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THE PERFECT STORM (2000)

SUMMARY:           RUNNING TIME: 2 Hrs., 10 Min.

Released by Warner Bros. in 2000, director Wolfgang Petersen’s film adapts Sebastian Junger’s same-named 1997 novel.  Both Junger’s ‘creative non-fiction’ novel and its cinematic version, to varying degrees, present speculative accounts as to the disappearance of the Andrea Gail, a Massachusetts swordfishing boat, in late October 1991, amidst Hurricane Grace.  

In October 1991, Bob Brown’s (Ironside) rival fishing boats, Hannah Boden and Andrea Gail, return from their long-line swordfish expeditions to port at Gloucester, Massachusetts, at the close of the season.  While Boden’s captain, Linda Greenlaw (Mastrantonio), suffers a crew fatality, Brown is still pleased with her ship’s impressive haul.  Brown, however, chastises the Gail’s captain, Billy Tyne (Clooney), for his own insufficient catch, accusing an indignant Tyne of losing his once-reliable touch.  Tyne’s weary crew (Wahlberg; Reilly, Payne; & Hawkes), meanwhile, reunite with their loved ones for the next few days.  

Motivated to prove himself, Tyne risks a year-end expedition for a likely lucrative haul without intrusive competition.  Recruiting moody “Sully” Sullivan (Fichtner) as a crew replacement, Tyne convinces the other four mates to rejoin him – as they all are seeking an improved payday.  Bobby’s (Wahlberg) girlfriend, Chris Cotter (Lane), implores him not to go, given her bad omen about this last-minute change of plans.  Bobby, nonetheless, volunteers thinking the potential catch will allow them a sufficient financial cushion together.  Similarly, a divorced and lonely Murph (Reilly) seeks distraction upon recognizing his adoring young son (Tank) will likely have a stepfather sooner than later.        

Apart from Murph and Sully’s ongoing friction, the Gail’s usual voyage to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland proves uneventful, especially with a disappointingly scarce catch.  Opting to push further along the Gulf Stream to The Flemish Cap, Tyne is initially unaware that two storm fronts have converged with the subtropical Category 2 Hurricane Grace rapidly moving up the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.  A Massachusetts TV meteorologist (McDonald) realizes in horror what catastrophic weather conditions will imminently commence between Canada and New England.  

Finding a treasure trove of swordfish (and one shark attack), the Gail crew’s joy ends with a malfunctioning ice system.  Risking a hasty dash back towards Gloucester’s port to save their catch for market sales, the Gail is caught up in the storm.  Greenlaw desperately tries warning a distracted Tyne of his vessel’s predicament. The Gail soon loses its radio antenna – and with it, all communications.  Ongoing damage to the ship leaves a constantly drenched Tyne and Bobby trying to keep the overwhelmed Gail from capsizing.   

Elsewhere, an isolated three-person crew (Gunton; Allen; & Jones) aboard a sailboat bound for Bermuda are among the storm’s prisoners necessitating rescue.  Upon saving the sailboat’s crew, an Air National Guard helicopter is subsequently lost at sea next searching for the Gail.  A U.S. Coast Guard rescue vessel is the surviving flight crew’s sole hope to escape the raging Atlantic Ocean.  At Gloucester, the Gail’s family members anxiously await news at a dockside pub, as the ship’s location is now unknown.      

Tyne’s heroic steering buys his crew further time.  Yet, the oceanic onslaught shifts in the same direction as their improvised retreat.  SPOILER ALERT: As the ship floods, the Gail’s crewmembers ominously sense there is no further chance for escape. The poignant epilogue includes Greenlaw offering solemnly heartfelt words at the crew’s joint memorial service.  Greenlaw later contemplates friendly rival Tyne’s insights from an earlier scene, as she departs on her next expedition.

                                      Primary Cast:

Capt. Frank William “Billy” Tyne, Jr.: George Clooney

Robert “Bobby” Shatford: Mark Wahlberg

Christina “Chris” Cotter: Diane Lane

Dale “Murphy” Murphy: John C. Reilly

David “Sully” Sullivan: William Fichtner

Capt. Linda Greenlaw: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Michael “Bugsy” Moran: John Hawkes

Alfred Pierre: Allen Payne

Bob Brown: Michael Ironside

Ethel Shadford: Janet Wright

Quentin: Sandy Ward

Melissa Brown: Karen Allen

Edie Bailey: Cherry Jones

Alexander McAlly II: Bob Gunton

Todd Gross: Christopher McDonald

Douglas “Dougie” Kosco: Joseph D. Reitman

Air National Guard flight crew: Todd Kimsey; Josh Hopkins; Dash Mihok; Chris Palermo; & Wiley M. Pickett

Irene: Rusty Schwimmer

Irene’s children: Katelyn C. Brown & Miles Schneider

Debra – Murph’s ex-wife: Merle Kennedy

Dale Murphy, Jr.: Hayden Tank

Alfred’s girlfriend: Jennifer Sommerfeld

U.S. Coast Guard Commander Brudnicki: Steve Barr.

REVIEW:

Without reading other reviews, I expected The Perfect Storm to be a relatively high-caliber effort – given this particular cast and Wolfgang Petersen’s directorial reputation.  Unfortunately, as others soon discovered upon the film’s initial release, its ‘based on a true story’ plot pushed disappointing and predictable superficiality from the get-go. 

Too little too late in the gripping Titanic-like climax/epilogue can’t overcome Petersen’s excessive cliché-fest, i.e. a maudlin first twenty-plus minutes depicted on shore.  Knowing full well Petersen wasn’t making a documentary, his ensemble cast still delivers solid performances recreating a real-life tragedy. The underlying problem with Perfect Storm’s highly speculative nature is twofold. 

First, by fictionalizing actual participants in this grim tragedy, viewers witness mostly Hollywood-ized caricatures all too formulaic for the big-budget disaster film genre. Among such dubious character traits is glorifying foolhardiness by George Clooney’s Tyne and his crew for not retreating early on – despite still having time to do so.  From a hit filmmaker’s perspective, having Tyne’s vessel fatally sunk in mere seconds or a few minutes (no matter how logical it sounds) obviously isn’t good business.  Such gritty realism would expedite this movie’s running time far too much, let alone diminish its need for fictional plot twists. 

Of the few details known before the Andrea Gail’s dire fate, depicting Tyne and his crew as being desperately impetuous for money and professional glory isn’t necessarily in the best taste.  It implies that the Andrea Gail’s crew had unwittingly engineered their own demise by daring a monstrous hurricane with little more than mortal bravado.  Petersen, at least, compensates with Clooney’s well-played last moment, along with those of the ship’s crew.  A glaring exception, however, is the implied death scene for Mark Wahlberg’s Bobby – it comes off too preposterously theatrical for its own good.         

Secondly, it’s hard not to spot the practical realities of how The Perfect Storm was safely filmed.  Clooney, Wahlberg, John C. Riley, and others were clearly working inside an enormous water tank later adding lots and lots of CGI ocean water.  Apart from gushing water cannons blasting Clooney and Wahlberg during innumerable close-ups, Petersen’s cast, otherwise, can hide such phoniness only so much maintaining their dramatic composure. 

By no means is the unconvincing Perfect Storm a blot on any cast member’s resumé, given the script they had.  The blemish belongs instead to an uninspired Petersen. His take on a real-life at-sea disaster had the opportunity to surpass James Cameron’s eye-rolling Titanic, as far as supplying genuine character depth – not to mention, awestruck horror from the audience.

Though restraining from Cameron’s awful romantic dialogue, Perfect Storm doesn’t consistently muster the modesty it needs to be taken seriously. Case in point: try comparing Clooney and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s thoughtfully poignant scene vs. the unnecessary shark attack action-shlock seen later on. Big budget thrills via the fake shark, not to mention the dark monstrous waves in the climax, becomes too much of a distracting eyesore for viewers.

Note: Coincidence or not, late composer James Horner supplied the instrumental scores for both Titanic and The Perfect Storm.

