tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78347942106356719212024-02-07T01:17:45.841-05:00Saturday SerialThe rantings and ravings of a lover of all things pulp and Saturday morning adventure.R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-19037312634595839182017-08-13T10:22:00.000-04:002017-08-13T10:22:17.167-04:00Childe Roland to the Cinema Came
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FG4weI_xL8E1i_18YES4vLhFbxGsgpuiTHK6eJExpx4Mf3dMWTbtvwEdIVxV8BOvlsZjl1gVv8Gc8igG0Xer2EdlXmDkWOyzMkZ2f71AlsvPOCDQYGs5dUxxlVBN37JUD7hbOmr6L3s/s1600/b4f43ef847d22012524fa97ccbac1986-the-dark-tower-named-lowest-no1-opening-of-summer-2017-yet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FG4weI_xL8E1i_18YES4vLhFbxGsgpuiTHK6eJExpx4Mf3dMWTbtvwEdIVxV8BOvlsZjl1gVv8Gc8igG0Xer2EdlXmDkWOyzMkZ2f71AlsvPOCDQYGs5dUxxlVBN37JUD7hbOmr6L3s/s320/b4f43ef847d22012524fa97ccbac1986-the-dark-tower-named-lowest-no1-opening-of-summer-2017-yet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Idris Elba as Roland, The Gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey as Walter, the Man in Black</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><i>The man
in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed….</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> One of the best opening lines to any
novel I have read. As a lover of pulp these words sang to me. And I met the
news of a film adaption of The Gunslinger by Stephen King with apprehension and
anticipation. Both feelings were justified and my concerns were realized with
the film’s release. I will try to keep spoilers minimal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> For the five people in the world
that don’t know The Dark Tower film is based on a lengthy series of books by
Stephen King that he was not even sure he would finish. Of course, I have my
opinion on whether he should have or not. Which in turn King said was inspired
somewhat by the poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came by Robert Browning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> The series follows Roland Deschain,
the last Gunslinger, a knight on a doomed quest to save the Dark Tower from the
man in black, Walter, a wizard for all intent and purpose. The Dark Tower, a
nexus point in the universe that holds it all together is being assaulted. If
the Tower falls Darkness reigns. The story brings Roland a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ka-tet</i>: his own Round Table, Peers, or gathering of heroes to aid
him on his quest. Overall after spanning between our world and Mid-World, to
Thunderclap, it all ends badly. The End…..Kinda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Therein is why The Dark Tower did
not perform well. Try to take Lord of the Rings and condense it into an hour
and half movie. It took nearly twelve hours of celluloid to do that and many
fans were still unhappy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Had I not read the books, was I not
a fan, if I couldn’t have sat back to watch the movie as its own entity, I
would not have been able to enjoy it. Even strong acting and imagery can only do so much
especially for a summer movie season filled with super heroes and the Star Wars
hype looming in the background. That is a lot of heavy lifting for any movie to pull off. </span><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4LeKL7bBHolEXg8VT0T0k-TJeI-k4lw9B6Dkw6FnRgf-H1rZnbIKflNm7r1bdo1McIrVBUEa7DDcuTMHmkm77p2J9LwbQsou8Uc3L1Z66nkSKGTc4PTrZBpCoEuzgIeBCceszX_Mh3Q/s1600/the-dark-tower-600x889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4LeKL7bBHolEXg8VT0T0k-TJeI-k4lw9B6Dkw6FnRgf-H1rZnbIKflNm7r1bdo1McIrVBUEa7DDcuTMHmkm77p2J9LwbQsou8Uc3L1Z66nkSKGTc4PTrZBpCoEuzgIeBCceszX_Mh3Q/s320/the-dark-tower-600x889.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
Sony, like many of what should be
surefire wins for them, dropped the ball. With, what appears to be
over-cautious husbanding of resources and a lack of ability to go big, The Dark
Tower is another in a long line of write-offs for them. The Dark Tower should
have been as epic as King’s Magnum Opus, but better. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> I have railed that every movie does
not need to retell the hero’s back story over and over again. We know how Bat-Man
and Spider-Man came into being. We know Kal-El is the last son of Krypton. But
we don’t know as a viewing public to a film how Roland became the last
Gunslinger or that his life has been an inevitable journey to the moment he
stood before the Tower and Remembered the Face of his Father very well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Roland needed his back story, he
needed more than an hour and a half to tell his story. The Epic conflict and
its world building that was fresh, new and different. There was the haunting
familiarity and parallels to this world. So many lost opportunities for Roland’s
ka-tet to be explored. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Had Sony slowed down, took their
time to tell a more complex story with the promise to offer more, The Dark
Tower would have had a stronger draw and would have been a profitable
franchise. Instead, they offered a jumble that left casual movie goers scratching
their heads, trying to understand what they had just watched. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78f3jPfYfyA9_mETQbJBCfEp8GSy7GoZ89wTzeh58RDB0K6tc0LF6h1vUSnHR_tIee0RkiPGg0z-ytQkY3ctAU_TTepLqlTHYNLGSyq3aqPN5jwRBbGOsRT1N0G9hg96ujBou0gjeJKk/s1600/dark-tower-i-the-gunslinger-art-roland-deschain-jake-chamber-slow-mutants-michael-whelan-stephen-king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78f3jPfYfyA9_mETQbJBCfEp8GSy7GoZ89wTzeh58RDB0K6tc0LF6h1vUSnHR_tIee0RkiPGg0z-ytQkY3ctAU_TTepLqlTHYNLGSyq3aqPN5jwRBbGOsRT1N0G9hg96ujBou0gjeJKk/s320/dark-tower-i-the-gunslinger-art-roland-deschain-jake-chamber-slow-mutants-michael-whelan-stephen-king.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Whelen, Roland against the slow mutants</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Leave all the other claptrap behind. I enjoyed the movie from Idris Alba as Roland to Matthew McConaughey as Walter, the Man in Black. Tom Taylor did well as Jake Chambers: Roland’s talisman and apprentice Gunslinger to defeat Walter. The visuals of Mid-World as a world that has “moved on” were well done and the battle sequences showing off Roland’s “little tricks” with his guns were spot on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Until that strong adaption comes
about I wish Roland and his companions Long Days and Pleasant nights. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk-IsyBaKhQUjwDmZ27XDKUvjoxjByIA6NKkfvMG0HzuLoBNIjqUVZXK9o2KKOYmY0X2kuIL5rV4GcE5yCdSyI8JufalSs5wcjNmD0X4oecfh_CNv8-13GcjkkwdDDaei8dVmOF8Kd6U/s1600/gunslingeronbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="651" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk-IsyBaKhQUjwDmZ27XDKUvjoxjByIA6NKkfvMG0HzuLoBNIjqUVZXK9o2KKOYmY0X2kuIL5rV4GcE5yCdSyI8JufalSs5wcjNmD0X4oecfh_CNv8-13GcjkkwdDDaei8dVmOF8Kd6U/s320/gunslingeronbeach.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Whelen, Gunslinger on the Beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-19410535602252697172017-05-21T11:51:00.000-04:002017-05-21T11:51:59.802-04:00Asheville Comic Con After Action Report <br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was a blast! That is all….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No, not all. I wish I could post more pictures of the
awesome cos-plays, and the general crowd. I was just too busy at my own table
to wander much, and took far too few pics! But cos-play pics can be found on
their Facebook page. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1559937314035975/?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22timeline%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22surface%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D&source=22&action_history=[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22timeline%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A[]%7D]&has_source=1&pnref=story" target="_blank">Asheville Comicon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This was the first year for the convention put on by the
League of Extraordinary Geeks, Zumbawolf Cosplay and Pmpfan13 Cosplay. I couldn’t
tell you the numbers but the turnout was great, set back in the Agriculture
Center in Fletcher, NC, think cattle yard but much nicer, in the Expo Center
with awesome AC! Almost 90 degrees outside and people wearing sweatshirts
inside. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxg0q95Ukx_v8PiG5q357ibhIB04TQ42xUh-30k-_XvrWECg9OCD8KK1JF73jzJ-TQrwOxgza6JZi81zeQNt3rZFE1cOTpVCSkUE3I2YPNGPK4r4jW7LzmNYFXYJ-k3eIYz7qTk-ei5A/s1600/me+and+the+author.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxg0q95Ukx_v8PiG5q357ibhIB04TQ42xUh-30k-_XvrWECg9OCD8KK1JF73jzJ-TQrwOxgza6JZi81zeQNt3rZFE1cOTpVCSkUE3I2YPNGPK4r4jW7LzmNYFXYJ-k3eIYz7qTk-ei5A/s320/me+and+the+author.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, I loaded up the yellow beast, my Jeep, with table bling (the
bloody shield wouldn’t fit) the Erlik Saga books with awesome art by <a href="http://munsonx.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Michael Munson</a>, and to the mountains I went. Those that have been to Asheville, NC
already know how gorgeous the drive is, but it was particularly nice with the
green valleys and low hanging mist. Then though a green tunnel of trees in
Fletcher to the Expo Center. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">With my trusty sidekick Stephen Light Fingers, (if ever a
kid exemplified the innocent wonder and fun of Kender, it’s this one), we got
set up to sell. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">That was the purpose but not the reason. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I forget why I love doing this, not the writing, but doing
conventions. It’s the sheer fun of fandom and the people. You don’t need to go
to Disney to see adults having a child-like good time. Even those with their
kids, or grandkids, that have not been involved in a fandom taking it in with an
unabashed smile on their faces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I want to thank all the folks that visited my table. Those
that bought a book, said hi, and commented on the beautiful sword nearby. To
just talk about their own love of all things geekery, Dropkick Murphys and
Great Big Sea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A special thanks to <a href="http://www.timetunnelcomics.com/" target="_blank">Jacob</a> and <a href="http://timmymacs.com/" target="_blank">Timmy</a> for letting me come play
in their yard. And a thanks to all those that bought books like Molly, Buddy
and Steven of the Kilt. A shout to Walter who attended his first con ever and
loved it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Check out my vendor neighbors: Kayla Leonard at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeasonoftheGeek" target="_blank">Season of the Geek</a> (Look for the Blue Call Box) and J. Rutland with his <a href="https://jrutlandart.com/" target="_blank">Robot (Samurai) Penguins</a>, and the spooky cool <a href="http://www.antlerhillmusic.com/" target="_blank">Antler Hill</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Closing time actually came too soon. Here is looking forward
to the next show in Asheville and the next convention to experience all again. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-64918283755254192442017-04-16T22:20:00.000-04:002017-04-16T22:33:06.401-04:00Ilustrated Havamal by Sam Flegal<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Havamal was written down around the 9<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> or 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
century, and like most Northern European literature it was put down after
Christian conversion. Attributed to Odin as “sayings of the High Ones” collected
in the Codex Regius around the 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century it is like many other
sayings and advice from other cultures on how to conduct oneself and how best to
live. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There are numerous sources and places where the work is
gathered, one in particular is an illustrated version that I backed as a kick
starter from <a href="http://www.samflegal.com/" target="_blank">Sam Flegal</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sam is an impressive artist and not because I am partial to
his Nordic themes. He can be found here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="http://www.fatefulsigns.com/" target="_blank">Fateful Signs</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The hard bound edition is a quality production with a red
cover and pen and ink art throughout. Flegal utilizes the 1923 translation by
Henry Adams Bellows with annotations on stanzas themselves, in their relations
or how they might have been combined though not related or from different
authors. The right column is English translation with the Norse to the left. The
stanzas are laid out in the traditional “books”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">His table of contents consist of introductions followed by
seven sections. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Wisdom of the High One<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Story of Odin and Billing’s Daughter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Odin and the Mead of Song<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Odin’s Tale of the Runes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A List of Charms</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>A couple of my personal favorites:</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>On friendship:<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">A bad friend<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">is far away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">though his cottage is
close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">To a true friend<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">lies a trodden road<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">though his farm lies
far away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><strong>Work Ethic:</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Wake early<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">if you want<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">another man’s life or
land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">No lamb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">for the lazy wolf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">No battles won in
bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Again, like many of
the sayings of other cultures, the Havamal of the Norse resonates today. Sam
Flegal’s edition is a beautiful work to find that timeless advice. </span></div>
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R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-33671334177627729102015-08-07T09:52:00.000-04:002015-08-07T09:52:06.685-04:00Podcast: Brannon (Ashy) HollingsworthI just wanted to spread the news. My good buddy co-author and sometimes public-house wingman, Brannon (Ashy) Hollingsworth was featured in a recent podcast with <a href="http://rockingselfpublishing.com/brannon/" target="_blank">Rocking Self-Publishing Podcast</a>. <br />
This master of self-promotion touches on the business model that is Four Fools Press which has been dubbed a "publishing cooperative". <br />
So he talks about the writing process, multitasking, and what <a href="http://www.fourfoolspress.com/" target="_blank">Four Fools Press</a> is all about! <br />
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So here is the link with all the gobbledygook: <a href="http://rockingselfpublishing.com/brannon/">http://rockingselfpublishing.com/brannon/</a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HV9Y8JMcyz4/VcSx-G8DGNI/AAAAAAAAB3k/-n2jQ9V4M1w/s1600/bio_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HV9Y8JMcyz4/VcSx-G8DGNI/AAAAAAAAB3k/-n2jQ9V4M1w/s200/bio_pic.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brannon (Ashy) Hollingsworth<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.fourfoolspress.com/p/who-are-we.html" target="_blank">Four Fools Press:</a> Four Fools Press is an all for one and one for all publishing organization formed by several good friends with a common love for writing, adventure, and getting the opportunity to make a little money along the way. Ultimately, to us, this endeavor is all about having the opportunity to tell stories and having someone enjoy what we've done.<br /><br /> Four Fools Press is as much a publishing venture as it is an experiment: We're trying to do the self publishing thing in a totally different way. By dividing the work load of writing, editing, layout, art design, and marketing each of us in Four Fools shoulders part of the responsibility of producing quality digital creations. <br /><br /> So, if you're interested in top shelf story telling, compelling characters, beautiful art, and well composed tales, this is the place for you! And, if you like a little "crazy" thrown in as well, then our name says it all. We welcome you to try our products, and let us know what you thinks, precious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.fourfoolspress.com/p/brannon-hollingsworth.html" target="_blank">Brannon Hollingsworth</a>: Brannon Hollingsworth was born to create. An author, speaker, poet, publisher, game designer, content creator, script writer, art director, and unapologetic Christ-follower, Brannon is a passionate creator and teacher of youth who promotes family-oriented ministries. Brannon is the proud father of five, four of whom are home-schooled. By day, he writes and produces entertainment and educational content from his top-secret, hidden base in north Alabama. By night, he creates new ideas with boundless enthusiasm.<br /><br /> Brannon is the co-author of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006OQUHOS/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">H20</span></i></a><span style="font-size: small;"> the novel, the first in the Eternal Elements Series, from AMG Publishers. His other recent works include the comic "</span><a href="http://www.drivethrucomics.com/product/152390/Sundered-0" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Sundered</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">", for </span><a href="http://daegames.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Awful Good Games</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">, “Tenet’s Tale”, part of the mosaic novel </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I6E4D6/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Skein of Shadows</span></i></a><span style="font-size: small;"> from Dark Quest Publishing; “Firestarter”, part of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUKX526" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">The Guestbook</span></i></a><span style="font-size: small;">, an Amazon best selling horror anthology from Four Fools Press, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UKBZDD8/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">The Truth Is Out There</span></a></i>, the first part in the new supernaturally-laced Tenet's Tales series, and last but not least, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZXRWS2I" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Robot Dad</span></i></a><span style="font-size: small;">, which is his first foray into fully illustrated children's' books.<br /><br /> Brannon has also been published extensively in the role-playing industry, writing fiction and designing games for several publishers including: <i>Paizo Publishing</i>, <i>Sword & Sorcery Studios</i>, <i>Green Ronin Press</i>, <i>Bastion Press</i>, <i>Sovereign Press</i>, <i>Necromancer Games</i>, <i>Atlas Games</i>, <i>Fantasy Flight Games</i>, <i>Eden Studios</i>, <i>Skeleton Key Games</i>, <i>Ignitus Innovations</i>, <i>Wandering Men Studios</i>, <i>Dark Quest Games</i>, <i>Ambient, Inc</i>., and <i>Citizen Games</i>. Brannon has also been published in several role-playing periodicals such as <i>Dragon Magazine</i>, <i>Gaming Frontiers</i>, and <i>The EN World Player's Journal</i>. He was also a co-creator and producer of his own card based role-playing game, <b>Untold</b>, called “…a clever idea well executed…” and “Excellent” by<i> Forbes</i>.<br /><br /> Brannon’s publications are not limited to game design and fiction, however, as he also creates online content, such as educational and entertainment videos for sites such as YouTube, Udemy, Curious, PublicVine, and others. Recently, a children's video series he wrote and co-created, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePicTrain" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">The PicTrain</span></b></a><span style="font-size: small;">, was optioned by TBN, the Trinity Broadcast Network, also known as the largest Christian cable channel on the planet.</span> </div>
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R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-77774634862155453512015-03-10T23:00:00.000-04:002015-03-10T23:00:38.370-04:00Introducing the newest addition to the jester's table of writing fun from Four Fools Press. Davis Riddle. I had the pleasure of meeting Davis at Omega Con in Birmingham Al. eons ago along with the majority of the Fools. A great student of history and an outdoor adventurer and do it yourselfer. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag82AQRYSt86J3euIvfDkSA61faYbMJW3udPpCkIBhyZsAZ61mTirjjB6vPtK7JA2DLbqYYnc_cXecKVvKBl7d8HmfwZHGoykrLvmUKIuBLhQW63CC-zFS_VTEXAT7mbSA1LNPwbrP6E/s1600/davis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag82AQRYSt86J3euIvfDkSA61faYbMJW3udPpCkIBhyZsAZ61mTirjjB6vPtK7JA2DLbqYYnc_cXecKVvKBl7d8HmfwZHGoykrLvmUKIuBLhQW63CC-zFS_VTEXAT7mbSA1LNPwbrP6E/s1600/davis.jpg" height="320" width="261" /></a></div>
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Possessed with an enduring love of the outdoors and an explorer’s soul, Davis started backpacking before he was old enough to shave. Tied with his love of the mountains, where good hard stone could be found under foot, is a passion for experience. He has hiked with nothing but a traveling kilt and a bed roll through the mountains, drank from running streams, bathed in roaring waterfalls, and slept in the wilderness in earshot of mountain lions. <br /><br />He has flown in antique bombers, slept on floating warships, chased tornadoes, swam salt-marshes, descended into abandoned mines, and ate his meals on the crumbling remains of a lost fortress. His explorer’s heart has brought him miles down lonely bayous to explore forgotten Spanish ruins, led him on journeys down the mighty Mississippi River where he slept on desolate islands, and guided him through the remnants of ghost towns now lost to the world from Hurricane Katrina’s wrath.<br /><br />Davis has conducted workshops in creative writing and has led numerous backpacking expeditions in Alabama, Georgia, and the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. Following Hurricane Katrina, he was involved with relief efforts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, roofing disaster sheds, running chain saws, as well as flying numerous damage-estimate flights in a small, two-seat Cessna.<br /><br />Davis E. Riddle is married with two children and lives in southern Mississippi.<i> </i>He is a consulting forester and president of his own firm. He also teaches mathematics, bringing his real-world experience to students in the rural South. His other works include the novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933300825/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #999999;">Rise of the Dark Son</span></i></a>, as well as “Boared to Death” in the horror anthology <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUKX526" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #999999;">The Guest Book</span></i></a>, “Fiend Fighter” found in the mosaic novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I6E4D6" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #999999;">Skein of Shadows</span></i></a> by The Wandering Men, “Mountain Ghost” in <i>Southern Fried Weirdness</i>, as well as the web serial “Grey Beginnings.” R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-63208427941088191942015-02-21T14:55:00.001-05:002015-02-21T14:55:27.226-05:00Signing the Guest Book: A Writer's Retreat
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past Valentine Weekend was the first writer’s retreat
for Four Fools Press. This quickly became a tag line since this ill-fated
venture kicked off on Friday the 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>. We found ourselves in a
secluded cabin in the middle of the woods with little cell reception, no
internet to speak of, and we sat directly on the Eastern and Central time zones.
