I think of you whenever I become enraged, Mr. Ellison, because you taught me it's okay to be incensed. Thanks to you, whenever I form an opinion, I make certain that it's informed. Through your acute words and that stinging edge in your voice, you've inspired me to scream, to rejoice...to write.
Sometimes, when translated right, your work could delight, as it did in the "Outer Limits" classics, "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "Soldier": without which no Terminator would have ever risen.
Other times, you were dissatisfied with the results, as in "Star Trek'"s "City on the Edge of Forever", but what's proven so touching to so many comes all from you.
"Grail" remains my prime reference on love; "One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty", my savored reference on boyhood; and your "Dangerous Visions" and "Angry Candy", worthy of continual consumption.
The world already feels vapid without you, Mr. Ellison, but your fables, your wit...your goddamn audacity will never perish. For that, I'm forever grateful...forever in your debt.
New Pulp updates are flyin' high in June's Airship 27 Podcast!!!
In this installment, Captain Ron Fortier and Chief Engineer Rob Davis discuss Airship 27's "Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol 12", for which Davis supplies both interior and cover imagery: the latter of which pays homage to the great Jeremy Brett.
The enclosed illustrations are rendered exclusively via pencil for this volume: a first-time ever for Davis, who's inked all prior images for Airship 27's Holmes releases. The pencil technique allows more detail to shine through Davis' award-winning style. (BTW: "Holmes Vol 12" should be available for purchase in the near future. Hooray!!!)
Fortier and Davis also discuss Wayne Carey's new Allan Quatermain adventure, "The Lightning Bird". The novel, which just hit print, keeps Rider Haggard's exalted explorer in the deserved limelight, accompanied by a dazzling, Graham Hill cover and impressive, Clayton Hinkle interiors.
In addition, expect a nice, eclectic blend of martial arts and fast-shootin' escapism via Barbara Doran's "Wu Dang: Fist of the Wanderer", which features a stunning Davis cover and spiffy illustrations by Gary Kato; plus some rousin' scoops on "Bass Reeves: Frontier Marshal Vol 3" and Fortier's highly anticipated sequel to Mark Justice's "The Dead Sheriff".
Dive in for an hour of New Pulp fun at ... http://comicspodcasts.com/2018/06/25/airship-27-podcast-40/ .
You were one of the most beautiful women ever to grace film, Ms. Lund: a prime reason so many of us eagerly viewed "Land of the Giants", in which your dear, late husband, Don Matheson also starred.
Your captivating qualities also enriched such productions as "Batman"; "The Incredible Hulk"; "T.H.E. Cat"; "General Hospital"; "Burke's Law"; "Laredo"; "The Loner"; "One Life to Live"; "Search"; "The Waltons"; "Dimension 5"; "Doctor Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine"; "Elves"; "Hardly Working"; "Hammerhead"; "Johnny Tiger"; "Obsessed"; "Out of Sight"; "Paradise, Hawaiian Style"; "Spinout"; "Stick"; "Sting of Death"; "Tony Rome"; "Transylvania Twist"; and "Witch Story".
Your fans will miss you greatly, but always savor your pristine work. May you find as much bliss and glory in the blessed Hereafter as you did on bountiful Earth...
I like dinosaurs and therefore, dinosaur movies. I'm real old school, though, when it comes to the movie behemoths, as you may recall from my June '15 "Jurassic World" review.
Truly, I don't dislike the "Jurassic" series; but if the installments were presented in one glorious, marathonic lump, the combination couldn't match any of the following on their individual merits: "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms"; "The Giant Behemoth"; "Gorgo"; "Dinosaurus"; "The Land Unknown"; "The Land That Time Forgot '74"; "The Lost World '25"; "The Lost World '60"; "Journey to the Center of the Earth '59"; "King Kong '33"; "Son of Kong"; "The Beast of Hollow Mountain"; "Valley of Gwangi" ..."Caveman".
Allow me to clarify: Though I respect Michael Crichton's "Jurassic" concept (a knockoff of his pioneering "Westworld"), I find the franchise (whether in literary or cinematic context) hampered by pseudoscience overload. To boot, the films look dark and fuzzy, like the filmmakers wish to shadow their flaws. The adventures also spew annoying children, who dart around at the most inopportune times, thus cluttering the tension. (I can't stand whiny kids in real life, so why the hell would I want 'em screwin' up a giant-monster movie, unless they're going to be eaten alive, and let's face it, that ain't gonna happen.)
On the positive side, the "Jurassic World'"s sequel, "Fallen Kingdom", stays in step with its predecessor (the most straight-forward since the original, I believe) by minimizing much of the gobbledygook. And still, by hook or by crook, "Fallen Kingdom" manages to distance itself from those wonderful, dino movies I grew up with. Why, oh why?...
Directed by B.A. "the Orphanage" Bayona and written by "Jurassic World" scribes, Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, the island specimens this time require rescue from volcanic demise, only to be transported to a different locale for a different means of remunerative gain.
