Love in the Heart of Darkness

It’s not easy to make movies about writers. They don’t lead interesting lives. You just stay behind the typewriter for the most part.

But these movies are about fantasy writers. That might help a bit. Imagination is their craft.

They stir the human soul. They tell about the great chain of humanity. And the thoughts that deepen the heart. Both films are love stories involving writers.

“Shadowlands” tells about C.S. Lewis and his friendship with a Jewish-American woman from the United States who takes him by storm. More than pen pals. They’re soul mates without realizing it. She’s a challenge to him.

Anthony Hopkins (Before the "sir) plays the part with enormous wit. And subtle charm. He’s an Englishman who leads a quiet life. Debra Winger is very good as his counterpart. She’s the woman who seeks to light his fire with passion. Notable is actor Edward Hardwicke who plays Lewis’ gentle brother. (You can see him in Sherlock Holmes series opposite Jeremy Brett).

Both Lewis and Joy Graham are writers. But their love doesn’t last. Sadly enough.

Relationships are a pain. No philosopher can pretend to understand them. No scientist could make an equation to it. No mathematician could put the numbers to it.

This film does a wonderful job of portraying writer C.S. Lewis. He’s an Oxford scholar who teaches and gives lectures. He finds a love through his writing.

It’s a very good chapter of a writer’s life. The chapter where he gains and loses a love. When he discovers that Joy has terminal cancer, he must find the courage to go on living. Love isn't fair. Richard Attenbourough directed a quiet masterpiece.

A lesser-known gem is “The Whole Wide World”--a brilliant story about a writer. His name is Robert E. Howard.

Best known for his brutal sword and sorcery fiction that hit the pulp pages during the depression era. His imagination’s a rare gift. His descriptions jump from the books. The string of words create a powerful image.

You might not know his name. But you know his works such as Conan the Barbarian. The Texas stalwart created more than two dozen pulp heroes and penned hundreds of short stories.

He’s the greatest loner in Texas. Nobody knew him that well except through pulp magazines at the time. Nobody offered him love. Except from his doting, overprotective mother.

Novalyne Price Ellis enjoyed a brief, stirring relationship with Howard. She revealed her feelings for him in a book, “One Who Walked Alone,” published in 1985. The film is based on this love.

“The Whole Wide World” tells a story about Howard who fell for a local school teacher. He takes her love by storm. But he doesn’t know how to reciprocate. It's a passion that could be found in romance books. But love is a tragedy. It always is.

Vicent D'Onofrio is mammoth as Robert E. Howard. You can see the fire in his eyes when he talks about his stories. Renee Zellinger is equally good as Novalyne Price. A very good pairing.

Howard is unable to cope with the world. His world has no room for love. That is his greatest failure.

But for a brief, glittering moment, a woman gave him that chance. To know what love is. To feel it. Breath it. And he responded. Passionately.

But he lived with too much passion. Eventually he learned of his mother’s death… someone he could not live without. Howard took to a shotgun and blew his own head off. He was only thirty. It was a love that couldn’t last.

I would recommend these films when you hit the video stores next time. Perhaps for next Valentine’s Day. They’re beautiful pictures that let you get into the world’s greatest puzzle: the writer’s mind.

Dumb Sci-Fi

I like to unwind on late Saturday nights with some TV viewing habits. I've been turning to the Sci-Fi channel on the weekends.

I wish I didn't. Some of this stuff is awful. Worse than that. It's bland.

I've managed to get a look at something called "Lost Voyage" a couple of weeks ago. Lance Henrikson is in it. He's always a very good, watchable actor. Never a disappointment. He's cropped up in the odd realm of science-fiction. He's been in "Aliens" and the weekly series "Millennium" which haunted FOX channel around the turn of the century.

Though seeing him in this film is a bit of a pain.

"Lost Voyage" looks like it's been cobbled together. A story about a ghostly Bermuda triangle where spirits go rushing mad aboard shipwrecks. The actors in the film look like walk-ons. Seems like they're carrying the scripts in their hands and speaking the lines as they read. What's Henrikson doing in this movie? I keep wondering that.

