Author: Brandon

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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There is something about a headless horseman clad in black and holding a carved jack-o-lantern that fires up the imagination. Although it is a far cry from Washington Irving’s original story, the new television show on Fox called Sleepy Hollow is a surprisingly fun and frightful bit of entertainment. Ichabod Crane is played impeccably by Tom Mison as a man pulled into our current century by a powerful bond with the Hessian headless horseman. Lt. Abbie Mills, the only person willing to believe Ichabod’s crazy story, is played by Nicole Beharie. What begins with a simple headless horseman chopping off heads in the deep of night, soon expands into a machine gun wielding headless horseman after his own skull, secret covens of witches (both good and bad), George Washington’s Bible and the four horseman of the apocalypse. It seems that an ancient and horrific demon is behind it all.

When I first heard of a new television show taking on the Sleepy Hollow story, I thought it could be interesting but could just as easily be boring. Sleepy Hollow is certainly not boring, I love the fact that they decided to just throw everything they could think of at this tale and go as crazy as all get out. It also helps that they never take things too seriously. It is a shame that the show is on hiatus until November 4. This is the type of show that would be perfect to watch this Halloween season.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the Tim Burton film by the same name. If you are a fan of Irving’s headless horseman and of Hammer Films in particular, you would enjoy the movie. With a tag line of “Heads Will Roll”, you know what you’re getting into. The score by Danny Elfman is particularly evocative.

Sleepy-Hollow-Title
Something is definitely missing here.

The Bookshelf

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Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: This is a Christmas time favorite for me. I never get tired of the story of that old miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his long night of redemption. It has everything you could want in a story; ghosts, an interesting protagonist, redemption, joy, dread, family and magic. No wonder it has endured through the ages and numerous retellings and reimaginings.

 

Dickens Nonesuch 1 Dickens Nonesuch 2

Nicholas Nickleby and Oliver Twist (The Nonesuch Dickens) by Charles Dickens: A number of years ago Barnes and Noble put out some reissues of the Nonesuch Dickens editions and I picked these two up. Oliver Twist is another great story by Dickens with a cast of memorable characters. I have to admit that I have not read all of Nicholas Nickleby but what I have read I found to be pure Dickens. I will have to finish Nickleby sometime in the near future. Dickens is an extraordinary talent. If you haven;t read anything by him then I suggest you rectify that post-haste.

 

Roughing It

Essays and Sketches of Mark Twain by Mark Twain: This is another Barnes and Noble collection of Twain’s musings on various subjects. Twain will always entertain. I especially like the one titled Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses.

Roughing It by Mark Twain: This is the Oxford Mark Twain edition and holds a great deal of writings about the American West during his time. These stories are often amusing, always interesting and contain, no doubt, a bit of truth as well.

 

Redick 1Redick 2 Redick 3 Redick 4

The Chathrand Voyage Qaurtet by Robert V.S. Redick: This consists of four novels that involve the voyage and crew of the massive Chathrand ship. These are fantasy novels of the highest order. If you are a fan of high adventure, honor, duty, love, fantastic creatures, magic and the salty sea, I suggest you read this series. By the fourth book the tale has some stretching pains but never falters and delivers an ending that most would never see coming. Having spent a large amount of time with Pazel the tarboy, the taciturn Captain Rose, strong-willed Thasha, valiant Hercol and the rest, I admit to feeling a slight pang at the notion of their tale coming to an end. Can’t wait to see what Mr. Redick has in store for us next.

Master of Suspense

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Good eeevening.

Had a chance to view the new movie Hitchcock in the Mess Tent the other day. I have been a fan of Alfred Hitchcock’s for a while with my favorite movies of his being Rear Window, The Birds and Psycho. This movie is a look into the life of the director and his wife Alma just before and during the shooting of Psycho. I have no idea how true to life the movie is but I know enough about Hitchcock to know most of it actually happened.

Hitch was an odd fellow and is played brilliantly by Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins doesn’t look exactly like Hitch but makes an effort to appear as close physically as possible which assists the illusion. Beware if you are looking for a movie all about making Psycho. Psycho is dealt with but the thrust of the story is the sometimes tenuous but loving relationship between Alfred and Alma. I think Alfred’s fascination with the Grace Kelly blonde is widely known by now and this is one of the director’s faults that impede his marriage. If you enjoy watching biopics and find Hitchcock’s movies fascinating then by all means watch this movie. You will not be disappointed. Just watch the first step, you’re liable to loose your head.

