Tagged: Indiana Jones

Earth Station One takes on Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

  • News
  • August 11, 2011

In episode 72 of the Earth Station One Podcast, the ESO crew (including some New Pulp Creators you might recognize) discusses one of the pulpiest movies when they discuss the fan favorite Raiders of the Lost Ark.


Join the ESO Crew as they grab their whips, put on their leather jackets and talk about the classic George Lucas and Steven Spielberg collaboration, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and it’s sequels. But wait… that’s not all. The crew also discusses the fiery 5th episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day, continues with their Countdown To Dragon Con, and author Debbie Viguie takes a turn in the ESO Geek Seat.


You can listen to the ESO podcast at www.esopodcast.com/ or on find them on itunes.

FORTIER TAKES ON THE MYTH HUNTER!!

  • News
  • July 25, 2011

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier

THE MYTH HUNTER

By Percival Constantine

Pulpwork Press

192 pages

Release Date – May 2011

ISBN 10 – 1461050596

ISBN 13 – 978-1461050599

(Suspense – thriller – pulp adventure)

What happens when you put the best parts of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft together then mix them up with a little bit of Modesty Blaise?  Answer, you get Percival Constantine’s coolest new pulp hero, Elisa Hill.  From the opening action sequence to the last climatic battle with a cruel and vicious assassin, “The Myth Hunter” is a super charged thriller that never lets up.

Even when dealing with exposition scenes, Constantine shines in this adventure.  His writing has matured greatly since his last book and “The Myth Hunter” captures the reader’s interest with a fluid ease of storytelling that is both polished and suspenseful.  Learning that a little is often better than more, he gives us bits and pieces of Elisa’s past, when she was a mercenary tomb raider, seeking out the world’s ancient treasures solely for personal gains.  Yet somewhere along the way, echoes from her parents’ teachings take root and she learns to value the non material treasures of the world, particularly honor, loyalty and courage.

Now she is out to discover the secret to the whereabouts of the fable lost Lemuria with the help of her university allies and a truly bizarre Japanese changeling.  But there are also dark forces gathered against her such as the secret society known as the Order and their roguish agent, Lucas Davalos.  Davalos and Elisa were once partners, now they are on opposite sides and a victory for one could mean death to the other.

“The Myth Hunter” is a solid, masterful thriller by a young writer realizing his tremendous potential.  Another publishing note, “The Myth Hunter” is the first book from any publisher to bear the New Pulp logo brand signifying a very exciting movement in the field.  Based on the classics of old, new pulp thrillers like “The Myth Hunter” are blazing into the future to thrill and excite an entire new generation of readers.  Isn’t it time you bought a ticket on this train?

Reviews from the 86th Floor: Barry Reese looks at Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead

Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead
Steve Perry
ISBN 978-0345506986

I was thrilled to see a new Indy novel after many years and even more excited that it was being handled by a fairly “big-name” author.

Set during a period where we really haven’t seen much with Indy (the World War II period where Indy worked as a spy), this novel sends our hero after the Heart of Darkness, which is also being pursued by Germans, the Japanese and a Voodoo priest. The search leads them all into Haiti and the Island of the Dead. Along the way we learn about the Voodoo religion and get to see Indy taking on zombies, both of the living and undead varieties.

Unfortunately, while the story wasn’t bad per se, it didn’t really succeed as an Indiana Jones adventure. There were times when the book’s pacing was too slow and things seemed almost pedestrian (even with Zombies and Nazis running around!). There was no real sense of danger or excitement — it was like we were being told about things that were exciting, but without the excitement being displayed in the prose itself.

It was fun seeing Indy during WW II and there were one or two moments where I could see where the author was trying to go… but overall it fell flat. Go and read the Indy books by Rob McGregor. You won’t be disappointed there.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

FORTIER TAKES ON BLOOD OF THE REICH!!

