Month: January 2024

Categories
Books & Novels Mystery & Suspense

LION & LAMB

Written by James Patterson & Duane Swierczynski

SUMMARY:

Released by Little, Brown & Company in 2023, James Patterson collaborated with co-author Duane Swierczynski on this murder-mystery pairing rival Philadelphia private detectives in the most dangerously high-profile case of their careers.  At its seedy core is the city’s premier power couple: Grammy-winning songstress Francine Pearl Hughes and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Archie Hughes.  To some degree, Francine’s glamorous talents overshadow her husband’s legendary gridiron exploits.      

Late in the night before the NFC Championship Game, Archie is found murdered inside his flashy Maserati near the city’s art museum.  All too conveniently, his brutal homicide is missing from all adjacent security camera footage.  Given the inevitable public outrage, Philadelphia’s best homicide cop, Mickey Bernstein, urges the city’s police commissioner to assemble a task force, so the unknown culprit (or culprits) can be quickly apprehended.  A world-weary Bernstein, per his own recommendation, is assigned this team’s command by the commissioner.

Meanwhile, with two young children at home, Francine isn’t exactly grieving.  With the murder weapon found partially buried in the garden of the posh Hughes estate, she becomes the instant prime suspect.  Scandalized in the media, her arrest for killing Archie is now imminent.  Francine’s defense counsel hires unorthodox private detective Cooper Lamb, Sr. to quickly confirm her client’s innocence.  Having successfully negotiated his list of demands (including access to Philadelphia Eagle autographs for his kids), Cooper immediately pivots towards Archie’s questionable choice in associates.     

The Philadelphia district attorney similarly hires Veena Lion – Cooper’s professional rival and friendly ex-lover, to investigate the case independently of Bernstein’s high-powered task force, which he is already leery of. Behind a pair of ever-present sunglasses, Veena (and her knack for secretly recording conversations) suspects that likely others, besides Archie’s widow, may have wanted the quarterback dead for reasons beyond the Super Bowl’s outcome.      

Cooper, a divorced dad with two young children, uses his military experience, wits, and, rather shamelessly, his cute canine sidekick, to compile a growing list of alternative suspects.  Courtesy of his assistant Victor’s computer hacking expertise, Cooper eyes the Eagles’ sleazy father-and-son owners; an assortment of jealous teammates; and possibly even Archie & Francine’s enigmatic nanny. 

Complicating Cooper’s probe is a resentful Bernstein, as they mutually despise one another.  Bernstein’s rival efforts include fast-tracking the search for Archie’s missing Super Bowl ring.  This stolen ring may be crucial to building airtight evidence against Francine and her possible accomplices.       

Veena and her own assistant, Janie, pursue additional leads, including the Hughes’ disgruntled ex-chef and rumors of shady dealings linked to Atlantic City gambling circles.  Probing parallel trajectories, Veena and Cooper regularly compare notes over drinks.  They both commit to exposing the sordid truth – no matter how ugly it is becoming. 

With two subsequent murders quickly hushing up witnesses, Cooper is repeatedly threatened by multiple sources to stop digging.  In only a few days, Veena and Cooper’s tenacity has their shadowy opposition desperate enough to make the Hughes murder case their last, no matter who must die next. 

Notes: This title is also available digitally and as an audiobook.  The story’s occasional profanities are blacked out.

REVIEW:

One can’t be too surprised that Lion & Lamb just marginally surpasses its eyerolling title.  Co-authors James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski’s slickly plotted thriller gladly follows a genre blueprint on how to best please readers with superficial effort.  Hence, the novel’s undemanding contents are a veritable cliché-fest from the get-go. 

For red flag starters, the notion of Philadelphia’ district attorney would regularly employ freelance private detectives to run shadow investigations exudes far more glaring implausibility than mere contrivance.  Analogy-wise: having Scotland Yard routinely consult either Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot makes sense because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and later Agatha Christie sold this premise well enough. 

Lion & Lamb, by comparison, opts to have its rival freelancers interchangeably taking gigs from the highest legal bidder – including a district attorney, who should logically have a staff of in-house investigators available.  In other words, the underlying motive for ultra-cool sleuths Veena Lion and Cooper Lamb tilts more towards opportunistic paydays and bragging rights than any supposed search for ‘truth’ they commit to share.     

One might say Lion & Lamb resembles Janet Evanovich’s Fox & O’Hare series, along with some elements of the 1991 Bruce Willis/Damon Wayans action thriller, The Last Boy Scout.  Throw in unsubtle allusions to NFL corruption and mob-affiliated gambling, and one gets the gist of the plot’s shallow contents.  With a complicated homicide investigation deftly wrapped up inside of two weeks, the storyline’s absurd lack of realism is only exacerbated by a feel-good, family-friendly finish.          

Lion & Lamb is obviously meant to spawn Hollywood-style thriller entertainment, presumably with hopes of snaring a potential TV or film adaptation.  One needn’t look further than the book cover to guess where these seemingly mismatched partners are inevitably going.  Hence, the unoriginal tag line’s wording is exactly what one might expect to see on a movie poster — for instance, perhaps pairing Ana de Armas and Chris Evans again.  More so, the novel’s hip substitution of ‘transcripts’ in lieu of building a chapter’s substance is seemingly lazy code for what this formulaic potboiler would look like in script form. 

Ironically, the underwritten Veena Lion and Cooper Lamb don’t stand out amidst a glut of competition in this genre, whether it’s in literature or Hollywood. Aside from Veena’s vivid green eyes, far too little describes what either of these sleuths even looks like. For that matter, only the presence of Cooper’s ex-wife and their young children (and a reference to his military stint) gives readers some idea of his backstory.

Veena’s past doesn’t even reach such minimal details – the authors convey her personality as stylish and high-maintenance, leaving it at that. Hence, Patterson and Swierczynski have imbued their title characters with supposedly catchy last names and virtually nothing else. It’s no wonder then that their storyline relies upon cruise control in peddling this unimaginative whodunnit’s allotment of plot twists.

For practicality’s sake, it’s probably best to catch Patterson & Duane Swierczynski’s Philadelphia private eye caper at the library.  Lion & Lamb is otherwise an easily forgettable diversion for readers.       

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

The co-authors provide an acknowledgements page, along with their paragraph-long biographies.  After its black-and-white cover image, included is a twelve-page preview of Patterson’s next collaboration.  With co-author Mike Lupica, the novel is entitled 12 Months To Live.  It’s the start of a new mystery-thriller series featuring defense attorney/ex-NYPD cop and ex-private detective Jane Smith.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  5 Stars

Categories
Anthologies Books & Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Mystery & Suspense Sherlock Holmes-Related

THE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

SUMMARY:

Released in 2009 by Night Shade Books, editor/journalist John Joseph Adams (with help from David Barr Kirtley) assembled this 454-page paperback. 

Specifically, Adams complied twenty-eight original Sherlock Holmes short stories borrowed from various other anthologies (between 1987 and 2009), each by a different author.  Usually conveyed through Dr. Watson’s traditional point-of-view, these tales explore the iconic British sleuth in an array of genres including science fiction, horror, swashbuckling adventure, and mind-bending fantasy. 

Familiar names, including Irene Adler, Professor Moriarty, Colonel Sebastian Moran, H.G. Wells, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will resurface.  Two very different interpretations of Holmes’ unexplained Friesland steamship case are explored.  The same also applies to Jack the Ripper.  Some literary team-ups and/or unusual crossovers are also among this anthology’s features.  Adams introduces each author, with an additional brief transition alluding to the story’s particular mechanism or inspiration.    

