Thursday, September 29, 2011

THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC



In early October, Lawrence Block will be self-publishing a collection of ELEVEN short stories. All of them about Matthew Scudder.

It will have an introduction by film director / screenwriter Brian Koppelman and an afterword by Mr. Block.

It's called THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC, and it will be available in the following formats... SEE LIST BELOW...

eBook - Kindle, Nook, Apple, "and all those served by Smashwords" - PRICE $2.99

Print-On-Demand PAPERback - PRICE $14.95

It will also be available as a LIMITED EDITION leather-bound HARDcover by Otto Penzler - PRICE $150.00

For more details visit Mr. Block's website.


LAWRENCE BLOCK ( OFFICIAL WEBSITE )


I've only been able to read one story. It's called OUT THE WINDOW, and I really love it.

It's about a waitress named Paula Wittlauer, and her apparent suicide.

Matt - an ex-cop with vertigo - meets her sister Ruth. She believes Paula was murdered, so she asks Matt for help.

I love Matt's attention to detail, and his determination.

I also love the fact he's a three dimensional character ( he has a heart ).

As I was reading this story, I was reminded of how some things never seem to change. Such as, the way we all take people and places for granted.

I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this collection.

I am VERY thankful to Mr. Block, for sending these stories to me.

I've loved short stories - AND short films - since I was a kid. They're so much fun to read, and sometimes leave you wanting more... and that's a GOOD THING!


BOOK INFO:
ISBN FOR PAPERBACK ( 978-1-937387-32-7 )

ISBN FOR eBook ( 978-1-937387-31-0 )

AUTHOR - Lawrence Block

PAGES - 235

Telemachus Press ( PAPERback )

Otto Penzler ( HARDcover )

BEYOND DESIRE



DIRECTOR:
Dominique Othenin-Girard

WRITER:
Dale Trevillion

CAST:
William Forsythe
Kari Wuhrer
Leo Rossi
Sharon Farrell
And many others



Ray ( William Forsythe )


Rita ( Kari Wuhrer )


Frank ( Leo Rossi )


Shirley ( Sharon Farrell )


Ray was in prison for murder. He claims, he was framed.

A few minutes after being released from prison, a sexy woman named Rita shows up.

After they bullshit each other, he gets in her car and she floors it.

Ray is not sure, if Rita is a friend or foe, but he's going to find out the hard way.

He's determined to bring down the real killer, regardless of the consequences...



QUOTES:
Ray: "Who sent you buttercup?"

Ray: "How many people you gotta screw to get a place like this?"

Shirley: "You got some nerve coming here"

Rita: "I think you're crazy, but I don't think you're a killer"

Rita: "The guy's a horny son-of-a-bitch, all he wanted to do is screw"

Frank: "Ungrateful bitch!"

Ray: "Come on baby, lets go spend some money"



VIDEO INFO
Online
FULLscreen
Color
Region - Not applicable
Company - Beyond Pictures / Parallel Pictures
Rated R
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable



OBTAINED AT - Epix

PRICE - Free





DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NO!!....

BEYOND DESIRE is a pop-corn munching good time!... It's a guilty pleasure. But, I feel NO guilt about the pleasure it brings me!

I love the dark humor in this movie.

William Forsythe, Kari Wuhrer and Leo Rossi are so much fun to watch!

Plus, Kari Wuhrer looks so freaking booty-licious!... HOT-DAMN BABY!... ha-ha-ha...

It was available on legit VHS by LIVE HOME VIDEO.

As of September 2011, there is NO legit region one DVD, just BOOTLEGS.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

PAN AM: PILOT



DIRECTOR:
Thomas Schlamme

WRITER:
Jack Orman

CAST:
Kelli Garner
Margot Robbie
Christina Ricci
Karine Vanasse
And many others



Kate ( Kelli Garner )


Laura ( Margot Robbie )


Maggie ( Christina Ricci )


Colette ( Karine Vanasse )


Kate and Laura are sisters. Kate seems to have her shit together, and Laura does not. They're both Stewardesses for PAN AM.

Laura is a runaway bride and new to PAN AM.

Kate has been at PAN AM for a while. She's also moonlighting as a spy for the goverment.

Maggie and Colette have also been with PAN AM for a while.

There's adultery, espionage, and a lot of traveling.

It's pure unapologetic fluff, and what's wrong with that?....







