THE GIRL WITH THE DEEP BLUE EYES by Lawrence Block / Z-View

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THE GIRL WITH THE DEEP BLUE EYES by Lawrence Block

First sentence…

The phone woke him from a dream.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Gallatin County Florida Sheriff William Radburn has information that Lisa Otterbein plans to have her husband killed.  A local no-good snitched to Radburn after being approached by Lisa.  She was looking for a killer.  Someone to murder her wealthy husband.

So Sheriff Radburn decides to set up a sting.  If Radburn gets Lisa on tape asking a hitman to murder her husband, she will go to prison and a life will be saved.  Radburn approaches Doak Miller.  Miller is a retired New York City cop with 24 years of service.  Miller recently moved to Gallatin County after his wife divorced him.  Miller is new to the area, experienced and could pass as a killer.

Radburn meets with Miller and lays out the plan.  Miller will wear a wire, act as the hitman, and record Lisa asking him to kill her husband.

Miller meets with Lisa.  She’s beautiful.  More than beautiful really.  Stunning. With amazing deep blue eyes.  Miller is attracted to her.  But he has a job to do.  Miller says all the right things and gets Lisa’s responses on tape.

Radburn is surprised when he listens to the recording.  Lisa doesn’t want a hitman.  She doesn’t want her husband killed.  Sure, their marriage has hit a rough patch, but kill him?  Never.  Miller says his experience dealing with criminals and liars tells him Lisa is telling the truth.  The sheriff was given bad info.

Except he wasn’t.

Miller told Lisa how to respond.  Practiced his questions and her answers until they sounded right.  THEN he recorded the exchanges.

Now Miller and Lisa are heading into a red hot affair and planning a cold-blooded murder.

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Lawrence Block wrote this in 2015, but it has the feel of the erotic tales he wrote under pseudonyms at the start of his career.  If you’re a fan of tales like DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, this one is for you.

Rating:

Marlow from “30 Days of Night” by J. Beers!

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I have been a fan of Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s 30 Days of Night comic since it first came out.  I loved the concept — a vampire clan goes to Barrow Alaska, a small town near the artic circle.  Each year Barrow goes through 30 days of night.  Cut off from the rest of the world, the town folk find themselves in a fight for survival.

When the 30 Days of Night movie was announced, I had high hopes it would be at least good.  And man, was it ever.  I like the film better with each new viewing.  Much of the reason for that is the performance of Danny Huston.  If you haven’t seen the film, give it a go.

“Please, God. Please…” – Woman begging for mercy
“God?…   No god.” – Marlow

Source: J. Beers Instagram.

Rambo by Andrew Krahnke!

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When I saw that Andrew Krahnke was going to be a guest at HeroesCon 2026, I knew I wanted to try to get a sketch from him.  I’d never met Krahnke, but I knew his work through his graphic novel BLOODRIK.

I sent Krahnke an e-mail to see if he was taking pre-show commissions.  As you can see above, he was.  I thought Krahnke would be great for a Rambo piece, and was he ever.

This is my first piece from Andrew Krahnke.  I hope there will be more.

“Constantine” (2005) starring Keanu Reeves / Z-View

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Constantine (2005)

Director:  Francis Lawrence

Screenplay: Kevin Brodbin, Frank Cappello; story by Kevin Brodbin; based on Hellblazer by Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale and Peter Stormare.

Tagline: Hell wants him. Heaven won’t take him. Earth needs him.

The Plot (beware of spoilers)…

LA Detective Angela Dodson turns to John Constantine, a occult expert and exorcist, to help her investigate her sister’s suicide.  Constantine discovers that demons have a plan to enter the human realm using the Spear of Destiny and Angela’s sister.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

John Constantine was created by writer Alan Moore, during his run on DC Comics’ Swamp Thing.  After negative experiences with movie adaptations of his work (From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Moore refused to have anything to do with Hollywood.  He went as far as to reject any money or credit for movie  adaptations of his characters or work.

Constantine just didn’t resonate with me.  Most folks like it better than I do.  As always, your mileage may vary.