Knife to see you.
Knife to see you.

What if?

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I ran into town for a quick scavenger session for machine parts for my friend Briar and ran across an article about unfinished films. People were voicing their opinions on what unfinished film they wish had actually happened. I have been thinking about that all night as I watched Briar fiddle with fixing the engine of the battering ram we call Big Bam. I thought I would share with you fine people at the castle a few of the films I wish had been finished.

The first one that came to my mind was Creature From the Black Lagoon. In 1992 John Carpenter was behind a remake of the classic Universal monster movie. I would have loved to see Carpenter’s take on the material and often think about what might have been. Carpenter ended up making Memoirs of an Invisible Man in 1992 with Chevy Chase. While Memoirs is a decent movie, I have a feeling that the Creature film would have been much better. It appears that a remake is happening in 2014 simply called Black Lagoon but I will always wonder about what might have been.

The next film would be King Conan by John Milius. Conan the Barbarian is a movie that somehow captured the unique feel of a Robert E. Howard story and Conan’s world. It does not follow Howard’s stories faithfully but the film oozes the attitude. I feel this is thanks to Milius. At the end of Conan the Barbarian we see Conan sitting on a throne and are teased with a continuation of the story. We never got to the next chapter. Instead, we have the lackluster Conan the Destroyer, the decent Red Sonja and a modern remake that should have been better. Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is back into acting, I have heard we may actually see a King Conan movie. Here’s hoping that they use the Milius script and that Arnold can still pull it off. I have no doubt he and Milius would have made it work back when.

The last would be The Hobbit by Guillermo del Toro. By now I’m certain that we have all seen The Hobbit by Peter Jackson and I must say that it was grand. I think Jackson holds such a firm grasp on Tolkien’s work that we had little doubt he would knock it out of the park as he did Lord of the Rings. Still, I would love to imagine what del Toro would have done with the material. At least we got Pacific Rim out of it.

"Ready for my close up Mr. Carpenter."
“Ready for my close up Mr. Carpenter.”

The Bookshelf

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summerland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summerland by Michael Chabon; A very nice novel for young readers from the always reliable Chabon. It a tale of baseball, myths and America where a boy that hates baseball must go to a land all about baseball to find his missing father. It has been a while since I have read it so I must read it again next baseball season.

Yiddishpol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon: Another one by Chabon but for adults this time. This is one of my favorite books. An alternate history tale of displaced Jews living in Alaska and a murder that happens within the Federal District of Sitka. Totally Noir and a great read. It is an amalgam of so many genres, it is amazing it holds together so well. I hear that the Coen brothers are prepping a movie version and there couldn’t be a more perfect fit.  I can’t wait to see what they will do with this story.

gondoliers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Silent Gondoliers by William Goldman (as told by S. Mergenstern): An offbeat fable of the gondoliers of Venice and why they no longer sing. A light book of 110 pages with simple illustrations that is especially wonderful read aloud. If you have read The Princess Bride then you know a bit of what you are in for.

lost army

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hellboy- The Lost Army and The Bones of Giants by Christopher Golden: These two books are tales of Hellboy illustrated by Mike Mignola (of course). Golden is a great pick to write these books of Hellboy versus the supernatural and the strange. My edition of The Lost Army is autographed by Golden for me personally.

BOOK_Baltimore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Christopher Golden: A tale of horror playing off the old Hans Christian Anderson tale and the horrors of WW1. What really was the cause of the plague. This is an over sized hardcover edition illustrated by Mignola. I highly recommend this to fans of gothic horror and vampires.

Distraction is The Enemy

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It’s not easy being a writer. I may lament, but I do not expect your pity or sympathy. I am simply stating a  fact. I’m certain that it would be just as valid to say that being a professional baseball player is not easy but, alas, my baseball career was cut short by a lack of talent in hitting the ball. I am familiar with the task of writing fiction, a task that I love.

Writing a novel is a veritable slog through a marshy and unforgiving landscape uphill and ever climbing. There are so many things that vie for your attention; the family, food, play time with your daughter, television, internet, reading, movies and more. One that lacks focus will be whisked away by these various winds and the story will fall by the wayside as so much detritus. I have experienced this myself on an occasion and try to learn from such mistakes and press forward.

