A Few Recommendations for Summer 2022

Every now and then when it comes time for me to write a Saturday post, a large, overarching one about a single topic, I realize I don’t have one. So I’m going to provide a few recommendations of things I’m listening to, watching, or reading.

Top Gun: Maverick

Now THIS is how to do a legacy sequel. Age up the characters in real time, address the passage of time, and provide a wonderful piece of closure with a legacy co-star. Oh, and incredible action sequences. Holy cow was this a great movie. I took my wife who didn’t necessarily want to see it but she emerged very entertained. Not as entertained as I was: now I want to see this film in IMAX.

And please tell me I’m not the only one who saw the movie and kept having to slow down the car while driving home.

Def Leppard: Diamond Star Halos

Taking a page from the legacy artist idea I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, Def Leppard released their newest album last Friday. Fifteen tracks (17 if you buy from Target) of classic rock goodness. Much like the modern band, The Struts, the Joe Elliott-led five piece band wear their influences on their sleeves, and it starts with the album title.

There’s a whimsical vibe to these songs from the opening chord progression of “Take What You Want” to open the album to the last few notes of “From Here to Eternity.” Allison Krauss lends her vocals to a pair of tunes but make no mistake: this is a rock/pop/metal album just like the band used to make in their heyday.

Lyrically, the guys know their age and acknowledge it throughout the entire record. This was an album I looked forward to ever since it was announced and boy did they deliver.

And yes, we listened to Def Leppard on the way to and from seeing Top Gun: Maverick.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

The third thing released last Friday, this is a Star Wars series I’ve been eagerly anticipating since it was announced as well. In fact, I even held off reading the old Extended Universe novel.

We knew what we were going to get from the trailers: an older, wiser(?) Obi-Wan, living on Tatooine, watching over a ten-year-old Luke Skywalker. What I didn’t expect was his sister, Leia. In fact, it is her plight that propels the series.

I appreciate the slower roll, just like I did for the Mandalorian. I have zero issues with the actors on the show either (so a certain segment of the Star Wars fandom can just go home).

As big a Star Wars fan as I am, I didn’t watch the animated shows so everything in Obi-Wan Kenobi is new to me.

Oh, and so great to see Darth Vader back to being the feared force he is. But I’ll say something that might make a few of y’all look at me askance. I’m fine with James Earl Jones voicing Vader, but how about some more intense inflection, huh? I mean Vader/Anakin finally lays eyes on Kenobi after ten years and it’s like their talking over tea. The last thing Anakin yelled at Kenobi in Episode III was pure hatred. Where’s that emotion in Vader’s inflection?

No Time to Spy by Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens

If you like James Bond, might I point you in the direction of this trilogy of book by Collins and Clemens. The premise is pure fun: the main character is John Sand, a real spy who worked with Ian Fleming and the latter author based James Bond on John Sand. Sand, now outed as a spy, marries a rich Texas oil heiress. Despite his retirement, action and adventure follow Mr. and Mrs. Sand.

While I’ve not read all three books—Come Spy With Me; Live Fast, Spy Hard; To Live and Spy in Berlin—a compilation ebook is on sale *this weekend* for only $0.99. You read that correctly: for a dollar(!), you get three novels. Seriously, it’s an impulse buy at that point.

Here’s the Amazon link.

Roll With It by Jay Stringer

Jay Stringer broke the news that his latest novel is now available as an audiobook on Audible. As a person who primarily consumes books in that manner, this was great news.

But Jay went above and beyond and made available a few promo codes. These are US only—UK codes will be forthcoming—so if you haven’t had a chance to read his post from yesterday, head on over and see if any of those codes are still available.

Even if they’re not, the book is only 1 credit ($13.96 if you just want to buy it) so get on over to Audible and get a copy. Also, for you library folks out there, be sure to request your library to buy the book and help spread the word.

Star Wars Through the Decades

Today marks 45 years since Star Wars debuted. While I didn’t see the movie opening day in 1977, by the time I did, I was hopelessly immersed in a galaxy far, far away. Not only that, but it opened up the broader world of science fiction for me, a world I’ve loved and appreciated these past decades.

I got to thinking about Star Wars and what it meant throughout the years so I did a fun little exercise: how did I perceive Star Wars every five years for the past forty-five years. 

Star Wars at 5 Years (1982)

This was a year from Return of the Jedi—was the title already announced in 1982 as Revenge of the Jedi? This was the spring of my 7th grade year. I had many, many Star Wars toys, the bulk being from the Empire Strikes Back collection. Legos were still a thing as was other science fiction properties, especially Star Trek. I was gearing up for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan debuting in June 1982. Star Wars was always on the radar but with the last movie a year out, it was probably not front and center.

Still, I was and remain a charter member of the Star Wars Generation. It changed me and helped to shape the things I enjoy watching and reading and listening to.

Star Wars at 10 (1987)

I was a senior in high school thirty-five (!) years ago this month. I was heading up to The University of Texas at Austin in August. Music, including high school band, often took center stage of my life, so much so that I tried out for and joined the Longhorn Band.

I actually have no conscious memory of Star Wars from May 1987. The Marvel Comics run had been cancelled in 1986. I still own most of that run, but can’t barely remember any of the storylines. An interesting sidenote to 1983, the year Jedi was released. I was all in on seeing the movie—even paying extra to see it the day before its premiere—and saw it multiple times throughout the summer. But I never bought any Jedi toys. I was moving on from eighth grade to high school. Things were changing for me, just like they were in May 1987. Star Wars, for all intents and purposes, was done. It was wonderful and great and a vital part of my formative years, but that was in the past.

Star Wars at 15 (1992)

Star Wars was back…at least in print. May 1992 saw the publication of Dark Force Rising, the middle book of a new trilogy by Timothy Zahn. 1991’s Heir to the Empire reignited my love of Star Wars, bringing back wondering memories of the franchise and that time of my life. I started talking about Star Wars with college friends and reminiscing.

But, after I’d read Dark Force Rising, that was about it. Batman Returns was a month away and I was eagerly anticipating it. Interestingly, my other childhood favorite thing—KISS—had released their new album, Revenge, in May 1992 and I was spinning that CD constantly. 

