Tagged: small

Jeremy Renner’s First Mission

This is going to be Oscar-nominee Jeremy Renner’s year beginning with this week’s release of [[[Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol]]] on Blu-ray followed by next month’s role as Hawkeye in [[[The Avengers]]]. Later this summer, he appears in the fourth Jason Bourne film, playing another espionage agent in The Bourne Legacy.

Here’s a chat with the actor courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment.

Q: Hey Jeremy. Congratulations on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Not only was it a huge box office success in its films release, but you actually managed to survive making the film. That’s a surprise considering the amazing stunts in the movie.

A: (Laughs) Yes, it’s good to be alive. There are some amazing set pieces, my friend.

Q: Let’s talk about the biggest one. It involves Tom Cruise hanging outside the tallest building in the world – the Burj Khalifa – which stands almost 830 metres (2,723 feet) high in Dubai. Can you talk about the stunt?

A: Yes. As you say, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. It’s twice the size of the Empire State building in New York. We were on the the top of it and it is so high that when you look down it is like the view from a plane. It’s intense. All the stunts are practical and that made that a lot of fun. There’s a lot of challenges to overcome, but luckily we had a man like Tom to lead the way. (more…)

FARMERIANS REVEAL BIG NEWS FOR FARMER FANS ON PODCAST!

FARMERIANS REVEAL BIG NEWS FOR FARMER FANS ON PODCAST!

From www.pjfarmer.com


April 13th Yesterday Christopher Paul Carey and Michael Croteau were guests on the Book Cave doing a podcast all about the ancient civilization of Khokarsa. Give it a listen if you haven’t already. If you are not familiar with the Book Cave, hosts Rick Croxton and Art Sippo do a terrific job interviewing a wide variety of people regarding genre fiction, pulps, movies, tv, you know, all that entertainment we love.

In the podcast Chris and Mike mostly talk about the new webpage they created, Explore the World of Lost Khokarsa for the series, and the soon to be released,GODS OF OPAR: Tales of Lost Khokarsa. In case you’ve been living in a cave we’ll point out that this volume contains three novels: HADON OF ANCIENT OPAR, FLIGHT TO OPAR, and the brand new conclusion to the series, THE SONG OF KWASIN. The latter title being a collaboration between Philip José Farmer and Christopher Paul Carey.
But, then the interview took a turn for the unexpected with the announcement of another brand-new book set in Khokarsa. If there is one complaint many people have about the Khokarsa novels, it is that the Gray-Eyed God, Sahhindar, does not show up enough. Seriously, anyone who has read TIME’S LAST GIFT knows who Sahhindar is, and we want to spend more time with him. A lot more time in fact. Farmer really took the old adage, “leave them wanting more,” a little too far in this case. That is one of the reasons Christopher Paul Carey’s novella, Exiles of Kho, has us so excited. Not only is it an origin story, but Sahhindar plays a prominent role!
If that doesn’t get you excited, how about this: artist extraordinaire Mike Hoffman not only supplies the gorgeous cover art, but interior illustrations as well. It gets even better, read on if you dare… The signed limited edition novella will be published in the late summer or early fall of 2012 (hopefully in time forFarmerCon VII where Chris will be a guest). You can preorder the book now for $15 plus shipping and there are two very compelling reasons why you need to do this. First, if you preorder by June 30th, your name will appear in the book on the acknowledgments page. Second, only a small number of copies will be printed beyond the number preordered. So if you don’t preorder the book, there is a very good chance you will miss out on the tale of how Sahhindar significantly influenced the course of events in the ancient civilization of Khokarsa.

ATHENA VOLTAIRE FLIES TO SEQUENTIAL PULP ON A DARK HORSE

Sequential Pulp Comics shared their latest press release for Athena Voltaire with All Pulp.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Michael Hudson
artist@reelarstudios.com

ATHENA VOLTAIRE FLIES TO SEQUENTIAL PULP ON A DARK HORSE

Globetrotting aviatrix Athena Voltaire battles Nazis, occult science, and mythical creatures against the backdrop of the pulp era. And now she’s coming in for a landing with Sequential Pulp Comics.
Co-publishers Sequential Pulp Comics and Dark Horse Comics are pleased to announce their publishing plans for writer/artist Steve Bryant’s 1930s heroine.

