Kryze, and Aurra Sing.
Tonight's episode will bring the droids into the spotlight as C-3PO becomes a target to bounty hunter Cade Bane. As with previous seasons, C-3PO will be voiced by Anthony Daniels who has portrayed the golden fussbucket for over thirty years in a variety of different media. Talk about commitment to a character! Hopefully, the episode may have a nod or two to the droids' own animated show from the 80s, "The Droids."
I'm not sure how the season will shape from here on out, but I've enjoyed the effort made to flesh out the characters, especially the female ones, and prove that it's not all about the "Wars."
Tonight's episode will bring the droids into the spotlight as C-3PO becomes a target to bounty hunter Cade Bane. As with previous seasons, C-3PO will be voiced by Anthony Daniels who has portrayed the golden fussbucket for over thirty years in a variety of different media. Talk about commitment to a character! Hopefully, the episode may have a nod or two to the droids' own animated show from the 80s, "The Droids."
I'm not sure how the season will shape from here on out, but I've enjoyed the effort made to flesh out the characters, especially the female ones, and prove that it's not all about the "Wars."
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Vote!
I just wanted to thank everyone who went out and voted today. Those among us who made informed decisions and did not just vote by personal or political bias. I can only hope that this will lead to a more hopeful tomorrow where "the people" take an active role in the world they live in.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday Movie: Red Planet
This film from 2000, featuring a group of astronauts traveling to Mars to find out what happened to their experimental terraforming project, really features a Luddite message. If you place your faith in technology, you will be royally screwed. This runs concurrent with the film's vague philosophical/religious discussions that there may be bigger things at work than the plans of mice and men, so to speak.
The philosophical character, Chantilas, doesn't make it pass the first thirty minutes of the film, and another wonderful Terence Stamp cameo bites the dust. The rest of the cast include Val Kilmer, Carrie Ann Moss (fresh off "The Matrix"), Tom Sizemore (in his least sleazy role yet), Simon Baker (pretending to be unattractive and awkward), and Benjamin Bratt.
Most of the rest of film's dialogue revolves around the hypothetical discussion of this proposed terraforming of Mars and what went wrong. The film tries its hardest to stay in the realm of the plausible, and even had NASA advisers onboard the project, until their relationship became strained when NASA objected to one of the astronauts becoming a murderer.
When the surviving characters aren't talking about terraforming, they're usually troubleshooting by Macgyvering up something from whatever they have around them. Need to establish a contact with the orbiting shuttle? How about taking apart an old probe lying around since 1997 and making a handheld, solar-powered radio? Cool!
Maybe that's what I like about this movie: that can-do, do-or-die, human inventiveness that never gives up.
Or maybe it was Val Kilmer giving Mars the finger...
The philosophical character, Chantilas, doesn't make it pass the first thirty minutes of the film, and another wonderful Terence Stamp cameo bites the dust. The rest of the cast include Val Kilmer, Carrie Ann Moss (fresh off "The Matrix"), Tom Sizemore (in his least sleazy role yet), Simon Baker (pretending to be unattractive and awkward), and Benjamin Bratt.
Most of the rest of film's dialogue revolves around the hypothetical discussion of this proposed terraforming of Mars and what went wrong. The film tries its hardest to stay in the realm of the plausible, and even had NASA advisers onboard the project, until their relationship became strained when NASA objected to one of the astronauts becoming a murderer.
When the surviving characters aren't talking about terraforming, they're usually troubleshooting by Macgyvering up something from whatever they have around them. Need to establish a contact with the orbiting shuttle? How about taking apart an old probe lying around since 1997 and making a handheld, solar-powered radio? Cool!
Maybe that's what I like about this movie: that can-do, do-or-die, human inventiveness that never gives up.
Or maybe it was Val Kilmer giving Mars the finger...
Friday, October 22, 2010
Progress Report (For Those Who Care)
While tweaking "Only Human" (working title?) the other day, I checked the file, and it was created on May 31, 2010. Not so long ago, perhaps, but it doesn't feel like I've been working on it as long as that. There's chapter 10 to be done, and whether or not I decide on splitting it up or ending the story on one huge chapter. But the end is soon.
Before I go too far, "Only Human" is the sequel to "The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah," much in the same way that "Khyber Gorah" is a sequel to "Rick Daring and the Brilliant 5." That is, to say, in a loose sense of the word. When finished, the story, like the others, will be more of a novella, and I haven't decided to couple it with its sequel or to just release it separately. I have entertained the idea of serializing it on my blog, but I'm not sure it's a good use of my time, to be honest.
I just finished re-reading the first four chapters, and I am cautiously proud of them. My friend Jason had given me some good feedback on the first 20 pages or so, and with them, the story is gelling a little better. My unhappiness with Chapter 3 is all but abated, but I keep feeling like something's missing from Chapter 5.
Come what may, I enjoyed spending time in the world of a fragile girl with insecurities and vulnerabilities. Strangely more interesting than the worlds outside our own...
Before I go too far, "Only Human" is the sequel to "The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah," much in the same way that "Khyber Gorah" is a sequel to "Rick Daring and the Brilliant 5." That is, to say, in a loose sense of the word. When finished, the story, like the others, will be more of a novella, and I haven't decided to couple it with its sequel or to just release it separately. I have entertained the idea of serializing it on my blog, but I'm not sure it's a good use of my time, to be honest.
I just finished re-reading the first four chapters, and I am cautiously proud of them. My friend Jason had given me some good feedback on the first 20 pages or so, and with them, the story is gelling a little better. My unhappiness with Chapter 3 is all but abated, but I keep feeling like something's missing from Chapter 5.
Come what may, I enjoyed spending time in the world of a fragile girl with insecurities and vulnerabilities. Strangely more interesting than the worlds outside our own...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday Movie: Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Paul Mantee stars as Commander Draper, the aforementioned Robinson Crusoe of the title. He is forced to find a way to live on Mars after ejecting from a Mars Explorer vessel. His only companion (for the first half of the movie) is a monkey who is obviously the brains of the group, because she finds the native water and food for Draper to live on.
I'm impressed with this film, and not just because of Criterion's sharp DVD transfer. The movie has this wonderful blend of practicality and imagination. "Crusoe" does find water, oxygen, and food, but in relatively realistic or at least semi-plausible ways. One of the more interesting aspects that the film brings up is that, even finding such necessities, Draper is unhappy, because he still lacks companionship, and the isolation weighs on him so much that he hallucinates his dead partner.
Many may balk at the dated ideas of how Mars is depicted, but being filmed at Death Valley does not hurt this film. In fact, one of the only problems I have with the effects is that the studio sets cannot match the breathtaking look of the location shots. The special effects were all done using "old fashioned" techniques such as matte paintings and model work. I think the effects are just as impressive as that other science fiction movie that will turn up thirteen years later. (That would be 1977 for those of you who need a hint.)
In the second half of the movie, Draper meets "Friday," an escaped slave from a group of unknown aliens who come to Mars every so often with their chain gangs to mine Mars's ore. When they first meet, Draper is the Big Shot American, insisting on Friday learning English immediately, and it looks like Friday is doing the work for Draper, i.e. Friday's his servant. This all changes when Friday saves Draper's life. Their relationship becomes more mutual, and both men are willing to learn each other's languages and culture.
This film reminds me of another semi-realistic film of astronauts trying to survive on Mars: "Red Planet." Both films were flops in the box office, (correct me if I'm wrong) but both appeal to the little kid in me who always wanted to explore other planets and jump headfirst into the unknown.
I'm impressed with this film, and not just because of Criterion's sharp DVD transfer. The movie has this wonderful blend of practicality and imagination. "Crusoe" does find water, oxygen, and food, but in relatively realistic or at least semi-plausible ways. One of the more interesting aspects that the film brings up is that, even finding such necessities, Draper is unhappy, because he still lacks companionship, and the isolation weighs on him so much that he hallucinates his dead partner.
Many may balk at the dated ideas of how Mars is depicted, but being filmed at Death Valley does not hurt this film. In fact, one of the only problems I have with the effects is that the studio sets cannot match the breathtaking look of the location shots. The special effects were all done using "old fashioned" techniques such as matte paintings and model work. I think the effects are just as impressive as that other science fiction movie that will turn up thirteen years later. (That would be 1977 for those of you who need a hint.)
