tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24551401353982541692024-03-05T11:59:28.536-05:00rifframblings, inklings, and flash fiction from author Matt HandleMatt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-14385531061352786332023-10-10T22:36:00.000-04:002023-10-10T22:36:59.444-04:005 Actors Who Could Be the Next Baylan Skoll<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_v4IsfUqxPGD71hIxex9GQwXD2tt01fSiztDY7xI08hBKfST0rAQrFu4NAIK-4Qbl2NZAyKL6GROV1EbtbteJQY0HeulGlsbf8CUQTaIKy7ebeVcQijNxuuUzCuCM5zPo_YX5BfFyB2HFJm012N6DHGMU5zHHahL-lryFxFGmupj0iJD5q6SdGylOKrPp/s780/baylan%20skoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_v4IsfUqxPGD71hIxex9GQwXD2tt01fSiztDY7xI08hBKfST0rAQrFu4NAIK-4Qbl2NZAyKL6GROV1EbtbteJQY0HeulGlsbf8CUQTaIKy7ebeVcQijNxuuUzCuCM5zPo_YX5BfFyB2HFJm012N6DHGMU5zHHahL-lryFxFGmupj0iJD5q6SdGylOKrPp/s320/baylan%20skoll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Baylan Skoll of Ahsoka</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Season 1 of the latest <i>Star
Wars</i> series <i>Ahsoka</i> is over and
for my money, the best character of the show was antagonist Baylan Skoll.
Sadly, the actor who portrayed Baylan, Ray Stevenson, died shortly before the series
debuted. Far from being written off, his character is front and center in the
biggest cliffhanger of the last episode, leaving a dilemma for Season 2. You
can’t leave Skoll out of the upcoming storyline. So how do you recast such a
well-acted and central character as Baylan Skoll? I don’t think anyone can
replace the excellent work of Ray Stevenson, but there are some actors who
might be able to step into his Jedi boots and do him justice. Here are my Top 5
picks for Disney and showrunner Dave Filoni to consider. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eyMK8mdOKO9Cn2OszDnoBkacpvGePVGKxfXtPqgqN2E2SOV1_XUZuOwrhXKVj8r3048FVbUhkmgrkByPPGNAEhNB1wjhOyXFgYbREIz-NqfqLtTv46Bv52fdFGUywXOcy4yHewnykWDi6vEHnDtv4qTvcrn18ItiTfNxfB5sEuVW1GeB5NtG3rEIPLFb/s800/clive%20owen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="663" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eyMK8mdOKO9Cn2OszDnoBkacpvGePVGKxfXtPqgqN2E2SOV1_XUZuOwrhXKVj8r3048FVbUhkmgrkByPPGNAEhNB1wjhOyXFgYbREIz-NqfqLtTv46Bv52fdFGUywXOcy4yHewnykWDi6vEHnDtv4qTvcrn18ItiTfNxfB5sEuVW1GeB5NtG3rEIPLFb/s320/clive%20owen.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Clive Owen</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My favorite pick is English actor Clive Owen. He’s almost
the same age, has a similar deep voice, similar stature, resembles Stevenson a
bit, and most importantly, has proven himself to be a good actor in such films
as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Children of Men</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inside Man</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bourne Identity</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sin
City</i>. Rumor is he was once a front runner for James Bond before Daniel
Craig won the part in 2005. He’s done some series work in the past few years.
Perhaps a role in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i>
universe is in his future.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRw2ftHmg3A2X64cFV32BDYo1qRNMJfOCeeB-uj8QhQt1GDdjhdoytw110oTLSdLuNBlJE6x16gRbMDSwLif7FWyQ6aFxK_y9RujEFyIp0aiewhsPjxgO4rvfYl6qf4kvnFXtxLcOWyoAdVEkr1hILi1PH1tl6wo9i77aR9zcHlWE2Ic-RombliaGf5H5X/s903/eric-bana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRw2ftHmg3A2X64cFV32BDYo1qRNMJfOCeeB-uj8QhQt1GDdjhdoytw110oTLSdLuNBlJE6x16gRbMDSwLif7FWyQ6aFxK_y9RujEFyIp0aiewhsPjxgO4rvfYl6qf4kvnFXtxLcOWyoAdVEkr1hILi1PH1tl6wo9i77aR9zcHlWE2Ic-RombliaGf5H5X/s320/eric-bana.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Eric Bana<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Australian actor Eric Bana is almost the same age as
Stevenson, nearly identical in height, and he has the deep, raspy voice the
character of Baylan Skoll calls for. Bana could add <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> to an acting resume that already includes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Hawk Down</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hulk</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Munich</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i>, and my favorite of his
performances, the doomed warrior Hector in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Troy</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiH_BaH08KqJHUCMl46XnSzvuCBm3_MLWdFE5iUg1N0ggkGXjkcgTnJ_1IaQAZhQ8oSNn1HYy8ovmPckfMhxKPMH7JSy70WNaXJQ-Yixi9DiSUiluIVXmY6TcQEtJrpgrYWWWZm8GxcRN1USrN6EZjtlrSIBcfOmoW89Xjf-zZa94xOBe1hhmJ4rc_aKT_/s491/pierce%20brosnan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiH_BaH08KqJHUCMl46XnSzvuCBm3_MLWdFE5iUg1N0ggkGXjkcgTnJ_1IaQAZhQ8oSNn1HYy8ovmPckfMhxKPMH7JSy70WNaXJQ-Yixi9DiSUiluIVXmY6TcQEtJrpgrYWWWZm8GxcRN1USrN6EZjtlrSIBcfOmoW89Xjf-zZa94xOBe1hhmJ4rc_aKT_/s320/pierce%20brosnan.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pierce Brosnan<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If Filoni wants to stick with a fellow Irishman to follow in
Stevenson’s footsteps, 90s’James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan might be a good
choice. He’s a couple inches shorter than Stevenson and over a decade older,
but he’s still in remarkable shape. He’s starred in plenty of great projects.
Besides four Bond films, he was also in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mrs.
Doubtfire</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Thomas Crown Affair</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tailor of Panama</i>, and even played
a bad guy in the recent Dwayne Johnson superhero film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Adam</i>. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OTkJ_1h90wkKU4KJNhHQSpt-rX72ZehMVpvHZ4pQHsp0SKVj1Bn-jV63rtau-BNDDIpkfHnE8aF4A_JZDAlTE_XKc_TZJZ1TWL9mnU2dPp-HYko7xrm9KHAaymhZpaABPv8HqnSoXgXa9gsBrI0xj2RpMavpBYjpbxkYVednD5wvuAyXcP8UirpULnJO/s600/dolph%20lundgren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OTkJ_1h90wkKU4KJNhHQSpt-rX72ZehMVpvHZ4pQHsp0SKVj1Bn-jV63rtau-BNDDIpkfHnE8aF4A_JZDAlTE_XKc_TZJZ1TWL9mnU2dPp-HYko7xrm9KHAaymhZpaABPv8HqnSoXgXa9gsBrI0xj2RpMavpBYjpbxkYVednD5wvuAyXcP8UirpULnJO/s320/dolph%20lundgren.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dolph Lundgren</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This might be a bit of a stretch, but if Filoni wants a match
for Stevenson’s stature and deep-set, menacing eyes, he could go with Dolph Lundgren.
At 6’5” Lundgren is even taller than Stevenson and the Swede knows his way around
playing violent men. He’s played one in plenty of films including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables</i> series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Johnny Mnemonic</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Universal Soldier</i>, and most famously, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rocky IV</i> as the towering Russian boxer Ivan Drago. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnojL_fDCcAihOnKVXknz5gHMBVvcfPd-AF42foF9afe6DSpCioQASlRa1f3vvsedPs-gljmF4-CYZ6r-IpBKnu9UBARR9N2oKSjPJvtG8LJMeqn0_VACLZwcuYLHyciS7jAruOYR8ZnUapZ2Zs_Uy0hmiiMiQ2zKpWXS2zRGO30ktrIrXy7eYl5UP4g4/s4298/gotz%20otto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4298" data-original-width="3181" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnojL_fDCcAihOnKVXknz5gHMBVvcfPd-AF42foF9afe6DSpCioQASlRa1f3vvsedPs-gljmF4-CYZ6r-IpBKnu9UBARR9N2oKSjPJvtG8LJMeqn0_VACLZwcuYLHyciS7jAruOYR8ZnUapZ2Zs_Uy0hmiiMiQ2zKpWXS2zRGO30ktrIrXy7eYl5UP4g4/s320/gotz%20otto.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">G</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ö</span>tz Otto</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you want a choice completely out of left field, how about
German actor G<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ö</span>tz
Otto? He’s been in a ton of movies and series, but given that most of them were
overseas, the name might not ring a bell. What you probably WILL remember him
for is his role as the towering henchman Stamper in the 1997 James Bond film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tomorrow Never Dies</i>. At 6’6”, he’s the
tallest actor on this list and if Stamper was any indication, he knows how to quietly
intimidate on screen. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Who is your pick to take over the role of Baylan Skoll? Have
an actor in mind that isn’t on this list? Share it in the comments<span style="display: none; mso-hide: all;">avbe</span>. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-52643561370560212402023-09-07T22:43:00.000-04:002023-09-07T22:43:28.336-04:00The Importance of a Good Villain<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUmGUeZjh7W3R3NOXTHziDZBtAnC3sk1RZA5g4JopY5XfTTJho70saWrtjWmOur9u8loizqZoO4JKuklhz7FfpJLiu9N6OH-TmknRFDCAUIEZkzB0ZcVcMdFNdl1K4I8EFc-q6aRD0MPSULgrEYzbGR4h3C0ZQ4cbzW73iSRUKW1wLGXijn6fDmajUzno/s498/baylan-skoll.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="498" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUmGUeZjh7W3R3NOXTHziDZBtAnC3sk1RZA5g4JopY5XfTTJho70saWrtjWmOur9u8loizqZoO4JKuklhz7FfpJLiu9N6OH-TmknRFDCAUIEZkzB0ZcVcMdFNdl1K4I8EFc-q6aRD0MPSULgrEYzbGR4h3C0ZQ4cbzW73iSRUKW1wLGXijn6fDmajUzno/s320/baylan-skoll.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Disney+</div><p class="MsoNormal">There isn’t a whole lot on TV that I’m enjoying at the
moment, but at least one exception is the latest <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> offering on Disney+, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ahsoka</i>.
This week’s fourth episode was the best so far and a large part of that success
is the increased focus on the villains. Now I’m not suggesting that the
collective girl power of the title character, her sidekick Sabine Wren, and her
ally Hera Syndulla doesn’t have its own appeal, but the best thing about the
show is the pair of villains, Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati. Recently deceased
actor Ray Stevenson brings a menacing dignity to Skoll and actress Ivanna Sakhno
delivers a ferocity to Skoll’s apprentice Hati that demands attention. It got
me thinking about the importance of a good villain in just about any
speculative story. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stories, whether they’re short, novels, or screenplays tend
to focus on a main character who serves as the hero. He or she may not start
off as heroic, but over the course of their journey, they grow to become that
way. They rise to the challenge. What often sets apart a good story and a great
one is the quality of that challenge, the hero’s opponent. Who is Luke
Skywalker without Darth Vader? Clarice Starling without Hannibal Lecter? John
McClane without Hans Gruber?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ll go so far as to suggest we as an audience often root
for the villain. Not because we really believe they’re going to win, or even should,
but because they’re so fun to watch. I’ll freely admit that I much prefer Wile
E. Coyote to the Road Runner or Tom to Jerry. I’m happy for the Fellowship of
the Ring, but it bums me out that both Sauron and Gollum had to die in order
for them to succeed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An intriguing villain often makes or breaks a story. It
doesn’t matter how much we love the hero, if that hero isn’t faced with an
equally great bad guy, the tale just falls a bit flat. As a writer, I try to keep
this in mind as I plan a story. Who is my hero up against? What is that villain’s
motivation? What sets apart that villain from your standard thug with a gun or
big muscles and a bad attitude? If I don’t spend as much time fleshing out that
villain as I do my protagonist, the result often suffers. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sadly, the fact that Ray Stevenson died shortly before <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ahsoka</i> premiered means we won’t see more
of Baylan Skoll after Episode 8 next month no matter what series creator Dave
Filoni planned. I’ll miss the character, but the fallen Jedi’s quality and his lasting
impression is a fitting conclusion to the resume of an actor who stole more
than a few shows with his ability and charm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-77331017923345468562022-12-21T14:30:00.001-05:002023-01-21T22:48:51.332-05:00The Best Free Short Speculative Fiction of 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HeBxBQVpsVm-3np4LBg9UVKL6YnWQjhsdLRGr4hNkgPojU5zQkYQwFq2W7fu3fxggOFvCKKrHUus5fcwft4VGEFc_TbsDmLyzVetrvD6RJ9zjseCTIa-Jt1SI9RPNt7O7nZW8sdWu9UsQqpWFExuanmDxOVUHA0fv7c0Ip8GSCjmY9pQMT_ogytz4g/s1280/forest-3737107_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HeBxBQVpsVm-3np4LBg9UVKL6YnWQjhsdLRGr4hNkgPojU5zQkYQwFq2W7fu3fxggOFvCKKrHUus5fcwft4VGEFc_TbsDmLyzVetrvD6RJ9zjseCTIa-Jt1SI9RPNt7O7nZW8sdWu9UsQqpWFExuanmDxOVUHA0fv7c0Ip8GSCjmY9pQMT_ogytz4g/s320/forest-3737107_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Image
Credit: mskathrynne at Pixabay</span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Welcome to my fourth annual Best Free Short Speculative
Fiction list! I saw some success in my own short story writing accomplishments
this year. <i>Dark Recesses Press</i>
published both “<a href="https://darkrecessespress.com/2022/02/27/the-grotesque-truth/" target="_blank">The Grotesque Truth</a>” on the web in February and my flash
fiction “<a href="https://darkrecessespress.com/product/dark-recesses-magazine-issue-17/" target="_blank">With Teeth</a>” in the October print edition. Paradox Ghost Press
published my sci-fi horror short “<a href="https://paradoxghostpress.com/product/bleed-error-issue-2-fall-2022/" target="_blank">One Hundred Million Mouths</a>” in its October
issue of <i>Bleed Error</i> and my story
“<a href="https://cosmichorrormonthly.com/store/issue-30/" target="_blank">His Hands May Be Dirty, But His Brain Is Freshly Washed</a>” was published in the
December issue of <i>Cosmic Horror Monthly</i>.
As all writers should, I spent just as much time reading the past twelve months
as I did crafting my own work. My tastes still dwell in the darker corners of
genre fiction so with that in mind, I highly recommend the following ten best
free speculative short stories of 2022. They’re all available to read at the
links below. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/beyond-the-shore/" target="_blank">Beyond the Shore</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">In a future where viruses have nearly wiped out all
humanity, one doctor must face the possibility that extinction is not just
inevitable, but enviable. Writer Tania Fordwalker’s melancholy tale can be
found in the November issue of <i>Lightspeed</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.underlandarcana.com/h-l-fullerton-charlie-eats-the-paper-gods/" target="_blank">Charlie Eats the Paper Gods</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">This fun little tale tells of a kindergartener’s belief in
and ultimate proof of a mischievous deity who wreaks havoc on the exclusive
private school he attends. Author H.L. Fullerton’s vivid picture of religious
inclusivity meeting all-powerful reality is found in the Fall issue of
<i>Underland Arcana</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/sharp-things-killing-things/" target="_blank">Sharp Things, Killing Things</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">This story about small town bullies being haunted by their
past cuts deep. Work by author A.C. Wise can be found in most of the top genre
lit mags on the market, but this one in the October issue of <i>Nightmare</i> might be my favorite. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ha_10_22/" target="_blank">Sweetbaby</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Author Thomas Ha made my list last year and he’s done it
again with this sci-fi tale found in the October issue of <i>Clarkesworld</i>. It’s got interplanetary travel, rebellious robots,
monstrous siblings - rebirth has never felt so dismal.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/bramblewilde/" target="_blank">Bramblewilde</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">This short story by author Jordan Taylor could be taken as a
prequel to the traditional three witches in a cottage trope. I think any fan of
fairy tale witches will enjoy it and it’s found in the July/August issue of <i>Uncanny</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://thedeadlands.com/issue-13/eternity/" target="_blank">To Build Eternity, With Bones</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">This tale by Gunnar De Winter grabs you with its opening
sentence and refuses to let go. A necromancer spurs her crew across the icy sea
toward a dark purpose only she can understand and only she is likely to survive
in the May issue of <i>The Deadlands</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.fantasy-magazine.com/fm/fiction/beginnings/" target="_blank">Beginnings</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Kristina Ten is another author who showed up on my 2021 list
and is back with a story in the April issue of <i>Fantasy</i>. This sad all-too-real tale of toxic masculinity and a lack
of acceptance of otherness is sweetened with just the right amount of poetic
magic to make it go down like honey followed by a sting.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://pseudopod.org/2022/03/11/pseudopod-801-the-bear-across-the-way/" target="_blank">The Bear Across the Way</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fellow Atlanta-based writer Emily Rigole’s first published
story landed in one of the best online markets out there and for good reason.
Published in <i>PseudoPod</i> 801, this tale
of an unusual neighbor brought down by mistrust and deceit hits hard given some
of the top news stories of the day.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.tor.com/2022/02/16/seven-vampires-a-judge-dee-mystery-lavie-tidhar/" target="_blank">Seven Vampires: A Judge Dee Mystery</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Lavie Tidhar’s latest tale of his vampire detective Judge
Dee was published in February at <i>Tor.com</i>.
Two of his earlier stories made my list last year. This time the Judge and his
steadfast human companion Jonathan are escaping Paris with a pack of vampires
who wind up murdered one by one. It’s up to the Judge to determine who is
behind the deeds and why.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/to-people-whod-never-known-good/" target="_blank">To People Who’d Never Known Good</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">I try to spread the praise across a wide selection of
authors in my year-end reviews, but sometimes a writer is so good he/she/they
need to be mentioned twice. Thomas Ha delivers again with a tale in the
February issue of <i>Beneath Ceaseless Skies</i>.