Hence, the relatable blue-collar overtones of Petersen’s storyline become lost within too much Hollywood melodrama and CGI for the sake of popcorn. Falling short of its cinematic potential, The Perfect Storm should have remained a creative, if not exploitative, nonfiction novel.         

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                5½ Stars

Categories
Digital Movies & TV Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos

JOHN CARPENTER’S THE THING (1982)

SUMMARY:             RUNNING TIME: 1 Hr., 49 Min.

Released by Universal Studios for the 1982 summer season, John Carpenter directed the film off Bill Lancaster’s script.  The original source material is John W. Campbell’s 1938 novella, “Who Goes There?,” from which Lancaster’s storyline updated certain plot elements. The project was filmed on refrigerated sets in Los Angeles, along with location shooting in both Alaska and Canada. 

Set in the winter of 1981-1982, the twelve-man team at a remote U.S. research base in Antarctica witness a Norwegian helicopter’s sniper (Franco) bizarrely targeting a sole wolf-dog.  An explosive accident and miscommunication subsequently result in the deaths of the sniper and his pilot. 

While the wolf-dog (Jed) is allowed sanctuary inside their base, the team’s physician (Dysart) and its hard-bitten helicopter pilot, MacReady (Russell), depart for answers at the Norwegian camp approximately an hour away.  Probing the decimated Norwegian base’s ruins, the duo finds grisly evidence later identified via autopsy as a scorched half-human/half-alien hybrid.

The base’s biologist, Blair (Brimley), theorizes that the Norwegians stumbled upon an alien shapeshifting lifeform capable of assimilating and then impersonating its prey.  Realizing that the hostile alien may have now infiltrated their own base, the dozen men desperately seek to contain the lethal threat. 

After studying videotape footage that the ill-fated Norwegians left behind, MacReady and biologist Norris (Hallahan) go out to confirm the existence of a frozen archaeological site.   Norris calculates the spacecraft uncovered there dates back at least 100,000 years ago.  More so, its parasitic inhabitant evidently thawed out from hibernation and destroyed the Norwegian base.

MacReady and his colleagues must resist panicking in facing the chameleon-like monster they are up against.  Recognizing that any of them has been or will be compromised, the team resorts to involuntary blood draws (proving who’s still human) and often flamethrowers to stay alive.   Accelerated by sub-freezing temperatures, a lack of sleep, and deliberate sabotage of any means of escape, paranoid madness descends upon the base.  An exhausted, half-frozen MacReady (having taken command) insists on destroying the monster – in spite of a deadly collapse in trust among his colleagues. 

With faint hopes of rescue likely months away, the team’s dwindling survivors ominously agree upon a common goal.  The monster’s own escape must be thwarted – no matter the cost.        

Cast:

R.J. MacReady (helicopter pilot): Kurt Russell

Dr. Blair (senior biologist): A. Wilford Brimley

Dr. Norris (biologist): Charles Hallahan

Childs (chief mechanic): Keith David

Nauls (base cook): T.K. Carter

Dr. Copper (physician): Richard Dysart

Windows (radio operator): Thomas G. Waites

Clark (dog team handler): Richard Masur

Garry (base commander): Donald Moffat

Fuchs (biologist): Joel Pulis

Bennings (meteorologist): Peter Maloney

Palmer (mechanic): David Clennon

Infected Malamute/Dog (interior scenes): Jed

Norwegian Sniper: Larry Franco (uncredited)

Computer Voice: Adrienne Barbeau (uncredited)

Norwegian: Norbert Weisser (uncredited)

Norwegian (video footage): John Carpenter (uncredited)

Other Norwegians (video footage): Uncredited Extras

Pilots: William Zeman & Nate Irwin.

Notes: 1. The same-named 2011 prequel explores the events involving the ill-fated Norwegian team leading up to the 1982 film’s opening dog hunting sequence.  2. The film’s 1951 cinematic predecessor, The Thing from Another World, relies upon the same Campbell source material, but Carpenter’s version more closely homages the original story.  3. After his 1938 novella, Campbell also evidently penned an obscure expanded (novel-length) version retitled Frozen Hell.      

REVIEW:

One might presume that ultra-gory special effects (courtesy of Rob Bottin’s top-caliber team) is The Thing’s most significant element.  That’s only partially accurate. 

As icky and even at times as cheesy Bottin’s effects are, the tense blood draw sequence is just as, if not more so, wince-inducing.  Along with Ennio Morricone’s eerie score (note: it echoes Carpenter’s 1981 Escape from New York), the film’s practical special effects still hold up.  Even a few obvious matte paintings used as Antarctic backdrops are masterfully designed.  Hence, credit is long overdue to Carpenter’s production team – keeping in mind what their $15 million dollar budget could/couldn’t afford at the time.  Viewers, in that regard, get an excellent monster flick that doesn’t rely on blue-screen phoniness to work its magic.   

Apart from its special effects, like 1979’s original Alien film, The Thing devises a reliable sci-fi/horror-meets-And Then There None whodunnit formula.  Think about it – as of 1982, this intriguing sub-genre, in a modern context, consisted of only these two films.  That is – before the Alien and Predator franchises began over-exploiting the concept for the next forty-plus years.  Still, Carpenter’s nuanced ensemble delivers far more character depth than one would expect – unlike derivative blockbusters merely recycling the same premise ad nauseum with different casts.

Before proceeding further, it isn’t a fair assessment without pointing out some dumb plot contrivances.  Case in point: the Antarctic ‘science team’ woefully disregards sanitary precautions: 1. They don’t wear masks (rubber gloves are seen once, maybe twice), especially when exposed to potentially noxious fumes (i.e. the autopsies; the Norwegian base).  2. No one expresses concern about quarantining the fugitive wolf-dog, let alone ever self-quarantining themselves – aside from Brimley’s Blair later in the film. 

Aside from ignoring basic scientific caution, the biggest eye-roller is a partially built, homemade spacecraft – which should be left as the less said the better.  Still, some freaky shlock horror imagery is supposed to be exactly that.  One wonders if the makers of the subsequent Re-Animator franchise were inspired by Bottin’s grotesque genius.  

As much heavy lifting as the macabre special effects must do, Russell and his castmates absolutely carry their share of the necessary workload.  A youthful Russell leads veteran character actors (i.e. Donald Moffat, Richard Masur, Wilford Brimley, and Ricard Dysart – all in top form) and newer faces (i.e. Keith David, T.K. Carter, and David Clennon) in an everyman’s game of frostbitten claustrophobia shifting to catastrophic paranoia.  Carpenter’s ingenious scene fadeouts ensure that enigmatic plot twists are teased without spoiling the grim suspense of what’s still to come.  Accordingly, the twelve distrustful characters, especially Russell’s MacReady, convey varying realistic shades of humanity in the face of imminent doom.    

John Carpenter’s The Thing is by no means flawless (on its own merits or even as a remake).  It is, however, definitely worthy of re-discovery.  This movie, suffice to say, outclasses the vast majority of competition in its genre.      

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                                8 Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels DC Comics DC's Hardcovers & Trade Paperbacks Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction

GREEN LANTERN (SOJOURNER “JO” MULLEIN): FAR SECTOR (DC Comics)

Written by N.K. Jemisin.

Art & Cover Art by Jamal Campbell.

Lettering by Deron Bennett.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2021 by DC Comics, this 312-page trade paperback compiles 2019-2020’s complete Green Lantern: Far Sector # 1-12 series.  Subsequently re-released as a compact (digest-sized) trade paperback, this title is also now available in deluxe hardcover and digital formats.  Previously an U.S. combat soldier, a down-on-her-luck New York street cop, Sojourner “Jo” Mullein, is introduced as a new Green Lantern recruit deployed on extended solo duty for a year. 