“Steve and I share a common love for all things pulp and for telling great stories. His character, Athena Voltaire, could not be a better fit for our line of graphic novels,” said Sequential Pulp president Michael Hudson. “These stories will have a beginning, a middle, and a true end to them, giving the reader a complete and fulfilling experience. The art and the writing are masterful. I can’t wait to see how Steve and his team develop this wonderful property as we move ahead.”

“I can’t think of a better home for Athena Voltaire than the Sequential Pulp imprint. Their commitment to adapting genre classics and creating new pulp icons is second to none,” said Bryant. “To be published through Dark Horse is the cherry on top. Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Buffy, Battlepug—they put out some of the best comics on the stands today. I’m flattered and humbled to see my book added to such a prestigious line!”

Athena Voltaire

In addition to covering representational rights, the exclusive print and digital publishing agreement calls for an Omnibus edition containing remastered versions of the previously published Athena Voltaire material followed by new adventures, including two graphic novels and an illustrated prose anthology.

With titles scheduled into 2015 and beyond, Athena Voltaire is sure to continue to please her existing fan base as well as those who will be coming aboard through this relaunch. Anyone who enjoys pulp, classic adventure stories, classic and modern comics will fall in love with this heroine who is unlike any other in comics today.

About Dark Horse Comics:
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the third-largest comic-book publisher in the U.S., and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of licensed comics material.

About Sequential Pulp Comics:
Sequential Pulp is a new imprint and production house whose focus is on publishing graphic novels based on classic to neo pulp of all genres. Its books will include both licensed and creator-owned material. launched as a part of the Modern Tales family of webcomics in 2002 and was nominated for a Best Digital Comic Eisner Award in 2005. The feature was also included in St. Martin’s The Year’s Best Graphic Novels, Comics and Manga (2004 edition).

About Steve Bryant:
Steve Bryant began his comics career with the launch of Athena Voltaire as a webcomic, eventually earning him an Eisner Award nomination in 2005, and a nomination for the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award in 2007. Bryant has contributed artwork to publications from Image, IDW, and Ape Entertainment, as well. Outside of comics, Steve has produced illustrations for everything from clip art and greeting cards to theme park design and roleplaying games.
You can learn more about Sequential Pulp Comics at http://www.sequentialpulpcomics.co/
You can learn more about Dark Horse Comics at http://www.darkhorse.com/

Click on images for a larger view.

MARC ALAN FISHMAN: How an Indie Comic Creator Prepares for a Con

Hello, all! With but a few short days before my little company, Unshaven Comics, takes C2E2 by storm, I figure I might as well abuse what little power I have to hype it up. Then I thought that you can get more flies with honey than poo. Maybe my metaphor sucks, but I think the point is clear: Hype is good, but sharing experiences is better. So, consider this the MTV’s True Life: I’m an Indie Comic Creator of articles. Except there will be 10% less talking head interviews.

The first time we crossed the aisle to become “creators” instead of “fans” the whole world was turned on its ear. Whereas I used to mill about the Artist Alley with careful consideration to not make eye-contact with the would-be pitch men, here I was in their spot muttering “How Rude!” under my breath when passersby floated past our table without so much as a nod of the head. It was a sobering experience, all in ten minutes. Luckily for me, Unshaven Comics has been and will always be a communal effort. Sitting next to my two best friends of nearly twenty years makes the cons only a pleasure, never a chore. But I digress. With every con we’ve attended, big or small, we’ve always learned a new lesson to bring to the next.

Lesson one? You can pitch anything you want, but if you don’t believe in it, it shows. Our first con, Wizard World Chicago 2008, we had only The March: Crossing Bridges in America to sell. Don’t get me wrong, we were (and still are) proud of the work. But it was commissioned work. Educational too. 54 pages of upbeat messages, smiling, walking, and immigrant empowering narrative. Pitch that next to the guy selling the Anime Crime Noir story features boobs and guns and see where it gets you.

Simply put, we learned at con #1 that if we were to be successful, we would have to promote material that made us excited to create. For many artists in the alley, their work sits on the table as a testament to their exploration of the craft, or their desire to turn a quick dollar. But for those people pitching their wares because they truly believe what they created is something to note… those are the folks we gravitate to.

Lesson two. Presentation matters. Our first con? We had some sloppy Café Press tee-shirts, a too-long table skirt, and some books. Over time, we added to the menagerie: Business cards, higher quality tee shirts, an 8 ft. banner to sit behind us, and a black tablecloth made our little slice of Artist Alley a bit more homey. We’ve since decided to drop the massive backdrop. Trust me, carrying three paint buckets full of cement, a pile of painted PVCs, and all your materials doesn’t make for an easy trip from car to table. Still to come? A handy rack to display multiple issues. Maybe a small red carpet for those standing at our table. Heh. Artist alley showcases to the masses where you as a company (be it a one manned structure or a small self-publisher such as ourselves), and if you look like you just rolled in from Kinkos, it’ll show on the table.