This story of a mother and son who protect planets from plant-like monsters
that poison everything their tentacles touch feels like Jeff VanderMeer taking
a shot at writing an extended Star Wars universe episode. I loved it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If any of these stories entertain you, you can find more
like them at these 20 websites. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.3lobedmag.com/">https://www.3lobedmag.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/">https://apex-magazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/">https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/">http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thedarkmagazine.com/">http://thedarkmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://darkmattermagazine.com/">https://darkmattermagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://thedeadlands.com/">https://thedeadlands.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.diabolicalplots.com/">https://www.diabolicalplots.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://escapepod.org/">https://escapepod.org/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://ethereamagazine.com/">https://ethereamagazine.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.fantasy-magazine.com/">https://www.fantasy-magazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.kaleidotrope.net/">http://www.kaleidotrope.net/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/">https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/">http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://pseudopod.org/">http://pseudopod.org/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.strangehorizons.com/">http://www.strangehorizons.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.tor.com/">https://www.tor.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://uncannymagazine.com/">https://uncannymagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.underlandarcana.com/">https://www.underlandarcana.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-57076351090579430862022-08-16T23:31:00.000-04:002022-08-17T12:12:45.799-04:00Five Times the Screen Version of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Character Was Clearly Superior (and five times it wasn’t)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gzoRe3raZGCLvaOJ7S1XZxnzWs44yIKWP0ktlg1Q1oMXO8JwnjffXIn0YX9plZgz_Q6QB5ZU_caS4QfUUNU4PsNhXTUqNmmoD5oMaj7fU0K1ux1CEzI6hAQX-TkML48qdNkIEFoUokFoKYiJ1Tguuk2pnO0DoJyTKrzxYdI3D0f8atKlrFcfpIn2rQ/s640/IMG_5110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gzoRe3raZGCLvaOJ7S1XZxnzWs44yIKWP0ktlg1Q1oMXO8JwnjffXIn0YX9plZgz_Q6QB5ZU_caS4QfUUNU4PsNhXTUqNmmoD5oMaj7fU0K1ux1CEzI6hAQX-TkML48qdNkIEFoUokFoKYiJ1Tguuk2pnO0DoJyTKrzxYdI3D0f8atKlrFcfpIn2rQ/s320/IMG_5110.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Matt Handle</div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I finished the first book in author Andrzej Sapowski’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witcher Saga</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Wish </i>over the weekend. As I read it one thing that jumped
out at me is that while the Netflix series tends to stick pretty close to the
storylines and characters in the book, I like Henry Cavill’s stoic version of
the sword-wielding hero better than the original. The version in the book is
more talkative, even friendly at times and some of the literary version’s
dialogue is so old fashioned it’s downright corny. Try this line on for size:
“Thank you for the spread. A hundred thanks, dear host. And now, if you permit,
we’ll get down to business.” Ugh. The quieter, meaner screen version is more my
speed. It got me thinking. Which other screen versions of sci-fi/fantasy characters
are superior to their originals and more common, which screen versions are
disappointments? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Five Times the Screen
Version of a Character Was Clearly Superior <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) – Why speak when a simple
grunt will do? The Netflix version of the white-haired Witcher lets his sword
do most of the talking and I think the character is better for it. It’s not
that I don’t appreciate dialogue. It’s just that Cavill’s gritty portrayal of
the main character is less traditional and therefore more compelling than the
version that shows up in the first book of the series.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rick Deckard (Blade Runner) – Harrison Ford’s portrayal of
nihilistic bounty hunter Rick Deckard remains one of my favorite film
characters ever, but if you read the source material, Phillip K. Dick’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? </i>You’ll
find a much weaker man who’s more focused on obtaining the perfect pet rather than
falling in love with his beautiful replicant target. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Missandei (Game of Thrones) – Say what you will about the storylines
of the later seasons of this huge hit show, but one thing they definitely got
right was the expanded role of Daenerys’s counselor, Missandei. The book series
depicts this slave-turned-interpreter as younger and of minor importance, but
the HBO show really fleshed out the character and made her a fan favorite.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">William Cage (Edge of Tomorrow) – Translating Japanese manga
to an American film doesn’t work all that often. As evidence, see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ghost in the Shell</i> below. However Tom
Cruise’s version of the hero known as Keiji Kiriya in the source material <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All You Need is Kill</i> outshines the
original as more heroic and with a more satisfying character arc.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Camina Drummer (The Expanse) – My favorite character from
the recent sci-fi series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expanse</i>
was “Belter”, rebel, and eventual ship captain, Camina Drummer. Played by
actress Cara Gee, the show expanded (pun intended!) the role to combine several
different characters from the novels in order to streamline the story. This
allowed Gee more screen-time and made the series that much more fun.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Five Times It Wasn’t<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Major (Ghost in the Shell) – Casting Caucasian American
actress Scarlett Johansson as the Japanese cyborg protagonist set off plenty of
alarm bells before the 2017 film version of the manga series arrived and
rightfully so. Johansson has a solid action hero track record, but she was
badly miscast here and the movie suffered as a result.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Abraham Van Helsing (Van Helsing) – You can’t blame Hugh
Jackman for the lousy script, but you can blame him for accepting a lousy role
when he clearly wasn’t hurting for money. You know those <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men</i> paychecks were nice. Jackman plays an action hero version of
Bram Stoker’s famous vampire hunter in this poorly conceived and largely
forgettable 2004 film.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter (The Dark Tower) – Plenty went wrong with the 2017
adaptation of the first book in Stephen King’s classic dark fantasy series, but
one of the film’s worst sins was casting Matthew McConaughey as the villain.
McConaughey has done plenty of great work over the course of his career, but if
you enjoyed the novels, I bet he isn’t the evil wizard you imagined. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Duncan Idaho (Dune) – No, I’m not knocking Jason Mamoa’s portrayal
of the loyal Atreides warrior in the 2021 version of Frank Herbert’s classic
sci-fi tale. I’m still laughing about the 1984 version where Richard Jordan
played the part. Jordan may have been handsome and slick, but a fearless
badass? I don’t think so. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moreau and Montgomery (The Island of Dr. Moreau) – And
finally I couldn’t choose which portrayal was worse, so I’m awarding a tie to
Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer for their awful performances in the 1996 version
of the H.G. Wells classic tale of medical malpractice, genetic mayhem, and
murder. Both are remarkable actors, but if you believe the stories of the
troubled production of this film neither actor wanted to be there and it shows.
<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-53852076555467126252022-07-26T13:27:00.000-04:002022-07-26T13:27:17.159-04:00Bonaventure Cemetery<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnGNWI0m8235lRTsX2-ucmAIi-91SxFEdZo459IXNKBCvYm8HzjtzzsE0wEJSqlpYwrl89Le1COjM9vdjM8EB9vJiYsFjd16itITctuuRPEHui-aSnnwN5rxBvpCCejt1am7QiMFxoyhbHkdbJEvIgFNxOpVlPxoIlwQToJVXEugv7DA2nHf1xVRKiw/s4032/IMG_4928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnGNWI0m8235lRTsX2-ucmAIi-91SxFEdZo459IXNKBCvYm8HzjtzzsE0wEJSqlpYwrl89Le1COjM9vdjM8EB9vJiYsFjd16itITctuuRPEHui-aSnnwN5rxBvpCCejt1am7QiMFxoyhbHkdbJEvIgFNxOpVlPxoIlwQToJVXEugv7DA2nHf1xVRKiw/s320/IMG_4928.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All Photo Credits: Matt Handle</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Like any good detective tale, the novel I’m currently
querying features a number of side quests the protagonist must complete while
in pursuit of his quarry. One of those missions takes him to the <a href="https://www.bonaventurehistorical.org/" target="_blank">Bonaventure Cemetery</a> just outside Savannah, Georgia. I had the opportunity to visit this
famous boneyard last month and I thought I’d share some of the photos I took. Located
aside the Wilmington River and featuring burial plots from as old as 1802, this
quiet Spanish moss-draped place seems perfect for the sort of spooky encounter
my occult detective faces there. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2jMZ2EMJfU6D7qpgmNQYAhyuOMDJzKIRbO4OO3ek8i9B-Ga7mHauVGjPp47b0FD09ygwmT6uLqmPcs2XtjNsis-FsGKNu54LTTSfKPyN4HmM9nQa2xKCnshvfFZUseIrdR2JgevSOu7uct3JE884LysZGqECLs6M37gE3MPYA2pcnw305fmT74GV0A/s4032/IMG_4910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2jMZ2EMJfU6D7qpgmNQYAhyuOMDJzKIRbO4OO3ek8i9B-Ga7mHauVGjPp47b0FD09ygwmT6uLqmPcs2XtjNsis-FsGKNu54LTTSfKPyN4HmM9nQa2xKCnshvfFZUseIrdR2JgevSOu7uct3JE884LysZGqECLs6M37gE3MPYA2pcnw305fmT74GV0A/s320/IMG_4910.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSJCHP5GoiG7x6-JMHYWMtTVc1fndGDcxB-6L1qktMYfee77UJ316PiLs7RACqbRdqWNlbAdS_JFrgX3dxXCXSmxm_16t7yAfjFdF7UwctetmRaCZGws1vLhS5Q78QAMclC5M8pJJRd7cTJz1NYnkD5eJOSCllqlN3Db1dTX90RfhN2Dl9OnAlnM3DQ/s4032/IMG_4911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSJCHP5GoiG7x6-JMHYWMtTVc1fndGDcxB-6L1qktMYfee77UJ316PiLs7RACqbRdqWNlbAdS_JFrgX3dxXCXSmxm_16t7yAfjFdF7UwctetmRaCZGws1vLhS5Q78QAMclC5M8pJJRd7cTJz1NYnkD5eJOSCllqlN3Db1dTX90RfhN2Dl9OnAlnM3DQ/s320/IMG_4911.JPG" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KRZ-n3jOkChppcmhH_cxj4NYyLVTUEF9ipnY70AYecUlIl_Fi_IWZHgJJU6VFGt18J--2p6Dp8rHF7tVmZlv23QeJvX17AzbAIN3TysF43mCcEsgVuSPt4NDuccL5ZN6NSBHJ_uUhhmUJJaoBg7RWPNGxkfa89-bfwoo_ifyoA9SYuMLJOLU1xqh6Q/s4032/IMG_4913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KRZ-n3jOkChppcmhH_cxj4NYyLVTUEF9ipnY70AYecUlIl_Fi_IWZHgJJU6VFGt18J--2p6Dp8rHF7tVmZlv23QeJvX17AzbAIN3TysF43mCcEsgVuSPt4NDuccL5ZN6NSBHJ_uUhhmUJJaoBg7RWPNGxkfa89-bfwoo_ifyoA9SYuMLJOLU1xqh6Q/s320/IMG_4913.JPG" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbT1AZ4osTEMGFlnzgHvbtXO1aVazxZSDZAr1t7VwfSoyz8I8tYLs761d5e7w1vQAqpehrClIdQ1b9byJjLvDlbawPGtiVJoBE0YA6UIRZvbYV6htHEU74Uqu4zNS2m_ZP5VaQJpOVtfh_YJqhDZz4vOJt8XgnsaYFLsIwifqsZWsCrZgXbsBnpN2rA/s4032/IMG_4916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbT1AZ4osTEMGFlnzgHvbtXO1aVazxZSDZAr1t7VwfSoyz8I8tYLs761d5e7w1vQAqpehrClIdQ1b9byJjLvDlbawPGtiVJoBE0YA6UIRZvbYV6htHEU74Uqu4zNS2m_ZP5VaQJpOVtfh_YJqhDZz4vOJt8XgnsaYFLsIwifqsZWsCrZgXbsBnpN2rA/s320/IMG_4916.JPG" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnaHW6KYV4OUyeHzDBTZjInI9Cq_Pe1l_GSUIildxQqYM38ty_z6NcFzhgqv9f7xYr81ej2X37CR1EQOpdfVL5CvI67Tqn5Ux_ORRfS3tBrDNrkOwFJUIc_uaFFzo20K_QPHCJV7PmmKEwVJLlb6v2gLLHE9QVQTIHBjCPvaAd_Ne1JLYrbalmGiVzQ/s4032/IMG_4919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYMr_Ox76vJb190YISEBhRig5dlVBwyXaNYRmijP_3bxPxKk5YQxTKvKe3M-kvD-i5UNitZV-XWfTzP8B_4IV9E4C9fGUZ6XckQP9Ze0Ddjw8oDuHa90rhwXou7KkuvKCEhQw6Q_n7ynzYAOvrNyMHkLugirYOaWDQXiAzMIeqA4zmtFbCj57CnuX5w/s4032/IMG_4932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYMr_Ox76vJb190YISEBhRig5dlVBwyXaNYRmijP_3bxPxKk5YQxTKvKe3M-kvD-i5UNitZV-XWfTzP8B_4IV9E4C9fGUZ6XckQP9Ze0Ddjw8oDuHa90rhwXou7KkuvKCEhQw6Q_n7ynzYAOvrNyMHkLugirYOaWDQXiAzMIeqA4zmtFbCj57CnuX5w/s320/IMG_4932.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36vRrhlLXKcxdWLqNCmbXsouVnPfUb2uzlpggEOgFgXndFXjj_JoF4DivrdrWs-8iH77O0D-KU539vD8_FCIXWw2F331tcJPpabc1WieeqZGQ_rrsIYiSMxU3NgeTi8lrhOMnQYPAPu7PyplxfCfnU_JCf28jMMNQG1uru_wCrUeoD8s860S8b0BUHQ/s4032/IMG_4933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36vRrhlLXKcxdWLqNCmbXsouVnPfUb2uzlpggEOgFgXndFXjj_JoF4DivrdrWs-8iH77O0D-KU539vD8_FCIXWw2F331tcJPpabc1WieeqZGQ_rrsIYiSMxU3NgeTi8lrhOMnQYPAPu7PyplxfCfnU_JCf28jMMNQG1uru_wCrUeoD8s860S8b0BUHQ/s320/IMG_4933.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div><br />Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-47943740621238020262022-06-20T20:09:00.000-04:002022-06-20T20:09:48.651-04:00Visiting Savannah<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zhMC35FzbV1pdoD0_KrOmrwBsyLQIkfnybv-rpCtK28dWwgHOxKfc7d4Kja_VcfPWBZSm00ccdnmrlRnH7pcWz4WL5NyWfg1a0FvHfuX1mN6DfXwg8Hc48Bz1ypDQNF7A-kxQVakiDDiFajpGP7myuXgQ4oWn1LfmKhcOd6n98_nsJcEFmz9F7AeOg/s4032/IMG_4935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zhMC35FzbV1pdoD0_KrOmrwBsyLQIkfnybv-rpCtK28dWwgHOxKfc7d4Kja_VcfPWBZSm00ccdnmrlRnH7pcWz4WL5NyWfg1a0FvHfuX1mN6DfXwg8Hc48Bz1ypDQNF7A-kxQVakiDDiFajpGP7myuXgQ4oWn1LfmKhcOd6n98_nsJcEFmz9F7AeOg/s320/IMG_4935.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All Photo Credits: Matt Handle</div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">While the majority of the <a href="https://litreactor.com/columns/when-horror-meets-crime-occult-detectives" target="_blank">occult detective</a> novel I’m
shopping to agents this summer takes place in my home turf of Atlanta, a key scene happens in
the port city of Savannah, Georgia. This created the perfect excuse to take the
family to Savannah this past weekend for a wedding anniversary/Father’s Day
celebration where we could not only have a great time, but I could do some fact
check reconnaissance as well. Does this mean our trip was deductible? I’ll
leave that decision to my tax professional, but it definitely means I took lots
of photos. I’ll save the pictures from the Bonaventure Cemetery for a future
post since that’s a very specific location in my book but here are plenty of
shots around town including the smaller but still spookily impressive Colonial
Park Cemetery.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8dVLUyT2iEGZ5sBsXsMcK-JjGF1cZkpWVoi81Pp4gYEcG_sLAjWwhc5Gme8IJz4tOub_DCegTvbeWr78zZHZfo9EWNyDcv_AVgvxnKl4V7YJVLmxD8M0hfNU40tQlvnzwXWrXwl6fB_cP6amah35WvriVLZzx_gAtOL1_TDJGtiUht_HVdlWxoXxkA/s4032/IMG_4862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8dVLUyT2iEGZ5sBsXsMcK-JjGF1cZkpWVoi81Pp4gYEcG_sLAjWwhc5Gme8IJz4tOub_DCegTvbeWr78zZHZfo9EWNyDcv_AVgvxnKl4V7YJVLmxD8M0hfNU40tQlvnzwXWrXwl6fB_cP6amah35WvriVLZzx_gAtOL1_TDJGtiUht_HVdlWxoXxkA/s320/IMG_4862.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprsULSfou18sdJakC0j3jl3XMdSerqRM_sfLzERfi-3ZknRqzLU14qQoy2YkCyjn67iH-00nWPAINXPBzxhbSsQbRtnjFcKYistEtcJEe__7Hev3ZuinbYa_DUYgxSRJw89YbmTQTEJ0tDL4_Y8ONTtfsHGYK1YFCl_bjK26Fr-nJifNKMAvKR2Mh5Q/s4032/IMG_4889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprsULSfou18sdJakC0j3jl3XMdSerqRM_sfLzERfi-3ZknRqzLU14qQoy2YkCyjn67iH-00nWPAINXPBzxhbSsQbRtnjFcKYistEtcJEe__7Hev3ZuinbYa_DUYgxSRJw89YbmTQTEJ0tDL4_Y8ONTtfsHGYK1YFCl_bjK26Fr-nJifNKMAvKR2Mh5Q/s320/IMG_4889.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kCg1ZogslIH-udQm3d3fKEfzlJ4F7Edn44c-zJ0-0dcGuBoGwS7yAC1gM_PPR_0BfsPca9rAbfekz8_mye7X6tWct5iwrbeZR0lCKMvEerZDEAbj_MYGwVDaGhCoMkwM4OYDv9Yd4j8kPSmh6AdlBFWX57zMNLPkhHVr4B21szYr1i-XnPSQ1OZ-Xw/s4032/IMG_4865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kCg1ZogslIH-udQm3d3fKEfzlJ4F7Edn44c-zJ0-0dcGuBoGwS7yAC1gM_PPR_0BfsPca9rAbfekz8_mye7X6tWct5iwrbeZR0lCKMvEerZDEAbj_MYGwVDaGhCoMkwM4OYDv9Yd4j8kPSmh6AdlBFWX57zMNLPkhHVr4B21szYr1i-XnPSQ1OZ-Xw/s320/IMG_4865.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQCfwmrz04WO9fc36JeNySsHeIleqmziIeQnLhl7--EAZEszPqam07mXBAI_AbfLzP2hhjWzaOkis7usRayaz_TrmqAJzaagGyYsnCzOWLJr73sxY09K3jWdF1syxm-8ploSf3vfohtHeGqd3qv_mCtiSVIcz40SFTvIORgZSKBfc6ys-JBxHzK42lw/s4032/IMG_4901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQCfwmrz04WO9fc36JeNySsHeIleqmziIeQnLhl7--EAZEszPqam07mXBAI_AbfLzP2hhjWzaOkis7usRayaz_TrmqAJzaagGyYsnCzOWLJr73sxY09K3jWdF1syxm-8ploSf3vfohtHeGqd3qv_mCtiSVIcz40SFTvIORgZSKBfc6ys-JBxHzK42lw/s320/IMG_4901.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0nFNraFog5HBRDkxlcoTk__0Xr_vlCYk8TNQrt9C3m-oRweZiPUZewYKWyqGXKZ64yaImPbduTfnL3f3NcyI1D3k8vTCGuXDCfyQvYqnPhKL1JpYn4ubrxHHgZKO2aAirF1y9wpEMVwVSXCJqzpiYwTNWmGdTgxWUFYO07qIz-EYZ10WMJ9p_PTQyA/s4032/IMG_4897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0nFNraFog5HBRDkxlcoTk__0Xr_vlCYk8TNQrt9C3m-oRweZiPUZewYKWyqGXKZ64yaImPbduTfnL3f3NcyI1D3k8vTCGuXDCfyQvYqnPhKL1JpYn4ubrxHHgZKO2aAirF1y9wpEMVwVSXCJqzpiYwTNWmGdTgxWUFYO07qIz-EYZ10WMJ9p_PTQyA/s320/IMG_4897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QRkuASbIp_LdBjn6j3kQb3Vw16fTWCoMtExVfvc1YnVkLBahyfuHqj_Oct9dxnQ_r8-MzurE_SuqgmxeP3GxsDAshsGQgQE59_yOzGfRUHE7uDNSa8pxWW-IHrm9Vvm7hbar5i1lnKnTwATd8Tq2MfJHFj2EurFhph4B7chRCw8H6nIK5Bi1At6rYg/s4032/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QRkuASbIp_LdBjn6j3kQb3Vw16fTWCoMtExVfvc1YnVkLBahyfuHqj_Oct9dxnQ_r8-MzurE_SuqgmxeP3GxsDAshsGQgQE59_yOzGfRUHE7uDNSa8pxWW-IHrm9Vvm7hbar5i1lnKnTwATd8Tq2MfJHFj2EurFhph4B7chRCw8H6nIK5Bi1At6rYg/s320/IMG_4898.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-33140611137945681192022-05-22T17:47:00.003-04:002022-06-11T14:24:06.411-04:00Love, Death & Robots – Season 3<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmERWLfQ4BAcTeqNX4ozA-_1nxWPdYdGxmizi0uUk3wz58Pdt34sz17Fa1WCF1vj_P8-gtHHHhVviTfpIJvCQX_DaJJONM-Pk2nZDQFhynbiYsofkl4QXqs5f9FZXo3P1yig7HOFoO6RDCOt2xicu8L0SBzRH67qe6xkE_2LvdIlW0HzB-FJHwoN9uxw/s720/Love-Death-Robots-Season-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmERWLfQ4BAcTeqNX4ozA-_1nxWPdYdGxmizi0uUk3wz58Pdt34sz17Fa1WCF1vj_P8-gtHHHhVviTfpIJvCQX_DaJJONM-Pk2nZDQFhynbiYsofkl4QXqs5f9FZXo3P1yig7HOFoO6RDCOt2xicu8L0SBzRH67qe6xkE_2LvdIlW0HzB-FJHwoN9uxw/s320/Love-Death-Robots-Season-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Netflix</div><br /><p></p><p>Friday marked the release of Netflix’s sci-fi/horror series <i>Love, Death & Robots</i> Season 3 and like
the <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2021/05/love-death-robots-season-2.html" target="_blank">two seasons</a> before it, the show offers some entertaining short stories told
through a host of talented directors and animation studios. The nine episodes this
season range from 7 to 21 minutes long and they feature returning writers John
Scalzi, Neal Asher, and Michael Stanwick along with series co-creator Tim
Miller and award-winning sci-fi writer Bruce Sterling.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s enough variety in the stories and styles that everyone
is bound to have their personal favorites and I encourage you to give them all
a try. Below are my brief descriptions of each episode in my order of
preference. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In Vaulted Halls
Entombed<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A military team sent to rescue a captive from terrorists runs
afoul of something much more sinister deep in the caves of Afghanistan. This violent,
creepy tale ends in a Lovecraftian twist that makes it my favorite of Season 3.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bad Travelling<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I didn’t find the main character to be particularly likeable
and the ending felt a little too convenient, but watching a crew battle a
tank-sized crustacean who has taken over the ship and developed a taste for
human flesh was still a lot of gory fun. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jibaro<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This episode doesn’t include a word of dialogue, but the
animation might be the most visually arresting of the series. An invading
knight is initially spared from death by a seductive river siren because he is
deaf, but her fascination and his greed get the better of him in the end. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Swarm<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another minute or two of exposition to fill in some of plot
would have made this episode way more successful. As it is, the story feels a
bit disjointed, but it still features excellent world-building as a
space-faring human attempts to enslave a uniquely adaptive alien species. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mason’s Rats<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I tend to like the serious episodes more than the silly
ones, but this gore-fest about a farmer who goes to extraordinarily violent lengths
to rid his barn of intelligent rodents is a fun ride and it features the voice
talent of one of my favorite comedians, Craig Ferguson. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Very Pulse of the
