Sherlock Holmes

During my Christmas vacation in Williamsburg Mrs. Crimespree and I went to a great theater called the Movie Tavern. Big office charirs at counters and they bring you good food at a nice price right to you during the movie. And they serve good beer and wine too.
We saw Sherlock Holmes.

I like the movie. I feel it treated the character with respect. The respect came from the screen writers who actually seem to have read some of the Conan Doyle works, Guy Ritchie who seemed to have done the same and Robert Downy Jr also really seemed tuned in to Holmes is. Jude Law was also fabulous as Watson.

One of the factors in my love of this film is the fact that they portray Holmes as a genius. A genius who is so much smarter than most other people that it makes him a bit crazy. He thinks on a whole other level, multiple things going on in his head at any given time. And like a lot of people thinking at that level, his social skills suffer. And this is where Watson really plays in, smart in his own right, he understands Holmes and as a result can help keep him motivated and focused. And Watson is not comic relief here, he actually contributes to the cases they work.

The film also remembers that Holmes can fight, and is capable of action. There are some great scenes of Holmes boxing and fighting, done in a way that shows how it makes perfect sense for Holmes to be this type of fighter.

Ok, so obviously I think they nailed the characters.
The plot itself is a nice puzzle with conspiracies and twists and turns worthy of a Holmes story, and while maybe a bit simpler than most mystery readers and Doyle readers would like, it works and is executed well. The film pens with a well to do political figure getting busted while performing a ritual involving black magic. After his execution he appears to come back from the dead committing a number of murders in order to eventually control England and then the world. I'm not saying more, you should see it for yourself!

My only complaint, on that I feel most modern film makers are guilty of, is that they seem to forget they are using color. You can portray darkness and bleakness and still use some color. Even in the 1800's in London, there were sunny days and people wore clothes beyond just greays and blacks and browns.

That little quibble aside I loved the film. I think it proves Ritchie is capable of more than just cool modern crime tales. He has great skills and great instincts and uses them here well. Downy is a great actor when he is focused, and he's damn focused here. Jude Law is always great and he's wonderful here.

BRING ME A SEQUEL!

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DVD Review: DISTRICT 9

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date: Dec 22nd, 2009
MSRP: $28.96

Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and Robert Hobbs.
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Produced by Peter Jackson.
Written and Directed by Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell (based on ALIVE IN JOBURG, a 2005 short directed by Blomkamp and written by Copley).

The film uses a documentary style, which is somewhat pedagogical at times. Its usage keeps the audience up to speed, however. I never floundered in following the chain of events and there is something to be said for that.

Plot: Aliens have been stranded on earth for twenty years. Their spaceship still hovers overhead in Johannesburg. Humans entered the craft after months of speculation about the intentions of its residents. The “rescued” aliens, who resemble insects, are called “prawns” and are consigned to District Nine. District Nine is soon a slum and the aliens must forage for food and other necessities. They are policed by a military contractor, much like some prisons in the US today. As the film opens, the aliens are about to be transported to a district further from the city center. They’ve become a nuisance, a blight on the landscape. The bureaucrat assigned to the task of relocating the aliens is contaminated through contact, and most of the film hereafter concerns his plight. The audience can more easily empathize with a human face. Kafka’s Metamorphosis meets ET, in effect.

Of course, this film turns earlier movies about aliens on their ear by making the aliens, though annoying and repulsive to humans, the victims rather than the oppressors. The bureaucrat makes a transition from being a government mouthpiece to becoming a hero, at least on his own behalf. There are some good effects and actions scenes, perhaps too many of the later. But the film excels in demonstrating how outsiders are treated by our society.

The film is inspired, if that’s the right word, by the treatment of black South Africans under apartheid. District Six in South African was relocated when it became a “whites only” area. Sixty thousand people were relocated in 1966.

There was definitely a “gag” factor in watching this film. The women in our group watched much of it through splayed fingers. Gore doesn’t bother me as much as overt violence though. At first the aliens seem fairly unintelligent but as the movie progresses, as we get to see them take action in their own environment, we come to appreciate that being stranded in an alien culture has this effect.

There are a few too many dull scenes of exchanges of gunfire toward the end without any particular originality. Secondary parts are not played that well. The muscle acts like muscle in a million other movies. But on the whole, the message is so strong, the effects done so well, we can’t help but be caught up in it. Its greatest strength is its original concept—that we, with greater numbers and on our home planet, are the ones to be feared. I can’t think of any reason not to see this film.

Extras: The deleted scenes are all fairly short and offer no major changes. I would say it is likely each was a victim of time restrictions. Nothing earth-shattering, but interesting and worth watching.

The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log is about 34 minutes long. Because of the style of the film, this is fairly interesting. Broken into three parts, this features interviews with director Neill Blomkamp, producer Peter Jackson as well as a number of folks from effects.

Lastly, Blomkamp offers up a nice commentary track. He talks about the back story and how the final feature film came to be. Also discussed is the experience of filming in the slums of South Africa. Well worth listening to.

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Christa Faust to adapt MONEY SHOT.

The number of authors that see their books optioned for film are limited. But even those lucky few generally don't find themselves writing the screenplay. But that is exactly what Christa Faust is doing. She has signed on to adapt her 2008 novel MONEY SHOT.

For you sad individuals that have not read the Edgar-nominated MONEY SHOT (I was one just a couple of weeks ago!), MS brings us Angel Dare. Angel is a retired porn star that now runs an adult modeling agency. Angel is asked to come back for one more film, only to be shot and left for dead. Angel, with the aid of former cop Lalo Malloy, goes after those responsible with the intent of some serious retribution. Gritty and awesome, MS is a must read.

Apparently producer Daniel Ostroff agreed as he has purchased the film rights. Ostroff produced THE MISSING as well as the skateboarding documentary DOGTOWN AND THE Z-BOYS.

Christa has a lot of faith in Daniel and thinks he gets what she is doing. “Osteroff has been a tireless cheerleader for the project,” Christa said. “He really believes in getting Angel Dare on the silver screen and has been working overtime to find ways to convince potentially gunshy investors that porn has gone mainstream and is ready for its close up.”

She is equally excited about Jim Sonzero. the man that will stand behind the camera.

“Sonzero certainly has a strong visual style, but he really won me over because he (like me) can't stand shaky, ants-in-the-pants camerawork. He's more interested in giving the actors time and space to do their job. At its core, Money Shot is more about character development than about jittery running and fighting and crashing. I like that he gets that.”

Sonenzo recently directed THE PULSE, a horror flick starring Kristen Bell (VERONICA MARS, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL) and was the Cinematics director for the video game RESIDENT EVIL 5.

Screenwriting is something new for Faust and has been a challenge. "First of all, I quickly discovered that some things work perfectly well in prose, but not so well in a more visual medium. Second, while novel writing is a mostly solitary job, films are much more collaborative. Each person involved brings their own input and ideas to the table and so it's important to be able to work together as a team."

This has a hell of a lot of promise. The character of Angel Dare is a real gem. I hope the character's background does not scare off too many actresses because in the right hands, she will rock!

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Five Favorites of 2009: Martin Waites.

Firstly, I’m glad Jeremy said they didn’t have to be all new releases. I doubt I’ve seen five new releases this year, or certainly not five I want to see again or would even consider being cinematic highlights. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, since I moved out of London and into the sticks it’s harder to get to see the films I like. I usually have to make do with Cineplex blockbuster stuff and I’d rather stare at a blank wall than sit through a Michael Bay film. And even worse, there are no central characters who I can believe in and identify with in those films.

And also, and this makes me sound like a terrible snob, the kind of people who go to the cinema round here don’t know how to watch a film. They phone and text their friends, shout round the cinema, compare ringtones, keep running back and forward to the concession stand to get hopped up on e numbers and generally make asses of themselves. I actually came to blows with someone during ‘Quantum of Solace’ (definitely not in the list). But don’t worry. I won.

Having said all that, there is one new film I saw at the cinema this year that I thought was brilliant. It’s made my five. For the rest of the time I’ve been watching DVDs, building up my library. And there are some gems now.

Anyway, the films.


