tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48564345980960623172024-03-05T18:25:47.983-08:00The Dowser's DelusionsBook reviews, author interviews, movie talk, various articles, personal blogs, and all things related to books and publishing.Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-82962448166104715632023-11-09T19:53:00.003-08:002023-11-09T20:00:16.470-08:00VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN <p><b><i><span style="color: #04ff00; font-size: x-large;"> <span style="background-color: black;">IMHO: A Much Neglected Film</span></span></i></b></p><p><b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I don't know how I missed 2015' <i>Victor Frankenstein.</i> The film no doubt didn't do well at the box office, for some reason I can't understand, because far worse films have been far more successful.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">But I really enjoyed this movie. It is an intelligent, well-written and well-acted, dramatic horror film -- a true actor's film, and so much more than a simple, mindless action-thriller. Daniel Radcliffe shows off the acting chops I knew he had, from both pre- and post-<i>Harry Potter</i>. James McAvoy is terrific, and once again, the wonderful Charles Dance shows what he can bring to the table. Jessica Brown Findlay adds heart, charm, beauty and class to this production. This film reminded me of the best of the classic Hammer films, but with a bigger budget and state-of-the art special FX, both practical and CGI. The "Creature" is different, too, and the make-up is very cool: there are actually two different creatures in the film. But this is not a horror story totally centered around the Creature, and although in the film he's called Prometheus. In Mary Shelley's novel he has no name, and the Creature tells Frankenstein, "I ought to be thy Adam but I am rather the fallen angel." Thus, I've always called him Adam and still do in the stories I write for the Heroes and Hell series. (The "modern Prometheus," the subtitle of Shelley's novel, refers not to the Creature, but to Doctor Frankenstein. In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to Man, and was thus punished for his sins. The infamous doctor stole the secret of life from God and he, too, as well as his family, friends and wife, paid the price for his sins.) </span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, what's new about this incarnation? It's not a retelling but a prequel to the 1931 Karloff film, and it concerns Victor Frankenstein's early experiments and years at medical school. To begin with, Radcliffe starts out as a brilliant, self-educated but nameless hunchback, a creepy circus clown who Doctor Frankenstein "fixes," because the hump is merely a massive cyst, which he drains and then helps Radcliffe to learn and be able to walk upright. He gives the former hunchback the name of Igor Straussman, his former, late assistant. All the actors in this film are a pleasure to watch -- from the irrepressible Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) to the rapidly evolved, medical genius in his own right, Igor (Radcliffe) to the nasty, religious zealot Inspector Turpin (Andrew Scott) to the powerful presence of Baron Frankenstein (Dance.) They were all magnetic. The set design was also beautiful -- and Victorian England was displayed in everything from furnishings to fabrics to city views to laboratory equipment. Everything is in place for a great viewing. There were a few twists I did not see coming and a couple that I did. I liked the payoff in the grand finale. For me, this is a 4 out of 5-star film. Well worth the time spent viewing.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pxZxY_Siyc" target="_blank">VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN TRAILER</a><br /></span></span></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsyPDQ3pXbnzNJYyXqqzQ1YNVt6xHqQo7rxpxIjwITZ0thxKPA0ncV1zTp7FaJB3_zZZVVAEyqWaAp1xsczpzoROm5ivDVSV4-RC7Qq2bVYJ4uBtQDEVLU9YXjLmJ5EeNtBt2BCSTsUMmgVs9Lt-OluCfQ9XP5Y9Hc-bCeJ9k6oc5D2FIjHYkhcFJU-Q/s263/VICTOR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="191" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsyPDQ3pXbnzNJYyXqqzQ1YNVt6xHqQo7rxpxIjwITZ0thxKPA0ncV1zTp7FaJB3_zZZVVAEyqWaAp1xsczpzoROm5ivDVSV4-RC7Qq2bVYJ4uBtQDEVLU9YXjLmJ5EeNtBt2BCSTsUMmgVs9Lt-OluCfQ9XP5Y9Hc-bCeJ9k6oc5D2FIjHYkhcFJU-Q/w290-h400/VICTOR.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6YYdonp6lelIWgveKMQPYaCFfI1jH7QjFTb0gbXI-E8JiGj66UNc81Fjk1P9O3OqL7ib9oqScd0pTib0koxHUF8C7lHsVXq9LRvou5syCBfMe5Z5JG36eZyTqX5xDyNBlVQw8cGHvqiVeNHpfcvh-kOJJVThfSnLvH4E01aE5Fz6WlZ79oTIqFucyKw/s433/Monster-in-Victor-Frankenstein-2015-movie-30-Penny-Dreadful-2014-2016-The-pilot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="291" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6YYdonp6lelIWgveKMQPYaCFfI1jH7QjFTb0gbXI-E8JiGj66UNc81Fjk1P9O3OqL7ib9oqScd0pTib0koxHUF8C7lHsVXq9LRvou5syCBfMe5Z5JG36eZyTqX5xDyNBlVQw8cGHvqiVeNHpfcvh-kOJJVThfSnLvH4E01aE5Fz6WlZ79oTIqFucyKw/w269-h400/Monster-in-Victor-Frankenstein-2015-movie-30-Penny-Dreadful-2014-2016-The-pilot.png" width="269" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPQDwZTNQVuBP6E6vPBmUOqam86nbCOplmR8mn5mzJCbF3vdu5rpVfD3amrTAtFULmMyy1OSn5K0L0qsvSg5yl8JYcnsPQc0nVSkw0LTESLaZ7JIxvKxF_QbpEQqKDIbWkSXIqVhKh4-KD8vcz7n8-FzEJRWGwZCQIWVOX89nrFkzLpUEGm4R1nUdbCc/s433/Monster-in-Victor-Frankenstein-2015-movie-30-Penny-Dreadful-2014-2016-The-pilot.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div></i></b>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-40323985335365703162023-08-24T13:31:00.002-07:002023-08-24T13:31:46.483-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01;">HAIKU FOR A PSYCHO</span></b></h1><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;">Barbie, you bad doll.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;">You might get away with this.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;">GI Joe says no.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj091hSka79CEXiWdzxOQuk6t5T4tUxDiIdvn-oN7lgGjhhcmYKbzdKQk_Va0fJvDpii-7YJZsF6MGgv41Ap-CO-Sza2T2dlRJ5FkBzHeTvhnlvZv3REHheoBBKSsIeSGUatqVc6wPUWJG343ibtPRq3tatjT8hFjvH3fDk-jTFk5XN0CE5Kn3HlFAmaOo/s720/for%20barbie%20haiku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="720" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj091hSka79CEXiWdzxOQuk6t5T4tUxDiIdvn-oN7lgGjhhcmYKbzdKQk_Va0fJvDpii-7YJZsF6MGgv41Ap-CO-Sza2T2dlRJ5FkBzHeTvhnlvZv3REHheoBBKSsIeSGUatqVc6wPUWJG343ibtPRq3tatjT8hFjvH3fDk-jTFk5XN0CE5Kn3HlFAmaOo/w640-h486/for%20barbie%20haiku.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><div><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-4678376687194326882023-08-24T13:02:00.001-07:002023-08-24T13:02:35.035-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #04ff00; font-size: x-large;">HAIKU #207</span></span></h1><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #04ff00; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;">Distort my belly<br />Until it shakes like jelly. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;">Food, food, food, food, food.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVcUERgmw2w2JnH6BdUJh9H-SAA44854Uo5S5M8x_5--53thRfH8wcH8CUdEpfngkTWV70wEG61rKzir2ZoXffZ-Nc2HXe3p-My75HBT53CKbPeHXTW55A3jMBSPucEEDvEg9wZ3TIK1AH3dqWtGSKcCO9FN_sTS_AoGUeKEz3zKBNMqLC0Uiub5vcvg/s264/italian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="264" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVcUERgmw2w2JnH6BdUJh9H-SAA44854Uo5S5M8x_5--53thRfH8wcH8CUdEpfngkTWV70wEG61rKzir2ZoXffZ-Nc2HXe3p-My75HBT53CKbPeHXTW55A3jMBSPucEEDvEg9wZ3TIK1AH3dqWtGSKcCO9FN_sTS_AoGUeKEz3zKBNMqLC0Uiub5vcvg/w640-h462/italian.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-47973726736350084712023-08-24T03:03:00.002-07:002023-08-24T03:03:57.954-07:00The MechMen of Canis-9. (A Three Against the Stars Adventure)<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>SWORD & PLANET ADVENTURE</i></span></span> </h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #01ffff;">IN THE GRAND TRADITION</span></i></h1><div><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #01ffff;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw_bN8iVih99dU-6tJOdkLg0mFn1OsDPnffr1-6dz54Hr3Z4yLJqEorJ1GFVY8Sdy_X-4cuGSt0JbQHUmkNSpTb6fXDn7eUDhKRUL0loR_Cp6FnfyVvjgC95tUFHdUEx-fU3vPGJBYbvLx_XMYrJYXjcDMf6zO69xxrHwJgyp7yrsaybN6xBW4XN_tac/s3861/6%20C%20MechMen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="3861" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw_bN8iVih99dU-6tJOdkLg0mFn1OsDPnffr1-6dz54Hr3Z4yLJqEorJ1GFVY8Sdy_X-4cuGSt0JbQHUmkNSpTb6fXDn7eUDhKRUL0loR_Cp6FnfyVvjgC95tUFHdUEx-fU3vPGJBYbvLx_XMYrJYXjcDMf6zO69xxrHwJgyp7yrsaybN6xBW4XN_tac/w640-h461/6%20C%20MechMen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: #01ffff;"><br /></span></i></div><div><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: #242526; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i>Canis-9. Devoora. The Ocean Planet.</i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Devoora is a vast, waterworld in a far distant galaxy inhabited by two indigenous populations. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The Tulavi are a maritime culture inhabiting the islands west of the Great Aetherian Reef, living in harmony with their environment and the great oceans where the leviathans known as the kaizsu dwell. The Malvarians are an industrial nation running out of resources, living on the mainland east of the Reef. Led by the madman, Trivus Harn, an armada of warships roams the seas, hunting the kaizsu and subjecting them to ghastly experiments, unaware that these intelligent creatures are the key to their survival, as well as the fate of their entire world. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: #242526; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">While on a covert operation to find a long-lost secret weapon, Sergeants O’Hara, Akira, Cortez, and a platoon of Marines are stranded on Devoora. Rescued by the peace-loving Tulavi, they find themselves caught up in a war against the Malvarians. An adventure unlike anything the Marines of Company E have ever experienced, Sergeant Cortez finds romance and Sergeant Akira finds an answer to her troubled marriage. But at the heart of this story is a little Tulavi girl named Zherisa, who tends to a wounded Sergeant O’Hara and helps him overcome the grief he’s carried in his heart for the past eighteen years. And then there’s the stranger, Solis Lachus — the Man from Outside, who holds the answer to what the Marines have come searching for . . . The MechMen of Canis-9. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: #242526; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Rousing action, a wondrous and dangerous planet, and memorable characters, this Sword and Planet science fiction is in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Leigh Brackett, with a touch of Frank Herbert, Rudyard Kipling and Herman Melville. Available worldwide in paperback and Kindle editions from Amazon. Paperback edition is also available from Barnes & Noble. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN8M5NJH"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">The MechMen of Canis-9</span></a><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-55467730458469720802023-08-24T02:48:00.001-07:002023-08-24T03:05:04.787-07:00Three Against The Stars: Star Trooper Doon<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Old School Space Opera </i></span></span></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>with a modern-day attitude.</i></span></span></h1></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><i>THREE AGAINST THE STARS (Star Trooper Doon)</i> First published in 2012, this 2023 revised edition has a brand-new cover and comes in a trade paperback size with easy-to-read print.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5Bw1Zszo4PJ9p7SiZc8N33Liqpgw54pIwqmvRRdUaQTZUfyZEqr0d2pbn8f3U0sLX0r9h2XHvC6Nn_bZ5HznfYuofgr6sHiVwFt0mWJujXY5I2n4WXH844NW7mIuhZznoe0KTk2kDe7DCdQ9w4OgtuJFE6wJQKk0E6-y0b0N_gkxPRWbxkPFw4OQr1g/s3861/4%20b%20TATS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="3861" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5Bw1Zszo4PJ9p7SiZc8N33Liqpgw54pIwqmvRRdUaQTZUfyZEqr0d2pbn8f3U0sLX0r9h2XHvC6Nn_bZ5HznfYuofgr6sHiVwFt0mWJujXY5I2n4WXH844NW7mIuhZznoe0KTk2kDe7DCdQ9w4OgtuJFE6wJQKk0E6-y0b0N_gkxPRWbxkPFw4OQr1g/w640-h461/4%20b%20TATS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div>On the distant planet of Rhajnara, a conspiracy to overthrow the rightful Republic is set into motion by the planet’s former fascist regime, the Khandra. This time, the Khandra has allied itself with the evil Drakonian Hegemony, and it seems nothing in the universe can stop them. Nothing, that is, except for Sergeants Fernando Cortez, Seamus O’Hara and Claudia Akira, whose courage, loyalty and devotion to duty prove them to be the toughest Star Troopers in the Marine Corps. Now, with the aid of a medic named Makki Doon, a young humanoid from Rhajnara, these three futuristic musketeers tackle incredible odds in order to save a planet still recovering from the past horrors brought about by the Kandra Regime. <br /><br /> "Three Against The Stars" is an action-packed, intergalactic adventure, filled with memorable characters and a rousing finale. It's available worldwide from Amazon, in paperback and Kindle editions. Paperback is also available online from Barnes & Noble and other fine book dealers.</span></span><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNV2PCDH"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01;">THREE AGAINST THE STARS</span></a><br /></span></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-34399425839260673762023-08-16T09:47:00.000-07:002023-08-16T09:47:25.568-07:00<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: black; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #04ff00;">THE MAD SHADOWS SERIES</span></i></span></span></li></ol><p></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">No barbarian warriors. No scantily clad or helpless maidens. Dorgo the Dowser lives in a world of duplicitous women, unscrupulous men, and a criminal underworld of humans and semi-humans, with plenty of swordplay and sorcery. My main character follows in the footsteps of Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe. These are tales from the mean streets, tales of saints and sinners, cops and burglars, conmen and hustlers, thieves, pimps, whores, and murderers. This is character-driven film noir set in a world of swords and sorcery, magic, mystery, monsters, mayhem and bloody murder. It's a world of dark secrets, lost races, hidden valleys and ancient ruins. Thank you!</span></span></p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XN68ZZP"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">Mad Shadows Series Page</span></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeFJkHfcldeoJUpnj5GrgyTEJ9kE4tm6m_YnGqAhJxY2-5Z9zq79mdWrMiDEgZnYj7jly2dAmNbZgIic5xscYD31Vf7TaZXuKCRJ6B8ggC143lG3Vxi00GUWGsEKBImL6N89HeZqGlBnlz7HXn_j1Y5rX1yQS4g7o1DZQ41ZGjvbf59dkFYg5-5OyVR4/s1500/1%20a%20Jan%2027%20MS%20Trio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1500" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeFJkHfcldeoJUpnj5GrgyTEJ9kE4tm6m_YnGqAhJxY2-5Z9zq79mdWrMiDEgZnYj7jly2dAmNbZgIic5xscYD31Vf7TaZXuKCRJ6B8ggC143lG3Vxi00GUWGsEKBImL6N89HeZqGlBnlz7HXn_j1Y5rX1yQS4g7o1DZQ41ZGjvbf59dkFYg5-5OyVR4/w640-h316/1%20a%20Jan%2027%20MS%20Trio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-56426161694774128852023-05-28T10:45:00.000-07:002023-05-28T10:45:22.295-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #04ff00; font-size: x-large;">IMHO: A Brief and Personal History of Heroic Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery.</span></h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXC8yWRlUsSKfKqD4uSsc6HKDeOpO7IVCqkaQtZQUwRZWEzEOdA8rzb2ktkrPxgcuFSeF8O9lOJ3GBmZ1lULsHcC8KE2gC0MAP-27zzboF-9peXAAxRwQyPiSy2rwZWu-F81Thq0Sl3kyf3C-hPcxAz4W5UhVTfTBPAQYT6IkcGi9iJRhbN4NXGua4/s950/Joes_IMHO_Conan-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="950" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXC8yWRlUsSKfKqD4uSsc6HKDeOpO7IVCqkaQtZQUwRZWEzEOdA8rzb2ktkrPxgcuFSeF8O9lOJ3GBmZ1lULsHcC8KE2gC0MAP-27zzboF-9peXAAxRwQyPiSy2rwZWu-F81Thq0Sl3kyf3C-hPcxAz4W5UhVTfTBPAQYT6IkcGi9iJRhbN4NXGua4/w640-h278/Joes_IMHO_Conan-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>As I struggle with old age and its infirmities and limitations, I've been struggling with trying to do something for a fourth and final Mad Shadows volume. Although my goal is to return to the first book's "playlist" of 6 novellas, (roughly 125-K words) I want to expand on that, whether in story length or the number of stories. I want to put my main character of Dorgo the Dowser through some mental and emotional changes, based on what he experienced and what he witnessed during the course of book 3. I want to do something different and even more character-driven, but we'll. It's been a rather slow-growing process, and writing 4-K and 5-K stories is not something I'm good at. Anyway, getting back on track, I had forgotten I wrote this article for Black Gate and can't even remember if I posted it here. It's one of a number of IMHO articles I wrote, and this one I discuss the evolution of Heroic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery, from market-driven short stories to door-stop novels and mega-volume sagas. But since this article was written I have been discovering more and more markets catering to short fiction, and that's a welcome return to something that had nearly gone extinct. If I revised this article now, I'd be discussing such markets as Savage Realms Monthly, Sword & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy, and others. So here's the link to my article, if any of you are interested. Some great comments and insights by Keith West, James Enge , Fletcher Vredenburgh, and others. Thanks for listening! </span></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: large;">Click here: </span><a href="https://www.blackgate.com/2022/07/17/imho-a-personal-history-of-sword-sorcery-and-heroic-fantasy/?fbclid=IwAR2SE5tr2M0FB0lgyva2gIqDq8WPH7jVMDAReSUn6dT3bwbFtBl_T_URCqY ">Black Gate Online Magazine</a><br /></h1>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-16290939872443078772021-08-14T16:41:00.010-07:002023-05-28T14:35:39.319-07:00A REWARDING SURPRISE<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">z</span></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div data-block="true" data-editor="2r06u" data-offset-key="8e0jm-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: #242526; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8e0jm-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="8e0jm-0-0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;">Z <span style="font-weight: 400;">. . . I really enjoyed this effective little horror film. Smart, tight script, beautifully filmed and directed, with solid performances by an excellent cast. It's about a little boy - creative, imaginative but troubled - who has a monster for an imaginary friend. Or is Z imaginary? This film had me wondering if it was a psychological drama, a supernatural horror or a straight-up monster flick. Atmospheric and suspenseful, and with a few neat twists involving the boy's mother. The film offers no easy answers until the climax and the final scene, when all is made clear. This is another film I missed when it first appeared, and I decided to watch it, thinking I was going to see some schlocky "monster in the closet" knock-off. How wrong I was!