One side of the room was an hour behind the other. You see where this train is
headed right? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Six writers in the woods…. Friday the 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>…. Yup
one anthology of horror and silly homages to the genre and good natured ribbing
at each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWfnARcXbWzgZrIhxGD5jcOpvZPoyjFeBXzoIk3REKtz29By76H7NnU7EIzFxUbLZ3J9FnCeZbbG-iabOwINwe-tdne0vGcTafcNakBWdbJaVUhazLB_mVvUSMGNuCiNqag2EpwsT8x8/s1600/WR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWfnARcXbWzgZrIhxGD5jcOpvZPoyjFeBXzoIk3REKtz29By76H7NnU7EIzFxUbLZ3J9FnCeZbbG-iabOwINwe-tdne0vGcTafcNakBWdbJaVUhazLB_mVvUSMGNuCiNqag2EpwsT8x8/s1600/WR2.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corey Blakenship and Brannon Hollingsworth<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The actual get together was not as pretentious as it sounds. It was six guys
who love beer, food, and camping. It was deer camp, without rolling out of bed
early to get to the deer stand. But it was also a creative smorgasbord of
ideas, brain storming, and working on individual projects without the
interference of normal life and especially actual jobs. Writing and the end
result: publishing, is hard work. It just doesn’t seem like it when it is fun,
rewarding, and feeds the soul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The location of course lent itself to the idea and joke that
we were a horror movie waiting to happen. So we decided that a horror anthology
was the answer to this all too obvious situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was not to be an anthology of separate horror tales
with a central theme, like having it all take place in a secluded cabin on
Friday the 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>. No, that is too easy. No, we were going to write
about the same events, happening at the same time, to the same people, from six
perspectives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The result became <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUKX526" target="_blank">The Guest Book</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjuAESfyma5paBAPUzfyAK5EP-8m5iJv1OLSpcmadaCNdrEmEE-bfNVbAmVGjit3kv2XXGmXWO0GJBf07THuFUdP6WlMg2LmZaCdDSEzqvyxPpaDOKvyYL89T5OTN1x-5c8Ba_4EjAI4/s1600/Front+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjuAESfyma5paBAPUzfyAK5EP-8m5iJv1OLSpcmadaCNdrEmEE-bfNVbAmVGjit3kv2XXGmXWO0GJBf07THuFUdP6WlMg2LmZaCdDSEzqvyxPpaDOKvyYL89T5OTN1x-5c8Ba_4EjAI4/s1600/Front+page.jpg" height="400" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The news paper account of the mysterious events</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a Free For All with only a few ground rules for
something that might resemble consistency. I shall not state them here as they
would lead to some spoilers for the actual story. I will only give the List of
Tales to be found within: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Red Rum</strong> By John Langley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Running Scared</strong> by Corey Blankenship <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Firestarter by</strong> Brannon Hollingsworth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Boared to Death</strong> by Davis Riddle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>20 Paces</strong> by R.R. Hunsinger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Road Rage</strong> by Brannon Hall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P3ySOORIhJdo0aKUkaH84CHGveRoNPClTyyjcLBe2I0DS_GL21_hXlOGPDefr44wqdw4GJWaeY1SY5csyAeRhnlp_yMc10ogUKFbWAzK__Lth2gESsZDi8-IKHFGqiIESv6fp26CL6E/s1600/WR7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P3ySOORIhJdo0aKUkaH84CHGveRoNPClTyyjcLBe2I0DS_GL21_hXlOGPDefr44wqdw4GJWaeY1SY5csyAeRhnlp_yMc10ogUKFbWAzK__Lth2gESsZDi8-IKHFGqiIESv6fp26CL6E/s1600/WR7.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brannon Hollingsworth and John Langley </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">John Langley and Davis Riddle authored the Prologue and
Epilogue respectively. Brannon Hollingsworth Edited the anthology and Brannon
Hall the art direction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The events within the anthology, that really clocks in at
about 10,000 words so in essence a collaborative short story, the resemblance
to the actual authors is frighteningly accurate only in caricature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a horror story that is part stream of consciousness and
Hat Tip silliness read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUKX526" target="_blank">The Guest Book</a> and let me know what you think. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXMMSADyLo3W0VJiO_neW6zB9evRKV-Lt5N7oVsfEnjAY7Z6bq-Vx4Sepad40G2i4fh2o9kI3lYWsDrA3D5xwEdbHXgMf5UflrVDheSnM4gnYg6RIpp1wuQSACM_43DTYpp4F6AJtG0o/s1600/Writers+Retreat+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXMMSADyLo3W0VJiO_neW6zB9evRKV-Lt5N7oVsfEnjAY7Z6bq-Vx4Sepad40G2i4fh2o9kI3lYWsDrA3D5xwEdbHXgMf5UflrVDheSnM4gnYg6RIpp1wuQSACM_43DTYpp4F6AJtG0o/s1600/Writers+Retreat+2015.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Brannon Hall, Brannon Hollingsworth, Davis Riddle, R.R. Hunsinger, John Langley, and Corey Blankenship</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0Mentone, AL, USA34.5795282 -85.590520434.5272267 -85.6712014 34.6318297 -85.5098394tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-63248616483064581942015-01-12T11:24:00.001-05:002015-01-12T11:24:38.719-05:00Four Fools Author: Corey Blankenship<br />
<br />
Introducing a talented young man who is a story teller and wanderer in the old Celtic style. <br />
Be sure to check out his collection of poetry that ranges from thrilling adventure as the sagas of old to the introspection of a man alone before a camp fire. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H6ljtwIYy0Mv8GarPGZQdPmke-cqvAd2HfvpaF_y62EheApcJTxHCsFSgF8ZqIEyGNxWcmK8-vN5DkeWiuEF_ERhvta8kbCGE4Cern2p6djKjTb0ja4bzrRfF6KQeVK3gqItDjPGVX4/s1600/81+DHQ5mH4L__SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H6ljtwIYy0Mv8GarPGZQdPmke-cqvAd2HfvpaF_y62EheApcJTxHCsFSgF8ZqIEyGNxWcmK8-vN5DkeWiuEF_ERhvta8kbCGE4Cern2p6djKjTb0ja4bzrRfF6KQeVK3gqItDjPGVX4/s1600/81+DHQ5mH4L__SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S46SE78/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb" target="_blank">Wander's Musings and Mutterings</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />I’ve been a traveler since a wee lad and a lover of literature almost as long. My favorite tales come from myth, British literature, and Medieval lore. I would have loved to have been a Medieval traveling scholar, a bard, or simply privy to the British think-tank known as the Inklings. That said, I am thankful for my own adventures, educational exploits, and literary brotherhood. I spend my “free” time continuing the life of a peregrine storyteller--exploring, reading old or obscure books, writing my own, and connecting with people across cultures. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMBjAQfg6mxAXaayVoaQK_0Bb9AQ1LTy2QWM2ksihRm_JFvdkwOg0HPDY7yxEHLZzh-A_naIsRPL5x9yZLfoqSpzkI7cXbD73Va2gdk_SO2EYo6zIqUTiWV3KreZazfWm156KNQadOE/s1600/Corey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMBjAQfg6mxAXaayVoaQK_0Bb9AQ1LTy2QWM2ksihRm_JFvdkwOg0HPDY7yxEHLZzh-A_naIsRPL5x9yZLfoqSpzkI7cXbD73Va2gdk_SO2EYo6zIqUTiWV3KreZazfWm156KNQadOE/s1600/Corey.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S46SE78/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb" target="_blank">Corey Blakenship</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMBjAQfg6mxAXaayVoaQK_0Bb9AQ1LTy2QWM2ksihRm_JFvdkwOg0HPDY7yxEHLZzh-A_naIsRPL5x9yZLfoqSpzkI7cXbD73Va2gdk_SO2EYo6zIqUTiWV3KreZazfWm156KNQadOE/s1600/Corey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMBjAQfg6mxAXaayVoaQK_0Bb9AQ1LTy2QWM2ksihRm_JFvdkwOg0HPDY7yxEHLZzh-A_naIsRPL5x9yZLfoqSpzkI7cXbD73Va2gdk_SO2EYo6zIqUTiWV3KreZazfWm156KNQadOE/s1600/Corey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMBjAQfg6mxAXaayVoaQK_0Bb9AQ1LTy2QWM2ksihRm_JFvdkwOg0HPDY7yxEHLZzh-A_naIsRPL5x9yZLfoqSpzkI7cXbD73Va2gdk_SO2EYo6zIqUTiWV3KreZazfWm156KNQadOE/s1600/Corey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMBjAQfg6mxAXaayVoaQK_0Bb9AQ1LTy2QWM2ksihRm_JFvdkwOg0HPDY7yxEHLZzh-A_naIsRPL5x9yZLfoqSpzkI7cXbD73Va2gdk_SO2EYo6zIqUTiWV3KreZazfWm156KNQadOE/s1600/Corey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
You can find these traveler's tales at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S46SE78/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb" target="_blank">Amazon</a> for Kindle!</div>
R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-68420127020540593362015-01-10T21:26:00.001-05:002015-01-10T21:26:09.965-05:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: red;">Rod
Taylor: RIP</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It has
made the rounds that Rod Taylor has passed away at 84. The stories ran in <a href="http://news-briefs.ew.com/2015/01/08/rod-taylor-dies/" target="_blank">EW</a> and
out of Australia <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/australian-actor-rod-taylor-dead-at-84-legendary-star-suffers-a-heart-attack-at-la-home/story-e6frfkp9-1227179390543" target="_blank">here</a>. And of course other numerous outlets. He starred in
films like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Birds</i> and of course
the film that impacted me <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Time
Machine</i>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZOpF4iuk2OECfVj3YrkPrh8qBio6xc9fu_Qn_cy2q1ZaXJHlbVQpaat8lF1hzSQLhKlm_pnfh3gT5BVnR5AGNTysrLxwDJRKBFrrMfH7JzeFHjHodqqULj2-unuFKyGHLKOoIbak1Fs/s1600/RodTaylorTheTimeMachine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZOpF4iuk2OECfVj3YrkPrh8qBio6xc9fu_Qn_cy2q1ZaXJHlbVQpaat8lF1hzSQLhKlm_pnfh3gT5BVnR5AGNTysrLxwDJRKBFrrMfH7JzeFHjHodqqULj2-unuFKyGHLKOoIbak1Fs/s1600/RodTaylorTheTimeMachine.png" height="174" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This is
more about my experience with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Time Machine</i></b> and Rod Taylor as
the lead in that awesome film rather than Rod Taylor the actor. To eulogize the
man here is to only repeat what his family and other fans have said about him
and his body of work over the years. Better that I focus on how he was to me in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Time Machine</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Time Machine</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> was a novel by H.G Wells,
published in 1895. This is now the well-known tale of human hubris, the horror
of mutually assured destruction, and strong social commentary. All wrapped in
an epic adventure that helped set the tone not only for the sci-fi tales that
would come, but time-travel as a sub-genre all its own.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdw0pO2pbivALyfT3Ow1H8QGYfcB1X1frxK8oB1G0vzjhOWpbpBXNiflTf65z0kSwtd1UNgrgJMZWywl37UVW6PZc8-oS-JHPlbFHEbjbgJmBYCAb1PA2QVGF3Fn83NhqsH1v3yCozD4/s1600/Brown,r_time_macine60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdw0pO2pbivALyfT3Ow1H8QGYfcB1X1frxK8oB1G0vzjhOWpbpBXNiflTf65z0kSwtd1UNgrgJMZWywl37UVW6PZc8-oS-JHPlbFHEbjbgJmBYCAb1PA2QVGF3Fn83NhqsH1v3yCozD4/s1600/Brown,r_time_macine60.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The 1960
film that stared Rod Taylor was this and more. This film also introduced me, subconsciously,
to the Renaissance Man as a pulp hero. This was not the Over The Top Man of
Bronze, but a thinking man’s hero all the same. A match for his adventure
intellectually as well as physically. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rod
Taylor, playing H. George Wells an inventor (the novel only called the narrator
The Time Traveler), invites his friends to dinner at the turn of the 20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
century and appears quite dramatically with an amazing story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The film
sees Wells witness the First and Second World Wars and then witness the
destruction of his world through nuclear destruction. He is entombed for millennia,
to find himself in the year 802,721, where he becomes embroiled in the gruesome
relationship between the elfin, surface dwelling Eloi and the trollish subterranean
Morlocks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The movie
ends with Wells in his own time with his cautionary tale, but then returning to
the far future to the waiting Weena. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZR_lT9FyR0a8nYc1NAMFwSBsb67BpeFBO4YzLGnlXCc-r4aEwqxXyXm11CgDeFRdEaxCpj5-Ffeqzuo6dNLKvIV-pBXLXoytfdcE-XQ1SFbq1e9DFNRwM6NJHGpzfIQBGC9U9Ql1iXE/s1600/la-et-mn-five-memorable-roles-from-actor-rober-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZR_lT9FyR0a8nYc1NAMFwSBsb67BpeFBO4YzLGnlXCc-r4aEwqxXyXm11CgDeFRdEaxCpj5-Ffeqzuo6dNLKvIV-pBXLXoytfdcE-XQ1SFbq1e9DFNRwM6NJHGpzfIQBGC9U9Ql1iXE/s1600/la-et-mn-five-memorable-roles-from-actor-rober-001.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This was
the best of all the films and adaptions of Well’s story as far as I am concerned.