Star Wars at 20 (1997)

Star Wars was back…on the big screen. I owned the movies on VHS (still have them) but hadn’t seen them on a theater screen since the early 80s. Now, new special effects were being added to all three movies with the biggest expectation being the Han Solo-meets-Jabba scenes in Mos Eisley. This was awesome stuff. And I really wanted the Biggs/Luke scenes from early in the film to be in there as well. Alas, it wasn’t, and now Han shot second?

But here’s the thing: I loved seeing the old movies again, relishing in my past life, and shrugged off the weird nesses. I knew the movies backward and forward so instantly knew when changes had been made. And I realized during these viewings that this franchise, especially the first two movies, were time capsules. If I let myself just sit and watch, I could be transported back to my younger self. It was magical. 

Star Wars at 25 (2002) 

Yay, a new movie—Attack of the Clones—in the Prequel trilogy. Surely it was going to be better than The Phantom Menace, right? I mean, there’s Anakin as a teenager. Obi-Wan as a badass Jedi. Jango Fett. Samuel L. Jackson and his purple lightsaber. And Yoda as CGI?

Well, AOTC had its moments, but was it better than Phantom Menace? Not really. Looking back to 1999, it is difficult to overstate how excited I was about a new Star Wars movie. That first trailer was so good, but it didn’t live up to expectations. Could it have? Probably not, but at least we were getting new Star Wars movies, right?

I did not follow through and watch the animated series however. Not sure why. I had long since stopped trying to keep up with the novels as well. I read the big ones—especially the novelizations of the movies because they went into additional detail and made for a better story—but that was about it. Star Wars was still important, but it had become one of many things I loved.

Star Wars at 30 (2007)

Honestly, when I think of this year, no Star Wars thing pops into my mind. 2005’s Revenge of the Sith was the best of the Prequel movies. This movie’s novelization was itself the middle book of a little trilogy and I listened to all of them. A nice tidy little story, but then I didn’t read another Star Wars book until 2013’s Scoundrels.

I had finally started reading the Harry Potter books, and in May 2007, I was reading all six then-existing books leading up to the publication of the seventh book in July. Star Wars just wasn’t on my pop culture radar. It was Pixar movies (Ratatouille was in 2007) and things my young son enjoyed.

Star Wars at 35 (2012)

More of the same, to be honest. I’d pull out the soundtracks from time to time and give them a listen. The novels of the Extended Universe were still being published at a rapid rate and I was reading none of them.

I can’t remember exactly when I showed Star Wars to my son. Maybe it was in 2012. But in May 2012, The Avengers had been out a month and I was enjoying the new Marvel cinematic universe. And there was a new Batman movie coming out in July. Star Wars was just one of the things I enjoyed, and mostly not on a day-to-day basis. 

Star Wars at 40 (2017)

In May 2017, we were seven months away from the next movie in the sequel series, The Last Jedi, a movie I enjoyed immensely. The trailer had dropped in April and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker was back (and speaking!). We were about six months after Rogue One, one of the four most original Star Wars movies made to date. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was the brand-new Marvel movie and Wonder Woman would debut in June.

Had Star Wars been the only major franchise to vie for my attention, it would have earned more attention. But it was just one of many. Perhaps that was one of its lasting legacies.

Star Wars at 45 (2022)

Forty-five years ago today, it started. Ironically, just this past weekend, Colin Cantwell, the guy who designed the X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and the Death Star passed away. We’re getting a hotly anticipated new TV show, Obi-Wan Kenobi, something I’m really looking forward to, not the least of which being a new theme by John Williams.

Television seems to be the place where Star Wars shines nowadays. You have the chance to see new characters, allow them to grow, and not always show the vast galaxy only from the perspective of a single family. I’m happy to follow along with every new Star Wars TV show, watching all the live-action ones (still haven’t started any of the animated series). And I might pick up a book or two along the way. But, like in the heyday of the Extended Universe, I just can’t keep up. It’s a good thing (?) that there is so much because you can drop in here and there, picking up things that interest you and letting other things rest. I know that there are folks out there who memorize every little detail like I did back in the day, but it’s so much more difficult.

Conclusion

Star Wars is special. It’s one of the pop culture cornerstones of my life. It’s a joke in my family that I can’t remember to call a plumber but can still (!) remember random facts from the first movie (like the trash compactor number). Star Wars just is. And it always will be. My interest may ebb and flow, but it never disappears. It’s a part of me, just like it’s probably a part of you, too.

So let’s celebrate Star Wars for what it *is* and not necessarily what you want it to be. It is a multimedia franchise that started forty-five years ago today. It was and remains a story about a boy, a girl, a pair of robots, an old man, a scoundrel and his best friend, and an evil dark lord who welds a mysterious force and a laser sword. It is good vs. evil, the call to adventure, the hero’s journey with a sublimely wonderful soundtrack, and the willingness to stand up to the bad guys, even when all hope is lost. Because one person can make a difference, be it a pilot in an x-wing who can guide a proton torpedo through a 2-meter-wide exhaust port or a film director who has an idea about a movie he’d like to make to recapture the spirit of the movies he himself loved as a younger boy.

It’s that spirit that is at the essence of Star Wars. May that spirit always have a spark of creativity and keep the story going, yet always remembering where it started: in movie theaters forty-five years ago today.

Year 5 of an Indie Writer: Week 22: Early Momentum Counts

Hey! Back to words and not a video. Why? Dunno, really. Just felt like typing some thoughts rather than speaking them.

Keeping a Record

So, Summer 2020 started this week. In case you missed the video in which I talked about the summer writing season, we have a longer-than-normal summer this year which means there are more days and weeks to start and complete projects: 104 days and 15 weeks. Minus the one we just completed.

I woke early on Monday and got back to one of my current stories. One of the best things about earmarking a certain day to begin writing is the eagerness to start. I woke with hardly any effort so excited was I to pick up this Calvin Carter story again.

The enthusiasm continued throughout the work week. Each morning, I started a new habit: wake a 5:00 am and get the writing done before the day job kicks in. I’ll admit: the writing muscles were a tad rusty, but the week went by with new words added to the story and a new transition into Act III. Can’t go wrong there.