In the second half of the movie, Draper meets "Friday," an escaped slave from a group of unknown aliens who come to Mars every so often with their chain gangs to mine Mars's ore. When they first meet, Draper is the Big Shot American, insisting on Friday learning English immediately, and it looks like Friday is doing the work for Draper, i.e. Friday's his servant. This all changes when Friday saves Draper's life. Their relationship becomes more mutual, and both men are willing to learn each other's languages and culture.
This film reminds me of another semi-realistic film of astronauts trying to survive on Mars: "Red Planet." Both films were flops in the box office, (correct me if I'm wrong) but both appeal to the little kid in me who always wanted to explore other planets and jump headfirst into the unknown.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Aloha, Brother
Film Score Monthly released a CD version of 1968 soundtrack to the TV series, Hawaii Five-O. This being a calculated risk what with the new version on CBS and everything. I must admit that this soundtrack is pretty impressive despite its brevity. (Then again, 30 minutes is 3/4ths the capacity of a record. Ask your parents what a record is.) It features music from the series composed by Morton Stevens, including its legendary theme song.
If you'll allow me to digress, I remember a time when television shows all had cool, catchy themes songs, and in the Top 10 would be the theme to Hawaii Five-O. Other soundtracks for television shows of the sixties (my experience limited to Mission: Impossible and Mannix) feature music written by the composer (In both cases Lalo Schifrin) exclusively for the album. This meant that the soundtrack for the show did not include any music used in the show except for the main theme.
The Hawaii Five-O soundtrack has a nice balance of suspense/tense music with the trippy/jazzy style of the sixties. And there's plenty of use of the theme throughout the soundtrack. It opens with an extended version of the theme, and ends on a truncated version which is (or sounds a lot like) the version used as opening/closing of the show. "The Chase" is a highlight, a mix of bombastic horns and a soft touch of the main theme. (It also contains the stinger used when the show segways into commercial breaks.) Fans of Morton's work will also like to hear "Call to Danger" for it is the unused theme for a pilot (nameed "Call To Danger") that was never made.
With a great booklet with insightful liner notes, it's hard to see what's not to like. (You were probably thinking this was going to end with "Book 'em, Danno," huh?)
If you'll allow me to digress, I remember a time when television shows all had cool, catchy themes songs, and in the Top 10 would be the theme to Hawaii Five-O. Other soundtracks for television shows of the sixties (my experience limited to Mission: Impossible and Mannix) feature music written by the composer (In both cases Lalo Schifrin) exclusively for the album. This meant that the soundtrack for the show did not include any music used in the show except for the main theme.
The Hawaii Five-O soundtrack has a nice balance of suspense/tense music with the trippy/jazzy style of the sixties. And there's plenty of use of the theme throughout the soundtrack. It opens with an extended version of the theme, and ends on a truncated version which is (or sounds a lot like) the version used as opening/closing of the show. "The Chase" is a highlight, a mix of bombastic horns and a soft touch of the main theme. (It also contains the stinger used when the show segways into commercial breaks.) Fans of Morton's work will also like to hear "Call to Danger" for it is the unused theme for a pilot (nameed "Call To Danger") that was never made.
With a great booklet with insightful liner notes, it's hard to see what's not to like. (You were probably thinking this was going to end with "Book 'em, Danno," huh?)
Monday, October 04, 2010
Sunday Movie: Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly reprised their roles as Batman and Superman in another adaptationr of Jeph Loeb's Superman/Batman series. This story picks up where the last story left off, where in the remains of the large astroid from Krypton, (that was destroyed by a large robot composite of Batman and Superman piloted by the Dark Night) Batman finds another survivor from Krypton, Superman's apparent cousin, who eventually becomes Supergirl. (Surprised?)
The story is focused on Kara's (Supergirl's) discovery of identity and adapting to life on planet Earth... Oh, who am I kidding? It's really about everyone kidnapping and brainwashing the poor Kryptonian. First of all, Wonder Woman and her amazons ambush and kidnap her. (When did Superman and Wonder Woman stop speaking to each other?) Then, on Paradise Island, Darkseid attacks with an army of Doomsday creatures (only for the army to be literally fried with Super Heat Vision) and Kara again being kidnapped and then brainwashed.
Good news, the story is more coherent than the first one, "Public Enemies," which was just bizarre. Though everyone seems out of character. Superman is very aggressive and angry. Batman is super-pessimissic. Did I mention that Wonder Woman ambushed and attacked Superman in his secret identity no less? Darkseid is one-dimensional, and Kara isn't given enough time to develop when she's being constantly being attacked or kidnapped. But hey, it was based on a comic book.
Also, if you're wondering why the movie is called Apocalypse when there is no said threat, then ask the execs at Warner Bros. Apparently, the earlier release of the Wonder Woman DVD movie had poor sales, so the WB wanted, in no way, to advertise that this movie was about another female lead, Supergirl, and the creators fought to even have her on the cover. Personally, if they had told me that Big Barda was in it, I would have bought it sooner.
The story is focused on Kara's (Supergirl's) discovery of identity and adapting to life on planet Earth... Oh, who am I kidding? It's really about everyone kidnapping and brainwashing the poor Kryptonian. First of all, Wonder Woman and her amazons ambush and kidnap her. (When did Superman and Wonder Woman stop speaking to each other?) Then, on Paradise Island, Darkseid attacks with an army of Doomsday creatures (only for the army to be literally fried with Super Heat Vision) and Kara again being kidnapped and then brainwashed.
Good news, the story is more coherent than the first one, "Public Enemies," which was just bizarre. Though everyone seems out of character. Superman is very aggressive and angry. Batman is super-pessimissic. Did I mention that Wonder Woman ambushed and attacked Superman in his secret identity no less? Darkseid is one-dimensional, and Kara isn't given enough time to develop when she's being constantly being attacked or kidnapped. But hey, it was based on a comic book.
Also, if you're wondering why the movie is called Apocalypse when there is no said threat, then ask the execs at Warner Bros. Apparently, the earlier release of the Wonder Woman DVD movie had poor sales, so the WB wanted, in no way, to advertise that this movie was about another female lead, Supergirl, and the creators fought to even have her on the cover. Personally, if they had told me that Big Barda was in it, I would have bought it sooner.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday Movie: A Fistful of Dollars
The best or worst thing to say about "A Fistful of Dollars" is that it exemplifies the genre of "Spaghetti Westerns." Directed by Sergio Leone with music by Ennio Morricone, the movie is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo." (so much so that kurosawa sued them!)
The plot, after all, is pretty much the same. A stranger arrives in a town ruled by two competing gangs. Using his wits, the stranger pits the two gangs against each other until they are wiped out all while the stranger makes a few bucks in the progress.
If I'm not mistaken, this was the movie that put Clint Eastwood on the map, so to speak. All Eastwood had to done was look mean, squint a lot, and shoot a lot of bad guys. Eastwood would much of the same in many of his later films before becoming a very successful director of very different films like "Bridges of Madison County," and "Million Dollar Baby."
The movie itself is filled many great examples of the genre, but unfortunately, most of them are now considered cliched. The pacing is a bit slow and the 100 minutes movie feels like a full two hours. The bad guys are really bad, but our (anti-)hero wins in the end, just like any good Western should.
The plot, after all, is pretty much the same. A stranger arrives in a town ruled by two competing gangs. Using his wits, the stranger pits the two gangs against each other until they are wiped out all while the stranger makes a few bucks in the progress.
If I'm not mistaken, this was the movie that put Clint Eastwood on the map, so to speak. All Eastwood had to done was look mean, squint a lot, and shoot a lot of bad guys. Eastwood would much of the same in many of his later films before becoming a very successful director of very different films like "Bridges of Madison County," and "Million Dollar Baby."
The movie itself is filled many great examples of the genre, but unfortunately, most of them are now considered cliched. The pacing is a bit slow and the 100 minutes movie feels like a full two hours. The bad guys are really bad, but our (anti-)hero wins in the end, just like any good Western should.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Last Sunday Movie: Gi Joe The Movie
Gi Joe The Movie shares a lot with its twin 80s counterpart: Transformers the Movie, and not just because they're both based on a toy line, and both recently had new movies made of them. Both of the 80s movies feature plots that introduce many new elements (or one could say, a plot that has nothing to do with the series prior to the movie), many new characters to replace older toys, er, characters, and stunt casting.