He gets killed off in the movie nevertheless. It's not even a good death. Maybe he wanted get out of the movie early on.

Boo. There's been one good scare in the movie that was enough to make me jump out of my chair. But it doesn't make the fear factor for me.

The film's about a parapsychologist played by Judd Nelson who believes the supernatural does exit for us—the same way Mulder believes in his X-Files stories. The mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle draws him closer to what happened to his parents. They were on a cruise ship that disappeared. He wants to find them. Henrikson plays his role like a Scully-disbelieving, not convinced that ghosts stir in the region of the living.

I missed out the first half hour of the movie. I don't plan myself going back to catch the rest of it.

The following weekend offered a movie called "Dog Soldiers."

It's a low-budget British flick. It tries to be a horror/comedy, but shorts flat. It's a mock-horror feast. The acting isn't too terribly good... and the script grows more inane as the film goes along. I'm getting tired of the whole isolated place being besieged by attackers crowding the scene... and the cast gets killed off one by one. This time it's in an abandoned farm.

Sean Pertwee leads a British Army platoon into the Scottish Highlands. They find strange going-ons and a few random bodies. Mostly in chopped pieces. The film tries to re-invent the werewolf legends—throwing in comedy for a good snort. The whole thing is a bloody mess. Soldiers can apparently trade fist-fights with a werewolf in what looks like a boxing match.

The only good thing in the film is Sean Pertwee. He's the son of the third Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee from the popular BBC science-fiction series. He's dynamite, a good, brilliant actor—obviously he's got that trait from his dad.

I know they're trying to do something different with the werewolf genre. It's a noble effort. Maybe I'm not getting the punch line.

These movies pop up usually between nine to the witching hour. I'll call it the bad-movie-limbo-zone. Where everyone dumps the TV garbage. I’m been better off with info commercials.

Sci-Fi channel should show better movies on later weekends. Hopefully. And I still look forward to seeing the new Doctor Who show debuting on Sci-Fi channel on March 17 in the U.S. It’ll be on Friday nights.

Though I got them on DVD already.

Yeah, I'm a science-fiction geek.

Give Me A Number

The clap of thunder followed by a maddening rush of clouds. The rage of a storm wrecks the skies above.

“The Prisoner” begins. It sets up the entire mood for the rest of the 17 episode series. And It broke new boundaries for science-fiction television. The storm. The rage. The angry man.

“The Prisoner” becomes an allegory.

It’s also a statement. May it be political or satirical, it doesn’t matter. It’s about one man's struggle against society. Loneliness becomes the greatest enemy.

The ITC series was shown in color in England during 1968. Probably thirty years ahead of its time. It chronicles the secret agent who led a brilliant career, played by Patrick McGoohan. He abruptly resigns from the government. They don’t like it.

So the government kidnaps him. And brings him to a strange, idyllic place simply known as the Village. It takes on a sinister turn. The big question? They want to know why he resigned.

So he’s given a number. Number Six. Very enigmatic. And the rest of the series follows as he fights to keep his identity.

The world swallows us whole. It diminishes us. It makes us anonymous. We’re all given numbers in our society that runs like clockwork. We have social security numbers. We use credit card numbers. Phone numbers. Room numbers. As society grows larger, our sense of being becomes numbered.

Perhaps this is what McGoohan is trying to tell us when he created and starred in this program.

Number Six tries to escape the Village in the first few shows. He’s like a caged animal that wants to get out. He’s unable to control his anger. He breaks things. He shouts at the authority. His demands grow: he wants his freedom. And he never lets go of this idea.

Throughout the series, Number Six turns the tables on the authorities. He shows his leadership. When his fellow prisoners become threatened by the authorities, he comes to their help. Soon everyone recognizes him as one thing: a hero. And a leader. Number Six matches everyone with wit and cunning. His individualism couldn’t be dampened.