Lesson three. The pitch. Simply put, we wouldn’t be a success without Kyle Gnepper. Not only a founding member of the company, lifelong friend, and contributing writer and production assistant… at the cons he becomes something far more powerful. He becomes a visceral selling machine; Fearless, hungry, and completely oblivious to whoever stops in front of his cone of selling. Like Hal Jordan facing down Darkseid, Kyle has pitched to Dan DiDio, Tom Brevoort, Mike Richardson, and numerous creators without any knowing smirk just passion to show off our wares.

Did they buy the book? DiDio did, because I guilted him into it. Now you can’t necessarily count Matt or me out of assisting in sales. We both bring our own flair to the pitching process. Matt’s steady hands produce copious commissioned sketches, delighting many passersby. I stay between Matt and Kyle… part salesman, part artist. Sometimes I’ll doodle on the iPad, other times I’ll help us market and coordinate future events, partnerships, and relationships. Don’t knock it… it’s what landed me here at ComicMix.

The final lesson. Growth. Every con we try to bring something new to the table. For C2E2 we are debuting a live action Samurnaut, as funded by our fantastic Kickstarter backers. We have three books (and one repackaged book) on sale at the table, as well as posters, and commissions. Last year we almost sold 1000 books across all the conventions we visited. This year? We plan to break that barrier, and continue making new material. As we gain new fans and followers, we’ve gain amazing friends. And while we may never grow out of the artist alley, get our shot at the big time, or graduate to ‘featured guests’ at any con… the best lesson we’ve learned puts it all in perspective:

It’s not the prize at the end of the quest you do this for… it’s the thrill of the journey.

This weekend, Marc Alan Fishman and the Unshaven Comics crew will be at Booth K19 in Artists Alley. Don’t be offended if fellow ComicMixers Glenn Hauman, Adriane Nash and Mike Gold are hanging around interfering with sales from time to time.

SUNDAY: John Ostrander Leaves Morocco!

JOHN OSTRANDER: Casablanca At 70 – We’ll Always Have Paris

AS I SAID LAST WEEK  AND THE WEEK BEFORE  – WARNING: I’m assuming that people reading this have seen the movie and thus will be fine with my discussing elements of the plot. If you’re one of those who haven’t watched the movie, do yourself a favor and DON’T READ THIS. See the movie instead and have your own experience with it. Trust me. You’ll be glad you did. If you need a plot synopsis, imdb has a good one here

Last time we met we were examining the film Casablanca, looking at it through story structure. I want to continue with that this week, working with the climax and the coda.

The climax of a story is the scene beyond which you can’t imagine any other. It resolves all major conflicts (although some minor ones can be reconciled in the coda, which is the last scene of the story). So… is the climax in Casablanca when Ilsa goes away with her husband? It would seem so, wouldn’t it? That’s the major question that’s been driving the film.

I’d like to offer an alternative answer by first asking a question – whose story is it? Who is the protagonist, the central character by whom and by whose actions the rest of the story is driven? It’s Rick’s, both by his refusal to help earlier in the film and by his actions as we race towards the climax.

For me, the real story isn’t Rick and Ilsa although it is an important, vital element in the story. Rick is emotionally dead at the start of the film; he doesn’t care about anyone or anything. Burned, scarred emotionally, he’s closed off from caring about anyone or any cause again. The most alive we see him is in the Paris flashbacks, in love, knowing the Gestapo will come looking for him when the Germans march into the city.

Paris is the symbol of life, of Rick being fully alive. Ilsa tells Rick about halfway through the film that she can’t explain what happened to him; the Rick she knew in Paris would understand but not the Rick that he has become. Late in the movie, Paris comes up again – Rick tells Ilsa that now, as a result of everything that has happened in the movie, they’ll always have Paris. He didn’t have it – he was dead – until she came to Casablanca but now they both will. He’s alive again.

The climax of Casablanca is when Rick shoots Strasser, knowing what the consequences will be for him and willing to pay the price. It’s the only way he can be sure that Ilsa will escape. He escapes his fate only because Captain Renaud, the corrupt French official who is also his friend, covers for him with “Round up the usual suspects.”