Chris Pratt is once again the hero, his Owen Grady perfect for an Indy Jones recasting (alas, executive producer Steve Spielberg favors the lame Indy Jane idea); and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing, a would-be Marion Ravenwood/Willie Scott. Grady and Dearing make quite an altruistic, though quarrelsome duo; even when assisted by Justice Smith's Franklin Webb and Danielle Pineda's Zia Rodriguez, who are equally altruistic and argumentative. Grady's pet raptor, Blue, becomes as much a part of this good-guy queue, leaving the other gargantuas full reign to claw apart the volatile scenery.
(If the truth be known, "Fallen Kingdom'"s creatures are lifted from proposals drawn prior to "Jurassic World", where bipedal, soldier reptiles were to have engaged in clandestine missions. The same concept, more or less, applies to this film, but clearly without the humanoid attributes. I imagine "Fallen Kingdom" might now act as a prelude to bring those ideas to the screen. We'll see...)
As the film's lead villain, Eli Mills, Rafe Spall surpasses the prior chapter's Vincent D'Onofrio's Vic Hoskins in duplicity. Mill's reckless, self-serving need to sell the creatures for profit is downright Faustian, giving the film's subtitle richer meaning. It also makes Mills as dangerous as the specimens he peddles: a demon devoid of redemption, or so one could argue.
To parenthesize Mill's actions, James Cromwell's Sir Benjamin Lockwood; Ted Levine's Ken Wheatley; and Toby Jones' Gunnar Eversol are just as driven, though each in his own way, while Geraldine Chaplin's Iris and Isabella Sherman's Maisie help form a mysterious twist. (At long last, it's good to see such deep-rooted drives fuel an entire "Jurassic" story, for as we know, there's no tenacity--or ferocity--quite as strong as the human kind.)
Beyond a doubt, "Fallen Kingdom'"s callous, profiteering zeal (so preachy in its anti-capitalistic/militaristic goal) separates it from the other chapters. On the other hand, no matter what the villainy or how intelligent the coerced goods might be, we still face many of the same cliches, including smoky passages and those been-there-done-that, obligatory chases. Okay, granted, sameness can be good for the sake of inserting Jeff Goldblum and B.D. Wang cameos, but there comes a point when all that incessant screamin', scurryin' and splashin' blurs one entry into the other. "Fallen Kingdom" becomes but another frustrating appendage, even with the novelty of dinos placed on the auction block.
Listen, I wouldn't mind if Universal/Legendary Entertainment pumped out "Jurassic" films until the last triceratops stomped home, anymore than I'd have ever minded if Paramount/New Line continued forever and a day with "Friday the 13th". However, to keep something at the top of its game, it's gotta stay a smidgen fresh. (Think about it: Why else would Sean Cunningham's bloody brainchild be put on hold, while the "Alien" and "Predator" franchises continue?)
Hell, I'm not saying that "Jurassic" needs to spit in the eye of tradition like Kathleen Kennedy has with "Star Wars", but for cryin' out loud, aren't we overdue for some reasonable progression? Why not fashion a full-blown, dinos-attack-a-city story? I know that's nothing new in the giant-monster game, but this franchise has yet to venture full force into it. (Okay, maybe that would be politically incorrect by "Jurassic" standards.) How 'bout an entire movie taking place in damn daylight, where monsters and humans converse without haze or rain or billowing dust? Now, that would be quite a welcome change.
Anyhow, regardless of its preeminent predictability, I suppose "Fallen Kingdom" is still a decent way to kill some time and resume a sentimental urge to (re)watch similar films.
For me, though, it won't be any of the "Jurassic" line. I'm edgin' toward Hammer's "One Million Years B.C." You remember that one, don't you? It sports all those wondrous, bright, Ray Harryhausen stop-motion effects ... the one where Raquel Welch and Martine Beswick claw at each other in fur bikinis? Oh, yeah, my kinda dino flick...
Jim Main Enterprises has just released PPFSZT! #43 (Summer Issue '18), and holy cow, what a mighty, cryptic spree it is!!!
In case you're wondering, PPFSZT! covers a variety of imaginative subjects and some of the coolest, experimental fiction and detailed illustrations that one will find in today's competitive market.
Issue 43's stories are "Cold War Casualty", a symbolic excursion by Link Huller; "The Daughter Wins! (Sort of)", a Sherlock Holmes sequel to "The Detective's Daughter", by Mike Maloney; "Prisoners of the Ice Kings: Part 1", an icy, seafaring sojourn by Roger C. Keel; and "Worthless Monster", a comic-reprint of cosmic irony from Journey Into Comics #8, written by Charles T. Smith and illustrated by Paul Legrazie.
In addition, Tom Ahearn; Doc Boucher; Troy Boyle; Kevin Duncan; Sam Gafford; Marc Haines; and John Lambert complement the issue with their artistic interiors. There's even a striking, Snake Plissken centerspread (by Boyle and Haines); and for the back cover, a vibrant, Mothra/fairies tribute by legends, Jeff Austin and Rock Baker. Of course, there's also Anthony C. Gray's swell Stonehenge cover that's sure to catapult one's vibes to a splendid, mystical high.