The entire series is a gem. So few things on television are. Filmed in the Portmeirion in Wales. From start to end, it is really an entertaining piece that is thought-provoking. It makes you think. That makes “The Prisoner” above standard fare.

I would recommend the whole of the series if you could ever catch it. It ran on Arts and Entertainment a couple of times. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on Sci-Fi channel. But worth the time if you get a chance to see this very creative show. You can get it on DVD.

Several good episodes? Try “Arrival” which gives Number Six his first taste of the Village. “Free For All” mocks the democratic system. Who could forget the final episode “Fall Out” which raises more questions? I’ve always liked “Hammer Into Anvil” which shows Number Six testing his skills against the authority.

Who runs the place? Us? Or Them? Is there is third party?

There are many questions. Few answers.

It was brilliantly conceived. At first people didn’t know what the hell they were watching. You can’t be a casual viewer. The series draws you in and puts your brains through a grinder. You’re left wondering.

It spawns many discussions. Several websites. Endless outrages. And an appreciation society. Even college courses.

Is the individual threatened by society? Or is it the other way around?

No one is really sure.

Be seeing you.

Japanese Anime... lifelike drawings

Mark, Jason, Princess, Tiny, and Keyop.

They're recognizablable names from yesteryear. I was barely old enough to ride a bike when these cartoons came out.

They belonged to an American incarnation of a Japanese anime cartoon shorts which ran through syndication between 1978 to 1980. It was simply titled “Battle of the Planets.” I was still living in Manawa at that time. That's taking me back. Way back.

Used to be on Saturday mornings. I'm guilty, like most kids, of getting up early to catch the Saturday blitz of cartoon fever. I was just a toddler then.

The only thing? They were Americanized. And with the advent of Star Wars hitting the country like a yellow fever, Battle of the Planets was influenced by the power of the Jedi. There’s a cute robot looking suspiciously like R2-D2. It was a hook to get younger kids interested. It worked. At least for me.

What I didn’t know was it was a different version of an original Japanese cartoon called “Gatchaman.” I wouldn’t know this until twenty years after.

Nowadays they’re bringing out the cartoon in its original form on DVD. Just go to the nearest Best Buy stores. (There’s a couple in Appleton. I just discovered another one in Fond du Lac. They’re multiplying).

Four sets are out. That's far as I know. You can find them on the Best Buy shelves. In their original Japanese form. That means they’re in native language. With subtitles. If you can take that sort of thing. It doesn’t bother me any. In fact, I prefer it that way.

There’s a small problem though. It wasn’t originally intended as a children’s program. They’re violent. They have swearing. They have adult themes. People die in it. (including one major character). That's another no-no in cartoons. The characters think and act like human beings. What’s more confusing? They have different names. I don’t want to even get into that part.

Gatchaman follows five young heroes probably in their mid-twenties. They're like a superhero group. They fight the forces of Galactor, headed by the alien being Sosai (or "Overlord") X and his evil leaders. Again there’s the battle between good and evil. With plenty of grey area. Setting the standards for forthcoming Japanese anime we eventually see in Robotech and complex films like "Akira" and "Ghost in the Shell."

In 1978 Sandy Frank productions ran a mild, children-friendly version. What’s it called? Battle of the Planets. Now they’re finally bringing to American audiences the original spot of cartoons. I’m glad. That’s the way it should be intended.

The nice thing about the new Gatchaman box sets is this: the covers are done by comic book favorite Alex Ross. They’re beautifully painted. Almost worth the price admission themselves. Almost. But I’d like to see the cartoons also. There’s a 105 shows in the first Gatchaman series. An average of 12 or 13 shows are put on each DVD box set. It’ll take a while before they’re all out. But worth it.

They came out at a time when Japanese anime was still in its pioneering days. They were making new grounds with the series. It was a very long running series in anime. But influential. Though-provoking. Always well-drawn.

I’m not pretending to know everything about anime. I know next-to-nothing. But I do enjoy some anime. And it’s time that a younger generation of fans get to know this otherwise charming, well-done series. Transmute!