Unfortunately, the casting on GI Joe is not as spectacular as Transformers (though they both share many of the regular cast of voice actors). Don Johnson, Sgt. Slaughter (the wrestler), and Burgess Meredith all are gifted people to be sure, but pale in comparison to the cast of Transformers which included Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack, Eric Idle, and even Judd Nelson. Of course, all of the people I've listed in this paragraph were people willing to sell their self-respect for a hopefully large stack of cash. The unsung heroes are the voice actor's voice actors who lent their talents to both the series and the movie, including Michael Bell, Frank Welker, and Chris Latta.
Killing off the main character was also a big thing that both movies share. Unfortunately, the Transformers Movie was released first, so when news of hundreds of traumatized kids cried their eyes out at the sight of Optimus Prime dying, the good folks making the movie dubbing in some lines that Duke "was in a coma" and was "going to pull through." Seeing how fake these lines are, considering Duke got a snake through his heart (don't ask), makes the movie almost worse than if they had just killed him.
(Also, both movies feature a reckless hot shot who gets the hero killed off, though at least Lt. Falcon is not rewarded for his deeds like Hot Rod is.)
So, what is the plot of the movie? Well, Cobra, the evil terrorist organization plotting world domination, is led by Cobra Commander, who in actuality a scientist who comes from a secret society called, wait for it, "Cobra-La." "Cobra-La" is an Atlantis-type ancient society that was almost destroyed by the Ice Age/Dawn of Man, and developed superior technology compared to us humans. Tired of hiding, they plan on shooting spores into space. Once heated by the Joes' newest MacGuffin, the spores will rain down on humanity turning them into mindless monsters. It's a little sad if the plot is based off of Moonraker, one of Roger Moore's Bond films. More or less on par with the actual series the movie was based on.
All in all, it is a fun movie, not one for actual military enthusiasts per se. The animation is very well done, despite the occasional error. It's actually a very nice example of the 80s line-drawn anime style that been replaced by "edgier" animated styles or just by computers in general. The story flows pretty good, and it features most, if not, all of the Gi Joe's extended cast of characters, even if most characters have truncated roles.
Unfortunately, the casting on GI Joe is not as spectacular as Transformers (though they both share many of the regular cast of voice actors). Don Johnson, Sgt. Slaughter (the wrestler), and Burgess Meredith all are gifted people to be sure, but pale in comparison to the cast of Transformers which included Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack, Eric Idle, and even Judd Nelson. Of course, all of the people I've listed in this paragraph were people willing to sell their self-respect for a hopefully large stack of cash. The unsung heroes are the voice actor's voice actors who lent their talents to both the series and the movie, including Michael Bell, Frank Welker, and Chris Latta.
Killing off the main character was also a big thing that both movies share. Unfortunately, the Transformers Movie was released first, so when news of hundreds of traumatized kids cried their eyes out at the sight of Optimus Prime dying, the good folks making the movie dubbing in some lines that Duke "was in a coma" and was "going to pull through." Seeing how fake these lines are, considering Duke got a snake through his heart (don't ask), makes the movie almost worse than if they had just killed him.
(Also, both movies feature a reckless hot shot who gets the hero killed off, though at least Lt. Falcon is not rewarded for his deeds like Hot Rod is.)
So, what is the plot of the movie? Well, Cobra, the evil terrorist organization plotting world domination, is led by Cobra Commander, who in actuality a scientist who comes from a secret society called, wait for it, "Cobra-La." "Cobra-La" is an Atlantis-type ancient society that was almost destroyed by the Ice Age/Dawn of Man, and developed superior technology compared to us humans. Tired of hiding, they plan on shooting spores into space. Once heated by the Joes' newest MacGuffin, the spores will rain down on humanity turning them into mindless monsters. It's a little sad if the plot is based off of Moonraker, one of Roger Moore's Bond films. More or less on par with the actual series the movie was based on.
All in all, it is a fun movie, not one for actual military enthusiasts per se. The animation is very well done, despite the occasional error. It's actually a very nice example of the 80s line-drawn anime style that been replaced by "edgier" animated styles or just by computers in general. The story flows pretty good, and it features most, if not, all of the Gi Joe's extended cast of characters, even if most characters have truncated roles.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sunday Movie: The Lady Eve
As a (hopefully) weekly installment, I will take a look at a movie, new or old, and give some of my thoughts on it.
In our opener, I'd like to take on Preston Sturges' "The Lady Eve." This romantic comedy from 1941 features Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, who are both in excellent form. Stanwyck is Jean Harrington, a card shark, who first targets and then falls in love with the naive ale heir, Charles Pike (Fonda). Once Pike finds out what she is, he breaks it off with her. Hurt, Jean creates the "Eve" personae to get even with Pike.
Sturges's script is sharp and witty, something clearly lacking nowadays. It plays on what the audience knows and the characters, mostly the hapless Pike, don't know. That doesn't stop it from having some silly slapstick thrown in for good measure. The movie also acknowledges the Genesis story featuring the "original" Eve, including apples, snakes, and a very tempting Eve.
As I said before, Stanwyck and Fonda are delightful to watch. Fonda's acting is all in his face, which is priceless as he depicts Pike's dumbfounded expressions. Stanwyck is full of energy, charm, and a bit of something else. There is a gleem in her eye as she says in the movie, referring to Pike, "I need him like the ax needs a turkey." I also enjoyed the supporting cast of Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, and William Demarest.
The only disappointment I find in this movie is the ending, which seems to come in a hurry. The happy ending isn't unfitting, but it feels like the movie is missing a few scenes that make the ending the logical conclusion that it is.
In our opener, I'd like to take on Preston Sturges' "The Lady Eve." This romantic comedy from 1941 features Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, who are both in excellent form. Stanwyck is Jean Harrington, a card shark, who first targets and then falls in love with the naive ale heir, Charles Pike (Fonda). Once Pike finds out what she is, he breaks it off with her. Hurt, Jean creates the "Eve" personae to get even with Pike.
Sturges's script is sharp and witty, something clearly lacking nowadays. It plays on what the audience knows and the characters, mostly the hapless Pike, don't know. That doesn't stop it from having some silly slapstick thrown in for good measure. The movie also acknowledges the Genesis story featuring the "original" Eve, including apples, snakes, and a very tempting Eve.
As I said before, Stanwyck and Fonda are delightful to watch. Fonda's acting is all in his face, which is priceless as he depicts Pike's dumbfounded expressions. Stanwyck is full of energy, charm, and a bit of something else. There is a gleem in her eye as she says in the movie, referring to Pike, "I need him like the ax needs a turkey." I also enjoyed the supporting cast of Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, and William Demarest.
The only disappointment I find in this movie is the ending, which seems to come in a hurry. The happy ending isn't unfitting, but it feels like the movie is missing a few scenes that make the ending the logical conclusion that it is.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Satoshi Kon 1963 - 2010
Over the weekend, I discovered that anime director Satoshi Kon died, succumbing to pancreatic cancer. I was shocked at the news, because of the director's relative young age of 46. I had great respect for the director's flair for merging fantasy and reality in films such as "Millennium Actress" and "Paprika."
Being Japanese, it was less likely to hear about his death as an American actor or director. But still, there was an obituary in this week's TIME magazine, which I read while in a waiting room. While some credit Kon's "Paprika" for partially inspiring Christopher Nolan's "Inception" and being an inspriation for other director such as Guillermo del Toro and Darren Aronofsky, I can not in certain terms agree with these remarks, because I don't know how influential he was.
I do know that he was a source of imagination and inspiration to myself. Each movie he made was different and unique from the one before it. Kon did not stick to a certain genre, and yet each movie still bears his trademark style.
Satoshi Kon was apparently working on a new film called "The Dream Machine," and I hope that it will be completed in his honor. I however am disheartened that it will be the last film I will see from the mind of Satoshi Kon.
Being Japanese, it was less likely to hear about his death as an American actor or director. But still, there was an obituary in this week's TIME magazine, which I read while in a waiting room. While some credit Kon's "Paprika" for partially inspiring Christopher Nolan's "Inception" and being an inspriation for other director such as Guillermo del Toro and Darren Aronofsky, I can not in certain terms agree with these remarks, because I don't know how influential he was.