I have resurrected an old habit I used to do: keep a word count record per day. Incredibly motivating. Heck, yesterday, I reached a logical conclusion—and the alarm I set to tell me to stop writing and get ready for the day job was sounding—and I realized I had 599 words. Argh! I left it alone and got ready. But it’ll be nice to see those numbers climb.

Another thing that spurs me along is a schedule. If I frequently put myself on a Starting Date, I rarely resort to a schedule. That is, be finished with Project A by a certain date. But I have now. I want to see how it works. If it motivates me to ignore alarms and write even when an alarm’s blaring, I might be onto something.

So, the Summer Writing has kicked off well. How about your writing?

Murder by the Book and Zoom

Did you catch the Facebook Live session yesterday with McKenna Jordan, Gregg Hurwitz, and Michael Connelly? You didn’t? What’s up with that? For nearly an hour, Hurwitz acts as interviewer to Connelly, writer interviewing writer, but with Hurwitz acting as host as well as fan. Excellent interview, including the viewer questions. It’s on Murder by the Book’s Facebook page so go watch.

Grant – The Mini-Series

The big television event of the week was the History Channel’s three-part, six-hour mini-series on Ulysses S. Grant. Loved it. As a historian, I welcome popular histories that can reach a broad audience. I wrote a review about it yesterday in which I give more details. Highly recommended.

The Next Video

I kept up with The Road to The Empire Strikes Back video series this week with Episode VI: The Music. I’ve had a blast with this series and this was one I looked forward to the most (apart from the movie re-watch). Empire ranks in my Top 5 soundtracks of all time.

The Road to The Empire Strikes Back: Episode VI: The Soundtrack

Today, I continue my look back forty years at the release of The Empire Strikes Back. Now, it's the soundtrack.

Here's the link to my YouTube channel when I discuss the music of John Williams for "Star Wars II."

The Road to The Empire Strikes Back: Episode V: The Movie Re-Watch

It was 40 years ago today that I saw the sequel to Star Wars for the first time. I watched it again yesterday after a long time not seeing it and I recorded some thoughts, including some rather emotional ones about Han and the carbon freeze chamber and what he did.

The video is up on my YouTube channel.

The Road to The Empire Strikes Back: Episode IV: Marvel Comics

Here's a link to my YouTube channel where I discuss the issues of Marvel Comics' Star Wars title in the months immediately preceding the release of The Empire Strikes Back.

The Road to The Empire Strikes Back: Episode III - The Muppet Show

Here's a link to my YouTube channel where I discuss the Star Wars characters guest-starring on The Muppet Show.

The Road to The Empire Strikes Back: Episode II: The Trailers

Today, I continue my video series examining the months and moments and mementos forty years ago leading up to the release of the very first Star Wars sequel.

Episode II focuses on the trailers. I have a little bit of Mystery Science Theater to this episode as we watch the trailers together.

Here's the link to my YouTube Channel.

Have a look and leave a comment letting me know what you thought of the trailer back then and now.

Enjoy!

The Road to The Empire Strikes Back: Part 1 - 1977-1980

I’ve started a new video series looking back forty years ago this month as everyone anxiously awaited the release of The Empire Strikes Back, the first sequel to Star Wars. In future episode, I’ll discuss the music, the toys, and other things, but today, I focus on that magical time between the first two movies. I’ve written about it before here.

I show off some of my collectibles that I still have and just talk about life with Star Wars in the years 1977, 1978, and 1979.

Here’s the link to my YouTube channel. Hope on over and check it out. More importantly, please share you memories, either here or in the comments at YouTube.

Anticipating The Empire Strikes Back

 

I’ve started a new video series looking back forty years ago this month as everyone anxiously awaited the release of The Empire Strikes Back, the first sequel to Star Wars. In future episode, I’ll discuss the music, the toys, and other things, but today, I focus on that magical time between the first two movies. I’ve written about it before here.

I show off some of my collectibles that I still have and just talk about life with Star Wars in the years 1977, 1978, and 1979.

Here’s the link to my YouTube channel. Hope on over and check it out. More importantly, please share you memories, either here or in the comments at YouTube.

The Epilogue of The Last Jedi: Was It All We Needed?

I did something the other night I rarely do with Star Wars movies: dropped the remote.

As part of the inaugural Star Wars generation, I have lived with these films since 1977. I have watched the films countless times. When I do, however, I tend to watch them all in one go, that is, from beginning to end. I rarely watch just pieces of the various movies. No matter the film, I take them as a whole.

But I saw The Last Jedi on cable the other day and, with it being one of my all-time favorite Star Wars film, I stopped just long enough to see where everything was. Turned out, it was the beginning of the throne room scene with Kylo Ren, Snoke, and the captured Rey. Which meant it was also near the time when Finn fully accepts his "Rebel Scum" label. And Rose was still the integral part of the story. And it was minutes from the Holdo maneuver.

If you take all ten movies as a whole and made a list of great moments, two from this sequence in The Last Jedi would make my list: Rey and Kylo fighting together and the Holdo maneuver. That moment when Rey realizes what Kylo had done by killing Snoke, held for more than a few seconds, is so, so good.

Watching to the End

I ended up watching the rest of the film. Man, that visual of Luke Skywalker standing alone up against the First Order's weaponry is still one of the most incredible visuals of the entire franchise.

But it is the epilogue I'm focusing on today. That, and the final words of the film, spoken by Leia.

The Last Jedi Epilogue as The Best Final Scene of the Franchise?

As the Millennium Falcon soars away from Crait, the last few survivors of the Resistance are aboard. Rey and Leia talk about Luke, specifically him being the spark of a new hope to fight against the First Order.

The last words of the film--and the last words uttered by Carrie Fisher as Leia--are "We have all we need." Powerful words, especially considering the character has experienced and seen decades worth of fighting and striving to bring and keep peace in the galaxy. She knows this isn't the end. It never ends. There will always been the need for people to stand up to evil, to be the spark of hope in the face of darkness.

From there, we instantly cut back to Canto Bight and the young kids enslaved in those stables. One of them is telling the story of Luke Skywalker at Crait [leading credence that this is a flash forward]. When their owner/handler breaks up the group, another boy walks off alone. Using the Force, he brings a broom to his hand, but then stops. He stares up at the stars (just like Luke did) and dreams. You see the Resistance ring Rose gave him, a beacon of hope, despite his situation. He holds the broom like a lightsaber and, as a space ship or falling star streaks across the sky, we fade to black and John Williams' music takes over.