In reverse order:

5. City Of The Dead

A classic from 1959 that I’d somehow managed to miss. Set supposedly in New England but actually filmed on a sound stage at Shepperton, it’s got Christopher Lee shouting ‘Burn, witch, burn!’ in an American accent, some genuinely scary moments, even now, and a climax featuring exploding monks.

And some of the most gorgeous black and white cinematography in a horror film. Or any film.

It gives it a truly hypnotic, expressionist feel. And the fact that a major plot twist comes courtesy of ‘Psycho’ is neither here nor there.

4. The Orphanage

I finally got round to seeing it, after everyone else. And what a beautiful, unsettling and moving film it is. There were a couple of clunky bits which is to be expected from a first time director, but the whole thing makes such perfect sense. And such a downbeat and genuinely heartbreaking ending.

3. Hell Is A City

So America is the only country that can do classic noir? I don’t think so. Another classic from 1959, this one has Stanley Baker as Inspector Martineau, a conflicted but determined cop chasing a psychopathic robber and murderer played by John Crawford through a post war Manchester. Ignore the terrible RADA-Manchester accents (not in the case of John Crawford, he makes no attempt to hide his American one) and just get taken in by what is still a fast moving, psychologically pitch perfect, harrowing thriller. And the climax over the rooftops still packs a punch.

2. In A Lonely Place

I’m embarrassed to admit I had never seen this before. However I’ve made up for that now and intend to watch it plenty of times more. A career best performance for Humphrey Bogart whose
Dix Steele is a pitch perfect depiction of bitterness, bruised romanticism and the failure that lies at the heart of success. Gloria Grahame is her usual wonderful self, self-destructing on screen and on the rebound from director/husband Nicholas Ray via an affair with his thirteen year old
son. The emotion just about reaches through the screen and grabs you, epitomised by these lines of Grahame’s:
‘I was born when you kissed me
I died when you left me
I lived a few weeks while you loved me.’

Is there anybody, honestly, who’s never felt like that? And you know it won’t last.

And finally . . .

1. Up

Yes, Up . The latest from Pixar was my top film of the year. The story of Carl and Russell and floating house. And airships. And talking dogs. What’s not to love? But more than that this, despite being a big Cineplex blockbuster (or intended as one) was just such a perfect piece of storytelling. Pixar make films that put a lot of allegedly adult movies to shame and I’m not ashamed to admit I love them. Storytelling, characterisation, narrative . . . all beautifully done. And in the character of Russell, the lonely, fatherless, fat, little misfit of a seven year old, here – finally – was a character I could believe in and identify with.

Martyn Waites is the author of the award nominated Joe Donovan series and the earlier Stephen Larkin series. In addition to writing novels he has held writing residencies in prisons, led creative writing and drama workshops for socially excluded teenagers and recovering addicts, been the RLF Literary Fellow at Essex University and taught at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. And he used to be an actor. He lives just outside London inside an ever-expanding book, comic and DVD library.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Hilary Davidson

Television

Torchwood: Children of Earth
I wasn’t watching the BBC’s Torchwood, but the fact that its third season was promoted as a stand-alone miniseries drew me in. What impressed me about Children of Earth was that the story only became darker and more complex as it unfolded, building to a brutal resolution. The aliens are evil, yes, but the real horror comes from the humans: the politicians who worry about their image problems and how to deceive the public rather than their willingness to sacrifice children; the bureaucrats who carry out orders they know are morally repugnant; and Captain John Harkness, Torchwood’s central character, who helped create this monstrous mess in the first place. Truly great television.


Durham County
When I was growing up in Toronto, Durham County was an area east of the city, a bedroom community that people commuted from but rarely visited. On television, it’s become my favorite destination. The premise of this Canadian show sounds simple: a Toronto homicide detective moves back to the suburbs with his wife, a cancer survivor who is still in recovery, and his two daughters — one of whom has a habit of designing crime scenes in her dollhouse. The move is supposed to be a fresh start for the detective (he needs one, given that his last partner died a horrible death in front of his eyes), but from the start, it’s clear that his past isn’t going to stay dead. This is pitch-perfect, twisted noir at its finest.

Fringe
It took me some time to warm to this show, but I’ve been deeply drawn in by its second season. Even during the lamest moments of the first season, when it was limping from one monster-of-the-week episode to the next, I kept watching because of John Noble, who plays the mad scientist Walter Bishop. (How can you resist a character who will be knee-deep in gore at a crime scene and yet will suddenly develop a craving for a cheeseburger and milkshake? I can’t.) Now that Fringe has plunged into a full-fledged exploration of its wild mythology, I’m enjoying every moment.

DVD

Bhowani Junction
I spent the first months of 2009 watching a lot of Ava Gardner movies. Lily, the main character in my novel THE DAMAGE DONE, has a lot in common with Ava — including an attempt to escape her past by moving to Spain. Because Lily idolizes Ava, I decided to watch every film the actress made. I’d already seen her most famous ones — The Killers, Mogambo, The Sun Also Rises, The Barefoot Contessa — but my favorite discovery was Bhowani Junction, which I’d never heard of (it wasn’t released on DVD until the beginning of this year). It’s the story of the fight for India’s independence, told from the point of view of a half-Indian, half-English woman (played by Gardner), who kills a British officer who attempts to rape her.

Film

Star Trek
Apparently I am both a Trek nerd and a J.J. Abrams fangirl (see Fringe, above). I didn’t realize this until I saw this movie and got the old Trek references. (Hey — the Romulans tortured Christopher Pike with the same awful slugs that Khan used in The Wrath of Khan!). It was a pleasant surprise to have familiar characters reinvented this way, and I never get tired of Leonard Nimoy cameos (again, see Fringe).


Hilary Davidson’s first novel, THE DAMAGE DONE, will be published by Forge in October 2010. Her short fiction appears in Crimespree, Thuglit, Beat to a Pulp, A Twist of Noir, The Feral Pages, and other dark places. Her story “Anniversary” is included in A PRISONERY OF MEMORY & 24 OF THE YEAR’S FINEST CRIME & MYSTERY STORIES, and her “Son of So Many Tears” will be in Thuglit’s 2010 anthology. Visit her online at www.hilarydavidson.com.

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KNIGHT AND DAY trailer

Hey folks, we have the trailer for the upcoming KNIGHT AND DAY.

KNIGHT AND DAY centers on a lonely woman (Cameron Diaz) whose seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a super spy (Tom Cruise) takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source. Maggie Grace is playing Diaz's sister, who is getting married, excited that Diaz will take the place of their late father and walk her down the aisle.

When I first heard about this, I had little to no interest. But I have to admit, the trailer looks entertaining. James Mangold is the director. Mangold has a solid track record that features WALK THE LINE, IDENTITY, 3:10 TO YUMA, KATE AND LEOPOLD and COPLAND.

KNIGHT AND DAY lands in theaters on July 2nd, 2010.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Steve Hockensmith

Being a family guy with young children and a writer guy with tight deadlines, I don't get out much anymore. I consider myself a big-time film fan, yet I went to the movie theater *twice* in 2009. There was a time in my life I might've gone twice in a weekend. Hell, one nasty-cold Chicago winter's day, I saw three movies in an afternoon...and I only paid for one! Those were the days. Weary sigh.

Thank Jebus for Netflix. Sure, it's not the same watching something on a TV or a computer as a mondo-mega-screen with a pumped-up crowd. But how many theaters do you know where you can show up in your underwear sipping on a bourbon on the rocks? Only the cineplex in your house, my friends.

Which is why my entire top five came to me via Netflix. The movies I actually dragged my carcass out to see, by the by, were Watchmen and Star Trek. Which were fine! If this were a top 20 list instead of a top five, I'd write about them. But the winners are:

(1) Man on Wire: The most gripping thriller I've seen in years...and it's all true! And all that happens is a crazy Frenchman gets up on a high wire! Alright, so the wire's strung up between the Twin Towers circa 1974, so that raises the stakes a bit.

(2) This American Life, Season 2: I laughed, I cried, I was awestruck by the amazing stories these guys dug up. As a fiction writer, this scared me. If everyone could make real life this absorbing, I'd be out of a job.