Notes: These tales are not presented in any chronological order.  This title is also available digitally and in an audiobook format.

  • “The Doctor’s Case” by Stephen King.  With Holmes now long dead, a ninety-year-old Dr. Watson divulges the one instance he unraveled a seemingly perfect crime before his best friend could.  The flashback shifts to a rainy London afternoon in 1899.  Scotland Yard’s Inspector Lestrade retrieves Holmes and Watson from 221b Baker Street to decipher a locked room enigma.  Earlier in the day, decrepit shipping tycoon Albert Hull was found stabbed to death in his study.  The baffling homicide’s prime suspects consist of three resentful adult sons and the victim’s abused wife.  With Holmes largely distracted by his allergic reaction to cats, Watson must step up his deductive game. 

Mini-Review # 1: Stephen King’s impressive writing style can’t hide this tale’s glaring implausibility.  Aside from a ‘shock value’ finish, King contrives that Lestrade (and, by extension, Holmes & Watson) would merely accept the Hull family’s witness statements at face value.  King ought to have conveyed that Lestrade’s hurried investigation included outside corroboration (and, accordingly, allow sufficient transition time — say, push back Holmes & Watson’s entrance from early afternoon to nightfall).  Such peripheral details would have surely boosted his tale’s credibility.  6/10 Stars.   

  • “The Horror of the Many Faces” by Tim Lebbon.  Come one dark London night, Dr. Watson is chilled to witness Holmes gleefully eviscerate an unknown victim in a secluded Baker Street alleyway.  Multiple horrific homicides committed the same way plague London over two nights where eyewitnesses observe different culprits each time.  It’s up to Watson to confront this insidious adversary, who resembles Holmes.  Troubling Watson is near certainty that his best friend has succumbed to a bloodthirsty, psychotic madness. 

Mini-Review # 2: This gory 2003 science fiction/horror ‘what if’ succeeds in the sense that there is no clear-cut finish, let alone any sense of triumph.  Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s works, Tim Lebbon concocts a ghoulish read where Holmes and Watson are seemingly outmatched at their most desperate hour.  Not for the squeamish, but this dark alternate reality is worth a read.  7½/10 Stars.    

Note: For some ‘comparison shopping,’ Geoffrey A. Landis’ “The Singular Habits of Wasps” also explores ghastly sci-fi terrain later in this anthology.

  • “The Case of the Bloodless Sock” by Anne Perry.  During Dr. Watson’s visit to the English countryside, his prosperous friend’s daughter is abducted two consecutive days.  The little girl is then returned home both times at midnight.  Her kidnapper’s taunting note compels the doctor to summon Holmes from London for urgent help.  Holmes concurs with Watson that Professor Moriarty is playing an ominous new game.  

Mini-Review # 3: Anne Perry comes the closest to recapturing the conventional style of a Holmes mystery Conan Doyle might have devised for the Strand Magazine.  Yet, her ‘how-dunnit’ tale ironically rates among this anthology’s dullest and most forgettable stories.  Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot short story, “The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly” comes to mind, comparatively speaking. 

Perry’s plotting, suffice to say, comes off as almost too imitative of Conan Doyle to make her own unique impression.  That’s why “Bloodless Sock” becomes a blur shortly upon reading far more daring competition by other authors in this collection.  5½/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of The Other Detective” by Bradley H. Sinor.  Returning home one foggy London night, Dr. Watson inexplicably finds himself transported into an alternate reality where his own counterpart has been dead ten years.  Even more shocking is that Baker Street is home to England’s premier consulting detective: Professor James Moriarty. With Dr. Mary Morstan’s help, Watson and Moriarty must thwart a prison break scheme involving Jack the Ripper, Col. Sebastian Moran, and this world’s greatest criminal genius: Sherlock Holmes.  

Mini-Review # 4: Bradley H. Sinor concocts this anthology’s best and arguably most imaginative tale.  Though there are some violent sequences, Sinor doesn’t push actual gore simply because of Jack the Ripper’s presence.  Not only is every fantastic alternate world element well-played, but this story’s plot twists celebrate the unexpected.  Highly recommended!   9/10 Stars.       

Note: For an intriguing comparison, Neil Gaiman’s Lovecraft-influenced “A Study in Emerald” is another alternate reality re-imagining Holmes and Moriarty as perennial adversaries.

  • “A Scandal in Montreal” by Edward D. Hoch.  More than twenty years have elapsed since “A Scandal in Bohemia.”  With a visiting Dr. Watson back at his side, a retired Holmes is unexpectedly summoned from his Sussex bee farm to Montreal by an old acquaintance, now widowed.  Once in Canada, Holmes and Watson must seek out Irene Adler’s elusive college-age son, who has become the prime suspect in the homicide of a romantic rival. 

Mini-Review # 5: Edward D. Hoch’s contribution is among this anthology’s straightest arrows, in terms of storytelling.   Though a few surprises would have been appreciated, at least Hoch doesn’t resort to peddling the ‘long-lost son’ cliché one might expect.  Hoch’s down-to-earth Irene Adler enjoys a platonic friendship with Holmes that makes both of them come off as likably low-key in their middle age.  If anything, Hoch delivers a cozy whodunnit that Conan Doyle fans can appreciate for its faithful homage to the iconic characters.   6/10 Stars.   

  • “The Adventure of the Field Theorems” by Vonda N. McIntyre.  The latest celebrity client for Holmes and Dr. Watson is none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Though privately deriding Doyle’s gullibility for paranormal hoaxes, the Baker Street duo help the physician/author investigate unexplained crop circles found in the Surrey countryside.  Doyle, despite Holmes’ eye-rolling skepticism, is convinced that these otherworldly geometric patterns are the first step towards open communications with either ghosts or even possibly Martians.   

Mini-Review # 6: Loaded with trivial tidbits perusing Conan Doyle’s private interests in the paranormal, Vonda N. McIntyre’s caper has Holmes and his creator teaming up while matching wits.  With McIntyre’s take on Conan Doyle as essentially a naïve buffoon, it’s up to Holmes & Watson to surpass Robert Stack’s Unsolved Mysteries, as far as debunking bizarre crop circles and alien abductions.  One of the story’s best assets is playing up how, like Houdini, an indignant Holmes must defend his skills from ignorant public misassumptions that he is a supernatural phenomenon.     

As a loaded historical in-joke, “Field Theorems” is a delight to read.  Though this tale is hardly wacky, one practically wishes for a wink-wink cameo from Marvin the Martian.   8/10 Stars.   

  • “The Adventure of the Death-Fetch” by Darrell Schweitzer.  Confiding in a family friend’s college-age son, an elderly Dr. Watson reveals a secret case from decades ago that Holmes had vehemently demanded be suppressed from public knowledge.  Per Watson’s flashback, the daughter of a celebrated British explorer desperately seeks out Holmes for help. Hearing her father’s admission of his ominous Southern Asian jungle adventures, Holmes readily senses that evil is afoot.  Yet, the sleuth rejects the idea that a supernatural impersonator is stalking their client. With no time to lose, Holmes must contend with the reoccurrence of this sinister mirror image as the prelude to his client’s imminent and horrific death.   

Mini-Review # 7: While his story’s bookends to the flashback could have been better, Darrell Schweitzer is spot-on conveying a dose of grisly supernatural horror.  Including a gruesome nod to Indiana Jones, the “Death-Fetch” is one of this anthology’s nastiest yet best-devised entries.  8/10 Stars.   