The time lapse filming, the sphinx, the sets and of course the glowing eyes of
the Morlocks made this movie all kinds of awesome to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Taylor
looked like an adventurer, of course he had the leading man good looks, but his
physical presence spoke of his ability to handle the hardships ahead. He also
carried himself with intelligence and insight. When he is among the Eloi he
seeks the knowledge that was lost, he asks after books and finds them to be
little more than book-shaped piles of dust. He rails against the loss of
knowledge and the degeneration of the human race, himself holding intellect and
science that truest, greatest pursuits of man. Yet, this hero takes to the
Morlocks with thundering fists. He practically weeps at the folly of man that
led to its near total destruction, in the end, he abandons man to his fate to
return to the far future to help them start again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When he
departs his friend David Filby (Alan Young) sees books are gone. When Well’s
house keeper asks after them, Filby replies: “Which would you take?” Of course
what books would you take to restart civilization? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The hero
Rod Taylor portrayed is an icon of boyish adventure. He stands with Guy
Williams’ Zorro, Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood, and James Mason’s Captain Nemo in my
Saturday Matinee reality. I appreciate that late actor for creating that celluloid
hero for me to emulate in my back-yard play as a boy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Thank
you, Sir. </span></div>
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R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-75149929763916884432014-12-12T07:36:00.000-05:002014-12-12T07:36:55.676-05:00Weregild: Erlik's Story Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QOE1GN6" target="_blank">Weregild</a> is out and ready to go. This short story takes place ten years before the events of Tides of Fate. As the blurb says: <strong>Among the warriors of the North the price of leadership is paid in blood. Bonds of kinship and patronage are torn asunder in a killing haze. Young Erlik Rowenson's skein is bound in threads of iron and gold</strong>.<br />
The son of Efelwere Ring-breaker is tested and must face a challenge of his own making to secure his place among his father's reavers. It is a clash of steel and wills among the Wolves of the North!<br />
This tale is a prequel of sorts and a stand alone yarn. So for lovers of pulp, anything Vikings, and just good old testosterone driven fights this is for you. <br />
R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-25564773654495830142014-12-04T08:26:00.002-05:002014-12-04T08:26:45.781-05:00Weregild-COMING SOON!!!Over at <a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Four Fools</a> my next instalment of Erlik's Saga is due to come out so they posted a writing sample of what's to come!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">12-3-14 <a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/p/writing-warm-up.html"><span style="color: #999999;">Writing Warm-up</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Artwork © Four Fools Press, All Rights Reserved - <a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #999999;">http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Characters </span>and Story © R. R. Hunsinger, All Rights Reserved</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brought to you by <a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/p/mailing-list.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Four Fools Press</span></a></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">: “Crazy Good Stories”</span></span></div>
<br /><br />
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<i>Check out this sample from our next release, another chapter in the <a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/2014/11/tides-of-fate-makes-amazons-top-ten.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Amazon Best-selling</span></a> Erlik's Saga: </i><b>Weregild</b><i>, available for Pre-Order soon! </i></div>
<br /> Brother Sean finished binding Erlik's wound. “That was foolishness,” he hissed in Gaelic. "I've told you a hundred times that your sword has a point...use it! You let your anger get the best of you, and now you are facing him wounded. You could not withdraw when your father gave you the option?”
<br /><br /> “Would you?” The youth pointedly looked at the woman and her crying daughters, frightened and huddled together amid the jeering, leering men.<br /><br /> The priest glanced at the women, his lips drawing back into an involuntary snarl. “As a man of God, no, but you are not of the White Christ. There have been terrible, evil acts committed by your father and his men before, Erlik. Why do you act now?”
<br /><br /> “Because this time I can act!”
<br /><br /> “Why act at all, you stupid pup!” Efelwere cuffed his son with a gauntleted fist that rang off his iron helm. “They are spoils of a raid! Adulwulf has a claim!” The war-leader snarled into his son's face, his sun darkened fair skin was purple with rage. “Now he kills you!”
<br /><br /> “Would you not act if it was Mother?” Erlik leapt back at his father, his own dark features black as he still raged in Gaelic. “Remember that girl you gave me two years ago after that Irish raid? I was the one who helped her escape!”
<br /><br />Efelwere staggered back as if physically struck by his son. Brother Sean stirred uncomfortably, and it was then that the Ring-Breaker knew. A new light dawned in his pale eyes, and he laughed, so loud and hard that the men who were gathering for the battle were startled. The assembled Northmen shifted and nervously eyed each other, wondering if their war-leader had gone mad.<br /><br />“Odin's blood, boy! I knew it was a mistake to keep this godi by your side, no matter how wise a man he is! You've positively become Christian!” He laughed again, clapping Erlik on the shoulder and embracing him. “But you have your courage and your own mind, I will give you that. I shall ask Odin not to take you to his hall yet.” He looked seriously into his son's pale eyes, so much like his own. “If you live long enough, Erlik, you will have your own sagas sung. Luck in battle!” He walked away to take his place at the ring beside Ragnar who had just returned empty handed from his pursuit.<br /><br /> Brother Sean took his place at Efelwere’s left hand. “You could have stopped it.” The priest could feel the tension in his friend’s body as he watched the two youths preparing to battle. “I would not see my sister’s son die in some foolish feud!” the Celtic priest said in a harsh whisper that only Ragnar could over hear.<br /><br />“You stop him then, priest!” the Viking snarled as he motioned to the men closing on each other. “Better you should have never made me promise to let you educate the boy when I went to claim him.”<br /><br /> “I had hoped to influence him before he became a reaver like you. But he was your son long before he was my student.”<br /><br />Efelwere clapped his old friend lightly on the shoulder. “He was lost to you before he was ever born.”<br />
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R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-78575010674838800832014-11-20T23:23:00.000-05:002014-11-20T23:23:15.163-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Four Fools Press is pleased to announce that our most recent offering, <i>Tides of Fate</i>, has already reached #7 on the Amazon Best Sellers List (Top 100 Free - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-Historical-Thrillers/zgbs/digital-text/6361463011/ref=zg_bs_fvp_p_f_6361463011?_encoding=UTF8&tf=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.amazon.com/Best-<wbr></wbr></span>Sellers-Kindle-Store-<wbr></wbr>Historical-Thrillers/zgbs/<wbr></wbr>digital-text/6361463011/ref=<wbr></wbr>zg_bs_fvp_p_f_6361463011?_<wbr></wbr>encoding=UTF8&tf=1</a><span style="color: #555555;">) within just a few hours of its initial release! We are super excited and invite you all to share this message and be sure to head over and download a copy of this first thrilling installment of the Erlik Saga for free right now - help us to make it to #1!!!<br /></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tides-Fate-Erliks-R-Hunsinger-ebook/dp/B00PULHL6K/" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Tides-<wbr></wbr>Fate-Erliks-R-Hunsinger-ebook/<wbr></wbr>dp/B00PULHL6K/</a><br /></div>
Congratulations to <i>Tides of Fate</i>'s author, R. R. Hunsinger, and the entire Four Fools Team<br />
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R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-2449676172009382682014-11-15T13:15:00.000-05:002014-11-15T13:15:59.560-05:00Four Fools Press<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I have been out of blogging for a very long time. Well, I am starting to get some things rolling both personally and professionally so I wanted to come back into the realm of self-promotion. Below you will find a project that explains itself and it's one I am very excited about. So please check it out, and sign up if so inclined. And continue to check back here as I will be getting back to my Saturday Musings on all things that I love about pulp, scifi, history, and writing. And of course my favorite subject to talk about..... Me. </div>
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by R. R. Hunsinger & Brannon Hollingsworth</div>
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<i>Jaroos glided effortlessly through the midnight waters of the deep harbor. His large dark eyes drank in the ambient light, revealing the vast array of creatures that coiled and spiraled about him. Long, needle-nosed fish darted away in schools of flashing silver, multicolored walls of waving kelp oscillated with the rhythm of the tide. The oceanid concealed himself among the massive, undulating rays that hovered like uninterested clouds above him; fooling the keener senses of predators that served as Tiberious' sentries.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Beneath him, he could spy his destination, squatting like a cancerous lump of twisted coral, with radiating arms like a grasping kraken. Twinkling stars of light, powered by mighty wytchweave added a cold, otherworldly glow to the contorted structure. With an effortless pull of his spread web-fingered palms, contracting his forearm fins, and powerful kicks of his webbed feet, Jaroos catapulted to the silt sea floor. There, the oceanid darted amid coral outcroppings and kelp spires, tightly hugging the ocean bottom as he stealthily approached the entrance to Tiberious' lair.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>The thief had paid well in salvaged shipwreck trinkets and hard-earned coin for the tools and dweomered items necessary to pull off his most daring, and hopefully most profitable heists: to rob the home of the once noble and powerful Tiberious. The rumor-mongers both in Rome and Ostia said Tiberious, driven mad in his quest for power, had been ostracized across the Empire after his excommunication by Pope Paul IV for his heretical dabblings and writings. Now, the madman sought isolation beneath the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea.</i></div>
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<b>If you like what you just read, then you need to sign-up to the <a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/p/mailing-list.html"><span style="color: #009eb8;">Four FOols Mailing List</span></a> now! </b>That's the only way you'll get exclusive access of this action-packed, 12-Part Story set in the brand new Historical Fantasy world of <b>Medium Aevum</b>, created by authors R. R. Hunsinger and Brannon Hollingsworth. You'll get to read this <b>100% complete</b> and <b>ready-for-publication novella</b> before anyone else on the planet, not to mention all of the other awesome benefits from the <b><a href="http://fourfoolspress.blogspot.com/p/mailing-list.html"><span style="color: #009eb8;">Four FOols Mailing List</span></a>!</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Medium Aevum</b></span><br />
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The Middle Age, the age between ages, a breathless pause, the anticipation of the next. Such is the age of Man in Anno Domini 1551. The age of exploration dawning, the age Da Vinci’s machines taking wing. Gunpowder supplanting armor. The age where the fate of the Wytchborn shall be decided.<br />
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The Fairy, the creatures of myth, the Wytchborn, the Giants in the Earth--all have lived side by side with Man throughout the ages. Sometimes allies, sometimes foes; always treated with an uneasy trust. Urals, the great trolls and giants of myth and the ethereal Seriphim, claiming to the first of God’s servants walk Paris’ streets. Mercurial elves in their varying splendor; the tall, deadly Northern Alfheim, to the small dark svarts that flit bole to bole deep in the forests of Saxony, and the wizardly wise Fey of Albion. All of these--and far more besides--walk among men, not legends, nor tales about the fire, but feared all the more for their presence.<br />
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In this world of the Inquisition of Princes, the intrigues of the Medici’s, and the strength of Spain’s empire; magic and dawning mechanical might, alter the history of a once known age. Plagues have twice decimated Mankind in living memory, destroying whole villages, emptying cities, and wasting the country side. The Wytchborn, the creatures, the monsters, all went on unaffected. Men found a scourge to blame for these plagues, pointing to the things that should not be among as the cause. Others found hope and guidance from the eldars. The Fey, once allies to Arthur, succored those native to the Isles, earning peace and acceptance. In the German Principalities they found fire and hot iron to be their portion. <br />
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Within these folios is the history of what could have been and for those within that history, what shall be. Turn the page to adventure and wonder; hate and heroism; exploration and isolationism. Enter a world where the whispered word is more destructive than a cannon blast; where magic and fey-touched allies may turn the balance.</div>
R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-34879874749350720162011-12-07T12:29:00.001-05:002012-02-20T09:41:53.605-05:00Terra Nova: A Great Show No One is Watching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJ-j2ya5aVQ/Tt-c8jziU-I/AAAAAAAAAP0/J2A_aNvm_2s/s1600/2010terranova2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJ-j2ya5aVQ/Tt-c8jziU-I/AAAAAAAAAP0/J2A_aNvm_2s/s320/2010terranova2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><em>Terra Nova</em>, a new show on Fox from Steven Spielberg and Brannon Braga that launched this season, starring Jason O’Mara (Jim Shannon) and Stephen Lang (Commander Nathaniel Taylor). The blurb from the <a href="http://www.fox.com/terranova/">Fox website</a> dedicated to the show is as follows: <br />
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<em>TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a daring experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149, the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped and overcrowded, with the majority of plant and animal life extinct. The future of mankind is in jeopardy, and its only hope for survival is in the distant past.</em><br />
<em>When scientists unexpectedly discovered a fracture in time that made it possible to construct a portal into primeval history, the bold notion was born to resettle humanity in the past – a second chance to rebuild civilization and get it right this time.</em><br />
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Okay: what follows is a great adventure and suspense story, with family values. Yeah: family values and dinosaurs. This is not Land of the Lost nor Swiss Family Robinson, but a whole new creature. <br />
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When I watched the first episode I was actually turned off to the show. The set up and writing were trite and fell back on expected tropes. Examples within the pilot you have the angry eldest son who is so much like his father that he tries to go opposite of the man. The brainy and awkward middle child (daughter) and then the cute and oh so adorable youngest. Then there is the heavy handed social issues rammed down the throats of viewers on the environment and, oddly enough, population control. The hook is set immediately with a splinter group called Sixers (they came on the 6th pilgrimage) trying to usurp Terra Nova and Commander Taylor’s son is involved. Taylor himself seems to know what is going on but keeps it close to the vest. <br />