The rookie Mullein possesses neither a lantern power battery nor a traditional power ring’s full capability.  Now a few months inro her assignment, all she can do is compensate through her compassion, an unwavering conscience, and natural Brooklyn-born tenacity as a detective.  Including her struggles learning to fly, Mullein must often resort to taxis, if only to conserve her ring’s power supply – which takes nearly a week to self-recharge once fully depleted. 

Assigned as a special law enforcement officer to a diverse domed city-world of twenty billion alien inhabitants, Mullein regularly updates readers at the start of each issue.  Such updates include Mullein’s confidential correspondences to the Green Lantern Corps’ Guardians or perhaps an imaginative analysis of her present predicament. 

Meanwhile, sporadic moments of Mullein’s life as an African American – her pre-9/11 childhood up through a stress-inducing incident ending her police career – are revealed throughout the series. 

Inside the domed City Enduring, which exists outside the Green Lantern Corps’ known universal boundaries, Mullein is its sole inhabitant openly exhibiting emotions.  For a society intermingling three vastly different alien races, emotion has been purged for centuries – ‘The Emotion Exploit,’ as it’s called.  Dubbed ‘Switchoff,’ a banned means of releasing/experiencing one’s suppressed emotions is now circulating in the city’s underworld, as if it’s an illicit drug.  Following half a millennium of virtually zero violence, two grisly homicides in rapid succession rock the City Enduring. 

Working with her best friend, local police officer Szyn, Mullein (along with her AI-assistant, CanHaz) links these ugly deaths and additional crimes to the City’s own supervising Council.  Including her potential romance with a suave prime suspect, Mullein’s probe confirms that the spreading effect of emotions has the City Enduring descending into political/social chaos. 

Determined to protect the defenseless and uphold basic justice, Mullein’s efforts are undermined by some unexpected adversaries pursuing various ulterior motives.  Such conflict might even sever Mullein’s unfulfilled relationship with her one true soulmate. A final assault is launched to penetrate the domed city and forcibly reduce its inhabitants back to their prior subservience. 

With her power ring coasting on fumes, Mullein makes a climatic stand protecting the denizens of her temporary home world. 

REVIEW:

Far Sector delivers an intriguing sci-fi political/urban whodunnit, which just happens to feature the Green Lantern Corps’ newest recruit.  Written as one might expect from an acclaimed novelist, N.K. Jemisin’s intricate plotting takes its time unfolding.  Occasional lags happen, but Jemisin’s admirable originality makes up the difference.  Her savvy sci-fi storytelling is sparked by artist Jamal Campbell’s stellar visuals.  Jemisin and Campbell, in that sense, concoct a welcome deep dive into the genesis of their creation: a very down-to-earth Green Lantern.    

Though John Stewart and Guy Gardner are briefly mentioned, Jemisin smartly depicts Sojourner “Jo” Mullein as a solo heroine unsure of her own destiny.  Given how Mullein is this storyline’s sole human (aside from glimpses into her troubled past), a near-constant emphasis on her struggles adapting to alien culture becomes a mirror for readers.  Grasping the City Enduring’s futuristic concepts surely isn’t an easy read.  At least, Jemisin and Campbell effectively acknowledge this fish-out-of-water handicap through their protagonist’s own recurring bewilderment.

Recognizing some kid-unfriendly elements (i.e. multiple ‘f-bombs;’ briefly implied nudity/sexual intercourse), Far Sector is geared for college-age audiences and up.  More so, unlike standard comic book storylines merely reprinted as graphic novels, Jemisin and Campbell’s Far Sector fulfills the concept.  Readers are literally getting a visual sci-fi novel with cinematic flair. 

Perusing this complex storyline first through the library might make the best practical sense for casual readers.  For patient adult fans, at least, Green Lantern: Far Sector may well hook them into adding it to a favorite bookshelf – it’s worth the ride.  

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Entitled “A New Green Lantern,” DC’s ‘Young Animal’ imprint supervisor Gerard Way (rock band My Chemical Romance lead vocalist) supplies a two-page foreword on N.K. Jemisin’s behalf.  Each full-page Jamal Campbell cover precedes its issue.  Provided in a full-page format is Sojourner “Jo” Mullein’s variant cover gallery consisting of these artists:

  • Issue # 1 (1. Jamie McKelvie and 2. Shawn Martinbrough);
  • Issue # 4 (Ejikure);
  • Issue # 5 (Warren Louw);
  • Issue # 6 (Sanford Greene);
  • Issue # 7 (Stjepan Šejić);
  • Issue # 8 (InHyuk Lee);
  • Issue # 9 (Meghan Hetrick);
  • Issue # 10 (Yasmine Putri);
  • Issue # 11 (Mirka Andolfo); and
  • Issue # 12 (Jen Bartel).

Campbell supplies four full pages of character designs and concept artwork.  The last page is a brief interview of collaborators Jemisin and Campbell.

BRIAN’S OOD MOON RATING:                         8½ Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Independent Hardcovers & Trade Paperbacks Independent Publishers (Comic Books & Graphic Novels) Manga & International Comics Movies & Television (Books)

AUDREY HEPBURN (NBM Graphic Novels)

Written by Michele Botton.   

Art & Cover Art by Dorilys Giacchetto.

English Translation by Nanette McGuinness.  

SUMMARY:

Released in the U.S. in 2024 by NBM Graphic Novels, this 176-page biographical comic book was evidently first released in Italy before being translated for an English-speaking audience.  In addition to its hardcover format, this book is also available digitally as an e-book. 

Though undated, the prologue occurs in 1988 Ethiopia, as a nearly 60-year-old Hepburn confides in her companion, Robert Wolders, the heartbreaking reality of the challenge she has now accepted as an UNICEF global ambassador. 

In recalling her life, Chapter 1 flashes back to Hepburn’s transition from ballet student to a struggling Dutch model/actress.  Personally recruited by the elderly French writer, Colette, Hepburn accepts the title role in the Broadway play, Gigi.  Her rising stardom would set Hepburn up for Hollywood in her Oscar-winning performance in 1953’s Roman Holiday.  In spite of her inexperience, director William Wyler and co-star Gregory Peck soon adore Hepburn and become her lifelong friends. 

Per Chapter 2, while filming 1954’s Sabrina, Hepburn meets her first famous love, William Holden, though their romance later ends mostly over the issue of having children.  On the same film, she meets costume designer Hubert de Givenchy, who ultimately created her most iconic looks throughout her Hollywood career.  Through Gregory Peck, Hepburn would meet her future husband, actor/director Mel Ferrer.         

Chapter 3 explores Hepburn and Ferrer’s romance and subsequent marriage. Also seen are Hepburn’s experiences filming 1957’s Funny Face.  A further flashback revisits Hepburn’s troubled childhood with her mother and long-absent father before moving to England.  There she becomes an aspiring ballerina at age 19. 

In Chapter 4, an adult Hepburn’s confidence grows, as she next stars in 1957’s Love In The Afternoon.  Hepburn reconciles abandonment by her distant father by bonding with co-star Maurice Chevalier, who views her as a surrogate daughter.  Further childhood flashbacks depict her parents’ turbulent marriage and her own loneliness.  Joining Ferrer in the Caribbean, the couple celebrates her newfound self-assurance. 

Chapter 5 foretells Hepburn’s UNICEF participation three decades after the filming of 1959’s The Nun’s Story.  Also seen are glimpses of Hepburn’s wartime life as a child and teenager in Holland.  Chapter 6 depicts Hepburn, with Ferrer as her director, filming 1959’s unsuccessful Green Mansions.  Elated over her pregnancy, Hepburn’s horseback riding injuries while filming 1960’s The Unforgiven would ultimately cause a miscarriage.  Hepburn’s subsequent depression would impact her physical health, including severe weight loss and a smoking addiction.    

With strain developing in their marriage, Chapter 7 has Hepburn and Ferrer’s subsequent pregnancy joyfully welcome their first child: Sean Ferrer.  A now-rejuvenated Hepburn returns to work in 1961’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s and then The Children’s Hour.  She gains an unexpected new friend in her co-star, Shirley MacLaine.  Hepburn’s exasperation over Hollywood’s sexist expectations and the media’s judgmental invasion of one’s privacy gnaws at her. 