Machine<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Imagine an astronaut exploring a peyote fever-dream and you’d
have the general idea of this episode. While short on action, the artwork is
beautiful and it has the sort of ambiguous ending that allows your mind to
ponder the story long after it’s over. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Three Robots: Exit
Strategies<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This humorous continuation of an episode in <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2019/04/love-death-robots.html" target="_blank">Season 1</a> doesn’t
offer much in the way of new ideas, but it’s still amusing to imagine what
future robot archeologists might think of our strange and self-destructive
culture long after we’re gone from Earth. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kill Team Kill<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s plenty of violence and vulgarity in this episode,
but not much characterization or story. A group of mercenaries runs across a
cybernetic monster that’s nearly indestructible and apparently a result of
their own government’s experimentation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Night of the Mini
Dead<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Given my love for zombies, you’d think I’d
rank this one higher, but it just didn’t do much for me. I appreciate the
novelty of telling the tale of a zombie apocalypse via miniatures, but other
than the fact they’re tiny, this episode doesn’t offer anything you haven’t
seen before. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-29075510454117629372022-02-10T10:55:00.000-05:002022-02-10T10:55:19.279-05:00The Book of Boba Fett – Season 1 Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB7Vsl4VfjEwxguc61oVP89XjOk2I6BBRORDHB2e6MVCuMJZuiD2NtZ-zAiEilay8oTh4oAFGoh6WVFcV-ZaZHp75gjqUP9_CvgMzXj7188BEQg1B2BU4Oa3T7JdDiDsSG-E5TpG0Ra9uZxeQki_f8xjI60Wcnh6JL1e1xBbMrD5oKlumKBogeuY5ghw=s2560" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB7Vsl4VfjEwxguc61oVP89XjOk2I6BBRORDHB2e6MVCuMJZuiD2NtZ-zAiEilay8oTh4oAFGoh6WVFcV-ZaZHp75gjqUP9_CvgMzXj7188BEQg1B2BU4Oa3T7JdDiDsSG-E5TpG0Ra9uZxeQki_f8xjI60Wcnh6JL1e1xBbMrD5oKlumKBogeuY5ghw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Disney+</div><br /><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Season 1 of the latest <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Wars</i> offering from Disney+ wrapped up last night and being the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> geek that I am, you know I
watched every minute of it. If you haven’t seen it yet but plan to, I do share some mild
spoilers below but I tried to avoid spilling the best stuff. If you’re on the
fence about seeing it, I’ll say up front that it isn’t as good a show as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mandalorian</i>, but it’s still a fun
ride. Boba Fett always struck me as a galactic <i>High Plains Drifter</i>. I assumed this series would depict that same quiet, cruel bounty hunter who just happens to now be more interested/invested in punishing bad guys instead of good ones. That isn't what we get. Instead, Fett is an aging, softening man who just wants to settle down and get the locals to like and respect him. For me at least, this makes for an uncompelling lead. There’s no
doubt that the show is an entertaining piece of nostalgia, it's just not everything I hoped it would be.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That said, here are brief summaries and my thoughts on each episode
written immediately after I watched them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stranger in a Strange
Land<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fett’s appeal in the original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> trilogy was his quiet menace. We didn’t hear much from
him. We just knew he looked and moved like a bad ass. This new version of the
infamous galactic bounty hunter does a good bit of talking and frankly, most of
it isn’t very bad ass. I would have enjoyed seeing his sidekick Fennec Shand do
more of the talking on his behalf. Like Netflix’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Witcher</i>, allowing the warrior to rely on grunts and growls
would let him keep more of his air of mystery. I also think a set of hand signals
between the pair similar to the House Atreides battle language in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i> would underline the importance of
their relationship and Fett’s ability to act swiftly and mercilessly with a
minimum of words. Robert Rodriguez’s direction of the Mos Espa fight sequence
left something to be desired as well. It felt more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spy Kids</i> than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Desperado</i>.
Improved stunt choreography and editing would have dramatically improved the
scene and our belief that Fett and Shand are forces to be reckoned with. This
first episode is fun in that it takes us back to a planet and characters that
we love, but I think it does less to set up a strong series than what we saw in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mandalorian</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Tribes of
Tatooine<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This second episode has some weak spots, but it’s a definite
improvement over its predecessor. The arrival of the Hutt twins and their
Wookie enforcer, Krrsantan who want to lay claim to Jabba’s former domain and
run off Fett in the process is a highlight as is the appearance of the Ithorian
mayor of Mos Espa, Mok Shaiz. However a large portion of this episode is
backstory and while interesting, it further damages our image of Fett as a bad
ass as we see him repeatedly get beat up by Tusken Raiders. Eventually he earns
their respect by saving one of their youths from a desert monster whose odd
appearance and movement wouldn’t be out of place in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clash of the Titans</i>. Fett follows that victory with another against
a gang of ruffians in a bar brawl, cementing his place in the Tusken tribe. Our
protagonist then goes on to lead the sand people in a high-speed spice train
robbery that could have been great, but like the Mos Espa fight in Episode 1,
feels short-changed by the stunt performers and special effects. It ends up
coming off a bit like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fury Road</i>-lite.
All-in-all still underwhelming, but the series is at least moving in the right
direction.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Streets of Mos
Espa<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fett reflects on the tragic fate of his former Tusken tribe then
wakes from his bacta tank dream to an assassination attempt by Krrsantan. He
survives thanks to a new gang of young bikers he’s recently taken under his
wing and he soon accepts an apology from the Wookie’s Hutt twin employers. The
Hutts have decided to leave while they still can and they offer both the Wookie
and a rancor as payment for the trouble they’ve caused. I didn’t dislike the
teens and their colorful speeder bikes nearly as much as many critics on
Twitter did, but I did take exception to director Robert Rodriguez again
choosing cheap-looking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spy Kids</i>-type
special effects in a chase scene through the busy streets of Mos Espa that
could have been a series highlight if done well. Cheers to the casting of Danny
Trejo as the rancor keeper though!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Gathering Storm<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The quality of the special effects continues to disappoint,
the most glaring example in this episode being Fennec’s cybernetic surgery
scene, but watching Fett rescue and befriend Fennec was fun as was the
mission to retrieve Fett’s ship from Bib Fortuna, and Krrsantan’s dismemberment
of an unfortunate gambler in the Sanctuary club. The highlight of this episode
is Fett and Fennec’s exploration of and subsequent battle with the Sarlacc
while inside Slave 1. I thought it was a great way to tie the show to Fett’s
last scene in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of the Jedi</i> and
yes, for this old-school fan, the name of his ship will never change. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Return of the
Mandalorian<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chapter 5 isn’t so much an episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Book of Boba Fett </i>as it is a lost episode of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mandalorian</i>. We follow Din Djarin as
he stops in to show off the Darksaber to The Armorer, dukes it out with Paz
Vizsla over which of them is the rightful wielder of the legendary blade then
promptly gets booted from the Mandalorian ranks when he admits he broke their
code to remove his mask for Grogu. This leads Djarin back to Tatooine where he
commissions a small, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phantom Menace</i>-era
ship to replace his destroyed Razor Crest. The new ship is ridiculously fast
but also completely impractical for a bounty hunter who needs to be able to
live on, sleep in, and transport prisoners in a cargo hold. The episode ends
with Fennec showing up at the shipyard to ask Djarin for his help, finally
tying the story back to Boba Fett. While out-of-place in regard to telling
Fett’s story, this episode is a blast. I don’t know if it is the superior
direction of Bryce Dallas Howard, the superior acting of Pedro Pascal, or if
writers Jon Favreau and Noah Kloor are just more in tune with Djarin than Fett,
but chapter 5 is far more satisfying than the four episodes before it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">From the Desert Comes
a Stranger<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The penultimate episode of Season 1 is again mostly about
characters other than Fett and it’s even better than episode 5. Not only do we
get more Djarin, we get the return of Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, R2-D2, Cobb
Vanth, and maybe coolest of all, the first live action appearance of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars:</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clone Wars</i> baddie, Cad Bane. All of this fan service and world
building seems to be leading to a big battle for control of Tatooine between
Fett and his allies against the spice-smuggling Pyke Syndicate and their hired
guns. Meanwhile Grogu faces the choice between his friendship with Djarin and
his Jedi training with Skywalker, a decision which should clear up which direction the next season of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Mandalorian</i> will take.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In The Name of Honor<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The final episode of the season is all action and while some
of it doesn’t hit as hard as it should, quite a bit does. We get the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> version of Godzilla vs. King Kong, we get Fett and Djarin fighting side by side against overwhelming
odds, we get a great showdown between Fett and Bane that’s practically lifted
straight out of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, and we finally get to see
Fennec Shand act like the deadly assassin she was built up to be. This finale
isn’t as strong as the two episodes that preceded it, but it’s a fun wrap up of
Boba Fett’s rise to power on Tatooine and a nice segue into the upcoming third
season of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2021/02/where-does-mandalorian-go-from-here.html" target="_blank">The Mandalorian</a></i>. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-47833326480622727422021-12-16T12:06:00.003-05:002022-12-08T01:18:59.153-05:00The Best Free Short Speculative Fiction of 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHd3Xa7NG1Pi2p-VV1boHg6qh4ATcGkNHdYXSE99rwH3shPqzAxqE2d1UcEONxR2VcuRL9F48zrNN-qk0Z4DaT_BV0e2pJZISVaYteFBNiwcdvGmoXc565lZBB10juSeRWLjSNf1xbCEh38b-IGr44xQGcgvpxDSJPQw8bYSXQd7K2HwQDeZ9JA70dMw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="1280" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHd3Xa7NG1Pi2p-VV1boHg6qh4ATcGkNHdYXSE99rwH3shPqzAxqE2d1UcEONxR2VcuRL9F48zrNN-qk0Z4DaT_BV0e2pJZISVaYteFBNiwcdvGmoXc565lZBB10juSeRWLjSNf1xbCEh38b-IGr44xQGcgvpxDSJPQw8bYSXQd7K2HwQDeZ9JA70dMw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Enrique Meseguer at Pixabay</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Welcome to my third annual Best Free Short Speculative
Fiction list! In regard to my personal writing accomplishments, 2021 was
another period of minor victories but still no major breakthrough. My flash fiction
piece “The Stony Gaze of Eternity” can be found in the new horror anthology <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://books2read.com/99TinyTerrors" target="_blank">99 Tiny Terrors</a></i> alongside stories by
authors Cat Rambo, Seanan McGuire, Scott Edelman, Meg Elison, and more. I also
sold a story entitled “Children of the Moon” that will come out next year. My
tastes still dwell in the realms of horror and darker/grittier sci-fi and
fantasy so with that in mind, if you’re looking for more stories to read, I
highly recommend the following ten. They’re all free to read and every one of
them is excellent. Here is my list of the best free speculative short stories
published in 2021. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/story/2021/orla-always-thomas-ha/" target="_blank">Orla, Always</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve read and enjoyed multiple short stories written by
Thomas Ha this year. All of them are dark, otherworldly, and thoroughly
engrossing. This tale in the latest issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metaphorosis</i> explores how far a father will go to save his only
child from a horrific disease and death.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.unchartedmag.com/stories/white-ribbon-grey-fur/" target="_blank">White Ribbon, Grey Fur</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uncharted</i> is a welcome
new entry in the short story market and this twisted tale of living through a
deadly epidemic in a world that’s both similar yet weirdly different from our
own by Marisca Pichette hits particularly hard given our current COVID plight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.underlandarcana.com/manfred-gabriel-the-lonely-box/" target="_blank">The Lonely Box</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Fall issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Underland
Arcana</i> features this melancholy piece of flash fiction by Manfred Gabriel. I
think anyone familiar with the heartache of seeing relationships die as time
marches past can relate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2021/09/15/judge-dee-and-the-poisoner-of-montmartre-lavie-tidhar/" target="_blank">Judge Dee and the Poisoner of Montmartre</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Combine Dracula with Sherlock Holmes and what do you get? It
might be something like author Lavie Tidhar’s character, Judge Dee. This tale found
on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tor</i> website of a vampire
detective and his long-suffering human familiar Jonathan is highly entertaining
and will leave you wanting more.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://ethereamagazine.com/the-nature-of-things-in-motion/" target="_blank">The Nature of Things in Motion</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A single-minded robot in post-apocalyptic America befriends
a curious boy, doing its best to protect him to the (very) bitter end. Marlan
K. Smith paints a dark picture of mindless industry and the fragility of man in
the premier issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etherea Magazine</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.diabolicalplots.com/dp-fiction-76b-we-will-weather-one-another-somehow-by-kristina-ten/" target="_blank">We Will Weather One Another Somehow</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This tragic sci-fi tale by writer Kristina Ten will ring
especially true for anyone who has watched a loved one suffer from a
debilitating illness. Poignant and touching, it can be found in the June issue
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diabolical Plots</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/brightly-undiminished/" target="_blank">Brightly, Undiminished</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This tale of mourning and magic by Sarah Grey was published
in the March issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lightspeed
Magazine. </i>I don’t know if so many of my picks this year are sad and
reflective because of my feelings about the pandemic or because so many great
writers out there felt much the same, but this story fits right in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://pseudopod.org/2021/02/19/pseudopod-745-cleaver-meat-and-block/" target="_blank">Cleaver, Meat, and Block</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maria Haskins’ post-apocalyptic tale of a young woman coming
to terms with the cannibalistic murder of her family is harrowing in a way few
short stories can manage. Originally published in 2020 by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Static</i>, it is available for free in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PseudoPod</i> 745.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2021/02/10/judge-dee-and-the-three-deaths-of-count-werdenfels-lavie-tidhar/" target="_blank">Judge Dee and the Three Deaths of Count Werdenfels</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s right, author Lavie Tidhar and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tor.com</i> not only earned two places on my list; they did it with the
same characters. I can’t get enough of vampire detective Judge Dee’s adventures
with his sidekick Jonathan. I could easily picture this becoming an animated
series on Netflix or HBO Max in the near future. Sign up Tim Burton to direct,
Johnny Depp to voice the judge, and I’m ready to binge watch!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/mr-death/" target="_blank">Mr. Death</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally this tale of a harbinger of the afterlife and
the moral quandary he must face written by Alix E. Harrow and published in the
resurrected <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apex Magazine</i> hit me
right in the feels. I challenge you to finish this one dry-eyed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you enjoyed these stories and want to find more great
short fiction, check out these 20 websites. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://apex-magazine.com/">https://apex-magazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.apparitionlit.com/">https://www.apparitionlit.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://arsenika.ink/">http://arsenika.ink/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/">http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thedarkmagazine.com/">http://thedarkmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://darkmattermagazine.com/">https://darkmattermagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://thedeadlands.com/">https://thedeadlands.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.diabolicalplots.com/">https://www.diabolicalplots.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/">https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://ethereamagazine.com/">https://ethereamagazine.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.kaleidotrope.net/">http://www.kaleidotrope.net/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/">https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/">http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://pseudopod.org/">http://pseudopod.org/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.strangehorizons.com/">http://www.strangehorizons.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.tor.com/">https://www.tor.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://uncannymagazine.com/">https://uncannymagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.unchartedmag.com/">https://www.unchartedmag.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.underlandarcana.com/">https://www.underlandarcana.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-77089224358186081332021-10-27T19:31:00.000-04:002021-10-27T19:31:17.898-04:00Film Review: Dune<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMs_7UHJiwAMgsV_aNsf6Q-ijHMTW7FJOjMKznLoR6jRfulQSz_CJ3thmglpcQX48YelSpbMelU8y7Hnq-NDao14jCGzKg5W8mDJ966oP-i6wGzxaEPPgKTUtiNjt5xStMqEZ8feau9j39/s640/Dune+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMs_7UHJiwAMgsV_aNsf6Q-ijHMTW7FJOjMKznLoR6jRfulQSz_CJ3thmglpcQX48YelSpbMelU8y7Hnq-NDao14jCGzKg5W8mDJ966oP-i6wGzxaEPPgKTUtiNjt5xStMqEZ8feau9j39/s320/Dune+poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Warner Bros.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a sci-fi writer and fan, director Denis Villeneuve’s take
on the science fiction classic novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i>
was one of my most anticipated movies of 2021. So it should be no surprise I
went to see it opening weekend. It’s one of those tent-pole films that demands
to be seen on the big screen whether you have HBOMax or not. Is it a masterpiece?