  • News
  • June 29, 2011

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier

BLOOD OF THE REICH
By William Dietrich
Harper Books
417 pages
Available July 2011
ISBN 13 – 978-0-06-198918-6

You realize there are books reviewers are predisposed to like by the title alone.  When the good folks at the New York Journal of Books offered to send me this book, it was because I’d already reviewed an earlier book by the same author and liked it a great deal.  But being brutally honest here, I’d forgotten what that title was until they showed me the cover image to “Blood of the Reich.”  Ah, yes, William Dietrich, I thought, the fellow who created that Revolutionary version of Indiana Jones in his first book, “Napoleon’s Hero.”  Yes, I had enjoyed that historical romp and was curious as to what this new stand alone offering might contain in the way of a fun reading experience.

Once I read the marketing copy, I was hooked.  Nazis scientists racing to Tibet in hopes of finding a hidden mystical power in the lost city of Shambhala.  These plot elements scream pulp pleasure and I knew immediately this was my kind of book.  Dietrich’s background as a naturalist and historian allow him to create outlandish plots against authentic, real world settings and it is that richness of historical data that catapults “Blood of the Reich” into action from page one.

In 1938 Kurt Raeder, a German archeologist, is given an assignment by Hitler’s personal advisor, SS Chief Heinrich Himmler.  Raeder and a handful of loyal Nazis scientists are to travel to Tibet, seek out the lost city of Shambhala and there retrieve an ancient power known as Vril.  Himmler and the members of the arcane Thule Society believe this Vril could tip the balance of the coming war in Germany’s favor and fulfill Hitler’s mad dreams of a Third Reich world conquest.

Raeder is an intellectual sadist and the temptation to achieve personal glory, maybe even immortality, through the success of such an undertaking is much too great for him to resist.  And so the mission is launched.  At the same time, American intelligence agencies discover Raeder’s purpose and recruit their own academic agent, zoologist Benjamin Hood, to go after the Nazis and beat them at their own game.  Failing that, he is to sabotage their efforts and assure Vril never becomes a German weapon.

Now this rollicking race across the world is exciting enough but Deitrich ups the ante by creating a second storyline; this one taking place today.  Rominy Pickett is a computer publicist living in Seattle when she is kidnapped by a mysterious, handsome journalist, who claims her life is in danger from Neo-Nazis.  They believe her to be the great granddaughter of Benjamin Hood.  These want-to-be Nazis have uncovered the records of Raeder’s Tibetan mission and hope Rominy will lead them to rediscover what was found in those rugged mountains back in 1938.  Thus is a smart, witty, normal young woman suddenly hurled head first into a life-or-death race around the globe accompanied by a charismatic stranger who appears to be a physical embodiment of all her romantic fantasies.  But is he really her knight-in-shining armor or someone with ulterior motives using her to achieve his own dark agenda?

“Blood of the Reich” is a barn-storming novel that sets its sights high and never fails to deliver on them.  My singular criticism is that the convoluted mystery of Rominy’s past and her evolution from frightened victim to pistol toting survivalist challenged even my willing suspension of disbelief.  Deitrich’s prose is much more accomplished when dealing with the 30s whereas his modern sequences aren’t as assured.  Still, this book has so much pulp goodness within its pages, I can’t help but recommend it enthusiastically.  It would make one hell of a great film. 

GUEST REVIEW OF DOCTOR JONES’ EXHIBIT…INDIANA JONES, THAT IS!

THE TEMPLE OF INDY
A Review Of Indiana Jones And The Adventure Of Archaeology
By Andrew Salmon
     While I was in Montreal last week there was no way this long-time Indiana Jones fan was going to miss the exhibit of movie props and costumes from all four movies at the Montreal Science Centre. Throw in my lifelong love of all things related to movie making and you might even say I had a Jones for it.
     The exhibit was a lot of fun and, although we were forbidden to photograph the pieces on display, there was no law against mentally recording the wonderful treasures from the four films for the sake of this review. So here goes!