(3) Anvil: The Story of Anvil: For the record, I am not a heavy metal fan. I like my metal light. And not so metally. Yet here's a documentary about a struggling heavy metal band that has you rooting so hard for the wannabe rock gods, it doesn't matter what you think of their music.

(4) Protagonist: What? Another documentary? I promise you, I am not trying to be pretentious! I guess I was just in that kind of mood this year. Anyway, this one's kind of strange but really intriguing. Four very different men tell their life stories, and the filmmakers use Greek drama and puppets -- yes, Greek drama and puppets -- to explore the parallels. It helps that the guys are really interesting: One's a martial arts expert, one's a gay Christian, one's a reformed bank robber, and one's a German terrorist.

(5) 30 Rock, Season 1: I was going to say The Wire, Season 5, which is stupendous, of course. But you know what's great to catch between documentaries (or TV dramas that *feel* like documentaries)? A great, palate-cleansing comedy. Twenty-something minutes of clever, yuk-inducing pleasure. Which would be 30 Rock. I'm a little late to the 30 Rock bandwagon, but that's the great thing about the DVD/on-demand age: It's never too late for anything anymore.

Steve Hockensmith is the author of the "Holmes on the Range" mystery series. His next novel, the "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" prequel "Dawn of the Dreadfuls," comes out in March. Visit his site at http://www.stevehockensmith.com.

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Blu-ray info: TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. coming to blu-ray in Feb.

Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing a combo pack (Blu-ray+DVD) of TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. on Feb 2nd, 2010.

William L. Petersen (Manhunter, “CSI”) and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) face off in a deadly game of cat andmouse in this riveting action-thriller, To Live and Die in L.A. Full of flash, style and grit, this raw tale ofcorruption and revenge features one of the most harrowing car chases ever caught on film and a shockingly explosive ending. Federal Agent Richard Chance (Petersen) has a score to settle, and he’s through playing by the rules. Whether that means blackmailing a beautiful parolee, disobeying direct orders or hurtling the wrong way down a crowded freeway, he vows to take down a murderous counterfeiter (Dafoe) by any means necessary. But as the stakes grow higher, will Chance’s obsession with vengeance ultimately destroy him?

Disc One:
• Blu-ray Disc Feature Film
Disc Two:
• Standard DVD Feature Film
• Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending Featurettes
• Counterfeit World: The Making of To Live And Die In L.A. Documentary
• Audio Commentary by Director William Friedkin
• Photo Gallery

MSRP is $24.99 U.S. / $25.99 Canada.

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TRUE GRIT casting call info for Mattie.

A website has been set up for the casting of Mattie for The Coen Bros upcoming remake of TRUE GRIT.

There was an open call in Little Rock today, with ones coming in Jackson, MS on Jan 2nd and one in Oklahoma on Jan 9th.

Here is an image of the home page.

Already on board are Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.

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Blu-ray Info: THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

Warner will be releasing THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy on Blu-ray on April 6th, 2010.

Price is $99.98 SRP.

These are the theatrical versions, the extended versions will be released on a later date.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

In this first part of the Trilogy, the young hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a ring; but this ring is no mere trinket. It is the One Ring, an instrument of absolute power that could allow Sauron, the dark Lord of Mordor, to rule Middle-earth and enslave its peoples. Frodo, together with a Fellowship that includes his loyal hobbit friends, humans, a wizard, a dwarf and an elf, must take the One Ring across Middle-earth to Mount Doom, where it first was forged, and destroy it forever. Such a journey means venturing deep into territory manned by Sauron, where he is amassing his army of Orcs. And it is not only external evils that the Fellowship must combat, but also internal dissension and the corrupting influence of the One Ring itself. The course of future history is entwined with the fate of the Fellowship. The film won four Oscars® for Best Visual Effects, Cinematography, Makeup and Original Score.

Special Features:
Feature Disc (BD)
*Trailers
*“The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer [HD]

Bonus Disc (SD)
*Welcome to Middle-earth: Houghton Mifflin In-Store Special
*Quest for the Ring: FOX TV Special
*A Passage to Middle-earth: SCI-FI Channel Special
*lordoftherings.net Featurettes
Finding Hobbiton
Hobbiton Comes Alive
Believing the World of Bree
Ringwraiths: The Fallen Kings
Rivendell: The Elven Refuge
Languages of Middle-earth
Two Wizards
Music of Middle-earth
Elijah Wood
Viggo Mortensen
OrlandoBloom
Cate Blanchett
Liv Tyler
Ian McKellen
Weathertop: The Windy Hill
*TV Spots
MTV
Fellowship
Top Ten/AFI
Phenomenon
Academy Nomination
Epic Oscar
*Enya ”May It Be” Music Video
*Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
*Behind the Scenes Preview of ”The Two Towers”


The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

In their parallel journeys, the Fellowship will stand against the powerful forces spreading from the Two Towers -- Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where Saruman has bred a lethal army of 10,000 strong; and Sauron’s fortress at Barad-dûr, deep within the dark lands of Mordor. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers culminates in the astonishing battle for the refuge, Helm’s Deep, the Kingdom of Rohan’s ancient large stone fortress, besieged by Uruk-hai warriors. The film won two Oscars: Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Special Features:
Feature Disc (BD)

*Trailers
*Teaser [HD]
*Theatrical Trailer [HD]
*“The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer [HD]

Bonus Disc (SD)
*On the Set “The Lord of the Rings: The TwoTowers”
*Starz Encore Special:Return to Middle-earth: WB Special
*”The Long and Short of It” A Short Film Directed by Sean Astin
*The Making of ”The Long and Short of It”
*lordoftherings.net Featurettes
Forces of Darkness
Designing the Sounds of Middle-earth
Edoras: The Rohan Capital
Creatures of Middle-earth
Gandalf the White
Arms and Armor
The Battleof Helm’s Deep
Bringing Gollum to Life
*TV Spots
New Power
Another
Event
Dream
Darkness
Return
Strike
Countdown
One World Review
The Wait is Over
Review B/Golden Globes
Gollum
Supreme Review
Review A/Globe
Good Top 10
Top 10 Review
*Emiliana Torrini ”Gollum’s Song” Music Video
*Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
*Behind the Scenes Preview of ”The Return of the King”

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin), led by the mysterious Gollum (Andy Serkis), continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest. The film, which won Academy Awards® in all 11 categories for which it was nominated, took wins for Best Picture, Director, Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Makeup, Adapted Screenplay, Sound Mixing, Original Song and Original Score.


Special Features:

Feature Disc (BD)
*Trailers
*Trailer One [HD]
*Trailer Two [HD]
*”The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy Supertrailer [HD]
*Special Extended DVD Edition Preview [HD]
*“The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer [HD]

Bonus Disc (SD)
*The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision
*A Filmmaker's Journey: Making “The Return of the King”
*National Geographic Special - “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
*lordoftherings.net Featurettes:
Aragorn's Destiny
Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor
The Battleof Pelennor Fields
Samwise the Brave
Èowyn: White Lady of Rohan
Digital Horse Doubles
Two Theatrical Trailers
*TV Spots
Heart/Frodo
Every Path
Test
Aragorn
Time
Every Step
Sword
Decided
Time Review
Decided Review
Step Golden Globes
Globe Nominations
New Epic Globe

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Blu-ray/DVD info: THE INFORMANT! release info.

Warner has announced they will be releasing THE INFORMANT! on both Blu-ray and DVD on Feb 23rd, 2010.

The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon).

Directd by Steven Soderbergh, THE INFORMANT! stars Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel Mchale and Melanie Lynskey.

The pricing is $28.96 SRP on DVD and $35.99 SRP on Blu-ray Disc.

Extras:
DVD: deleted scenes.

Combo pack: (Blu-ray+DVD): deleted scenes, audio commentary with director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Burns and a digital copy of the film.

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Amazing David Simon interview.

Anyone that knows me knows that I think very highly of David Simon. The man is behind some of the best television in the history of the medium (THE WIRE, HOMICIDE, THE CORNER, GENERATION KILL). Plus, he has great taste in women (David is married to the fabulous Laura Lippman).