  • “The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland” by Mary Robinette Kowal.  As told in private correspondence written forty years later, Holmes and Dr. Watson fatefully meet a fellow steamship passenger: a distressed young bride prior to her arranged marriage.  She may be the key to unlocking the sinister truth behind an Italian political couple’s assassination.     

Mini-Review # 8: While Mary Robinette Kowal’s dark tale of political intrigue is kept short, her characters are effectively characterized.  This story is worthy of inclusion in this anthology.   6½/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of the Mummy’s Curse” by H. Paul Jeffers. Holmes, on Watson’s behalf, probes a supposed deadly curse on an Egyptian archaeological expedition that has recently impacted one of the doctor’s old Army buddies. 

Mini-Review # 9: Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot’s case, “The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb” (but not nearly as icky), H. Paul Jeffers teases a supernatural whodunnit.  Yet, its subsequent blandness gives way to a far more conventional and tidy Conan Doyle finish.  Though this tale is worth a read, it’s definitely middle-of-the-pack material.   6/10 Stars.   

  • “The Things That Shall Come Upon Them” by Barbara Roden.  Hired by one half of a married English couple to de-haunt their new home’s study, Holmes and Dr. Watson meet a more unconventional sleuth: Flaxman Low.  Far more experienced with psychic phenomenon, Low, as it turns out, was hired by the couple’s other half for the very same reason.  Despite contrasting viewpoints on the supernatural, these three detectives probe the ominous secret left behind by the estate’s wicked prior owner.  Note: According to the introduction, Conan Doyle was evidently real-life friends with Low’s co-creator: Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard.    

Mini-Review # 10: Pairing an ever-skeptical Holmes with the world’s first fictional occult detective, Low, is Barbara Roden’s ingenious stroke.  Leaving readers to make their own conclusions (still, it’s fairly obvious which way one is supposed to tilt), Roden concocts an effective team-up.  In particular, the British gentlemanly bond established between Low and the Baker Street duo makes for a satisfying read.   8/10 Stars.       

  • “Murder to Music” by Anthony Burgess.  Eyewitnesses Holmes and Dr. Watson probe two homicides amidst the startling assassination of a Spanish classical musician inside a London concert hall.  With high-profile Spanish royalty in London for a high-profile visit, Holmes senses there may be more mayhem in this case still to come.  Meanwhile, Watson repeatedly helps a baffled colleague by consulting on a case where the patient is shifting from one bizarre foreign disease to the next.   

Mini-Review # 11: Suffice to say, it’s a blah and unsatisfying read, including some undercurrents of racism.  Had this 1989 Anthony Burgess tale been penned fifty years before and sufficiently tweaked, its premise would have been ideal for one of Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce’s wartime Sherlock Holmes radio dramas.  Otherwise, this political whodunnit is skippable.   4/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of the Inertial Adjustor” by Stephen Baxter. A young H.G. Wells convinces Holmes and Dr. Watson to help him probe a scientist friend’s recent demise, as the journalist/author suspects foul play. Specifically, the controversial pioneer had been conducting experimental studies of gravity and electricity to accelerate his dream of space travel.  Investigating the grisly incident, Wells, Holmes, and Watson find that two suspects provide similarly tragic eyewitness accounts. Yet, the truth is hidden somewhere within their startlingly different conclusions.    

Mini-Review # 12: Though its scientific jargon is a bit cumbersome, Stephen Baxter’s whodunnit makes for a good historical fiction read.  Baxter’s story doesn’t overtly criticize the decedent’s animal cruelty, but some readers might cringe at the torturous outcome of his scientific research techniques on animal test subjects.  Still, had this 1997 tale existed a half-century before, it could have been an ideal mystery for a Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce radio drama.   7/10 Stars. 

  • “Mrs. Hudson’s Case” by Laurie R. King.  Would the ever-loyal Mrs. Hudson dare to pull a fast one on her most famous lodger?  With a retired Holmes away assisting international authorities search for two missing children, his college-age apprentice, Mary Russell, intends to find out what the landlady is hiding from them.

Mini-Review #13: Given its charm, Laurie R. King’s cozy caper effectively advertises her own Mary Russell mystery series.  Ms. King’s down-to-earth trifle makes a welcome respite from some of the utterly malevolent plots found elsewhere in this anthology.  6½/10 Stars.               

  • “The Singular Habits of Wasps” by Geoffrey A. Landis. Holmes’ series of unexplained nocturnal absences eerily coincide with Jack the Ripper’s sadistic murder spree in Whitechapel.  A horrified Dr. Watson suspects that Holmes is suffering a psychotic Jekyll-and-Hyde-like split-personality where his friend is both the detective and, unknowingly, the monstrous culprit.  Watson risks his life to find the truth, but an even more ghastly possibility awaits him after dark in Whitechapel.     

Mini-Review # 14: Given their morbid plot similarities, one might assume this sci-fi take on Jack the Ripper is a variation of Tim Lebbon’s “The Horror of Many Faces.”  Yet, Adams gives no indication that these alternate reality tales are deliberately connected.  Devised nearly a decade earlier, Geoffrey A. Landis’ 1994 tale goes even further probing certain horrific aspects that Lebbon’s thriller only alludes to.  As far as macabre storytelling is concerned, Landis imaginatively melds elements of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Men in Black, and Alien into a strange alternative explanation of Jack the Ripper. 

This Landis story, in spite of its shock value details, delivers a spine-tingling read.  Diminishing this story, however, is an instance of Holmes making a vastly condescending racist slur comparing native Africans to modern English civilization.  While Holmes’ context is meant to compare a primitive Earth to far more advanced alien worlds, having him resort to such derogatory phrasing is unnecessary and irrelevant to the plot. 7/10 Stars.   Note: H.G. Wells makes an off-screen cameo appearance.

  • “The Affair of the 46th Birthday” by Amy Myers.  Once more, in flashback, Dr. Watson reveals an international incident from a decade before.  In this instance, Holmes must thwart an ingeniously-devised assassination attempt on the King of Italy during a diplomatic dinner held in the English countryside. 

Mini-Review # 15: This Amy Myers thriller blends historical fiction and political intrigue unto a quick literary cocktail.  Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot-style short stories, there are some inevitable contrivances, but the mystery is still a good read.  “46th Birthday,” in that sense, is of near-equal caliber to Mary Robinette Kowal’s “The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland” in this same anthology.    6/10 Stars.

  • “The Specter of Tullyfane Abbey” by Peter Tremayne.  Over drinks one night at their Baker Street lodgings, a melancholic Holmes entrusts Watson with a confession of his greatest failure.  In a flashback to Holmes’ college days, his ghost story involves a fateful love triangle, an unsolved disappearance, and the then-amateur detective’s first encounter with one Professor James Moriarty. 

Mini-Review # 16: Peter Tremayne’s retroactive alterations to Holmes’ origin might be condemned by Conan Doyle purists, if only for continuity’s sake.  Still, this gothic whodunnit explores the aloof shrewdness in the sleuth’s classic persona.  One might even consider the tale reminiscent of Casino Royale, as to that plot’s fateful impact on James Bond.  Though many of Tremayne’s plot twists are grimly predictable, he concocts a pitch-black mystery worthy of inclusion.  7/10 Stars.    

“The Vale of the White Horse” by Sharyn McCrumb.  A British aristocrat and his fiancée hire Holmes and Dr. Watson to investigate the murder of his physician brother in the rural English countryside.  The corpse had been found under a crimson cloak on a prehistoric chalked landmark dubbed ‘The White Horse’ atop a secluded hill.  Probing their clients’ family history, Holmes & Watson sense the vexing truth may be hidden closer to home.  Aided by an insightful eyewitness, the elderly Grisel Rountree, Holmes must decipher the decedent’s enigmatic last words to unmask the culprit.   