No. But it kept me thoroughly entertained for the entire 2 hour 35 minute run
time. Here’s my take on what it does well and where it might come up a little
short.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First off, anyone who hasn’t read the book but did see David
Lynch’s attempt in 1984 and walked out saying “huh?” will be happy to know
Villeneuve does a much better job of setting up this complex tale so it makes
sense. My wife, by no means a sci-fi fan, enjoyed the movie too and only
whispered a question once or twice which I consider a huge endorsement. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i> avoids long speeches and
exposition, but still throws in enough hints to keep you aware of who the
players are and what their agendas might be.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Next, the visuals are amazing. The ship landings, the sandworms,
the costumes, the ornithopters flying over the desert, there are so many
beautiful shots that I feel like anyone who watches this on television or a
mobile screen on first viewing is cheating themselves. If Villeneuve didn’t
already prove it with his films <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade
Runner 2049</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arrival</i>, he does
here. The man knows how to wow. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Casting is also a major strength in this version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune, </i>fixing several mistakes made by David
Lynch in his earlier attempt. Timothy Chalamet is a much better match for the
teenaged Paul Atriedes than Kyle McLachlan was in the mid-80s. Rebecca Ferguson
and Oscar Isaac are excellent as his royal parents and Jason Momoa is a much
more convincing warrior than the terribly miscast Richard Jordan. Several other
actors shine as well including Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem,
and Dave Bautista. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Where does the 2021 version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i> come up short? For starters, the book is so complex and
multi-layered it probably should have been made into a mini-series rather than
a feature film. <i>Dune</i> could easily fill 10 hours of runtime. This film only
covers the first half (or less) of the original story. This means we only get
the introduction of the characters, world, and dilemma. There isn’t a great
deal of character development and there is little to no resolution, just a
cliffhanger leaving us to wait on the recently greenlit sequel. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps less egregious, but still disappointing is the tiny
amount of screen time actress Zendaya receives as Paul’s love interest, Chani. Based
on how Villeneuve broke the story into two films, she appears in this one, but
has almost nothing to do. I assume she’ll be a major part of the planned sequel,
but for now, her fans are probably a little bummed at her lack of dialogue. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All in all, Dune is well worth the price of admission and
one of my favorite films of 2021. I’m just eagerly awaiting the <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/10/dune-sequel-greenlit-by-legendary-warner-bros-theatrical-release-1234862383/" target="_blank">rest of the story</a> scheduled to reach theatres in October 2023.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-89058702073024329702021-10-07T18:37:00.000-04:002021-10-07T18:37:36.744-04:00Rambo: Last Blood and the Importance of Character Motivation<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTH6mR_cMODt-y4IglLzdO1QTZY9eXn5m2zGt7BnHPp2SXH6GdAd55p_-l0f9HIZO4TR65zvvsoC3s77uwv_Vz5qfNzRa0deFNz4gC8lOKdv21A6rkfd3aILGJoccUrdvA_wAwGvvzW5YX/s875/Rambo-Last-Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="875" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTH6mR_cMODt-y4IglLzdO1QTZY9eXn5m2zGt7BnHPp2SXH6GdAd55p_-l0f9HIZO4TR65zvvsoC3s77uwv_Vz5qfNzRa0deFNz4gC8lOKdv21A6rkfd3aILGJoccUrdvA_wAwGvvzW5YX/s320/Rambo-Last-Blood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Lionsgate Films</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">WARNING</span>. No Rambo film is a mind-bender full of surprises
but this post does contain spoilers. If you haven’t seen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo: Last Blood</i> but plan to, know that reading further will tell
you more about the plot than you might want to learn. With that said, let’s
continue!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those of you who are writers, and my assumption is that a
large portion of my blog’s audience falls into this category, may scoff at me
using a Sylvester Stallone movie as a writing exercise. You shouldn’t. The man
was nominated for a writing Oscar for his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rocky</i>
screenplay. The two roles he’s best known for, Rocky Balboa and John Rambo have
been featured in 13 feature films. The man knows how to develop a character.
Which makes it all the sadder that John Rambo seems to have finished his life
story in 2019’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo: Last Blood</i>.
The movie was critically panned and did less at the box office than any of its
predecessors. As a fan of the series, I held off on watching it to avoid a
letdown. I finally caved recently and while I tend to agree with the critics,
the truth is it wouldn’t take much to make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo:
Last Blood</i> a better film. Sometimes the best way to learn how to be a
better writer is to take a deeper look into a work that’s a near-miss.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Part of the problem with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo:
Last Blood</i> appears to be film executive meddling. At 89 minutes the film is
too short. The Director’s Cut clocks in at 101 minutes and repairs some of the
damage. The theatrical cut leaves out too much of Rambo’s motivation. He’s an
old man now. The last time we saw him was 11 years ago working as a solitary boatman
in the jungles of Burma. Now he’s retired on his deceased father’s Arizona farm
where he lives with his niece Gabriela and her grandmother, Maria. Why did he
build a network of tunnels beneath the property? How has he quelled his violent
nature? How has he kept his battle skills honed despite this seemingly peaceful
existence? An opening scene that’s only available in the Director’s Cut depicts
Rambo saving a woman from a flood, but failing to save her friends. He then
morosely compares that shortcoming to his failure to save his friends in
Vietnam as he discusses the incident with Maria after he returns home. The
scene isn’t perfect, but it does help fill in some of the missing backstory.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Later, Rambo suggests rather than leave to a party, Gabriela
invite her friends to the farm to party in his Vietcong-like tunnels. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tunnels full of guns, knives, and his
precious war memorabilia. As a responsible parent this is obviously a
horrendous idea, but it also was a screenwriter misstep. The friends never appear
in the film again so this is senseless diversion from the story. Worse, it
misses a golden opportunity to depict his solitude and inability to let go of
his violent past. What if she had asked him if they could party in the tunnels
instead? What if he’d then explained how dangerous they are? What if he’d told
her he trusted no one down there but her, the most precious thing left in the
world to him? Wouldn’t that create better foreshadowing of the film’s final
showdown? Wouldn’t it have also helped build our understanding of how strongly
he felt about her and why he’d go on a bloody rampage to avenge her? Maybe he’d
suggest she have the party in the farmhouse instead? Perhaps he could lurk in
the shadows of his underground lair listening to the happy sounds and lights of
her life, too emotionally haunted and socially awkward to join them. How much
better would that have established his mental state and her place as the love
of his dark life?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also don’t get enough of Gabriela’s treacherous friend
Gizelle’s motivation. Yes, we see that she doesn’t have much money and yes, both
Maria and Rambo describe the young woman as bad news, but it appears she
tricked Gabriela into coming to Mexico for the sole purpose of selling her into
sex slavery. That’s a pretty terrible act for a friend, even a bad one. A one
or two minute scene of the bad guys beating Gizelle up, threatening a member of
her family, or some similar horror if she doesn’t help them kidnap new girls would
have made this terrible act much easier to believe.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once we meet the bad guys, a pair of sex-slaver brothers
named Hugo and Victor Martinez, there is another cut scene of their seemingly
regular battle for who is in charge and why they need more girls as Hugo
negotiates with a crime boss named Don Miguel. The scene is a good one and it’s
a shame it was cut, but adding it back would have been even more useful if it
was expanded a bit. After the turning point in the film where Rambo kills Victor
and taunts Hugo into coming to Arizona for revenge, Hugo leads dozens of armed
men to Rambo’s farm while dressed in tactical gear and using military commands.
The man clearly isn’t your typical pimp. What is his background? Is he a former
soldier? Where did he learn this stuff? A line or two in the scene with Don
Miguel where Hugo explains why he’d make such a good partner because of his
military background and government connections would have fleshed out his
character and helped his turn into bad ass squad leader make a lot more sense. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, there is a scene before Rambo murders Victor where
he visits the intrepid reporter who nursed him back to health after his first
encounter with the Martinez brothers. He asks for her help one last time. The
scene is clearly just an excuse to allow Rambo his monologue about grief and
wanting that grief to be the last thing Hugo sees before he dies and I don’t
have an issue with that, but the screenwriter forgot to actually show us what
“help” Rambo came for. Rambo already knows the location of the Martinez’s lair.
The reporter doesn’t accompany Rambo there. What was the motivation for Rambo’s
visit before exacting his revenge? An easy explanation might have been that he
needed the reporter to tell him when Victor would be home while Hugo was out.
Or maybe the brothers were at another location and Rambo needed to know where
that might be. Perhaps he could have asked her to report the story of Gizelle’s
role in the crime. Whatever the explanation, the scene needs one. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I find remarkable is that none of these additions would
have cost much budget. They’re just a minute of dialogue here and there, maybe
10-15 minutes total. All the expensive action scenes work just fine. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo: Last Blood</i> doesn’t fail because
it’s a bad action film or a poor end to John Rambo’s life story. It fails
because it doesn’t take the time to show why the characters do what they do. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-57585940437426425592021-09-23T13:42:00.002-04:002021-09-23T23:20:25.792-04:00Star Wars: Visions is Pretty Yet Dull<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSxQaIXmSgZuCaO5AayCdAiT57tULVHslWDhMhHv3g-ZZBVCLqqLqFRnpMakEop_PDVYdaZt256bysloK-vnA30nS63cvZXdgG-KGGrfGgjPPAbYUDbpK3OKkNF4Z1hmgTz7Xw22dMGYx/s1536/star-wars-visions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1536" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSxQaIXmSgZuCaO5AayCdAiT57tULVHslWDhMhHv3g-ZZBVCLqqLqFRnpMakEop_PDVYdaZt256bysloK-vnA30nS63cvZXdgG-KGGrfGgjPPAbYUDbpK3OKkNF4Z1hmgTz7Xw22dMGYx/s320/star-wars-visions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Disney</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars: Visions</i>
was released on Disney+ yesterday to plenty of hype. Reviews are in and most
are glowing so I spent the evening watching all nine of the short animated
episodes. The concept is an interesting one; give various Japanese anime companies
a shot at telling a short story set in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Wars </i>universe. It comes off as Disney’s branded response to Netflix’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2019/04/love-death-robots.html" target="_blank">Love, Death & Robots</a></i> – a show I’ve
written about <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2021/05/love-death-robots-season-2.html" target="_blank">twice</a> on this blog. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Visually, as the name suggests, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars: Visions</i> is impressive. Several of the episodes are
beautifully rendered and while I’m not a fan of some of the more cartoonish
styles, I’m sure they please those who enjoy the anime genre. What I noticed
most about the show however wasn’t the stunning landscapes or cool lightsaber
effects, but the lack of variety in the storytelling. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Personally, as much as I love the Star Wars universe (and
anyone who reads this blog knows I LOVE the Star Wars universe) I think the
whole Jedi/Sith angle is a bit played. There are so many incredible planets,
races, and guilds in this universe, why does every story require a young person
take up a lightsaber and dedicate themselves to defeating the Sith? Three of
the most refreshing recent entries Disney has delivered were entertaining
because they purposely distanced themselves from this storyline<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. Solo</i> focused on the origin story of
our favorite space smuggler. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rogue One</i>
told the tale of a group of rebels stealing the Death Star plans and delivering
them to Princess Leia. Perhaps best of all, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Mandalorian</i> follows the exploits of a bounty hunter capturing wanted
creatures across the galaxies while protecting a young adoptee. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eight of the nine episodes that make up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars: Visions</i> involve lightsaber fights. Three of them follow
the inexplicable idea first seen in Rey of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Force Awakens</i> that a person can pick up or inherit a lightsaber and immediately
be capable of defeating powerful enemies without a hint of training. What I’d
love to see if they follow this up with a Season 2 is a broader spectrum of
stories. Off the top of my head I came up the following in about 10 minutes:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">A protocol droid acting as
translator for a negotiation between a Hutt and a bounty hunter watches it
go terribly wrong.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">A pair of bickering
Gamorrean guards escalates a grievance in Jabba’s palace until one traps
the other in the rancor pit and gleefully watches him meet his doom.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">A mistreated Imperial worker
on the Death Star sabotages the laser pistols he is forced to maintain then
plays dumb as Stormtroopers continually find they can’t shoot straight.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">A hermit tinkerer who
lives alone in the rusted husk of an AT-AT on Hoth builds a droid out of
spare parts to keep him company.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">A Kaminoan is tricked into
sharing her cloning secrets with an Imperial Officer who then steals them
for the Emperor to use on himself. <o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s half a season of content right there and not a
lightsaber to be seen. I’d pay to watch those stories. Wouldn’t you? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So should you watch <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Wars: Visions</i>? If you’re a fanboy like me, yes. Completists must complete. If
you’re a more casual viewer I’d recommend catching a few and skipping several.