Look, we were always going to get Episode IX. We all wanted it. I wanted it. We wanted answers to questions. It was always going to end well. Our heroes were always going to prevail. I enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker, got emotional both times I've seen it (more so the second time, specifically with Kylo standing alone on the husk of the second Death Star), and am perfectly fine with it being the last of the nine films.

But, in some ways, Leia said it best: we had the best ending we needed. The spark of resistance always lives on, in the generations that come after our main characters. That kid is Force sensitive. So is Finn, by the way. It doesn't matter that he's a slave. Just like Rey in The Last Jedi, he was a nobody. The spark of good, the ray of light, always lives on.

Maybe The Last Jedi's ending was all we needed.

That Epilogue on The Rise of Skywalker

I've spent a lot of words on this and you might come to conclusion that I don't even want The Rise of Skywalker. That would be wrong. I enjoyed it. I'll be reading the novelization later this spring and buying and re-watching the movie. And it ended wonderfully with Rey and BB-8 staring off into the same twin suns that Luke did 42 years before. Goosebumps and tears came in equal measure both times I saw the movie.

But maybe, just maybe, you could imagine that the epilogue of The Last Jedi spliced on the end of The Rise of Skywalker. Still have Rey do her thing, but flash back to Canto Bight [or the natives on Pasaana, the planet Rey and company went to and met Lando]. The kids [or native Pasaanas] still tell the story of Luke on Crait [or Rey and her battle with the Emperor]. The boy still looks up to the sky, broom welded as a lightsaber, and dreams.

Now, the spark of hope is galaxy-wide.

Now, Leia's last line is even more powerful: "We have all we need."

Favorite Television in 2019

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (seasons 2 and 3) - I don't like to binge--I prefer my TV in weekly installments--but holy cow it is difficult not to binge this utterly delightful show. Watched season two earlier this year and season three this month. All the actors are perfectly cast, the music is stellar, the set pieces are things you want to watch over and over (S3: E8's opening is one), and the writing/directing by Amy Sherman-Palladino is fantastic. I love, love, love the witty banter, especially when there are about four characters on screen having two or more conversations. Cannot get enough of this show.

The Mandalorian - Speaking of shows coming out on a weekly basis, this first live-action Star Wars TV show was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a brand-new story, not part of the main nine films, using Star Wars as the canvas and the palette. We all know the meme that has sprung from this show, but it is the pacing--slower than you'd expect but that's perfectly fine--and the "western in space" vibe that makes me love it. Throw in great writing and interesting directing--you actually get a heist movie that morphs into "Alien" in one episode--and you've got one of the best TV things of 2019.

Unforgotten* (all seasons, but particularly 2) - Stumbled upon this early this year via PBS showing season three. Enjoyed it so much we watched seasons one and two on demand. Loved the "normalness" of the show and characters. No typical detectives here (i.e., raging alcoholics with ghosts of the past), just normal people doing a dirty job looking into cold cases. Season Two was particularly great.

[By the way, the asterisks you see in this post indicate shows my wife discovered first. Boy, does she know how to pick'em.]

Stranger Things (season 3) - A nice change from season two, Season Three of this nostalgia-filled show  showed our characters progressing since the last season, not an easy thing to do considering the younger actors are aging up. Great character moments and truly scary moments shows this franchise getting better.

Blood and Treasure - Speaking of perfect summer TV shows, Blood and Treasure is it. This show had me at the promos. Two fun, attractive actors in a breezy, action/adventure show that involves a quest per episode is exactly what I wanted this summer. The nods to past movies via music and visuals makes you look for the Easter eggs while watching these two leading characters form undeniably great chemistry. Cannot wait until Season Two in 2020.

Stumptown - Staying with network TV, this show also had me from the promos. Cobie Smulders stars as a veteran with PTSD who stumbles into a job as a private investigator. It's clear to me that she is a descendant of any number of TV PIs, most notably Jim Rockford. The shows dynamic between her, her brother, and her friends is what propels the show forward, but I really dig her gumption and determination. Most of all, I love her heart for doing what's right no matter the cost.

New Amsterdam - Ever since This is Us premiered (which I don't watch), it's been known for pulling tears out of the eyes of viewers. This medical drama is my version of that. I love the idealistic nature of Max Goodwin (played wonderfully by Ryan Eggold) as he leads his team of doctors at the New Amsterdam hospital in New York. Each episode wrestles with real-world issues, coming to various conclusions. The actors and their characters are spot on, and I look forward to Tuesdays at 9pm eagerly (that's right: this, along with Stumptown, are Appointment Television).

Evil* - The last network television show on this list is one for which I saw the promos all during the summer while watching Blood and Treasure: CBS's Evil. With a title like that, and most of the shots from the pilot, I wasn't that interested. I recognized Mike Colter as the same actor who played Luke Cage, and  Michael Emerson I knew from Lost, but that wasn't enough. Turns out my wife had started watching it and I ended up staying in the room as she watched episode four. That was all it took. I was hooked. This show wasn't exactly how my preconceived notions thought it would be. It's actually so much more. This might be the nicest surprise of 2019 on TV.

Goliath* - Speaking of things my wife started watching, Amazon's Goliath is another. I knew about the Billy Bob Thornton show when I'd go to Amazon Video's menu (to watch Mrs. Maisel) but never got off the fence. Cut to another day when I was about to go into the next room to read when my wife started watching episode three of season three of Goliath. I sat and watched. Hooked. Sure, Thornton was fantastic, but it was the guest stars that really took it higher. Beau Bridges was good, Dennis Quaid was great, but Amy Brenneman went somewhere I'd never seen her go: she was a fantastic baddie. I loved everything about this season--including Thorton's partner played hilariously by Nina Arianda Matijcio--but Brenneman was by far my favorite. I'll happily go back and watch seasons one and two.