Persistence is a learned virtue. It is also valuable to finish a string of writing forms to build your way towards the great length of a novel. I have written poems, short stories and a movie screenplay to prepare me for writing a novel. In addition, I have written one novel before and having the knowledge that I have finished such a length of story once, allows me to believe that I can do so again with some assurance.

I suppose this is a form of pep talk to myself, but perhaps others out there that are struggling with writing a longer form of story will gain some small fortitude as well. I have reached 100 pages of my novel and though I had expected to be further along when I started at the beginning of the year, I am excited about where the story is taking me and look forward to spending how long it takes to finish my tale, Of course, it won’t help that I plan on writing a short story for submission to an anthology of weird westerns before the end of the year.

Ever pressing upward and onward…

The Bookshelf

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I must apologize for my lack of correspondence recently. During a nasty firefight with a water dragon, I lost my notebook. I feared that it had fallen into the lake or been lost in the tangled forest bed, but I had only misplaced it in the other pocket of my jacket. I shall have to make up for the lost words.

Baker Street

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shadows Over Baker Street by various authors: Shadows is an anthology of newly written stories that feature Sherlock Holmes mucking around in the world of H.P. Lovecraft. As a fan of Holmes and Cthulhu, I couldn’t resist purchasing this book. With stories written by Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Tim Lebbon and Michael Reaves, you know it will be a good read. surprisingly, Holmes makes a splendid addition to the Lovecraft mythos and I would’nt be surprised if he makes a return in a future anthology sometime soon.

 

Lovecraft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best f H.P. Lovecraft:Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre by H.P. Lovecraft: I guess you could call Lovecraft the father of weird horror. I will be the first to admit that his stories are not the easiest to read but his descriptions of dread and unknown horror from beyond are hard to beat. His stories have birthed a huge mythos featuring Cthulhu, The Necronomicon, crazed cultists, intrepid investigators of the strange and much more. Do yourself a favor and read one of his stories on a dark October eve to get you in the mood for the Halloween season.

 

Alice Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: I always liked the various incarnations of the Alice stories brought to life in movies and television. Carroll wrote a wonderfully odd book full of contradictions and clever word play that always is a joy to read. I have a small Borders Classics edition that has a ribbon bookmark and is easy to stow in  most bags when traveling and in need of a quick read in between destinations.

 

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Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Tarzan is perhaps Burroughs most widely known creation, with good reason. The story of a boy raised by apes in the wild jungle and his introduction to other men and his own identity is a great story. There are several books in the Tarzan series but this first book has remained my favorite so far. He always painted a picture with his words of fabulous places and heroic endeavors that remain with you long after the pages stop turning.

 

Martian Trilogy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Martian Tales Trilogy by Edgar Rice Burroughs: This collection contains the books A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars and The Warlord of Mars. These are all stories featuring John Carter; an American Civil War captain mysteriously transported from Arizona to the planet of Mars. This is not the Mars that we know but a fantastical version filled with ferocious beasts, four-armed Martians, vast cities and a princess (of course). Though many felt to the contrary, I enjoyed the recent movie based on the Burroughs books of John Carter and felt it captured much of the feel of these tales. I wish it would have been better received so we could watch the continuing adventures on the big screen. Ah well, all things in Hollywood are cyclical so maybe we’ll see Captain Carter on the big screen again.

Of Monsters and Men

On By Brandon2 Comments

Had the chance to see Pacific Rim yesterday and took it. I have been eager to see the movie since I first heard it was about giant robots and Kaiju and Guillermo del Toro was directing. I’ll get right to it…it was incredible. Not that it was loaded with Oscar-winning performances or high art aspirations, but it was chock full of high-octane action, heroics and amazing world building. When I left the theater and drove home, I expected to see a giant monster rise up from under the overpass or out from behind a hill ready to destroy. That is powerful movie-making.

The giant robots called Jaegers in the movie, were impressive. Each one having its own fighting style and weapon payload. Two pilots aligned with the machine and each other through The Drift, Each of the major characters were well-defined and interesting. Ron Perlman nearly stole the show as Hannibal Chau, a black market dealer of Kaiju body parts. Charlie Day was also very good as the Kaiju expert.