Vice magazine has a long, in depth interview with David. This is a must-read. David shares his thoughts not just on his paste work, but on the world around us.

Now David needs to stop doing killer interviews and get back to work! I am dying to see TREME. I get that you need to eat and sleep, but can you just cut out all of the other stuff? At least until season one is completed.

Check it out.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Gerald Brennan

Top five TV Series

I’m married with two young kids. It’s a great life, but I don’t get out as much as I used to. So I tend to watch more TV than I would like to admit. Luckily, there’s some seriously great stuff out there (so long as you avoid the prime time reality crap). This year, between DVD box sets and TV repeats, I’ve caught up on a lot of those shows that are probably old news to many of you, but they’re shiny and new to me. Here’s my top five:

Sopranos season 6

The final season in the epic tale of Tony Soprano and his two families. It caught a lot of flak for the ending, but really I found it pretty satisfying. Well, after I checked the DVD for scratches. They didn’t waste much time with the old fade to black routine did they? Of course, if they do a seventh series, I’d watch it...


The Wire season 2

Wow! And I thought the Irish could drink. These Baltimore dock workers are frickin’ hardcore. Of course, McNulty, the Irish American cop, did his bit for the old green white and gold. He drank more Jameson than a Ken Bruen character. The story was a slow burner, but if you’ve got patience and an ear for street patois, this one’s a winner.

Life on Mars season 1

This one surprised the hell out of me. The premise was a bit, I don’t know, dodgy...? I kind of expected a cross between Doctor Who and The Bill, which is fine if you’re a fan of either show. I’m not. But the stories, sets and characters (especially DCI Gene Hunt) were brilliant. I’ll be on the look out for season 2 and the spin off series, Ashes to Ashes.

Single Handed seasons 1, 2 and 3

Set in Connemara, Ireland, this police procedural drama was as gritty as any of the hard boiled fiction I’ve read this year. Horrible family secrets, murder and mayhem... and that’s the good guy’s story. You’ll think twice before committing a crime in a sleepy Irish village after watching this one. These Guards are a lot sharper than they let on.

Dirt season 1

Okay, so maybe this one isn’t strictly crime fiction, but there are crimes committed and investigative journalism is only a step away from private investigation, if you ask me. Courtney Cox gives an amazing performance as Lucy Spiller, a career focussed cold-hearted bitch in charge of a tabloid magazine. And her schizophrenic paparazzi photographer, Don Konkey (played by Ian Hart), is one of my favourite characters of all time.

And there you have it, my top five for 2009. Honourable mentions go out to Dexter, Oz and Brotherhood, all of which fell outside the criteria as they were watched in 2008. Here’s to more quality viewing in 2010.

Gerard Brennan is an emerging Northern Irish writer. When he is not tinkering with a novel, screenplay, stage play or short story he runs Crime Scene NI, a blog devoted primarily to Irish crime fiction. He is represented by Allan Guthrie of Jenny Brown Associates.

Check out the rest of the 5 Favorites of 2009 entries.

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Film Review: THE MESSENGER

Directed by Oren Moverman
Written by Alessandra Camon and Oren Moverman
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi
Running time 113 minutes
Released: November 13, 2009

Plot: Will Montgomery’s (Ben Foster) tour of duty is nearing an end. He has sustained shrapnel injuries, especially around his eyes, and is expecting an easy last three months of service when he is unexpectedly assigned to be a Casualty Notification Officer. He is paired with the career sergeant, Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) a rigid, alcoholic veteran of this detail. The rules are specific. Notify the family as quickly as possible since with the Internet and Cable News, the story gets quickly transmitted. Don’t touch the family members. Don’t get involved with them. Make sure they are in stable condition or have someone to stay with them Advise them someone will be in touch. Offer commiseration in words only.

Reactions to this news by various family members is just what you might expect. In the case of one wife though (Samantha Morton) she is unexpectedly sympathetic to the officers delivering the news, which attracts the interest of Will Montgomery. Much of the movie concerns itself with wrestling with the issue of whether he will become involved with her; what the impact of this assignment is on the men and the people they notify, life for two damaged men, what their war experience was like.

I expected to like this film more than I did. Although the performances were nuanced, the plot was not. It played out in exactly the way you might predict: a buddy movie, a love story of sorts, predictable reactions to the news. Perhaps setting it back home prevented it from ever having the power of say, Hurt Locker. The dread we experienced the first few times they marched up the steps—the only original and powerful ideas—began to dissipate before long.

It was certainly not a bad movie. Just a predictable one.

Patti
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at pattinase.blogspot.com. She hopes you'll join in.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Alafair Burke

Up ­ As much as I've loved other animated features, this is the first one
that made me laugh, sob, and wish (and momentarily believe) that the chubby
little cubscout was a real, live boy so I could adopt him. Extra points for
bringing back the wonderful Ed Asner.

Up in the Air ­ It's pure coincidence that my two favorite films of the year
both involve the word Up. This is the kind of movie they just don't make
any more: good, solid, simple grown-up story telling. George Clooney has
never seemed so real. (Can I adopt him, too, but in a different way?)

30 Rock ­ I cherish my twenty-four-ish minutes each week with the folks at
TGS. Tina Fey recently told Entertainment Weekly that, other than her
choice to have a child, asking Alec Baldwin to take the role of Jack Donaghy
was her best decision. I've never met her kid, but I have to think she's at
best at close second. Incidentally, I want to adopt Tina Fey, too, to be my
BFF. In my dreams, we write a TV pilot together.

Glee The dry humor of Jane Lynch and the earnestness of high school
chorus geeks, wrapped together in one big snarky, happy bundle. It's as if
the TV gods came together to create a show specifically for me. Now if only
there were a mystery arc.

Battlestar Galactica ­ I was slow to come to this series because I still
tell myself I don't like sci-fi. Well, if loving this is wrong, I don't
want to be right. We watched the entire series in a matter of months and
now wish we could lobotomize the BSG-parts of our brains so we could
experience it all over again.


Alafair Burke is the author of the Ellie Hatcher and Samantha Kincaid series
of novels. A former deputy district attorney in Portland, Oregon, she now
teaches criminal law at Hofstra Law School and lives in New York City. Her
newest Ellie Hatcher novel, 212, will be published by Harper Collins in
March.

Check out the rest of the 5 Favorites of 2009 entries.

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TNT orders second season of DARK BLUE.

The folks behind (and on) DARK BLUE can breath a sigh of relief. TNT has ordered a ten episode second season of the gritty police drama.

DB stars Dylan McDermott (looking as though his last good night's sleep might have been during the Clinton years) as the head of deep undercover unit. I personally enjoy the characters and premise, but disliked the show's habit to wrapping everything in each episode. It seems to me that undercover work is more in depth and these tales should carry over from ep to ep.

In addition to McDemott, the show stars Logan Marshall-Green (THE O.C., TRAVELER), Omari Hardwick (SAVED, upcoming A-TEAM film) and Nicki Aycox (SUPERNATURAL, COLD CASE).

TNT has renewed all of their shows except RAISING THE BAR as well as having brought SOUTHLAND on board. They also have greenlighted several pilots including DELTA BLUES and RIZZOLI (based on the characters of author Tess Gerritsen).

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Woodward joins DELTA BLUES.

Emmy winner Alfre Woodward has signed on for TNT's DELTA BLUES. Woodward will be playing Dwight's (Jason Lee) lieutenant. My impression is that there will be friction between the two. Alfre's career is a long and impressive one. She has won the Emmy, Golden Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild award as well as having been nomintated for the Oscar. Among her credits are dozens of television series (ST. ELSEWHERE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, MY OWN WORST ENEMY, HILL STREET BLUES, L.A. LAW), some cable gems (MANDELA, MISS EVERS' BOYS) and a film career (PASSION FISH, STAR TERK: FIRST CONTACT) of over 30 years.

DB is about Dwight Hendricks (Lee), an exceptional Memphis police officer who lives with his mother (Celia Weston) and moonlights as an Elvis impersonator. It may be worth noting that the wording seems to have changed in the press releases. Up til now, Dwight was called an Elvis impresonator, but he is now called "a tribute artist." I hope to god this does not mean he will be doing various artists. I am hoping to get some clarification in the near future on this.