Constantine (2005) rates 2 of 5 stars

“From Here to Eternity” (1953) starring Burt Lancaster, Mongomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra & Donna Reed / Z-View

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From Here to Eternity (1953)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Screenplay: Daniel Taradash; based on FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones

Stars:  Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Philip Ober, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Warden, Claude Akins, Al Silvani and George Reeves.

Tagline: WARDEN… who wouldn’t do it… even for her… PREW… who wanted to be left alone… KAREN… who was looking for a real man… MAGGIO… you just have to laugh at him… LORENE… to look at her you’d never guess…

The Plot…

1941.  Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a professional boxer who retired after blinding another fighter, is transferred to Fort Shafter in Hawaii.  Captain “Dynamite” Holmes is excited to get Prewitt under his command.  Prewitt on his boxing team is a sure thing to win the Regimental Boxing Championship.  When Prewitt refuses to box, Holmes decides to “break him”.

To that end, Captain Holmes orders his subordinates to make Prewitt’s life miserable.  Extra duties.  Extreme punishments.  Nothing can break Prewitt’s resolve.  Company punishments for Prewitt’s “infractions” distance his fellow soldiers from him.  Only Private Angelo Maggio is willing to be friendly with Prewitt.  This causes friction between Maggio and the sadistic Sergeant Judson.

Sergeant Milton knows Captain Holmes is wrong, but it would be career suicide to disobey him.  Of course Milton’s affair with Captain Holmes’ wife would have the same result.

Things are past a breaking point…

… then the morning of December 7th dawns…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

From Here to Eternity was nominated for thirteen 1954 Academy Awards.  It won eight.

  • Winner for Best Picture – Buddy Adler
  • Winner for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Frank Sinatra
  • Winner for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Donna Reed
  • Winner for Best Director – Fred Zinnemann
  • Winner for Best Writing, Screenplay – Daniel Taradash
  • Winner for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Burnett Guffey
  • Winner for Best Sound, Recording – John P. Livadary
  • Winner for Best Film Editing – William A. Lyon
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Montgomery Clift
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Burt Lancaster
  • Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Deborah Kerr
  • Nominee for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Jean Louis 
  • Nominee for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Morris Stoloff, George Duning

From Here to Eternity tied Gone with the Wind with the eight Oscars won by a single film.  This record stood for over a decade. The films were also winners of the Best Picture Oscar.  Interestingly enough only one actor appears in both: George (Superman) Reeves.  Reeves had small roles in both films and is actually uncredited in From Here to Eternity.  

Claude Atkins made his film debut in this film.

From Here to Eternity is a classic.

From Here to Eternity (1953) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Strange New Worlds” Season 4 – The Trailer is Here!

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We have the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 trailer.  I was a huge fan of the original series.  Strange New Worlds is a worthy follow-up.  Looking forward to July 23rd.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns July 23 only on Paramount+.

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, led by Captain Christopher Pike, embarks on a series of thrilling and emotional adventures across the stars. On their journey, they will battle inner demons and external threats, encounter colorful new characters, reunite with familiar faces and confront terrifying aliens. Through it all, they strive to embrace a bright, hopeful future.

“Carrie” (1976) directed by Brian DePalma, starring Sissy Spacek, John Travolta and Piper Laurie / Z-View

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Carrie (1976)

Director: Brian De Palma

Screenplay: Lawrence D. Cohen; based on CARRIE by Stephen King

Stars:  Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie, William Katt, Nancy Allen, P.J. Soles, Michael Talbott and John Travolta.

Tagline:  If you’ve got a taste for terror… take Carrie to the prom.

The Plot…

High school is almost unbearable for Carrie.  She’s sixteen, immature and an easy target.  At school Carrie is bullied daily.  Her home life isn’t any better.  Carrie is being raised by a single mother who is a religious zealot.