Balancing a troubled marriage and motherhood, Chapter 8 depicts Hepburn’s experiences and professional disappointment filming 1964’s My Fair Lady.  Hepburn is emotionally devastated by the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. 

Chapter 9 depicts Hepburn’s preparation as a blind woman for 1967’s Wait Until Dark.  Often overshadowed by Hepburn’s celebrity status, her fourteen-year marriage to Ferrer ends in 1968.   A subsequent rebound marriage to an Italian psychiatrist-neurologist, Dr. Andrea Dotti, also later fails, though they would share a son: Luca Dotti.  In her early fifties, Hepburn would meet Dutch actor Robert Wolders, who would then accompany her for the rest of Hepburn’s life. 

The epilogue shows a frail Hepburn’s determination to make a difference for UNICEF, including a heartfelt press conference.  The concluding page spells out Hepburn’s ardent belief in giving more love back to the world to make it a better place for all.  

Note: Neither Hepburn’s 1929 birth nor her cancer-related passing in early 1993 are depicted.

REVIEW:

It’s a biographical masterpiece both elegant and undeniably eloquent.  Writer Michele Botton’s historically accurate text – despite its semi-vague timeline, and Dorilys Giacchetto’s consistent visuals – especially, Hepburn’s endearing likeness, mesh in a first-class tribute to the iconic actress. 

Still, given the mature subject matter (i.e. an inference of sexual intercourse, implied partial nudity, and a few profanities), one shouldn’t dismiss this comic book as mere kiddie literature. More so, it would be helpful to readers going in to already identify Hepburn’s various co-stars and directors – per Giacchetto, their likenesses tend to be storybook-style generic. Using the included filmography as one’s general timeline is suggested since Botton’s narrative doesn’t reference specific years.

Intended for an adult audience, this classy Audrey Hepburn homage is a welcome treat to explore.      

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Entitled “Everyone Has Their Own Audrey,” Hepburn’s younger son, Luca Dotti, provides an insightful two-page foreword.  A brief biographical summary on him is also provided.  Chapter pages are adorned with standing Hepburn poses created by Giacchetto.  Including some thank-you’s, Botton supplies a two-page postscript entitled “My Audrey.”  Hepburn’s essential filmography is included, though highlights are addressed in Botton’s text. 

Similarly, Botton and Giacchetto supply a bibliography, as to which books and a 2020 Italian documentary (translated as Audrey – Beyond The Icon) they consulted for the project.  Brief biographical summaries are provided for both Botton and Giacchetto, as they offer personal thank-you’s.               

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                                9 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Westerns

BANDIT HEAVEN: THE HOLE-IN-THE-WALL GANGS AND THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE WILD WEST

Written by Tom Clavin

SUMMARY:

Released by St. Martin’s Press in 2024, this 288-page hardcover explores the nefarious exploits of the Old West’s last desperadoes and the lawmen chasing after them.  The prologue relates a middle-of-the-night train robbery in proximity to Wilcox, Wyoming, on June 2, 1899.  Not only was it another notorious raid for Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, but subsequent scrutiny nationwide signaled the end was coming for the Old West’s seemingly most elusive outlaws. 

As an unintended consequence of Western expansion, Clavin elaborates on how the vast frontier spanning from Canada to Mexico supplied three prominent outlaw hideouts: Brown’s Hole, the Hole-In-The-Wall, and Robbers’ Roost along the so-called ‘Outlaw Trail.’  For years before the 19th Century’s close, rival bandits could share these remote locales gloating over why savvy posses wouldn’t dare breach these sparse strongholds.  The likelihood of hidden ambush, exhausted horses, and a scarcity of food and water (if you didn’t know where to find it) frankly provided no incentives for weary would-be law enforcers to go any further.

Aside from introducing comparatively obscure bandits meeting foul ends (i.e. George Parrott; the Blackjack Ketchum gang; etc.), Wyoming’s infamous Johnson County War and Arizona’s Pleasant Valley War are discussed.  With virtually exclusive control of livestock and, therefore, the best grazing lands at stake, both range wars would accumulate scores of wanton casualties.  Local police, U.S. Marshals, and even the private-sector Pinkertons already had their hands full with smaller-scale crooks to contend with essentially organized crime, including freelancing range assassins. 

Dogged efforts by undercover operatives, such as the Pinkertons’ Charlie Siringo, at least ensured valuable surveillance over time on assorted fugitives would be shared in a growing law enforcement network.  Roving thieves and killers, in that sense, became hard-pressed to outrace the practicality of telegraphs and ‘Wanted’ posters.    

Among the ‘Wild Bunch,’ Butch Cassidy, “The Sundance Kid” Harry Longabaugh, and their incorrigible cronies (including the psychotic “Kid Curry”) usually managed to evade capture.  Yet, the brazen Wilcox heist signaled that their profitable fun-and-games would soon end. With Cassidy, Longabaugh, and Longabaugh’s wife, Etta Place, absconding to South America, the region’s remaining bandits would be hunted down, one by one, as necessary, into the early 20th Century.  Of the Wild Bunch’s known membership, only ex-convicts Elza Lay and Laura Bullion would live to see past middle age.  

Upon their discreet escape to South America, the final fates of Cassidy, Longabaugh, and Etta Place still remain murky.  As Clavin acknowledges, the notorious trio shares a lingering Old West enigma that present-day forensics has no certain answers for.  

Note: This title is available digitally and as an audiobook.  Presumably, Bandit Heaven will be re-released in paperback at some later date.

REVIEW:

As an author, Tom Clavin’s storytelling narrative for Bandit Heaven is admirably consistent with his prior Old West works.  Briskly concocting casual yet historically accurate text, Clavin delivers all the necessary goods, including welcome sprinkles of humor.  His propensity for conversational side stories shouldn’t, otherwise, impact a solid read revisiting The Wild Bunch’s capers and various long-befuddled posses in pursuit. 

With the infamous Johnson County War as a prelude, Clavin focuses on the era’s most notorious bandits, their cronies, and really, by extension, more cronies of cronies.  The same applies to his detailed takes on the Pinkertons and local law enforcement, as their successes often proved hard-earned.  Along with a commendable mini-biography of Charlie Siringo, Clavin examines less-ethical, rival manhunters in Tom Horn and Frank Canton, along with overrated competition like Joe Lefors, with precision. 

Hence, Clavin would make a stellar professor in the classroom engaging students on comparing his subject matter’s ‘crime does pay’ capers to its less-than-glamorous realities.  He also knows better than to pitch unprovable conspiracy theories and sticks to grounded history.  For instance, Clavin doesn’t speculate much on Ethel “Etta” Place’s tantalizingly unknown fate beyond mentioning some possibilities that historians have considered. 

Among them is a quick footnote indicating that Place and fellow Wild Bunch girlfriend, Ann Bassett, most likely isn’t the same person since their conflicting known whereabouts at established times makes such an intriguing notion impossible.  Still, given their startling physical resemblance (even evidently sharing the same birth year), let alone Place’s seemingly non-existent past, it does make one wonder about strange coincidences possibly linking Place with Bassett. 

As for the unsolved Butch & Sundance mystery dating back to 1908 in San Vincente, Clavin explores it as much as he can – without going overboard.  Clavin mentions that at least other two fellow American bandits the duo knew of were working South America at the same time, so misassumptions on shady aliases were inevitable. 

Though Clavin presumes Butch & Sundance were the ill-fated outlaws, his analysis leaves open a remote alternate explanation for their inexplicable mistakes in San Vicente. Hence, no matter how slick this aging dynamite duo (read Clavin’s text on their train heists for this appropriate pun) was in its prime: they were either very much off their game that fateful night in San Vicente – or two luckless copycats met a grim fate in their place. 