The Kominsky Method - Season two dropped in December, and my wife and I blasted through all the episodes in two nights. Might've been three. As a middle-aged man, I can easily get the comedy of this show, but it's the heart and emotion between the characters that really sticks with you. Not only that, it's the real-life situations these characters find themselves in that, like New Amsterdam, shed a light on various parts of modern society. An open request to creator Chuck Lorre: If the seasons are only to be eight episodes, can we have at least an hour per episode? Or maybe sixteen half-hour episodes? This show is very, very good.

The Kettering Incident* - On the surface, this is a show in which a woman (played by Elizabeth Debicki) returns to her small town in Tasmania and causes ripples. Back in the day, she and another girl were biking when the other girl disappeared. Everyone blamed Debicki's character. Now that she's returned, another girl goes missing. Debicki's character, barely hanging on in life, decides to start digging and see if she can uncover what happened to both girls. That sounds like a typical BBC-type show (although this was filmed entirely in Tasmania) but the turns it takes are wonderfully odd. To even write comparisons would probably give away how the story turns, but this was one of the best discoveries of the year. The Tasmanian setting and characters were fantastic, and served as a glimpse of what life is like on that island nation. That there wasn't a second season is a shame.

Elementary - When season six ended in 2018, I thought it was a fitting end to this version of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Well, we got a season seven and it, too, ended perfectly. While I can appreciate other versions of the characters--Jeremy Brett nailed the traditional version; Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey, Jr. did fine work; Jude Law and Martin Freeman both played Watson as a man of action--my favorite has got to be Jonny Lee Miller. Why? Because he allowed Holmes to evolve. Let's be honest: Holmes can be a bit of a dick to Watson and others. Miller's Holmes was, too, at the beginning, but not by the end of the series. Lucy Liu's Watson also was allowed to evolve from a sober companion at the start to a co-equal partner with Holmes as a detective. Absolutely loved this show and will dreadfully miss these versions of the characters. As I wrote on Twitter the night of the finale:

"Perfect casting from day one. Perfect ending. Incredible writing for a complex pair of characters and actors who love each other deeply. So well done. That is how you create a fulfilling finale."

Favorite Movies of 2019

Avengers: Endgame - My favorite of the year for all the action, the humor, the payoffs, the tears, and the feels. A remarkable end to a 21-movie series. Full review.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - The end of a 42-year journey with the Skywalker family. I truly enjoyed the film and appreciated all the emotional payoffs.

Hobbes and Shaw - Arguably the most entertaining movie of the summer and the year. This counts as my first Fast and Furious film. Loved this movie. Full review.

Knives Out - In terms of "I think that movie looks good" to the actual viewing of the film, this is a great film. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has sent me on a search for more whodunits (and inspired me to try and write one).

Spider-Man: Far From Home - Much like Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. in their respective superhero roles, Tom Holland was born to play Peter Parker. And a dang good film that keeps reminding viewers the character is just a teenager.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - An exhuberant movie full of fun, joy, and somber moments. My son who rarely likes all the superhero movies like I do really enjoyed this film.

Jumanji: The Next Level - Dawayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have great on-screen chemistry and I think I'd watch anything they're in. The fact that the ending serves up a nice message about aging is just icing on the cake.

Shazam - It only took something like eighty years for there to be big-screen adaptation of the original Captain Marvel, but the time was worth the wait. Everything you'd want from a Shazam movie is here, led by the incredibly charismatic Zachary Levi. Full review.

IT: Chapter Two - Both parts work well as a giant six-hour movie, but this second part brought the younger actors into the show more than I expected. The adult actors were all great, but this was my first time to see Bill Hader in a serious role. Wow. And that ending...

Older Movies I Saw in 2019

A Man Called Uve - My wife read the book, saw the movie, then watched it again as I saw it. Wonderful, wonderful film.

Jersey Girl - This was the year I decided to watch all of Kevin Smith's films in the lead-up to the new movie, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. I watched all the movies cold--that is, without any prep or even without watching the trailer. I had known how Smith and star Ben Affleck dog this film over the years, but it proved to be my favorite Smith film to date. A wonderful story about a single, widowed father coming to terms with what is most important in his life: his daughter. All the feels, all the tears both times I watched it. When does this movie get a critical re-examination for how good it really is? Full review

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 51

I think we all know what event sucked the air out of everything this week: The premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

My family and I caught the 6pm showing on Thursday night. The theater wasn't packed, but there was a sizable audience. My one-sentence blurb is this:

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a rousing, joyful, exuberant, and emotional film that not only successfully brings to a close the story of one family, over nine movies, and 42 years, but does so in a manner that is both nostalgic and fresh."

I'll have more thoughts after I spend more time thinking about it and seeing it again.

The event also prompted me to write an open thank you letter to George Lucas, because without him, none of this exists.

An Open Thank You to George Lucas

I'll have a more detailed movie review at a later time, but I need to say this first:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a rousing, joyful, exuberant, and emotional film that not only successfully brings to a close the story of one family, over nine movies, and 42 years, but does so in a manner that is both nostalgic and fresh.

The payoffs are great, some hearken back four decades while others reach back only minutes. Could I find quibbles? Sure, but as a lifelong Star Wars fan, one whose mind was blown open in 1977 by George Lucas's film, this movie did everything I wanted it to and left me sitting in my seat, watching the credits scroll, awash in the music of John Williams, tears in my eyes, knowing my journey with this story is over.

And I am so grateful for it.

Star Wars helped shape me as a youth, a movie watcher, a music listener, a storyteller, and as a creative, imaginative person. I am so glad to have grown up with and experienced it all from the very beginning. It has truly been the adventure of a lifetime.

To all the thousands of people who have made these movies, and to the countless creatives who were inspired by Star Wars, y'all have enriched our lives beyond measure.

But the deepest thanks goes to one man, from whose mind this magnificent story sprang.

Thank you, George Lucas.

Thank you for dreaming, for coming up with this universe, driving to get it created, and sharing it with the world. It has provided the connective tissue for millions of people to imagine, to come together, to create, and to share ourselves.

Your Force will be with us. Always.

Year of an Indie Writer: Week 34

This was what you might call a coast week.

Last week, I turned in a short story to an editor for an anthology to be published this fall. This week, I returned to my slice-of-life novel and made some good progress. What made that progress possible was the call sheet.