     Upon entering the hall, guests are given an interactive screen with headphones. Each item on display has a number and by punching that into the screen, visitors can hear information about what they are looking at. For the most part, I found this information of little value but the first recording is an introduction to the exhibit by Harrison Ford who sounds like he’s reading (Blade Runner narration anyone?) but, hey, he’s Indiana Jones! He can do what he wants!

     Visitors are greeted by the full Jones costume: hat, weathered leather coat, whip, pistol, shirt, pants and scuffed up shoes. This was a real treat for this fan and one of the highlights of the exhibit.
     The displays are organized in the chronological order by film so let’s cover them this way.
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
     The Raiders exhibit featured the fertility idol that almost gets Indy crushed by that giant ball in the opening sequence from the first movie. The plans of how they did the stunt are also included. Marion Ravenwood’s full costume from the bar scene is also there and it was a treat for this movie fan to admire the detail of the outfit. And what would a bar be without bottles, cases and the shot glasses from the drinking contest. But of course, every Indy fan knows that the key to the bar scene is the amulet Major Toht is willing to play with fire to acquire and that too was there for all to see. The workmanship that went into
these props really has to be seen to be believed as they go by so quickly on the screen. Balloq’s priest outfit from the ceremony where he and the Nazis attempt to open the Ark of the Covenant was another example of the incredibly detailed work that went into the costumes. One of the Egyptian sarcophaguses from the snake filled burial chamber was also a treat. But, let’s face it, the prop we all want to see from the first movie is the ark itself and there it was in all its glory. It’s held up pretty well over the last 30 years and, again, the level of detail and high lustre on this large prop is breathtaking.
TEMPLE OF DOOM
     Okay, it’s not everyone’s favorite Indy movie but it is part of the series and there were some nice pieces to feast the eye upon.
     This part of the exhibit was about costumes. Indy’s tux and Willie’s nightclub dress are on display as is Short Round’s complete outfit right down to the shoes/blocks he uses for driving. Sticking with costumes, Willie’s sacrificial dress is also included here as well as Mola Ram’s head dress.
     Other props include the jade jar that kicks off the opening action sequence and the Sankara stones themselves are here. I don’t know what the ‘stones’ are made off but they give off a special radiance all their own. Rounding this part of the exhibit is the miniature mining car with the mini-Jones/Willie/Round dolls used to film that ridiculous mine car chase through the caverns.
THE LAST CRUSADE
     As one of this fan’s favorite Indy films, it was a real treat to linger over the props here – and there are a lot of them.
     Young Indy’s scout hat kicks things off followed by the Cross of Coronado which Indy hunts into adulthood. Again, the cross is wonderfully detailed and looks as old and as precious as it is supposed to be. Dr. Elsa Schneider’s outfit from early in the film is here as is the suit and bow tie Indy wears while teaching. Wonderful period clothes all. Indy’s dad’s glasses and pocket watch are also here and what display would be complete without Indy Sr.’s grail notebook. What a treat it was to look over the carefully scrawled and weathered pages.
     There are a lot of props from this third instalment. The shield from the catacombs, the rubbing Indy makes of it. The crucifixes worn by the defenders of the grail are also here as is the “Leap of Faith” artwork. And they’ve included the grails! Both Walter Donovan’s poor choice and Indy’s correct one are here and it’s fitting that the simple cup of a carpenter outshines the jewel-encrusted grail which looks more gaudy to the naked eye than it does up on the screen.
THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
     It comes as no surprise that there are more props from the fourth Indy film than from any of the previous three. Being a more recent production, I’m sure tracking down this stuff did not require an Indy-calibre archaeologist.
     Props galore! Mutt’s jacket, gum, switchblade, and motorcycle are here as is the letter urging him to hunt down Indiana Jones. And there are costumes! Irina Spalko’s outfit makes an appearance and you can read her file if you’re brave enough to get that close to her sword. Professor Oxley’s outfit is another marvel of the kind of detailed costume work being done these days. And his drawings are also on hand.
     You’ll also be able to feast your eyes on the skull that mesmerizes Indy and a full-sized alien skeleton in its chair from the end of the film. Throw in the ancient texts Indy refers to, some of the booty traitorous McHale tries to make off with, Orellana’s mummified ‘corpse’ and death mask which are incredible pieces of work and this latest and, perhaps, final Jones adventure is well represented.
OTHER GOODIES
     Although the exhibit features Indy props and costumes, the purpose of the display is supposed to stir interest in archaeology. To that end, there are a number of exhibits featuring real ancient finds. From ancient Greece and Rome to North American Indian artifacts, these run the breadth of human history and were very interesting. A small section also covers some real archaeologists and there is a lot of information on how they dig up the past.
     To be honest, this stuff was interesting but was not what I showed up for. As a movie buff, film and TV background perfomer, pulp fan and pulp author, I was there to wallow in all things Indy and that is precisely what I did.
     Summing up, I would recommend the exhibit. The entry price of $23 seemed a little high but as a fan I was willing to pay it as I’ve been a fan of the movies for three decades now. A great gift shop had a number of Indy shirts to choose from and I picked out a couple of nice ones.
     On the downside, the headsets/screens were dull at best and I skipped most of what was there to listen to. A good idea that went sour was the inclusion of TV screen showing many of the scenes in which the numerous props were used. This was a great feature but people tended to crowd around them, watching the movies, and blocking the props! It struck me as strange that folks would pay $23 to watch scenes from the movies that they could see at home! The exhibit is about the props and costumes people!
     I really enjoyed reliving the fun of the movies through the props and costumes. If you’re an Indy fan, I’m suspecting you will as well. So if Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology comes to your town, plop that fedora on your head, make sure that bullwhip is coiled tight and slip into that leather jacket, you’ve got some exploring to do!