QUOTES:
Paul: "Get your fanny to midtown... I'll have a helicopter waiting for you at headquarters... and don't forget, wear your girdle"

Maggie: "I get to see the world Sam, when was the last time you left the village?"





VIDEO INFO
Television broadcast ( recorded on DVD+RW )
WIDEscreen
Color
Region - Not applicable
Company - SONY
NOT rated
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable





OBTAINED AT - ABC

PRICE - Free





DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NO!...

Yes, it's another night time soap!... But, it's MUCH BETTER than the PLAYBOY CLUB!

There's an espionage storyline that I like a lot!... The other storylines appear to be pure CHICK-FLICK material. Oh well, what can you do?

Hey, the four leading ladies can actually act, AND they're freaking cute too!

I found most of the male characters really annoying and dull.

This show brings back a lot of good memories about air travel. When going to the airport, did NOT mean becoming a suspect and guilty until proven otherwise!

PAN AM is beautiful!.. It looks more like a MOVIE than a TV SHOW!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

99 RIVER STREET



DIRECTOR:
Phil Karlson

WRITERS:
Robert Smith
George Zuckerman
Phil Karlson
John Payne

CAST:
John Payne
Peggie Castle
Brad Dexter
Evelyn Keyes
Frank Faylen
And many others



Ernie ( John Payne )


Pauline ( Peggie Castle )


Victor ( Brad Dexter )


Linda ( Evelyn Keyes )


Stan ( Frank Faylen )


Ernie is an ex-boxer, turned cab driver.

His wife Pauline is bitter. She blames him for her failures in life.

Their marriage is in trouble, and things are about to get worse.

Ernie buys a big box of chocolates for Pauline. He drives to the flower shop where she works, to deliver it.

When he gets there, he's shocked to see Pauline locked in a passionate kiss with Victor, her criminal lover.

He leaves in a rage.

A short time later, he gets fooled into believing his friend Linda has committed murder. It turns out to be an elaborate audition for a part in a play. Ernie goes ballistic and beats the crap out of the show's producers.

A short time later, the producers press charges against Ernie. Now the cops are after him.

Victor murders Pauline and frames Ernie for it.

Ernie is in deep shit and has to clear his name. So he reluctantly accepts help from Linda.

Things are further complicated by a gang of crooks that Victor double crossed.

Meanwhile, Victor has gotten hold of a fake passport and is planning on leaving the country.

Ernie's life is crumbling, and he desperately needs to find Victor. But time is running out....





QUOTES:
Pauline: "I'd be a star if I hadn't married you!"

Ernie: "We've stuck it out for four years, give it another four months"

Christopher: "You killed him when you clubbed him with the gun"

Ernie: "I'm married to a tramp!.. Do I have to like it?!"

Ernie: "You may be a great actress in here, but in my book, you're just one more phony!"

Linda: "The payoff he wanted, was me"

Ernie: "My only witness, I've got to get him"

Ernie: "The harder you're hit, the harder you have to hit back"







VIDEO INFO
Online
FULLscreen
Black and white
Region - Not applicable
Company - MGM
NOT rated
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable



OBTAINED AT - Epix

PRICE - Free





DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NO!!..

I love it!... This is a rare fim, and a true gem!

There isn't a dull moment! The movie wastes no time getting into betrayal, adultery, violence, and murder!

I don't know if it was ever released on "legit" VHS. However, 99 RIVER STREET is now available as a MOD-DVD by MGM.

JERRY SPRINGER SHOW: HE SWEET TALKED ME




DIRECTED BY: life

STARRING: humanity


EXTREMELY SHORT recap of a JERRY SPRINGER SHOW segment called HE SWEET TALKED ME....



REALLY-CUTE-BLONDE-CHICK: "He sleeps with everybody!... He's the slut!"


REALLY-CUTE-BLONDE-CHICK and NOT-very-cute-chick start to fight...



REALLY-CUTE-BLONDE-CHICK: "You break up with me, and four hours later you have BLEEP-BLEEP-BLEEP bitch on my bed?!"


Her ugly boyfriend: "But, I was single.. It's my house"

REALLY-CUTE-BLONDE-CHICK: "Yeah, but it's my bed!"

Her ugly boyfriend: "You shouldn't of had your bed in my house!"


Jerry: "I just want everyone to know... and those of you at home... you can't write lines like this"


So what can we learn from this?... Well, nothing really... but, the next time you hear someone pissing-n-moaning about a movie being "over-the-top", remind them that nothing is as absurd - or "over-the-top" - as real life...

THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Friday, September 23, 2011

GETTING OFF




OK, I'm still NOT done reading this book... But, I'm having so much fucking-fun reading it, that I couldn't wait to write about it!

The main character is a twenty-three year old woman, by the name of Katherine Anne Tolliver... AKA "Kit".

She's got severe "daddy issues", an extreme fondness for knives, certain types of drugs, traveling, and murder.

I don't know what else to say.

Read it!....





BOOK INFO:
ISBN ( 978-08576-82871 )
AUTHOR - Lawrence Block
COVER ARTIST - Gregory Manchess
COMPANY - Hard Case Crime
OBTAINED AT - Barnes & Noble
PRICE - $25.99
HARDcover
SIZE - approximately 6.5" wide by 9.5" tall
PAGES - 335


DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
HELL NO!...

GETTING OFF is FUCKING FANTASTIC!

This book needs to be made into a movie!

I would love to see Maggie Gyllenhaal portray "Kit" in a cinematic version of this story!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

THE PLAYBOY CLUB: PILOT



DIRECTOR:
Alan Taylor ( pilot )

WRITERS:
Chad Hodge ( pilot )
Lana Cho ( staff writer )
Steven Levenson ( staff writer )

CAST:
Eddie Cibrian
Amber Heard
Laura Benanti
Naturi Naughton
Leah Renee
Jenna Dewan
David Krumholtz
Wes Ramsey
Randy Steinmeyer
Jennifer Lewis
And many others...


Nick ( Eddie Cibrian )


Maureen ( Amber Heard )


Carol and Billy ( Laura Benanti and David Krumholtz )


Alice and her "husband" ( Leah Renee and ? )


Max and Janie ( Wes Ramsey and Jenna Dewan )


Clyde AKA Bruno ( Randy Steinmeyer )


Nick is a glorified "ambulance-chaser". That instantly makes him persona-non-grata in my book. He's also the adopted son of a mafioso called Clyde.

Mr. Mafia spots Maureen and decides he wants a piece of that tail. When he makes an offer she CAN refuse, things get violent.

Anyway, Clyde gets "pumped" to death by one of Maureen's high heels. Think, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, but nowhere near as much fun to watch. However, it is a sexy way to go... ha-ha-ha.

Naturally, they cover-up the crime, and wackiness ensues. Oh the hilarity!... What?.. This is NOT a comedy?!.. Oh well.

We find out that Alice's husband, prefers snakes to beavers, and apparently, Alice is the exact opposite.

Did I mention all the nice looking tails?

BUTT seriously, there are plenty of reasons to watch this show.

REASON 1: It's a period piece.

REASON 2: Almost all the characters have secrets.

REASON 3: It has sexy women with sexy tails AND interesting tales too!

REASON 4: It has annoying faux Hefner narration.

REASON 5: It has nudity... oh wait, I forgot, there is NO nudity. Why?... Because it's on NBC!

So it's basically, a night time version of the soap opera ONE LIFE TO LIVE, but NOT as entertaining...



QUOTES:
Brenda: "Honey, you got a dirty mind... I was going to say penis"

Billy: "You're the only man I know, who puts his hand up a girl's skirt looking for a dictionary"

Janie: "You walk around here with that wedding ring, like a man will get electrocuted if he so much as glances in the region of your kitty-cat"



VIDEO INFO
Television broadcast ( recorded on DVD+RW )
WIDEscreen
Color
Region - Not applicable
Company - FOX
NOT rated
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable

OBTAINED AT - NBC
PRICE - Free

DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
YES!!... I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!... I think this show is a FUCKING SNOOZE-FEST!....

This is, without a doubt, the most politically correct show about a politically incorrect subject, I have ever seen!!

By trying to please everyone, they ended up pleasing no one!!

Let me say the obvious, this show should have been on CABLE!!

My local NBC affiliate abruptly cut to a Chevy commercial as soon as Alice sat in the car! Cutting her off BEFORE she started to speak to him!... FUCKING IDIOTS! Let me state for the record, that this is common for almost all the stations in my area... I think chimps would do a much better job!

AND of course, there's the dreaded NBC logo on screen. In fact, as we all know, sometimes you get two or three logos on screen, PLUS a FUCKING notice about future programing!... ENOUGH ALREADY!!