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Fortunately I kept watching. Despite Brannon Braga (The guy who I hold responsible for watering down <em>Star Trek</em> to a thin gruel) being involved, and the family oriented view point this show is good! (Not that there is anything wrong with a family oriented story, I just like my pulp a little harder than that.) <br />
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After the shaky start, the writing and plots have improved exponentially. The dinosaur effects and the fact there are dinos actually falls to the background, because the story and the characters do pull you in. The setting is the back drop to the larger drama. The scaly predators enhance what is all ready there. <br />
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The real star of the show to me is Stephen Lang, despite the films <em>Avatar</em> and <em>Conan the Barbarian</em>, this guy is awesome! This actor has some serious chops, and is not given enough credit for the solid, and believable performances he is capable of. Not only that, he is THE Bad Ass of Terra Nova. The man will go toe to toe with a T-Rex with a pocket knife! He will also do anything to insure the survival of Terra Nova and the people under his protection. (Totally unrelated note: This guy would have my vote to be Travis Morgan, The Warlord, in DC comics hollow world setting Skartaris.) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ-o-nu7fD1KMORNmdfwtFF3WvsiSY9BPKORSoNR_MjPgqhAW0hlFkrGS0BIjfOs0cvylsFdK0AV4fM7Xxpm6ZHVq5vE0P6zqa-z1b7KIEi05hNejcyVqMkPyJ9MtjsYuanGc7w8uPEA/s1600/Stephen-Lang-Terra-Nova-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ-o-nu7fD1KMORNmdfwtFF3WvsiSY9BPKORSoNR_MjPgqhAW0hlFkrGS0BIjfOs0cvylsFdK0AV4fM7Xxpm6ZHVq5vE0P6zqa-z1b7KIEi05hNejcyVqMkPyJ9MtjsYuanGc7w8uPEA/s320/Stephen-Lang-Terra-Nova-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The interaction with the family unit at times strains the sweetness factor and too often hit’s the awwww factor. But that is my personal issue with it. The meaty exchanges are between Jim Shannon and Commander Taylor. As the only cop in Terra Nova Shannon has become Taylor’s head of security, and quasi-right hand. Their relationship is true bromance stuff. Shannon is willing to back Taylor’s plays, trusting the man to do the right thing. As an example in a recent episode Taylor tells Shannon: “You are the only one I trust 100% right now.” I hope to see even stronger exchanges between them, those things that strain friendships and build the strength of their trust further. <br />
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No one in this show just phones in a performance. The interactions, motivations, and dialogue are top notch. From Dr. Elizabeth Shannon’s ( Jim’s wife) relationship with an old college boyfriend to the villains and spies that all have strong personal motivations. <br />
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The show is not doing as well as it should in the ratings and I fear it will not see a second season. The budget was astronomical in the production and that is seen in the thirty-five minutes of run time vs. twenty-five in advertising. The value is apparent on the screen: the sets, the creatures, the tech, all are top notch. I think it is the lack of dinos in ever episode that seems to be a detractor for folks, but it falls to the background for me, because the story has evolved to something that good! <br />
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So check it out on Hulu, or other media, give it three episodes or even less. If you like Jurassic tension with a side of home town goodness thrown in, and a dash of pulp bad-assery this show has what you need.R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-40433177418631307862011-08-30T10:12:00.001-04:002011-08-30T10:34:08.977-04:00Conan the Box Office BombThere were other words I could have used to start this blog, but none of them are family friendly. To say the least, I did not like, nor enjoy <u>Conan the Barbarian</u>. I am a fan of Robert E. Howard, I have devoured the Conan stories over and over. <u>Conan the Barbarian</u> ‘82 with Arnold Schwarzenegger was about as close to the original Howard stories as Mamoa’s Conan, but I loved that movie for its own sake. That film as well as the horrible pastiches by de Camp and Jordan made me seek out the original in turn allowed me to discover the rest of the great writer’s work. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBERQNN98gSebRELK0ZQoiH1r8xNGS3Vz848VB4jftI5MNVvRf55RhBCOdoT9IdWbuWocjrJLrInJZVn65EGjBd1BdKepQrFrrkdWcIVR4l0JldCOLMvdQmqQBjE8NbT6Us4snMYJxCY/s1600/conan_the_barbarian_fandango_poster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBERQNN98gSebRELK0ZQoiH1r8xNGS3Vz848VB4jftI5MNVvRf55RhBCOdoT9IdWbuWocjrJLrInJZVn65EGjBd1BdKepQrFrrkdWcIVR4l0JldCOLMvdQmqQBjE8NbT6Us4snMYJxCY/s320/conan_the_barbarian_fandango_poster1.jpg" width="215" xaa="true" /></a></div>I went into the film late and this blog is too late for many who have all ready spent their money, and the gods forbid on the 3D version. But it was so bad, weighs so much on my pulp lovin’ mind, that I have to get something out there to warn others. <br />
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First, I went into the movie with the idea that, like ‘82, this would not be Conan as Howard had seen him, but like ‘82 I would get a fun fantasy sword and sorcery movie. I didn’t get it. As a matter of fact when the credits started rolling all I could think was: ’Thank the Gods that train wreck is over’. When I come out of a movie emotionally exhausted I want it to be because it was that damn good! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2EJd-zGDuEoWq0IB9yRSRLv7zZOXQrwC58-zhwbisbHs-n23AI3M1dw0pf9k6-jjJaf8zacRKdGgMkR1yTbHXMGe7xaMuAhLNP546zL0ha8tpJM5q8BVm8txhmn0L9wzKWMkBUxalYk/s1600/conan_the_barbarian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2EJd-zGDuEoWq0IB9yRSRLv7zZOXQrwC58-zhwbisbHs-n23AI3M1dw0pf9k6-jjJaf8zacRKdGgMkR1yTbHXMGe7xaMuAhLNP546zL0ha8tpJM5q8BVm8txhmn0L9wzKWMkBUxalYk/s320/conan_the_barbarian.jpg" width="202" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
The opening credits pissed me off! The opening voice over started with the famous Howard lines…..<em> Know O Prince that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis gleaming cities and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas</em>…… then they are corrupted to introduce not Conan but the friggin’ McGuffin for the plot! Once again, a movie maker decided that we need to waste twenty minutes of film with an origin back story to set the rest of the story. Though I love Ron Perlman and thought as origin stories for Conan go, the sequence wasn’t bad until the village was raised. Just because the whole “it takes destroying his village to make a hero” thing has been done to death! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Conan himself was okay. I get hung up on character features if they are strongly presented in the original prose. Conan’s blue eyes were made much of by Howard. They are usually a feature very prominent in action fiction because of the emotion description they can convey. Through out the film, I kept thinking that though piercing, seething, and volcanic could be used to describe Mamoa’s glare, his eyes were not the startling blue I should expect. Mamoa, a guy I like as an actor, was a good pick, physically and through his presence. He just had nothing to work with. Also, the lack of armor where appropriate bothered me. I understand that Conan is perceived as the bare chested barbarian and Mamoa spent the majority of the film that way. But Howard’s hero wore armor of various types when appropriate, there were a few scenes where a shirt of mail might have been wise. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRnTxVD2h_LgI90eoI44SSb1thW4IZfByftcJzQQW0nxaUip-MqxrZjQ9eab0MQ67Ba4kvaIEw7lYiNNgE9yc-i9NfTon8x-OyDeSL3LBVSkWMdORLLXSaM7WYiAN20be6npLwgFJxAc/s1600/jason-momoa-shirtless-conan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRnTxVD2h_LgI90eoI44SSb1thW4IZfByftcJzQQW0nxaUip-MqxrZjQ9eab0MQ67Ba4kvaIEw7lYiNNgE9yc-i9NfTon8x-OyDeSL3LBVSkWMdORLLXSaM7WYiAN20be6npLwgFJxAc/s1600/jason-momoa-shirtless-conan.jpg" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
The dialogue lacked any spark like Howard’s prose. Now I was not expecting or wanting Shakespeare, but a little more than the grunts and snarls that our protagonist issued, reinforcing the dull barbarian stereotype that Arnold had been saddled with. As with most films the villain had the best lines, but even these were so trite to the genre that they left me flat. <br />
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The costuming was not too bad. I could see the interpretation of Howard’s Hyborian races as it was presented, especially the Bossonian archers, though I was expecting long bows, not recurve designs. The make up on the other hand was ridiculous. The characters looked more like something out of Fall Out or Mad Max. I’m still puzzling over how Pictish warriors (loosly based on Native American tropes) sound like Tuskan Raiders. Now Howard had characters with some extreme features like the filed teeth of <em>The Man Eaters of Zamboula</em>. Often times this was a cultural thing like ritual scarring. Some of the level bosses (because that is what these guys were, but more on that to follow) looked like radiation mutants. <br />
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Certain features were well done, Messantia and the Cimmerian village both had the look of living, breathing communities, much like what was seen in the HBO series <u>Rome</u> and others that have learned what a good set can do for a story. The regions that were explored as ruins had the feel of being there for ages, or in the case of abandoned outpost, age and neglect. Then you have a massive mobile fortress on the backs of elephants! ARRRRGH! <br />
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The fortress (not the mobile command center) of the villain Kylar Zym, looked like a twisted nightmare vision of something Sauron would call home. Yeah, I know a twisted nightmare vision for Sauron, yes that is how over the top it was. Then the infiltration of the fortress, and the level bosses. Yes, I saw the potential for the first person Conan video game. Zym was surrounded by several level bosses, and in order to be ready to face Zym Conan had to defeat each one. It got stupid ridiculous when one of them was in the bowels of the fortress seemingly just waiting for Conan to come up so he could defeat said boss and move on to the next level. <br />
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The final fight between Conan and Zym was lack luster, no epic clash. Of course the fortress had to spontaneously exploded and tumble after Zym was defeated juuuuuuuust after the hero escapes. Now this is a pulp staple, but I was left wondering how and why when it was done. <br />
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The female lead was there to scream a lot and to give Conan someone to share his feelings with. Actually adding only as much to the story as the McGuffin, the Mask of Acheron. <br />
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This was such a lost opportunity for those with the Conan property. There was a chance to create a sweeping epic adventure that would have been part-pulp part high adventure. Stories that would have made great films still languish for adaptation. Howard has yet to be discovered by this generation of movie goers, I was fortunate enough to seek out Howard after seeing Arnold as the iconic barbarian. Others, considering the box office returns and stock pile of bad reviews will not be as fortunate. <br />
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As a post-script I would actually recommend the novel adaptation by Michael A. Stackpole. The story has elements that Howard himself could have written and makes the craptacular story of the movie work, while weaving it into the greater Conan cannon. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzTp3zdhAWz316brHm7mQ9Jm_P2J-PnYIDIbfFZrjlrEyl4lFLepnHeEasle39kdZkNcuGKlsyeF_f1h-LLptz_SftVXehueqc1hsfqHVmbnq6FOY8NoIX5mkS0vOZAGOjGegArIRqHc/s1600/conan-the-barbarian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzTp3zdhAWz316brHm7mQ9Jm_P2J-PnYIDIbfFZrjlrEyl4lFLepnHeEasle39kdZkNcuGKlsyeF_f1h-LLptz_SftVXehueqc1hsfqHVmbnq6FOY8NoIX5mkS0vOZAGOjGegArIRqHc/s320/conan-the-barbarian.jpg" width="215" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
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R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-89663946478410764812011-07-19T12:04:00.001-04:002011-07-19T13:19:48.026-04:00John Carter of Mars: The Teaser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbgEWL4tNew4-1ohhAGP4zaIhUpJeLHiviY5eWS7SeEgeVZGbgEcTbS7MpMCZCP-0awZquMSsi20YstuLWcEPeCFPGBXBmM1t0A_Xj_PbfPNVGmMSii9J4Qv1Pxyom_fs3cay-1AjtQY/s1600/jc-teaser-poster-image-hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbgEWL4tNew4-1ohhAGP4zaIhUpJeLHiviY5eWS7SeEgeVZGbgEcTbS7MpMCZCP-0awZquMSsi20YstuLWcEPeCFPGBXBmM1t0A_Xj_PbfPNVGmMSii9J4Qv1Pxyom_fs3cay-1AjtQY/s200/jc-teaser-poster-image-hi-res.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Last week the teaser for <a href="http://disney.go.com/johncarter/#video">John Carter of Mars</a> hit the net and the blogs started chiming in on the movie’s prospects. Well, I’m no different.<br />
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The teaser left me indifferent. I was not excited about it, just slightly apprehensive, as much so as I was when the Conan trailers hit. At least <u>John Carter of Mars</u> claims to be an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ <em>A Princess of Mars</em>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtix6zaprMRLBjOD1CYV31C13ZK5x5_vwmSVDIMOwFQWdskm1t3S4CyatDmX1ypa3ZZf2cg77ZNWSgurpfQSw0sbonQHIHQDooaDaRwZpZkx2DrBDYhcydlpz7EugDAM2YsEb4iMdSIE/s1600/frazetta_a_princess_of_mars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtix6zaprMRLBjOD1CYV31C13ZK5x5_vwmSVDIMOwFQWdskm1t3S4CyatDmX1ypa3ZZf2cg77ZNWSgurpfQSw0sbonQHIHQDooaDaRwZpZkx2DrBDYhcydlpz7EugDAM2YsEb4iMdSIE/s320/frazetta_a_princess_of_mars.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br />
The story presented does appear on the surface to be the plot of Burroughs’ book. John Carter is transported to Mars via something akin astral projection and the adventure begins with the incomparable Deja Thoris and his friend and ally Tars Tarkis. How closely this film represents Burroughs’ work remains to be seen. Like Conan, the movie theater will get my eight bucks. <br />
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Visual this did not seem like Burroughs’ Mars. No red sands, ocher vegetation The Barssomians (Martians) were red, but it was more Alabama red clay pigmentation than the coppery red of Burroughs people. The costuming appears to belong in a sword and sorcery film rather than the sword and planet of Barsoom. Considering the characters in <em>A Princess of Mars</em> were close to naked I understand some costuming changes needed to be made. But where is the glittering harness, the jewels and gold? The precious and base metals of rank? Where is the richness and age of Helium? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmb73hz1UKlzMBrsAkwuHs_Hst4u8tqZp1unwkxa4vz25iN9b0_iJCt4hUXuTTO1UmA07-uZ8JsamtSwnqy23jeugjsZoFTMZKS5WvmncZy45ejbwAE7QOpEdTngTffNREYwsI0JPcZU/s1600/MV5BMTgxNTI3MjcyNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTYwMjAyMg%2540%2540__V1__SY314_CR11%252C0%252C214%252C314_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmb73hz1UKlzMBrsAkwuHs_Hst4u8tqZp1unwkxa4vz25iN9b0_iJCt4hUXuTTO1UmA07-uZ8JsamtSwnqy23jeugjsZoFTMZKS5WvmncZy45ejbwAE7QOpEdTngTffNREYwsI0JPcZU/s200/MV5BMTgxNTI3MjcyNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTYwMjAyMg%2540%2540__V1__SY314_CR11%252C0%252C214%252C314_.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>The choice of Taylor Kitsch for John Carter did not impress me, seeing the trailer, I still stand by that impression. <br />
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The weapons and warriors of this production made me wonder where John Carter of Mars was in this film. In Burroughs’ books, fencing and the honor of hand to hand combat is a central cultural theme, even for the Tharks, the ten foot, four armed, green Martians. The weapons again are sword and sorcery props. Where are the rapiers and thin bladed long swords of Mars? John Carter is duel-wielding large scimitar like blades--because any hero that is cool HAS to duel-wield. <br />