Percy Constantine’s new novel THE MYTH HUNTER from Pulpwork Press (http://www.pulpwork.com/) hits the streets today!  The author takes some time out of his busy promoting schedule to do some…ah…promotion with ALL PULP!  Stay tuned for a couple of more tidbits related to THE MYTH HUNTER throughout the day!

AP:  Perry, welcome to ALL PULP!  First, share  a little bit about yourself with us.
PC: Well, I’m a writer in his late twenties (going to hold onto that tidbit for as long as possible). A native Chicagoan who has been residing in Japan for the past few years. I first entered the world of publishing in 2005 as a comic book editor and then in 2007 as a novelist. In 2010, my first pulp novel, LOVE & BULLETS, was released through Pulpwork Press. I’m also a professional comic book letterer and writer and have a few small press credits to my name in those areas. Other than that, I’m obsessed with movies, which is where I draw most of my inspiration from.
AP:  Your newest book, THE MYTH HUNTER debuts today.  What wonderful adventure awaits within its pages?
PC: With THE MYTH HUNTER, you are looking at an action-packed tale bringing mythology from various regions and eras into the modern age. You’ve got shadowy organizations, legendary creatures, lost continents, and a heroine who can both kick your ass and outsmart you.
AP:  Now, this project has taken some time to actually see print.  What can you say about that?
PC: THE MYTH HUNTER first began with Elisa Hill, the main character. I’ve always been drawn to heroines who can hold their own against the classic hero archetypes and I wanted to create one of my own. Derrick Ferguson (creator of the brilliant Dillon series) helped me with some of the initial ideas that really led to the character’s first incarnation.
At first, THE MYTH HUNTER was intended to begin life as a comic book that Derrick and I were going to collaborate on with whatever artist we could locate. It didn’t quite work out that way and after a few setbacks, I decided to just do it as a book series. I had two artists who contributed some character designs, which will appear on my blog (percivalconstantine.wordpress.com).
AP:  You’ve created a character in Elisa Hill that is multifaceted and seems to, while being your creation, draw from several ‘muses’.  What were your influences in creating her and why is it important that a lead character have such variety within its personality?
PC: I’d say my primary influences for the character were Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, as far as initial inspiration. Visually, I’ve always imagined Elisa as being similar to actress Kate Beckinsale. Her name was inspired by someone I knew in high school who’s a very strong woman. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was also a source of influence, as I’ve found her to be a very positive, very strong heroine and she was really the first heroine who had a massive influence on me.
Other than that, I draw influence from wherever I can find them. Elisa, like many of my characters, are drawn from a hodgepodge of influences. But the ones I mentioned are really the major ones.
AP:  You’re known for writing strong female characters, particularly as leads.  Do you prefer female leads and if so, why? Or does the story just sort of write its own participants in as you go?
PC: I appreciate the fact that I’ve become known for strong female characters, as that’s important to me. I’ve felt heroines are either under-represented or portrayed as inferior to the heroes. I guess part of that is because I’ve known a lot of strong women in my life, and so I want to give them their due. 
I don’t have a preference for either gender, though. My first two novels featured male leads. And the next book in my Infernum series, OUTLAW BLUES (due for a release either later this year or early next year) will feature a male lead.
I’m attracted to aspects of both types and I enjoy writing them both. It’s more the characters themselves that speak to me and when they first come to me in my mind, they come with their gender already predetermined. I never thought of Elisa Hill or Angela Lockhart (of LOVE & BULLETS) as anything other than female, just as I never thought of Riker Stone (of CHASING THE DRAGON) or Gabriel (of FALLEN) as anything other than male. That’s just how they were when they first approached me.
AP:  THE MYTH HUNTER treads familiar ground for Pulp fans, that of the explorer finding strange artifacts, etc.  But you focus on the dichotomy of doing this for profit as opposed to doing it for betterment of mankind. Care to discuss that?