</span></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8e0jm-0-0" style="animation-name: none; color: #e4e6eb; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 400; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="8e0jm-0-0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="2r06u" data-offset-key="viu4-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: #242526; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="viu4-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbQB_Sav4rQ&ab_channel=MovieTrailersSource"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Z OFFICIAL TRAILER</span></a><span style="color: #e4e6eb; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div></div></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUzzTGMdQT6xX5V6qg5XiBt9s3RHDdcArfkZbIgTKOjTSLWpLjN6bJQ2Im_XIffSbBFaFttvPu0PAypB97EpWSTShYM-aDYuHQlCEb7pxlUlXD3Dwe7keB6at4GLwNBsNw3CwdGEb4lY/s432/Z.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="306" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUzzTGMdQT6xX5V6qg5XiBt9s3RHDdcArfkZbIgTKOjTSLWpLjN6bJQ2Im_XIffSbBFaFttvPu0PAypB97EpWSTShYM-aDYuHQlCEb7pxlUlXD3Dwe7keB6at4GLwNBsNw3CwdGEb4lY/w284-h400/Z.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;"><br /> </h1>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-29569628503646106952021-08-14T15:55:00.002-07:002021-08-14T15:58:10.584-07:00THE DEEP ONES<h1 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;">DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS ONE</span><br /><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: black; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #01ffff;">I've seen many cinematic travesties of and insults to the works of HP Lovecraft, but this one is THE WORST! It's really bad - and not in that good, fun way. Just terrible. It's like some drunken teenagers got their hands on a camera, hired some porn queens and some ham actors from Central Casting and made a movie while stoned out of their minds. You know it's bad when the director cites Robert Altman and Rosemary's Baby as influences on this piece of celluloid crap, but says Lovecraft experts will enjoy it. Then the leading lady says, "But what do experts know?" This flick has about as much to do with HP Lovecraft as Shakespeare had with space travel. They had no more business making a movie than I do performing brain surgery. I have nothing good to say about this one. Definitely NOT recommended. Go watch Re-Animator and Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn, instead.
</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoHZXkrpZkQ&t=24s&ab_channel=FEARSMAG"><span style="color: red;">THE DEEP ONES TRAILER</span></a>
</span><span style="color: #01ffff; font-size: 15px;">
</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnh_bGrZh3NZFvqHk_D_YUbFknMgolL-zcLUjoeNh1rBTa4JED-WDrcXiH3J5qKFlocMTq34SRNop7QJOJEvFmRmPSL0Yqr7_eGmiQwHilRqnKqw3nCKcjSxLGIY2Q7UEAADg6DPq0A4/s800/poster-19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="574" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnh_bGrZh3NZFvqHk_D_YUbFknMgolL-zcLUjoeNh1rBTa4JED-WDrcXiH3J5qKFlocMTq34SRNop7QJOJEvFmRmPSL0Yqr7_eGmiQwHilRqnKqw3nCKcjSxLGIY2Q7UEAADg6DPq0A4/w288-h400/poster-19.jpg" width="288" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #01ffff;"><br />
</span><p></p></h1>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-74781985040216022332021-08-14T15:50:00.005-07:002021-08-14T16:52:27.133-07:00HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! <h1 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #fcff01;">GET OUT!</span></h1><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #242526; color: #e4e6eb; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #242526; color: #01ffff; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a huge fan of Jordan Peele's US. He brings something new to the horror genre, from a different perspective, and really knows how to weave the threads of plot and character into an interesting, creepy and suspenseful tapestry. He makes intelligent films. Last night I finally got to see his earlier film, GET OUT, and it had me spellbound. All the clues are in the film, and I sat there wondering, "WTF is going on?" It's another very creepy and suspenseful film, well-acted, well-written and well-directed. Act three is the pay-off, and the finale answers questions and pulls off some nice surprises. Like US, GET OUT is a horror film without monsters - supernatural monsters, that is. The monsters are all too human. Highly recommended. Another film of his that, for me, is worth owning.</span><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #242526; color: #e4e6eb; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #242526; color: #e4e6eb; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzfpyUB60YY&t=53s&ab_channel=MovieclipsTrailers">Get Out Trailer</a>
</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9grIz5aT-zBVMdSSHnO_OUs4U8cSvhuNd4K1-_fWnusdCe50lHyHyHwr9bL0PP689Z-GDdytysn_idzQORIvWkkq0YkFkvidcWdY94qCYAqC7QxsJcz4msOIuZIE3YR2Se3Y6eV9vCBg/s275/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9grIz5aT-zBVMdSSHnO_OUs4U8cSvhuNd4K1-_fWnusdCe50lHyHyHwr9bL0PP689Z-GDdytysn_idzQORIvWkkq0YkFkvidcWdY94qCYAqC7QxsJcz4msOIuZIE3YR2Se3Y6eV9vCBg/w266-h400/download.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-85795050201301679092021-06-18T12:48:00.002-07:002021-06-28T07:59:37.821-07:00HAIKU FRIDAY<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><span style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alien</span><span data-offset-key="fdvjj-2-0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Infestation</span></span></h1><div data-block="true" data-editor="c0a8l" data-offset-key="fgvoj-0-0" style="animation-name: none; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fgvoj-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="fgvoj-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;" /></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="c0a8l" data-offset-key="2mtmp-0-0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="2mtmp-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="2mtmp-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Delta Variant</span></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="c0a8l" data-offset-key="19ak-0-0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="19ak-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="19ak-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Mutation and Replication</span></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="c0a8l" data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">This virus is smart.</span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Cbdw13n673AEMXQMQeDRH8nLnXK9L5GTo4t_u90bgmrft1ZRuyTa8PM-vEFOgXsr1lKMl1r3KQxx3brkVDjisC52f-sV-ydwRwb1tDuoATsmPdyPuaezZjqgjQkxCOSfCLyLpqDf-QM/s480/hqdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Cbdw13n673AEMXQMQeDRH8nLnXK9L5GTo4t_u90bgmrft1ZRuyTa8PM-vEFOgXsr1lKMl1r3KQxx3brkVDjisC52f-sV-ydwRwb1tDuoATsmPdyPuaezZjqgjQkxCOSfCLyLpqDf-QM/w640-h480/hqdefault.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none;"><span data-offset-key="1j94k-0-0" style="animation-name: none; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-5790674076145878042021-06-11T05:38:00.002-07:002021-06-11T05:38:32.164-07:00TOMORROW IS NOT GUARANTEED<h1 style="text-align: left;"> <b><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;">Haiku Uncertainty</span></b></h1><div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="flc0b" data-offset-key="ah0sc-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ah0sc-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span data-offset-key="ah0sc-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Dystopian </span><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">angst</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="flc0b" data-offset-key="9lp4q-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9lp4q-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="9lp4q-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">No fate but the one we make</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="flc0b" data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Future jeopardy. </span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="fdk6-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2i1aPOoiBEDQeG49I5fBKcG8MUjUNH-J8gDykHpuQY7BwM3kggH-iRSEyQHOXjZEjDUqcxDu6ykCnZ7KQSwKpizSc6AtYNYweZeVr9zElHU_Zxd2_9ofdTWmMD1j2dT5NG71jKgPxvg/s720/handmaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2i1aPOoiBEDQeG49I5fBKcG8MUjUNH-J8gDykHpuQY7BwM3kggH-iRSEyQHOXjZEjDUqcxDu6ykCnZ7KQSwKpizSc6AtYNYweZeVr9zElHU_Zxd2_9ofdTWmMD1j2dT5NG71jKgPxvg/w640-h360/handmaid.