The giant monsters named Kaiju were incredible and given believable life that reminded me of the first time I saw Jurassic Park and marveled at the dinosaurs. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the hype issue. Pacific Rim is not Star Wars, no matter how much a group of rabid fanboys wish it to be. Will people go wild for Pacific Rim and see it multiple times, eat up all things related to the movie and form a loyal club? No doubt. However, it will not reach a fever pitch as Star Wars did and has in our time. There are no instantly remembered characters with equally remembered costumes or actions. I had to struggle to remember the names of each of the characters in Pacific Rim and, as much as I love the movie, don’t find myself wanting to create a costume based on one of them. The musical score for Pacific Rim is good and the main theme inspires giant monster bashing but it is nowhere near iconic as Star Wars. It is really a moot point anyway. I doubt very much that del Toro was trying to make the new Star Wars. He aimed to tell a story that only he could. A story of honor, duty, retribution, humanity and giant monster smack down.

Now hook up, ride the drift and go show that yellow belly slobber face Kaiju what your made of.

pacific-rim-poster

The Bookshelf

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Warofflowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams: Williams has always been a favorite of mine since I checked out the Dragon Bone Chair from the library in middle school. This is a wonderful book about a mortal finding himself reluctantly in the land of Faerie and caught in a civil war of sorts. For one reason or another this book seems to be the Williams book that I am most fond of. Would love for a fancy reprint of Dragon Bone Chair to be made though.

 

 

Grimms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: This is a handy collection to have. If you have read any of these stories than you know that most are a far cry from their Disney counterparts. Tales of witches, giants, kings, wizards and goblins abound.

 

 

Mikehammer

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mike Hammer Collection Volumes 1 and 2 by Mickey Spillane: The hard-boiled detective stereotype owes a lot to Spillane. His prose pummels you into submission and his stories of violence and shadow scream out like a police siren in the dark. For people who like their dames dangerous and their detectives tougher than nails. I wonder if any of you remember the old television series with Stacy Keach as Mike Hammer. That was my introduction to the character. The television series was fine but you should really let these books be your introduction to Mike Hammer.

 

 

Donquixote

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes: I wish I could say that I have read every page of this massive novel. I have read various parts and love the spine of the tale of the famous knight errant of La Mancha and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. On occasion, I might even imagine myself as a knight on a noble quest and end up tumbled over a parked car or fallen tree. Imagination is prized and crazy is relative. One day I plan to defeat this dragon of a novel in its entirety and dream of the impossible.

 

holmes

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: I have always been fascinated by Sherlock Holmes and find him one of the greatest characters in fiction. Doyle’s stories of the great detective have endured the years, multiple fiction off shoots, movies, plays and even found themselves in Saturday morning cartoons. If you have somehow not read the original stories, I suggest you remedy such foul disgrace with the upmost haste.

A Brief Interlude

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I am stationed on the plains of Merazod today. A vast expanse of flat land littered with wild flowers and roaming ghost herds of roon. A scout has been sent ahead to locate the enemy encampment. With such a flat landscape you would think we could see each other coming from miles away. However, this cursed land is filled with deep wounds, pits in the ground that run like veins which are covered with only a thin-film of mud that the enemy uses as cover for their ambushes. I hope the scout returns this time. He has my favorite pack of playing cards on him.

You may wonder why it is that I keep writing in this journal when there are obviously so many more pressing matters veying for my attention. It is simple really. I have no choice.

I could no more stop writing than I could stop breathing. Some people go through life with nary a thought in their heads but for the immediate moment or a list of remembrances logged away for the shopping store, work, or family activity. My mind works differently. I am constantly coming up with new ideas to log into my journal. Sparks to my imagination are found in the headlines of the day or the people living their lives around me. Multiple stories swirl before my eyes as beginnings, endings or middles. Characters are invented and  stashed away to memory or jotted hastily down for future story lines. It’s really no wonder that my head doesn’t explode like a firecracker on Darby Day.

You would think I may find some respite in between writing stories but I have no time for that. It is always on to the next creative endeavor. You may think I should be exhausted by this never-ending barrage of words and ideas but the opposite is true. Beginning the sketch of a new story in my brain is invigorating. That is most likely the reason I have difficulty sometimes finishing one body of work before starting a next. The mob of tales in my brain constantly trudge up the steep mountain to the gothic castle above with their staves aflame and pitchforks in hand to press against the iron gates and scramble for entrance.