To supplement the package even further, good ol' Jim Main gives us a warm "Publisher Speaks"; a fan-letter section; and a handy United Fanzine Organization (UFO) checklist to ensure readers stay in touch.
I give PPFSZT! #43 an avid thumps up: the most fun I've had in many an eccentric moon.
If you're interested in purchasing a copy of PPFSZT! #43, send a check or money order of $5.00 to Jim Main, PO Box 93, New Milford, CT 06776. You'll be darn glad you did!
For those who dig the odd and irreverent, AMC's "Preacher: Season 3" begins June 24 (10 pm). It might be beneficial to watch the series from the start, now with the previous seasons queued for convenient consumption, but then this show's skewed view doesn't require an orthodox perspective.
The series, based on the DC/Vertigo odyssey by Steve Dillion and Garth Ennis, stars Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, our collared protagonist; Ruth Negga as his "lady fair", Tulip O'Hare; and Joe Gilgun as their bloodsucking buddy, Cassidy. They're on a quest to find God, who for whatever unreasonable reason, remains on the lam.
Last season, Graham McTavish debuted as the enigmatic Saint of Killers, buffered by Pip Torrens as the treacherous Herr Starr; while Ian Colletti paralleled events as the tragic Eugene Root/Arseface, accompanied by Noah Taylor as Adolf Hitler: the latter pair apparent prisoners/fugitives of Hell. Betty "Split" Buckley; Colin "Falling Skies" Cunningham; and "Nashville" stars Jeremy Childs and Liz McGeever now distinguish the Season 3 ensemble.
As much as I revere the show's bold bent, "Preacher" isn't a hundred percent my cup of tea. Often its socio-political droppings rub me the wrong way: its snarky residue lacking a clear-cut take on good and evil. When I do decide to watch, I must force myself to get into the right (or rather, wrong) mood, and sometimes I wonder why I even bothered. (The idea of Hilter portrayed as sympathetic has been damn jarring.) Now, my lament doesn't mean I believe the show is devoid of worthy food for thought, for it does present some interesting designs on life and death and (despite the vague elucidation) right and wrong, though its conceptual borders generally get blurred to a frustrating fault.
Since Season 2, the series has turned much more "On the Road". Along its dusty trail, producers Seth Rogan, Sam Catlin and Evan Goldberg have planted thematic traces of "El Mariachi"; "From Dusk Till Dawn"; "Pulp Fiction"; "Evil Dead"; and when it's dared to get holier-than-thou, "Star Trek V: the Final Frontier" (and therefore, "Way to Eden", "The Apple", and "Spectre of the Gun", per precursor association).
Sometimes the show strives too hard to be clever with its gory slapstick and garrulous emulations, when I suspect it could succeed on its own quirky accord. As Custer swings back to his childhood station, Angelville, we'll see just how focused and unique the scenarios can be...or not.
Anyhoo, if you're seeking somethin' different, yet sprinkled with distorted, theological and pop-cultural citations, "Preacher" might be that freakish gem to hit the spot.
"Luke Cage" returns to Netflix for Season 2 (June 22), where all 13 episodes will be locked and loaded for superheroic gorging.
The series' star, Mike Colter has earned praise for his Marvel icon portrayal in "Jessica Jones", "The Defenders" or his initial, self-titled outing. Mind you, this isn't the character most of us grew up with (if I had my way, Colter's Cage would be constant Power Man yellow shirt and shiny belt); nonetheless, as far as Marvel's modernized (i.e., less flashy) Cage goes, Colter has nailed it.
Much of the success stems from Colter's cool, calculating demeanor. Harlem's humble hero isn't a brute, even though he springs from tough turf. He's a thinking man who'll pound an opponent into the ground only if the desperate moment requires it. Then again, if his temper should ever get the best of him, Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple is usually nearby to snuff the indignant flame.
Per Neflix, Season 2's big villain is John Bushmaster (Mustafa "the Cavern" Shakir), aka the Power Master. Like Cage, Bushmaster is bulletproof, but Caribbean born and a New York mobster. In comic lore, there have been several Bushmasters, who've combated both Cage and Iron Fist; so, even though mythical liberties have been taken for Season 2, the concept will still graze its Marvel context.
This live-action Bushmaster sounds formidable, but is he up to the task? These Netflix shows do sway toward surprising misleads. Season 1 sure as hell taught us that. (I suppose if Bushmaster fizzles, we'll still have Alfre Woodard's Mariah Dillard prowling the criminal corridors.)
Colter claims that Season 2 emits a more brooding tone than the initial, which concentrated on mob interplay, but considering Bushmaster's background, why would the second stretch be much different, even if spiked by darker depths? On the other hand, the trailer does convey a distinct vengeance element, after Cage's mettle is tested in a most mortifying way.
No matter how things develop, this new engagement should spark interest among fans, ensuring that "Luke Cage: Season 2" becomes another powerful pillar in Netflix's expanding, Marvel foundation.