A few other actors have also recently come on board:
Sam Hennings as Dwight's partner Charlie White, Robin Lively as Charlene, Dwight's ex-wife whose catering company is contracted by the MPD and Leonard Earl Howze as another detective that often works with Dwight and Charlie. Hennings and Lively have made a living on television doing guest appearances in dozens of series while Howze is best known for Ice Cube's BARBERSHOP films.

At this time, TNT has only greenlighted a pilot.

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Natalie Portman to look for love while kicking zombie ass.

This could be fun.

Natalie Portman has signed on to play Elizabeth Bennet, everyone's favorite Jane Austen heroine. Initially this is sounds pretty ho-hum except that this is Elizabeth Bennet the zombie slayer!

Natalie is going to star in the film version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. P&P&Z is not really a parody but rather an expanded version. It follows the original novel, except that it now has a zombie invasion in it. Seth Grahame-Smith co-authored P&P&Z with Austen.

In addition to starring, Natalie is also co-producing. Her production partner, Annette Savitch, offered up these comments in Variety:

“Natalie and I are longtime passionate fans of Jane Austen’s books and this a fresh, fun and thought-provoking way to approach her work. The idea of zombies running rampant in 19th Century England may sound odd, but it lends a modern sense of urgency to a well known love story.”

Lends a sense of urgency? I am really not sure how to take that statement. I find it funny as hell, but I don't know if it was meant to be funny. Regardless, this could be something awesome. I hope this is shot as a serious film and not tongue in cheek.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Pete Dragovich

My Top Five of 2009 - Nothin' but Noir Edition

The Friends of Eddie Coyle - Peter Yates

This year the ever-reliable Criterion Collection released the 1973 adaptation of the George V. Higgins classic The Friends of Eddie Coyle. DIrector Peter Yates of Bullit fame takes it easy on the action this time around, wisely concentrating on what makes the novel work: kick-ass dialogue. The story of an aging hood who has turned snitch, Yates lets us just inhabit this world, letting us figure out the plot for ourselves. The actors are all very fine, with Mitchum handing in what is arguably his greatest performance. From the beautifully handled heist to the bleak, subdued tragedy of the ending, Eddie Coyle is a sleeper for the ages.

Real Time - Randall Cole

You've probably never heard of Real Time, but that's because it's Canadian and who knew they even had a culture (other than hockey and hunting, that is)? If you dug the great Irish film In Bruges from last year, this shit is right up your alley. It's the story of a degenerate gambler (Jay Baruchel) given one hour to get his shit in order before getting whacked by a mob hitman (Randy Quaid). The story takes place in, you know, real time, and is mainly just alternately hilarious and probing conversations between these two very different men. It's a quick-paced and quietly astounding film with a conclusion that will rock you to your core. Maybe there's more to this Canada placemthan BC Gold after all...

Breaking Bad - Vince GIlligan

If you're looking for great noir shit on television, there's only one place to look these days: Vince Gilligan's brilliant Breaking Bad on AMC. Bryan Cranston stars as a chemistry teacher dying of cancer who decideds to cook meth to leave a solid nut for his son, wife and their new baby. It's hilarious, smart, agonizingly intense and completely unflinching. Yeah, there's a billion cop shows on the tube nowadays, but only Breaking Bad doesn't leave you feeling like a James Patterson fan. If you like your crime shit more Coen Brothers than Agatha Christie, this is the show for you.

Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino

If you've been missing the Tarantino of the nineties, the one who concentrated on amazing dialogue and characters instead of more visceral thrills, Inglourious Basterds is the movie that will send you racing back into his loving, fucked-up arms. While not the extra gory take on The Dirty Dozen the trailers may have promised, Basterds is essentially one long, unbearably intense conversation after another, each paying off in unexpected ways. And if you like your bad guys cunning, quirky and unspeakably evil, Christoph Waltz's Hans "The Jew Hunter" Landa is your best bet since Hannibal Lecter. If the Oscars isn't wall-to-wall pimping of this movie, the Academy has failed the true film fans yet again.

The Baader Meinhof Complex - Uli Edel

The true story of the leftist seventies German terrorism cell Baader Meinhof is covered in this thrilling German film (oh heavens! Subtitles!). With a breakneck pace, non-stop violence, great soundtrack, and an utterly pitiless tone, this shit is more the Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Casino) approach to historical drama than, say, Richard Attenborough (Gandhi, Chaplin) . Along with Matteo Garrone's Gommorah (also based on a true story), The Baader Meinhof Complex proved that you have to look across the Atlantic for truly edgy, bleak crime films today.

The Nerd of Noir is a blogger living in the Twin Cities. His reviews of crime and noir fiction, film, TV, and comics can be found at bscreview.com or at his blog proper, http://nerdofnoir.blogspot.com/ . He's a movie freak in general and is constantly giving 140 character reviews of every damn thing he sees on his twitter page, twitter.com/nerdofnoir . Apparently, the Nerd of Noir is also a blatant self-promoter. His real name is arguably Pete Dragovich.

Check out the rest of the 5 Favorites entries.

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DVD Review: SPECTACLE: ELVIS COSTELLO WITH...Season One.

MVD Entertainment Group
Release date: November 17th, 2009
MSRP: DVD: $49.95, Blu-ray: $69.95

Add Elvis Costello to the list of those that have their own talk show, but unlike most, Elvis seems to have something fresh to bring to the table.

Broadcast on the Sundance Channel, SPECTACLE: ELVIS COSTELLO WITH...is a delightful show with a simple premise: Elvis and his guest talk about, and play, music. Seems simply enough, but the shows success is in large part to Elvis himself. He is charming and smart and manages to make the interviews fun as well as in depth.

The show makes it's lofty goals clear right off the bat, with Elton John as the first guest. They do a good job of mixing jazz and pop, old school and new, with guests like Tony Lou Reed & Julian Schnabel Bill Clinton, Tony Bennett, The Police as well as Rufus Wainwright and Jacob Dylan. And while I am not a big country fan, the Nashville episode (featuring Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson and John Mellencamp) is wonderful. Kristofferson does a hell of a job (I know him more as an actor) and the entire crew brings down the house with Me & Bobby McGee.

To compare the show to Inside The Actor's Studio (the early shows before it became a joke) would not be inaccurate. As I said, the interviews are detailed, with Elvis and his producers having clearly done their homework. Also like ITAS, one does not have to be a fan of the guest to enjoy the show as Elvis has enough charm and class for some mid-sized cities.

Guest list:
Episode 1. Elton John
2. Bill Clinton
3. Tony Bennett
4. Lou Reed & Julian Schnabel
5. The Police
6. Smokey Robinson
7. Rufus Wainwright
8. Jakob Dylan/Jenny Lewis/She & Him
9. Diana Krall
10. Herbie Hancock
11. Rosanne Cash/Norah Jones/Kris Kristofferson/John Mellencamp
12. James Taylor
13. Renee Fleming

Extras:
Here we get some backstage interviews with the performers talking about the show and their thoughts on Mr. Elvis. We also have Elvis talking about the show and how it came to be. In addition, Smokey Robinson takes us on a tour of the Apollo Theater. Very cool stuff.

This show is very fun and will be enjoyed by any music buff. You don't have to be a fan of Elvis to have fun here. A great show that would make a killer Christmas gift.

Order SPECTACLE: ELVIS COSTELLO WITH... on DVD. Order it on Blu-ray.

Jeremy
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Vince Keenan.

DVD

Edge of Darkness. The finest thriller ever made for the small screen finally comes to home video. So far ahead of its time that a quarter-century later it’s still on the cutting edge.

Movies

The Damned United. This fourth collaboration between actor Michael Sheen and screenwriter Peter Morgan is so good, it actually got me to care about soccer. Fine, football. Happy now?

The Informant! A tricky tone nailed from the outset in a different kind of whistleblower story.

Julia. A crime drama like no other you’ll see this year. Tilda Swinton gives a titanic performance as a hardcore self-destructive alcoholic making one bad decision after another.

A Serious Man. The Coen Brothers’ latest is part autobiography, part modern retelling of The Book of Job, and the best movie I’ve seen all year.