Mini-Review # 17: Though Sharyn McCrumb telegraphs the plot’s pivotal twist far too much, her story’s interpretation of transgenderism in Victorian England is intriguing. “White Horse” offers a gothic mystery with possibly supernatural undertones making it a solid read.   7/10 Stars. 

“The Adventure of the Dorset Street Lodger” by Michael Moorcock.  Due to necessary renovations to their Baker Street lodgings, Holmes and Dr. Watson must temporarily relocate to another boarding house. Once there, Holmes and Dr. Watson offer to help a visiting American businessman collect an unexpected family legacy.  Yet, the case soon becomes dangerously complicated.

Mini-Review # 18: As with Anne Perry’s “Bloodless Sock,” Michael Moorcock does justice to this homage to Conan Doyle’s style of storytelling.  Yet, there isn’t anything particularly remarkable about “Dorset Street Lodger,” as far as its blend of adventure and mystery. The lengthy plot also could have been tightened to make for a more efficient mystery. 6/10 Stars.

“The Adventure of the Lost World” by Dominic Green.  It’s a sequel of sorts to Conan Doyle’s 1912 science fiction novel, The Lost World.  In the autumn of 1918, Holmes and a skeptical Dr. Watson must pursue a horrific serial killer of London’s street trombonists.  What baffles Watson is that his best friend contends that their massive and evidently reptilian quarry belongs to a long-extinct breed of dinosaur.   

Mini-Review # 19: Undoubtedly, Dominic Green’s crossover between Conan Doyle’s two greatest literary accomplishments sounds like an intriguing sci-fi premise.  The end result of having senior citizens Holmes & Watson play amateur dinosaur hunters, however, is very much a wonky read (as one might imagine).  Even the opening segment of an undercover Holmes recruiting Watson’s help is too unbelievable for its own good.  Green at least offers some makeshift Jurassic Park-style fun, no matter how many eyes will be invariably rolling.   5½/10 Stars.              

  • “The Adventure of the Antiquarian’s Niece” by Barbara Hambly.  At the behest of a wealthy American suitor, Holmes and Dr. Watson agree to help extract his would-be fiancée from her evil British relatives.  The Baker Street duo must first enlist an ally: William Hope Hodgson’s British occult detective, Thomas Carnacki (simply called ‘Carnaki’ here) before they confront a centuries-old supernatural cult out of the works of H.P. Lovecraft.  Even Holmes and Carnaki’s formidable sleuthing might not come in time to save a captive Watson from a human monster specializing in ritual sacrifices.  

Mini-Review # 20: As strange as her plot’s supernatural hokum is, Barbara Hambly’s storytelling admirably sells it to readers.  A considerable grain of salt one must swallow, however, is accepting this Holmes’ lack of skepticism towards dark occult powers and what tactics must be subsequently deployed. 

For instance, the Holmes appearing in either Barbara Roden’s “The Thing That Shall Come Upon Them” or Peter Tremayne’s “The Specter of Tullyfane Abbey” is more aligned with Conan Doyle’s original Holmes, as to the sleuth’s disbelief in occult matters.  Still, for fantasy/horror fans, this Holmes & Watson/Carnacki team-up is hard to pass up.   8/10 Stars.        

  • “Dynamics of a Hanging” by Tony Pi.  Months after Holmes and Professor Moriarty had evidently perished at Reichenbach Falls, Dr. Watson is contacted by Reverend Charles Dodgson (aka author Lewis Carroll).  The two of them attempt to decode one of the late Moriarty’s notebooks to find definitive evidence of his criminal activities.  Mostly told by Dodgson in flashback, he and his then-academic associate, Moriarty, had teamed years ago to probe the suspicious death of the professor’s new protégé.  Carroll is now determined to finally verify the chilling truth behind what (or perhaps whom) killed a promising medical student by the name of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Mini-Review # 21: Though Holmes’ presence is confined to inspiring Watson’s deductive logic, this Tony Pi mystery is both a mathematical code-breaking puzzle and a nifty whodunnit.  Pi devises a neat idea to have Lewis Carroll (and, to a degree, Moriarty) fill in for Holmes, but Watson’s minor yet pivotal role is a boon to the iconic sidekick.   7/10 Stars.     

  • “Merridew of Abominable Memory” by Chris Roberson.  Residing in a sanitarium to seek treatment for his present-day memory loss, an elderly Dr. Watson relays a spine-chilling flashback to his therapist.  It involves a Jack the Ripper-like monster, a series of baffling financial thefts, and a man of utterly impeccable memory.  Hired by a businessman expecting to be the thief’s next target, Holmes & Watson must simultaneously hunt a bloodthirsty serial killer.     

Mini-Review # 22: While Chris Roberson devises a unique title character, his mystery’s plot twists become increasingly contrived to make all of its puzzle pieces fit together – too perfectly.  Further, among this anthology’s grisly mysteries, “Merridew” arguably packs the most stomach-churning imagery.  It overwhelms (and frankly squanders) the tale’s thoughtful bookends contemplating dementia vs. the sheer power of human memory. 

Roberson’s story, for the sake of good taste, unfortunately, isn’t one to recommend to others.    3/10 Stars.       

  • “Commonplaces” by Naomi Novik.  After receiving news of Holmes’ demise at Reichenbach Falls, a now-married Irene Adler Norton restlessly departs for Paris to find herself again.  Awaiting her is a forbidden love affair with a lonely man she instinctively knows is still alive in more than just her heart.

Mini-Review # 23: Naomi Novik’s speculation as to why an undercover Holmes chose not to tell Dr. Watson that he had faked his death will raise some eyebrows.  Further, her tale’s romantic poignancy echoes shades of the 1970 film, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, regarding what complex sexual undercurrents motivate Holmes. 

If anything, “Commonplaces” presents an instance of sophisticated Sherlockian storytelling where the lingering mystery doesn’t involve crime, except perhaps for adultery.  Standing out most in Novik’s romance (it’s the anthology’s shortest inclusion) is that this Holmes isn’t the only one who can make ingenious deductions anticipating another’s shadowy moves.  8/10 Stars.       

  • “The Adventure of the Pirates of Devil’s Cape” by Rob Rogers.  Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade probe an ultra-grisly massacre by pirates aboard the Dutch steamship, Friesland.  Seeking the whereabouts of missing twin brothers, Holmes and Watson subsequently venture to New Orleans for a showdown with the world’s deadliest cutthroat and his mercenary crew of thugs.    

Mini-Review # 24: Crossing over from his Devil’s Cape saga, Rogers conjures up a mostly solid mystery-adventure caper highlighted by the action of an extensive shootout/swordfight.  Apart from excessively gory shipboard inferences, the other caveat is a ridiculous Lestrade plot twist.  Rogers deploys a similar contrivance to one of his own characters (that works fine), but to also supply Lestrade a convenient American cousin in the Louisiana Bayous pushes the ‘distant relative’ gimmick too far. 

Otherwise, Rogers delivers this anthology’s best combination of action-adventure, suspense, and originality.  8/10 Stars.          

  • “The Adventure of the Green Skull” by Mark Valentine.  The Baker Street duo’s new adversary is a hooded serial killer, who is purportedly a phantom with a glowing green skull stalking victims after nightfall.  Reminiscent of sensationalistic pulp stories, the villain’s calling card is leaving a match in each victim’s hand.  Yet, all isn’t what it seems.  

Mini-Review # 25: Adams’ introduction to Mark Valentine’s story frankly spoils the culprit’s motive.  Further, Valentine doesn’t elaborate enough as to how Holmes deduces where to conduct a fateful stakeout, either.  Despite this structural flaw, the “Green Skull” mystery makes for a relatively good read.   6/10 Stars.

  • “The Human Mystery” by Tanith Lee.  Holmes takes on the enigmatic case of a lonely heiress, who is desperate to break a family curse that may kill her during the Christmas holidays.  Yet, is there an ulterior motive in play that blindsides even Holmes?

Mini-Review # 26: Tanith Lee’s tale proving that an ever-gallant Holmes can be humiliated into a seething rage makes for an intriguing notion.  Even this story isn’t a must-read, it effectively explores whether Holmes’ misogynistic nature can be exploited, let alone be potentially seduced, by someone other than Irene Adler.   7/10 Stars.    

Notes: Lee dedicated this tale to actor Jeremy Brett’s memory.  Per artist David Palumbo, Brett’s Sherlock Holmes likeness appears on this anthology’s front cover.

  • “A Study in Emerald” by Neil Gaiman.  In an alternate universe where H.P. Lovecraft’s demonic creations have long ruled the world, “A Study in Scarlet” is darkly re-imagined. 

Mini-Review # 27: Though mostly retelling a familiar mystery, Neil Gaiman cleverly flips the script on readers.  There are sufficient hints to deduce Gaiman’s enigmatic sleuth before the end, but his best twist is saved for last.  It’s the equivalent of experiencing the story through the eyes of whom you assume the narrator is … that is, until a mirror (or, in this instance, a letter) reveals a twist finish.  Hence, Gaiman’s story could make for an intriguing live-action film.   8/10 Stars. 

Note: For some comparison shopping, one might read this one before or after Bradley H. Sinor’s “The Adventure of The Other Detective.” 

  • “You See But You Do Not Observe” by Robert J. Sawyer.  In 2096, an enigmatic scientist with an eerily familiar name abducts Holmes and Dr. Watson out of time from 1899 to join him in the late 21st Century.  He subsequently assigns the world’s greatest sleuth perhaps the ultimate mission: to determine why Earth hasn’t been contacted by aliens.  The elusive answer makes a fateful impact on Holmes and Watson: past, present, and future.       

Mini-Review # 28: It’s like reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery, as if were written by H.G. Wells.   In spite of this intriguing scenario, Robert J. Sawyer’s convoluted storytelling sabotages itself in order to set up a fitting conclusion.  Along with virtual reality technology far more akin to Star Trek: The Next Generation, this story’s time travel paradoxes will likely bewilder some readers.  And perhaps the less said about its preposterously thin line connecting reality to fiction (i.e. Watson as an unacknowledged Conan Doyle’s proxy) the better.         

Sawyer, in that sense, has concocted a sci-fi homage to Conan Doyle’s lasting resentment over reviving Holmes to merely placate immense public demand.  Though this story’s end packs a wistful tinge, the plot becomes too mind-bending (and self-serving) to make for a satisfying read.  5½/10 Stars.  

RECOMMENDATION:

For Conan Doyle afficionados, this anthology is either a mixed bag or a veritable treasure trove.  Regardless, in terms of its sheer quantity, readers most definitely get their money’s worth. 

Some tales supply innocuous sequels (i.e. “A Scandal in Montreal”) or offer speculations as to Sherlockian mysteries that Conan Doyle had merely teased.  Though most of these stories imitate his narrative style, the ones that may grab a reader’s imagination are ones taking worthwhile risks.  The flip side is an excess of déjà vu: certain themes (i.e. supernatural gore, international politics, etc.) reoccur making one inevitably compare authors, as to whom presents the better read.         

The pertinent question becomes: how far can one really stray from traditional Sherlockian storytelling before audiences hit their limit?  In several instances, shifting Holmes and Watson to different locales and sometimes far-off genres carries a timeless and strangely satisfying appeal.  Such results (at least, when taken in small doses) will make an intriguing experience for adult armchair sleuths. 

Among these twenty-eight tales, there are some dynamite must-reads (i.e. “The Adventure of The Other Detective”).  With thankfully few exceptions, the remainder aren’t anywhere close to dreadful.  However, two of them should be identified, if only as a heads-up.  Though several tales resort to potentially offensive gore, “Merridew of Abominable Memory,” presents an implausible flashback too flawed to justify its repulsively wicked details.  Artistically condescending, “Murder to Music” is another misadventure where readers will likely find themselves wishing they were somewhere else than with Holmes and Watson.   

Considering the impressive ratio of good-to-bad, credit must go to John Joseph Adams for assembling a welcome variety.  For casual readers, this literary experiment-by-committee is indeed worth perusing, though it’s not necessarily a keeper.  Perhaps a library rental makes the most practical sense.  If anything, one may be compelled to rediscover Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original literary magic.         

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

After the table of contents, Adams’ introduction is followed by another: Christopher Roden’s “A Sherlockiana Primer” to further whet readers’ appetites.  Afterwards, Adams provides his acknowledgements.  More insightful is the bibliography revealing each story’s original anthology source.  The last entry is Adams’ single-page biography.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                            7 Stars

Categories
Comic Books & Graphic Novels Marvel Comics MARVEL's Hardcovers & Paperbacks

THE AVENGERS: THE LAST WHITE EVENT (MARVEL Comics)

Written by Jonathan Hickman.

Art by Dustin Weaver; Mike Deodato; Justin Ponsor; Frank Martin; & VC’s Cory Petit.

Cover Art by Dustin Weaver & Justin Ponsor.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2013 by Marvel Comics, this 161-page hardcover compiles Avengers (2012) # 7-11.  Each issue’s participating Avengers are identified prior to its beginning.  The roster for this five-issue stint includes: Captain America (Steve Rogers); Iron Man (Tony Stark); Thor; Hawkeye; Black Widow; Hulk; Wolverine; Spider-Man; Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers); Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew); Falcon; Shang-Chi; Sunspot; Captain Universe (Tamara Devoux); Cannonball; Manifold Smasher; and Hyperion.

Team (Issues # 7-9): Captain America; Thor, Iron Man; Captain Universe; Hulk; Captain Marvel; Hawkeye; Black Widow; Spider-Man; Shang-Chi; & Hyperion.

The initial three-issue arc consists of: “The Last White Event;” “Starbranded;” and “Starbound.” After a single-page prologue (from the prior issue), events re-imagined from Marvel’s 1986-89 ‘New Universe’ imprint set up the multiverse’s ongoing catastrophic ‘White Event.’  With help from the enigmatic Nightmask, the Avengers must prevent the rapid cosmic destruction of one universe after another from spreading to their Earth.    

A horrific mass tragedy soon puts the team into contact with a bewildered college student, Kevin Conner, who discovers that he has been designated the Marvel Universe’s ‘Starbrand.’  Reluctantly accompanying Nightmask, the new Starbrand helps locate the culprit behind the chaotic transformations now plaguing Earth.  Considering Kevin’s lack of control of his vast firepower (as well as Nightmask’s own capabilities), the Avengers have no choice but try to contain them. 

Team (Issue # 10): Captain America; Wolverine; Hulk; Falcon; & Manifold Smasher.

In fallout from ‘The Last White Event,’ the team is summoned by SHIELD to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.  Entitled “Validator,” Canada’s Department H and SHIELD send in an Avengers strike team to breach an impregnable dome caused by an ominous organic threat infesting the city.  It’s revealed that four Omega Flight super-agents previously deployed to investigate have now been missing for a month. 

