All posts by Eric Robert Nolan

Eric Robert Nolan graduated from Mary Washington College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He spent several years a news reporter and editorial writer for the Culpeper Star Exponent in Culpeper, Virginia. His work has also appeared on the front pages of numerous newspapers in Virginia, including The Free Lance – Star and The Daily Progress. Eric entered the field of philanthropy in 1996, as a grant writer for nonprofit healthcare organizations. Eric’s poetry has been featured by Dead Beats Literary Blog, Dagda Publishing, The International War Veterans’ Poetry Archive, and elsewhere. His poetry will also be published by Illumen Magazine in its Spring 2014 issue.

Bone Tomahawk (2015) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

garethrhodes's avatarGareth Rhodes Film Reviews

Bone Tomahawk (2015) Directed by S. Craig Zahler. With Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins.

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Director S. Craig Zahler proves himself one to watch with his debut big screen offering, Bone Tomahawk, a descent-into-hell western starring Kurt Russell as an unswerving small town sheriff leading three other men in a dangerous search for a kidnapped woman, which takes them into the godless badlands of the unknown. It doesn’t help that said woman has been snatched by a cave-dwelling band of cannibalistic Native Americans. This isn’t one for the faint-hearted.

A gruesome tone is established in the opening frames, which mirrors the introduction of the very first episode of Game of Thrones, inviting the audience to suspect a sense of something unnatural lurking in the back of beyond.

Sheriff Russell is joined by a badly incapacitated Patrick Wilson (it’s his wife that’s been taken), a barely recognisable Matthew Fox…

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“Diana and Her Nymphs,” Robert Burns, 1926

National Gallery of Scotland.

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Cover to “Doom 2099” #8, Pat Broderick and John Nyberg, 1997

Marvel Comics.

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“Redbud Leaves,” by Eric Robert Nolan (read by the author)

Redbud Leaves

Falling early, in July,
are perforated tapered spades,
or the honeycombed arrows of hearts —
beetle-bitten redbud leaves.

— first published by Poetry Pacific, 2017

 

“Beware the fury of a patient man?”

I’m pretty sure that’s John Dryden, and not a Chinese aphorism.  I learned it years ago when Tom Clancy quoted Dryden at the beginning of one of his novels.  (I can’t remember which — but I think it was one of his revenge-minded tales like “Without Remorse” or “Debt of Honor.”)  Strangely enough, Goodreads has the quote falsely attributed to Clancy himself.

But it works.  Well done, Fortune Cookie People.

The other one I got advised me, “Do not build your happiness on others’ sorrow.”  That sounds like good advice to me — and it’s a bit more high-minded than Dryden’s warning.

 

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“Moonlit Night. Winter.” Konstantin Korovin, 1913

Oil on canvas.

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So long, Grendel Pumpkin.

Grendel mortis?

Oh, well — it was fun while it lasted.  I bought this guy in mid-October, and here we are a day after Easter when I finally had to put him outside.  I’m no pumpkin expert, but five and a half months feels like a long time.

 

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Depiction of Death (?) in Bibliothèque Mazarine, 15th Century

Paris.

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I hope you enjoyed a very happy April Fool’s Easter!

My joint holiday got off to a middling start … only a few people seemed to be fooled by my faux news about “The Walking Dead” feature film.  I was disappointed because I worked hard on that one.  Director “April Farady?”  That clue was maybe a bit too obvious.  And the other films I cited (“A Display Floor,” “Apiary of Dolls”) were entitled with anagrams for “April Fool’s Day.”  (Although “Apiary of Dolls” actually does sound like it could be a kickass horror tale.)

My hot-air-balloons-over-Roanoke gag fared slightly better, but not much.

Then I struck GOLD with the old coyotes-in-the-backyard trick!  I had my housemates jumping up and hollering.

Last, but not least, was my family-of-squirrels-are-nesting-in-my-closet ruse.  That fooled more than a few people — even my best friend, who is actually a brilliant lady, despite being incongruously quite credulous.  The added wrinkle about accidentally giving them caffeinated espresso trail mix gave it a nice sense of urgency.

I hope you all had a fun day and a lovely Easter.

 

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Cover to “Batman: the Long Halloween” #7, Tim Sale, 1997

DC Comics.

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