Vince Keenan is a contributor to the Noir City Sentinel, the journal published by the Film Noir Foundation. He writes about popular culture at his blog, VinceKeenan.com.

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X-Files - Tie in Comics

X-Files was a wonderful TV show. Amazon has them very inexpensive right now and so I've picked up a few seasons and have been watching them again. The early seasons in particular were really well done before they got overly bogged down with all the sup plots. The latest movie was a good crime flick, but didn't feel like X-Files to me.

Wildstorm comics, an imprint of DC has recently done some X-Files comics and among the big name comic guys they also had the show's producer and writer Frank Spotnitz do some of the writing. The first story opens with a murder and a missing girl. We soon learn that something is jumping bodies and can't stop killing. There is also a tale of secret experiments for new ways to kill people remotely, a great tale with monsters and it wraps up with a strange murder investigation that seems to have a suspect in three places at once.

The whole thing is collected in a trade paperback and is available now. It has what I loved best about the show, a variety in cases, and wonderful interplay between characters.

Buy The X-Files Graphic Novel
The X-Files - The Complete First Season (Slim Set)
The X-Files - The Complete Second Season (Slim Set)

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Supernatural on Sale at Amazon

First Four season on Sale CHEAP!
Great chance to pick up this fun show


Supernatural - The Complete First Season
Supernatural - The Complete Second Season
Supernatural - The Complete Third Season
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season

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DVD Review: LIFE ON MARS - The Second Series

Acorn Media
Release date: Nov 24, 2009)
MSRP: $59.99

Stars: John Simm, Philip Glenister, Liz White, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster

Season 2 of this amazing show picks up right where 1 leaves off. Sam Tyler still stuck in 1973 is coming to grips a bit with his present whereabouts, he’s more comfortable and almost seems to be enjoying the work. But the joy is short lived as he starts to see signs from the future indicating that he may be able to go back.


It’s hard to talk about this too much without giving anything away. I will say this. I think it’s some of the best television that’s been done in the last twenty years. The American version was entertaining, but lacked the heart that is so evident in every episode of the UK original. By the last episode I had no idea what would happen and how it would end. I could not have predicted the ending and it’s a bit ambiguous. I think I know what I thin happened, though others have different
thoughts. But I will say I think the ending works and I liked it a lot. The sequel is called Ashes to Ashes and involves a female cop going back to 1982. There are references to Sam Tyler so we may still get a little more of the story.

This is fascinating television with a lot of heart and a lot of soul. I can’t imagine anyone not loving this.

Jon Jordan
For more reviews from Jon, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.

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5 Favorites of 2009: Anne Frasier.

Grey Gardens

I’m a big fan of the Grey Gardens documentary, and I enjoyed the HBO remake starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Drew Barrymore’s acting was a bit strained at times, but Jessica Lange was phenomenal as Big Edie. I liked that the HBO film visited issues and fleshed out scenes simply alluded to in the documentary. Both left me feeling Little Edie and Big Edie twisted history into their own versions of what they personally needed to believe in order to get by.

Bored to Death

Really loving Bored to Death. The half-hour comedy is about a blocked writer (Jason Schwarztman) who puts an ad on Craigslist and begins moonlighting as a private investigator because he’s read a lot of crime-fiction novels. Ted Danson almost steals the show as Jonathan’s friend and boss. Some episodes are on the slow side, but overall an excellent new HBO comedy.

Dollhouse

Dollhouse been cancelled, but I have to mention it since it was probably my favorite television show of 2009. Like most Joss Whedon works, it began too slowly. I actually disliked the first episode or two because I wasn’t given information needed to root for or care about anybody. But as the plot unfolded and the characters took solid shape, I became hooked. Cancelled.

Fringe

Fox’s sc-fi thriller Fringe is another show that just keeps getting better as the audience is given more information. Like Dollhouse, this show has a challenging premise and an overall story arc with a lot of depth and backstory. But the more information we are fed, the more interesting Fringe becomes. I particularly like the relationship of Walter, the mad scientist, and his estranged son, Peter.

Lars and the Real Girl

This is a quirky film with a lot of heart about a socially inept guy (Ryan Gosling) who falls deeply in love with a life-size doll named Bianca. Bianca is a social butterfly, and she soon becomes a well-liked member of the community. Her popularity paves the way for Lars to become a more active presence in the small town. Delightful!

Anne

Anne Frasier is an award-winning author of nineteen novels. She was a contributor to the 2009 Once Upon a Crime anthology published by Nodin Press, and is currently editing a short-story anthology of Halloween tales. She recently completed a memoir about her years spent on an apple farm. Anne lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and rural Wisconsin. Visit her website.

Check out the rest of the 5 Favorites of 2009 entries.

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THE KILLER INSIDE ME to debut at Sundance.

THE KILLER INSIDE ME will be one of One hundred and thirteen feature-length films being screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival from January 21st-31st in Park City, Utah.

Based on the novel by iconic writer Jim Thompson, Michael Winterbottom's THE KILLER INSIDE ME tells the story of handsome, charming, unassuming small town sheriff's deputy Lou Ford.

Lou (Casey Affleck)has a bunch of problems. Woman problems. Law enforcement problems. An ever-growing pile of murder victims in his West Texas jurisdiction. And the fact he's a sadist, a psychopath, a killer. Suspicion begins to fall on Lou, and it's only a matter of time before he runs out of alibis.

The trailer certainly shows promise. Casey impressed me with GONE BABY GONE and looks to have taken his game up a notch here.

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Blu-ray Review: FIGHT CLUB (1999)

Release date: November 17, 2009
Fox Home Entertainment
MSRP: $34.99
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham-Carter, Meat Loaf
Screenplay by Jim Uhls
Directed by David Fincher

I feel like one of a handful of people who had never seen Fight Club or read Chuck Palahniuk's novel before getting the chance to review this Blu-ray release. Edward Norton plays the unnamed narrator, an auto insurance investigator fed up with the monotony of his life who attends support groups for sufferers of various ailments in hopes of curing insomnia. This works until he meets Marla Singer (Helena Bonham-Carter), who, like the narrator, attends multiple support groups but shows no sign she really needs them.

The narrator fixates on Marla until, on one of his many business flights, he meets flashy philosophical soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). After a fire destroys his apartment, the narrator moves in with Tyler, who introduces him to a nationwide underground network of fight clubs. Through these clubs, Tyler amasses an army of men, all similarly disillusioned with their lives and seduced into Tyler's destructive philosophy.

Fight Club seemed like just a dark, satirical social commentary until, about two-thirds through my first viewing, I saw the lines between the narrator and Tyler blurring. I realized Fight Club was also a commentary on identity and how dangerous it is to become detached from our actions. That message is as relevant today as it was ten years ago.

Highly recommended.

The Blu-ray release features four commentaries, with the director, cast, writers, and technical staff respectively, along with all the content from the 2-DVD Special Edition. Exclusive to Blu-ray are an interactive featurette on the sound design of Fight Club, footage of Fincher, Norton, and Pitt accepting a Spike TV award on behalf of Fight Club, and a search index.


--Gerald So

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Three added to DELTA BLUES.

THR has announced three additions to Jason Lee's upcoming TNT pilot DELTA BLUES. Abraham Benrubi, Celia Weston and DJ Qualls has come on board.

Abraham Benrubi is best known, to me at least, for playing Jerry on ER and Larry on PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE. He is playing Sgt. J.C. Lightfoot, a cop that is 1/8 Indian and has embraced his heritage, acting as a sort of wise man for the rest of the police force.

Celia Weston has done three dozen films as well as having been a semi-regular on ALICE (70/80s sitcom about a single mother that works in a diner...Kiss My Grits ring a bell?). No word on who she is playing, but her age is right for the role of Dwight (Jason Lee)'s mother.

Qualls will be playing a cop for whom Dwight is a mentor. This makes me more than a little sad. I want to see this show and his addition certainly dampens my enthusiasm. I have trouble seeing him as a legit human, much less a cop. Maybe he will prove me totally wrong, but this is the guy that did THE NEW GUY and DELTA FARCE. He will be playing

For those that are not familiar with the premise of DELTA BLUES, Dwight Hendricks, an excellent Memphis cop that moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and lives with his mother.