I do know that he was a source of imagination and inspiration to myself. Each movie he made was different and unique from the one before it. Kon did not stick to a certain genre, and yet each movie still bears his trademark style.
Satoshi Kon was apparently working on a new film called "The Dream Machine," and I hope that it will be completed in his honor. I however am disheartened that it will be the last film I will see from the mind of Satoshi Kon.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Inceptions and Interpolations
Christopher Nolan's "Inception" is, simply put, a heist movie that happens in people's dreams. The theory (in the movie at least) is that as a person progresses further into a dream, or a dream within a dream, then time becomes slower. Composer Hans Zimmer took this idea and incorporated the song the characters used to wake themselves up ("Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" by Edith Piaf) and slowed it down, turning the song into a ominous theme. This droning effect becomes one of the central themes in Zimmer's score.
Turn ahead to the release of the commercial soundtrack. In the liner notes, two of the tracks are credited with "featuring interpolations of the song Non, Ne Regrette Rien performed by Edith Piaf." The first track is "Half Remembered Dream," which opens the album and introduces the droning effect that is supposedly the song in disguise. The second track, "Waiting For A Train" is much, more obvious, because it contains an actual clip of the song within it.
Now, the droning effect is used on other tracks as well, but assumedly these are produced using synthesizers and not the actual song. Thus, they are not also indicated in the liner notes. But the question is should they also be credited with containing a portion of music taken from Edith Piaf? After all, Zimmer did not write this theme. He created it by digitally altering Piaf's song, and deep in its distorted sound are the original notes created by someone other than Zimmer, who is also making money off of the album.
Or is that since Zimmer did alter the song so that it is unrecognizable in its new form, that he owes little to nothing to Piaf? This is a fairly old argument, one lawsuits thrive on. For instance, Monty Norman and John Barry have been through several lawsuits deciding which of them is the creator of the James Bond theme. Norman wrote the actual notes (which was based on another song), but it was Barry who arranged the music and decided to use an electric guitar, creating the theme's signature sound. I'm inclined to say that they both together, and not individually, are responsible for the theme, but that does not look too good on a royality check.
Turn ahead to the release of the commercial soundtrack. In the liner notes, two of the tracks are credited with "featuring interpolations of the song Non, Ne Regrette Rien performed by Edith Piaf." The first track is "Half Remembered Dream," which opens the album and introduces the droning effect that is supposedly the song in disguise. The second track, "Waiting For A Train" is much, more obvious, because it contains an actual clip of the song within it.
Now, the droning effect is used on other tracks as well, but assumedly these are produced using synthesizers and not the actual song. Thus, they are not also indicated in the liner notes. But the question is should they also be credited with containing a portion of music taken from Edith Piaf? After all, Zimmer did not write this theme. He created it by digitally altering Piaf's song, and deep in its distorted sound are the original notes created by someone other than Zimmer, who is also making money off of the album.
Or is that since Zimmer did alter the song so that it is unrecognizable in its new form, that he owes little to nothing to Piaf? This is a fairly old argument, one lawsuits thrive on. For instance, Monty Norman and John Barry have been through several lawsuits deciding which of them is the creator of the James Bond theme. Norman wrote the actual notes (which was based on another song), but it was Barry who arranged the music and decided to use an electric guitar, creating the theme's signature sound. I'm inclined to say that they both together, and not individually, are responsible for the theme, but that does not look too good on a royality check.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Whole Truth
Maura Tierney is, in my "unhumble" opinion, one of the great unsung actresses of television. (I blame her agent for being stuck with bit parts in movies like "Baby Mama".) Most of her fans know Tierney from her long tenure on "ER" and may even remember her from as far back as "NewsRadio."
Unfortunately, she recently had to turn down a role in the series "Parenthood," because she was diagnosed with breast cancer. A year later, and Tierney is back on the screen in a new law drama called "The Whole Truth." According to the articles (or hype) for the show, the role was tailer-made for her.
I'm relieved that she's made a full recovery and being back at work is a good sign. I have tremendous respect for Maura Tierney's acting abilities, and I wish her success on the new show this fall.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Teaser: Only Human
Zoey Walker spent five years traveling throughout the galaxy with Sara, one of the most well-respected individuals in the universe. During that time, Zoey met the famous Brilliant 5, was kidnapped by a secret cult, trapped on a dead planet, and had the time of her life. But all things come to an end as Zoey walked away from it all because of a single argument.
An argument over the identity of the man who had experimented on Zoey's brain years prior. Sara denied her the chance to learn about the true identity of the mysterious Doctor Zeitgeist for fear of Zoey succumbing to revenge. So, Zoey headed back to Earth, to a life she left behind hoping to possibly start again.
But by returning to Earth, she may closer to the elusive Doctor Zeitgeist than she ever was before. There is something lurking in the darkness underneath the city, and people with specific talents have started to disappear. It would be just another day for Sara, but Zoey is all on her own...
An argument over the identity of the man who had experimented on Zoey's brain years prior. Sara denied her the chance to learn about the true identity of the mysterious Doctor Zeitgeist for fear of Zoey succumbing to revenge. So, Zoey headed back to Earth, to a life she left behind hoping to possibly start again.
But by returning to Earth, she may closer to the elusive Doctor Zeitgeist than she ever was before. There is something lurking in the darkness underneath the city, and people with specific talents have started to disappear. It would be just another day for Sara, but Zoey is all on her own...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Strange Wonders - Now Available on Lulu
My second novel, "Strange Wonders" is now available on Lulu's website. Click on the new "Buy The Books" banner on the right.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The New Look
What do you think?
After six years of the "blue-bubble" look, I decided a change was in order. I went with something a little more simple for the plain reason that I thought it would be easier to read. I've rearranged the sub-menus, but besides that, it's business as usual.
While I have your attention, an overdue update. I've had a bit of a teaser tab for the next story for some time. I've written about a fourth of it so far and was planning to have a written preview on here much sooner. The reason I've been so lax is that I've been preparing another novel for Lulu's consumption. It's an older story (or a quarter of it, at least) but it's taken longer than I expected to format it.
Another thing I've left unattended is a banner for the "Buy the Books" link. Something I hope to change in the accompanying weeks. With a grand total of two people having purchased my first novel, I continue onwards with "high" expectations.
After six years of the "blue-bubble" look, I decided a change was in order. I went with something a little more simple for the plain reason that I thought it would be easier to read. I've rearranged the sub-menus, but besides that, it's business as usual.
While I have your attention, an overdue update. I've had a bit of a teaser tab for the next story for some time. I've written about a fourth of it so far and was planning to have a written preview on here much sooner. The reason I've been so lax is that I've been preparing another novel for Lulu's consumption. It's an older story (or a quarter of it, at least) but it's taken longer than I expected to format it.
Another thing I've left unattended is a banner for the "Buy the Books" link. Something I hope to change in the accompanying weeks. With a grand total of two people having purchased my first novel, I continue onwards with "high" expectations.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Ultra Galaxy Screenshot
As requested, here is a still from the "Ultra Galaxy" movie. From left to right, there's Ultraman Zoffy, Ultra Father, Ultra Mother, and their son, Ultraman Taro. Note that Zoffy and Taro are also wearing capes, though the design is different from Ultra Father's and Ultra Mother's. Ultra Father's cape has a large back collar and studs going around his shoulders (presumedly indicating rank). These were faithfully represented in the Ultra Father cape that I purchased from eToys Japan.
Friday, July 02, 2010
Accessorize! Ultra Mother
Over the past month, I had the fortune to see the latest Ultraman movie "Ultra Galaxy Legend The Movie." (It was on DVD, but living in America, seeing any Ultraman-related movies is a miracle onto itself.) In it, I saw Ultra Mother (she's mother to Ultraman Taro, hence the name) wearing a cape similar to her significant other, Ultra Father. (In fact, most of the Ultramen wear capes in this film, except for Ultraman Leo who doesn't need a cape to look or be cool.)
Anyways, I'm a fan of Ultra Mother and started searching for a cape to fit one of her plastic counterparts. I came across eToys Japan who were offering a customized cape with a purchase of Medicom's 1/6th scaled Ultra Father. I corresponded with them via email, and they were willing to sell me the cape by itself, though they warned me that the cape was not made for Medicom's Ultra Mother in mind.