Considering members of Cassidy’s family claimed he survived under an alias to old age, again one wonders.  Clavin doesn’t even mention it, but similar yet far fewer claims have also been made before of Longabaugh.  Unless reliable forensic evidence is excavated from a San Vicente cemetery, it appears the same ‘what-if Butch & Sundance’ scenarios from over a century ago are still on the table.      

Generally, much of what Clavin reports is often found elsewhere. There are, however, occasionally obscure gems that one wouldn’t expect.  For instance, the unfulfilled prospect of Butch and his pals enlisting as U.S. soldiers in the Spanish-American War in exchange of securing amnesty is a curious notion.  For that matter, having his boys instead hold off from robbing unguarded trains during the war, shows what a patriotic and generous soul the wily Butch Cassidy was (wink-wink).  Or how about The Sundance Kid’s failed efforts at commanding his own spin-off faction?  Such details and anecdotes are Clavin’s forte. Even if one already knows much of this material, you can appreciate these enlightening revelations.  

The only caveat is a heads-up for the squeamish: specifically, Clavin discusses the macabre use of bandit George Parrott’s remains – though true, it’s wincing to read.  The author, otherwise, doesn’t delve much into grisly details (i.e. the brutal demise of ex-Wild Bunch desperado Ben Kilpatrick is mentioned but not elaborated upon).  Instead, as with his other works, Clavin wisely lets the history speak for itself – along with his knack for well-played jibes. 

For armchair historians (older teens and up), Bandit Heaven delivers a contemporary Old West history lesson well worth taking for a ride.    

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

After the table of contents, Clavin supplies some helpful maps: 1. A North-to-South map titled ‘The Outlaw Trail;’ 2. A map of the Wild Bunch’s robberies; and 3. Butch & Sundance’s ‘Final Years’ tour of South America.  Midway through, there is an intriguing sixteen-page black-and-white photo section.  Please note, though not graphic, that a few images depict post-mortem glimpses of lesser-known Wild Bunch members.  A ghoulish picture proving bandit George Parrott’s dubious legacy, however, may be cringe-inducing. 

In addition to his detailed footnotes, Clavin provides the following sections: two pages of acknowledgements, a three-page ‘selected bibliography,’ and a very helpful nine-page index.  The last page offers a brief Clavin biography, which is duplicated on the inside back cover jacket.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       8 Stars

Notes: As a recommendation, Clavin’s prior work, The Last Outlaws, presents his take on The Dalton Gang, which is really a ‘second-to-last-chapter’ on the Wild West).  From a visual perspective, there is the contrast of the 2014 PBS ‘American Experience’ episode: Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid.  Far grimmer than Clavin’s text, this TV documentary adds supplemental insights into the real ‘Butch & Sundance’ – further distancing them from their romanticized cinematic counterparts.  

Categories
Books & Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction General Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Mystery & Suspense

THE TERROR

Written by Dan Simmons

SUMMARY:

First published by Little, Brown and Company, in 2007, this 770-page hardcover imagines a horrific ‘what if’ as to a real-life, unsolved nautical mystery.  Specifically, The Terror explores the catastrophic fate of the British Navy’s 1845 Arctic expedition led by Captain Sir John Franklin. 

With two reliable and newly reinforced vessels (the HMS Erebus under Franklin’s command and Captain Francis R.M. Crozier’s HMS Terror), the Franklin Expedition had been ordered to locate and explore a purported Northwest Passage from Canada’s North Pole region to Asia.  Including its seasoned officers, the two vessels’ combined crew would be comprised of nearly 130 men.  Setting sail from England, these vessels would be well-stocked with supplies (including a horde of hastily tinned foods) and resources to seemingly answer all likely contingencies.

According to history, only two Franklin Expedition messages (one being an update of the other) were ever found by a multitude of subsequent search-and-rescue parties.  Hence, the British Navy could never confirm Franklin’s improvised deviations off his expedition’s intended route to finally locate the missing ships. 

In reality, the signed messages revealed that both vessels had been trapped by ice in close proximity to one another some thirty miles from King William Land/King William Island’s coast for eighteen months.  Months after Franklin’s death in 1847, both ships were evidently abandoned to attempt a grueling trudge across hundreds of miles of frozen sea and terrain in hopes of eventual rescue – as of late April 1848.  According to various historical accounts and present-day science/archaeology, there were no survivors from the Franklin Expedition.         

Per Simmons’ novel, after several months of frozen gridlock, Franklin contemplates his officers’ pendulum-like assessments of their dire predicament.  He scoffs at Crozier’s suggestion of abandoning the bigger HMS Erebus, despite its enhanced frame slowly buckling under constant strain.  Instead of immediately consolidating crews aboard the HMS Terror to wait out a possible escape, Franklin chooses a different alternative. 

Under Lt. Graham Gore’s command, a small team is sent afoot to search for leads (open water) and deposit the first of only two messages the Franklin Expedition would ever leave of its whereabouts.  Returning to the ships, Gore’s team is unexpectedly attacked by a raging behemoth resembling a polar bear.  An enigmatic clue to this ghostly creature’s origin may be a young Esquimaux (Inuit) woman dubbed ‘Lady Silence,’ due to her severed tongue.

Franklin’s subsequent strategy to kill the supposed bear (in the crew’s ironic slang, nicknamed ‘The Terror’) ends in a bloody disaster.  Now sharing command, Crozier and Commander/Captain James Fitzjames must keep their crews alive by all humane means necessary. 

Not only is a bloodthirsty leviathan (aka ‘The Tuunbaq’) stalking the stranded vessels, but other lethal factors become inevitable: hypothermia, scurvy, botulism, lead poisoning, and, worst of all, a dwindling food supply.  Left no other viable option, Crozier and Fitzjames desperately lead their crews hiking across King William Land/King William Island’s frozen tundra for hundreds of miles in hopes of an eventual escape or rescue by river.    

In the grueling months to come, the depleted survivors continue falling to tragedy and misfortune.  Crozier and others deduce another vile monster lurking among them is stirring up imminent mutiny, including threats of cannibalism.  Forced to split his remaining crewmen into factions seeking their own fates, Crozier knows that time is fast running out to escape the Arctic Circle’s wrath. For them, hell has already frozen over. 

Yet, an unexpected glimmer of hope may at last disclose the predatory Tuunbaq’s motive for feasting on mortal victims.          

Notes: The novel has been released in multiple formats, including paperback, audiobook, and digitally.  Simmons’ novel was published prior to the real-life discoveries of the HMS Erebus (in 2014) and, subsequently, the HMS Terror (in 2016).  The underwater wrecks were found approximately 100 kilometers (or roughly 62 miles) apart. 

AMC, in 2018, released a ten-episode, same-named mini-series of the novel co-starring Jared Harris and Ciarán Hinds.  This TV adaptation serves as the first season of AMC’s The Terror horror anthology series.

REVIEW:

Let it first be reiterated that, given its bleak and macabre nature, The Terror is a mature audiences read only.  Dan Simmons’s nasty fantasy-horror epic doubles as a historical fiction masterpiece indulging an excess of grisly details.  With so many fully developed supporting characters and individual sub-plots, readers are getting the dense literary equivalent of a director’s cut/extended version – be forewarned.    