Once inside the dome, the team and Department H’s Robert Michaud are overwhelmed by a horrific and mind-bending secret.  Note: The issue’s title refers to the missing Omega Flight member known as ‘Validator,’ who is secretly linked to a member of the rescue party. 

Team (Issue # 11): Black Widow; Spider-Woman; Captain Marvel; Shang-Chi; Cannonball; & Sunspot.

Entitled “Waking the Dragon,” Captain Marvel commands an undercover six-person surveillance operation infiltrating a glamorous Macau casino to thwart A.I.M.’s underworld auction of a devastating new bio-weapon. 

Little, if anything, goes according to their SHIELD-mandated strategy, as Shang-Chi faces a formidable army alone.  Captain Marvel confronts the weapon’s suspected inventor at the gaming tables.  Meanwhile, the team is startled by Black Widow’s cold-blooded attitude towards their adversaries. 

Note: This title is also available as a trade paperback.  It hasn’t been released separately in a digital format (yet). 

REVIEW:

This art squad has definitely brought its A-game, as their visuals are top-caliber.  Unfortunately, the same doesn’t apply to writer Jonathan Hickman’s incomplete plotting, which adds virtually no character depth to the Avengers themselves.  The sole exception is discussing Black Widow’s chilling preference for torture and even homicide to expedite covert interrogations versus bothering with time-consuming spy games in their A.I.M. sting operation. 

Some great concepts are lurking within these pages, but their stories come off as little more than glorified teasers.  For instance, given the supposedly epic magnitude of “The Last White Event” (as it echoes DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths), three issues don’t accomplish much beyond re-establishing Marvel’s ‘Starbrand.’  Still, fans of Marvel’s long-scuttled ‘New Universe’ may be intrigued by how Hickman re-packages concepts from nearly thirty years before.

“Validator” grimly suffers a similar scripting weakness, as Hickman sets up another earthbound cosmic threat that is abandoned at the issue’s end. As for “Waking The Dragon,” this undercover Avengers caper suggests a good read is coming, but readers are left yet again with a ‘stayed tuned’ finish. It’s odd that Marvel doesn’t bother to indicate what issues (or subsequent collections) readers can find follow-ups tothese storylines, assuming there are any. 

Ultimately, The Avengers: The Last White Event delivers a superb visual package.  The glaring disappointment is that Hickman’s storytelling is strictly a half-baked library read. This compilation’s underwhelming page count is the best clue of a letdown for Marvel fans.    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The cover gallery presents the five covers in a slick, full-page format.  Their artists are Dustin Weaver and Justin Ponsor.  Immediately following are artist Daniel Acuña’s full-page variants.  For Issue # 9, he presents a Silver Age to the original Avengers.  For Issues # 8 & # 10, it is his Avengers 50th Anniversary two-page spread.  Concluding the book is a single page of Weaver’s character designs followed by four inked pages of Weaver and inker Jay Leisten’s black-and-white scene layouts.

Though the promotion has long since expired, the book once offered free access to the book’s digital copy.  Additional directions are given on how to access on-line content via the Avengers’ ‘AR Index.’

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          5½ Stars

Categories
Christmas DC-Related Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos

MERRY LITTLE BATMAN (2023)

SUMMARY:          RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 32 Min.

Released on Amazon Instant Video in December 2023, Mike Roth directed and co-wrote this original Warner Discovery animated film.  Roth’s co-writers are Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci. 

It is Christmas Eve in Gotham City.  At Wayne Manor, the precocious Damian is ecstatic that his billionaire father, Bruce Wayne (aka a semi-retired Batman), has gifted him an early Christmas treasure: his first utility belt.  Unexpectedly called away on an emergency rescue to the North Pole, Batman must first discipline his overzealous little boy and take away his prized new belt.  Yet, some ominous sabotage later ensures that the Dark Knight is left stranded far from Gotham.

Having lured butler Alfred away, Damian intends to go on his first patrol as the future Batman.  Yet, two conniving burglars choose to home-invade a suddenly vulnerable Wayne Manor in search of a treasure trove of loot.  Having swiped his utility belt, the thugs barely escape Damian’s Home Alone-like wrath.  Vengefully pursuing his enemies deep into Gotham City, a Bat-disguised Damian finds that he has unwittingly becomes a pawn of his father’s worst enemies. 

With the clock ticking towards Christmas morning, Gotham is besieged by Damian’s inadvertent rampage.  Worse yet, by ending up right where the bad guys want him, Damian is in for the fight of his life.  Can even Damian’s legendary dad save him, not to mention Gotham’s Christmas, in time?        

Primary Voice Cast:

Damian Wayne: Yonas Kibreab

Bruce Wayne/Batman: Luke Wilson

Alfred Pennyworth: James Cromwell

The Joker: David Hornsby

The Penguin: Brian George

Poison Ivy / Hostage / Citizen: Therese McLaughlin  

Mr. Freeze: Dolph Adomian

Vicki Vale: Cynthia Kaye McWilliams

Bane: Chris Sullivan

Commissioner James Gordon: Reid Scott

Himself: DC Comics’ Carmine Infantino (archival voice footage)

Terry the Thief: Michael Fielding

Francine the Thief: Natalie Palamides

Department Store Santa / Scarecrow / Crazy Guy: Fred Tatasciore.

REVIEW:

One can presume that the scriptwriters lifted ideas from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, and Home Alone in this homage to family-friendly Christmas movies.  Still, even a little Gotham holiday cheer goes a long way. 

The storyline might have delighted more as a seven-minute short or a 22-minute animated TV episode (a full 45-minute diversion ought to have been the limit).  There are still cute moments and consistently stellar backdrop imagery, but such assets can’t hide an exceedingly eye-rolling Bat-caper. However, Damian’s ridiculous crusade (more in line with Teen Titans Go!) is extended too far to make for a watchable feature film outside its intended kiddie audience. 

More so, while the voice cast is on its game, their characters are crudely drawn more as parodies.  Case in point: James Cromwell’s Alfred is so grotesquely depicted that it looks like he just stepped out of a “Far Side” comic strip.  While parody and homage can be cleverly and even hilariously intertwined (i.e. Looney Tunes) by animation, nothing is gained the way Merry Little Batman’s characters are so disproportionately drawn.  Had the animation style more closely resembled Batman: The Animated Series, the story’s charm would not have been lost.

Meant to be ultimately heartwarming, Merry Little Batman falls short of an instant holiday viewing tradition.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       5  Stars  

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Categories
Christmas DVD Movies & Television (Videos)

A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS (2022)

SUMMARY:        RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 42 Min.

Multiple straight-to-DVD sequels have attempted to cash in 1983’s A Christmas Story, but none had actually featured central cast members from the original film.  In 2022, after nearly forty years, star Peter Billingsley returned to the lead role of Ralphie Parker, in addition to co-writing and co-producing this legacy sequel. 

Directed by Clay Kaytis (with Vince Vaughn among its other co-producers), A Christmas Story Christmas features virtually all of the original film’s surviving cast members.  A notable exception was the retired Melinda Dillon (as Mrs. Parker), who subsequently passed away a few months after the sequel’s release.  

Again inspired by writer Jean Shepherd’s material, the Christmas Story storyline shifts to December 1973, where 42-year-old Ralphie Parker (Billingsley) and his young family live in Chicago.  Having taken a year off from his unspecified job to seek publication of his epic science fiction debut novel, Ralphie is consoled by his wife, Sandy (Hayes), after multiple rejections. 