A few weeks later, I received the cape and tried it on the Ultra Mother figure. It is very well made. The cape is a little big on her, and if it was a little longer, it would drag on the ground. I flattened the back collar to make it look more similar to the one in the film. Overall, it doesn't look too bad on her, and I'm glad I took the risk and bought it.
Thanks to the generous guys at eToys Japan for all the help!
Anyways, I'm a fan of Ultra Mother and started searching for a cape to fit one of her plastic counterparts. I came across eToys Japan who were offering a customized cape with a purchase of Medicom's 1/6th scaled Ultra Father. I corresponded with them via email, and they were willing to sell me the cape by itself, though they warned me that the cape was not made for Medicom's Ultra Mother in mind.
A few weeks later, I received the cape and tried it on the Ultra Mother figure. It is very well made. The cape is a little big on her, and if it was a little longer, it would drag on the ground. I flattened the back collar to make it look more similar to the one in the film. Overall, it doesn't look too bad on her, and I'm glad I took the risk and bought it.
Thanks to the generous guys at eToys Japan for all the help!
Monday, May 31, 2010
1990s Iron Man
We end "Iron Man" month with a fond look back on something i grew up with: the Iron Man series from the 90s. It, with the concurrent Fantastic Four cartoon, made up the Marvel Action Hour. There were a lot of positives going for the series: loyal designs from the comic book including Iron Man's then-current modular suit, a slightly re-tooled version of Force Works (Iron Man's own team of Avengers, again it's the 90s) and great actors like Robert Hays, Ed Gilbert, James Avery, Jim Cummings, and Jennifer Hale.
Unfortunately, the stories don't seem to hold up as well today, as I sit and review my sister's DVD of the series. It also has a twenty second clip of Tony putting on the Iron Man helmet in CGI. CGI that makes Tron look advanced.
Anyway, decide for yourselves. Here's a clip.
Unfortunately, the stories don't seem to hold up as well today, as I sit and review my sister's DVD of the series. It also has a twenty second clip of Tony putting on the Iron Man helmet in CGI. CGI that makes Tron look advanced.
Anyway, decide for yourselves. Here's a clip.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sacred Voices, Sacred Woman
One of the more mysterious figures in history is the 15th Century's Joan of Arc, an illiterate peasant girl who saw visions of saints that compelled her to lead the French Army against the British during the latter years of the Hundred Years' War. As you can guess, these visions of Joan of Arc, those of St. Michael, St Catherine, and St Margaret, made her astute beyond her years, and "science" has yet to prove the "cause" of them. Through all of the records available, there is no proof that Joan of Arc suffered from any mental illness. So controversial a figure, she was not declared a saint until 1920.
She spoke with utter conviction. "You have been to your council and I have been to mine. Now, believe me when I say that the Counsel of God will be accomplished and succeed and that yours will fail." And why? She did exactly as she said and inspired the French troops to take back Orleans and got the Dauphin to Reims for his Coronation. (I always feel it important to point out that Joan of Arc carried her banner into battle and did not partake in the actual fighting, but rather rode through the battle urging the troops forward, even after, in one case, an arrow in her neck.)
Let's plat devil's advocate (so to speak) and say that God did give her visions of saints. Why, during the Hundred Years' War, would God interfere with this war, in such an unsubtle way at the least, and why did He pick a poor girl who would follow His Word to only die a martyr's death at the age of nineteen?
Why aren't there more like her in touch with God to guide us in these dark times? With all these forms of media that we now have, and most of it is full of opinions passed off as fact and down right lying and distortion of the truth. To have someone like Joan of Arc, who spoke plainly her thoughts and beliefs and acted on them for God and the goodness of her people, would certainly be a different person than what we're used to.
She spoke with utter conviction. "You have been to your council and I have been to mine. Now, believe me when I say that the Counsel of God will be accomplished and succeed and that yours will fail." And why? She did exactly as she said and inspired the French troops to take back Orleans and got the Dauphin to Reims for his Coronation. (I always feel it important to point out that Joan of Arc carried her banner into battle and did not partake in the actual fighting, but rather rode through the battle urging the troops forward, even after, in one case, an arrow in her neck.)
Let's plat devil's advocate (so to speak) and say that God did give her visions of saints. Why, during the Hundred Years' War, would God interfere with this war, in such an unsubtle way at the least, and why did He pick a poor girl who would follow His Word to only die a martyr's death at the age of nineteen?
Why aren't there more like her in touch with God to guide us in these dark times? With all these forms of media that we now have, and most of it is full of opinions passed off as fact and down right lying and distortion of the truth. To have someone like Joan of Arc, who spoke plainly her thoughts and beliefs and acted on them for God and the goodness of her people, would certainly be a different person than what we're used to.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Review: Omega Factor War Machine
Don't ask me what an "Omega Factor" is, because I don't know. What I do know is that this redeco of the Movie Version of War Machine looks like a mass-produced, Army-approved version of War Machine. Like his patriotic companion I reviewed awhile back, there isn't much new with the figure except for the paint job.
This War Machine, abandoning the traditional gun-metal grey/silver, features a metallic olive color with silver and black trim. I personally feel that using both silver and black make the figure's design a little too busy. Also, adding some camo over the whole thing might have made it look even cooler. The paint job overall is pretty solid. You may be able to see in the picture the tiny slits of red painted on his chest and legs.
War Machine comes with the same accessories as the previous figure. A for-show gatling gun and gun belt and a larger "working" gatling gun that fires a red projectile. Pictured is obviously the more realistic attachment. The gun belt really limits the posing of the weapon, so use it only if you want it.
"Omega Factor" War Machine is fun alternative to the movie figures. He shares a lot of the same articulation as the Patriotic Iron Man, and is definitely more colorful. My only gripe is that his arms were a little loose for a new figure. He is a Kmart exclusive along with the previously reviewed "Iron America" (or Captain Man) and a translucent Mark V. B
This War Machine, abandoning the traditional gun-metal grey/silver, features a metallic olive color with silver and black trim. I personally feel that using both silver and black make the figure's design a little too busy. Also, adding some camo over the whole thing might have made it look even cooler. The paint job overall is pretty solid. You may be able to see in the picture the tiny slits of red painted on his chest and legs.
War Machine comes with the same accessories as the previous figure. A for-show gatling gun and gun belt and a larger "working" gatling gun that fires a red projectile. Pictured is obviously the more realistic attachment. The gun belt really limits the posing of the weapon, so use it only if you want it.
"Omega Factor" War Machine is fun alternative to the movie figures. He shares a lot of the same articulation as the Patriotic Iron Man, and is definitely more colorful. My only gripe is that his arms were a little loose for a new figure. He is a Kmart exclusive along with the previously reviewed "Iron America" (or Captain Man) and a translucent Mark V. B
Friday, May 21, 2010
Strange Bedfellows
Getting on the Iron Man 2 bandwagon is Norton Internet Security. Buying select Norton 2010 will get you a free Iron Man comic or you could just read it online. But that kind of defeats the purpose of a free Iron Man comic if you just give it away? Right?
The comic is a fun infotainment commercial for Internet security awareness, like those old Honda comics warning you to buckle your seat belts. I'm just wondering how effective this really is. Comic books, soon to be relics in their own way, are not written with children in mind anymore, and probably not read by children unless it was downloaded off of iTunes.
More to the point, children, being born in the digital era, already know much about computers and would probably give these comics to their parents to read and not vice versa. I suppose Norton could be generalizing that computer nerds and comic book nerds are one and the same, but then, wouldn't they already have Norton or one of their competitors at least?
Norton should get a nod for an old fashioned PSA, but a comic book and a computer security program strikes me as strange bedfellows.
The comic is a fun infotainment commercial for Internet security awareness, like those old Honda comics warning you to buckle your seat belts. I'm just wondering how effective this really is. Comic books, soon to be relics in their own way, are not written with children in mind anymore, and probably not read by children unless it was downloaded off of iTunes.
More to the point, children, being born in the digital era, already know much about computers and would probably give these comics to their parents to read and not vice versa. I suppose Norton could be generalizing that computer nerds and comic book nerds are one and the same, but then, wouldn't they already have Norton or one of their competitors at least?