The coda is all about the final image and/or line; it’s what you want the audience to have in their minds as they leave. Casablanca has one of the best I’ve seen in films. Rick and Renaud, walking side by side away from us, through rain puddles, towards a life with the Resistance. The tag line, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” is simply one of most memorable lines in all of cinema. It’s all the more amazing when you discover that it was added at the last moment, dubbed by Bogart after filming was completed. What an indelible final image!

Serendipity played more than a small part in making Casablanca the classic that it is. We’ll talk more about that next time.

MONDAY: Mindy Newell, R.N., CNOR, C.G.

 

 

FORTIER TAKES ON MIKE HAMMER’S LATEST!

ALL PULP REVIEWS by Ron Fortier

LADY, GO DIE
By Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane
Titan Books
241 pages
Available May 2012
After returning home from World War II, veteran Mickey Spillane was prepared to go back to his civilian job of writing comics.  But instead, he opted to take an idea for a new comic series and turn it into a private eye novel called, “I, The Jury.” Released in 1947, it was the first book to feature tough-as-nails Mike Hammer. (His last name pretty much defining everything he was about.)  The book was a phenomenal success and the publisher was eager to get Spillane to do more.  Three years later the first Mike Hammer sequel, “My Gun is Quick” appeared on the bookstore shelves and became as big a seller as the first.  Both Spillane and his creation were on their way to becoming literary icons.
When Spillane passed away several years ago, he left his notes and such to his friend and protégé, Max Allan Collins.  Among these files were bits and pieces of unfinished Mike Hammer mysteries.  Getting the green light from several excited publishers, Collins set about finishing these projects and getting them in print.  Thus far we’ve seen three;
“The Goliath Bone” (2008), “The Big Bang” (2010) and last year’s “Kiss Her Goodbye.”
Now comes the fourth and perhaps the most anxiously awaited of the entire lot.  You see, according to Collins’ prologue notes, “Lady, Go Die” is actually the original sequel Spillane had intended to follow “I, The Jury.”  Why he never finished it and instead completed and offered up “My Gun is Quick” is a puzzle no one will ever be able to fully solve.  Still, it adds a generous slice of real mystery to this story that was envisioned by one of the greatest writers of our times nearly seventy years ago.
Taking up where the first Hammer book left off, “Lady, Go Die” finds the irascible P.I. and his gorgeous brunette secretary, Velda, traveling to a little beach resort town in Long Island for some R & R.  Velda and Hammer’s cop pal, Det. Pat Chambers, think the emotional battering he suffered in his first case has left Hammer in need of some quiet time.  Alas, as they discover all too speedily, Hammer’s personal shadow is called Trouble.  No sooner does the couple arrive in Sidon, nearly deserted in its off-season, then they witness the brutal beating of a slow-witted drifter by three policemen, one known to Hammer as a dirty cop from the City.
Hammer steps in, pounds a few heads and rescues the helpless young man.  Within hours, he and Velda learn that the small community is in a tizzy, as its most popular citizen, a famous ex-dancer turned media celebrity has vanished without a trace.  Days later, her nude body is found draped over the stone statue of a horse in the park on the public beach.
Hammer smells the familiar odor of corruption and begins to investigate on his own. He soon learns the dead woman’s mansion was in actuality a secret gambling casino being fronted by a mob personality whose identity is carefully hidden.  As if that weren’t enough to keep Hammer and Velda busy, dodging lead and wrestling with gangster muscle, their inquiries also unearth other, supposedly unrelated murders; all of young women in neighboring towns and counties.  Now the savvy Hammer has to follow two different trails and decide if they connect or not.  Suddenly he’s confronting dangerous mob gunsels at the same time hunting a twisted serial killer who may be targeting his next victim.
“Lady, Go Die” is another terrific Mike Hammer caper that moves non-stop like a flying cheetah across the reader’s field of imagination and comes to a pouncing kill in a truly classic Spillane finale.  A big tip of the pulp fedora to this one, gents.

PRO SE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS A SCI FI ‘SAVIOR’!

Pro Se Productions, a leading Publisher of New Pulp, announces its latest volume today, a debut novel from a long time contributor to Pro Se’s award winning magazine line.