My brief episode guide is below.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Duel<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the opening episode of the series and the best of
the bunch. If Akira Kurosawa did a Star Wars film, it would look something like
this. A lightsaber-wielding Ronin and his trusty droid save a village from a group
of Stormtroopers and their Sith leader.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Elder<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Episode 7 starts off with some cringey Jedi/Padawan dialogue
ala Kenobi and Anakin in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Attack of the
Clones</i> but then settles into an entertaining tale as the two explore a
village then do battle with an ancient dual-lightsaber-wielding villain. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Akakiri<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The final episode of the series shows us a Jedi who suffers
visions of a tragic loss only to be faced with accepting that fate or joining
the dark side.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Ninth Jedi<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is where the episodes begin to get a little too
cartoonish for my taste. The story of a young girl delivering lightsabers to
what she believes are the last remaining Jedi is interesting enough, but every
twist is seen from a mile away and the dialogue is tough to bear. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Village Bride<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Similar to “The Duel” in that a Ronin-like Jedi comes to a
remote village to save it from bandits, this fourth episode just does it in a
less satisfying style.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lop and Ocho<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The eighth episode of the series could have been one of the
better ones if not for the odd choice of making the heroine look like Lola
Bunny of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Space Jam</i>. Call me
old-school but the idea of a bunny picking up her adoptive father’s lightsaber then
kicking her warrior-sister’s ass with it came off as dumb.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Twins<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The third episode features two Vader-rip-off twins spitting
overwrought dialog at each other as they duke it out with more lightsabers over
control of a kyber crystal that can power a Death Star-like laser. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T0-B1<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The sixth story tells of yet another young dreamer, this one
a droid no less, who picks up his mentor’s lightsaber and immediately defeats a
battle-hardened Sith in order to carry on his mentor’s legacy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tatooine Rhapsody<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally the second and silliest of all the episodes,
sadly this is the one tale that follows my advice and veers away from
lightsabers, but comes off as if Nick Jr. took a shot at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i>. A rock band’s bass player is nabbed by Boba Fett and
only a great performance for Jabba will set him free.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-30321427281397454632021-06-22T13:36:00.000-04:002021-06-22T13:36:08.084-04:00The Most Formidable Characters in Netflix's Castlevania <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc90Swcv2xL3SA0p1uOYGKjWuU0G9mu-GE52P1ojG_c3rH48s3dpN4S6bU85MxFaM8ojPcyfmuIL8y51qSqhywOiJI4PBs9QqLl2l_w8E-tJPUK0x38vWp2fC-0BZVM3JvZE6CKU-mWqfb/s1200/castlevania.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc90Swcv2xL3SA0p1uOYGKjWuU0G9mu-GE52P1ojG_c3rH48s3dpN4S6bU85MxFaM8ojPcyfmuIL8y51qSqhywOiJI4PBs9QqLl2l_w8E-tJPUK0x38vWp2fC-0BZVM3JvZE6CKU-mWqfb/s320/castlevania.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Netflix</div><br /><p></p><p>I’ve been on a bit of an animation kick as of late between <i><a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2021/05/love-death-robots-season-2.html" target="_blank">Love, Death & Robots Season 2</a></i>, <i>Invincible</i>, and the final season of <i>Castlevania</i>. The <i>Castlevania</i> series was so well received that last week Netflix
<a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/castlevania-richter-belmont-maria-renard-netflix-spoilers/" target="_blank">announced an upcoming spin-off</a> of <i>Castlevania</i>
that will be based on the characters from the 1993 video game, <i>Rondo of Blood</i>. I thought that was as
good an excuse as any to delve deeper into the characters, both vampire and
human, of the just-ended dark fantasy show. Which ones truly dominated the land
of Wallachia and which ones ended up being more bark than bite?</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Warning, <span style="color: red;">spoilers</span> ahead!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Saint Germain</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ostentatious and odd from the start, this traveling
alchemist never amounts to much in a fight, but he still manages to make a hell
of a mess by the grand finale.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Bishop</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s this guy who starts the whole bloody tale by burning
Dracula’s human wife at the stake. He’s a religious fanatic and they’re usually
dangerous one way or another.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sala</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sala isn’t much of a warrior, but he’s definitely crazy and
he’s definitely dangerous. Don’t worry; he gets what’s coming to him in the
end.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Judge</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Creepy from the moment he’s introduced, you don’t find out
just how bad this guy is until his final scene. Sometimes formidable isn’t
obvious. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Taka and Sumi</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These two attempt to seduce then kill Alucard to slake their
hatred of the vampires who once enslaved them. You’ve got to give them credit
for their creativity, but it doesn’t go as planned.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Hector</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the weaker and more foolish characters in the series,
Hector falls under the spell of the lovely vampire Lenore. He’s then forced to
use his forgemaster skills in service to her and her vampire sisters’ cause
until he finds a sad sort of redemption at the end of the tale.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Lenore</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps the weakest of the four vampire sisters, she was
nevertheless wily and seductive enough to entrance Hector into building an
undead army that gave Isaac’s forces an entertaining fight for supremacy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Greta</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This guardian of the underground city of Danesti is
self-important and more than a little deluded, but she proves her skill in
battle when vampires invade in search of the means to bring Dracula back from
Hell.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Godbrand</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This Viking vampire deserved more screen time and a more
glorious death, but what little time he did have, he made the most of with his
unique style and hunger for human blood.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Morana and Striga</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These two vampire lovers spend more time complaining about
Carmilla’s ambition than fighting their common enemies, but Striga shows her
battle skills on occasion and looks like she stepped off the cover of Arcadia’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So Red the Rose</i> album from the 80s so
that earns this pair a bit of extra credit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Isaac</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This forgemaster starts out as a servant of Dracula who is
capable of making undead monsters but he soon finds his self on a journey of
self-discovery, coming into a different sort of wisdom and power along the way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Ratko</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This vampire is one of the biggest, meanest, and most brutal
in the bunch. He doesn’t earn many style points, but his straight-forward power
is more than most characters in this show can match.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Dracula</u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">The King of all Vampires only plays a major part in the
first two seasons of this series, but he’s a force to be reckoned with. <i>Castlevania</i> plays up the tragic side of
his persona rather than the rage, but you definitely get to see what he’s
capable of when provoked.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Alucard</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not being particularly familiar with the games this series
is based on, I can’t say how close this character cleaves to them, but he does
a hell of a lot of cutting other vampires and their assorted undead minions
into pieces. He looks more like his human mother than daddy Vlad, but he’s
certainly got his father’s thirst for blood.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Carmilla</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From her betrayal of Dracula to her pursuit of ruling the
entire world as immortal Queen, this vampire means business. She’s one of the
fiercest, cruelest characters in the series and her final battle is one of the
best the show has to offer in its 32 episode run.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Dragan</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This massive vampire general doesn’t get a lot of dialogue,
but he more than proves his self in the siege of Dracula’s castle at the end of
the series. He single-handedly takes on Alucard, Trevor, and Sypha in battle
and more than holds his own. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Trevor Belmont and
Sypha Belnades</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The banter between these two lovers is laid on a little
thick for my taste, but there is no doubt about their prowess in battle.
Between Trevor’s ferocity and skill with weapons and Sypha’s calm mastery of
magic, almost nothing can stand in their way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Varney</u><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Voiced by Malcolm McDowell, the early impression of this
ancient creature is that he’s one of the weaker foes our heroes will need to
face. Looks are deceiving. The final battle with this insidious villain in the
penultimate episode of the series is one of the coolest animated fights ever.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-52942352526833094762021-05-15T16:33:00.000-04:002021-05-15T16:33:20.621-04:00Love, Death & Robots – Season 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0a0l4KiQb0eHrArBT3OR2Hb_uAeb3yYTjA5I9A_XSRBvfwcd0YpjQqmco7CDyDmQLfKDubtL_bmzTMdYfKk_POMpWHVVRNFIkFExbwXuREJbBkb22OvGOso3Y4jHW76W0M_KukFbkcU_/s1200/love-death-robots+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0a0l4KiQb0eHrArBT3OR2Hb_uAeb3yYTjA5I9A_XSRBvfwcd0YpjQqmco7CDyDmQLfKDubtL_bmzTMdYfKk_POMpWHVVRNFIkFExbwXuREJbBkb22OvGOso3Y4jHW76W0M_KukFbkcU_/s320/love-death-robots+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Netflix</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yep, I’m delivering the rare “riff” <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2021/05/casting-dune-part-2.html" target="_blank">twofer</a>. New posts in
back to back days! Why the sudden prolificacy you might ask? Well my 2019 synopsis
of <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2019/04/love-death-robots.html" target="_blank">Season 1 </a>of Netflix’s sci-fi/horror animated series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love, Death & Robots</i> is the most read post on my blog.
Naturally I’m going to follow up on Season 2 as soon as possible. Released yesterday, I binged the
season last night and enjoyed it almost as much as its predecessor. The bad
news is that the latest season is only 8 episodes long verses the 18 episodes
of Season 1. The good news is that all 8 are entertaining. Like Season 1, there’s
plenty of graphic violence, vulgarity, and sexual content so it’s not exactly
kid friendly, but if you’re an adult who enjoys animation, add this season to
your watch list. Season 2 includes several episodes based on short stories by
well-known authors including Paolo Bacigalupi, Harlan Ellison, John Scalzi, and
Joe Lansdale. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here are my brief descriptions of each episode, from my
favorite to least favorite. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Snow in the Desert<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At 18 minutes in length this is one of the two longest
episodes of the season and it’s also the best of the bunch. It feels like a
spin-off from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mandalorian</i> and
that’s high praise from as a big fan as I am of that show. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pop Squad<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This might be the darkest episode of the season despite the
cute-sounding name. Imagine <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade Runner</i>
retiring unauthorized children instead of replicants and you’ve got a pretty
good idea how this one goes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All Through the House<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At 7 minutes in length, this is the shortest episode of the
season, but it’s a good one. Animated in traditional holiday style, the
creature delivering gifts this Christmas Eve is not what you expect. Extra
points go to this one for its visual references to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alien 3</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pan’s Labyrinth</i>.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Tall Grass<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No matter how much man strives to control his environment,
some strange and ancient things will always be beyond his power or understanding.
A bored passenger confronts this truth when his train makes an unscheduled stop
in the middle of the night.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Drowned Giant<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Quiet, somber, and philosophical, think of this episode as
Season 2’s version of “Zima Blue”. It’s a fairy tale about just how shallow man
can be when faced with the miraculous. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Life Hutch<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a near fatal crash of his starship, a fighter pilot find
his self in an even deadlier situation when the remote habitat he seeks refuge
in turns out to be guarded by a deadly, malfunctioning robot.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ice<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I love the animation and world-building in this story of modified humans and ice-breaking whales, but the
characters and story feel half-baked. Chalk this one up to having tons of
potential but wanting for better execution.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Automated Customer
Service<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even my least favorite episode is fun. This tale is similar
to some of the more comedic stories in Season 1. A resident of a futuristic retirement community must fight for her and her dog’s survival when her house
cleaning robot goes haywire. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-48643650716242443692021-05-14T11:34:00.000-04:002021-05-14T11:34:30.730-04:00Casting Dune Part 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXMzrgDB5mFtpQ1QuuRmO1RBGTr7PVUAfzklKu_uzIXZ3WvWl3U2UeViNfcZZZrbV29mEcH01qcR4fW3DR80UCKN1vVv3qculuvWrYtlr_i1d9h4D1wc-8DGNtPr40mNK2qI0Uwu84cJs/s1000/dune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXMzrgDB5mFtpQ1QuuRmO1RBGTr7PVUAfzklKu_uzIXZ3WvWl3U2UeViNfcZZZrbV29mEcH01qcR4fW3DR80UCKN1vVv3qculuvWrYtlr_i1d9h4D1wc-8DGNtPr40mNK2qI0Uwu84cJs/s320/dune.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Warner Bros.</div><br /><p></p><p>Director Denis Villeneuve’s new take on the classic sci-fi
novel <i>Dune</i> won’t hit theaters until
October but that doesn’t stop me from speculating about what might come next.
Frank Herbert’s tale remains one of my all-time favorite books and while I enjoyed
David Lynch’s film adaptation in 1984, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who
doesn’t admit that movie is deeply flawed. So as much as I tend to dislike
remakes, I’m excited about this one. That brings us to this post. The new <i>Dune</i> only covers part of the novel and that
novel is only one of a series of six. Which major characters from the first
book won’t appear until Part 2? Based on currently released information,
several.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Full disclosure, the idea for this post is as unoriginal as
it gets. I recently read an article on this same topic at <a href="https://nerdist.com/article/dune-part-two-fan-cast-denis-villeneuve-sequel/" target="_blank">The Nerdist</a> and I disagreed
with the author’s picks so strenuously, I decided to make my own. Part of that
author’s perspective was to advocate for diversity in the film’s casting which
I whole-heartedly agree with, but if you look at the cast for the first film, I
think Villeneuve has already done a good job of it. My focus here is to offer
choices that more closely align with Herbert’s original vision. The Nerdist
gets something approaching 5 million hits per year while this blog receives...
less than that so hopefully they won’t be too bent out of shape with me
stepping on their toes this go-round. So who’s the bigger <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i> nerd, me or The Nerdist? Read on and decide for yourself.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwegnAD8NCAFtpp3BiFthirfOz4YlbB3IR6y8C2ovDsM0EUISW9gS4IuMuTDrSHxFtscuOxc0ip0ZAgR2imqbde0w_t8-dDRRBWHbgiu61UhQR2ZJr88Hu6mE9LTfENGrZljeCcOOPDlL2/s450/Gary-oldman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwegnAD8NCAFtpp3BiFthirfOz4YlbB3IR6y8C2ovDsM0EUISW9gS4IuMuTDrSHxFtscuOxc0ip0ZAgR2imqbde0w_t8-dDRRBWHbgiu61UhQR2ZJr88Hu6mE9LTfENGrZljeCcOOPDlL2/s320/Gary-oldman.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3uOpkSrU3KWiV1BJZ06X6kA7IKwP3ZLgMbPze8Fr6IytUo_wzJfD0v26aB0rpIEGDoF8OiMjci8nZIoYX33KAd6YV6PxEmHrhhJuvQxci8soEJ0orgYEkNdTDchGXAZocvgbdoK6oKHS/s2048/cassel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3uOpkSrU3KWiV1BJZ06X6kA7IKwP3ZLgMbPze8Fr6IytUo_wzJfD0v26aB0rpIEGDoF8OiMjci8nZIoYX33KAd6YV6PxEmHrhhJuvQxci8soEJ0orgYEkNdTDchGXAZocvgbdoK6oKHS/s320/cassel.jpg" /></a></div><b><span lang="ES-CO"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="ES-CO"><br /></span></b></p>Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Emperor is a dangerous, rather petty ruler who kicks off
the story by pitting the evil Harkonnens against the virtuous but threatening
Atreides. While he’s in the background all along, he doesn’t really become a
visible player until the story’s final act when Paul comes to the emperor’s
court to exact his revenge. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Playing a man named “Shaddam” you’re going to need someone
with a certain amount of flair. As the emperor of the known universe, the actor
should be comfortable acting regal as well. Who has more flair than the actor
who has played such powerful characters as Dracula, Winston Churchill, and
Sirius Black? Gary Oldman would make a great Padishah Emperor. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If Oldman isn’t available, a nice back-up plan would be Vincent
Cassel. Handsome, exotic, and no stranger to playing bad guys, Cassel could
fill this role as nicely as he did playing antagonists in such films and shows
as Ocean’s Twelve, Eastern Promises, and Westworld. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_X5kK-WIx-5PEwaSwo4nOpg-WqzjPxQUqA-WWmmJ0YIpZr_ASlbft3HZUZ6kKZR2-ANqNoyQemPh15kXtUVfhD6OsNgBKmInBgjjwr3w9dgwmfT3acOgafM_VWB-7tFLifSw-Pub0kmG/s700/julia-garner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="519" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_X5kK-WIx-5PEwaSwo4nOpg-WqzjPxQUqA-WWmmJ0YIpZr_ASlbft3HZUZ6kKZR2-ANqNoyQemPh15kXtUVfhD6OsNgBKmInBgjjwr3w9dgwmfT3acOgafM_VWB-7tFLifSw-Pub0kmG/s320/julia-garner.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgn6F8W2MjEe-qjC10CL0boVneQBxvk109k2Wl-3nOMdj07tj79kr4dWZUx-X7cEh4zOAcdgXiSESq4g_nIa6NXEYsui-YLkrzGaf18jtzBjXxx0-A5zf9T5FKdDIl78Mi4rLWyYcVgrd/s1200/odeya+rush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="934" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgn6F8W2MjEe-qjC10CL0boVneQBxvk109k2Wl-3nOMdj07tj79kr4dWZUx-X7cEh4zOAcdgXiSESq4g_nIa6NXEYsui-YLkrzGaf18jtzBjXxx0-A5zf9T5FKdDIl78Mi4rLWyYcVgrd/s320/odeya+rush.jpg" /></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Princess Irulan</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Irulan is the eldest daughter of the emperor and as such, whoever
she marries is in line for the throne. This results in her being the target of
Paul’s revenge, becoming his bride so that he can take control of the universe
despite Shaddam’s objection. Irulan is meant to be a blonde, blue-eyed beauty that
ultimately accepts her role as an unloved but politically advantageous bride to
an unloving husband to become the narrator for much of the story.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyone who has watched the excellent Netflix series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ozark</i> knows Julia Garner is a fantastic
actress. In my opinion, she’s the best part of a show that includes quite a few
good parts. While the role of Ruth Langmore is that of an uncouth, uneducated
con woman, I think Garner has the talent and natural good looks to make Irulan
shine. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If family resemblance is important, you’d be hard-pressed to
find an actress to better match Cassel’s stand out blue eyes than Odeya Rush.
Perhaps not as well-known as Garner, Rush is probably most recognized for her
roles in the films <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lady Bird</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goosebumps</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Giver</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGezbsOWEBdnez-nDWYHRoVn_IHijz1D8BnTuTb2GCRBr5wwHjVrv-sMWsH5qhWQ3lOhaLrnqUvv9n3Zk3P_sJK0fPJu3wq1BMU7y9nK5ncp3FQYyNv-q3xYv5rz4XLvOEc9LeZzfF6HvQ/s513/haley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGezbsOWEBdnez-nDWYHRoVn_IHijz1D8BnTuTb2GCRBr5wwHjVrv-sMWsH5qhWQ3lOhaLrnqUvv9n3Zk3P_sJK0fPJu3wq1BMU7y9nK5ncp3FQYyNv-q3xYv5rz4XLvOEc9LeZzfF6HvQ/s320/haley.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4ISr2rZI4CsuI8B6BTnsbkZdbya642TRdFAqK4JPAKn5Cug8U06D9OfLeYOKJUbu4bWQFqlhwPlRo80RBhvpXJJ5tNWG_RDajtTW0N9GCqCDmogfvbpQLjOu1j8bt3Z0qc58SZ21lMue/s2048/EddieMarsan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4ISr2rZI4CsuI8B6BTnsbkZdbya642TRdFAqK4JPAKn5Cug8U06D9OfLeYOKJUbu4bWQFqlhwPlRo80RBhvpXJJ5tNWG_RDajtTW0N9GCqCDmogfvbpQLjOu1j8bt3Z0qc58SZ21lMue/s320/EddieMarsan.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Count Hasimir Fenring</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fenring is supposed to be diminutive in stature,
weasly-faced but also a deadly assassin who has helped Shaddam achieve and
consolidate power over the decades. He is the man in the shadows who
understands every angle and plays them to his emperor’s advantage.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’ve watched his performances in films such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watchmen</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shutter Island</i>, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dark
Shadows</i>, you know Jackie Earle Haley can nail this role. Haley knows how to
play intense and creepy. Given that the character is supposed to be similar in
age to Shaddam, Haley would be particularly well suited for this role if Oldman
plays the emperor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If someone like Cassel gets the role of Shaddam, a younger
Fenring candidate is Eddie Marsan. My favorite of his performances is the
overmatched Inspector Lestrade in Guy Ritchie’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock Holmes</i> films, but you’ve seen Marsan in a ton of
productions. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gangs of New York</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">V for Vendetta</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Illusionist</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Atomic
Blonde</i>, Marsan is one of the best character actors working today. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4xybCvvCa9w4jjZa-iq7KOOVUNpsMZ5RfEjCOF4BRBieit7N2xuH9N1AKDFjgsNevZpm4YzI1LCQ1NPITqCeI2e4D4lXmGV2G9CnxutVp6y3rb381yKltW97jBCYFM5BX6GWEM_aoxQX/s1775/skarsgard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1775" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4xybCvvCa9w4jjZa-iq7KOOVUNpsMZ5RfEjCOF4BRBieit7N2xuH9N1AKDFjgsNevZpm4YzI1LCQ1NPITqCeI2e4D4lXmGV2G9CnxutVp6y3rb381yKltW97jBCYFM5BX6GWEM_aoxQX/s320/skarsgard.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2eYvW1AyLtp01e-kn6bc5qyo3CYDDMHOWhHSs7dSnkjtVzYN3n8OKSfFH-RX8ChAZsOdK_po31NPBdaw-Kd-e69RVRzADlTARJXxsxE2HTH818xBTTe9py5Gax7AB2x9kTCms0TQLh98/s494/Dacre-Montgomery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2eYvW1AyLtp01e-kn6bc5qyo3CYDDMHOWhHSs7dSnkjtVzYN3n8OKSfFH-RX8ChAZsOdK_po31NPBdaw-Kd-e69RVRzADlTARJXxsxE2HTH818xBTTe9py5Gax7AB2x9kTCms0TQLh98/s320/Dacre-Montgomery.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally we have Feyd, the handsome but monstrous nephew
of bad guy Baron Vladimir Harkonnen who is a product of the same breeding
program as our young hero Paul and who engages in hand-to-hand combat with Paul
for the hand of Irulan and control of the throne in the stories’ final confrontation.