Norton should get a nod for an old fashioned PSA, but a comic book and a computer security program strikes me as strange bedfellows.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Review: Iron Man With Vibranium Armor
Iron Man Month continues with a toy review. There's nothing new about this figure except for the paint deco. The figure is the Mark VI from the Iron Man 3-3/4" Movie Series with the shield from the Marvel Universe line. But the paint deco is really the reason to admire the figure anyway.
Iron Man is decked out in Captain America's red. white, and blue scheme. This is a nice change from the usual red and gold. He's almost certainly modeled after the What If - Civil War cover featuring a similar designed Iron Man. There's no explanation why Iron Man is like this, who is under the armor, or why you would need the shield when you have the armor.
That's because it doesn't matter. He just looks cool, thanks to the metallic paint job covering both the figure and the shield. The paint ops are overall pretty good. There's some nice detailing on the chest and arms that otherwise could have ended up looking sloppy. The paint's not perfect but very impressive due to its scale.
Since it is a recycled figure, this Iron Man shares all of the articulation of his brothers in the Movie Series. Head, mid-chest, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles. The only real disappoint is that his head doesn't move up and down.
His only accessory is Captain America's shield. Due to the metallic look, the white parts are silver instead. I am a big fan of Hasbro's design for his shield. It has elastic bands to hold the shield on the character's back, a la Captain America, and a clip to snap onto his forearm. Iron Man's arm is a shade slimmer than the clip, so the shield's a little loose, but not too loose.
Overall, it's a fun figure to own, as long as you're okay that it's made from recycled parts. It's a K-Mart exclusive with Army Green War Machine (another cool redeco) and a transparent Mark V (a disappointment). B
Iron Man is decked out in Captain America's red. white, and blue scheme. This is a nice change from the usual red and gold. He's almost certainly modeled after the What If - Civil War cover featuring a similar designed Iron Man. There's no explanation why Iron Man is like this, who is under the armor, or why you would need the shield when you have the armor.
That's because it doesn't matter. He just looks cool, thanks to the metallic paint job covering both the figure and the shield. The paint ops are overall pretty good. There's some nice detailing on the chest and arms that otherwise could have ended up looking sloppy. The paint's not perfect but very impressive due to its scale.
Since it is a recycled figure, this Iron Man shares all of the articulation of his brothers in the Movie Series. Head, mid-chest, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles. The only real disappoint is that his head doesn't move up and down.
His only accessory is Captain America's shield. Due to the metallic look, the white parts are silver instead. I am a big fan of Hasbro's design for his shield. It has elastic bands to hold the shield on the character's back, a la Captain America, and a clip to snap onto his forearm. Iron Man's arm is a shade slimmer than the clip, so the shield's a little loose, but not too loose.
Overall, it's a fun figure to own, as long as you're okay that it's made from recycled parts. It's a K-Mart exclusive with Army Green War Machine (another cool redeco) and a transparent Mark V (a disappointment). B
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Movie Review: Iron Man 2
The reason that I enjoyed Iron Man (I) was because it had everything that I enjoyed in the original comic. A repentant Tony Stark trying to make up for his past deeds by inventing a suit of armor that's also keeping him alive. Unfortunately, the sequel loses sight of this somewhat.
That's not to say that the sequel is bad. It is similar in style to the original. Robert Downey Jr is as entertaining and snarky as ever playing himself, and the quirky chemistry between his character and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is still there. Even newcomer Don Cheadle should be able to win over Terrace Howard fans, for his portrayal of James Rhodey, who is torn between his loyalty to his friend and his country. All that Method acting paid off for Mickey Rourke as the main heavy, but Sam Rockwell seemed more Owen Wilson than Peter Cushing in his role of arms dealer Justin Hammer.
The story itself is not really the problem. Its focus is on Tony Stark and his problems, which are plentiful. This isn't a dumbed down, explosion-soaked "summer blockbuster." We watch as Stark crumbles under the pressure of his problems and his ego, only to pull himself up again. Unfortunately, the way the movies goes about this is often convoluted and not very straightforward.
There are three new armors in this film, one for each of the fight sequences in the film. But rather than see Stark actually design these armors (such as the first film), they all just appear on screen as if prepackaged and shipped from China. One of Stark's strengths is that of an inventor, but the film glosses over it.
Still, there's a lot of fun "Easter eggs" for comic fans, including one at the end of the credits. It's a fun movie, even if the script's a bit flawed. B
That's not to say that the sequel is bad. It is similar in style to the original. Robert Downey Jr is as entertaining and snarky as ever playing himself, and the quirky chemistry between his character and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is still there. Even newcomer Don Cheadle should be able to win over Terrace Howard fans, for his portrayal of James Rhodey, who is torn between his loyalty to his friend and his country. All that Method acting paid off for Mickey Rourke as the main heavy, but Sam Rockwell seemed more Owen Wilson than Peter Cushing in his role of arms dealer Justin Hammer.
The story itself is not really the problem. Its focus is on Tony Stark and his problems, which are plentiful. This isn't a dumbed down, explosion-soaked "summer blockbuster." We watch as Stark crumbles under the pressure of his problems and his ego, only to pull himself up again. Unfortunately, the way the movies goes about this is often convoluted and not very straightforward.
There are three new armors in this film, one for each of the fight sequences in the film. But rather than see Stark actually design these armors (such as the first film), they all just appear on screen as if prepackaged and shipped from China. One of Stark's strengths is that of an inventor, but the film glosses over it.
Still, there's a lot of fun "Easter eggs" for comic fans, including one at the end of the credits. It's a fun movie, even if the script's a bit flawed. B
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
CD Review: "Leave Your Sleep"
I have nothing but respect for Natalie Merchant. This has less to do with her immense songwriting abilities, than the fact she walked away from her award-winning (I'm assuming) career to raise her newborn daughter. Not that she's been sitting on her hands for the past seven years. (Are people even familiar with that expression anymore?)
Within that period of time, Merchant slowly complied the songs that would eventually make up the 2-CD album "Leave Your Sleep." The concept of the album is to put various poetry to music so Merchant could bring the poetry "to life" for her daughter. And whatever you say about the album or the songs, everything is meticulously made from the 80 page hardcover book to each song dense with exotic instrumentation.
One of its greatest strengths (and possibly its greatest weakness) is the diverseness of the songs. "Leave Your Sleep" covers pretty much all of the genres from Beatlesesque pop ("It Makes A Change") to folksy ("Calico Pie") and something more familiar to Merchant's style ("Griselda"). This helps maintain the listener's interest through the almost two hours of music, but hardcore Merchant fans probably wanted something less "House Carpenter's Daughter" and more in the vein of "Tigerlily."
"Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience" might have been groomed to be the single of the album, if it weren't for the cumbersome title, lengthiness, and the fact this album is not aimed at the current trends of bubblegum pop. The sheer wealth of woodwinds, acoustic guitars, strings, and even accordians account for that.
I have always been a fan of Merchant's "Motherland," her last non-cover album in 2001, and I am a little disappointed that she released what it is essentially a cover album, but the amount of effort involved (not to mention the number of musicians) is breathtaking and rewarding to the listener willing to pick up the album.
I hope that it will not be another seven years before we hear from the ever talented Natalie Merchant. B+
Appendix: iTunes has an exclusive bonus track "Mother Hubbard." (You're supposed to be above things like this, Natalie!)
Within that period of time, Merchant slowly complied the songs that would eventually make up the 2-CD album "Leave Your Sleep." The concept of the album is to put various poetry to music so Merchant could bring the poetry "to life" for her daughter. And whatever you say about the album or the songs, everything is meticulously made from the 80 page hardcover book to each song dense with exotic instrumentation.
One of its greatest strengths (and possibly its greatest weakness) is the diverseness of the songs. "Leave Your Sleep" covers pretty much all of the genres from Beatlesesque pop ("It Makes A Change") to folksy ("Calico Pie") and something more familiar to Merchant's style ("Griselda"). This helps maintain the listener's interest through the almost two hours of music, but hardcore Merchant fans probably wanted something less "House Carpenter's Daughter" and more in the vein of "Tigerlily."
"Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience" might have been groomed to be the single of the album, if it weren't for the cumbersome title, lengthiness, and the fact this album is not aimed at the current trends of bubblegum pop. The sheer wealth of woodwinds, acoustic guitars, strings, and even accordians account for that.
I have always been a fan of Merchant's "Motherland," her last non-cover album in 2001, and I am a little disappointed that she released what it is essentially a cover album, but the amount of effort involved (not to mention the number of musicians) is breathtaking and rewarding to the listener willing to pick up the album.
I hope that it will not be another seven years before we hear from the ever talented Natalie Merchant. B+
Appendix: iTunes has an exclusive bonus track "Mother Hubbard." (You're supposed to be above things like this, Natalie!)
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
The Return of the Clone Wars
My second "shout-out" to Clone War's second season. Last week's episode was pretty cool. Film buffs may have recognized it as a homage to Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. It also marked the return of veteran voice actor Jim Cummings, reprising his role of the villainous pirate, Hondo Ohnaka. According to the trailer for the three part season closer, this isn't the last we see of Cummings.
Coming up, this week's episode has Mace Windu face off against a Godzillaesque monster.
Joy!
Coming up, this week's episode has Mace Windu face off against a Godzillaesque monster.
Joy!
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Eleventh Doctor
This is way old news. but David Tennant stepped down as the current Doctor Who and was replaced by Matt Smith. I'm tempted to watch the new series to see if there's any improvements now that Russell Davies has left. But that's not the point of this article other than to mention that the Doctor's apparently Benjamin Button now.
I've seen ads for the new series, and it's good to know that the Eleventh Doctor stole his new outfit from Buckaroo Banzai.
Or Pee Wee Herman...
I've seen ads for the new series, and it's good to know that the Eleventh Doctor stole his new outfit from Buckaroo Banzai.
Or Pee Wee Herman...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Perfect Soundtrack Collection
News has finally surfaced on the last of the Godzilla Perfect Soundtrack Collection. In celebration of Godzilla's 50th Anniversary (6 years ago), Toho was slowly releasing these limited edition volumes featuring updated version of the movie series' soundtracks. The last volume contains the soundtracks to the last movies in the Millennium Era, which are still fairly easy to find on their own.
Unfortunately, I already own the highlights of the collection: the three scores by Michiru Oshima. The main appeal of this collection is the expanded version of Oshima's Megaguirus score, and the two soundtracks I don't own, GMK and Final Wars. I'm not a big fan of Final Wars, and I'm sure how they can devote three discs to one movie.
The dealbreaker might be that the bonus disks for the set are going to be David Arnold's full score to the American Godzilla movie. It is a great idea, except that it's identical to the limited edition version released by La La Land Records years prior. Which means either you get a second chance at owning the score or it's just another repeat in a set of repeats.
Unfortunately, I already own the highlights of the collection: the three scores by Michiru Oshima. The main appeal of this collection is the expanded version of Oshima's Megaguirus score, and the two soundtracks I don't own, GMK and Final Wars. I'm not a big fan of Final Wars, and I'm sure how they can devote three discs to one movie.
The dealbreaker might be that the bonus disks for the set are going to be David Arnold's full score to the American Godzilla movie. It is a great idea, except that it's identical to the limited edition version released by La La Land Records years prior. Which means either you get a second chance at owning the score or it's just another repeat in a set of repeats.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
iTunes Find
A nice treat for us soundtrack/comic book geeks. iTunes is offering soundtracks to Marvel's and DC's animated (Direct to DVD) movies. La La Land Records had offered a few physical albums (thanks to their contract with WB.) but everything they didn't cover is on iTunes. DC's soundtracks run for $7.99 while Marvel's run for $11.99.
It's a pleasant surprise and definitely unexpected by me. Christopher Drake's work on Wonder Woman and Public Enemies seem the most appealing to me right now.
It's a pleasant surprise and definitely unexpected by me. Christopher Drake's work on Wonder Woman and Public Enemies seem the most appealing to me right now.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Peter Graves (1926 - 2010)
Peter Aurness changed his stage name to "Graves" so that he would not overshadowed by his brother James Aurness of Gunsmoke fame. Like his brother, Graves was known for one role in particular, that of Jim Phelps of the 60s spy show "Mission: Impossible." Despite this, Graves was a prolific actor in both film and television.
Younger generations would best know him as the host of A&E's Biography series or his frequent guest spot on "7th Heaven." Graves had recently been honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Keeping fit, the 83 year old actor was still pursuing roles to portray.
I will always remember him for his silver white hair and his deep, authoritative voice.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Elfman in Wonderland
I just read a review for the new Alice in Wonderland movie, in which the reviewer commented that Burton of '89 would made a far different and arguably better film. This comment may or may not be substantiated, but I know that the soundtrack is pure Danny Elfman of the 90s.
Alice's Theme was not what I was expecting, but definitely the highlight of the album. It's sadly the only theme in the score. I was worried that the music may be redundant what with all the tracks named Alice's Theme # 3 and so forth, but the variations on the theme are varied and most welcomed. Some of the underscore reminded me of vintage Elfman from the Batman Returns-Sommersby-Black Beauty era, but I can also see where people are comparing it with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Serenada Schizophrana are coming from.
I've only had to listen to the score a handful of times, but it's a strong showing for Elfman in '10.
Alice's Theme was not what I was expecting, but definitely the highlight of the album. It's sadly the only theme in the score. I was worried that the music may be redundant what with all the tracks named Alice's Theme # 3 and so forth, but the variations on the theme are varied and most welcomed. Some of the underscore reminded me of vintage Elfman from the Batman Returns-Sommersby-Black Beauty era, but I can also see where people are comparing it with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Serenada Schizophrana are coming from.
I've only had to listen to the score a handful of times, but it's a strong showing for Elfman in '10.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Collector's Edition
Howard Shore fans have their pick of two new albums: Shore's eleventh-hour score to Edge of Darkness or Collector's Edition vol. 1, a collection of unreleased music. Both are about forty minutes of music. Edge sounds more like typical Shore: dark, atonal, and beautifully understated. But Collector's Edition is more appealing because the music on it, representing two unreleased scores and original compositions, is very different than the Shore music I'm used to. Shore promised that he will be releasing more volumes in the future, so it will be interesting to see what ends up on these albums.
Both are available as CDs or iTunes downloads, and I suppose you could just get them both if you're inclined to.
Both are available as CDs or iTunes downloads, and I suppose you could just get them both if you're inclined to.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
First Impressions
I had broken down and listened to the Dr Who and the Daleks compilation soundtrack for the two Dr Who movies (I should say the two Dalek movies) of the 1960s. I was throughly warned that it was very sixties type music, but having just listened to the thirty-plus minutes of Malcolm Lockyer's score to the first music, I have no regrets.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
What I'm Listening To Now...
1. The double disc soundtrack to Biohazard: The Darkside Chronicles: This is an amazing soundtrack, which is a distinct improvement over the Umbrella Chronicles. The tracks go from operatic to eerie lullabies in no time flat. Some of the tracks are performed by an orchestra, still rare for video game soundtracks. Also, there's plenty of themes from previous games, now fleshed out with greater sound quality. With over 2 hours of music, there's a lot to listen to with this release. B+
2. Kylie: Live in New York. This online exclusive is a two hour recording of Kylie's recent concert in New York. A nice mix of old and new songs, it's a great treat for Kylie fans, especially the ones in the States. (Especially the price considering the amount of music involved.) It even comes with a booklet PDF for those of us who remember when things were printed on paper. B+
3. The reissue to John Williams's score to The Accidental Tourist. On the back end of his "Blockbuster Years," Williams took time to write music for this intimate film. His score revolves around two main themes that get a lot of use in the soundtrack. Unfortunately, the album is just a direct rerelease of the original album, with no added tracks. Though, there are linear notes on the score that are very informative. B-
In recent news, John Williams's "Black Sunday" score is finally being released. Given a chance, I'd like to listen to it.
Also, a limited edition soundtrack to TV's The Flash will be up for preorder next week. I will be first in line for that.