PC: The idea of profit vs. betterment of mankind has always interested me. And I know that the two aren’t mutually exclusive, which is something you see a little bit of in the book. I don’t think there’s a black and white way to look at the two. I’m someone who believes in a balance and I think I try to get that across in the book. You see aspects of both in the characters on either side of the issue. Some are doing it for profit and are completely selfish. But some aren’t doing it for profit but are still equally selfish. And some fall to a place in the middle. 
Dichotomy in general is something I really love to explore as a writer. To be, the best heroes and villains are the ones that are two sides of the same coin. So that’s why I try to focus on those things in my writing whenever I can.
AP:  This novel is peppered with a ton of interesting supporting characters as well.  What makes a good supporting character for a Pulp tale?  And why does a strong lead like Elisa even need supporting cast?
PC: It’s often been said that you can’t have a good hero without a good villain, and that’s true. But you need more than that–you need good supporting characters. The supporting characters are not just there to support the hero, they’re also there to challenge him or her in ways that the villain can’t. 
The various supporting characters are there to explore different facets of the hero. With Elisa, I think you see that a lot with her supporting players because they reflect different aspects of her. Max Finch is her experience and knowledge, Laki is her innocence, Lucas is her rebellious nature and Asami is her desire for adventure. Each of them are great characters in their own right, but when they interact with Elisa, it really helps to round her out as a better character.
AP:  You’re in the ranks of the New Pulp writers.  What is New Pulp to you?
PC: New Pulp to me is taking these classic techniques and aspects that made “old” pulp so great and seeing how we can add to them. I think New Pulp isn’t just doing what Lester Dent, Robert Howard, and others did back in their time. It’s taking what they did as an inspiration and building on it, incorporating influences from other writers who followed a similar path. 
As Bob Dylan said, the times they are a’changing. And we have to change with them. We can’t just copy what the pulp founders did, because what they did was influenced from what they knew at that time. We have to build on it. We have to take what they did, incorporate what we’ve learned since then, and use it to create something that’s different, that’s relatable to modern audiences (regardless of the time period the story is set in) but still recognizable as pulp. One of the brilliant things about Indiana Jones is that even though the films were set in the age of pulps, they were still relatable to modern audiences.
And this can be done in a number of different ways. As Indiana Jones and authors like Barry Reese have proven, you can set these stories in the age of pulps and make them relatable to modern audiences because you have the benefit of hindsight or because you understand the tastes of modern audiences. Or you can take the route that the James Bond series or authors like Derrick Ferguson have done, which is take that style of storytelling and apply it to the modern day. 
There are some people who believe that it has to be either or. You can’t appeal to modern audiences without alienating fans of the past or vice versa. And this kind of thinking is really lazy and uncreative. I was born in 1983 and yet Casablanca, a movie that was made decades before I was born, remains one of my favorite films of all time, and I know many people my age who feel the same. So to say that the past holds no appeal for the present shows creative bankruptcy in my opinion.
AP:  Any future plans for Elisa and company to return in future works?
PC: Oh absolutely. The sequel, DRAGON KINGS OF THE ORIENT, already has a draft that’s been completed. There’s no tentative release date for it yet, but it will be a bit of a wait. I’ve got some other tales in mind for Elisa and friends following that.
AP:  Speaking of future, anything else coming from you that ALL PULP should be on the lookout for?
PC: A few things. OUTLAW BLUES, a follow-up to LOVE & BULLETS and the second book in the Infernum series, is due for a release either the end of this year or early next year. As I’ve also mentioned I’ve got DRAGON KINGS OF THE ORIENT, the sequel to THE MYTH HUNTER.
Other than that, I’m writing a Domino Lady comic story for Airship 27’s All-Star Pulp Comics anthology and Tommy Hancock and I are developing a project called THE ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS SAINT.
I also have a few other things in mind, but it’s a bit too early to talk about those at the moment.
AP:  Thanks again for stopping by and great work on THE MYTH HUNTER!
PC: It’s been an absolute pleasure and I hope everyone enjoys it! Also, please keep an eye on my site, percivalconstantine.wordpress.com, because we’ll soon have some announcement about giveaways to be associated with the release of THE MYTH HUNTER!