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The air ships left me completely cold. The odd “wings” displayed appear to be rudders. This is not any design I saw in my mind’s eye. The fliers of Barsoom stay afloat because of the discovery and control of the “Eighth ray” and appear to be like sleds or of sailing ship configurations. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKjYxnOlYAqrytvCrZal1DR76bsVP4tVCBgrBw9XGE_tB4cVFXVxKMzZ13EqeX0s2vSpni2zmgwJuIL1f6OPWbSGJNB5XUP8rponA8xLd8-LNauagtEaFYd3L9wbVsf4fuozJRj7ykZc/s1600/Barsoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKjYxnOlYAqrytvCrZal1DR76bsVP4tVCBgrBw9XGE_tB4cVFXVxKMzZ13EqeX0s2vSpni2zmgwJuIL1f6OPWbSGJNB5XUP8rponA8xLd8-LNauagtEaFYd3L9wbVsf4fuozJRj7ykZc/s200/Barsoom.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>There was none of the science fantasy that the pulp era offered in the scenery, weapons, or costuming. It has too much of the modern CGI slickness to it all. Rather than utilizing the CGI to tell Burroughs’ story it is “improving” it to its detriment. I only hope this Disney production does not have the feel of <a href="http://rrhunsinger.blogspot.com/2010/09/prince-of-persia-trouble-with-time.html">Prince of Persia</a> or other over the top productions. <br />
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Admittedly this is a teaser so it could not show everything and post production may add much. Visually I do not think this film will meet my hopes or expectations. I did not see Barsoom or John Carter. I saw a Kull, a Conan, or a Dar of <u>Beast Master</u> fame. It may be sword and planet adventure, but so was <u>Krull</u>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYpZ7HKJmv_P9da8Xr1ttjZVUKo-BuL08jKHqrztzqE3baoEbVhrlgt8rpVigoRZdtiQ7h0rP0_lfuledtTorvwsIe6zuQXU8EF5C_f6OeTdZjZ9iSOjN7bp8hz2qMK3AY3Ai1ZrpntI/s1600/5112YNEHVQL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYpZ7HKJmv_P9da8Xr1ttjZVUKo-BuL08jKHqrztzqE3baoEbVhrlgt8rpVigoRZdtiQ7h0rP0_lfuledtTorvwsIe6zuQXU8EF5C_f6OeTdZjZ9iSOjN7bp8hz2qMK3AY3Ai1ZrpntI/s1600/5112YNEHVQL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-42230491772862250422011-07-09T13:25:00.000-04:002011-07-09T13:25:22.853-04:00When to End a Story: No This Is Not Another Star Wars Rant……YetI am in no way qualified to offer writing advice to anyone, other than this very sporadic blog….and I’m working on that. Despite my lack of qualifications that is indeed what I am doing. When to end the story is as important as where and how to start it. (Perhaps a future post on those topics) A story needs a great end as much as a beginning. The end must satisfy the author and the audience. It should meet the promise put forth by the writer and live up to the reader’s expectation. <br />
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Well duh! Right? Yes, yet many fail in this regard or fail to deliver or even in certain cases deliver too much. This goes for novels, short stories, screen plays/movies, and a little known and important story telling device role playing games. <br />
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Look at some great examples of story endings: All three of the original Star Wars films <em>New Hope</em>, <em>The Empire Strikes Back</em>, and<em> Return of the Jedi</em>. Each ended on a note that wrapped up the current film and with the first two set up the events for the sequel.<br />
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<em>New Hope</em> ended with the destruction of the Death Star (the climax) and Darth Vader’s Tie-Fighter spinning off into the depths of space, the later letting the viewer know that this is only the first part of the tale. Then the award ceremony to have an epilogue that ends on a high note. Empire ends much more darkly, the rebellion set on its heels, Han Solo lost to the companions, and the huge reveal that Vader is Luke’s father. People could not wait for the last installment with <em>Return of the Jedi</em>, the tale was wrapped up, the villains defeated, and in the original theatrical version: The Yub Yub song. (Star Wars fans know what I am talking about.) What the three films accomplished so well that Lucas was hailed as genius was follow the heroic journey and express it so well to a wide eyed generation. Each ended with a strong climax and did not belabor the epilogue. We didn’t need to see Vader return to the Emperor after his defeat in New Hope. We did not need to see the adventures between Empire and Return that led to Han Solo’s rescue. Writers have filled in these blanks to adnauseam in comics, fan films, and novels. They allowed the viewer to leave the theater feeling satisfied, their own imaginations filling in those blanks, and each sequel paid off on the promise of the previous film. These movies fulfilled their obligation to viewer without, in my opinion, short changing them. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcVY64vsFxp3diReabGAqpPRJRFe_Xk4uxej-ZUkI8nJQw1_OITKWoxfNmcGUOMTVb8tPfDIri3QJKmJ0wWU9POIevZi7JX5tVI_srdg4Y4cQjQ5FRgDist7VFbE0aQUu3zVkNh3Iihc/s1600/240px-Robert_E_Howard_suit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcVY64vsFxp3diReabGAqpPRJRFe_Xk4uxej-ZUkI8nJQw1_OITKWoxfNmcGUOMTVb8tPfDIri3QJKmJ0wWU9POIevZi7JX5tVI_srdg4Y4cQjQ5FRgDist7VFbE0aQUu3zVkNh3Iihc/s200/240px-Robert_E_Howard_suit.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>Robert E. Howard’s <u>The Frost Giant’s Daughter</u> depicted a young Conan of Cimmeria far from his race fighting among the Vanir and Aesir far to the north. After the battle he pursues a pale beauty across the ice fields, half-dream, half-mirage, yet wholly real to his dazzled senses. He battles her brothers, giants, and sons of Ymir, the northern god. Upon the defeat of the brutes he is rendered unconscious by what the reader perceives is the power of the god summoning his daughter away from the mortal realm and the grasping Cimmerian youth. He is found by his Aesir allies, and he learns that he did indeed chase the daughter of Ymir. The men brush the tale aside as a product of a ringing skull from a sword dent to the blinding and white and cold of the north. That is until the Cimmerian un-clutches his left hand revealing a gossamer cloth that had been the only garment of Atalia, the giant’s daughter. <br />
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This tale ends perfectly! The writer gives a brief epilogue to sum up the hero’s experience and then leaves the reader pondering with the bit of cloth in a warrior’s grip. Was it snow madness? Then where did the cloth come from? Again the reader is allowed to decide and let their own imagination take over. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsobAlr3OxQrPeAksn-F0vodBqnzQPd7Qpztf-dCud-cetXcbceghBV0mQAzuvtCSANRoCpQG8mcVSGEbIdABi-bNv9E2FIpEXbpKGo3P_qmiWE-D-spmJeWy1bmGKPaT9femO1_5ns4/s1600/imagesCAUI8NSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsobAlr3OxQrPeAksn-F0vodBqnzQPd7Qpztf-dCud-cetXcbceghBV0mQAzuvtCSANRoCpQG8mcVSGEbIdABi-bNv9E2FIpEXbpKGo3P_qmiWE-D-spmJeWy1bmGKPaT9femO1_5ns4/s200/imagesCAUI8NSR.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>Lovercraft’s stories all ended with that shock, that what if that made readers look askance at dark alleys and walk a little more quickly past a deserted house. <br />
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Pickman’s Model is a prime example. The tale is written in a first person style where the narrator is answering an unheard query from a companion, launching into a tale of macabre art. Pickman would paint demonic scenes with realistic backdrops or human models. The tale is the set up for the punch line. The narrator explains how Pickman is of old Salem stock, claiming an ancestor burned as a witch. Pickman’s ostracization from the art community at large for his disturbing imagery. The story weaves around the themes of the art, the models used, the backdrop settings. The reader has a dawning horror of what is to come so when the reveal is made, one is horrified because their fears are realized with the ending. The subjects of the work, the horrific models, were not fever dream imaginings of Pickman, but rather as the narrator states: “It was a photograph from life!” <br />
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Now let us take the tales that failed and why: for films one of the greatest examples is the first <em>Back to the Future</em> film. With the “To Be Continued…..” tag at the end had viewers chomping at the bit for the sequel. As my friend commented when we saw this film in theaters: “They better make another one!” So in an attempt to satisfy the viewers and make more money, the downfall of all sequels, the second film came out and disappointed. Fortunately the franchise was saved by a great ending to the trilogy. This is an example of where to stop the story. What if they had not followed though with a sequel? Would viewers rather been satisfied with a great ride the first time round and not sitting through the disappointing, almost repetitive, second film? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvn0dsVCAbvsdOBrQZc2EJm8LZzyEBL1zVH544mcaUnmCHijBDrlin49VH2dlJcwDGmtSG7ZNgpjPG8_egIrh9n15kEKRKlAYsiyV2Uu4U3isarxSqe9xrjwkh0Gb75Qqf7AK-kU45NM/s1600/iron01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvn0dsVCAbvsdOBrQZc2EJm8LZzyEBL1zVH544mcaUnmCHijBDrlin49VH2dlJcwDGmtSG7ZNgpjPG8_egIrh9n15kEKRKlAYsiyV2Uu4U3isarxSqe9xrjwkh0Gb75Qqf7AK-kU45NM/s320/iron01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Novels that fall into the trap of epilogues that offer too much information are Dennis L. McKiernan’s Tolkeinesque series of fantasy adventures, that I started reading with the Iron Tower trilogy. This series, while great story telling in the Tolkien high fantasy style, end poorly, at least to me. The epilogues tend to tell of the fates of each hero after the tale ended. Some ended as ignobly as many real life heroes. Which does lend the stories that air of reality, but destroys the reader’s imaginative speculation of the story that continues after the book ends. <br />
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Without pointing to specific series’, how many writers that are constant bestsellers, are writing sequels for their popular worlds/characters that need to retire them? How many really have nothing new to say, the adventures stale, or driven by corporate merchandising? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwYv0VPVWAz550Nv7m47Bx9rE2vqNcmwvJ6mChGxBRWPoSPAAVe-vz-jt98EX6Z-aYuMtRod0lCfcRlh8r1_PkkA3StzHCqY_ivOHrkzKltW6ehYKxAOAJKe6qyoQMNC5Swf2shQDKV0/s1600/dice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwYv0VPVWAz550Nv7m47Bx9rE2vqNcmwvJ6mChGxBRWPoSPAAVe-vz-jt98EX6Z-aYuMtRod0lCfcRlh8r1_PkkA3StzHCqY_ivOHrkzKltW6ehYKxAOAJKe6qyoQMNC5Swf2shQDKV0/s200/dice.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Here is where the story telling device of Role Playing comes into the conversation. I myself have fallen into this trap. In order to continue a game that has obviously wrapped up, because, frankly, the game was one of the best ever! (Which many role play groups have at least one of) I created a weak sequel that lost steam quickly and was flat when compared to the magic of the first series of adventures. The same goes for the idea of dusting off the old character sheet and “getting the band back together”, in this case the adventuring band back together. I have found that when those great moments of collective story telling take place, be content with them and relive them as remember when…… lightning hardly ever strikes twice. <br />
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Now how do these mini-reviews relate to knowing when to end the story? They offer the formula for do’s and don’ts. The best thing is to end the story where it ends. Simple enough, yes? No. Because of the pursuit of more money, or a greater word count, this one simple rule is ignored. <em>The Matrix</em> and the aforementioned <em>Back to the Future</em> fall into this trap, even <em>Conan the Destroyer</em>, so pale when compared to the operatic Barbarian film, pursued the franchise cash cow, rather than ending the story well. (Setting aside all Howardian complaints of both films.) <br />
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End the story where it ends. Do not attempt a sequel or several more chapters unless they offer something as strong as, or in the case of <em>The Empire Strikes Back</em>, something stronger than what preceded it. <br />
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To end a tale generally has to be a gut reaction. As a writer one must be objective enough to sit back and say, “Am I done?” If the tale is finished, is it a satisfying ending? This too can be a gut reaction, but first readers, honest first readers, help here. This is where the thick skin comes in. A first reader has to be able to tell the writer who is in love with the story: “You should have ended it three paragraphs back.” Or harshly: “This sucks!” Of course this needs to be followed by the why. <br />
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Now, those that are fortunate enough to have the combination of luck, skill, timing, and perseverance to become published writers of novels have the dreaded problem of “trilogy” or “series” when they are really lucky. This leads to the weak sequel, it happens with movies, music, and of course novels. The artist is giddy from the initial acceptance, the idea of a paycheck, and adoring fans. Those fans might not be so adoring if you let them down in the second act. Be prepared with a strong second act, or don’t offer one. Think of all the sophomore efforts that are spoken of in various art industries. Critics salivate for sequels.<br />
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Now that I have long since rambled beyond the point of where I should have ended this essay, let me conclude by saying look closely at your themes, what do you want to say? What will punctuate your message or simply grab the audience’s emotions, leaving them pondering or wishing for more? That is where to end the story. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP8oRwJUEYokSdfV3pvx-RDAOwcfLf2r9PaImbi6fBwp8wI6EYjyW-OXkvhCxFka1yojlKSXi59fg-xYfKlbHB-mIP6bv3LEwcl6VmIbZTtwpwV6x1n-ahcRRTfD9CyOcK-0NaDUvDcg/s1600/303174095_c6fa3ab2cd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP8oRwJUEYokSdfV3pvx-RDAOwcfLf2r9PaImbi6fBwp8wI6EYjyW-OXkvhCxFka1yojlKSXi59fg-xYfKlbHB-mIP6bv3LEwcl6VmIbZTtwpwV6x1n-ahcRRTfD9CyOcK-0NaDUvDcg/s320/303174095_c6fa3ab2cd_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-28571678931419758802011-04-17T22:50:00.000-04:002011-04-17T22:50:47.556-04:00Nerd Con: I was Uncool before it was CoolHey I’m back after a four month hiatus; hopefully back on track with my blog posts. So I am going to talk about the great little convention that I attended this Saturday. <a href="http://nerdnetwork.appstate.edu/pagesmith/4">Nerdcon</a> was a gaming convention that was held at Appalachian State University, in Boone NC. It was put on by the gaming club at the college. The group put on a good little event with a dealer’s room, media, and panels. <br />
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They had invited<a href="http://www.untoldthegame.com/"> Ignitus (Untold)</a> and <a href="http://www.peginc.com/">Pinnacle (Savage Worlds)</a> to the event at <a href="http://www.justusproductions.com/index.php/justus/macewest_games/2/4/26">MACE West: Cudgel</a> and I was happy to attend. The group was inviting, the venue was great with plenty of room, and well organized. The attendance was great even with a massive storm blasting over the mountain! Good enough that they will be doing it next year and expanding it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivjrxJFrzMdbEp-YNXGL-KjIcTYxUhD5dnnL_xFgROJBge-NyXBOFNjNCCS2DgsYjqQmZYHwnUBkkoFYNzO1dlvtZWW38ldaChl9sYZ0ErIndKQtlsePaNAoVVNQHBI6L73Vv77npTvA/s1600/632795785_2261706200_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivjrxJFrzMdbEp-YNXGL-KjIcTYxUhD5dnnL_xFgROJBge-NyXBOFNjNCCS2DgsYjqQmZYHwnUBkkoFYNzO1dlvtZWW38ldaChl9sYZ0ErIndKQtlsePaNAoVVNQHBI6L73Vv77npTvA/s320/632795785_2261706200_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I am looking forward to going back and would love to see them expand, not only the gaming, but the panels. I know several authors that would be happy to sit in and participate! Topics like publishing, collaboration, and world building in fiction, such as the one they had would be great. <br />