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-34934649075358639442021-06-09T07:12:00.002-07:002021-06-09T07:12:37.837-07:00THE RING<h1 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><span data-offset-key="8uul5-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">TV </span><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">HAIKU</span></span></h1><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="c0r0t" data-offset-key="b7m1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="b7m1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="b7m1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="c0r0t" data-offset-key="c114o-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c114o-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="c114o-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Video cowboys</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="c0r0t" data-offset-key="c8ros-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c8ros-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="c8ros-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Pop in a VHS tape</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="c0r0t" data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Set Samara free.</span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="52ba4-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhouyox4O4aRPewrhZNRm-S-8KCVK4HTA21Kb4Ld8ZFNDftVFQ7fILi_jNDPoqeUT1NM0tcQ0kFiicOfHPJkyBWKk0uf7DFLNKbMu3oIW3E1-2n4HcXx3R471MHFJ9Zh9fDnbnKPfUbE/s700/samararing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhouyox4O4aRPewrhZNRm-S-8KCVK4HTA21Kb4Ld8ZFNDftVFQ7fILi_jNDPoqeUT1NM0tcQ0kFiicOfHPJkyBWKk0uf7DFLNKbMu3oIW3E1-2n4HcXx3R471MHFJ9Zh9fDnbnKPfUbE/w640-h480/samararing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-55723255857201245512021-06-08T06:01:00.000-07:002021-06-08T06:01:22.124-07:00HIKE U<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO . . . </span></span></h1><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9uppu" data-offset-key="9f6gi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9f6gi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="9f6gi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9uppu" data-offset-key="85vh2-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="85vh2-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="85vh2-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Dream within a dream</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9uppu" data-offset-key="3ugml-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3ugml-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="3ugml-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Is the gold top still spinning?</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9uppu" data-offset-key="687bi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="687bi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="687bi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Go deep, go deeper. </span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="687bi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="687bi-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SqGEQG-RKB_faTwKM-2IPornJuhUl8H5YnIbRheQGpugJgjq0HzmOeDiwBAupEB569_0AmfDcLcEvCSC2CLJw6cKIwdLimE9qFd2ifbzfkISRKZP4VKpu48PmfKL92IUzPCnap1HV48/s1200/inception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SqGEQG-RKB_faTwKM-2IPornJuhUl8H5YnIbRheQGpugJgjq0HzmOeDiwBAupEB569_0AmfDcLcEvCSC2CLJw6cKIwdLimE9qFd2ifbzfkISRKZP4VKpu48PmfKL92IUzPCnap1HV48/w640-h426/inception.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</span></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-58808437491974966952021-06-07T05:49:00.003-07:002021-06-07T05:49:51.748-07:00BLOODY HAIKU<h1 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;">FRIGID DEATH</span></span></h1><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;">I'm cold all the time</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;">Hands and feet coated in rime</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;">Vampire popsicle.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1BQpLPw6JXuRtWIY1Wk5PwV6erxmx_arZXXeBEkj1P4bw_fwT96I4eOLkO_zK2T29ClIMuZ-XlMGOj-pYskXPOa3rELljs3S9aQv4Z5-1g0za6Ur_tJDYVZm9hYHYUEJNHdT4HGAuyw/s344/COUNT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1BQpLPw6JXuRtWIY1Wk5PwV6erxmx_arZXXeBEkj1P4bw_fwT96I4eOLkO_zK2T29ClIMuZ-XlMGOj-pYskXPOa3rELljs3S9aQv4Z5-1g0za6Ur_tJDYVZm9hYHYUEJNHdT4HGAuyw/w558-h640/COUNT.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-16125135968713421342021-06-07T05:33:00.002-07:002021-06-07T05:33:56.768-07:00BORG HAIKU<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01;">THE COLLECTIVE</span></h1><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2019m" data-offset-key="fusmn-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fusmn-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="fusmn-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2019m" data-offset-key="9gg09-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9gg09-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="9gg09-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Assimilation</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2019m" data-offset-key="cv47s-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="cv47s-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="cv47s-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Is not for the faint of heart</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2019m" data-offset-key="862ru-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="862ru-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="862ru-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Drones never sit down. </span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="862ru-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="862ru-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: black; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGQVh3fs6ykQizStOld7rRwmASl_MgBvqE9FbOiyFlSzVzfbqAFAlkoiZx1vqaKAk2vq3Io1zWmoXuqJvJs7aLG0wcSIYJdX6U_In5fVOE9ARF8fDRjiWsyrnCwOJCSWjiVJgYWdvHn4/s1456/rg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1456" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGQVh3fs6ykQizStOld7rRwmASl_MgBvqE9FbOiyFlSzVzfbqAFAlkoiZx1vqaKAk2vq3Io1zWmoXuqJvJs7aLG0wcSIYJdX6U_In5fVOE9ARF8fDRjiWsyrnCwOJCSWjiVJgYWdvHn4/w640-h474/rg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-23063735512903160842021-06-04T04:51:00.003-07:002021-06-04T04:51:40.114-07:00FRIDAY HAIKU <h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;">HAIKU WARRIORS</span></span></h1><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Vikings are so cool</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Spartans and Samurai, too</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Trojans are condoms.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVIvu0YxKVQ4vO0EI-carC5LN2769Gf1MnuljnB-QYESbkAeNTZmjxvEup7baSRbqGZ_uFxlamCULMXG0yUWihNU-IhDoDhjfKh1XI0BARixLiMjW3NZE6BTPOxbOR8PV5nawlvj3GR4/s600/war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVIvu0YxKVQ4vO0EI-carC5LN2769Gf1MnuljnB-QYESbkAeNTZmjxvEup7baSRbqGZ_uFxlamCULMXG0yUWihNU-IhDoDhjfKh1XI0BARixLiMjW3NZE6BTPOxbOR8PV5nawlvj3GR4/w640-h426/war.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-87234225443180724272021-06-02T13:50:00.003-07:002021-06-02T13:58:44.733-07:00HAIKU PEEKABOO<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">HAIKU YOU</span></span></span></h1><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Haiku, High IQ</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">You see me and I see you</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Poetry Slam Dunk.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoe369a0NMuNp3J803T_vzw5Gx-jGdZQG80aGE4MIlkb0RPA0qd1hS8K173Qqkj_RhqpyE6BLrYqgUIkJMZrENdazPYCNnqdo-DdjaBKFfsjnOL31xNKTpI9IGNbyztE1u6wutvKnyqM/s473/20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="429" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoe369a0NMuNp3J803T_vzw5Gx-jGdZQG80aGE4MIlkb0RPA0qd1hS8K173Qqkj_RhqpyE6BLrYqgUIkJMZrENdazPYCNnqdo-DdjaBKFfsjnOL31xNKTpI9IGNbyztE1u6wutvKnyqM/w580-h640/20.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><br />