The Call Sheet

In movies and TV, the call sheet is the list of actors and crew who need to show up for a given day's shoot. For my story, I have a growing cast, most of which--other than the four main leads--I make up as I go. But these four men all have spouses or girlfriends or ex-wives and children. I couldn't keep all the names and characterizations straight.

So I wrote it all down. I formatted it in such a way so that it all fits on a single sheet of paper. That paper fits neatly between my Chromebook's folded halves, so when I'm here at the day job, I have easy access to the data. When changes happen, I can make them on paper and then transfer back to the electronic version.

I know this isn't rocket science, but for the longest time, I've been writing longer works with characters I already know. Ben Wade, my PI in 1940, looks and acts a certain way. Ditto for Calvin Carter and his partner, Thomas Jackson, both railroad detectives in the 1880s. With those tales being historical, it's the little non-character details I sometimes have to research. The irony is that my new book is set in 2019 and all the setting and world building are easy...it's just the characters are difficult to keep straight. But this is the first quarter of the book. By the time I write "The End," I'll know them very well.

The Chasing Amy Response

Week 3 of my "I Finally Watched Kevin Smith's Films" series was this week. It was Chasing Amy's turn. My normal procedure is to get the blog posted, then cross-post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I check Facebook frequently, but not necessarily for feedback to my stuff. But when I checked on Instagram late on Wednesday, I had over a hundred likes on my post. I actually thought the app had malfunctioned. I rarely, if ever, get a hundred likes on a post.

But I did with Chasing Amy. I think it's a testament to how good and how different this movie is, especially the Smith ouevre to date. As a friend of mine wrote on Twitter this week:

It was by far my favorite of the first three. I like the unhappy ending and the truth that young men can be stupid and immature while loaded with arrogance which can be a toxic and dangerous combination. Rarely do you see that written so well.

Of the eight films I've seen so far, there are four I want to revisit when I'm done with the run. This is one of them.

Heart in Houston 

I wrote a review of the Heart concert here in Houston yesterday. It was a really good show, with a song choice in the encore I initially questioned, then realized was a great choice.

Here's the link to the entire review.

The Mandalorian

Is that not an awesome trailer. IG-88! Are you kidding me? Just take my money now!

First Pop Cultural Loves: Are They Still Your Favorites?

No matter what type of pop culture thing we enjoy, there was always that first time.

The first time you heard a song from your favorite band.
The first time you saw your favorite movie.
The first time you read a book by your favorite author.

But do those particular firsts remain high on your Favorites Lists or do they fall in the rankings?

Let me give you some personal examples.

Star Wars

I am part of the Star Wars Generation. The first Star Wars movie I saw was the first one, in a theater, in 1977. It has remained my favorite on an emotional level primarily because if I sit and watch it just so, the movie is a time machine and I'm back to being a nine-year-old kid again with nary a care in the world. The Empire Strikes Back is also a bit of a time machine because it arrived just as I graduated from elementary school. The movie's ending showed me the heroes don't always win. What the heck was that? Return of the Jedi, at the time, was an awesome film, but over time, as I've become an adult and a writer, I can see its faults. So, too, the other films in the franchise. Some are better than others (Rogue One), some deserve a re-watch and re-evaluation (The Phantom Menace), while others deserve respect for trying to do something different (The Last Jedi).

My brain puts Empire as my favorite of the franchise, but my heart will always remain with Star Wars.

Music

KISS was my first favorite band. I discovered them in 1978 with Double Platinum (a hits collection) and then made my way to the studio and live albums. I was limited to the number of albums I could buy, but Destroyer ranked high in my list as a kid. Over time, however, Alive! (1975) is now my favorite KISS album.

When David Bowie landed on my radar in 1983, Let's Dance was everywhere. In the 80s, I loved his 80s material. The 1987 Glass Spider Tour was the first of three times I saw Bowie live. But over time, I've changed. Now, if push came to shove and I was asked my favorite album, I'd probably pick 2000's Live at the Beeb.

Chicago 17 was out when I finally discovered Chicago in 1985. A year later, Chicago 18 was my first purchased album. Now, it's not even my favorite Chicago album of the 80s. I rarely listen to it, instead focusing on the early material with their first record, CTA, my now favorite. Chicago 18 doesn't even crack my top 10.

Invisible Touch was my first Genesis album, but Duke and Foxtrot are the ones I like the best (I get two choices, a Peter Gabriel and a Phil Collins). Speaking of those two, it was So and No Jacket Required that were my first true introductions to them (although, for Collins, it was really "Take a Look at Me Now.") and those records remain my favorites. Synchronicity was my first and favorite Police record, yet Sting's 1999 solo record, Brand New Day, that tops my list now.

Authors

Pet Sematary was my first Stephen King novel, but it's nowhere near my favorite. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, on the other hand, remains my favorite by him. Right as Rain was my first George Pelecanos but Hard Revolution stands as my favorite. I first read one of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels, but now I prefer the Cool and Lam books.

Television

The same applies to TV shows. I discovered The X-Files in 1996 or so, but quickly grew to appreciate the early-to-mid 1990s seasons vs. the latter ones. I loved Castle from day one, but the midway part of the series was just spectacular. I didn't jump on the Friends bandwagon until a season or two in, but I actually enjoyed most of the later seasons. Star Trek: The Next Generation's first couple of seasons were good, but they hit their stride in season three. It must have had something to do with Riker's beard.

It's Bruce Springsteen's Fault

What prompted this was when I bought and listened to a 30-song 1992 concert by Bruce Springsteen (from nugs.net). For me, I discovered Springsteen in 1989 or so. Tunnel of Love was his most recent record. By 1992, when Human Touch and Lucky Town were released, they were my first new Springsteen records.

And I realized something: those two are my favorites of his. Yes, Born to Run is an excellent album. Yes, The Rising is amazing. Yes, Born in the USA is almost the perfect 80s album. But if I had to take one album from Springsteen's catalog, it would be Human Touch and Lucky Town. [I've always considered them basically a double album.]


I could think of others, but I think you get the idea.

So, has the first introduction to your favorite pop culture things remained your favorite?

The Phantom Menace at 20: A Re-Watch and Re-Examination

It was a Star Wars event sixteen years in the making. It was eight years after Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire novel filled the void some wondered if anyone wanted filled. It was two years after the triumphal return of the original trilogy returned to the theaters with new content.