Battlestar Ponderosa no longer.

I’m not crazy about remakes.

That goes without saying. I steer clear of remakes like the plague. Newer versions of “Psycho” and “The Pink Panther” shouldn’t even be discussed. They’re not necessary.

Forgive and forget? I don’t think so.

Yet there is one show that's always in dire need of being remade. The Sci-Fi Channel launched the “Battlestar Galactica” series after the miniseries anchored an audience in Dec. of 2003. It’s given a facelift. It’s for the better.

I don’t mind this one. I’ve only seen a few bits here and there and a couple of full episodes. So don't take what I'm saying here as the holy gospel. I do like what I've seen so far.

There’s potential in the born-again series. It looks interesting. Edward James Olmos performs well as Commander Amada. He’s a stalwart presence on the show who replaces Lorne Greene from the original series. And it’s a very welcome one.

The most jarring change? Starbuck played by Katee Sackhoff. It’s a gender change. They have a sleeker, blonde bombshell replacing a guy Dirk Benedict in the role: she’s a woman with a sexual overdrive. It’ll take a while for me to get used to it. The acting’s pretty good. The writing keeps a solid beat. Some good dialogue.

This update takes the old show and puts it on a new direction. Literally. Even the mood turns darker. Like the coldness of space. What’s left of the ailing humankind puts together a search for the planet Earth. It remains a myth. Like the legends of Atlantis and the Lemurians who once supposedly harbored with greatness many generations ago.

The settings on the ship should feel claustophobic. They're narrow halls, cramped bridges. They reflect the feelings of the show's characters. Tension builds. Sometimes anger cuts loose.

There’s character conflict in the show. Perhaps a bit too much. Sort of like a male’s version of a soap opera in space. With recent addition of the Pegasus to the series, along with another crew commandeered by a woman, characters go at it head to toe. Keep in mind about internal conflict in stories. The so-called heart of darkness. Without conflict, there’s no story.

Every writer knows this.

“Battlestar Galactica” is about a search. It’s the quest for the Holy Grail. A spiritual journey for many. And people realize that the cosmos isn’t always a friendly place. Particularly when many universal residents turn out to be human looking Cylons.

Now I admit to taking a great dislike for the putrid, old stuff back in the early 1980s. It was Star Trek in reverse. (Instead of us going out there, they’re coming here). Though the Cylons of the old were pretty nifty with the shifting red eye, glaring across the metallic faces, like a burning storm.

In this remake, the Cylons pretend to be humans. Lucy Lawless of Xena fame plays a journalist D’anne Biers who may or may not be who she seems. It makes for interesting stories. Everyone has their own motive. No one could be trusted. Even solitude threatens man’s existence.

Not many viwers like the idea of Cylons being human-looking. It’s a bold idea for the series. It owes more to legendary science-fiction author Phillip K. Dick’s thematic books regarding the ideal of double life: how identity of one’s self is stripped away in a modern world. The conflict between man and machine. It’s seen again in “Battlestar Galactica.”

I’m basing my opinion on what little I’ve seen in the series. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if I find myself perched in the sofa following the journey of our forefathers in space. Save me a seat.

Texas' very own Sherlock Holmes

You like mystery?

James Lee Burke is your answer. His style takes on a life of its own. With a bit of Texas added to it. He’s also the best selling author on the New York times. I'm sure you've heard of him.

You’ll always find a shelf full of his books at any retail bookstore. Sex, greed, violence and old hatreds come with the package. His detective books fill with sins and legacies. And the heartbeat of Texas glory. Sure Burke cranks out many books.

But I was never disappointed in any of them.

Many clever plots. An abundance of Texas country land and its next door neighbor of cypress-filled swamps in Louisiana. A bit of darkness in his work. When you dig further, you’ll find another side to his books. They’re often brutal, numbed with reality.

The people in his work often are poverty-stricken, trapped in a town filled with gossip. A web of lies bog down their lives.

Enter the longest running detective hero of Burke’s books. Louisiana police detective Dave Robicheaux has an instinct for the macabre. He can weed out criminals from the people. He’s a working class hero.