Greater heartbreak occurs when his mother (Hagerty) calls to let Ralphie’s family know of Grandpa Parker’s sudden passing.  Already planning to return to Hohman, Indiana, for the holidays, Ralphie, Sandy, and their two young children: Mark and Julie (Drosche and Layne), focus on consoling Grandma Parker.

Assigned two holiday challenges by his mother, Ralphie agrees to pen his father’s obituary and assume the trusted mantle as the Parker Family’s Christmas festivities organizer.  Procrastinating as much as he can, a depressed Ralphie finds that some things don’t change in Hohman — including a new generation of the Parkers feuding with the neighboring Farkus clan.  With accidental mishaps befalling his family’s vacation, Ralphie seeks solace at a local pub with his childhood pals, Flick (Schwartz) and Schwartz (Robb). 

Following a fateful incident coming home from Higbee’s Department Store, Ralphie and Sandy’s hopes to salvage their family’s holiday are seemingly dashed.  Yet, could a few unexpected twists of fate alter Ralphie’s destiny as the new patriarch of the Parker Family? 

Ralph “Ralphie” Parker: Peter Billingsley

Sandy Parker: Erinn Hayes

Mrs. Parker: Julie Hagerty

Julie Parker (child): Julianna Layne

Mark Parker (child): River Drosche

Flick: Scott Schwartz

Schwartz: R. D. Robb

Scut Farkas: Zack Ward

Randy Parker: Ian Petrella

Publisher: Ian Porter

Grover Dill: Yano Anaya

Ike: Derek Morse

Delbert Farkas: Davis Murphy

Larry Novak: Henry Miller

Joe: Mark Arnold

Julie Parker (teenager-adult: fantasy sequence): Tegan Grace Muggeridge

Mark Parker (teenager-adult: fantasy sequence): Billy Brayshaw

Pulitzer Emcee (fantasy sequence): Sam Parks

Pulitzer TV Announcer (fantasy sequence): Ben Diskin

Higbee’s Santa: David Gillespie

Higbee’s Elves: Lauren Morat, J.R. Esposito, & Nicole Gulimanova

Mrs. Wisniewski: Mariana Ivanova Stanisheva

Tree Lot Employees: Norman Murray & Nathan Cooper

Narrator: Joseph Al Ahmad

Black Bart (fantasy sequence): Nicholas Colicos

Bar Customers: Krassimir Manov, Marina Terziyska, Racho Makaveev; & Ludmil Kehayov

Bullies: Cailean Galloway & Alistair Galloway

Carolers: Julie Yammanee, Benjamin Noble, Owen Davis, Rosa O’Reilly, & Michael Flemming

Higbee’s Customers: Uncredited Extras

Higbee’s Restaurant Customers: Uncredited Extras

Note: This title is also currently available for streaming.

REVIEW:

In homage to the original film’s nostalgia without exploiting it, A Christmas Story Christmas mostly delivers a cute holiday treat.  Aside from its last plot twists coming off as far too convenient, the poignant storyline is well-played for all ages.  Director Clay Kaytis and his appealing cast, to their credit, effectively hide the script’s occasional clunkiness with a PG-friendly caper of how Ralphie Parker matures into a variation of Vacation’s ‘Clark Griswold.’         

In particular, Peter Billingsley, Erinn Hayes, and his old castmates, Scott Schwartz & R.D. Robb, present enjoyable performances keeping the film grounded while still delighting audiences.  The same applies to veteran actress Julie Hagerty as the replacement ‘Mrs. Parker,’ along with fresh support from child actors Julianna Layne and River Drosche.  One shouldn’t exclude Zack Ward’s return as ‘Scut Farkas,’ either – his welcome cameo makes a nice boost to the story, as compared to what little Ian Petrella’s ‘Randy’ is given to do.     

Even if this film isn’t a flawless holiday classic, A Christmas Story Christmas has its heart in the right place from start to finish.  For this asset alone, it’s definitely worth getting acquainted with an adult Ralphie Parker and his family.

BONUS FEATURES:

The audio options are Dolby Digital; English 5.1; English Descriptive Audio; French; & Spanish.  Subtitles are available in English SDH; French; and Spanish.   

PACKAGING:

The bare-bones DVD is secure in the casing.  The contents at least are as advertised.    

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      7 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Humor (Books) Movies & Television (Books)

YES PLEASE

Written by Amy Poehler

SUMMARY:

First published as a 2014 hardcover, HarperCollins/Dey St. subsequently released Yes Please in paperback in 2015.  The book was then updated in 2018 for this 360-page mass market reprint.  Dedicated to her two young sons, actress/comedian/Saturday Night Live (SNL) alum Amy Poehler tries her hand as a humorist intermingling her self-analysis memoir with an assortment of anecdotes and self-help tips for grown-ups. 

Unleashing her distinctive brand of humor, Poehler begins with “Part One: Say Whatever You Want.”  With tales of her life starting out with childhood in suburban Boston, Poehler alternates with womanly advice segments, including her takes on giving birth, motherhood (as compared to Poehler’s more traditional mother), being a working mom, and touching upon her divorce from actor Will Arnett.  A supplemental chapter by her long-time SNL cohort and Late Night host, Seth Meyers, is also included.

Subsequent sections consist of “Part Two: Do What You Like;” and “Part Three: Be Whoever You Are.”  Including more tales of her pre-stardom improv background in Chicago and later New York City, Poehler provides advice regarding marriage, sex, and sleeping.  In the last section, she mostly concentrates on her professional life and life lessons she has learned over time as a celebrity.  Poehler also discusses her six-year stint as the lead actress on NBC-TV’s Parks and Recreation.  Her last entry describes her somewhat befuddled assessments of computerized technology, i.e. inadvertently sending a critical text to the wrong person.      

Note: This title is also available digitally and as an audiobook.

REVIEW:

Amy Poehler’s adult-friendly humor and off-the-wall spontaneity is imbued with an endearing charm, but a little tends to go a long way. Though hardly pretentious, her snarky, stream-of-consciousness writing style can make a reader’s eyes pop trying to follow along with an occasionally confusing narrative.  For the most part, Poehler at least presents a far more engaging and down-to-earth read than trying to absorb Jack Kerouac.  That is, if one doesn’t find her large quantities of musing hodgepodge filler to be increasingly tiresome.      

Per the industry standard, her publisher briefly collects critical quotes applauding Yes Please, but the general tone of these snippets are actually illuminating.  None of them claim that Poehler’s book is a modern humor masterpiece, but that she provides a welcome gift to her fans.  That’s really the most accurate assessment one can make of Yes Please. 

By no means merely a zippy self-philosophy lesson, Yes Please balances Poehler’s wit and mostly positive attitude with some relatable life lessons one can best learn from his/her own experiences.  Suffice to say, Amy Poehler’s vibrant personality drives Yes Please into a much better read than the actual content might have for somebody else.       

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table of contents is provided.  Including her 1977 kindergarten report card, a preface presents Poehler’s insights regarding the obstacles she faced as a novice author.  She then includes ‘instructions’ on how to interpret Yes Please’s context.  An assortment of black-and-white photos and an eight-page color insert are provided.  The book concludes with Poehler’s acknowledgements.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    6½ Stars

Categories
Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos

LAST NIGHT (2014)

SUMMARY:     RUNNING TIME: Approx. 1 Hr., 34 Min.

Filmed on location in Washington, D.C., Harold Jackson IIII wrote and directed this 2014 independent romantic drama for his American Filmmaker film production company. 