2. Kylie: Live in New York. This online exclusive is a two hour recording of Kylie's recent concert in New York. A nice mix of old and new songs, it's a great treat for Kylie fans, especially the ones in the States. (Especially the price considering the amount of music involved.) It even comes with a booklet PDF for those of us who remember when things were printed on paper. B+
3. The reissue to John Williams's score to The Accidental Tourist. On the back end of his "Blockbuster Years," Williams took time to write music for this intimate film. His score revolves around two main themes that get a lot of use in the soundtrack. Unfortunately, the album is just a direct rerelease of the original album, with no added tracks. Though, there are linear notes on the score that are very informative. B-
In recent news, John Williams's "Black Sunday" score is finally being released. Given a chance, I'd like to listen to it.
Also, a limited edition soundtrack to TV's The Flash will be up for preorder next week. I will be first in line for that.
The Mandalore Plot
I haven't commented much on the second season of "The Clone Wars," but there's several things I'd like to mention about this week's episode.
1. Obi-Wan's in the spotlight for a change. For one of the few characters in all six films, Obi-Wan always seems to be shoved into the background in this series, and this episode finally gives him a solo adventure. Also, the episode hints at Obi-Wan's past, which is rarely explored, and a previous relationship with the Duchess of Mandalore.
2. The Duchess Satine Kryze is a cool character. She believes in peace and refuses to join the Clone Wars. She's fiercely intelligent not to mention able to take care of herself in a pinch. She also gets to save Obi-Wan for a conveyor belt death trap. Though briefly touched upon, it was interesting how Obi-Wan's and Satine's views of achieving peace differ.
3. I also applaud the series for keeping a realistic approach to war, and does not glorify it. (At least not as much as most children's shows.) While not specificly stating it, the Deathwatch group of Mandalore warriors are pretty much fanatical terrorists, willing to do whatever it takes to get their way. There's even a bombing depicting (not graphically) the deaths of civilians.
While many still make fun of The Clone Wars, I respect the series for keeping things intelligent and entertaining. Next week, we pick up where this episode leaves off.
1. Obi-Wan's in the spotlight for a change. For one of the few characters in all six films, Obi-Wan always seems to be shoved into the background in this series, and this episode finally gives him a solo adventure. Also, the episode hints at Obi-Wan's past, which is rarely explored, and a previous relationship with the Duchess of Mandalore.
2. The Duchess Satine Kryze is a cool character. She believes in peace and refuses to join the Clone Wars. She's fiercely intelligent not to mention able to take care of herself in a pinch. She also gets to save Obi-Wan for a conveyor belt death trap. Though briefly touched upon, it was interesting how Obi-Wan's and Satine's views of achieving peace differ.
3. I also applaud the series for keeping a realistic approach to war, and does not glorify it. (At least not as much as most children's shows.) While not specificly stating it, the Deathwatch group of Mandalore warriors are pretty much fanatical terrorists, willing to do whatever it takes to get their way. There's even a bombing depicting (not graphically) the deaths of civilians.
While many still make fun of The Clone Wars, I respect the series for keeping things intelligent and entertaining. Next week, we pick up where this episode leaves off.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Spotlight
I never thought I'd see the day that IDW will make a Spotlight: Prowl comic book. But in April 2010, there will be one hitting the streets.
I hope they don't sell out. (They won't.)
I hope they don't sell out. (They won't.)
Bullseye
I admit that I had fun watching "The Human Target" Sunday. Loosely based on the obscure comic book series, bodyguard/investigator Christopher Chance will take a bullet for you... for a price. Mark Valley is finally in a role that lets him show off his fun side. Chance's a typical hero type, strong, mysterious, and just a little crazy. ("I'm assuming that was a rhetorical question?") His two sidekicks (total opposites) are fun to watch them play off each other. Tricia Helfer was the client in the pilot episode, and it's a shame she's not in more episodes because her character came across as intelligent and a nice foil to Valley's Chance, as opposed to just another Damsel in Distress.
Next episode is tomorrow.
Next episode is tomorrow.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Serial Watch
Having just finished Republic's "The Black Widow," I have to say I was a lot of fun to watch, but you could say that about most of Republic's serials. One of the serial's most important distinctions is that it has a villainess in charge. Carol Forman, as the title character, pretends to be a fortune teller while secretly planning to take over the world for her power-mad father, who teleports in on his would-be throne.
I know, how is it that no one writes like this anymore? Particularly satisfying is the final chapter, where our villains meet their end in a final battle worthy of the pulps. Ironically, the Black Widow is killed off by her namesake, intended for our hero. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with the heroes. Steve Colt seemed average at best, and his female sidekick seemed insultingly inept.
But moving on to "Federal Operator 99," the serial I'm currently watching. George J Lewis, a staple heavy in many of Republic's serials, finally gets the spotlight as lead villain, Jim Belmont. He's so sauve and sinister, that you'd never imagine that he would end up as Zorro's father decades later. Marten Lamont, our hero, is pretty entertaining. His accent reminds me of George Sanders, one of the few to wear the Saint's halo. Also noteworthy, is Lorna Grey, one of the few female henchmen in serials. Having just seen Chapter 6 "The Case of the Double Trap," there's no doubt that she can handle herself just as well as one of the guys.
Well, until next time, when I listen to "Moonlight Sonata" while Lewis, Grey, and the gang plot their next heist.
I know, how is it that no one writes like this anymore? Particularly satisfying is the final chapter, where our villains meet their end in a final battle worthy of the pulps. Ironically, the Black Widow is killed off by her namesake, intended for our hero. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with the heroes. Steve Colt seemed average at best, and his female sidekick seemed insultingly inept.
But moving on to "Federal Operator 99," the serial I'm currently watching. George J Lewis, a staple heavy in many of Republic's serials, finally gets the spotlight as lead villain, Jim Belmont. He's so sauve and sinister, that you'd never imagine that he would end up as Zorro's father decades later. Marten Lamont, our hero, is pretty entertaining. His accent reminds me of George Sanders, one of the few to wear the Saint's halo. Also noteworthy, is Lorna Grey, one of the few female henchmen in serials. Having just seen Chapter 6 "The Case of the Double Trap," there's no doubt that she can handle herself just as well as one of the guys.
Well, until next time, when I listen to "Moonlight Sonata" while Lewis, Grey, and the gang plot their next heist.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
The Year We Make Contact
I was reading an article on Yahoo with a list of things that won't last 2010. Among the obvious are "Gas-Guzzling Cars" and "Newspaper Subscriptions," and "Home Telephone Services." It was only a matter of time before they got to CDs, another sadly obvious choice.
More interesting choices include DVDs. They hypothesize that with renting DVDs online so cheap, that people may stop buying DVDs all together. I find this a little unlikely seeing as people are a possessive bunch, and even with music, while no one except me apparently buys CDs anymore, they still buy and own music. (I don't know why no one's ever tried renting music.)
Another interesting item was "New College Textbooks." I know it's been years since I've been in college, but I'm sure we could save money by buying used textbooks even back then. Though nowadays, I guess you can rent textbooks or even download them, but then you wouldn't have a $90 paperweight now would you?
I wasn't even sure that "External Hard Drives" were such a big market to end up on list on this. I don't necessarily see the wisdom in uploading your files to a server far, far away that could, hypothetically, break down at any time.
So, in review, I own DVDs, CDs, a landline, an external hard drive, no smartphone, a newspaper subscription, and some old textbooks even my college didn't want back. (While my car isn't a gas-guzzler, it's also not one of those fancy hybrids.) Looks like my days are numbered.
you can read the original article here.
More interesting choices include DVDs. They hypothesize that with renting DVDs online so cheap, that people may stop buying DVDs all together. I find this a little unlikely seeing as people are a possessive bunch, and even with music, while no one except me apparently buys CDs anymore, they still buy and own music. (I don't know why no one's ever tried renting music.)
Another interesting item was "New College Textbooks." I know it's been years since I've been in college, but I'm sure we could save money by buying used textbooks even back then. Though nowadays, I guess you can rent textbooks or even download them, but then you wouldn't have a $90 paperweight now would you?
I wasn't even sure that "External Hard Drives" were such a big market to end up on list on this. I don't necessarily see the wisdom in uploading your files to a server far, far away that could, hypothetically, break down at any time.
So, in review, I own DVDs, CDs, a landline, an external hard drive, no smartphone, a newspaper subscription, and some old textbooks even my college didn't want back. (While my car isn't a gas-guzzler, it's also not one of those fancy hybrids.) Looks like my days are numbered.
you can read the original article here.
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