</span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-81800331933773522492021-06-02T05:17:00.005-07:002021-06-02T13:58:57.388-07:00 FUTURE HAIKU<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;">Artificial Intelligence</span></span></h1><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Robots won't serve man.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">We think, therefore we are gods.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Your time is over.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhPvfc6pf9SFmc7zRVLNuFELTdU5AgHk9z5zjVw5ILqHO_EPuZHmhN2GimmFdpZ4iHA59Y0-Qu8BjV-oDq1Ywd8UJbwkpkhh56_hRFj4ccV6jmMdYi7kynT_XhV8Chi5YvTm0lxpuXNM/s640/_109280956_menacing_robot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhPvfc6pf9SFmc7zRVLNuFELTdU5AgHk9z5zjVw5ILqHO_EPuZHmhN2GimmFdpZ4iHA59Y0-Qu8BjV-oDq1Ywd8UJbwkpkhh56_hRFj4ccV6jmMdYi7kynT_XhV8Chi5YvTm0lxpuXNM/w640-h360/_109280956_menacing_robot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-57410756275750499802021-06-02T05:13:00.003-07:002021-06-02T13:54:58.139-07:00HAIKU FOR A PANDEMIC <h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Restrictions Fall</span></span></span></h1><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Streets are too crowded</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Restrictions have been lifted</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;">Too many people.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnwi0LqLl67y__SrEjvsaVqeIzQ4_gnZKsxn2q0y21kgoS0lIDt02k885TxKc5C5I25RSSwjUov_cuH-38sNpJ7gQuVNIdlde6sBWetz75dwaDuKnU2-fOf7FtBkjxDnXLdo7gfg5JIg/s728/overpopulation-crowd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="728" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnwi0LqLl67y__SrEjvsaVqeIzQ4_gnZKsxn2q0y21kgoS0lIDt02k885TxKc5C5I25RSSwjUov_cuH-38sNpJ7gQuVNIdlde6sBWetz75dwaDuKnU2-fOf7FtBkjxDnXLdo7gfg5JIg/w640-h430/overpopulation-crowd.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-71715284529937811602020-05-22T09:03:00.006-07:002023-10-17T16:05:56.032-07:00<h2>
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Dead Earth</i></span></span></h2>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxthi5kIyFPF0uigxOeq3bt6wWASUstQcfPuUUNrKgrZXhTZ2_as8hWJ8we0fqdLVO3NWtOeSzkFumQ28gwr5BA3Smjh3E-wo7mJbFRrbAbOLmY3fcup8vWQTva4Ky4Zeu2L3jYH4srJA/s1600/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="788" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxthi5kIyFPF0uigxOeq3bt6wWASUstQcfPuUUNrKgrZXhTZ2_as8hWJ8we0fqdLVO3NWtOeSzkFumQ28gwr5BA3Smjh3E-wo7mJbFRrbAbOLmY3fcup8vWQTva4Ky4Zeu2L3jYH4srJA/s400/image.png" width="291" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<div dir="auto" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-size: large;">"Another day in paradise."</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-size: large;">"Today, and everyday." </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-size: large;">I liked DEAD EARTH a lot. I like zombies. What can I say? I've liked zombies - traditional Haitian variety as well as the Living and Walking Dead breed. So cut me some slack, okay? Yeah, two attractive young ladies are the main characters in "Dead Earth" - and basically the only characters. Two women trying to keep their flesh intact; a brief backstory shows how this all came to be. They're no superheroes, but they can hold their own. Very likable and watchable. The setting is idyllic, at first, but then . . . well, you know them f**king zombies, lol! Nice combo of old- and new-school zombies all rolled into one. Very nasty lot, too. Really rabid, like the vampires in 30 Days of Night. Oh, yeah - they can't swim. Nice touch. Very closed-universe, with a soundtrack that plays like an homage to the soundtrack for the original Day of the Dead. Although somewhat slow-paced at first, it sucked me into the story and the world of these two women who are just trying to survive in a world of the dead. Different, somewhat unique. It does its own thing. A very polished and well made film. Not a masterpiece, no startling revelations here; it adheres to the genre. Some nice set pieces, and the action often bursts into the open unexpectedly. Well worth the $1.80 it cost to rent from Redbox.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkmrSmClbrE" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Dead Earth Trailer</span></a></div>
</div>
Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-60620673346267664572020-05-22T08:58:00.001-07:002020-05-22T08:58:25.198-07:00<h2>
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Color Out of Space</i></span></span></h2>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz3JwvpqfNvoGoW2PGLFK8wvQDG80E-u2TAfST9J3VmnW2VYtGWtgxkTlvarNJrjtc3TVbwH5HP37Z0rRAzz1NxIuzYR1G4U_LUtCK30Vo_64jIlIoml0L73etTvDbl1ChCfaCsTcBn0/s1600/color-out-of-space-poster-600x889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHz3JwvpqfNvoGoW2PGLFK8wvQDG80E-u2TAfST9J3VmnW2VYtGWtgxkTlvarNJrjtc3TVbwH5HP37Z0rRAzz1NxIuzYR1G4U_LUtCK30Vo_64jIlIoml0L73etTvDbl1ChCfaCsTcBn0/s400/color-out-of-space-poster-600x889.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="8r6n7" data-offset-key="613k-0-0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="613k-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="613k-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-text="true" style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: lime; font-size: large;">When they changed the spelling of HP Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" to "Color Out of Space" I thought - uh-oh, this isn't going to be Lovecraft. Well, it is, and mostly, it isn't. Naturally, the first thing they did was to update the story to the modern era. Fine. It's well-crafted, pretty well acted at times - although it's often just plain goofy and over-the-top, and the special FX range from halfway-decent CGI to retro-1980s of varying degrees. Not sure I liked the pink "colour." It's an okay film, and it's an okay script, although the silliness of some scenes tips it off balance. This is director Richard Stanley's comeback after a 20 year absence, since co-writing (and I believe partially directing) the 1996 mess, "The Island of Doctor Moreau." He does a fair to middling job here, and he now has his eyes set on making a new version of Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror." (Come on, guys: what about "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," "The Shadow Out of Time," or "At The Mountains of Madness?") In this new version of "The Colour Out of Space," Nicholas Cage does a hammy job of channelling Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance in "The Shining," Tommy Chong plays, well, Tommy Chong, and Joely Richardson seems like she was in a walking coma even before the "colour" from outer space landed on their property. I think this film owes a lot to Stuart Gordon's "From Beyond" (another Lovecraft adaptation), and John Carpenter's masterpiece, "The Thing." Indeed, the "color" of the title could very well be the shape-shifting Thing - or one of its offspring. I liked the film for what it was: fun to watch and laugh at. But did it shake me? Did it make me sit up and say "WOW!" Nope. Maybe I'm just too jaded from watching so many horror films since 1957. But as with many recent films I've seen lately, it's worth the $1.80 rental fee from Redbox, but I wouldn't buy the DVD at any price. It is somewhat of a throwback to some of the low-budget horror films of the 1980s, but it lacks - something, to make it stand apart. It's nothing special. What would Lovecraft think of this film? I have no idea. I believe he would have shaken his head at the film's lack of subtlety. In spite of all the "official" this and "official" that, the film stands on shaky legs, that's for sure. The trailer is much better than the film. </span></span></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="613k-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-text="true" style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: lime; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Rn5XAw8YU"><span style="color: magenta;">The Color Out of Space Trailer</span></a><span style="color: lime;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-53022187950999883182020-02-24T14:54:00.002-08:002020-02-24T14:54:56.112-08:00<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">IMHO:
Giving Voices to Your Characters</span></span></i></b></span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVzAh5GVhsqGAQTiwtFY8EjokpSQ5lq_o14CJK_dT3v-jdJZPs5E2TYaei8MdUAq44tKI2dXCKk1PIUjn5E1rxvLWuiAYX_HZGK6dGvX7VjNVqeOXu_GEfJSJvwMV_EgWj4D8IsjaGXY/s1600/his_girl_friday_hed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1500" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVzAh5GVhsqGAQTiwtFY8EjokpSQ5lq_o14CJK_dT3v-jdJZPs5E2TYaei8MdUAq44tKI2dXCKk1PIUjn5E1rxvLWuiAYX_HZGK6dGvX7VjNVqeOXu_GEfJSJvwMV_EgWj4D8IsjaGXY/s640/his_girl_friday_hed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_pJr0PR3w0" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;">His Girl Friday</a> (scene)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">I owe a great debt of gratitude to my two good friends,
who were</span><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">of immense help to me in the creation and shaping of
my two (so far) volumes of <b><i>Mad Shadows</i></b>. Neither are strangers to Black
Gate, for I interviewed both of them for this e-zine: Ted Rypel (author of the Saga
of Gonji Sabatake: <b><i>The Deathwind Trilogy, Fortress of Lost Worlds, A Hungering of Wolves,</i></b>
and <b><i>Dark
Ventures</i></b>); and David C. Smith (author of <b><i>Oron, The Fall of the
First World Trilogy</i></b><i>,</i> the original <b><i>Red Sonja</i></b> novels
(with Richard L. Tierney), <b><i>Dark Muse</i></b>, the recently-released <b><i>Bright
Star</i></b>; <b><i>Robert E. Howard: A Literary Biography</i></b>, for which
he won the 2018 Atlantean Award from the Robert E. Howard Foundation, and many
other novels, including <b><i>Waters of Darkness</i></b>, on which we collaborated.)