Rather than preparing an exhaustive analysis, I’m going to instead discuss some key areas:    

  • No matter their factual inaccuracies, Simmons’ depictions of historical figures (i.e. Franklin, Crozier, John Irving, Dr. Goodsir, Graham Gore, Lady Jane Franklin, and Sophia Cracroft, among others) effectively co-exist with his own fictional creations in this alternate reality. Despite the supernatural presence of an unstoppable Star Wars Wampa-like monster and Crozier’s recurring psychic dreams, this component makes for a considerable creative asset.     
  • The intricately detailed narrative conveyed in sixty-six chapters (through the perspectives of rotating characters) isn’t flawless.  At least one hundred pages could have been omitted without losing a fraction of this storyline’s gruesome substance.  Simmons, in retrospect, should have prioritized better pacing over pitching innumerable ghoulish twists that become almost seemingly endless.      
  • Readers (especially the more squeamish) will feel as though they’re on-the-scene observers.  It’s a nod to Simmons’ undeniable literary talents.  Case in point: His fictionalized timeline painstakingly overrides common sense, as to why the expedition should have likely perished from harsh natural elements, let alone starvation and disease – long before the novel’s actual climax.  Note: Nearly three hundred pages take place after the real-life expedition’s last known correspondence. 
  • Even if Simmons’ minute details are indeed historically accurate, readers may be bewildered by the two vessels’ vast cargo holds, including room for multiple smaller boats, sleds, and absurdities in excessive personal effects onboard.  Case in point: storage of an aristocratic Franklin’s vast costume collection on a frigid, multi-year exploration mission just seems like an eye-rolling implausibility. 
  • The same applies far worse later when the dwindling crewmen are ‘man-hauling’ enormously heavy yet unnecessary objects (i.e. Crozier’s desk) for months across countless miles of frigid tundra.  Why no one suggests packing lightly at the outset for a far more expedient (and likely less suicidal) trek across the island isn’t explained.
  • Necessary compensation is supplied by a wealth of character depth Simmons’ depictions of Crozier, Goodsir, Irving, Blanky, Gore, Lady Silence, Franklin, Bridgens, and even the antagonists.  Repulsive details/inferences (including cannibalism, sodomy, disemboweling/mutilation, and some crude refences to female anatomy), however, can’t be ignored.  Instead, they become a nauseating counterbalance to such well-constructed characters.             

What might give one further pause, however, is the author’s creative exploitation – reminiscent of The Perfect Storm (both Sebastian Junger’s 1997 novel and its 2000 movie adaptation).  Specifically, is Simmons profiteering off historical tragedy?  With the Franklin Expedition’s grim fate transformed into a gruesome fantasy, readers inevitably face a coin toss.  One side offers a brilliantly speculative though excessive take on historical fiction.  The flip side implies that Simmons has taken advantage of this expedition’s misfortune by concocting it into mass fantasy-horror. 

In spite of these qualms, The Terror is ultimately a potent read.  It is, however, bogged down by an overload of wince-inducing plot elements.  Additionally, several overextended sequences (i.e. Thomas Blanky’s first and seemingly endless monster escape; the preposterous costume ball, etc.) push credibility much further than necessary.  Before accepting the challenge of reading The Terror, it’s advisable to stock up on fortitude to absorb this novel’s literally blood-chilling narrative.  

If The Terror is the kind of epic nightmare that intrigues you, then Simmons will readily surpass your money’s worth.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There’s a double-page of black-and-white maps detailing Simmons’ versions of the Franklin Expedition’s Northwest Passage route and of King William Land/Island.  A Northwest Passage map also appears in a double-page format for the front and black inside covers.  Simmons’s dedication infers his creative inspiration was taken from the 1951 sci-fi/horror film, The Thing From Another World (aka the original cinematic Thing).  A foretelling 1851 Moby Dick quotation by Herman Melville is included.  

Simmons’ three-page acknowledgements section reveals his bibliographical sources.  Among them is an 1845 letter from the Expedition’s real Dr. Harry D.S. Goodsir to a relative.  The last page provides a paragraph-long biography on Simmons. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         8½ Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels Marvel Comics MARVEL's Hardcovers & Paperbacks Movies & Television (Books)

IRON MAN 2: PUBLIC IDENTITY (MARVEL Comics)

Primary Feature (Issues # 1-3) Written by Joe Casey, with Justin Theroux (as co-plotter).

Primary Feature Art (Issues # 1-3) by Barry Kitson; Ron Lim; Tom Palmer; Victor Olazaba; Stefano Gaudiano; Matthew Southworth; Matt Milla; & VC’s Clayton Cowles.

Cover Art (Issues # 1-3) by Adi Granov.

Iron Man 2: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  One-Shot Written by Joe Casey.

Artists: Tim Green II; Juan Doe; VC’s Joe Caramagna; Felix Ruiz; Ian Hannin; VC’s Clayton Cowles; Matt Camp; & Ian Hannin.

Cover Art by Salvador Larroca.

Collection Cover Art by Adi Granov.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2010 by Marvel Comics, this 152-page trade paperback compiles the three-issue Iron Man 2: Public Identity mini-series followed by the one-shot Iron Man 2: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – all from that same year.

Set after the first Iron Man film (2008), Public Identity presents a prelude to Iron Man 2. Tony Stark’s maverick international presence as Iron Man is making U.S. military leadership uneasy.  Unable to corral Stark’s impulsive yet benevolent intentions, the military secretly recruits weapons designer Justin Hammer and U.S. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross to help devise immediate alternatives.  Lt. Colonel James Rhodes, despite exasperation with his own friend, tries to keep Stark attuned to the military’s ongoing concerns.   

Interspersed with flashbacks to Howard Stark’s own past as a high-tech weapons manufacturer, Tony’s troubled childhood growing up is conveyed.  Tony’s present-day playboy antics are of concern to Pepper Potts.  Overseas, Iron Man successfully a notorious minefield with his own futuristic take on a mine-attracting magnet. 

After a Hammer-designed armored ship goes down with the unidentified U.S. pilot landing in enemy hands, an exhausted Iron Man returns to battle.  Stark and Ross later angrily confront one another.  Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury has been shadowing Stark before sending in a covert operative for closer surveillance.     

The 24-page Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has Nick Fury, Agent Phil Coulson, and, finally, “Black Widow” Natasha Romanova, entering Stark’s orbit from different angles.  In the eight-page “Who Made Who,” Fury has an undercover S.E.A.L. commando to observe Iron Man’s actions in the field.  Yet, he may be unaware that Stark is conducting his own counter-intelligence.  The eight-page “Just Off The Farm” has Agent Coulson recruiting a new S.H.I.E.L.D. operative named Hendricks via a trial under gunfire.           

Lastly, “Proximity” (8 pages) sets up Black Widow’s undercover surveillance assignment at Stark Industries during Iron Man 2.  Case in point: posing one of Stark’s legal notaries, Natasha Romanova devises a ruse to infiltrate his palatial beachside estate.     

Note: This title is also available digitally.

REVIEW:

Deeming Iron Man 2: Public Identity a glorified movie ad would be accurate.  Given its content, including a third of its page count as total padding, that should come as no surprise. 

While its overall writing is fairly sharp, the primary feature’s artwork isn’t nearly as slick as the glossy paper it is printed on.  Public Identity’s artwork, in that sense, is deliberately generic.  Only Nick Fury resembles Samuel L. Jackson; to a lesser degree, this take on Justin Hammer passably resembles actor Sam Rockwell.  One isn’t likely to recognize the other actors (i.e. Don Cheadle; Gwyneth Paltrow; William Hurt; and even Robert Downey Jr.) based upon their comic book counterparts.  The story, overall, makes for an okay read, but the overindulgence playing up Iron Man 1 and 2 is a given.

The trio of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D tales prove fairly good, as are the likenesses of actors Jackson, Clark Gregg (with Coulson murkily seen), and Scarlett Johansson.  Hence, casual fans will get a little more insight as to Iron Man 2’s plotting, as far as why some of its pivotal supporting players are joining the franchise.  As for the Spotlight magazine, it’s fun to peruse once, but clearly the iconic Avenger’s die-hard fanbase is whom it would most appeal to.

Iron Man 2: Public Identity, overall, is by no means a must-read – except for the film’s ardent fans.  At most, this book offers a welcome library find for nostalgic fans as to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s early days. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Adi Granov’s full-page Iron Man 2: Public Identity cover for each of the three issues precedes its story. The same applies to Salvador Larroca’s Agents of HIELD one-shot cover.