After a brief prologue revealing Last Night’s outcome, a flashback reveals the events that had occurred nearly two years earlier.  In Washington, D.C., following her last photo shoot, African American fashion model Sky (Johnson) is ambivalent about starting a new life in Raleigh, North Carolina with her boyfriend: Daniel (Greene), an upscale business consultant. With her road trip beginning the next day, a restless Sky goes out for a mid-morning walk stopping for tea at an organic coffee bar. A fellow customer, despondent contract analyst Jon Carter (Gavigan), takes an impulsive chance and doesn’t easily give up flirting with her. 

Sky and Jon’s sudden friendship starting out as a short downtown stroll evolves long past nightfall, as they walk the city together.  With Jon becoming increasingly distant as her sympathetic listener, Sky is later shown the underlying reason for his moodiness.  Despite Jon’s obvious growing attraction, Sky consents to Daniel’s plea to give their relationship a second chance.  Yet, what is about Jon that emotionally draws a reluctant Sky towards him?    

Meanwhile, in Raleigh, throughout the day, a perturbed Daniel senses Sky’s mixed emotions over the phone.  Coping as best as he can with possibly losing Sky, Daniel seeks out old friends for solace.  He is in for a late night himself.  Inside of twenty-four hours, two romances poignantly unfold – one in Washington, D.C. and the other in Raleigh, N.C.  The question becomes: will either love story play out as any of them might hope for?     

Sky: Judi Johnson (Judi Blair)

Jonathan “Jon” Carter: Danny Gavigan

Daniel: Benton Greene

Angela: Nedra Marie Taylor

Dorah: Nikkole Salter

Daniel’s Niece: London Perry

Nightclub Singer: Kia El-Amin

Sky’s Photographer: Violetta Markelou

Choncho: Chad Eric Smith

Bartender: Eli El

Sky’s Neighbor: Pasquale Piquion 

Salesperson: Jenny Taylor

Rude Customer: Anthony Anderson

Barista: Chaseedaw Giles

REVIEW:

Featuring scenic glimpses of Washington, D.C., Last Night is a nice, low-key treat for fans of indie romantic movies.  In spite of his minimal plot being hard-pressed to justify its ninety-minute running time, writer-director Harold Jackson III slickly conveys a well-played love triangle. 

Between his indie rock choices (i.e. The Noisettes) for background music, beautifully intercut backdrops of Washington, D.C., and even some archival film clips, Jackson’s film exudes a classy artistic vibe to keep viewers tuned in.  Last Night, in that sense, holds up well as a PG-rated flick for adults.

Judi Johnson (aka Judi Blair) anchors the movie with an appealingly down-to-earth lead performance.  Johnson’s gentle ‘Sky’ keeps Last Night percolating as a plausible, big city should-I-or-shouldn’t-I romance rather than one subtly exploring interracial dating issues in the 21st Century.

Johnson’s co-lead, Danny Gavigan, meanwhile, conveys his moody ‘Jon Carter’ in a manner reminiscent of John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert on The Office, as ‘Jon’ senses an unexpected soulmate in ‘Sky.’ Hence, Johnson and Gavigan’s on-screen chemistry ensures that the film’s melancholic tone balances romanticism and poignant realism. The backstage dressing room sequence they share with singer Kia El-Amin exemplifies this welcome dramatic asset.  

Contributing to the film’s likable aura are co-stars Benton Greene and Nedra Marie Taylor in the parallel storyline, despite being allotted considerably less screen time.  Jackson, to his credit, doesn’t short-change this secondary plot, as all four actors concoct equally satisfying performances. It’s easy to imagine how blandly forgettable this film might have been with a lesser cast.

Last Night, suffice to say, is a potential antidote for date movie aficionados seeking respite from the sugary cute-and-sweet formulas The Hallmark Channel deploys.           

BONUS FEATURES:

None.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     7½ Stars

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Categories
Agatha Christie-Related Books & Novels Mystery & Suspense

HERCULE POIROT: THE PATRIOTIC MURDERS (aka ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE)

Written by Agatha Christie

SUMMARY:

Per its original title, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, this Hercule Poirot murder-mystery by Agatha Christie was first published in the United Kingdom in 1940.  Retitled overseas for American audiences as The Patriotic Murders, it was subsequently released in the U.S. the following year.  This 228-page Berkley paperback reprint was distributed in 1984.

In London (the exact year is indeterminate), Hercule Poirot’s mid-morning dental appointment with the respectable Dr. Henry Morley occurs as expected.  Yet, within two hours, Morley is shockingly found dead by gunshot in his private office. 

Later that same day, one of Morley’s other patients is also discovered dead from an evidently accidental yet lethal injection of dental anesthetic.  Inspector Japp and Scotland Yard are left to conclude that Morley chose to rashly commit suicide out of intense guilt, but Poirot isn’t convinced.  Too many prospective witnesses were present, not to mention too few other indications, to corroborate Morley’s fatal mistake. 

Soon afterward, yet another of Morley’s patients from that day vanishes upon leaving her hotel without a trace.  Unable to locate the elusive Miss Sainsbury Seale, even Japp must begrudgingly acknowledge that all may not be what it seems.  The confounded Belgian sleuth, meanwhile, ponders how these ominous events are linked to multiple assassination attempts on a fourth Morley patient: the wealthy and illustrious Alistair Blunt.

As England’s most influential banker and the symbolic crux of its old-school economic system, Blunt has a whole slew of potential enemies lurking out there.  Including his own niece’s potential fiancé, few, if any, would likely have any qualms seeing the banker eliminated to herald the United Kingdom entering a new financial age. 

A curious Blunt also wants the truth behind Morley’s inexplicable death exposed.  Hence, he quietly recruits Poirot to navigate a shadowy conspiracy scheme against Blunt entangled by impersonation, espionage, extortion, and England’s increasingly quarrelsome conservative and liberal factions.  Treating a familiar nursery rhyme more like a riddle, the legendary Belgian sleuth must persevere, if he is to unravel one of the most baffling whodunnits of his career.   

Notes: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is accessible in multiple formats, including digitally. Its second alternate title is An Overdose of Death. Regarding this book’s gimmickry, ten lengthy chapters are divided into and titled as verses of the traditional nursery rhyme.  For no apparent reason, this mystery is Inspector Japp’s final appearance in a Poirot novel.  The 1992 televised feature-length adaptation is Poirot: Season 4, Episode 3, including Doctor Who’s Christopher Eccleston among its guest stars.

REVIEW:

As compared to iconic Hercule Poirot mysteries in Agatha Christie’s formidable repertoire, The Patriotic Murders is a middling entry.  Unlike some other disappointing Poirot whodunnits (i.e. The Hollow; Elephants Can Remember; There is a Tide …, etc.), it isn’t necessarily boredom or even exceedingly bad taste (as in the instance of Hallowe’een Party) stalking readers in The Patriotic Murders.  Rather, it is Christie’s outlandish plotting that ruins the novel’s otherwise intriguing premise.   

Intermingling her political and economic commentaries with the plot, Christie’s storytelling (including tidbits of humor) holds up well at least pass the mystery’s halfway point.  Unfortunately, that’s when a series of sinister twists start converging at a rapid pace leaving Blunt to wryly assess that Poirot’s series of conjectures sound too far-fetched.  Such skepticism is all too ironic projection upon Christie’s audience. 

Despite some initially reliable entertainment value, this Poirot caper relies upon too much eye-rolling contrivance to finally link all of its ‘big reveal’ details together.  The Patriotic Murders makes for a decent read for those preferring tidy, cookie-cutter solutions, no matter the lack of plausible loose ends.  For all others, the novel is readily forgettable afterwards.   

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table of contents is provided.  The nursey rhyme’s traditional lyrics are presented prior to the novel’s first chapter. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         5 Stars