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FX wants more SONS OF ANARCHY.

FX has announced they have ordered a third season of SONS OF ANARCHY. The order is for thirteen episodes, with a planned debut in September of 2010.

The show, which just completed it's second season, has been pushed as a sort of SOPRANOS set in the world of outlaw bikers. Season one was fairly enjoyable, but season two has seen the show really find identity. Very entertaining and certainly worth checking out. Season one is available on DVD. It stars Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal.

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5 Favorites for 2009: Patti Abbott.

Movies
GOMORRAH- looks at the Camorra in Naples. By intertwining five stories of low level actors in the syndicate, it makes the point that life is brutal and short for the bottom feeders in this chain. It was frightening, realistic, surprising. It demythologizes all the movies and TV shows that came before it by never showing us the lives of those at the top. I was stunned by the violence, yet riveted.

JERICHOW initially appeared to be another version of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. But the story plays out differently. The cuckolded husband is more complex; the lovers more desperate. Loved the setting, the dreary isolation of its three characters.

STAR TREK-I’m not that much of a trekkie although I have seen most TV episodes of the first two series. I never really liked any of the movies—until this one. How did the writers/director manage to reinvent the story so gracefully and yet be true to previous incarnations? And can they continue it?

TV
In Treatment-In some ways, season two was superior to season one, despite what my husband claims. Five strong stories that seemed to reverberate more to me. Paul, the psychologist becomes less god-like, more human. My only complaint was running the episodes over two nights rather that five each week. I didn’t want to wait and yet watching three in a row detracted from my ability to absorb it.

ON DVD

Season One of TRUE BLOOD. I wonder if Season One seemed better than Two because I watched it in bigger chunks on DVD. Or if the religious subplot and nightly orgy scenes bogged Season Two down. Season One seemed to get it all right—expertly cast, and the romance between Sookie and Bill seemed more captivating and urgent.

Patti Abbott
Patti Abbott writes crime fiction short stories. She hosts a look at Forgotten Books every Friday with readers, writers and reviewers at pattinase.blogspot.com. She hopes you'll join in.

Check out the rest of the 5 for 2009 entries.

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Crimespree Gift Buying guide

Season’s Greetings! It is once again that time of the year when you are racking your brain, trying to figure out what to buy for those special someones (or that special magazine writer) in your life.
We here at Crimespree feel your pain and want to make things easier. Because of this, we have put together this handy Holiday Gift Guide. Contained here are some of the more interesting DVD releases that just might help the holiday buying go a little easier.

Television:

ALLY MCBEAL: The Complete Series. Before David Kelly gave the world Alan Shore and Denny Crane, he had another very successful series about quirky lawyers. Calista Flockhart starred as the title character. This set contains all five seasons as well as an addition disc containing over two hours of new extras. In addition, it comes with The Best of ALLY MCBEAL soundtrack. The MSRP is $199.98.
Buy Ally McBeal: The Complete First Season
Buy Ally McBeal: The Complete Series



FOYLE's WAR stars Michael Kitchen stars as Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle. Though unable to serve his country in the military, Foyle protects his country by going after murders, war profiteers and even the occasional terrorist. Acorn Media has released volumes one through five (spanning the entirety of WW 2) in Foyle's War: Series 1-5 - From Dunkirk to VE-Day. This show should appeal to history buffs as well as fans of British police procedurals. This set was my first real experience with the show and I was really impressed with it. This set retails for $149.99.
Buy Foyle's War: Set 1
Buy Foyle's War: Series 1-5


Today, Garry Shandling is best known for THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, but back in the late 80s, he starred in IT'S GARRY SHANDLING'S SHOW. TGSS was a very odd, and very smart, comedy. Garry starred as Garry Shandling, a somewhat neurotic stand-up comedian. In addition to the regulars, the show had special appearances by Carl Reiner, Tom Petty, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase (back when that meant something) and even the (then) L.A. mayor Tom Bradley! Members of the writing staff went on to work on SEINFELD, THE SIMPSONS and NIGHT COURT. The show was a true gem. The Shout! Factory has released the complete series and has loaded it up with some damn nice features. Anyone that remembers the early days of the Fox network will be grinning from ear-to-ear with this. MSRP is $159.99 and is worth every penny!
Buy It's Garry Shandling's Show: The Complete Series



After seven amazing seasons, THE SHIELD called it quits. The show just might be the best cop drama in the history of television (I put it in the number two slot after THE WIRE) and really should be owned by any crimes fiction fan. This season see the entire series released as one set with THE SHIELD: THE COMPLETE SERIES. Michael Chiklis led an impressive cast that included appearances by Glenn Close and Forrest Whitaker. Chiklis starred as Vic Mackey, a cop with more sins on his shoulders than most small countries. THE SHIELD revels in the morally gray areas and is a tour de force. Fans of hard-boiled fiction will certainly enjoy it. This set includes all of the extras from the individual releases, but not much more. If you already have all of the individual sets, you don't need this. If you have never paid attention to the show, now is the time to make amends. Pick this up and be prepared to have your socks knocked off. MSRP is $159.95.
Buy The Shield: Complete Series

THE UNIT lasted four seasons and managed to maintain a fairly standard of quality. The show came from Shawn Ryan (THE SHIELD) and Pulitzer winning playwright David Mamet and starred Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley and Robert Patrick. The show focused on a top secret Special Forces group that battled terrorists around the world. THE UNIT: The Complete Gift set contains 19-discs, but no new features. Still, this show will be appreciated by fans of 24 as well as lovers of thrillers. It also retails for $199.98
Buy The Unit: The Complete Giftset

One of my all-time favorite flicks NORTH BY NORTHWEST is getting all gussied up for the holidays. Warner is releasing NORTH BY NORTHWEST: 50th Anniversary Edition on both DVD and Blu-ray. Just in case one of you is not familiar with the film (And boy do I pity you!), Cary Grant stars as a slick ad man that is mistaken for a spy and framed for murder. Alfred Hitchcock directed it and it stands as one of the greatest films ever. The edition contains some of the extras from previous releases as well as two new documentaries: The Master’s Touch: Hitchcock’s Signature Style and North by Northwest: One for the Ages. The Blu-ray also comes with a 44-page booklet containing “photos, film facts and insider information." I would call this a must have.
Buy North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition)
Buy North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Book) [Blu-ray]


Also in the “You need this to exist” is LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL. The film introduced us to Natalie Portman at the tender age of 13. She, and co-star Jean Reno, kicked our asses and made this is a cult classic. It is only at cult level because too many folk are not familiar with it. If you like the crime genre, if you like good acting, if you like movies, you should own it! I mention this because Sony is offering LEON up on Blu-ray for $24.95. This is a film I could watch 100 times and never get tired of.
Buy Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition)
Buy Leon - The Professional (Uncut International Version)

Also coming on Blu-ray is the MEL BROOKS COLLECTION. This set comes with the HD versions of BLAZING SADDLES, HIGH ANXIETY, HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I, ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS, SILENT MOVIE, SPACEBALLS, To Be Or Not To Be, The Twelve Chairs and Young Frankenstein. Retail is $139.99.
Buy The Mel Brooks Collection [Blu-ray]
Buy The Mel Brooks Collection (Blazing Saddles / Young Frankenstein / Silent Movie / Robin Hood: Men in Tights / To Be or Not to Be / History of the World, Part 1 / The Twelve Chairs / High Anxiety)


Anyone that knows me knows I truly cherished the films of Paul Newman. So I jumped for joy when I heard the news of THE PAUL NEWMAN TRIBUTE COLLECTION. The set contains: THE LONG, HOT SUMMER, RALLY ‘ROUND THE FLAG, BOYS!, FROM THE TERRACE, EXODUS, THE HUSTLER COLLECTOR’S EDITION, HEMINGWAY’S ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG MAN, WHAT A WAY TO GO!, HOMBRE, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID COLLECTOR’S EDITION, THE TOWERING INFERNO SPECIAL EDITION, BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS OR SITTING BULL’S HISTORY LESSON, Quintet, The Verdict Collector’s Edition. This set also comes with a 136 page photo book that is only available as part of this set.
Personally, I like the mix of this set. It has some major classics as well as some lesser known flicks. The MSRP is pretty reasonable at $89.98.
Buy Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection

Fans of the UFC have some DVDs that would make excellent gifts. Anchor Bay has recently release UFC 100: Making History on both Blu-ray ($29.97) and DVD ($19.97). UFC 100 features Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre defending his title against #1 contender Thiago Alves, as well as Heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar looking for revenge against former champ Frank Mirs. In addition to those main events, TUF coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping square off. This is the first UFC event to be released on Blu-ray and it looks great! And if that is not enough to satisfy the MMA fan in your life, ULTIMATE 100 GREATEST FIGHTS features the 100 best (though there is certainly reason to debate that claim) fights in the history of the UFC. Some of these bouts are from the Spike series Ultimate Fight Nights and have not been on DVD before. This set is damn impressive and will have any fan pumped at the prospect of having it. This set is also available on both Blu-ray ($119.97) and DVD ($99.97).