This part was famously played by the rock musician Sting in the 1984 version so
while it’s a relatively small part, it’s a flashy one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can accuse me of being too on-the-nose with this choice,
but why not Bill Skarsgard? As the son of Stellan Skarsgard, the actor playing the
Baron, you won’t find a better family likeness. Bill is perhaps best known for
his portrayal of Pennywise in the latest version of<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> It</i> so he’s certainly proven himself capable of playing a menacing
villain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’d prefer someone a little less obvious, how about Dacre Montgomery? His resume might be a little light, but he was fun to hate as bad boy Billy Hargrove in Seasons 2 and 3 of the Netflix retro horror series <i>Stranger Things</i>. He's also got the leer and ripped abs if Villeneuve dares to do a new take on Sting's infamous steam bath scene. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With the upcoming film including such stellar actors as Javier
Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Charlotte
Rampling, Timothee Chalamet, and Oscar Issac I have no doubt Villeneuve will make
more great casting choices in the sequel. Here’s hoping that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dune</i> is the rare remake that outshines the original.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-44428067568522562912021-03-25T12:32:00.000-04:002021-03-25T12:32:36.414-04:00Here Come the Cereal Serials<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDC85DLXZ9SjA04lMRe1Y4xJiOTvcQFOrJNGmA_dXVSYZkuf9V23THTnu8R5A29SuxkCu-XiaIEx_Yg7feKQ-P4ocwxWZ05BOvFDdICdGyBiJbbxC333Yr-ZLcawp8YYhvcBGFo14syyn/s800/cereal+mascots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDC85DLXZ9SjA04lMRe1Y4xJiOTvcQFOrJNGmA_dXVSYZkuf9V23THTnu8R5A29SuxkCu-XiaIEx_Yg7feKQ-P4ocwxWZ05BOvFDdICdGyBiJbbxC333Yr-ZLcawp8YYhvcBGFo14syyn/s320/cereal+mascots.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Sporcle</div><br /><p></p><p>With theaters still closed due to Corona, there is no doubt
that premium cable and streamers like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and HBO
are the current kings of content and while they do make original movies, their
bread and butter are series. <i>The
Mandalorian, Bridgerton, Cobra Kai, Castlevania, The Witcher, Westworld</i>, and
<i>Jack Ryan</i> are just a few of the
examples of shows that are currently demanding eyeballs all around the country,
reaping those big subscription dollars. Everyone knows Hollywood likes nothing
better than exploiting recognizable titles, characters, and storylines. Why
risk a multi-million dollar budget on something original that may or not appeal
to an audience when you can just produce a spin-off from a popular film (The
Mandalorian, Cobra Kai, and Westworld), adapt a video game (Castlevania), or adapt
a book series (Bridgerton, The Witcher, and Jack Ryan)? With that in mind, I
give you the next promised land – breakfast cereal characters!</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sure, go ahead and laugh but keep in mind the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transformers</i> toy line has churned out
six feature films and god knows how many cartoon series and Johnny Depp became
one of the biggest stars in the world thanks to a series of pirate movies based
on a theme park ride. Are the following ideas really that far-fetched? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Trix<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maybe it’s just a sign of the times when cereal mascots were
popular, but it doesn’t take long to notice all the best ones were decidedly
male so we’re going to gender swap this one. Suzy Rabbit, known as “Tricks”
around the casinos, isn’t just one of the best gamblers on the 60s Las Vegas
Strip. After getting busted reaching for that brass ring, she’s now a secret
agent, working undercover with the FBI to bring down the crime bosses who have taken
control of the town. Evan Rachel Wood stars in this live action drama that’s
violent and sexy enough that it’s definitely not for kids.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lucky Charms<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Aidan Gillen killed it as Littlefinger in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Game of Thrones</i> and again as Aberama
Gold in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peaky Blinders</i>. Now he stars
as Lucky, an Irish treasure hunter who travels the wilds of his homeland at the
turn of the first millennium in search of his fortune while trying to avoid
marauding Vikings in this exciting live-action spin-off from General Mills’
delicious toasted oats and multi-colored marshmallow cereal. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Froot Loops<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like the main character in my novel-in-progress, Sam Toucan is
a private-eye. Sam is older and wiser than my protagonist though. He always follows
his nose and it never steers him wrong. Beloved Hollywood icon Jeff Goldblum hasn’t
played a detective this fun since 1980’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tenspeed
and Brown Shoe</i> but he’s back on television and better than ever in this
comedic crime drama. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cap’n Crunch<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you didn’t get enough of Russell Crowe sailing the high
seas in the 2003 film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Master and
Commander: The Far Side of the World </i>you’ll be thrilled to know Quaker Oats
has cast him as the animated Cap’n Crunch along with the whole crew as they battle
for the safety of Crunch Island against the Sogmaster and of course the captain’s
arch-nemesis, the dastardly Jean LaFoote as voiced by Sasha Baron Cohen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Honey Smacks<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kevin Hart stars in this live action comedy as Frank Diggem,
a streetwise inner city high school teacher who will do anything he has to in
order to protect his students from the dangers of life in one of the roughest
neighborhoods in New York City while also trying to raise his own precocious
young daughter Honey all while negotiating a sometimes less-than-friendly
relationship with his ex-wife and her new husband. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monster Cereals<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Universal’s attempt at a Dark Universe may have failed
miserably with the ill-advised 2017 remake of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mummy</i>, but that’s no reason a similar concept couldn’t work via
an animated series. This time Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Franken Berry, Fruit
Brute, and Yummy Mummy star in interconnected episodes of gothic horror ala Showtime’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Penny Dreadful</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Golden Crisp<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Post Cereal’s lone entrant into this new era of
entertainment features the voice of Will Smith as the always loveable Sugar
Bear. This animated series will tell of the ongoing efforts of this
mild-mannered hero as he fights to protect neighborhood kids from the eccentric
and often dangerous plans of Granny Goodwitch, a local crank voiced by Jane
Lynch.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Frosted Flakes<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After Dominic Toretto finally drives off into the sunset of
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fast & Furious</i> film series,
Vin Diesel will star as Tony, a troubled former pro football star for the fictional
Cincinnati Tigers, who now owns a gym in his hometown of Los Angeles. There the
kerchief-wearing muscle man mentors up-and-coming athletes and tries to avoid reverting
into old habits from his playing days. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cocoa Puffs<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Comedy veteran Chris Kattan is back and better than ever as Sonny
the Cuckoo Bird. Watch the animated hijinx of Sonny and his pals as they
practice their tricks at the skatepark then get into all sorts of trouble
delivering groceries via their Uber Eats-like business. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rice Krispies<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally the Jonas Brothers star in this animated series
about the brothers Snap, Crackle, and Pop who travel the world as a groovy boy
band but solve mysteries everywhere they go. You won’t catch them eating any Scooby
snacks, but they do enjoy a nice bowl of rice cereal in milk before every gig.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-13936367211075200842021-02-11T12:07:00.034-05:002021-05-04T16:27:51.227-04:00Where Does The Mandalorian Go From Here?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR7SAkO656fIV6xXZH-liPauaLY_JdzAMkPOoPoJ94NG-1JHliLWNK_R80sFnaTG2BjKm-bL3F4wQgTH9-51TxwtM2mPs-lhgRjLgsxVPGsgNw-OXAON5tzlHFnJn-d3cJKbincmVHSIb/s1000/mandalorian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR7SAkO656fIV6xXZH-liPauaLY_JdzAMkPOoPoJ94NG-1JHliLWNK_R80sFnaTG2BjKm-bL3F4wQgTH9-51TxwtM2mPs-lhgRjLgsxVPGsgNw-OXAON5tzlHFnJn-d3cJKbincmVHSIb/s320/mandalorian.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Disney</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There are a handful of television shows I would love to
write for, perhaps none more than the Disney+ show, <i>The Mandalorian</i>. If you haven’t watched all 16 episodes released so
far but plan to, you might not want to read further. Spoilers await!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now that Grogu has gone off to train with Luke Skywalker,
where does Season 3 take the story next? Boba Fett and Fennec Shand are leaving
for their own show as is Ahsoka Tano so it’s doubtful any of those characters
will play a large role. Greef Karga and Cara Dune have been major parts of the
tale so far and both are still alive and hunting down bounties but Disney
announced the firing of Gina Carano, the actress who plays Cara Dune, last
night based on her "abhorrent" political posts on social media. Showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni could always recast the role,
but a clean break might be best. Perhaps they’ll kill her off but continue Karga’s
friendship and business arrangement with Din Djarin.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Moff Gideon seems set for a return as one of the primary
antagonists, but who else is likely to play a large part and what is their
objective?<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bo-Katan and Koska
Reeves<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s pretty clear that the Darksaber and the battle for
control of the Mandalorian home planet will be one of if not the major
storyline next season. Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves formed a mutually beneficial
alliance with Din Djarin in Season 2, but now that our hero has possession of
the weapon Katan needs in order to claim the throne and the only way to
legitimately wield it is to win it via combat, it seems a fight between these
allies is on the horizon. Katan and Reeves didn’t interest me as much as some
of the other characters the show offered up in its first two seasons, but a
visit to the heretofore unseen planet of Mandalore could prove interesting. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Migs Mayfeld <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Of all the new characters introduced beyond Djarin and
Grogu, none of them are more fun than Migs Mayfeld. Played by funnyman Bill
Burr, this mercenary and sharpshooter is always good for comic relief. Marshall
Cara Dune freed him from a long prison sentence after he helped with an assault on
the Imperial refinery on Morak where he proved to be a valuable partner to
Djarin. It isn’t out of the question that their paths might cross again someday
soon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Maz Kanata<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">One of the best characters to come from the final trilogy of the Skywalker saga holds a mystery that Season 3 could solve for us. How did the Pirate
Queen of Takodana, Maz Kanata wind up with Anakin’s old lightsaber? She gifts
it to Finn, but we never learn how she came to possess it. Adding Maz to the
cast for Season 3 via a visit to her castle and showing us these events would
tie a welcome knot in one of the series most frustrating loose ends.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Fan Service<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">The first two seasons brought us an ugnaught, the AT-ST, jawas,
Tusken Raiders, banthas, the Krayt dragon, Twi’leks, the Mon Calamari, Bib
Fortuna, a Gamorrean, and a host of other callbacks to the original film
trilogy. Which additional old friends and enemies might make an appearance in
Season 3? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I think one of the most likely things we’ll see is a return
of one or more of the remaining six bounty hunters introduced in <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>. Boba Fett of
course played a major role in Season 2. The bandaged but human Dengar probably
isn’t a good candidate since the role would need to be recast based on how long
it’s been since his first appearance. Bossk was alien, but mouth articulation
might prove difficult if the character were to have more than a few lines of
dialogue based on the mask the actor would need to wear. IG-88 is the same type
of assassin droid as seen in Season 1 with the IG-11 character so its return is
unlikely as well. The two remaining hunters, the insect-like 4-Lom and Zuckuss
however would be great callbacks. Din Djarin watched his ship get destroyed
near the end of Season 2 so he’ll be in the market for a new one. Ships aren’t
cheap. What better way to earn the credits to buy a replacement for the Razor Crest than to sign up for
another big job with a crew of similar hard cases. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of shopping for a new spaceship, how about a visit
to the Corellian shipyards? Han Solo’s home planet made its first film
appearance in <i>Solo: A Star Wars Story</i>.
A return visit might prove eventful, especially if Djarin runs across the
nefarious bounty hunter Mercurial Swift, a character introduced in <i>The Aftermath</i> novels by author Chuck
Wendig. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You don’t get much cooler than riding tauntauns across the
snowy tundra or fighting giant AT-ATs in a snowspeeder. Episode 10 of <i>The Mandalorian</i> mostly took place on an
icy planet named Maldo Kreis so another snow-filled adventure might be deemed
repetitive, but if Djarin visits any more of the planets from the original
trilogy, I’d love to see Hoth from <i>The
Empire Strikes Back</i> as one of them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And finally, what about the rancor? We saw Luke do battle
with one of these giant monsters in the small confines of a pit below Jabba’s
palace toward the beginning of <i>Return of
the Jedi</i>. How about dropping Djarin into the middle of a pack of these
things roaming free on their home planet of Dathomir? Even better, while stuck
on the planet, <i>The Mandalorian</i> could
give us our first live action peek at the Nightsisters, an order of female Dark
side wielders who were introduced in Dave Wolverton’s novel <i>The Courtship of Princess Leia </i>and later
appeared in an episode of the animated <i>Star
Wars: The Clone Wars</i> series. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">There is no shortage of places, characters, and creatures to
visit in the Star Wars universe. We have at least another year to speculate
just what Season 3 will bring!<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-72480633513264619842021-01-11T13:20:00.000-05:002021-01-11T13:20:22.126-05:00From Novel to Screen – The Outsider<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXE-6L03jLMdLeyrMf2-HrkNz1s47jN53t3vIRijUVN8pvqmC0tRx_8elsCYlbsP43MLcBIEvwFwyKrlMCWy6SP_OLXTzIR5OdLrJ6DjJU0G17Mg9TTHJ1j1hX3SsxWS-nDc3jJDoe1dAO/s640/outsider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXE-6L03jLMdLeyrMf2-HrkNz1s47jN53t3vIRijUVN8pvqmC0tRx_8elsCYlbsP43MLcBIEvwFwyKrlMCWy6SP_OLXTzIR5OdLrJ6DjJU0G17Mg9TTHJ1j1hX3SsxWS-nDc3jJDoe1dAO/s320/outsider.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Matt Handle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Warning, this post contains spoilers.</span> If you haven’t read
Stephen King’s novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Outsider</i> or
seen the HBO mini-series based on the book, but plan to, read no further. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a horror writer and reader, I’m a fan of Mr. King’s work.
If you doubt it, check out one of my earliest <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2014/06/ranking-novels-of-stephen-king_13.html" target="_blank">posts</a> (which I’ve updated multiple
times) where I rank nearly every novel he’s written. While his books are almost
always good, screen adaptations tend to be a mixed bag. For every <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Shining</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Shawshank Redemption</i>, we’ve also got <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maximum Overdrive</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark
Tower</i>. Cerebral horror doesn’t always translate. I thought HBO’s take on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Outsider</i> was one of the better
television offerings of 2020 and unlike every other adaptation of his work, I
actually saw the show before I read the book. Having just finished the novel, I
took note of several key differences between the two versions and thought they
might be worthy of some discussion here on my blog. Some of screenwriter Richard
Price’s changes were for the better, others not so much.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Character of Holly
Gibney<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the most striking differences between the novel and
the series is the casting of Cynthia Erivo as the paranormal detective Holly
Gibney. She’s a character who first appeared in King’s Bill Hodges trilogy so
even though I saw this series before I read the book, I had a preconceived
vision of this character having read all three of the previous books the
character appeared in. Erivo delivers one of the series’ stronger performances,
but I couldn’t shake the feeling she was someone other than Gibney. Gibney is
described as pale, gray haired, and worryingly thin in the books. Erivo is none
of those things. I don’t think the casting choice was necessarily good or bad, it
was just a major departure from the author’s vision. Personally, I always
pictured someone like Lili Taylor in the role. Both women are fine actors. It’s
interesting to ponder whether more traditional casting might have made a major
difference in how the character was perceived.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Anderson’s Son, Derek<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My favorite change Price introduced is what he did with
detective Ralph Anderson’s son. In the book, teenage Derek is off at camp. He’s
a parallel of victim Frankie Peterson in that the detective relates to the
horrific tragedy of the child’s murder because he has a son of his own, but Derek
is never at risk or a real player in the novel’s events. The series presents
Derek as deceased, a victim of cancer. This death is still fresh on Anderson’s
mind, an open wound that haunts him and has scarred him badly. I thought this
change made the detective a much more interesting character and made his
questionable tactics against Terry Maitland at the start of the story more
plausible. Actor Ben Mendelsohn always delivers, but this backstory really gave
him something to work with.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sex Sells?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I liked Erivo’s portrayal of Holly Gibney, I didn’t
see the purpose of adding a love affair between her character and Andy
Katcavage, a former detective and current security guard who doesn’t exist in
the novel. I suppose the idea was to help show another side of Gibney, but the
affair (and Katcavage himself) felt unnecessary to the main storyline. Given
Gibney’s peculiar nature and her savant-like focus on the case she’s working,
why would she wind up in bed with a man she barely knows and doesn’t seem to
have much in common with?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Climactic Battle<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The final battle between our heroes and the villain changes
significantly from the book to the series as well. In the novel, Anderson and
Gibney descend into El Cuco’s subterranean lair where they realize Anderson
cannot shoot it because it will cause a cave-in. As a result, Gibney saves the
day via using a handmade weapon that is a callback to her tutelage under Bill
Hodges. In the series, Anderson shoots the monster which causes a cave-in but
our heroes escape. The series also presents a post-battle tease that suggests
Gibney might have been infected by the monster, hinting at a possible second season.