“Science Fiction,” Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions stated, “is definitely a cornerstone of Pulp Fiction, both Classic and New.  It’s an area, though, that Pro Se really hasn’t gotten into until recently with some entries in our magazines.  ‘Savior’ by Don Thomas is our first novel jumping nose first into that genre and we’re really proud of that.  And it’s a vein of Science Fiction that’s somewhat popular lately, apocalyptic virus takes on the world and a small portion of the population rises to combat it.  But it’s also different, too, in that Don exposes what happens when that small section of humanity becomes heroes of almost cosmic proportions in the eyes of the world and at what costs this takes place.”


From the back cover copy for SAVIOR by Don Thomas-  


In the Near Future, a Red Death will cover the world. As civilization struggles to survive, one government emerges with a sliver of hope- The Strategic Agency against Viral Infections by Organized Resistance. SAVIOR.

SAVIOR delivered on the promise of a miracle cure, elevating themselves into legends…but behind every legend lies truths and secrets…truths and secrets former SAVIOR agent Steve Ryker has sworn to bring into the light…even if it kills him.

SAVIOR is the debut novel of author Don Thomas, a mainstay writer of Pro Se Presents, a two year award winning New Pulp magazine. Complete with fully realized characters, lightning fast pacing, and more meteoric action, SAVIOR proves to be a solid, taut science fiction thriller!

SAVIOR-Edited by Nancy Hansen, Cover Art by Marc Guerrero and Design by Sean E. Ali! Ebook Formatting by Russ Anderson!  Available now on Amazon and at www.prosepulp.com and in ebook form at Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble!  


SAVIOR!  From Pro Se Productions- Puttin’ The Monthly Back In Pulp!

PRO SE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS A SCI FI ‘SAVIOR’!

PRO SE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS A SCI FI ‘SAVIOR’!

Pro Se Productions, a leading Publisher of New Pulp, announces its latest volume today, a debut novel from a long time contributor to Pro Se’s award winning magazine line.

“Science Fiction,” Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions stated, “is definitely a cornerstone of Pulp Fiction, both Classic and New.  It’s an area, though, that Pro Se really hasn’t gotten into until recently with some entries in our magazines.  ‘Savior’ by Don Thomas is our first novel jumping nose first into that genre and we’re really proud of that.  And it’s a vein of Science Fiction that’s somewhat popular lately, apocalyptic virus takes on the world and a small portion of the population rises to combat it.  But it’s also different, too, in that Don exposes what happens when that small section of humanity becomes heroes of almost cosmic proportions in the eyes of the world and at what costs this takes place.”


From the back cover copy for SAVIOR by Don Thomas-  


In the Near Future, a Red Death will cover the world. As civilization struggles to survive, one government emerges with a sliver of hope- The Strategic Agency against Viral Infections by Organized Resistance. SAVIOR.

SAVIOR delivered on the promise of a miracle cure, elevating themselves into legends…but behind every legend lies truths and secrets…truths and secrets former SAVIOR agent Steve Ryker has sworn to bring into the light…even if it kills him.

SAVIOR is the debut novel of author Don Thomas, a mainstay writer of Pro Se Presents, a two year award winning New Pulp magazine. Complete with fully realized characters, lightning fast pacing, and more meteoric action, SAVIOR proves to be a solid, taut science fiction thriller!

SAVIOR-Edited by Nancy Hansen, Cover Art by Marc Guerrero and Design by Sean E. Ali! Ebook Formatting by Russ Anderson!  Available now on Amazon and at www.prosepulp.com and in ebook form at Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble!  


SAVIOR!  From Pro Se Productions- Puttin’ The Monthly Back In Pulp!

MARTHA THOMASES: Hunger Games – Black Like Thee?

This column is going to get to its point in a roundabout way. If you want to get right to the incendiary arguing, skip ahead a few paragraphs. However, once you get there, you may find spoilers for The Hunger Games. Be prepared.

For the rest of you, I have a story to tell. When I was a girl of 10, I had a dog, Nancy. Before she died 11 years later, she and I had many heart-to-heart talks, where I would talk and then imagine what she would say to me.

We had a lot in common, in that we were both female and living in the Midwest. However, at some point, I realized that I was assuming we were even more alike. I thought she loved the Smothers Brothers and the Incredible String Band as much as I did. I thought she was against the war in Viet Nam. I thought she spoke English.

And I thought she was white.

I mean, she was white, except for her head, which was red and brown. Still, this was fur, not skin. It took me a while to recognize my assumptions as racist.

Some of this is how the human brain works. When someone says the word mother, I imagine my own mother. If I read a book with a first-person narrator, I assume the narrator is a middle aged New York woman like myself until the author establishes other characteristics.