Reviews from the 86th Floor: Barry Reese looks at

THE ADVENTURES OF DODGE DALTON AT THE OUTPOST OF FATE
Sean Ellis
ISBN 978-0982609996

Sequels can be funny things – deviate too much from what the original successful and people wonder what went wrong. Adhere too much to the first one’s formula and people cite you for being unoriginal. The Adventures of Dodge Dalton At The Outpost of Fate manages to dance along that delicate line that’s needed to create a worthy successor to last year’s debut. Sean Ellis reunites us with a character who’s a canny mix of Indiana Jones and Dirk Pitt, with the intriguing setup that our main character is the ghostwriter for the adventures of the “real” hero.

Ellis manages to infuse his novel with romanticism and good old-fashioned by-the-seat-of-your-pants adventure. Without giving too much of the plot away, this is another globetrotting epic with plenty of narrow scrapes for our heroes and a satisfying ending.

It’s inevitable that a second adventure seems less “new” than the original but Ellis is more comfortable now and the characters more nuanced. The Dodge Dalton series is one of the best New Pulps to come along.

I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars!

The Point Radio Inside WAREHOUSE 13

The Point Radio Inside WAREHOUSE 13

It’s a little like that last scene in INDIANA JONES, but really so much more. SyFy’s newest hit is WAREHOUSE 13 and we begin our backstage tour with actors Eddie McClintock & Joanne Kelly. Plus what’s Warren Ellis up to these days, is there really a MAGNETO movie in the works and a film based on Facebook?