Also included is 2010’s 48-page Iron Man 2 Spotlight promo magazine.  With movie promo images and a plethora of Marvel artwork, the magazine consists of:

  • Full-page cover and then a table-of-contents;
  • Jess Harrold’s interview with artist Adi Granov (7 pages);
  • Four Granov covers (1 page) and his Extremis Armor sketch designs (2 page);
  • Chris Arrant interviews co-writers Marc Guggenheim and Brannon Braga about the Iron Man vs. Whiplash feud (3 pages);
  • Black Widow: # 1 With A Bullet” promo summarizing the character by Dugan Trodglen (4 pages);
  • Harold interviews writer Matt Fraction (10 pages);
  • John Rhett Thomas interviews writer/artist Bob Layton (8 pages);
  • Arant interviews writer Warren Ellis (5 pages); and
  • Trodglen reviews Marvel’s definitive Iron Man moments (5 pages).
  • The last page is filler.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          4 Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Marvel Comics MARVEL's Hardcovers & Paperbacks STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS – JOURNEY TO THE FORCE AWAKENS: SHATTERED EMPIRE (MARVEL Comics)

Issues # 1-4 Written by Greg Rucka.

Issues # 1-4 Art by Marco Checchetto; Angel Unzueta; Emilio Laiso; Andres Mossa; & VC’s Jose Caramagna.

Collection Cover Art by Phil Noto.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2015 by Marvel Comics, this 124-page trade paperback reprints the same-named 2015 four-issue mini-series. 

Set in the closing moments of Return of The Jedi, amidst the Death Star II shootout, Rebel pilot Lt. Shera Bey aids Luke Skywalker’s borrowed Imperial shuttle escape back to Endor.  On planet Endor, Shera’s husband, Sgt. Kes Cameron is among General Han Solo’s commandoes in their effort to disable the Death Star’s outer force field defense system.

Having briefly reunited on planet Endor, Shera and Kes continue their Rebellion commitment in thwarting the Empire’s still-potent remnants.  As Han Solo’s shuttle pilot, an undercover Shera helps his commando squad take down Endor’s last remaining Imperial outpost.  Deciphered Imperial messaging indicated that the Empire now intends to attack multiple planets simultaneously in vengeance.  While Han, Chewbacca, and Kes are involved in leading multiple counterstrikes, Shera becomes Leia’s pilot in her diplomatic return to planet Naboo.

As the Empire bombards Naboo with catastrophic weather-altering technology, it’s up to Leia, Shera, and an unexpected third pilot to mount a vastly outmatched counterattack against a Star Destroyer and its TIE Fighter squadron.  Their only chance is whether or not the Rebellion fleet can reach Naboo in time to save the planet from destruction.  A parallel between the Han/Leia romance and the Damerons’ young marriage is conveyed.   

Shera and Kes contemplate the quiet future they should commit to, along with her father and their young son, Poe.  Recruited by Luke Skywalker, Shera accompanies the Jedi Knight on his personal extraction mission to planet Vetine.  It appears that the Imperials are holding on to a Jedi relic that Luke desperately wants to recover without Rebel reinforcements.  A hint of Kes and Shera’s imminent future is revealed.       

Note: This title is also available digitally and in hardcover.

REVIEW:

It’s really a glorified hodgepodge. Aside from Marvel/Disney’s slick production values, the content of Shattered Empire is relatively good, but it isn’t a must-have.  Specifically, writer Greg Rucka, with a terrific art team, conjures up a sufficiently appealing premise for an episodic mini-sequel to Return of The Jedi. 

It’s a shame, though, that plot elements of Shattered Empire couldn’t have been extended out to six issues vs. the conventional four-issue industry standard.  That way, there could have been more time spent with the franchise’s original characters, as opposed to playing supporting roles for Shera Bey and Kes Dameron.  

If anything, the four-part Shattered Empire offers a good read for Star Wars fans for most age groups, in terms of setting up Poe Dameron’s future link to The Force Awakens.  Besides introducing Poe Dameron’s parents convincingly, Rucka’s conveyance of Han and Leia’s leadership during their own separate missions is well-constructed.  The final issue shifting to Luke Skywalker’s personal side trip (which conveniently includes Shara Bey), however, is more of an obvious plot tack-on than it should be.   

As for this title’s additional padding, Princess Leia # 1 and Marvel’s original Star Wars # 1 supply just enough to attain a respectable page count.  Serving best as a welcome library find, Star Wars: Shattered Empire, at least, offers a kid-friendly escape back into a galaxy far, far away. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The full-page cover precedes each issue.  The cover artists are: Phil Noto (Issue # 1) and Marco Checcheto (Issues # 2-4).  Splitting pages are variant cover reprints.  For Issue # 1, the variant cover artists are: 1. Francesco Francavilla; 2. Checchetto; and 3. Pasqual Ferry & Chris Sotomayor.  Issue # 2’s variant artist is Kris Anka.  Issue # 3’s variant artist is  Mike Deodato.  Sarah Pichelli & Paul Mounts are the variant artists for Issue # 4.          

The opener for the 2015 Princess Leia mini-series is then presented afterwards.  The issue’s creative team consists of writer Mark Waid; artists Terry and Rachel Dodson (who also supply the full-page cover); colorist Jordie Bellaire; & VC’s Joe Caramagna on letters.

Set immediately after Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope, Princess Leia recruits an embittered Rebel female pilot (and fellow survivor from Alderaan) for an unauthorized excursion to Naboo.  Defying General Dodonna’s orders to stay put (given there’s an Imperial bounty out on her), Leia gambles that her pilot can out-maneuver Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, whose X-Wings are in an interception pursuit.

Between Mark Waid’s likable scripting and the Dodsons’ sufficient visuals (still, their cover image surpasses the average interior artwork), Princess Leia # 1 makes for a nice read.  Waid smartly plays up Leia’s often icy exterior for some insightful scenes with Luke (briefly), General Dodonna, and a newly introduced Rebel pilot, Evaan.  While this single-issue ‘teaser’ isn’t a must-read, Waid and the Dodsons make it easy enough to visual the familiar actors playing out the dialogue.   

From out of Marvel’s archives is the first issue of its original 1977 Star Wars comic book adaptation.  The creative team consists of writer Roy Thomas; artist Howard Chaykin; and letterer Jim Novak.  The uncredited cover art team is Chaykin and Tom Palmer. 

Though its artwork seems primitive today, this first issue’s plotting reasonably follows George Lucas’ script.  Including the film’s deleted Luke and Biggs sequence at Anchorhead on Tatooine, Thomas nimbly conveys the movie’s iconic dialogue in comic book form.  This Thomas/Chaykin collaboration, in that sense, makes for a decent blast from the past.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                 5½ Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Digital Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction STAR TREK-Related

STAR TREK: GENERATIONS (1994 Movie Novelization)

Written by J.M. Dillard Based Upon The Story & Script Co-Written by

Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga, & Rick Berman.

SUMMARY:

First released in 1994 by Simon and Schuster’s Pocket Books imprint, Star Trek: Generations’ novelization was penned by J.M. Dillard.  Depending upon its format, the page count for Dillard’s novel evidently varies from about 280 pages up to 304 pages.

Set approximately a year after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the now-retired Captain James T. Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Pavel Chekov are on hand for the U.S.S. Enterprise-B’s media-friendly launch ceremony.  A subsequent space emergency inflicts severe damage upon the new Enterprise during its rescue of survivors from three crippled El-Aurian refugee ships due to the destructive Nexus ribbon. 

Among the characters introduced are helmsman Ensign Demora Sulu (Hikaru Sulu’s daughter); the Enterprise-B’s rookie Captain: John Harriman; and a deranged El-Aurian scientist, Dr. Soran.  In a cameo appearance, The Next Generation’s Guinan is among the rescued refugees.  The legendary Captain Kirk, however, is among those casualties tragically lost in space amidst this makeshift rescue mission.

Seventy-eight years later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard anguishes over news of his estranged brother and beloved nephew having perished in a fire at the family’s French vineyard.  Picard’s grief is interrupted by Dr. Soran, who has suspiciously survived a Romulan onslaught upon the space station he was working from.  Having stolen an experimental and ultra-destructive power source known as ‘tri-lithium,’ Soran’s ruthless scheme becomes apparent.  He intends to detonate a star impacting far-off-planet Veridan III to expedite his reunion with the time-warping Nexus. 