I hear their screams of righteous anger now. I must leave you.

The Bookshelf

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Moby Dick

 

 

 

 

Moby Dick or The Whale by Herman Melville: Another true classic. I have the 150th Anniversary Edition in paperback. This is a large book but it takes many pages to contain the sea and a singular quest to kill the elusive white whale. Ahab is one of the great characters in literature and has been reimagined innumerable times in various media. It has been a while since I have tackled reading the novel and will have to break it open again soon to feel the salty spray of the sea and serve under Ahab’s command once again. If you haven’t read it, read it.

 

 

 

oneforthemorningglory2

 

 

 

 

One for the Morning Glory by John Barnes: It was an old saying in the Kingdom that “a child who tasts the Wine of the Gods too early,is only haf a person afterwards.” With that first sentence, we are brought into a magical story of Prince Amatus who truly was only half a person afterwards. If you are a fan of The Princess Bride (and who isn’t) then you will love this fantasy novel that hits some of the same notes while telling a completely different story. It may be hard for you to track a copy of this book down but if you do, you will not be disappointed.

 

 

 

The Knight

 

 

 

 

The Knight and The Wizard by Gene Wolfe: There are few writers of fantasy like Mr. Wolfe. These are two novels that contain one story of a young man in his teens transported to a magical realm with seven levels of reality. He is also very quickly transformed by magic into a grown man and sets out on a quest to find a sword promised to him. He hopes to become a knight and a true hero in doing so. A journey of growth in more ways than one. The prose is wonderful and the story is magical, as any boy’s tale should be.

 

 

 

Strange and Norrell

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: This is a fabulous book. I have heard it being referred to as the grown up Harry Potter and that could be true to a point. This is a tale set in 1806 England when practical magic had faded deep into the past and a war rages. One practicing magician still remains; the reclusive Mr. Norrell. However, soon there is a challenge from another magician and novice; Jonathan Strange. The two become teacher and pupil, friends and enemies when a dark and powerful threat emerges that entices Strange with the wildest and most reckless forms of magics. This is a tome of a book and could knock out a burglar if thrown to his head., but it is worth the read. I believe that BBC is making a mini series adaptionsof the book and can only foresee them falling short of the written page. Do yourself a favor and don’t read the cliff notes.

You Are What You Eat

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I know it has been some time since I last wrote to you, but life and war sometimes get in the way. I hold no excuse that will be acceptable. Therefore, I will get right into it. I have never read the books featuring Hannibal Lecter, the refined serial killer with a taste for human organs, but I have watched the movies Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Despite the gruesome nature of the character, there is something about Hannibal that fascinates.

When I first heard they were making a television series based on the Hannibal Lecter character that featured him as psychologist to a serial killer profiler working for the FBI, I was intrigued. The actor playing Hannibal this time is Mads Mikkelson and he does a terrific job of playing creepy and yet human. His accent is sometimes difficult to understand but I usually can get what he means and actually find it sort of charming in a  way. The actor playing Will Graham, the profiler, is very adept at playing an unstable and slightly broken man haunted by his talent for getting inside the minds of serial killers. The rest of the cast is winning as well.

I will warn you, the show is not for someone with a weak constitution or aversion to gory violence. Hannibal’s cannibalism is played with a certain black humor that not everyone will enjoy. Let’s just say that Hannibal loves to invite the various supporting cast to dinner and the main course is always suspicious.

The writing in the show is extremely well done. The characters are all well-defined and the interactions are compelling. The serial killer of the week format is starting to wear a little thin though and I hope they change things up before it feels stale. There are only so many bizarre killings I can take before the need to one-up the previous ones makes everything unbelievable and thus unvested. For now, I am happy to be on the edge of my seat during each show and eyes partially under the covers with each oncoming horrific scene. We all know that the budding friendship between Will and Hannibal will be undone at some point and that Hannibal will be caught as the monster he is. Half the fun is watching the happenings with such foreknowledge in mind.

Hannibal is, without a doubt, most delectable.

I simply must have you over for dinner sometime.
I simply must have you over for dinner sometime.