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So look for this little free con next year fans! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5xwi6uv0cwmhcKn0Rq-ReDDtRdKES5FyQJn5kx_qXNIzjvBgTzDXCmoPuQWTKCYmHbd7Jod9XADAlKJA-9sbZhtLtJ4YTJFPJT1ylj8FUZbnJpeFaokzTgaxs7OEfvgTat94flLhiMo/s1600/632796772_2261709787_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5xwi6uv0cwmhcKn0Rq-ReDDtRdKES5FyQJn5kx_qXNIzjvBgTzDXCmoPuQWTKCYmHbd7Jod9XADAlKJA-9sbZhtLtJ4YTJFPJT1ylj8FUZbnJpeFaokzTgaxs7OEfvgTat94flLhiMo/s320/632796772_2261709787_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-76512823150175857122010-12-05T22:55:00.001-05:002010-12-06T06:30:49.594-05:00Untold Elite Access: Shop and Compare!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionCDbG-cGmVaTj7lnzmk_HQGCLk5uXOyAiUHr3Z0xgbxRH7kncJThN639a7YZWG09FqORd9LKNdirOIpUZaOzHRSIQ_6tecf8F6W3-Mx6b1Ld8sYvlJQro3EGmIrIB6OmAJedAXEW_5Q/s1600/elite_access_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionCDbG-cGmVaTj7lnzmk_HQGCLk5uXOyAiUHr3Z0xgbxRH7kncJThN639a7YZWG09FqORd9LKNdirOIpUZaOzHRSIQ_6tecf8F6W3-Mx6b1Ld8sYvlJQro3EGmIrIB6OmAJedAXEW_5Q/s320/elite_access_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>Not too long ago <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wandering-Men/11082764028">The Wandering Men</a> wanted to offer something more to the dedicated fans of <em><a href="http://www.untoldthegame.com/">Untold</a></em>…. For a modest fee. What they came up with was <a href="http://www.untoldthegame.com/store/untold-elite-access">Elite Access</a>! <br />
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Elite Access offers fans of Untold a look behind the curtain and a chance to directly participate and guide the course of the game. The team has taken their queue from many other games and websites for their elite offering. <br />
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For a monthly fee of $6 or $54 a year (A savings of $12 against the monthly fee.) gamers get access to some perks and more are coming! <br />
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Currently subscribers get a look at the complete release schedule from <em>Wandering Men Studios</em>, seeing what the company is going to release and when. This also comes with opportunities to purchase cards and other releases before their official release. Something the studio is working on is a subscription option where players can receive new releases automatically. When this goes live <em>Untold</em> will be offering the same service as the larger companies <br />
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Other access perks include a library on line where cards can be viewed as a slide show in a large, high resolution format. This is a front and back view, allowing the subscriber to see the power, but not the UP (untold points) they cost. This allows the gamer to see what they can purchase and if that power is one they want on their side! There is an exclusive forum with development discussion. This allows players to suggest powers and card builds, actually participating in the development of <em>Untold</em>. Currently some of the discussions have revolved around the “crunch” of power and use of new developing cards. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5YjmUpUbk37HqHyWkbpgZZOTqWBOwXgFhXrcV6CAhZs2uWNxsxzvnZLRXTKYya5oNuxrij2008j9AW8sL0VpNW7oQRw78LEbu9qFV3qhGXb6ezgjEU8Xo0ur4DN3rZNr_YP2A1NyY00/s1600/race_xiuh_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5YjmUpUbk37HqHyWkbpgZZOTqWBOwXgFhXrcV6CAhZs2uWNxsxzvnZLRXTKYya5oNuxrij2008j9AW8sL0VpNW7oQRw78LEbu9qFV3qhGXb6ezgjEU8Xo0ur4DN3rZNr_YP2A1NyY00/s320/race_xiuh_sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Custom deck builds are being beta tested now in Elite. Players can submit a deck to be built exclusively for them. Talk about buying EXACTLY what you want! No other card based game comes close to offering this. <em>Untold</em> already offers mini-flats for sale. In the future they will be offering custom flats for sale. Again: getting exactly what the player or GM needs for the game. <br />
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Here are a couple examples of exclusive member access offered by two similar sites. First you have the big boy on the block, <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/">Dungeon and Dragons</a>; they too offer subscription services. For a base fee of $9.95, (71.40 for a year which breaks down to $5.94 a month) one has access to all the D and D manuals on line, character builder software and subscriptions to <em>Dungeon</em> and <em>Dragon</em> magazines on line. Dollar for dollar <em>Hasbro </em>does offer more, but <em>Untold</em> already offers much of this particular content for free, their rules, including step by step video primers are available at no cost to the gamer. The monthly newsletter and <u><a href="http://bensuntoldblog.blogspot.com/">Ben’s Untold Blog</a></u> offer many of the gaming tips and tricks that might be found in such publications as <em>Dragon</em>, and Hebdomadal Persona, faction, and the adventure seeds found on the <em>Untold</em> website offer similar content as a <em>Dungeon</em> publications. <em>Hasbro</em> is also a huge <span lang="EN">corporation</span> and <em>Wandering Men Studios</em> a small, four man, fan driven operation. <br />
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The second comparison is <u><a href="http://www.erfworld.com/">ErfWorld</a></u>, a webcomic, and one man operation, that offers subscription benefits as well. For $33 dollars a year reader’s gain store credit that could conceivably give them a free print runs of the comic. Also podcasts, scripts, and wall papers are available; similar behind the curtain kind of peeks that <em>Untold</em> offers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oaKofdZ4AhdOsrklg6b8AiKlHweiEudAM-AvNyLvQKseOVsifWZnme4J9BAfRoR9J5AjysHqGoTXaPTj7FH7ASc86ZP4JcDHxkkF7fz_GZmdmBHc9bpI1nkAV5uYnBP-6AZqVIAXgv4/s1600/southeast_asia_webspinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oaKofdZ4AhdOsrklg6b8AiKlHweiEudAM-AvNyLvQKseOVsifWZnme4J9BAfRoR9J5AjysHqGoTXaPTj7FH7ASc86ZP4JcDHxkkF7fz_GZmdmBHc9bpI1nkAV5uYnBP-6AZqVIAXgv4/s1600/southeast_asia_webspinner.jpg" /></a></div>Overall is the purchase of Elite Access worth it? Weigh expense against gain. Do the extras make it worth it? Does tinkering with a system and rule set on the ground floor interest the gamer engineer in you? Being the guy on the edge of every release excite you? That look behind the curtain satisfy your curiosity? Then does the cost of two comic books seem too much? Give it a look and judge for yourself.R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-58288093486135912752010-11-23T23:16:00.001-05:002010-11-25T22:47:18.905-05:00Sherlock Holmes in the 21st Century!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/sherlock/watch.html"><img border="0" height="179" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCysb-LmHJuwF0KH1qrHAkH90xPHbn17jMmR6L3klD4a9fPUGA-Tn34iXEFXZ1LLU7IdmKT_Zv_LaKC9mPc7LzOzVxqvvBXJYv_A0Xt_yzt1k0xrZw6ALAFlUm4mlQRkbCbyabbm3UUo/s320/Sherlock_titlecard.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>As a Sherlock Holmes fan and having posted a couple of blogs on the Victorian sleuth I’m almost embarrassed that I missed this one. BBC has launched a new Sherlock Holmes series of mysteries, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin John C. Freeman as Watson set in the London of today. <br />
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The idea of making a modern day Holmes is nothing new. Basil Rathbone had a career of playing Holmes in what was in the 1940s’ the modern era. Roger Moore even had stint in the 70s’ with a female Watson. There have been a couple of instances of waking Holmes from a deep freeze into the present day. <br />
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The first of these new Holmes adventures is called <em>A Study in Pink</em>, an adaptation of <em>A Study in Scarlett</em>, followed by <em>The Blind Banker</em>, which I am not sure, but appears to be a take on <em>The Adventure of the Dancing Men</em> . Holmes is still a Consulting Detective, a occupation he created and is the only one of his kind, as he told Watson. Holmes is very tech savvy, utilizing GPS, text messaging, and other modern mean of information gathering as easily as his Victorian counterpart did with his Baker Street Irregulars. Watson is a returned war veteran looking for lodgings in London, having been wounded in the leg in Afghanistan, a very strong and historic parallel. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE88E9uT4orA3JVL_ezpEPT4Cpt82OwnGntNzRB_9icnfhAidqoIIPuPYN7EJqnR8T_wlydlzi730iazc5UGclqSBmIERECb-WyF2H7NQA0F9WiSntvyxLD3re3cn-OvgawEB2wYvxeQ/s1600/Sherlock-Moffat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE88E9uT4orA3JVL_ezpEPT4Cpt82OwnGntNzRB_9icnfhAidqoIIPuPYN7EJqnR8T_wlydlzi730iazc5UGclqSBmIERECb-WyF2H7NQA0F9WiSntvyxLD3re3cn-OvgawEB2wYvxeQ/s320/Sherlock-Moffat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The character of Holmes and Watson are as much as they are in Doyle’s original prose. Holmes is distant, sharp, insulting, and flawlessly observant, Watson, a man of action, amazed in Holmes’ ability, with a sharp eye for the ladies. They are well fleshed out men in their own right, yet complete and compliment each other. <br />
The acting is top notch Cumeberbatch makes Holmes his own, yet stays true to the heart of the character, giving him new quirks and nuances so different from Rathbone and Berrett’s interpretations. Freeman is a great Watson, he can’t help but like Holmes and be annoyed by him at the same time. His participation in the war has left him an adrenalin junkie, he, like many warriors and soldiers, needs action--danger, to feel alive. The opening of <em>A Study in Pink</em> has Watson with a therapist discussing his blog. It is not going well as Watson cannot bring himself to write down those inner most thoughts and feelings that the therapist feel will help him heal from his experiences in war. This should be a foreshadowing of Watson becoming Holmes’ Boswell. <br />
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Mycroft and Moriarity are both introduced immediately into the story. Mycroft Holmes keeping security tabs on his younger brother and Moriarity being a shadow figure chatting with other villains via computer. Though Moriarity seemed to be a device by Doyle to lead up to Holmes’ demise, the series starts with Moriarity immediately setting himself as Holmes’ arch nemesis. This promises to be the underlying plot for the series. <br />
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These adventures of Sherlock Holmes are as cerebral as Doyle’s narrative, yet add the action and flash of Guy Ritchie’s vision from 2009, even the music has strains that hearken to that film’s period soundtrack. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTfSW0vgDamn51JkdQ4F9faQpLTPM5anlSYllYySyxoZjuF5HC2iGJMX3WyO-xPMp2fleqQU5PYiENp4nIPHFOfhFXopTz5TaNKcubZJYszx7Ki12Vww1t6bwwpBYNR2mXE-7jTvzZvE/s1600/sherlock_holmes_bbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTfSW0vgDamn51JkdQ4F9faQpLTPM5anlSYllYySyxoZjuF5HC2iGJMX3WyO-xPMp2fleqQU5PYiENp4nIPHFOfhFXopTz5TaNKcubZJYszx7Ki12Vww1t6bwwpBYNR2mXE-7jTvzZvE/s320/sherlock_holmes_bbc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Of course the adaptation suffers from the modern era’s political correctness as well. The two episodes I watched are rife with homosexual reference to the two characters, an “are they or aren’t they?” kind of thing with dating references, sharing rooms and beyond. One of the creators, Steven Moffat, stated that he thought it just shows how acceptable that lifestyle is now in society. Be that as it may, the constant reference gets old, and appears to be used for cheap laughs. Not exactly an enlightened perspective that Moffat suggests. Let it go…..Watson’s four marriages within cannon, and Holmes avowed dislike of women as cunning creatures and his cerebral asexuality are enough to work with. One almost expects such juvenile references from <u>Saturday Night Live</u>. <br />
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A second is Holmes’ use of nicotine patches instead of smoking his pipe. “it’s a three patch problem…..” as he says. This is lame (My own personal enjoyment of a good pipe aside) because Holmes basically laments his inability to be able to smoke anywhere in London, yet there are strong references that the character is a drug user, as he was in Doyle’s stories. It would seem to me, as unconventional a man as Holmes would fire up a pipe to aid his thought process should he want to. New social mores be damned! <br />
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The overall production and performance are great and have had me wanting to watch the next episode. It also shows the resilience and power of great writing. Despite one hundred and twenty five years passing Holmes and Watson are still relevant and entertaining in a modern venue. As Shakespeare, Shelly, Wells, and others who wrote in their own eras the stories they told are easily and smoothly adapted to the modern age and sensibilities.R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-45862125932357117752010-11-15T22:22:00.001-05:002010-11-15T22:29:46.571-05:00Figure Flats for Untold: Game Accessories for the Dark Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWEO1-iejW9_Th1IJ28ls9qOjV5bS2QqkJ7A_7MPNqrdT27Q2OMq9LZHRr9Hhxda2GBCbrWVOF8CI39Frx8X0zU83NHgioP3GhadyJq86vnmlKZWZ3Z15JN8rzLaNmgYffd1l1Lsr4sg/s1600/race_buzzsaw_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWEO1-iejW9_Th1IJ28ls9qOjV5bS2QqkJ7A_7MPNqrdT27Q2OMq9LZHRr9Hhxda2GBCbrWVOF8CI39Frx8X0zU83NHgioP3GhadyJq86vnmlKZWZ3Z15JN8rzLaNmgYffd1l1Lsr4sg/s200/race_buzzsaw_sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Not so long ago I announced the release of <a href="http://www.untoldthegame.com/"><em>Untold</em> </a>to the general public. I have also posted the character backgrounds and ecologies I have created for Wandering Men Studios’ post-apocalyptic fantasy. The company has big plans for expansion beyond releasing decks for the game. One such release is figure flats for <em>Untold</em>. Figure flats are not a new concept, many board games actually utilize the card board cut outs to represent the player’s pieces on the board, and Steve Jackson Games released numerous versions for their myriad worlds of <em>GURPS</em>. These character representations have also been referred to as penny men, because the base can be weighted with pennies pasted to the base to make them stand better.<br />
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Wandering Men Studios released these flats a couple weeks ago as a <a href="http://www.untoldthegame.com/store/untold-2-d-starter-set-minis">PDF download</a>. I decide to see what they had and give them a try in my own pick up game I run for my nephew. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Armies Assembled</td></tr>
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The download is pretty standard for such things that are purchased through places like RPGNow, etc. The basic sheets total twenty-five pages, including the cover page. The images are recycled art from the actual cards in circulation , using various minions, iconic characters, and creatures from Toa, the Apoc-Churl, to klik, to Vrr, a wide smattering of images to use in your game. The images are crisp, allowing for high resolution if one so desires. There is the ability in character building in <em>Untold </em>to allow for a Large character, and the images are offered in this scale. (My nephew encountered several Vrr with such an advantage.) The images are offered both in color and in gray scale for those who want to save precious ink. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgXA39kKQ6Wesm_011Vn4tpyyB5sTVxRXbO9mFj7Yuh6S6R6o4ona3XNk9iOO2UPJSFH9ZfrPGrT_Y5OMUHuR0hJpMUW_adky5KsDlIQChYV8giN-WEz3j3Vhmmmm5wBUvSzd8TD49Jg/s1600/586815622_2086965515_568333506_1289867767159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgXA39kKQ6Wesm_011Vn4tpyyB5sTVxRXbO9mFj7Yuh6S6R6o4ona3XNk9iOO2UPJSFH9ZfrPGrT_Y5OMUHuR0hJpMUW_adky5KsDlIQChYV8giN-WEz3j3Vhmmmm5wBUvSzd8TD49Jg/s320/586815622_2086965515_568333506_1289867767159.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Assembly was easier than Tab A to Slot B, simply cut and tape the base. I attempted to use thin card board backing to stiffen the figures, but the card board as still too thick when bent and the glue of course adds a layer of mess I don’t want to deal with. So I kept it simple with just the paper. I found with the Large images that the base was not wide enough for the height if the tabs were over lapped, no big issues as I simply joined them at the edges. (Who would have thought the whole height/base ratio we learned in school would have practical gaming application?) I did not bother weighting the bottoms as it was for a quick pick up game and the only issue I had with that were any air gusts that came up. No issues there during the session I ran with them. <br />