Like others familiar with The Nexus, awaiting Soran inside is immortality and escapes to seemingly all of his heart’s greatest wishes.  With hundreds of millions of innocent lives at stake, the lone obstacle impeding Soran is Picard’s valiant crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D.  And quite possibly a long-lost Starfleet hero seeking to make a difference once more.         

Instead of further reiterating the film’s main plot and various subplots, included are some highlights that aren’t in the film.    

  1. Following Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the novel begins in 2293 with the U.S.S. Enterprise-A crew’s farewell party.  Foreshadowing a hint of his ultimate fate, Captain Kirk rues a lingering back injury.  He also realizes that retirement will prove far lonelier than expected.  After Carol Marcus rejects his pseudo-marriage proposal, Kirk subsequently exchanges parting gifts and temporary goodbyes with Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy. 
  • Over the next several months, Kirk relentlessly pushes himself through a series of physically strenuous hobbies to alleviate his boredom.  Among his reckless new pursuits is orbital skydiving, which the also-retired Montgomery Scott and Pavel Chekov witness in a mixture of worry and envy.  Note: The orbital skydiving sequence was filmed with William Shatner, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig, but it was deleted from the movie’s theatrical version. 
  • An emergency drill aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior ends after Chekov notifies Captain Sulu of their captain’s death.
  • Spock and Dr. McCoy poignantly reunite as the first guests to arrive at Kirk’s memorial service.
  • Kirk’s nearly eighty-year existence within The Nexus is expanded, including a marriage ceremony to Carol Marcus, with their late son, David, in attendance.
  • Indicating that Dillard composed the novel during the movie’s initial filming schedule, Kirk’s original death sequence is depicted.  Yet, its content was panned in test screenings and subsequently replaced in a hasty reshoot prior to the movie’s November 1994 release.    

Note: This title has been released in multiple formats, including hardcover, paperback, and audiobook. 

REVIEW:

Given the script’s contrived content (i.e. a shopping list of Paramount and/or Rick Berman’s cookie-cutter plot edicts), novelist J.M. Dillard merits some applause for salvaging what she can.  Case in point: it’s easy to visualize Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley playing out her well-written chapel scene.  The same applies to imagining the Kirk/Carol Marcus wedding sequence, as this segment adds some welcome depth to Kirk’s Nexus experiences.  Depth, not to mention, plausibility … that’s where this novelization, unfortunately, becomes a mixed bag.

Like several other Trek authors (in this instance, i.e. Peter David, Vonda N. McIntyre), Dillard is effective in freshly mining the franchise’s primary characters and conveying them as believably as one could.  Still, even Dillard’s solid literary talents can’t fix The Nexus’ preposterous nature into anything resembling dramatic Trek storytelling.  Given how The Nexus was abandoned by the franchise as a single one-and-done concept, Dillard is left too little substance that is legitimately compelling to work from.  This assessment of eye-rolling implausibility applies equally to The Nexus and Data’s emotion chip crisis.    

Hence, Dillard’s work predictably falls short of McIntyre’s underrated movie novelizations of Star Treks II and III exploring the unintended repercussions of The Genesis Device.  More so, unlike Peter David’s stellar Star Trek: The Next Generation – Imzadi, Dillard doesn’t have access to a far better Trek time-warping concept: the Guardian of Forever. 

As with much of the film’s cast, J.M. Dillard at least imbues Star Trek: Generations with more class than its hackneyed plot frankly merits.  Still, for fans who enjoy Star Trek: Generations onscreen as is, Dillard’s novelization makes for a welcome treat.  Casual readers, otherwise, ought to find her novel as a slightly above-average adaptation. 

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

None.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    6 Stars

Categories
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FATHER BROWN (1974): THE SECRET GARDEN (Season 1: Episode 13)

SUMMARY:                                 RUNNING TIME: 51:00 Min.

First airing on England’s ITV on December 19, 1974, “The Secret Garden” is the final episode of this first (and single-season) Father Brown TV series.  Faithfully adapting G.K. Chesterton’s same-named 1910 short story, Peter Jeffries directed this episode off Hugh Leonard’s screenplay.

In 1920’s Paris, wealthy French police chief Aristide Valentin (Mayne) voices his desire to seek humane commutation for a death row inmate he previously sent to prison.  Despite Valentin’s considerable political clout, he believes that making an in-person plea is his last opportunity before the condemned’s execution that same night.     

Meanwhile, at Valentin’s posh fortress-like estate, his dinner party guests await him.  Among the guests are: married British aristocrats – the elderly Galloways (Luckham & Benham); their socialite daughter Margaret (Waugh); her soldier ex-fiancé, O’Brien (Dance); an amiable physician (Davies); American millionaire philanthropist Julius K. Brayne (Dyneley); and Brayne’s friendly associate, Father Brown (More). 

Father Brown openly ponders Valentin’s stringent security measures necessitating the front door as his manor home’s sole entrance – not to mention, a spiked high wall surrounding the estate’s backyard perimeter.  Brown is told in reply that Valentin routinely receives death threats. 

Subsequent after-dinner conversation includes the topic of capital punishment.  O’Brien then departs for the garden to tempt Margaret into resuming their former romance, much to her father’s boozing disgust.  An eccentric Brayne also leaves the room.  He is last seen toying with Valentin’s mounted sword collection in the hallway.

Wishing to thwart O’Brien, an inebriated Lord Galloway stumbles upon a grisly discovery in the darkened garden: specifically, a well-dressed mystery corpse missing its severed head.  With the head grimly located, the murder weapon is subsequently established as O’Brien’s missing Foreign Legion saber.  Valentin calmly seeks to shield his guests from his own police force’s imminent scrutiny.  Still, suspicion soon pivots towards another guest besides O’Brien. 

The priest’s sleuthing suggests, however, that all may not be what it seems.  For instance, how could the unknown intruder/victim have circumvented various defenses and infiltrated the estate?  By the next day, this macabre enigma worsens once a second decapitated head is discovered.  Father Brown realizes it’s up to him to thwart a culprit’s potentially perfect crime. 

                    Cast:

Father Brown: Kenneth More

Commandant Neil O’Brien: Charles Dance

Aristide Valentin: Ferdy Mayne

Lord and Lady Galloway: Cyril Luckham & Joan Benham

Lady Margaret Graham: Eileen Waugh

Julius K. Brayne: Peter Dyneley

Dr. Bernard Simon: Rowland Davies

Duchess of Mont St. Michel: Rosemarie Dunham

Ivan (servant): Athol Coats

Beaumont: Stefan Gryff

Unnamed Servant: Hugh Cecil. 

Notes: 1. As forewarning, though not exceedingly graphic, there are three or four close-up glimpses of ‘severed heads.’ 

2. Valentin’s literary counterpart appeared in the first Father Brown story, 1910’s “The Blue Cross” (aka “Valentin Follows A Curious Trail”).  Valentin was that mystery’s featured player rather than Brown.  Hence, “The Secret Garden” makes for an intriguing sequel. 

3. In terms of possible coincidence: reminiscent of “The Blue Cross,” Agatha Christie’s 1930 Murder at The Vicarage features St. Mary Mead’s vicar, Reverend Len Clement, over Ms. Jane Marple in her whodunnit debut.   

REVIEW:

Filmed on videotape, it’s readily obvious “The Secret Garden” relies upon well-dressed sets vs. any sense that the cast is actually inside a castle-like manor home.  Aside from this minor quibble, it’s an old-school Father Brown whodunnit well-played for its source material. 

For fans of G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown, seeing “The Secret Garden” faithfully visualized makes for solid viewing – no matter its logical contrivances.  Kenneth More’s Father Brown, in that regard, effectively spells out what some viewers likely will have already deduced.      

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:         7 Stars

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