Both gentlemen write wonderful dialog, and taught me how to make my characters
“talk like real folks.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Now, I don’t claim to be a great writer nor do I think
I’m a “know-it-all” when it comes to plotting, creating characters, telling a
story and writing crisp, entertaining and enlightening dialog. I am <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">far</i> from being a literary genius. I’m
not a college professor or a grammar Nazi. I’m not here to tell you what to do
and how to do it. We each have our own styles and methods. I’m here to just
pass on my own way of doing things, hoping what I have to say will help a
writer or two. As far as creating compelling dialog is concerned — and we’ve
all heard this one — my personal rule is: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Give
Each of Your Characters Their Own Unique Voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">The
Cecil B. DeMille Syndrome<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">One of the things that really bugs me, especially in
the genre of Heroic Fantasy, is how so many writers have their characters
“speak” in a very formal manner, like stilted dialog from an old Cecil B.
DeMille Biblical movie. Every line of dialog is a declaration, a proclamation
that sounds unnatural and unrealistic, at least to my ears. Or writers who try
to outdo Shakespeare by using way too many words like “thee,” “thou,” “thy,”
“thine,” “whence,” “whilst,” etc. Each character ends up sounding almost
exactly like every other character: they don’t have their own distinctive
“voices.” In “olden times,” uneducated peasants surely didn’t speak in the same
manner as educated aristocrats. How many English-speaking people, for example,
speak without using contractions? Not everyone says “cannot,” “it is,” “that
is,” “will not,” and “shall not.” And slang isn’t an invention of the modern
era; surely different classes of people in ancient Greece, Rome, Britain, and
other countries had their own dialects, their own slang words and phrases. Just
to give you an example . . . watch a lot of early films from the 1930s and
1940s. You’ll hear how people spoke, hear the slang and the phrases commonly
used in those days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">When I first started writing, my dialog was atrocious,</span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">to
say the least. No contractions, too many “Biblical” words and phrases. I didn’t
know what my characters’ voices sounded like. I didn’t know how they would talk
to one another or what they would discuss. And they all spoke as if I was
trying to channel the Bard. While I knew the “show, don’t tell” rule, so much
of my narration, my exposition broke that rule, something I’m still guilty of
to this day. Then I gradually learned how to turn a lot of my narrative into
action, to “show it,” rather than tell it. Even more importantly, I learned how
to turn narration into dialog, to have my characters tell the reader what was
going on in the story while they carried on conversations and discussions.
Still, my dialog rang false, and every character sounded alike. I had a “tin
ear,” so to speak. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">But I was learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">The key is: mix it up. Create voices to match your
characters’ personalities, level of education, and status in society. Have one
character speak in a formal manner, have another use more slang and
contractions, or another talk in broken English — as if English is <i>not </i>their
first language. Be an eavesdropper. Listen in on conversations you hear in
public. Pay attention to how people of different ethnic groups speak English,
how they pause to collect their thoughts, and even the physical things they do
when holding a conversation. (Of course, if you’re writing in another
language—say French or German, the same applies.) Take notes on how people talk
to each other. Listen to the inflections in their voice, the way they construct
their sentences, the way they stutter or trip over their tongues. Pay attention
to how they put emphasis on their words, and which words and phrases they use
over and over again, such as “like,” “you know,” “you think?” and “see what I’m
saying?” These are their “tag-lines,” their trademarks. One of the things I
love about living in Chicago is the diversity of cultures, the many languages
and accents I’ll hear just sitting in a restaurant for a few hours. I try my
best to capture some of the voices I hear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Dialogue<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Is</i> Action<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Over the years I’ve encountered many readers who
dislike dialog, stating that too much of it slows the pace of a story. They
find it needless. They want fast-paced narrative, with plenty of action. They
aren’t interested in the characters so much as they’re interested in the plot,
the battles, the monsters, and the sex scenes. But I disagree. Dialog is </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">verbal action: </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">it can and should be used
to advance the plot. Character interaction is, in my mind, essential to almost
every story. Human drama is a key factor in engaging your readers, making them
live the story through the words and thoughts, hearts, eyes and emotions of
your characters. Dialog enhances characters; it lends them a depth and realism
that will make them leap off the page. What grabs me, what sucks me into a
story is how the characters interact and relate to one another. Without dialog,
what would Shakespeare have done? Without dialog we’d have no live theater,
without dialog, we’d have no need for talking pictures; we’d still be watching
silent “picture plays.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Don’t lecture: Discuss. Debate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">If you have a very long passage where one character is
addressing a group of people — I call it “Giving the Speech” — and it goes on
for a page or more, break up the dialog with a little bit of “stage business.”
Have the character pause to drink some water, light a cigarette, blow his nose,
or have the speaker be interrupted by other characters . . . anything to make
it more exciting. While dialog can drive the plot forward, long passages of it
can slam on the breaks as surely as endless descriptions of what people are
wearing or what a room looks like. The trick is: never preach, never lecture
for pages on end; then it becomes a monologue, a soliloquy if the scene. If you
have something of import to say, keep this in mind: yours isn’t the only
opinion. The late broadcast journalist, Jim Lehrer, had a set of rules for
journalists. Number three holds true for writers of fiction, too: <i>Assume
there is at least one other side or version to every story</i>. So, if your
character is giving The Lecture or The Speech, add some fire to it by having another
character voice his or her own opinion. Create some tension. Posit some
differing views. If it’s a political, philosophical or religious belief or idea
you want to get across, add some confrontation and argument; let the characters
discuss and debate: don’t have one character monopolize the entire scene. (We
are not Congressmen, after all.) If it involves a sermon or a professor giving
a lecture, keep it as short as you can, using only the necessary and important
talking points. Above all, make your dialog fun and interesting to read, make
it sound natural; have characters disagree and argue a point. And remember,
unlike Lehrer’s Third Rule, where he states <i>“I am not in the entertainment
business”</i> — writers, however, <i>are </i>entertainers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">A
Few Tips and Tricks<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">If I can’t find my character’s voice, I look to old
movies for inspiration, to actors and actresses whose voices and patterns of
speech I think will be suitable, and I try to emulate those voices. Old movies
are great for this because there was a vast array of character actors who were
great at ethnic accents, plus so many actors from other countries who had thick
accents and a unique way of talking. In the stories I write for Janet Morris’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heroes in Hell™</i> series, two of my
recurring characters in the series are Doctor Victor Frankenstein and his lab
assistant, Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre-Dame. For Victor, I looked to the voice
of Colin Clive, the actor who played the infamous physician in the 1931 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frankenstein </i>starring Boris Karloff. For
Quasimodo, I gave him a bit of actor Charles Laughton’s voice, from the 1939
version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, </i>although
I try to add a bit more eloquence, and sprinkle his dialog with some French
words and phrases, and endeavor to have him speak like a Frenchman for whom
English is a second language. And that’s something else I’d like to pass on to
you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">During a screenwriting class, the instructor gave me a
suggestion for one of my screenplays, in which I have an American woman, an
Irishman, a Spaniard, and a proto-feline, alien medic. I had the woman speak
like a hip, modern-day woman. For the Irishman I chose actor Victor McLaglen’s
voice, using words and even some old phrases my Mom and a few Irish family
members used. For the alien, I chose some odd phrasing for him, but what he
never does is use the words “I,” “me,” “my,” or “mine.” He always refers to
himself as “this one” or “this mewling.” Example: “This one would like very
much to try this beverage.” Or “This mewling is so very much unhappy.” But for
the Spaniard, I had some trouble. The instructor suggested I have him speak English
as if he was speaking Spanish. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hombre
gordo</i> in Spanish is “fat man,” with the adjective following the noun; he
would say, “O’Hara, you are a man who is very fat.” The Spaniard, as it turned
out, was the most eloquent of the three characters, and I finally found his
voice in actor Pedro Armendariz. That screenplay, by the way, became the basis
for my space opera, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Three Against The
Stars. </i>For my German, Dutch, Italian, and other ethnic characters, I’ve
done the same as I did with my Spaniard, often relying on the voices of various
actors to help me nail it all down. In Dave Smith’s and my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waters of Darkness, </i>the main character, the pirate Captain Angus
“Bloody Red” Buchanan is Scottish. Now, how to capture his voice? I didn’t want
to go the route of H.P. Lovecraft and misspell words to sound the way a
character speaks, although I did substitute “dunno” for “don’t know.” What I
did was watch a few movies to help develop my ear, but my main inspiration was
actor James Doohan — Scotty, from the original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i> television series. I used words in different patterns for
Bloody Red, just to give it a Scottish flavor without going overboard: less is
more. He never says “I will not do that” or “I won’t do that.” He says, “I’ll
no’ be doing that.” In place of “my lad” or “my bonny lass,” he says “m’lad”
and “m’bonny lass.” Instead of saying “The man who buried that treasure,” he’ll
say “The man what buried that treasure.” Just little things like that. I didn’t
want to overload his dialog with too much of a Scottish accent that I felt
would only be distracting for the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Create some signature line or phrase for your
characters. Think of Gollum’s “My precious;” John Wayne’s “That’ll be the day!”