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Review: Action Philosophers

Review: Action Philosophers

In a popular and academic marketplace where everyone wants and needs to learn better, smarter, faster, we have series upon series of
things that have titles that are playfully self-deprecating in the hopes of our being brave enough to channel our inner superhero and dive in and learn something that might have seemed a bit daunting, such as [[[Philosophy for Dummies]]] and [[[The Idiot’s Guide to Philosophy]]]. We have Sparks Charts and Cliff Notes. And we have the [[[HarperCollins College Outline of Philosophy]]], Ethics, and other subjects. All worthy aids for the harried and hopeful. But something’s missing. It has been proven in multiple studies that we learn in multi-valent ways, using all the senses, so that the more senses that are engaged in learning and the more playful it is, the better we learn and the better we retain things, no matter what our age or inclination.

Now, I’m a Philosophy Geek and I absolutely love this stuff, but I know it’s not for everyone, can be a hard read and a hard sell, and yet it is still foundationally useful – most headhunters and HR people say that they see a background in Philosophy as a plus for new applicants, as it helps them to be better analytical thinkers, better writers, better communicators, better problem solvers (both the NY Times and Wall Street Journal ran articles on this in the past year). Many of our beloved superheroes are very philosophical (look at [[[Watchmen]]]!). I heartily agree, there, and it’s why the term “classical education,” starting since Plato’s time (4th C. BCE), is still looked upon as something good and useful and the model upon which most modern education is built. After all, can 2500 years be totally wrong? But how to engage more of the senses and assimilate this vast quantity of knowledge in a manageable amount of time and even have fun doing it?

Action Philosophers to the rescue…or rather, writer Fred Van Lente and artist Ryan Dunlavey!

Their three volumes cover everything from the most obscure pre-Socratics to 20th C. America. The series, like Philosophy, itself (save for the 20th-21st Cs.) has a dearth of women – two to be exact: Ayn Rand and Mary Wollstonecraft. And only one native-born American, Joseph Campbell (Rand was an émigré and Jung only came here later in life to teach). The rest are Classical, Continental, and Eastern Philosophers of all the major schools of thought and they read totally like a who’s who. It’s not clear to me, from volume to volume, how the various names were picked and why they were grouped together in these omnibus editions, though within each volume they are chronologically presented. Van Lente’s great talent is to be able to distill down, quite accurately and admirably (I had few quibbles with him, mostly on his takes on the various Christian philosophies, in minor details), the main points of some very complex and mind-bending worldviews, from metaphysics to political science, all with quite the sense of humor, albeit sometimes gallows or black humor. And some of the things aren’t even funny ‘til you look at Dunlavey’s illustrations, which remind me of a cross between Hanna-Barbera and [[[Beavis and Butthead]]], if they’d been done in line drawings, and then you just laugh at the conjunctions.

(more…)

21 year old Zac Efron to play 11 year old Jonny Quest

21 year old Zac Efron to play 11 year old Jonny Quest

  • News
  • April 14, 2009

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that High School Musical star Zac Efron has been signed to play Jonny Quest in a live-action feature film. The movie, written by Dan Mazeau, is said to be a terrific young Indiana Jones style adventure. Mazeau was recently named one of the 10 screenwriters to watch by Variety.

Also looking to join the cast as a brawny Race Bannon is Dwayne Johnson.

The 21 year old Efron is about a decade too old for the character, based on the Hanna Barbera series form the ‘60s. He’s taking on the title part to distance himself from teen musical roles and establish himself as a leading player so for him it s a canny move.

“I’m more dismayed by news that folks at Warner Bros. are thinking of jettisoning the name Jonny Quest altogether,” Geoff Boucher wrote. “Why? I hear the thinking is that the vintage animation roots of Quest will somehow pair it in the public mind with Speed Racer, which was a major Warners pile-up as blockbuster films go, considering the investment, expectations and critical reception. I’m not surprised because, well, unnuanced thinking in Hollywood is commonplace, and instead of spending the time needed to judge individual properties by their own merits, lots of decision-makers act like my grandmother at the racetrack.”
 

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