If it doesn’t start raining frogs on Tuesday, I’m going to be very disappointed.
And the apocalypse will be especially depressing given how happy and unified our country is today.
Who invented pumpkin spice latte? Gonna tear that mother****er’s statue down.
The upcoming issue of TIME:
These were taken from a moving car — my friends and I were headed for dinner in Salem. As I’ve explained before, I have a weird thing about blurry pictures taken from a moving vehicle. And the foreboding and colorless quality of these shots makes them extra trippy.
The disembodied black blurs that you see are actually trees close to the roadway; I thought the effect was pretty damned cool — especially in that last shot. The second-to-last shot would be great to accompany a haunted house story.
This is the cover for the upcoming issue; the title of Plunkert’s piece is “Blowhard.”
I have no doubt that many of you will find it strange, but sometimes I really like blurry photos of a rainstorm. They have a dreamlike quality and, every once in a while, you’ll get a shot that resembles an impressionist painting.
With all of the (frequently quite poor) buzz about the arrival this summer of “The Dark Tower” and “The Mist,” “Mr. Mercedes” might be the Stephen King adaptation that has slipped under the radar. And that’s a shame, because the pilot episode suggests it might be one of the best King adaptations ever. I’d rate it a 9 out of 10.
It really is that good. The show’s first episode begins what looks to be an intelligent horror-thriller that is surprisingly faithful to King’s outstanding novel. David E. Kelley’s script is excellent. After a brutal prologues that sets its plot in motion, the story proceeds with three-dimensional, likable characters who are well played by their performers — especially Brendan Gleeson in the role of the grumpy, retired-cop anti-hero who is harassed by a mass murderer. (Yes, that is indeed the Dad from 2002’s “28 Days Later.”) Gleeson is just great — even though I found myself wondering why a retired Chicago cop should have a heavy U.K. accent.
The script even surprises us by being incongruously sweet during its odder moments. Like its source material, the show effortlessly sets up characters that are easy to like. (An exchange between Gleeson some kids playing hockey outside his house, for example, was truly inspired.)
The story’s plot-driving horror elements are disturbing, too — both in terms of its grisly violence and its sexual taboos. This is not a show for the faint of heart.
This also seems like it could be a King adaptation that could easily appeal to people outside his usual fanbase. There are no supernatural elements to this story, or any tangible connections to King’s sprawling, interconnected “Dark Tower” multi-verse. (The original novel seemed to show us King trying his hand at a Thomas Harris-type serial killer tale.)
The only reservation I might have about “Mr. Mercedes” is what I am guessing about its pace. The original novel was quite slow, despite being an engaging read. After its gut-wrenching mass murder is depicted in graphic detail, the plot moves forward rather lethargically. The one-hour pilot episode here seemed to mirror that, in its apparent loyalty to its source material. I predict that viewers turning to “Mr. Mercedes” for a fast-paced horror tale will be disappointed.
I think that’s probably a subjective quibble on my part, though. I’d still enthusiastically recommend this.
I’m linking here to a brief but excellent AJ+ interview of Mike German, who infiltrated white supremacy groups as an FBI agent in the 1990’s. To me, German appears to offer a nearly academic analysis of what such organizations actually are and how they appeal to people — but his explanations are easy for any layperson to understand. He is also critical of both Obama and Trump.
He says some disconcerting things about why these groups are an increased threat in the America of 2017.
“Phoenix Forgotten” (2017) has a couple of things going for it. The first is its use of real events as the MacGuffin for its found-footage horror story — the 1997 mass UFO sighting in Arizona known as “The Phoenix Lights.” The second is the young Chelsea Lopez in a lead role. She appears to be a gifted young actress, and she’s … astonishingly good here. (The script, too, does succeed in painting her adolescent protagonist as likable and identifiable.)
Those two things, however, do not save “Phoenix Forgotten” from being a mediocre movie. It’s sometimes slow and occasionally even boring, despite the fact that it picks up quite a bit in its closing minutes.
It also feels far too much like a beat-for-beat remake of 1999’s “The Blair Witch Project.” Yes, it’s a different sub-genre, with a science fiction plot device instead of a supernatural threat, and a desert setting instead of the Maryland forest. But its story, its conclusion and even its closing shots parallel that superior film very closely.
I’d rate this a 4 out f 10.
I might have gotten ripped off. These are … “ECLIPSE VIEWING GLASSES,” but it was only after I paid three dollars for them at 7-11 that I realized I have no detailed understanding of why I might need them, or how much (necessary?) protection they might offer.
The packaging instructs me to “WATCH THE SOLAR ECLIPSE.” But … you could also call them “bird-watching glasses” and it wouldn’t technically be false advertising, right?
If anyone can advise me on how best to photograph the August 21st eclipse, I’d be grateful. I have a digital camera and a cell phone. I tried to photograph the last full moon (I wanted a pic to accompany my “Roanoke Summer Midnight” poem), but they absolutely did not turn out. The only result was that now my neighbors think I’m nuts for taking pictures outside at 1 a.m.
[UPDATE 8/4/17: Okay, as it turns out, eclipse-viewing glasses are serious business. If you don’t use properly manufactured glasses, you can seriously damage your retinas, or even blind yourself. What’s more, I’ve read online that there are particularly horrible people who have been selling glasses that are not safe to use? Let’s hope that’s just an unconfirmed rumor.
A pal of mine sent me this link. (The glasses I bought below actually do meet the right regulatory standards.)
Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers]
“It Stains the Sands Red” (2017) is a pretty decent zombie film; I’d rate it an 8 out of 10.
The fun starts with a truly impressive aerial shot of Las Vegas in the midst of a full blown zombie apocalypse — it’s great special effects work, and it’s almost enough to compensate entirely for the limited scope of the story that follows it. (This film focuses largely on one stranded woman being pursued by one zombie antagonist through the Nevada desert.)
Although much of the film might be too slow for some horror fans, it’s actually surprisingly intelligent. The movie focuses on things often neglected in survival horror scenarios like this one — factors like exhaustion, the elements, firearms proficiency, the availability of basic utilities and even the availability of addictive drugs. There’s more to admire too — there’s a plot twist late in the game that I thought was skillfully executed. (I won’t spoil it here.) Finally, our ostensibly addle-brained anti-heroine does a couple of things that I never would have thought of in order to survive.
It also boasts an incongruously beautiful setting. (This was shot in Nevada’s “Valley of Fire.”)
“It Stains the Sands Red” isn’t perfect. There are a couple of stupid parts, particularly near the end of the story. (Were these otherwise talented screenwriters just running out of steam?) And there is one surprise plot development that will be sure to have some genre fans rolling their eyes and groaning.
Also, the makeup effects for the monster were good enough, but not stellar. (Like many longtime fans of zombie horror, I think I’ve been spoiled by the genius of Greg Nicotero and Tom Savini.)
I ‘d still name this as a good movie, however, and I’d recommend it.
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 