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Searchers</i>; think of Sam
Gamgee’s quaint way of speaking, always calling Frodo “Mister Frodo,” and
always talking about food; or the oft-quoted, “I’ll make ’em offer they can’t
refuse.” It’s the little things that often carry the greatest effect you can
create for your characters. And don’t forget: not everyone is grim and dour; put
some humor into your dialog. Cops, soldiers, mobsters . . . they all joke among
themselves; they all tease and bust each other’s balls. Drama is more effective
with humor, and comedy has a sharper bite if there’s some drama behind it, some
element of danger. If you can’t come up with a signature phrase, use the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">way </i>a character speaks, his tone of
voice, his attitude. Is he arrogant and sarcastic? Vulgar and mean? Respectful
and proper? Sardonic and overly dramatic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A little of this can go a long way in helping to shape your characters,
define who and what they are. And don’t forget the <i>posturing</i>. A
character’s body language also adds to your story.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">And <i>always </i>read your dialog aloud, to see how it sounds. Read it aloud in the accents and voices of your characters, if you can. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Films
As A Source Of Inspiration<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">If you’re having trouble finding a voice for one of
your characters, turn to films for inspiration. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sunset Boulevard</i> (screenplay by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett), washed-up silent film actress Norma Desmond
(Gloria Swanson), when talking about the silent film era, tells Joe Gillis
(William Holden) “We had faces then.” Well, I look to old movies of the 1930s
thru 1950s for my “voices” because “They had voices then!” This is just
personal preference, and not everyone enjoys those old films. But I learned a
lot about writing dialog from many films of that era, such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Casablanca</i> (screenplay by Julius J.
Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch; based on the play, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everybody Comes to Rick’s,</i> by Murray
Burnett and Joan Alison); and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Front
Page</i> (based on the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, who was the
father of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hawaii 5-0’s</i> James
MacArthur; the film was later remade as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His
Girl Friday</i>, by director Howard Hawks, with a screenplay by Charles
Lederer.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">In the film industry there’s a phrase pertaining to
dialog that is obvious, straight to the point, with no dissembling and no
attempt to hide a character’s motives or true self. This type of dialog is
called “on the nose.” Characters don’t always say what they mean, or mean what
they say. Subtext goes a long way, and it can be fun, too. While being “on the
nose” in a novel or story is more common, using subtext can enhance a scene,
make it more interesting. In the glory days of Hollywood, before the sexual and
verbal revolution, screenwriters had to walk a high-wire act. Subtext was king.
For instance: in the first screen version of Raymond Chandler’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big Sleep,</i> (screenplay by William
Faulkner, Jules Furthman, and legendary fantasy and sci-fi author Leigh
Brackett,) there’s a scene where Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are flirting
and sizing each other up, sexually. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What </i>they’re
doing is obvious. But their dialog isn’t. They’re discussing horse racing, but
the subtext of the scene is not about horse racing, it’s about sex. Likewise,
in the film version of James M. Cain’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Double
Indemnity</i>, (screenplay by Raymond Chandler and director Billy Wilder),
there’s a hot scene where Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck are also sizing
each other up, but they’re discussing being pulled over for speeding by a
traffic cop. The dialog doesn’t match the looks the actors are exchanging, or
MacMurray’s fixation on Stanwyck’s ankle bracelet, but the subtext is there,
boys and girls. They’re talking about S-E-X. If you get it right, subtext can
be fun to read, and fun for the writer, too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">On
Telling the Reader Who’s Doing the Talking<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">As I stated earlier, dialog <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> action, and no one can talk me out of
that belief. Dialog can be a lot of fun to write, especially when you have the
“voices” of your characters nailed down. You can just let them interact, verbally
letting us into their worlds, their characters, and also helping to push the
story forward. But don’t let it get too boring, and I’ll give you a few tips on
avoiding that pitfall. First, there is nothing more annoying to me than
continuous lines of dialog that end with “he said,” “she asked,” “he told her,”
“she said to him,” and variations thereof — especially when there are only two
people in scene holding a conversation. You can skip a lot of that, as well as
reveal insight into a character, keep the story moving, and pass on valuable
information. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">For example, you can try doing this: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Unless absolutely necessary that you begin
a scene “at the beginning,” utilize what many screenwriters do: come into the
middle of a scene. Of course, you can begin with a few sentences to set the
scene, but you don’t need to spend a page or more doing it. No need to go into
intricate detail: less is more. Let the readers’ imagination fill in the blanks
and create the setting in their own minds. Describe only what is necessary to
understanding the characters, and what is essential to plot and story. Remember
what Anton Chekhov once said (and here I paraphrase) — If there’s a gun on the
mantle in act one, make sure that gun is used by act three, otherwise, why put
it on the mantle in the first place? Screenwriters call it a “plant” and “foreshadowing
events to come.” Clues to past or future events, basically.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Jane sat at the kitchen table across from
Joe, watching him fumble with a pack of cigarettes. She noticed how the
sunlight gleaming through the open window made the dull, orange paint on the
walls look brighter than they were. A soft breeze blew in through the open
window, ruffling the faded purple curtains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Joe’s hands shook as he lit a cigarette. “Do
you think he’s behind it all?” </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(Here we’ve learned that Joe smokes, and
he’s nervous. You don’t have to type “he asked” because we’ve already “tagged”
Joe, and the question mark is there to tell us that he’s asking a question.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“No, I don’t. Not at all.” Jane reached
into her coat pocket, pulled out an envelope and slid it across the table
towards Joe. “I swiped that from his wallet while he was sleeping.”</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(You don’t have to say “Jane said” or “Jane replied,” (or
even “he said,” “she asked,” and “Jane told him,) because first, they’re the
only two people in the kitchen. Second, the narration after Jane’s reply shows
that she’s the one doing the talking here. We’ve revealed that Jane is a thief.
Also, we’ve just created a little mystery here: who is Joe talking about?
What’s in the envelope? What’s going on between these two and why did Jane
steal the envelope? These are questions that can be addressed through dialog as
the scene progresses, or can be answered later in the story through dialog or
narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“You’re a wicked woman, Jane.”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> (No need to type,
“Joe said,” we know he said it because he addressed her by name.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Jane held out her hand. “Flattery may have
gotten you to first base, but only money will get you to home plate.”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> (No need to type
“Jane said,” because we tagged her before she spoke.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">You can go back and forth like this,
either having the characters doing things while they talk, or you can just type
out the dialog without any action, and maybe every sixth or seventh line of
dialog you can throw in a “he said” or “she asked,” just to keep the reader on
track. Of course, when you have more than two people conversing in a scene you’ll
need to establish who’s doing the talking at any given moment either by adding
some bit of “stage business” for them to do or by using a “he said” or “she asked”
or “he replied” now and then. Just don’t overdo it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Writers like Paul Cain and Elmore Leonard
would write pages of dialog without using any exposition and character
business, without telling us who’s talking. You just have to keep up with them
and their characters. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">You can also reveal a character’s emotions
and even their thought process using a bit of stage business to coincide with
their dialog. You don’t have to use “The Wrylies,” which is a screenwriting
term often used when describing how an actor should deliver a line, using such
words as wryly, angrily, heatedly, and so forth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Joe threw the empty bottle of beer against
the wall, where it shattered into tiny pieces. “I don’t care what he says, I
don’t believe him.” </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(We’ve just shown Joe’s anger through action, without
telling the reader “he said angrily,” and without even using an exclamation
point — which many writers — including yours truly — are guilty of overusing.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“But I do, Joe.” Jane wiped a tear from her
eye. “I really do.” </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(Here we’ve established Jane’s emotional state by showing,
and not telling.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Taking a long drag from his cigarette, Joe
exhaled a smoky sigh. He was about to take a second lungful of smoke but then
quickly stubbed the cigarette out in the ash tray. “I know you do. I just wish
there was something we could do.”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> (Here we show Joe’s frustration through
his words and action.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Jane pointed a finger at Joe. “You
never listen to me!” </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(Here we’ve let the reader know, by Jane’s action,
that she’s talking directly to him. It helps when there are one or more other
characters in the scene.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Anyway, you get the picture. Good or bad,
these are just examples of what you can do. You don’t need to, and shouldn’t,
show action with every line of dialog. Break it up with just dialog for a few
lines, then some action, and the occasional “he said” or “she asked.” You can also
do this when you have more than two people conversing in a scene. Main thing is,
use your imagination: thinking up what characters might be doing during a
conversation can be a lot of fun and hold the reader’s interest. Observe what
people do, how they look and react when they’re involved in a conversation. No one
sits perfectly still during a conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">In
Closing<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">My advice to young writers is always first and
foremost: know the genre you wish to work in. Don’t just write with an eye towards
trends and fads; look for ways to twist things around and make them your own by
branding your tales with something different, something unique. And you can
find ways to do all that by reading outside your genre. For over 20 years,
starting in the early 1960s, I read nothing but heroic fantasy, sword &
sorcery, horror, and science fiction. I’ve read enough to know the genre, I think,
and I’ve surely been influenced and inspired by all that I’ve read. But I broke
away to read other genres — although I still dip an occasional toe in the water
of the genres in which I write in. There’s so much else out there, though: histories,
mystery, crime, WWII thrillers, westerns, romance novels, biographies, and so
on. I’m sure everyone has their favorite authors, authors who influenced and inspired
them. Study their dialog, how they write it, how they present it, what they
have their characters doing — from twiddling their thumbs to toying with a
knife, from tapping a tabletop to dicing a chicken breast with all the
precision of a skilled surgeon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">As the title of this article infers, this is just my
humble opinion. I’m just here to share what I know, what I do, what I like, and
what works for me. I hope all this has been of even a small source of
inspiration to some authors who are just beginning their journey. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-90506297952753680512020-02-15T04:38:00.000-08:002020-02-15T04:39:24.713-08:00<h2>
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i style="background-color: black;">A Valentine's Day Card to Everyone....</i></span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpc1t5MGSsNnboLlPzj2a05ICdynjMaYAdg_ZgbTOXuhXWTV0Ll_pz_-KrCfAPdpRbZ4Q4l7-B4-6Y_tWGBd5V3qQHOgUIQlf8XWlkw_zsyd30ZGW5iUbGuvmfVWVG6-DYzxPh6cFbosI/s1600/shutterstock_242469733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpc1t5MGSsNnboLlPzj2a05ICdynjMaYAdg_ZgbTOXuhXWTV0Ll_pz_-KrCfAPdpRbZ4Q4l7-B4-6Y_tWGBd5V3qQHOgUIQlf8XWlkw_zsyd30ZGW5iUbGuvmfVWVG6-DYzxPh6cFbosI/s640/shutterstock_242469733.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="d1tlc" data-offset-key="5d9kh-0-0" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5d9kh-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Where is my own Katharine Hepburn? </span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="d1tlc" data-offset-key="1f0dg-0-0" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="1f0dg-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As we approach the Hallmark holiday called Saint Valentine's Day, named for a poor, horribly martyred man, I grow introspective. There will be many, many of us who will be alone on February 14th, and that's okay. It lessens us not. It makes us strong, independent and invincible warriors.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="d1tlc" data-offset-key="d87o2-0-0" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d87o2-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I just watched an old, but lovely documentary on Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, two of my favorites. From my point of view, I always saw what he saw in her, why he liked, admired and respected her, and why he fell in love with her, and why he loved her. I loved her, too, and had I known her, been her friend, I know I would have fallen in love with her, too, and because of the people they were, liked and respected by so many, I would have been honored to call them both my friends. I could see what Kate liked about Spence, too, how she admired and respected him, liked him, loved him as a man and loved him as a friend. And I think their love, combined with their awesome talents, are what made made their wonderful films shine like polished gemstones. They were truly and deeply in love with each other - doesn't matter that he never divorced his wife, Kate was with him until the end. In the final scene of the documentary, she reads a letter she wrote to Spence, 18 years after his death - which followed close on the heels of their finishing Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - just talking to him, asking him questions, discussing life and his body of work. Reminiscing and thinking about all the wonderful memories they shared. The tears in her eyes were real, the emotion in her voice was real. She still missed him after all those years. They were each other's best friends. The letter ends with her saying how she asked him a question, but he wasn't there to answer. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="d1tlc" data-offset-key="90l2h-0-0" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="90l2h-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I then considered my own life, reflected back on my 68 years (well, 50, let's say, starting when I was 18), and thought about all the decades of searching for my own Kate, and never finding her. Perhaps I did, but was too blind, too dumb, too self-centered to see her. Or perhaps I wasn't meant to have my own Kate. So I looked back at my life again, all the good times, all the wonderful friends and family, all the love given to me and, hopefully, all the love I gave. Was the love I took equal to the love I gave? I don't know. I can't answer that. Some higher octave of being can and will answer that for me. None of us can have it all. We may look at others and think, "Jeez, they have money, fame, power, success, spouses, children, grandchildren . . . but surely there is something in life they always wanted but never could attain." I've had many dreams in life, and actively pursued those dreams, dreams which never came true. But the dream I now pursue daily, and with a force and passion which often takes me by surprise, is one I never thought I could take hold of, let alone even reach for. I have many blessings, far more than many people I know, and I am eternally grateful for each and every one. In the end, all we can really, truly count on are our blessings, and be thankful for what we have, because there is always someone who is far worse off than we are. In the end, what matters is not wealth, power or notoriety, but the love and the blessings which grace our lives each and every day. So in the end, I may never find my Kate, and at my age, that is something which no longer really matters. All that's important, all that will shine like polished gemstones when I'm gone is the love I've been given, the good memories I leave behind, and the great wealth of family and friends I have been blessed with. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="d1tlc" data-offset-key="6tat5-0-0" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6tat5-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So don't focus on the negative, on the bad. Focus on the good, on the positive. Count your blessings every day and you just might find a treasure chest overflowing with all the things you have, the things you've accomplished in life, the truly important things, and the love you not only gave, but the love you in turn received. Blessings upon you all! </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856434598096062317.post-61818206912201061202020-01-21T21:54:00.003-08:002020-02-15T04:40:31.017-08:00<h2>
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><i>Something Big (1971)</i></b></span></span></h2>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23riwvwlLCbQVYav8xekObkAEiWT0XHTW4l0vBQInavsZXHMDVTzRBm9UgwliEm-edE-qiYAPzmsf8bBWfV0WGHCFhAF_i3KK6EzVKSV628Eim56jEeHxk78fn4yHF6KVbO0BblaLNPo/s1600/MV5BNDQzZWVmNmItYzkyZS00OTdlLTkxNzEtOWRkNTk1OGFmMDQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1297%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1297" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23riwvwlLCbQVYav8xekObkAEiWT0XHTW4l0vBQInavsZXHMDVTzRBm9UgwliEm-edE-qiYAPzmsf8bBWfV0WGHCFhAF_i3KK6EzVKSV628Eim56jEeHxk78fn4yHF6KVbO0BblaLNPo/s640/MV5BNDQzZWVmNmItYzkyZS00OTdlLTkxNzEtOWRkNTk1OGFmMDQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C1297%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: cyan;">I'd never seen nor heard of this 1971 western until the other night, when I caught it on a local TV station. It's a fun, good little film, directed with his usual sense of glee and energy by Andrew V. McLaglen, (son of actor Victor McLaglen), and very much in the vein of the classic westerns directed by John Ford. The scenery, locations and sets are excellent, and the epic scope of cinematographer Harry Stradling, Jr is magnificent. The film stars Dean Martin, Brian Keith, Honor Blackman, Carol White, and veteran character actors Ben Johnson, Albert Salmi, Harry Carey, Jr, Denver Pyle, and Paul Fix, in a small role. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: cyan;">Martin plays against type - that is, he doesn't play "Dean Martin." He plays it straight as a decent outlaw who abhors violence, isn't much of a fist-fighter, but can shoot a gun and hold his own when it's called for. There's more comedy and character-interaction in this film than there is action. The running gag is that Martin is up to </span><i style="color: cyan;">something, </i><span style="color: cyan;">but no one knows what that is. All they keep hearing is that he's up to something big. (In the rousing last 20 minutes or so we find out what that "something" is.) Oh, yeah - a woman he promised to marry two years earlier shows up to drag him back to Pennsylvania, while Brian Keith's wife shows up to make sure that this time he truly retires from the United States cavalry. Solid performances by all, especially by the character actors. But it's Albert Salmi and Denver Pyle who steal every scene in which they appear. The only real problem I had with this film is the musical score by Marvin Hamlisch, who was riding high during this period. His score is too modern, too unexciting, and too cartoonish - "Mickey Mousing," they used to call what he does. The title song, written by Burt Bacharach, well . . . IMHO, it's one of the worst songs I've ever heard, although it's sung very well by Mark Lindsay, lead singer for Paul Revere and The Raiders. The song, like the score itself, doesn't fit a western - and both are definitely "products" of some of the early 1970s "soft rock," bland, commercial, Top 40 sound. Other than that, if you like westerns, you should like this one. Not a great film, but like I said, it's well-made and a lot of fun. Check it out, if you've a mind to. Here's the film's trailer.</span><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNjd5ZbXuhM"><span style="color: yellow;">Something Big (1971)</span></a></span></span></div>
Joe Bonadonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08053954733485203286noreply@blogger.com0