A particularly rough hazing incident in the PE showers leaves Carrie sobbing on the floor. Sue, one of the school’s most popular girls, feels remorse for her involvement. So she asks her boyfriend, Tommy Ross (also one of the cool kids) to take Carrie to the prom.  Sue thinks that if Carrie is seen on a date with Tommy other kids might start viewing Carrie differently.  Tom eventually agrees.

At first Carrie thinks she’s being set up.  Tommy finally convinces Carrie he’s sincere.  Carrie agrees to go despite her mother’s refusal to allow the date.

What Sue, Tommy and Carrie don’t know is that Chris, one of the girls involved in the PE incident, has a plan to humiliate Carrie at the Prom.  Chris has no idea how badly her “prank” can go.  She also has no idea that Carrie has recently discovered telekinetic powers.

Time for the prom.  It will be a night you’ll never forget.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although the ending of the movie is different than Stephen King’s book, King has said he like the movie’s ending better.

Sue Snell is played by Amy Irving.  Sue’s mother is played by Priscilla Pointer… who is Amy Irving’s real life mother.

John Travolta, who just became a teen idol thanks to his role on Welcome Back Kotter, has a small role but was billed second on posters/ads.

Sissy Spacek was in real life a high school Homecoming Queen.

Carrie features Amy Irving’s feature film debut.

I had read the Stephen King novel a few years prior to seeing the movie.  When the film came out I was a junior in high school.  I saw it with a date at a midnight showing.  I thought the film was ready to roll the end credits.  Then the final scare comes.  It caught me so off guard I jumped out of my seat.  Yeah, try playing that off with your date.  No, I wasn’t scared.  Really.

One of Carrie’s taglines was: Carrie may look perfectly innocent, but she’ll shock you right out of your seat… and that’s a promise!   In my case, promise kept.

Carrie (1976) rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE DEVIL BY NAME by Keith Rosson

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THE DEVIL BY NAME by Keith Rosson

First sentences…

Denis knocks once and steps into her room.

Past her bed and to the window, where he thumbs aside the gauzy curtains.  They’re on the fourth floor next to the stairwell.  Naomi rises, sits there numbly, sleep still crowding her.  She’d been dreaming of her brother.

“Come,” Denis says, without turning from the window.  “We have to go.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing’s the matter,” he says curtly.  A tall wide-shouldered man wearing a black knit cap and a mishmash of scavenged tactical gear.  A black hunting rifle slung over his shoulder.  A week’s worth of bread.  “Just get dressed.”

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Five years ago every cell phone in the world lit up with a call.  Those that answered heard something that changed them into mindless killing machines.  Any person murdered by someone under the influence of the demon message, reanimated with the same sadistic killing urges.

It turns out the message was accidentally sent worldwide tby the President of the United States.  His intention was the call would just go out to phones in enemy nations.  Governments fell.  Terradyne Industries took control in the United States.  The corporation walled in major cities.  They recruited soldiers to control life behind the walls.  Although they claim to be working on a cure — the vaccine they are refining may be for something else.

John Bonner was a US government black ops agent when things went sideways.  His division dealt with the occult.  Bonner was part of the boots on the ground in Portland – a hotspot during the initial days of infection.  Bonner knows the dark secrets behind the apocalyptic call.  He blames himself for not doing more to stop it.

Katherine Moriarty was married to the man who dared dive too deep into the occult.  He became an instrument of doom.  It cost Katherine her marriage, her husband’s life and ultimately killed her son.  Now Katherine wants revenge.

Dean makes do by traveling the wastelands.  Along the way he collects discarded items of worth.  When he can, Dean barters for things he needs survive.

There are whispered rumors that a young girl lives who has the power to cure the infected.  Rationale folks pray the rumors are true.  Those in power at Terradyne Industries know that such a child could bring down their hold on the world.

Now Terradyne has a name: Naomi Laurent. They need to find and bring in Naomi for “study”.

Bonner, Katherine, Dean and others will venture into the apocalyptic wasteland in search of Naomi.  Some want to save her.  Others to do her harm.  The fate of the humanity will be determined by who gets her first… or maybe last.

Rosson has created a worthy follow up to FEVER HOUSE.

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Rating: