The first is a terrible picture, of course; it was taken from a moving car. I’m sharing it here anyway, because I still like the effect of the backlit entrance to the Confederate Cemetery at dusk.
The second photo is of houses on Amelia Street.
Tag Archives: 2017
A very short review of the pilot for “Iron Fist” (2017)
They said that Netflix’ “Iron Fist” (2017) was bad. They were … mostly right, at least as far as I can tell from the pilot. I’d rate the first episode a 4 out of 10.
This episode was a thinly scripted collection of common tropes, cluttered with clunky exposition and weird, improbable plot points. (A friendly homeless man helps the hero by googling key information for him on a stolen iPhone?) The show even managed to be briefly boring in parts.
“Iron Fist” has the depth and hastily concocted story of an 80’s primetime action show. But I don’t mean that in a fun, nostalgic way, I mean it in a bizarre, awkward way. I was actually reminded of Mystery Science Theater 3000 lampooning 1984’s ninja groaner, “The Master.” In fact … don’t “Iron Fist” and “The Master” have a similar story setup? There are some weird parallels, if you think about it.
Look … it wasn’t all bad. The fight choreography was actually damned good. I don’t know if that was actor Finn Jones performing the Kung-Fu, or a stunt double. But it was believable and a lot of fun to watch. It was nicely shot, too — the vibrant visuals had an appropriate comic-book feel, and were better than those that I would expect from this show’s companion series, “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” (2015).
I also submit that Jones is great in the role of the titular hero. He’s a decent actor, he’s well cast in the part, and I find Danny Rand to be a surprisingly likable protagonist. I just hope that “The Defenders'” new team-up places him in the hands of a better set of writers.
Washington, D.C., Summer 2017
“Turn around, Bright Eyes.”
My new gangsta rap name is E-Clipz.
Also, one of you guys has to check me for ticks now.
Okay, so my photos of the eclipse itself didn’t turn out so hot. But they are kind of interesting in that you can view the eclipse via a weird lens flare effect in these photos.
Look at the first two shots. If you look past huge, blurry, distorted image of the sun, and look just above and to the right of it, you can see a smaller, better image of the entire eclipse. It looks like the top portion of a glowing ring. In the third photo, the effect is all the way toward the bottom of the shot.
A plague of locusts today, a total eclipse tomorrow.
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.
“Hate in America” Cover to TIME Magazine, Edel Rodriguez, August 28, 2017
The upcoming issue of TIME:
Summer thunderstorm, Salem, Virginia, 2017 (2)
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.
Cover to “The New Yorker,” David Plunkert, August 28, 2017
This is the cover for the upcoming issue; the title of Plunkert’s piece is “Blowhard.”
Summer thunderstorm, Salem, Virginia, 2017
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.
A review of the pilot for Stephen King’s “Mr. Mercedes” (2017)
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.