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The benefits of these flats versus minis are cost, weight, and space. At $3.50 and the ability to print off vast armies over and over again, these simple cut outs are more cost effective than miniatures which can cost as much for one mini. This price point seems to be in line with other PDF products out there. Weight is of course nonexistent with just paper minis, and they take up a fraction of the space that solid plastic miniatures use. These are perfect for travel and convention play. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK9mhjUMXx4-i5sTM6UHcxq1scEIBuY27ZBaeE1SEK06dutxByt5gPamETOeqZl1KIzyFH5ALfnzhw9fBG4naSkIB7xdI-RmtYDThJ5eM5zcQZJok6hEViheUSBcEBORVF2JndEK39pw/s1600/586815707_2086965822_568333601_1289867721465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK9mhjUMXx4-i5sTM6UHcxq1scEIBuY27ZBaeE1SEK06dutxByt5gPamETOeqZl1KIzyFH5ALfnzhw9fBG4naSkIB7xdI-RmtYDThJ5eM5zcQZJok6hEViheUSBcEBORVF2JndEK39pw/s320/586815707_2086965822_568333601_1289867721465.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
There is also a versatility factor, with <em>Untold</em>, and the Splintered Serenity the default setting, having a multi-genre feel, the flats can be used for numerous games. On the whole, the post-apocalyptic <em>Gamma World</em> or even<em> Twilight 2000</em> come to mind, but the high-bred flats could be easily co-opted for a special ops game, or the churls used in any fantasy setting. How about introducing your dungeon crawling adventures to a Vrr? Of course the L’na and kilk offer endless possibilities as well. <br />
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The only draw back is aesthetic, because these are recycled two dimensional images; there are back images, only shadow outlines to represent the back of the character. <br />
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Much of the art can be seen on the <em>Untold </em>website so the buyer already knows the great quality of art they are receiving. The versatility is there to make this a worthwhile investment for gamers of different systems and settings. It paid off for me, as the images helped bring the world and adventure I created for my nephew to life. It was actually the imagery of the klik roller that prompted him to play that character when I ran the game. When I put the Large Vrr out there with his smaller brethren, my nephew knew pain was coming…… so worth it!R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-12790103820262522542010-11-03T21:55:00.003-04:002010-11-03T22:23:19.798-04:00The Prophecy Forgotten: Young Fantasy in a Different Direction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTkMkF6YUhb5cvXNcVPnUP00P7iAWzMqARpXnDw6Qf2QwPqPqMRypnwBvSIXH1aA9mIkJxean0aQA9pvTHDT0HTDW6yg7AaGVa95wwTCkMnJco4Fqjsz-WQe0gGFcacO_g0UbqKqQ-sw/s320/51pnX6LbdcL__SS500_.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
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<em><a href="http://www.elysianchronicles.com/AProphecyForgotten.htm">The Prophecy Forgotten</a></em> is the first of <em>The Elysian Chronicles</em> written by M.B. Weston. The series has been likened to C.S. Lewis, for its religious allegory, though the overtones are heavier than Narnia’s yarns. Michelle Weston says that she does not write Christian fiction, but rather, she is a Christian that writes fiction. After reading the book I would agree with her statement. <em>The Prophecy Forgotten</em> has Christian trappings to tell the story, as Harry Potter, Artimes Fowl, and Spiderwick have used other mythologies and trappings to create their setting and stories for younger readers. <br />
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The books are geared for younger readers, but I found it an enjoyable modern fantasy despite the age of the target audience. The cherubian’s have been at war with the mornachts for thousands of years. (read angels and demons) The battle raging across their own dimension and spilling to Earth as mornachts seek to possess and use humans for their evil ends. The cherubians also fight on Earth as the guardians and protectors of humans: assigned to watch over their charges as Guardian Angels to keep humans from harm and to subtly nudge them toward goodness and charity, so that they do not “harden” and become easier prey for the mornachts. This spreads their efforts thinly on both fronts, but they have allies in the unicorns as the other mythical races like gnomes and dragons stay relatively neutral. Gnomes are almost war profiteers in these stories. <br />
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<em>The Prophecy Forgotten</em> is two stories that converge and over lap, becoming the overarching plot. The prophecy refers to a human that is important in the war between good and evil that shall rise when he is most needed; a warrior named Davian realizes that the time of the prophecy is at hand. Unlike many cherubians he has not forgotten their mission handed down by Ianoda (God) to protect and watch over Man, nor has he lost his faith. Davian is the proverbial bad ass with a Bushido code. He is the leader of an elite infiltration special forces team that does extensive reconnaissance into mornacht territory, yet all he yearns for is time to read and plant a garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">APF Graphic Novel Concept Art: Artist: Adam Black</td></tr>
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Then there is Gabriella, a Guardian Angel that is set to watch over Tommy, a small eight year old boy that has a tendency to take great risks in his personal quest for adventure. Tommy appears to be the one that the prophecy is referring to. So Gabriella’s task is doubly challenging, but she is a deadly archer and committed warrior that has a mother’s love and protective instincts for the boy. Davian has of course fallen deeply in love with her. Hell I fell in love with her! So did Tommy’s dad when she assumed human form in the story. <br />
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Meanwhile there is a cabal of cherubians sick of the politicians and their far too cautious approach to the war with the mornachts and the bureaucracy that keeps final victory out of reach. These cherubians have dismissed Ianoda as a long absent father that no longer holds any importance to them. They devise a plot to take control of Elysia, pinning the blame on the mornachts. <br />
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The story itself is fairly straight forward, with clever twists and turns to entertain older readers, despite the target audience. Some of the devices M.B. Weston uses are a little cliché for my jaded mind, but they move the tale forward. I also found some very important plot points had been glossed over, or too simply resolved even for the audience it was intended for. <br />
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What really makes the story enjoyable for me, as with all stories are the characters. They are well drawn, living, breathing individuals, with well defined goals, loves and hates. Gabriella and Davian are only two examples. Marcus, Davian’s good friend and fellow soldier has the <strong><a href="http://rrhunsinger.blogspot.com/2010/02/dynamic-duos-importance-of-sidekicks.html">sidekick</a></strong> personality that Davian needs to keep him grounded, but is also the guy who has his back no matter what. Even the family of young Tommy that Gabriella interacts with are wonderful characters to meet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVGgpFnmaVLR33wAHKZoaRG8uwv1DvclkOCn5M6tJWjXWMxbIPjJ_lSJiWU6jWJ09ml7biG3RPL4pTokbOoRkN9YWncDLoJNUc5DflnWn-yRWadem2GHbFRkVUnFdmnh-9p12JxPskfQ/s1600/n505439838_583990_6025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVGgpFnmaVLR33wAHKZoaRG8uwv1DvclkOCn5M6tJWjXWMxbIPjJ_lSJiWU6jWJ09ml7biG3RPL4pTokbOoRkN9YWncDLoJNUc5DflnWn-yRWadem2GHbFRkVUnFdmnh-9p12JxPskfQ/s1600/n505439838_583990_6025.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">APF Graphic Novel: Artist: Adam Black <br />
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</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have always enjoyed fantasy stories that involve the war in Heaven idea and this one is no exception. What I enjoyed most about the novel as opposed to others like Harry Potter are the adults. They are not bumbling or disbelieving fools, but rather they are adults interacting with a child and the events that swirl around that child. They protect Tommy, keeping him out of harms way, unlike those in the aforementioned series, that seems to use Harry as bait or actually pin the success of defeating the evil squarely on him. <br />
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Michelle‘s first novel is a great debut, with the second novel already out: <em>Out of the Shadows</em> and the third close behind. I will be delving into the second shortly, and looking forward to the third: <em>The Sword of the Vanir.</em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMgtZ2_q60E3d6j679H9hqUo-O8NkhMV5f-NtXH8_hsupNMscqMqR25mhZ2F9tOJ2kta8CFjR98Mdf5IZ9rMQ0xgzqvQW8MtTUJUIBYvu8ACjPbhpLEkaNH7NiI51oc3huhFRsWaFYMQ/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMgtZ2_q60E3d6j679H9hqUo-O8NkhMV5f-NtXH8_hsupNMscqMqR25mhZ2F9tOJ2kta8CFjR98Mdf5IZ9rMQ0xgzqvQW8MtTUJUIBYvu8ACjPbhpLEkaNH7NiI51oc3huhFRsWaFYMQ/s320/untitled.bmp" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M.B. Weston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-86783436611940011382010-10-24T19:36:00.001-04:002010-10-24T19:38:26.195-04:00Monster House: Halloween Horror--for Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PHc_JFsDhW6EEXkeXvoLl8sIF5eUnXtJnFru633kYZ4CtDXuzIC67XmFSTj4JHuXUY6fcUJOH7sxkedfMG-nFib53gQM7R17sExSgjZ7ORUgiT46GnCfjv9ONORFpr9v1XXkaO9Xo-4/s1600/Monster_house_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PHc_JFsDhW6EEXkeXvoLl8sIF5eUnXtJnFru633kYZ4CtDXuzIC67XmFSTj4JHuXUY6fcUJOH7sxkedfMG-nFib53gQM7R17sExSgjZ7ORUgiT46GnCfjv9ONORFpr9v1XXkaO9Xo-4/s400/Monster_house_poster.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><em>Monster House</em> is a 2006 animated film (adult speak for cartoon) by Gil Kenan, produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg, with voice talents from Kevin James and Steve Buscemi. DJ Walters (Mitchel Musso, <em>Second Hand Lions</em>,<em> Hannah Montana</em>) discovers that the home of Mr. Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi) is alive with the spirit of his dead wife, when he witnesses the home taking toys and people that trespass on the lawn. It is Halloween night and the house really, really, really hates the holiday and the children that are sure to come knocking on, or worse--egg the front door. The boy, along with his friends Chowder and Jennifer seek to extinguish the heart of the house, killing it and putting an end to its evil before it can do more harm. What follows is visually stunning and action oriented with frightening images that should give parents pause before letting their younger children watch the film. <br />
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There are numerous things to recommend this film to viewers, whether lovers of pulp action, horror, or cartoons. The animation is CGI based on the motion capture style called simply movement capture. Though high tech this is the same style utilized by Max Fleischer, Disney, and Ralph Bakshi in the 70’s of capturing the actual movement of the actors and rendering them in animation. This is not as ground breaking as it was hailed, (along with <em>Polar Express</em>) but it is an interesting footnote in animation history. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrlqw6u7ylUbcW53vmaJkKEEsG0zoEtrcgrh0uhCrwz-D5irw0kgadrQzL0HafsbbR87jxcNeL2w2F1-HhbwKsDEJ3fVf1UU3iMGJ_98eO_BA4B51_Mb6y41VMmALlnx_JVtzszrU2B8/s1600/2006_monster_house_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrlqw6u7ylUbcW53vmaJkKEEsG0zoEtrcgrh0uhCrwz-D5irw0kgadrQzL0HafsbbR87jxcNeL2w2F1-HhbwKsDEJ3fVf1UU3iMGJ_98eO_BA4B51_Mb6y41VMmALlnx_JVtzszrU2B8/s400/2006_monster_house_001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
What recommended this film to me, as any, is the story. Reminiscent of Stephen King’s early short stories like <u>The Mangler</u>, that gives malignant life to inanimate objects; one wonders if <em>Monster House</em> drew inspiration from another of King’s works, <u>The Wastelands</u>, published in 1991 that features a living, malevolent house. Though, such ideas are not unknown in literature. <br />
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What sets this apart for me is the way the story unfolds as the children discover and piece together the truth of the house, finally confirmed by the old man Nebbercracker. Here be spoilers so you are warned……. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2raaYLVoreETS0Yi9wiOPD7vSwJtshHGCk0xoD5r9bs8IytEAXoadG_2SGHu3tu0S_ioHXcqE-JZexP_d6swLr9Nw6UGAsK_GUjYswLJMTgu1wGE2ZT23-2Cl3J-FNRrk2gIRYyLv580/s1600/2006_monster_house_wallpaper_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2raaYLVoreETS0Yi9wiOPD7vSwJtshHGCk0xoD5r9bs8IytEAXoadG_2SGHu3tu0S_ioHXcqE-JZexP_d6swLr9Nw6UGAsK_GUjYswLJMTgu1wGE2ZT23-2Cl3J-FNRrk2gIRYyLv580/s320/2006_monster_house_wallpaper_004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Armed with the knowledge that the house is a spirit bound to the structure and super soaker squirt guns they begin their quest. The children become trapped within the house after an attack so they begin to explore the creepy environs. They seek the fiery heart of the creature, by extinguishing it the house can be “killed”. <br />
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Through their harrowing investigation they discover that the old man was married to a gargantuan woman, and judging by the pictures, very happy and that the old man was once a demolition expert in the military; further supported by the plot enabling explosives laying about. The local lore has it that Nebbercracker murdered his long missing wife. They discover the lost toys from the neighborhood in the basement, and the remains of Nebbercracker’s wife, Constance, encased in cement. The corpse is confined within a cage that declares <strong>Constance the Giantess</strong>, a side show freak’s cage, sealed with a heart shaped lock, the key is in DJ’s possession after Nebbercracker dropped it earlier in the movie. The house awakens and the battle resumes, with the house attempting to devour the children. Old man Nebbercracker returns to explain what DJ has all ready puzzled out. He explains that his wife’s death was an accident on Halloween years before when the house was being built. Nebbercracker completed the construction and guarded the neighborhood against his wife’s vengeful spirit, loving her beyond death and despite it. Now, with age and time creeping upon him, he knows that it must end. What ensues is a rampaging house sized monster that does battle with Chowder behind the controls of a earth mover and and DJ doing a Death Star run on the chimney with a packet of dynamite to extinguish the heart. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjuy4_PcZJmv47RmxmrcK4IjCsPH5nkkPG8P0XzzZUOBTAJrXoUGQy_oSa39IsWRDdNnfwPHHJgbicq9WsKoUSNRDC9Mc7NEGEdjS-1_Z4CHwqy8Dk8or_tHjqvLATawWFSfS7WDgNLE/s1600/2006_monster_house_wallpaper_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjuy4_PcZJmv47RmxmrcK4IjCsPH5nkkPG8P0XzzZUOBTAJrXoUGQy_oSa39IsWRDdNnfwPHHJgbicq9WsKoUSNRDC9Mc7NEGEdjS-1_Z4CHwqy8Dk8or_tHjqvLATawWFSfS7WDgNLE/s320/2006_monster_house_wallpaper_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The story was well crafted, with imagery blending well to tell the story as well as the words spoken. The flash back scene with Mr. Nebbercracker meeting and falling in love with Constance, with her tragic life as a side show attraction was heart felt and sad. Such a device is well employed later in Pixar’s<em> Up</em>! It demonstrates that animation can tell as powerful story as any film that employees live actors. The axiom of <em>“if you have a gun in the first act it better be used in the third”</em> is well demonstrated in the film, each piece a clue to the puzzle and a layer to the story. The kids are kids, with kid fears and kid stupid courage well voiced and fun to watch. The action is cliff hanger style that has Zemeckis’ and Spielberg’s finger prints all over it. Considering their track records this is not a bad thing. <br />
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It was an enjoyable film that I may wind up adding to my growing collection. I would strongly recommend parental previews though for smaller children. The house, with its gnashing boards as devouring fangs, its clawing tree limbs as its arms and grasping hands, along with the skeletal remains of Constance create harrowing imagery that might be too much for younger viewers.R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-17091024626583482912010-09-27T09:47:00.000-04:002010-09-27T09:47:05.717-04:00Prince of Persia: The Trouble with Time TravelRecently I caught <u>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</u> and it has just hit video. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhall in the title role Gemma Arterton as the love interest, and Ben Kingsley as the villain. I guess now is the time for the warning that this will be a spoiler heavy post. So those of you that have not seen this film stop reading now………<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP0c9WTDyRKlyxtwd345nkJYXH5E0PrdDIVRr0CZo7NQwaSwAkXSymznyznxzPUWHaKeq-Nbt1pSuUX8drvl_qnhuR8ONlOIqVQiSdfvKv7xWNAJiUipKc2wNZFcj4QSCBl1aCxAnO-Q/s1600/FinalPrinceOfPersiaPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP0c9WTDyRKlyxtwd345nkJYXH5E0PrdDIVRr0CZo7NQwaSwAkXSymznyznxzPUWHaKeq-Nbt1pSuUX8drvl_qnhuR8ONlOIqVQiSdfvKv7xWNAJiUipKc2wNZFcj4QSCBl1aCxAnO-Q/s320/FinalPrinceOfPersiaPoster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />
<u>Prince of Persia</u> is set in a fantasy version of said empire, nothing historical need be noted. Frankly, I am just fine with this, I wanted to see a pulpy, swash and buckle adventure and I got one, with Arabian Nights trappings and plenty of pulpy goodness. <br />
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The basic plot is that the Persian king has three sons. Two are his natural children, the eldest destined for the throne, the second, captain of the cavalry, and the third, adopted from the streets is a rogue. The hero of the film and leader of the king’s special forces.<br />
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The vizier, played by Kingsley, convinces the brothers that they should attack a holy city that is seemingly running weapons for Persia’s enemies. The hero prince, through high flying swashbuckler daring, takes the gates and lets his brothers rush in to take the city. During the fighting he takes down an escaping warrior and obtains a glass hilted dagger that is a potent magical weapon, because within the glass are the Sands of Time. The sands allow the wielder to step back in time by a minute to correct a mistake, or avoid a killing strike. <br />
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Kingsly’s character manipulated the attack to gain possession the dagger and, the actual source of the power, to place himself on the throne. <br />
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Despite the sheer predictability of the story, which is actually the focus of this post, I just want to say that I really enjoyed it just the same. The adventure itself was a fun ride, the characters well done, the villains even more so. The use of, and look of the Hashishins (assassins) was very pulp sword a sorcery, and very cool. Of course the special effects were what is expected from Hollywood now. Despite any nit picky complaints, it is a fun movie that I will add to my collection. <br />
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In <u>Prince of Persia</u>, the hero is able to step back a minute and correct his mistakes, or change the course of events. The films follows the course where everyone dies, the brothers, the father, the love interest, and even helpful sidekicks all the way through are dying off. These characters dying, their sacrifices, created tension for the hero, but not for me, because the whole time I knew that the hero would turn back the clock to a certain point and none of it would have happened. <br />
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The actual idea of this post is the nature of time travel in movies and fiction in general. It always sounds so cool, but is nearly impossible to execute because of the paradoxes and the idea of “do overs”. <br />
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This is the biggest flaw in trying to create a time travel adventure. The hero can always fix his mistakes. As a matter of course it is actually the main thrust of such adventures from <u>Back to the Future</u> to <u>Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure</u>. The tension and story come from the hero trying to correct those mistakes or set things right, but in the end we know they will. Outside of failing in the middle of the adventure, which no writer if it be screen plays, scripts, or fiction, would do. <br />
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Some films have pulled off the time travel adventure by stepping out of the norm for such stories, and a very few have actually pulled off some surprises. The two above used humor to tell the time travel story, Bill and Ted was over the top with the guys taking mental notes on going back in time to set up events to help them in the present, which of course worked….mostly. The first of Michael J. Fox’s movies did this well with the “my own grandpa” kind of shtick. Few actually seem to hold many surprises though.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYT6DOkKqzRzkCwZWz0iu9qp-umT6uZ2Ra3U4wTBwBTQY0jI5nRNm0cJlnyS852DWxk9ZE7pm3E90xZd98jPHz3zg06EJ3XSf3n8naxHuhIfoUF2CDInQWjtp5zH9X9jQkaSTqliLMZnw/s1600/82the-terminator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYT6DOkKqzRzkCwZWz0iu9qp-umT6uZ2Ra3U4wTBwBTQY0jI5nRNm0cJlnyS852DWxk9ZE7pm3E90xZd98jPHz3zg06EJ3XSf3n8naxHuhIfoUF2CDInQWjtp5zH9X9jQkaSTqliLMZnw/s200/82the-terminator.jpg" width="157" /></a></div><br />
The Terminator series took a slightly different tack, thank you Harlan Ellison. The first did well with the time travel elements of Reese being Conner’s father, because even the viewer knew he was going to die, the tension in the film actually came from that knowledge. The rest fell into a cycle of sending the next new and improved model after Conner. I imagined Sky Net sitting in Mordor (oops) saying “Did it change yet? Damn! Send another one!” Again, I imagine: why not send Arnold back with a dirty nuke in his guts and BOOM! Sky Net wins! <br />
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So what is the purpose of this post? Not much other than pointing out the pit falls of the time travel genre. I will turn off my logic engine and put in <u>Time Rider</u> followed by <u>Time Line</u> and if I have time, another viewing of the sword and sorcery fantasy <u>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</u>. I will follow the axiom on the subject from <u>South Park</u>: The rules for time travel are just silly. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqwkB5mRCg_QUYawa1cwUA7iWbgydEMcCh8kdFoSA92OSnf2QtKtjslffjeTHhrqBwaGunl-KIMclLTz0END-2VWKZPPj_WsX838LLglMcwl0e3hYHEFa1lsNcOQxk_3EaQaIBUSIGTM/s1600/key_art_timerider_the_adventure_of_lyle_swann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqwkB5mRCg_QUYawa1cwUA7iWbgydEMcCh8kdFoSA92OSnf2QtKtjslffjeTHhrqBwaGunl-KIMclLTz0END-2VWKZPPj_WsX838LLglMcwl0e3hYHEFa1lsNcOQxk_3EaQaIBUSIGTM/s320/key_art_timerider_the_adventure_of_lyle_swann.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYT6DOkKqzRzkCwZWz0iu9qp-umT6uZ2Ra3U4wTBwBTQY0jI5nRNm0cJlnyS852DWxk9ZE7pm3E90xZd98jPHz3zg06EJ3XSf3n8naxHuhIfoUF2CDInQWjtp5zH9X9jQkaSTqliLMZnw/s1600/82the-terminator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-9398274157058898312010-08-26T23:18:00.000-04:002010-08-26T23:18:48.586-04:00Ex-KOP- Sci-Fi Noir<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnxuGhLe2H97tBX-7AOPsLuhHp_uJbTMWoJzDlFAQk90mw3DEFPTnzIBjHP0HupBSaEuzierbIeFFJzByvO5DM1bIYMVxj5_SZ_d9h1jdLTzlYTZi53ScK9WtjNvBGnPaPLXYYafnPBI/s1600/9780765351371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnxuGhLe2H97tBX-7AOPsLuhHp_uJbTMWoJzDlFAQk90mw3DEFPTnzIBjHP0HupBSaEuzierbIeFFJzByvO5DM1bIYMVxj5_SZ_d9h1jdLTzlYTZi53ScK9WtjNvBGnPaPLXYYafnPBI/s320/9780765351371.jpg" width="199" /></a>KOP: Koba Office of Police, a corrupt graft ridden cess-pool of bribe taking sociopath cops that appear to be keeping order in the city of Koba on the planet Lagarto. Set several centuries in our future <a href="http://www.warrenhammond.net/">Warren Hammond</a> brings us the gritty anti-hero Juno Mozambe the once bad-ass enforcer for the former chief of police, until said chief was assassinated in a coup. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now Juno works as a private eye, mostly peeping though key holes trying to get the goods on high-tech off-worlders to bribe them as much as get an honest fee. His former partner asks him to investigate a young woman’s confession that will see her to the gas chamber. What follows is a twisting, creepy, and dark adventure in the near future on a distant planet that would have done Hammet or Chandler proud. Bogart would have made a convincing Juno Mozambe. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The story is excellent, noir ridden, and earthy. One part <em>China Town</em> with a dash of <em>Big Sleep</em>, except instead of .38’s and tommy guns, the bad guys carry body mods and las-pistols.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ex-KOP is for anyone who enjoyed <em>Blade Runner</em> or T<em>he Maltese Falcon</em>. There is an engaging story; heroes and villains are only separated by a few shades of gray, with plenty of character story and world building to swirl around the antagonists! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7834794210635671921.post-87867555811743500572010-08-17T22:54:00.001-04:002010-08-17T23:00:28.806-04:00Thor: Please Dont’s Let it Suck!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbULe-BDhmMnwH_ZIqyY84n2eMm8pWBvA2r8l2TeeumbAfJdQqonZ8Zu8pRUFxAFys84VsVBrq-IvfzTi5LYsboRlg0uxG4fEGiN735kbdsUAIMhkn0MhKlDkn9K-zYavbaEkyIeSdK4E/s1600/thor-movie-new-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbULe-BDhmMnwH_ZIqyY84n2eMm8pWBvA2r8l2TeeumbAfJdQqonZ8Zu8pRUFxAFys84VsVBrq-IvfzTi5LYsboRlg0uxG4fEGiN735kbdsUAIMhkn0MhKlDkn9K-zYavbaEkyIeSdK4E/s320/thor-movie-new-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So unless you are not a comic book fan or totally without internet access you have probably seen the Thor preview trailer that premiered at Comic Con a few weeks ago. The movie is slatted for a May 2011 release, starring Chris Hemsworth in the title role with Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman. I had previously posted <a href="http://rrhunsinger.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-anticipation-of-thor-please-let.html">my thoughts</a> on the initial release of photo stills from the film and the general plot line. The preview brought some of the action to life and, though it has not allayed my fears, it has eased them. If you are interested in watching it hopefully it is at <a href="http://www.beyondhollywood.com/by-odins-beard-extended-thor-comic-con-trailer-online/">beyondhollywood.com</a>. Marvel is pulling it as fast as fans can post it. This by itself seems to be a smart marketing tool because it keeps fan boys constantly searching for it, possibly creating an inflated interest and desire to see the film when it is released. <br />
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The preview opens essentially where <em>Iron Man 2</em> left off with its “after the credits trick ending” with the discovery of Mjolnir in the New Mexico desert by SHIELD. Thor is being interrogated after being captured breaking into the secured area and trashing some of SHIELD’s best soldiers. It then pans across the vistas of Asgard flashing to Odin’s throne room. There are scenes of Thor and his companions doing some fighting, Odin then banishing Thor for actions that have brought Asgard to the brink of war. <br />
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Thor appears upon Earth in a crumpled heap, meeting Jane Foster as she aids him. It then flashes to Thor trying to explain to Foster who he is and where he comes from. She then apparently helps him in his attempt to regain his hammer. <br />
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Flashing back to Asgard it appears that Odin becomes incapacitated and the throne passes to Loki, the trickster god, who lurks one step behind the throne like Worm Tongue. (I hope they are not using the ridiculous “Odin Sleep” to see the All Father out of commission for Loki’s machinations.) The scenes shift into a montage with Thor’s voice over <em>“For the first time in my life I have no idea what I am supposed to do.”</em> showing the thunder god on Earth then in Asgard with his hammer high. Battle and adventure ensue with brief glimpses of the Warriors Three: Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandril. Sif and Hemidall, as well as whom I take to be Frigga played by Rene Russo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The preview wraps up with the Destroyer, a construct built by Odin to help fight and stave off Ragnarok, making an appearance and unleashing fiery destruction. <br />
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This is a very brief sketch of the five minutes of uber cool that was the preview. Yes, oh yes, I loved it, but I do not completely give my heart away. The sequences were obviously out of sync to the movie progression, which is usual, and like many movies, the scenes used in previews don’t make it to the screen in the theater. <br />
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From what I saw I am very excited. The costuming looks a little less rubbery and cheesy in the environments of Asgard. I am pleasantly surprised by Hemsworth as Thor. At first, based on seeing him in his brief appearance on Star Trek as George Kirk I thought he would be too small physically to portray the god of thunder, but seeing him straining to free Mjolnir from its resting place as well as the obligatory beef cake shot for the ladies, I was impressed by the gym time he put in. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxyCw5FE9IK88GtG0NKUX5lAhvw8WHSfS7TYMo449c7VAQvsK5YzrhoifmqzAW7UBcUchVxUOcrlW519pQ5Ru-BMgHpuOOszEkR35uCOJs379Ao9RPetK8lJBk9VtSnEpvGVH-w-P-2A/s1600/thor-movie-hammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxyCw5FE9IK88GtG0NKUX5lAhvw8WHSfS7TYMo449c7VAQvsK5YzrhoifmqzAW7UBcUchVxUOcrlW519pQ5Ru-BMgHpuOOszEkR35uCOJs379Ao9RPetK8lJBk9VtSnEpvGVH-w-P-2A/s320/thor-movie-hammer.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><br />
The story itself follows the idea that launched Thor’s career with Marvel Comics in Journey into Mystery #83 back in 1962. Thor has become arrogant and prideful; Odin banishes him to Earth to learn humility and humanity. In the comic he is placed into the crippled form of Doctor Donald Blake. For the movie he appears to be stripped of his godhood; a good way for a movie adaptation to go for the time constraint and to give the super hero, instead of his alter-ego, the screen time. <br />
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Anthony Hopkins as Odin, in my opinion, was inspired, when I saw him on screen and heard his voice delivering such powerful lines, I could overlook the ridiculous eye patch.<em> “I have sacrificed much to achieve peace. So too must a new generation sacrifice to maintain that peace. Responsibility! Duty! Honor! These are not mere virtues to which we must aspire. They are essential to every soldier….to every king.”</em> Awesome dialogue! And when he dresses down Thor:<em> “You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!” </em>Pitch perfect. The man is easily a match for the material and Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespearian chops.<br />
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The rest of the cast looks like it will mesh well with the roles assigned to them. I only wish I could have seen a bit more of Loki’s manipulations and mischief as it relates to the plot of the film. I hope to see something in that vein in future previews. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hF9a74EES1UCGewlWueQLD2fgDcsQsoLauM_eGc_B8RgHBMFhGJ7si-odVrPdygAdxWaemppGD4qIpcRhjIclHeGHWgaVCveNsSptL0H33sNMJV8tmCVR3TrViAH1hsQRrcO-TLuQ5w/s1600/comic-con-poster-thor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hF9a74EES1UCGewlWueQLD2fgDcsQsoLauM_eGc_B8RgHBMFhGJ7si-odVrPdygAdxWaemppGD4qIpcRhjIclHeGHWgaVCveNsSptL0H33sNMJV8tmCVR3TrViAH1hsQRrcO-TLuQ5w/s320/comic-con-poster-thor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I am very excited about the film now, but the decision to use 3D leaves me cold. I hope to be able to catch it in a normal format, for almost half that price tag. Regardless, I will be there opening night, and if they do a midnight show then I will be at the theater by 10 PM to make sure I have a ticket. I hold hope that the film will hit me as hard as the extended trailer did. Now I have to wait almost a year to find out! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPvxc4_5ztxYY0eieqSiQ8lYIDQOb5riH37_bRErJaBI4EPRUY8Atm4EWrpNV_icb-ywSzY4zB2stQry6sM8913-Sl3kuWavFB0puUnnaF0UpLepMoQ6RRh0clKqk6EUSfCj3cPO0qLA/s1600/thor-movie-title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPvxc4_5ztxYY0eieqSiQ8lYIDQOb5riH37_bRErJaBI4EPRUY8Atm4EWrpNV_icb-ywSzY4zB2stQry6sM8913-Sl3kuWavFB0puUnnaF0UpLepMoQ6RRh0clKqk6EUSfCj3cPO0qLA/s320/thor-movie-title.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>R.R. Hunsingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08945853668958440509noreply@blogger.com1