And that first trailer was spectacular. Everyone in my office all but crashed the system downloading it and watching it over and over again. New worlds. A young Obi-Wan. And a double-bladed lightsaber! This was going to be an awesome movie!

My wife and I went on opening day. We were engaged and this was the first new Star Wars movie we would share together. She's not the geek like me, but I hoped my enthusiasm might extend a little to her.

She was excited for me...

The music was, of course, fantastic. It was John Williams. What did you expect? Some of the new themes, especially "Dual of the Fates," stands as one of the best pieces of music he's ever done. Someone intermixed this piece of music with dialogue and sound effects from the movie and it's still my favorite thing about this film.

The novelization by Terry Brooks is actually quite good. There's more in it than just the movie. In fact, all of the Prequel novelization are good, and all on Audible.

But what about the movie itself? Well, over the last twenty years, Phantom Menace kept getting bumped lower and lower on the all-time best Star Wars movie list. Well, there's always Attack of the Clones. All of my thoughts about Phantom Menace are now something like fourteen years old. The last time I can remember seeing Episode I was leading up to Episode III. Now, with the twentieth anniversary today, I broke out my DVD and watched Episode I once again.

The verdict?

Well, first some thoughts.

Thoughts on the Movie

Opening sequence - pretty darn good. The Jedi are in full command. Up until now, we've only heard stories about the Jedi. Now we see two. When Qui-Gon sticks his lightsaber in the door and starts to melt it, that is tres cool!

Jar-Jar Binks - Yeah, when we first see him, he's really difficult to understand. But he's not that bad at first. He's a local. Qui-Gon saved him. Jar Jar becomes their guide. What makes the whole Gungan part neat is that we get to see an underwater world in the Star Wars universe. Something new! As the movie went on, however, and I accepted Jar Jar as what he is--comedic relief although at times, he's not that funny--he wasn't as annoying as I remember. Well, he's still annoying at times. And I would have liked for him to rise to the occasion, like in the big battle scenes at the end. But I didn't dislike him as much as I remember.

Anakin as a kid is jarring. Yes, every adult bad guy was once a kid, but it's still a little weird. It is what it is. And Jake Lloyd does his best. Like Jar Jar, I actually found Anakin as a kid less annoying this time. And dang if his phrase "Now this is podracing" right after he blew up the droid ship was a pretty nifty moment.

Coruscant - First heard about in Zahn's trilogy, and seen briefly in the special edition of Return of the Jedi, now, we get to see it writ large.

"He was meant to help you."

So, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan (QGJ and OWK from now on) just happen to land on the desert planet that happens to have Anakin on it, a boy we are led to understand was the result of immaculate conception. By the midi-chlorians. Is that how it works?

Or did the Force direct  QGJ or OWK to Tatooine?  When Shmi Skywalker says what she says, is this the moment she knew was coming? As the mother of a Force-sensitive person, does some of it stay with her?

Speaking of this, QJG's actions regarding Anakin are rather....self-serving, right? He basically swoops in and takes Shmi's son away because of the Force? Isn't that the kind of Jedi attitude Luke Skywalker eventually rebels against in The Last Jedi?

"Finding him was the will of the Force," QGJ says. Maybe that really is the simple answer.

On the subject of Qui-Gon Jinn, he's a pretty interesting character. In all the movies, he the only one who refers to The Force as the "The Living Force." That's a fascinating concept, something Yoda told Luke about but doesn't get much time in the subsequent. I would have liked more of this philosophy explored. Maybe it is in the novels. If so, please let me know titles.

In some of the novels, Qui-Gon's spirit communicates with Obi-Wan and teaches him how to become one in the Force. His Force Ghost shows up in the novel of Attack of the Clones. How cool would it be if Qui-Gon shows up in Rise of Skywalker.

A thought just occurred to me: in the thirty years since Return of the Jedi, Luke studied the history of the Jedi. He learned about Qui-Gon and the Jedi Master's role in discovering Anakin. With Qui-Gon basically being a Jedi Rebel, might Luke's actions in The Last Jedi be more akin to Qui-Gon than any other Jedi?

Oh, and this time watching Anakin leave his mother behind? Well, that'll be me next year. Didn't even affect to me back in 1999. Now, all the emotions come to the front.

The Lightsaber Battle is Awesome!

As I think over all the lightsaber battles we've had to date, I think the one between OWK, QGJ, and Darth Maul might be the best. It in itself is a three-act play. Finally, we get to see three combatants, each at their prime, fighting each other with all their skills. A villain who can hold his own against two Jedis. Excellent stuff.

The Verdict

Twenty years ago today, I watched The Phantom Menace for the first time. Then, it was new, the first new Star Wars film in sixteen years. I remember loving it, but I had doubts. Over the years, I relied on my memories or memes to remember what happened in this movie. But there's nothing like watching it again to either reinforce what I remember or form a new opinion. That's what I did yesterday.

And, dang, if I didn't enjoy it. Actually I enjoyed it quite a bit. Yeah, Jar Jar was still annoying at parts--like when he and QGJ and OWK jump from the balcony and saved the queen, Jar Jar slips on the rampart and squeals--but I found myself getting into the show even though I knew what was on the way.

But keep this in mind. Up until 1999, George Lucas always talked about how he saw Star Wars in his head and, up to that time, it had never materialized on screen. The Phantom Menace was the first one where he had complete control and all the money to realize his vision. Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith are just more of the same. Lucas's vision was fully realized with The Phantom Menace.

And, visually, it is stunning. The worlds. The ships. The aliens. It all came together.

In an odd bit of ironic timing, I'm listening to the six-part podcast series called Blockbuster. It's about how Lucas and Steven Spielberg created Jaws, Close Encounters, and Star Wars in the 1970s. Lucas's vision of the original Star Wars was a great adventure with heart. The Phantom Menace doesn't have as much heart as Star Wars, but it's clearly in that wheelhouse.

So I've changed my mind on The Phantom Menace. It is not as bad as I remember. It's actually a pretty decent movie, and I thoroughly enjoyed the re-watch.

Spielberg, Lucas, and Williams: The Blockbuster Podcast as Old Time Radio

Aural perfection.

That's what I think about Blockbuster, the six-part podcast that focuses on the friendship of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas in the 1970s. The third member of this revolutionary team was composer John Williams.

Look, I would have listened to a plain old podcast just reciting the events of these visionary directors in the 1970s as they created from whole cloth the blockbuster movie. I am part of the Star Wars generation. I never tire of hearing or watching World War II histories, so, too, do I never tire of hearing about 1970s film making.

But creator Matt Schrader went one better. He scripted this story as if it were an old time radio. Don't be fooled by this phrase. This movie-of-the-mind is utterly current, with the latest technology brought to the sound design, that makes me hopeful things like this might come around more often.

I can't even be sure how the podcast popped up on my radar in the last week or two, but it did. Five of the six episodes are available. Like I said, I'm a sucker for this stuff, but by the first few minutes of episode one and I was hooked. It is an excellent piece of craft, and the storytelling is rich and immersive.

How immersive? Well, when they get to late 1976 and early 1977 when each director faced massive challenges to complete their respective films, you're actually wondering if they'll get the movies done. In fact, in episode 4, there's a moment with the Star Wars production that actually made me swear under my breath...and I knew the end result!

The voice cast is stellar. I don't know their names, but the folks who bring Spielberg, Lucas to life, as well as their friends Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese are spot on. And don't get me started on the casting calls for Han Solo.

Heck, I even learned something about John Williams I never knew.

 I'm starting episode 4 later today on my home commute and I think episode six drops next week. It'll end up being a three-hour movie for your mind.

Just give it a listen. If you're even remotely interested in the stories of these two friends and rivals, you'll have a blast.

UPDATE:

Now, I've listened to episode five, the one where the characters first hear the music John Williams composed for Star Wars. At the time, Lucas was quite depressed. He didn't think his movie would be very good. It wasn't well received by his small group of peers. The executives at Fox, including champion Alan Ladd, Jr., had all but given up and expected a flop.

There, Lucas sat in the recording studio in London. There, Williams stood on the podium, ready for that initial baton drop.

And the music started.

I've always been an easy cry, but just hearing this famous music in this one scene, knowing the stakes, it was emotional. Goosebumps and some extra tears behind the lids.

It was a great moment in this incredible series and in the history of cinema. That the creators of Blockbuster nailed it as well as they did is yet more proof how good this podcast series is.

UPDATE 2:

Episode 6 dropped this morning and I couldn't wait for my morning commute.

And I was incredibly rewarded.

What makes Blockbuster so magical is the intimacy of the story. Now, in 2019, Lucas and Spielberg are legends, larger-than-life masters of film, but in the 1970s, they're just young directors trying to make things work despite uncountable challenges and setbacks. Matt Schrader wrote the scenes you wished you could have witnessed. Not the interviews or awards ceremonies, but the ones where George and Steve just talk. Brilliant.

The best thing about episode six, titled "May 25, 1977," is how the characters learn about the success of Star Wars. We know what happens, but George, Steve, and Marcia Lucas in Blockbuster don't. Wonderful. I actually had goosebumps ripple across my skin when Marcia looks across the street and realizes the line around the Chinese Theater is for "You're movie, George!"

A large part of this podcast series features the music of John Williams. Perhaps the best scene in the entire series was when George heard the Star Wars theme the first time. When you have Williams's music, I imagine it would be a difficult challenge to compose original music. But Ryan Taubert and Benjamin Botkin knocked it out of the park. There's a special magic when you watch movies like Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, Superman, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter 1 when the visuals on the silver screen and the music you hear instantly transport you. Taubert and Botkin nailed the intimate vibe of this series. How good is the music? If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn John Williams himself wrote the score.

It's one thing to have content like this available for free. But it's another thing entirely when, upon completing the entire broadcast, I happily headed over to their site and donated money. It's one of the best investments you can make. I can't wait to hear what comes next.

How good is this nearly three-hour Blockbuster podcast series? It's one of the best films of the year. Never mind that it's audio only. In some ways, that makes it better.

Well done, everyone involved with Blockbuster. Very well done.

Comicpalooza 2019 - The Haul

One of the best things about attending Houston's Comicpalooza over two days is the ability to make a list.

On Friday, I like to scour the rows and rows of vendors, just seeing what they have. Some have dollar bins of unbagged comics while others have all the vintage things collectors love. Unless I see something I just gotta have and buy it on the spot, I start a list. I write down the item, the row, and the price. In that way, I can mull it over when compared to all the other things I see and ask myself do I really want that thing. I get to sleep on it and make a decision.

And yes, if the item has been sold, well, then I guess I really didn't need it.

Yesterday, I went back around and bought most of the things on my list. What I didn't find were any of the black-and-white Essentials (Marvel) or DC's Showcase that package something like 500 pages of comics into a single $20 book. Love those, and I have almost a shelf full of them. I wonder if the price point is off nowadays or if the Epic Collection (which is in color) now trumps the B&W ones.

These two titles I've heard about for a long time but never cracked. These are both volume 1s. I found Howard the Duck Volume 2, but I figured I should read the first to verify it's something I'd like.  The Shang-Chi stories (you'll see another one down below) is another title that evidently got better over time. Looking forward to reading it.

I've seen this blog and book for a few years and figured now was the time to try it out. I suspect the title says it all, but I'll y'all know when I've read it.

There's a vendor who is one of those small one-man shops. He always has an assortment of things, and this book, battered though it is, caught my fancy. For $3, why not?

One of best things about a con like Comicpalooza is the number of vendors with dollar books. Even better? The ones for $0.50! The Deadly Hands was a dollar, but the rest were half that. You might notice the Young Romance and ask why? Well, I've just started listening to the audiobook version of MARVEL COMICS: THE UNTOLD STORY by Sean Howe and he mentions Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's days writing and drawing romance comics. Talk about serendipity? I basically followed my observation from Friday.

I think I'm most looking forward to this. It is volume 1 of the collected newspaper comic strips. I'm really curious to read these stories, especially as they start in 1979, a year before the big Vader reveal, to see how Russ Manning approached the Star Wars universe. Truth be told, I've also got a hankering to re-read some of the old Marvel comics as well.

That's it for Comicpalooza 2019. Let know what you got in the comments.