But he has his flaws too. Robicheaux drinks to the bottom of bottles. His relationship with his wife can be a stormy one. But she is his support. The past often catches up with him. Yet he never steers from his driving force: to solve a mystery that taunts him like whispers from ghosts.

I have too many favorites. “Jolie Blon’s Bounce” tells about Robicheaux facing an evil side of himself: an alter ego named Legion Guidry. Once a local sugarcane plantation, he's now poor like many other people. Yet he keeps a evil grip on the people. He’s like a town bully. He won’t let go of some people. Legion could very well be darkness himself.

The book lends itself into corruption. And a struggle between the detective and Legion. The town becomes a battlefield. Robicheaux still gets help from his wife and longtime friend Clete Purcel. The book reads like a beauty.

“Heartwood” was my first exposure to Burke. But a series of other books revolve around Robicheaux. I find them interesting, solid reading. The writing always paced. “Purple Cane Road” tells about the detective with a tragic past. An abusive father driven by booze. And a whorish mother killed by cops a lifetime ago.

The lastest book is called "Crusader's Cross." Burke's books has another hero named Billy Bob Holland who is a former cop and a Texas Ranger. Those books find themselves in a glory of violence and heart-pounding mystery.

His words are like a hurricane of poetry. Between passages of lust and anger often lead deeper into horror and mystery at its best. The works read fast. And I always find myself wanting to learn more about his detective and the life he leads in the seedy side of Louisiana. It can be ugly. The wounds of passion drowns his books. The trail of loss and racial bigotry can harden a detective like Robicheaux. And it'll lead to new roads.

It’ll be interesting to see how Burke revisits Robicheaux in the Big Easy now ravaged by the recent hurricane. Much of the culture may be lost. But another chapter of mystery can be cultivated.

Week-End

The Nation just posted a really good article about a new plan for the Internet that telecom and cable companies are taking the wraps off of even as you read this. In a nutshell, they consider that the current situation, in which consumers pay a set fee to access all the good stuff that's out there, to be inferior to the old pre-Internet BBS days, with private, barely-interconnected networks with some extra BS about you paying on the basis (read: quantity) of your access bolted on.

In other words, they want to move the Internet from what is sort of a big, semi-free library, one here you pay only to have access to it, into one where you not only pay for access, but also for every book you check out, for every [ahem] newspaper you read, for every person you talk to (yes, they wanna charge for email), for the crappy music that's piped in, and probably to blow your nose -- anything they can, in other words. A capitalist's library.

It might not make sense from your standpoint, but it does from their$. If you're reading this, you're likely already somewhat addicted to the Net, and like any good pusher they're starting to realize that they can make a lot more money from you now that you're hooked.

What's standing in their way are laws, and this they want to change. Can you feel the love from the megacorps? No? What's wrong with you? :P

In other news, Oshkosh looks to be a happenin' place this weekend. Here's where I'll be: Friday has Madison's really good Adam Tesfaye at the Reptile Palace, Saturday has the Wandering Sons at the Water City Grill and Ripp Winkler and a bunch of other scruffy punkers at the Joe's Sample House grand opening, Sunday has the usual Jazz Orgy/Blues Hangover double-whammy at Peabody's and the Palace. (Though the regular Jazz Orgy left last week for their annual retreat to New Mexico, the Jerabeks of Copper Box will be the featured performers that night at Peabody's.)

And there's even something going on Monday; New Moon Cafe co-owner Aaron Baer (the ukelele player, not the gay bodybuilder) is establishing a series of weekly 7p shows through February that last I heard is being called "Passing the Song". The idea is to pair up up-and-coming Oshkosh-area musical talent with more-established musicians, in order to give the new guys a head start into the scene, in some cases even what it's like to play a show. First up is Mr. Baer himself with singer/guitarist Sarah Voswinkel, a regular at the Moon's Tuesday open mics.

Gee, I guess there's something happening Tuesday, too.

-a