Personally, I prefer the book’s finale. It’s conclusive; it’s unique, and
ultimately more satisfying. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bottom line, you can’t go wrong with either version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Outsider</i>. Both are solid horror fun,
differences and all.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-49299937480466929002020-12-30T12:23:00.003-05:002022-12-08T01:13:34.339-05:00The Best Free Short Speculative Fiction of 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdv7Ne5y1NrHOzWq4dhdZMOKPYAgBnQyPfCtV2OxJVcvAf8p5VHfJS_dFbKjVKQu9vI5TKYLKAGQ5Wo5ZVGX3R9PQXvn3KvIYd0FpfBosgOlbsJ4V-8_rHNBDAdsKsDGgJDMidgT1jUrV/s1280/raven.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdv7Ne5y1NrHOzWq4dhdZMOKPYAgBnQyPfCtV2OxJVcvAf8p5VHfJS_dFbKjVKQu9vI5TKYLKAGQ5Wo5ZVGX3R9PQXvn3KvIYd0FpfBosgOlbsJ4V-8_rHNBDAdsKsDGgJDMidgT1jUrV/s320/raven.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Alexas_Fotos at Pixabay</div><br /><p></p><p>It’s the end of the year so that means it’s time for my
annual Best Free Short Speculative Fiction list. I sold three shorts in 2020
myself. My flash fiction piece “<a href="https://fabulaargentea.com/index.php/article/tomorrows-dinosaurs-by-matt-handle/" target="_blank">Tomorrow’s Dinosaurs</a>” was published by <i>Fabula
Argentea</i>, my short story “Sister of the Weald” was included in Run Rabbit
Books’ <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQ8BQMK" target="_blank">Tiny Tales</a></i> anthology, and
another flash, “The Stony Gaze of Eternity” was sold to an anthology that
hasn’t been released yet. Keeping in mind that my taste runs toward horror and darker/grittier
sci-fi and fantasy, here is my list of the best free speculative short stories
published in 2020.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2020/10/28/the-little-witch-m-rickert/" target="_blank">The Little Witch</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The longest story on my list, this spooky tale of a witch
and her caretaker by author M. Rickert comes in at over 8000 words and was
published in late October on <i>Tor</i>’s website as the perfect Halloween treat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://apparitionlit.com/you-do-what-youre-told/" target="_blank">You Do What You’reTold</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This nightmarish tale from J.A.W. McCarthy of what a woman
endures from an unseen stalker builds anticipation until you might have trouble
sitting still and it was published in October by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apparition Lit</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/post/the-tender-searing-wind" target="_blank">The Tender, SearingWind</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Author Lora Gray made my list last year and they did it
again in 2020. This dark fantasy published in the August issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dream of Shadows</i> tells the tale of a
doomed young woman who searches for her own version of salvation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/dead-girls-have-no-names/" target="_blank">Dead Girls Have No Names</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Author Claire Wrenwood’s Frankensteinian tale of a mother’s
loss and a patchwork girl’s heartbreak in the August edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nightmare</i> suggests the world’s real
monsters still walk among us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.kaleidotrope.net/summer-2020/where-we-are-bound-by-kate-dollarhyde/" target="_blank">Where We Are Bound</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Give me a forest full of ghosts and brave girls fighting for
their village and I’m hooked. Author Kate Dollarhyde tells a spellbinding tale
in the Summer issue of Kaleidotrope.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://uncannymagazine.com/article/georgie-in-the-sun/" target="_blank">Georgie in the Sun</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Don’t let the title fool you. There’s nothing cute about
this sci-fi gothic tale of doomed love by author Natalia Theodoridou in the
April issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uncanny Magazine</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://mithilareview.com/fogg_03_20/" target="_blank">The Breaking</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This tale of a guilt-ridden sister and her younger brother
facing an alien apocalypse is reminiscent of “The War of the Worlds”. Written
by author Vanessa Fogg, this story was published in Issue 13 of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mithila Review</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/23/out-there" target="_blank">Out There</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the March 23<sup>rd</sup> issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New Yorker</i>, the jaundiced eye of writer Kate Folk guides us
through a near-future relationship that makes the travails of online dating
today look easy by comparison.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.novelnoctule.com/post/beyond-the-firs-by-michael-balletti" target="_blank">Beyond the Firs</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Novel Noctule just hit the short story scene at the start of
the year, but they’ve already published a dark jewel in this tale of a highly
disturbing painting by Michael Balletti.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/story/2020/Heart-of-Stone-Chris-Cornetto/" target="_blank">Heart of Stone</a><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chris Cornetto’s tale of a sentient relic awakening to
debate between searching for its former Master or serving a new purpose is my
kind of dark fable and it was published in the February issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metaphorosis Magazine</i>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you enjoyed these stories and want to find more like them,
check out these 20 websites. I bet you’ll find plenty to entertain you this
holiday season.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.apparitionlit.com/">https://www.apparitionlit.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://arsenika.ink/">http://arsenika.ink/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/">http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://dailysciencefiction.com/">https://dailysciencefiction.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thedarkmagazine.com/">http://thedarkmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/">https://www.dreamofshadows.co.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://escapepod.org/">http://escapepod.org/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://fabulaargentea.com/">https://fabulaargentea.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://flashfictionmagazine.com/">https://flashfictionmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.kaleidotrope.net/">http://www.kaleidotrope.net/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/">https://magazine.metaphorosis.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://mithilareview.com/">https://mithilareview.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/">https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/">http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.novelnoctule.com/">https://www.novelnoctule.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://pseudopod.org/">http://pseudopod.org/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.strangehorizons.com/">http://www.strangehorizons.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.tor.com/">https://www.tor.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://uncannymagazine.com/">https://uncannymagazine.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-84552446428978884442020-12-24T14:14:00.000-05:002020-12-24T14:14:25.645-05:00Ranking the Films of Christopher Nolan<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1GNXrFMdWmcVi5o3NsdI5H28yax3XpFX9oUBDPy9lwE4jx1RR2fZR5nv4TZEqdxmKXyi0vlb0mGAzx9tcjoRHW2i3cCMFWLXvqCDhLct3iS71_w_I_7Sc4Vvo5lE6YqqA3A8fAo6hV3C/s640/tenet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1GNXrFMdWmcVi5o3NsdI5H28yax3XpFX9oUBDPy9lwE4jx1RR2fZR5nv4TZEqdxmKXyi0vlb0mGAzx9tcjoRHW2i3cCMFWLXvqCDhLct3iS71_w_I_7Sc4Vvo5lE6YqqA3A8fAo6hV3C/s320/tenet.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Matt Handle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">It’s Christmas Eve and I finally got to watch Christopher
Nolan’s latest film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tenet</i>, last
night on <a href="https://www.redbox.com/movies/tenet" target="_blank">DVD</a>. I knew going in that many critics knocked it for being both
confusing in plot as well as difficult to keep up with because of the level of
noise drowning out the dialogue in certain scenes. The good news is neither of
those things bothered me much. Yes, the plot is complex and yes, some of the dialogue
is muffled, but neither of those complaints is why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tenet</i> fails to rank up there with the best of Nolan’s films. For
me,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>the movie’s failure is that Nolan
just got too clever for his story’s own good. I kept finding myself chuckling
over some nimble bit of science he throws at a scene, some inventive camera
trick, or just pondering how he managed particular action sequences. I was much
more interested in the how of the film rather than the what. I didn’t have much
invested in any of the characters or if they would win their battle over
opponents armed with “inversion”. I just marveled at the filmmaking logistics
Nolan challenged his self with. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tenet</i>
is definitely an achievement, it just isn’t particularly good story-telling. So
how does it stack up when compared to Nolan’s other 10 feature films? See below
for his worst to best.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Following (1998) <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nolan’s debut only clocks in at 69 minutes and was made on
the stringiest of shoestring budgets. It’s interesting and shows some of the promise
he soon delivered in his bigger budget films, but it’s the least of his works
in my opinion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dunkirk (2017) <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, yes, I know. This film was a critical darling that won
all sort of awards including three Oscars, but there’s a reason it’s got one of Nolan’s lowest rankings on IMDB. For all its prestige, it’s kind of indulgent
and for a war movie, it’s kind of boring. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Insomnia (2002)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This film boasts great performances by Al Pacino and Robin
Williams and an intriguing setting in an Alaska town where the endless sunlight
wears down a sleep-deprived detective who battles both a worthy opponent and
his own guilt. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Dark Knight Rises
(2012)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the last and the weakest of Nolan’s three Batman films.
Christian Bale is still great as the Caped Crusader and Tom Hardy makes a properly
menacing Bane, but the movie is at least 20 minutes too long and nothing Nolan
could do would match the villain and story of the trilogy’s second film.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tenet (2020)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Interesting theme, big set pieces, incredible action
sequences, but as stated above, the sum of this film doesn’t measure up to all
its parts. This movie is perhaps the best release of a dismal year in cinema, but
it isn’t nearly as good as the films that follow it on this list.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Batman Begins (2005)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nolan reinvented superhero films with this one and the genre
has been massive ever since. No longer campy with cringe-worthy dialogue and
ridiculous spandex costumes, this Batman was dark, gritty, and the direct predecessor
to what I believe is the best movie of its kind. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Memento (2000)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Following</i>
showed Nolan’s promise as a storyteller and director, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Memento</i> delivered on that promise. This is his second film and it’s
a knock-out. Utilizing the unique device of short-term memory loss, this movie
tells the tale of a man determined to avenge his wife’s death despite a
complete lack of recollection of anything that’s happened since she met her
demise. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Interstellar (2014)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s been six years since I reviewed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interstellar</i> on <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2014/12/interstellar-my-review.html" target="_blank">this blog</a> and the film holds up just as well today
as it did then. In fact, Nolan hasn’t made a film to match it since. Big,
ambitious sci-fi like this one is always a treat when it’s done well and this
one is exceptional. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and crew must travel
through a wormhole to save humanity at the risk of never seeing their loved
ones again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Prestige (2006)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This film boasts Nolan’s best cast ever including Christian
Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and maybe
my favorite David Bowie acting performance of all time. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Prestige</i> tells a tale about the cost of illusion and the
miracles of science and it includes one of my favorite images ever captured on
film, the forest of top hats.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Dark Knight (2008)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the greatest superhero movie ever made, bar none. I’m
not even a fan of the genre and I love this one. Christian Bale is superb as
always, but it’s Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker that
steals the show. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you defeat an
opponent who “can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with”? What if
that opponent simply “wants to watch the world burn”?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Inception (2010)<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally, my favorite of all Christopher Nolan’s films, his
sci-fi masterpiece, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inception</i>. Nolan put
together another fantastic ensemble cast for this one that tells the story of a
group of corporate spies who infiltrate the mind of a young industrialist in
order to plant an idea that will dramatically alter his company and his memory
of his recently deceased, unloving father. Nolan is known for his brilliant
ideas, complex narratives, and massive set pieces. <i>Inception</i> nails all three of
these trademarks.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-41804163753925026032020-12-02T17:06:00.000-05:002020-12-02T17:06:35.250-05:00Horror Hike Inspiration - Doll’s Head Trail<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PVHuvgI-8Z6XjFRj3OQRglmhrRXMJLt7M9sIbGJk3xo8hTdb9GWHQ5xDOtwCtY6yU9E2gErnVklhtlsh9w6nVnuGn6y8JMKjofvyipDO2vMBUswOLMMRxZ_nUrY8QdO3d-ZDz1B9xM-3/s2048/IMG_3074.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PVHuvgI-8Z6XjFRj3OQRglmhrRXMJLt7M9sIbGJk3xo8hTdb9GWHQ5xDOtwCtY6yU9E2gErnVklhtlsh9w6nVnuGn6y8JMKjofvyipDO2vMBUswOLMMRxZ_nUrY8QdO3d-ZDz1B9xM-3/s320/IMG_3074.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Credits: Matt Handle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">I’m lucky enough that my holidays tend to be full of
relaxation, good food, and family time. So where to find some inspiration for
my current creepy work-in-progress novel? This Thanksgiving weekend I decided
to find it on a hike along Doll’s Head Trail. Located near downtown Atlanta, this
short nature trail is built around a system of man-made ponds known as
Constitution Lakes that were once pits for a long defunct brick factory. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The trail isn’t particularly long or difficult nor does the
forested terrain stand out from other local nature walks, but what does make
this trail so unique and so perfect for my purposes is the loop at the end of
the hike. This loop features art made from found materials. Over the years artists
have collected trash from around the ponds and created some very creepy
tableaus that they have placed along the end of the trail to reward urban
explorers. If some of these don’t inspire the dark side of your imagination, I don’t know
what will. I hope you enjoy my pics below.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH8m3GjZ5aFkQEwhSyOAKiQypREJu6qmuTVH3AmGunjRits2xLqNCkPA-2WRCyCg4jD5M0hVqlTqbtKkOI_IKLb0w32Ijky9m7ELj0s4BvDTEgIZ1n9xUmSY2UQ4ItpeFekMVna3p44Q9/s2048/IMG_3087.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6XcP8KWxn2NC-aPZEBzFJ16oMQKRWPYNP7Ir-geJE9DcUS-o1aSiHUupxO6NzQLFjR8vtrzoUgdToggPpWzuenpehO7WiNC5pY2vQcBlABgZ-xrBms5BHfCcNDwG5FtADgAwAxEsI1jE/s2048/IMG_3086.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6XcP8KWxn2NC-aPZEBzFJ16oMQKRWPYNP7Ir-geJE9DcUS-o1aSiHUupxO6NzQLFjR8vtrzoUgdToggPpWzuenpehO7WiNC5pY2vQcBlABgZ-xrBms5BHfCcNDwG5FtADgAwAxEsI1jE/s320/IMG_3086.JPG" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH8m3GjZ5aFkQEwhSyOAKiQypREJu6qmuTVH3AmGunjRits2xLqNCkPA-2WRCyCg4jD5M0hVqlTqbtKkOI_IKLb0w32Ijky9m7ELj0s4BvDTEgIZ1n9xUmSY2UQ4ItpeFekMVna3p44Q9/s320/IMG_3087.JPG" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6axlP0H6f87jhzWBfKCGGEaAJOpZNSEVpURB_TLU9DLAAsVWTUC7yPZjUOsoybV3SNDd7kWY1DkMEZ5W92H3GSxidRLjavWMIeBM3gIX1kycvcZElgisF6KmI99kvCTRuyR54j2Xl-pe/s2048/IMG_3085.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6axlP0H6f87jhzWBfKCGGEaAJOpZNSEVpURB_TLU9DLAAsVWTUC7yPZjUOsoybV3SNDd7kWY1DkMEZ5W92H3GSxidRLjavWMIeBM3gIX1kycvcZElgisF6KmI99kvCTRuyR54j2Xl-pe/s320/IMG_3085.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKhNFtGVaV_DcgjkZHCpayeX-DwmMJzvoVSL8tZKIwDMlbNFepOyHmwPekBSGp913PlsYMZXoMH-u0wUHecA77-dCqlg6m1LpEPgOke4MQUa_Thu5_5_wt0FvKWGMQrhrP_6bUi5aqyxP/s2048/IMG_3084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKhNFtGVaV_DcgjkZHCpayeX-DwmMJzvoVSL8tZKIwDMlbNFepOyHmwPekBSGp913PlsYMZXoMH-u0wUHecA77-dCqlg6m1LpEPgOke4MQUa_Thu5_5_wt0FvKWGMQrhrP_6bUi5aqyxP/s320/IMG_3084.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw-OOMPoZGNt0rMb558_mm_NWSiN6GlTadUatY4OrMIXr9AP_vTanwyrcvq12FAzKgUMl6iDSCRDHSAyfZJL3BdQVomVoRWDvIzzyvqbgBWgW1X0kYSeOWuz50UskWftr5PP2oQ1DwE0O/s2048/IMG_3091.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw-OOMPoZGNt0rMb558_mm_NWSiN6GlTadUatY4OrMIXr9AP_vTanwyrcvq12FAzKgUMl6iDSCRDHSAyfZJL3BdQVomVoRWDvIzzyvqbgBWgW1X0kYSeOWuz50UskWftr5PP2oQ1DwE0O/s320/IMG_3091.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13D8omf3q4RuPAUfL2kTcVvvGL_RtwECHnpm3ZbILqLP1M9r9ZfdaP4tlBKr39XiHetsJD9kmTRSmAlTsAZUtNsgCIYKt1cevne46qitZx1HbHT0zhj81B3YGi_mEJy6tk9Fn26NFn8Ug/s2048/IMG_3066.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13D8omf3q4RuPAUfL2kTcVvvGL_RtwECHnpm3ZbILqLP1M9r9ZfdaP4tlBKr39XiHetsJD9kmTRSmAlTsAZUtNsgCIYKt1cevne46qitZx1HbHT0zhj81B3YGi_mEJy6tk9Fn26NFn8Ug/s320/IMG_3066.JPG" /></a></div><br />Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-2866812183308039432020-11-26T14:14:00.000-05:002020-11-26T14:14:14.403-05:00Giving Thanks in 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMnGjwuTTbVg9gdgPaqn-Kl_TY8e7641GKTQwyYaAkG2o4h-vRhuRl5rvPlK0Txe8fl_KJOtx-jzcCdqwjVHFk6dq-0VB2tzjv2kzznECaNn1SpojNg9xLnp7gYEs8xOk421CEDAEQRk0/s1280/thanksgiving-4654789_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMnGjwuTTbVg9gdgPaqn-Kl_TY8e7641GKTQwyYaAkG2o4h-vRhuRl5rvPlK0Txe8fl_KJOtx-jzcCdqwjVHFk6dq-0VB2tzjv2kzznECaNn1SpojNg9xLnp7gYEs8xOk421CEDAEQRk0/s320/thanksgiving-4654789_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Jill Wellington at Pixabay</div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Five years ago I wrote a <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2015/11/reasons-to-be-thankful-in-2015.html" target="_blank">post</a> giving thanks for the better
things that the year 2015 delivered. I didn’t feel the need to write similar
posts in the years since, but given how utterly shitty 2020 has been, I thought
maybe it was time to do it once more. Focus on the positive, right? As always, I’m most grateful for the
health and happiness of my family and friends. With COVID-19 running rampant
still, that’s more of a blessing than ever. However I doubt many of you came
here to read about me being sappy. You came to read what I thought was worthy
of praise this year in world media so that you can either nod your head in
agreement or scoff at my complete lack of taste. I take both reactions as a
compliment since it means you took the time to read this post! Without further
ado... <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t long ago that I bad-mouthed television as a lower
form of entertainment, a medium I felt couldn’t hold a candle to film. Times
change. Even before the pandemic wiped out theatres this year, TV was
delivering fantastic stuff like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Westworld</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watchmen</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stranger Things</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Narcos:
Mexico</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rick and Morty</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ozark, The Expanse</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mandalorian</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Killing Eve</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cobra Kai</i>.
Now with almost all theatrical releases on hold, television in 2020 was the
undisputed champ. My favorite new shows were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Outsider</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lovecraft
Country</i> on HBO but three other new shows on my Must Watch list - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ZeroZeroZero</i> on Amazon Prime, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raised by Wolves</i> on HBO Max, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Penny Dreadful: City of Angels</i> on
Showtime, prove great shows aren’t limited to just one or two networks. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Theatrical releases were minimal of course, but I did find a
few worth watching. Family films in the first quarter included <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Onward</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sonic the Hedgehog</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Call of the Wild</i>, all of which were entertaining. My favorite film of the
year so far was actually released on Netflix rather than the big screen. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Old Guard</i> delivered one the coolest
female bad asses ever in Charlize Theron’s Andromache and you can read more
about her and the film <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-old-guard-and-top-10-action-film.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I haven’t gotten a chance to see what I think
might wind up being my ultimate favorite film of the year, director Christopher
Nolan’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tenet</i>. The idea of wearing a
mask for 2.5 hours in order to see it at the theater just doesn’t appeal to me but
it’s slated to hit Redbox as a rental in mid-December and I’ll be one of the
first in line to snag it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As always, I’m behind on my reading. In fact the best book
I’ve read so far this year was published in 1939. Not exactly a new release! I’ve
been catching up on classic noir and absolutely loved <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big Sleep</i> by Raymond Chandler. The books published in 2020 that
I’m most excited about include the novella collection <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If It Bleeds </i>by Stephen King, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Agency</i>
by William Gibson, the continuation of the Avery Cates series in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Burning City </i>by Jeff Somers, and a
horror anthology entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Places We Fear
to Tread</i>. The anthology includes stories by Gwendolyn Kiste, Sara
Tantlinger, and several more up-and-coming authors who grace my Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Matt_Handle" target="_blank">feed</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally my musical tastes still run toward classic rock
and 80s pop so the newly released 1973 outtakes “Criss Cross”, “Scarlet”, and
“All The Rage” by The Rolling Stones were my favorite surprises, but my kids
did help me branch out a bit too. New songs that force me to tap my feet
whether I want to or not include “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Say So” by
Doja Cat, and “Physical” by Dua Lipa. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here’s to hoping 2021 is a better year for all of us, filled
with many more great films, shows, books, and music. Salud!<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-20112255877601295972020-09-15T21:24:00.007-04:002022-06-11T14:30:15.662-04:00Writing a Short Story That Will Sell<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0uEm03lVGRDSohxXrDvorsqHqqcNxGK-s4Hgu_Rfmn9-Hbjzk3W79oB8NRZFhClZsihEms_VvptQuuwF3F-XEdvVnbYRlc97nqiMaHGCATnQDn-j_vM18yI3DbqUKMBj3IsnIZvNUUp0/s1920/once-upon-a-time-719174_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0uEm03lVGRDSohxXrDvorsqHqqcNxGK-s4Hgu_Rfmn9-Hbjzk3W79oB8NRZFhClZsihEms_VvptQuuwF3F-XEdvVnbYRlc97nqiMaHGCATnQDn-j_vM18yI3DbqUKMBj3IsnIZvNUUp0/s320/once-upon-a-time-719174_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Pixabay</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The majority of my blog posts are opinion pieces but I’ve
been hesitant to give writing advice, because let’s be honest, who the hell am
I to give writing advice? I still don’t have an agent or a publishing deal. I don't know about you, but I tend to roll my eyes at so called experts explaining things to me when
I’ve never heard of them. That said, I have written and sold my share of short stories. Over the
past six years I’ve written around two dozen shorts and sold 15 of them. To be
sure, there are more prolific short story writers, more talented short story
writers, and more prestigious magazines than the ones I have been published in,
but I do know something of the topic I am about to write. So with all that said
if you’re new to writing and/or selling short stories I hope the advice below
offers some assistance. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Avoid clichés<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are a million story ideas you might come up with, but
some of them have already been done a million times. Editors know this
better than anyone. They’ve had to slog through those same/similar stories
again and again. Boring! Editors want something unique. They want a new spin on
that old tale, something that will intrigue the audience. Not sure which
stories are particularly stale? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strange
Horizons</i> provides a handy list of Don’ts for those of you who write <a href="http://strangehorizons.com/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/stories-weve-seen-too-often/" target="_blank">sci-fi</a>
or <a href="http://strangehorizons.com/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/horror-stories-weve-seen-too-often/" target="_blank">horror</a>. I bet you can find similar lists on other leading literary sites. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hook them early<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first two sentences of your story often make or break
you. Editors’ slush piles tend to be large so their patience is often limited.
If you make them wade through paragraphs of exposition before they get to the
good stuff, chances are, they’ll pass on your story. Furthermore, many sites
only provide a sentence or two of preview on the main page, hiding the rest of
the story behind a link in order to make the best use of valuable site real
estate. So even if the site purchases your story, if your first sentence or two
doesn’t hook the reader, guess what? The reader never clicks the link to read
the rest of the story. Want some examples of some great opening hooks? Try this
<a href="https://apparitionlit.com/our-roots-devour/" target="_blank">one</a> and several of <a href="https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/category/fiction/science-fiction/page/14/" target="_blank">these</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Create a story arc<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every short story, whether it’s a 10,000 word tale or nano fiction
needs a solid plot and/or a character that changes. I wrote about this in more detail
recently <a href="https://matthandle.blogspot.com/2020/06/character-arc-art-of-curve.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In short, entropy = death. Short stories aren’t just scenes, but
tales that need a beginning, a middle, and an end. The reader needs to be taken
on a journey of some sort. It doesn’t matter how interesting your setting or
character is if nothing happens to engage the reader.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stick the landing<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Okay, you’ve chosen an interesting story to tell; it’s got a
strong opening to get the reader’s attention, and it includes an arc from
beginning to end. What’s left? You need an ending that’s at least somewhat unpredictable
and more important, one that’s memorable. The best stories make us think and stick
with us long after we’re done reading them. If the reader sees the ending
coming long before it arrives, it won’t pack much of a punch. If the ending
feels too much like an ending the reader has read before in other stories, same
result. Want an example of a perfect 10 landing? Try <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html" target="_blank">The Egg</a></i> by Andy Weir.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Know the market<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, your story is done. You’ve written it, edited it,
reread it more times than you care to admit, and it checks all the boxes above.
Now you want to sell it, but how? You need to research paying markets, make yourself
a list, and become familiar with what they're looking for. Submit often and don’t
get discouraged by rejection. We ALL get rejected. One of my stories was
rejected 17 times before I found a buyer. Keep trying. I keep three separate
lists on my hard drive, horror, sci-fi, and literary. I update them monthly as
sites are born and die. To start your own lists, I recommend beginning your
research with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/" target="_blank">The Grinder</a></i> for a wide
variety of markets and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.darkmarkets.com/" target="_blank">Dark Markets</a> </i>which focuses specifically on horror. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Good luck and if you have questions, feel free to post them
below in the Comments section!<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-46024871690670024442020-07-27T20:37:00.000-04:002020-07-27T20:37:51.908-04:00The Best Live Film Adaptations of Comic Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGxIKCKxV4OTZRU_-w2VZ3RA4U7VC_zUUPtl48eLM6buaBlpYLHsMZoPlmgKUb-jjPaf2sTVwoqKxMCJHeu9C9h7laheiJpFPsDENoqS4xlEIXbJ3mhAgs7aHrIJIDB0gZvUBlKaq4dWX/s1600/comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="1280" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGxIKCKxV4OTZRU_-w2VZ3RA4U7VC_zUUPtl48eLM6buaBlpYLHsMZoPlmgKUb-jjPaf2sTVwoqKxMCJHeu9C9h7laheiJpFPsDENoqS4xlEIXbJ3mhAgs7aHrIJIDB0gZvUBlKaq4dWX/s320/comics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photo Credit: Pixabay</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the conclusion of this past weekend’s first all-virtual
<a href="https://www.comic-con.org/cci/2020/athome" target="_blank">Comic Con</a> it got me thinking, comic books and graphic novels get shrugged off
as lightweight in some corners, but there have been some pretty entertaining
films based on them over the years. I’m not talking about the superhero and
super villain films Marvel and DC churn out, but movies that you might forget
were born from comics instead of a more traditional novel or original
screenplay. Which ones stand out from the crowd? Here are some of the very best.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Crow (1994)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the film that started the tradition of great comic
to film adaptations for me. Alex Proyas directed this action-packed movie based
on the comic book by James O’Barr. It tells the story of a rock musician who is
brought back from the dead to avenge the murder of himself and his fiancée. Its
flashy visuals, exciting martial arts, and standout soundtrack all left their
mark on audiences but sadly it was the last film performance for star Brandon
Lee who died of a gunshot accident while on set. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">From Hell (2001)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Loosely adapted from a comic by Alan Moore and Eddie
Campbell, this film tells the story of Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel
Murders. Johnny Depp plays inspector Frederick Abberline who leads the
investigation while battling his own demons in the form of an opium addiction.
Moore is famous for his dislike of adaptations of his work and this movie is no
exception to that vitriol, but it’s a darkly entertaining film that still holds
up well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Road to Perdition (2002)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul Newman, Tom Hanks, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig did a
comic book movie? Yes, they did. Sam Mendes directed this Chicago gangster flick based on a graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins. Hanks plays against type
as a mob enforcer who decides to turn against his mentor and employers after
they fail to avenge the murder of his wife by one of their own. The movie is a
dark, violent, study on family and what it means to raise a son in a world
where loyalty often means death.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A History of Violence
(2005)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
David Cronenberg delivered this adaptation of a graphic
novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke and it boasts its share of star power too.
Viggo Mortensen plays a small town hero whose dark past comes back to haunt him
in the form of baddies played by Ed Harris and William Hurt. Like so much of
Cronenberg’s work, this one features some extreme violence and enough twists
and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sin City (2005)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This hyper-violent tale directed by Frank Miller and Robert
Rodriguez is based on Miller’s graphic novel and uses a similar visual style.
It stars a huge cast of well-known actors and showcases a series of hard-boiled
vignettes about the cops, prostitutes, gangsters, and murderers who populate
the fictional Basin City and their often bloody struggles against one another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Constantine (2005)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a DC Comics film so some might consider it a cheat
for this list, but I don’t think of the title character as a superhero.
Constantine, played by Keanu Reeves, is a chain-smoking, cynical paranormal
detective who has come back from the dead and now has the ability to see and
interact with the angel and demon half-breeds who constantly battle on earth
for the souls of men. When he meets a police detective who asks for his help
investigating her sister’s death, he finds they’re up against no less than the
Devil himself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">V for Vendetta (2005)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Written by the Wachowskis of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Matrix</i> fame and based on a comic by the same Alan Moore who
wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From Hell</i>, this film focuses on
a young woman’s liberation from the tyrannical forces that control the
government and kill all who oppose them. Her liberator, a masked vigilante
known only as V, teaches her the true nature of how the government came to
power and how to fight back. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">30 Days of Night (2007)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my favorite horror films ever, this movie is based on
a comic series written by Steve Niles. A small town sheriff in Alaska finds his
town overwhelmed by a host of vampires who arrive to feast on his townspeople
during a month-long polar night. With no outside communications, no hope of
daylight, and a blizzard that blocks all roads out of town, it’s up to the
sheriff and a few fellow Alaskan denizens to defeat the vampires before there’s
no one left alive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Edge of Tomorrow (2014)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure, the title of the Japanese graphic novel this Tom
Cruise movie is based on, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All You Need Is
Kill</i>, is much cooler, but the film is still a good one. Cruise plays a
media relations expert in the near future who winds up being demoted to grunt
in order to fight and die in an alien invasion. Through a strange twist, he
finds that every time he dies, he is reborn to live out the day again. Leveraging
this power he is able to become an increasingly effective soldier as he is
trained by a battle-hardened Sergeant played by Emily Blunt who has used the same
rebirth talent in her efforts to defeat the aliens once and for all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atomic Blonde (2017)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2017 was a great year for movies and one of the year’s best
is this action film based on Antony Johnston’s graphic novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Coldest City</i>. Starring Charlize
Theron as MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton, her character must travel to Berlin
during the Cold War in order to retrieve a list of undercover agents that was
stolen from a murdered fellow spy. Set to a fantastic soundtrack of 80s pop,
Broughton fights, races, and seduces her way through a series of adversaries
and allies as she works to complete her mission while determining exactly who
is on which side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did I leave one of your favorites off the list? There are
plenty more good ones to choose from. Here are some Honorable Mentions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>300, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Old Guard, Oldboy, Red,
Wanted </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2455140135398254169.post-28510225697644703112020-07-11T17:01:00.000-04:002020-07-11T17:01:20.248-04:00The Old Guard and Top 10 Action Film Female Bad Asses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovJQrEnB1biFcg_y75bYxMI3Yl_7lp3wn6aIgJikgYS_Ita1vLIK3nxx0QXTTZ_GCXnnm_wDEMkwNX5USsw3_sz002i_nHAJ8awGmGvR9ezRwWGXaIdD8fKDwYMSDWmp8faSMNz03onlO/s1600/old+guard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovJQrEnB1biFcg_y75bYxMI3Yl_7lp3wn6aIgJikgYS_Ita1vLIK3nxx0QXTTZ_GCXnnm_wDEMkwNX5USsw3_sz002i_nHAJ8awGmGvR9ezRwWGXaIdD8fKDwYMSDWmp8faSMNz03onlO/s320/old+guard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo Credit: Netflix</div>
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<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I watched the hot new Netflix offering<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old Guard</i> last
night. Based on a comic book of the same name, it tells the story of a group of
immortal soldiers led by millennia-old Andromache of Scythia (now known as “Andy”)
and their battle against an evil pharmaceutical executive who wants to harvest
their DNA to cure disease and drive his company’s stock price through the roof
of the fancy downtown tower where the film’s action-packed finale takes place. Charlize
Theron plays the lead and like just about everything else she does, she nails
it as the guilt-ridden bad ass heroine with a tragic backstory. It got me
thinking, who are the best female bad asses in action movie history? Here are
my picks in a countdown from 10 to 1.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10. Lucy in Lucy (2014)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scarlett Johansson has starred in several action movies over
the course of her career, but this one is my favorite. Writer/Director Luc
Besson has a knack for the genre and this story of an unwitting woman who taps into
the full power of the human brain via an overdose of a new synthetic drug and
uses it against the cartel who created it is a fun ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9. Sofia in John Wick:
Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Johansson, Halle Berry has played tough before, but
never has she been more of a bad ass than she was in the third installment of
the John Wick franchise. Watching her character Sofia fight side-by-side with Keanu
Reeves’ John Wick was a blast even if the movie’s script doesn’t hold up to the
original. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8. Ilsa Faust in
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every one of the films in this long franchise is
entertaining, but Rebecca Ferguson brought a welcome shot of female adrenaline
to this fifth installment as British agent Ilsa Faust. She holds her own
against Tom Cruise’s series lead Ethan Hunt and wound up making other series
newcomer Jeremy Renner feel like an afterthought. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7. Miho in Sin City (2005)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several murderous women in this stylish hard-boiled
thriller from Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, but my favorite is the mute, deadly
sword-wielding assassin Miho. Played by Devon Aoki, she does a number on dirty
cop Jackie Boy that’s one of the highlights of the movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. Alice in Resident
Evil (2002)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure, like just about every film based on a video game, the
writing in this one is pretty sub-par, but there's no denying Milla Jovovich’s
appeal as zombie-killing heroine Alice. From the iconic slinky red dress to the
inventive scene in the laser hallway, Alice definitely makes an impression.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5. Jane Smith in Mr.
& Mrs. Smith (2005)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Angelina Jolie could have filled half this list, but I
limited myself to just one of her roles and picked Jane Smith. This film is a
blast and the chemistry between her and costar Brad Pitt was so palpable no one
was surprised when they wound up getting married in real life. That marriage
didn’t have quite the same happy ending the film did, but that doesn’t take
away from our fun as an audience. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. Sarah Connor in
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the earliest cinematic examples of the modern female
bad ass, Linda Hamilton nailed the part of Sarah Connor in both the original
film and this sequel. Going against Arnold Schwarzenegger in his muscle-bound prime,
you’d better bring your action A-game and she did. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. Lorraine Broughton in
Atomic Blonde (2017)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Starring in another film based on a graphic novel, Charlize
Theron is both brutal and sexy as MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton. Sent to solve a
murder in Berlin in the midst of the Cold War, Broughton’s mission includes a
series of fantastic fight scenes, a great car chase, and one of the best film
soundtracks ever. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. Beatrix Kiddo in Kill
Bill (2003)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, technically this movie was broken into two chapters,
but I’m counting both because there is simply no choosing between Uma Thurmond’s
performances as The Bride. Writer/director Quentin Tarantino has written
some of film’s best characters ever, but vengeful mama assassin Beatrix Kiddo
might take the cake. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. Ellen Ripley in
Aliens (1986)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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For me, Sigourney Weaver’s four turns as alien-fighting
Ellen Ripley represent the matriarch of the film female action hero. No one
before her took what was traditionally a male role and made it something truly
female and yet still completely bad ass. She was great in all four of the
movies she did in this franchise, but this 1986 sequel was the cream of the
crop. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Andromache didn’t quite make my list and I’ll bet plenty of
you would argue for some other characters and films I left out, but if you’ve
already seen these 10, I highly recommend you add <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Old Guard</i> to your Netflix queue. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Matt Handlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14569345853580132922noreply@blogger.com0