Which brings me to my real subject. When I read The Hunger Games last month, I paid attention to the descriptions of the various characters. Sometimes the descriptions, all from the perspective of the narrator, Katniss, merely stated a person’s gender, or hair and eye color. Sometimes the descriptions offered more detail.

The character of Rue is one who inspires more detail. She is small and slight, like Katniss’ sister. She is shy, but smart and good at hiding. Her hair and eyes are dark.

So is her skin.

When I read the book, one of the fun things for me was to try to figure out which territories of Panem corresponded to which parts of the United States. Katniss lived in an area full of coal mines, so I figured she lived in Appalachia. Rue lives in a place that is warm and humid, a place where everyone works in agriculture. I imagined Florida, and maybe her ancestry was African-American with maybe some Cuban.

Apparently, some readers did not pay that much attention. After the movie opened last weekend to record-setting crowds, the Twitterverse was inundated with postings by people who were upset by the casting of a dark-skinned actress to play the part of Rue. There were so many complaints that there is a Tumblr site dedicated to recording all of the posts (which I found via this, so thanks!).

Now, I am not always a fan for color-blind casting. I didn’t like it when they talked about Marlon Wayans for Robin in the Tim Burton Batman movies, although I would like to believe that’s because I didn’t think he was right for the part. I thought making Jimmy Olson black, which was under discussion for a time, was kind of arbitrary and therefore a bit condescending. Both one these opinions may represent a layer of racism I haven’t yet exorcised.

But when an author takes the time and effort to specify a character’s ethnicity, I believe her.

I don’t know who these Twitter posters are, or what kind of lives they lead. I don’t know their opinions on other subjected. I haven’t even seen the movie yet.  In any case, Rue is lucky that she doesn’t live in their neighborhoods. Or walk around in a hoodie with Skittles.

SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman Jumps On Mindy Newell’s Bandwagon 

DENNIS O’NEIL: Ode To John Carter

Let the laments commence; it’s official – John Carter is a flop. Looks like the movie’s makers will take a $200,000,000 bath.

We finally trekked north to the monsterplex and settled ourselves to witness a showing of the flop before anyone was certain of its flophood. We did, and we left the theater and got into Mari’s car and drove south and were home.

We’d seen the film. And felt very little. We’d seen it and there didn’t seem to be a whole lot more to say.

Why?

Leaving the theater, I wasn’t irritated, or insulted. If I wanted to write a quibbly review I probably could – look ye hard and ye can find garbage, brethren; yeah, the writing was flattish and somehow the fabricated world seemed to be just a jot too fabricated. But nothing on the screen was godawful. The shots were in focus. The effects were okay. The acting was serviceable, except for that of Lynn Collins, whose performance was pretty interesting. (What would she do with Lady MacBeth?) The rest of it was what it was and –

Maybe that’s my problem. What it was was a heaping of déjà vu. I wonder how I would have enjoyed the flick if I hadn’t seen Star Wars in all its manifestations. I guess I can no longer be entertained by cinematic spectacle movies merely as spectacle, even when it’s in 3D. I’m sated with exploding spacecraft and after the baddies did in a whole planet in the first Star Wars…well, pretty hard act to follow, no?

Like a kid who’s been taken to one magic show to many, I’m jaded. (Another friggin’ rabbit?)

Here’s a scenario wrapped in a question: What if a temporal glitch moved John Carter back in time…oh, say, 65 years – moved it to the screen of a small neighborhood picture show (and there were a lot of them, back then.) The stuff we take for granted – exploding planets and the like–would have been absolutely astonishing because nobody would have ever seen anything remotely like it. What effect would seeing even a reel or two of a modern sci-fi film have on the minds of those who paid their money to see Dick Tracy’s Dilemma? (And isn’t that Joe O’Neil’s kid in the third row?) Would they immediately start a new religion? Would they go collectively bonkers? Or would they all go into a fugue state from which they would emerge only after Dick Tracy had reclaimed the screen and when they got home remember only Dick, believing that nothing had interrupted the detective’s pursuit of The Claw?

But wait! How do we know that this didn’t happen?

Allow me one more speculation: What if the memory of the time traveling flick wasn’t entirely erased, but survived as a nugget deep deep deep in some subconscious, a nugget that influenced the life of its host and drove him into a degraded life of writing science fiction and comic books? Wouldn’t that be strange? But – wouldn’t it explain an awful lot?

Wouldn’t it? Oh good lord in heaven..wouldn’t it?

FRIDAY: Martha Thomases