2009 saw several Charlie Brown titles released: A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS is now available on Blu-ray! This is my all-time favorite Christmas special and is a must own for anyone that celebrates it. It comes in a combo pack with both the DVD as well as the BD. Retail is $29.99. If Blu-ray is not needed, I would suggest PEANUTS 1960s COLLECTION (A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN’S ALL-STARS, IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN, YOU’RE IN LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN, HE’S YOUR DOG, CHARLIE BROWN AND IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN.) and PEANUTS 1970s COLLECTION volume one (PLAY IT AGAIN, CHARLIE BROWN, YOU’RE NOT ELECTED, CHARLIE BROWN, THERE’S NO TIME FOR LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN, A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING, IT’S A MYSTERY, CHARLIE BROWN AND IT’S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN.) Each retails for $29.97.
Buy Peanuts: 1960's Collection

My own cartoon watching experiences began in the mid 70s, but for those that were up on Saturday mornings before me: SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS 1960S VOLUME 2 and SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS 1970s VOLUME 2. 1960s FEATURES QUICK DRAW MCGRAW, THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW, THE PORKY PIG SHOW, THE WALLY GATOR SHOW (WITH LIPPY THE LION AND TOUCHE TURTLE) AND THE JETSONS. THE PETER POTAMUS SHOW (WITH BREEZLY AND SNEEZLY AND, YIPPEE, YAPPEE AND YAHOOEY), THE ROAD RUNNER SHOW, THE MAGILLA GORILLA SHOW and others that I have never heard of. 1970s enters into my own realm with THE NEW ADVENTURES OF GILLIGAN, SEA LAB 2020, AMAZING CHAN AND THE CHAN CLAN, YOGI’S GANG, THE BUGS BUNNY/ROAD RUNNER HOUR, VALLEY OF THE DINOSAURS, THE TOM AND JERRY/GRAPE APE SHOW, THE BANANA SPLITS ADVENTURE HOUR, INCH HIGH PRIVATE EYE AND THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN (featuring the voices of TV’s original Batman and Robin, Adam West and Burt Ward). Just typing this is bringing back memories! Each runs $26.99.
Buy Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Vol. 1
Buy Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Vol. 2
Buy Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 1
Buy Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 2

TOM AND JERRY: CHUCK JONES COLLECTION ($26.99) contains the 34 episodes that animation icon Chuck Jones produced. Honestly, this is a damn impressive collection that features some truly legendary clips.
Buy Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection

LAW AND ORDER CRIMINAL INTENT Season Four is finally out: Awesome show which just gets better and better
Buy Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Season Four
Buy Law & Order Criminal Intent - The Third Year

Gift Guide – The Books:

If you are looking for something in the printed form for the holidays we recommend if possible shopping at an independently owned bookstore. They do a great service and deserve your patronage.

Here are a few things for you to consider this holiday season for readers on your list.

Know any fans of Life on Mars? Get them a copy of THE WIT AND WISDOM OF DCI GENE HUNT from Bantam UK. This is a lovely book complied by fellow officers DC Chris Skelton and DS Ray Carling. Learn from the mast himself on such topics as Birthdays, booze, kids, London, movie old people and lots of other topical subjects. A perfect example? “I always drink in moderation. I’m not an idiot, once I’m unconscious it’s time to stop.” DCI Hunt on Booze. This is a great stocking stuffer.
Looking for straight up crime fiction and mystery to give to friends and family?

Hard Case Crime is a perfect gift in this economy. Paperbacks all Hard Case Crime is putting out wonderful book. Some of the more recent include: THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES by Jonny Porkpie, HONEY IN HIS MOUTH by Lester Dent (Yes, THAT Lester Dent), LOSERS LIVE LONGER by Russell Atwood, and QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE by the always great Max Allan Collins.
Buy The Corpse Wore Pasties
Buy Honey in his Mouth
Buy Quarry in the Middle by Max Allan Collins


Just out from Bantam, BRYANT & MAY ON THE LOOSE by Christopher Fowler features the Peculiar Crimes Unit and is funny, clever and sublimely ingenious.
Buy Bryant & May on the Loose: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery

Looking for something that needs appeal for non readers? How about Al Roker’s new book, THE MORNING SHOW MURDERS co written with Dick Lochte? It’s Roker’s first novel, and given his love for the genre it’s sure to please.
Buy The Morning Show Murders

Susan Kandel has a series featuring Cece Caruso and Cece is a biographer of mystery writers. She is also a part time sleuth. This series is loads of fun and something any fan of the genre should love. The latest is DIAL H FOR HITCHCOCK.
Buy Dial H for Hitchcock
Buy Not a Girl Detective
Buy I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason
Buy Christietown
Buy Shamus in the Green Room

There are certain authors who are just consistently damn good. Ruth Rendell and Reginald Hill both fall into this category. They both have new books out which and reader would love to unwrap. Rendell’s latest is THE MONSTER IN THE BOX and Hill’s latest is MIDNIGHT FUGUE. You can’t go wrong with the classics.
Buy The Monster in the Box: An Inspector Wexford Novel
Buy Midnight Fugue: A Dalziel and Pascoe Mystery

You say your loved ones like thrillers and espionage? How about Allan Folsom’s THE HADRIAN MEMORANDUM. Former LA cop moves to England to live a quiet life, but things out of his control ensnare him in a global crisis. Another page turner for thriller fans is 9800 SAVAGE ROAD by M.E. Harrigan, a fictional account of days leading up to 911 that has a murder taking place within the national Security Agency. Fast paced and spooky in its clarity. One more thriller to consider is Michelle Gagnon’s THE GATEKEEPER. A killing and a kidnapping are just the beginnings of a horrible plot and this book will be a one sitting read.
Buy The Hadrian Memorandum
Buy 9800 Savage Road: A Novel of the National Security Agency
Buy The Gatekeeper


Fans of Mark Billingham can share the love this holiday season with either the US release of DEATH MESSAGE or the UK release of BLOODLINE. Both are novels featuring DI Tom Thorne, Billingham’s detective is perfect for people who love great crime fiction.
Buy Death Message
Buy In the Dark by Mark Billingham

If you have people on your list who prefer things a bit darker Allan Guthrie’s SLAMMER might be just the thing. It’s a bit of a fictional punch in the gut followed by a beer.
Buy Allan Guthrie's SLAMMER

A great nonfiction book that would be a great gift is DETECTIVES DON’T WEAR SEAT BELTS by Cici McNair. A memoir that is tagged as “ True adventures of a female PI”. Fiction is great, but damn, this book is the real deal and it’s engrossing and wonderful.
Buy Detectives Don't Wear Seat Belts: True Adventures of a Female P.I.

Sometimes the holidays call for something a bit twisted and dark, and if that’s the case then Cody McFadyen’s ABANDONED is the book you are looking for. A serial killer book that will keep you up late enough to ring in the New Year.
Buy Abandoned: A Thriller

Young adults in the house? Buy them THE GATES by John Connolly. Or some of the wonderful YA books by Chris Grabbenstien.
Buy The Gates: A Novel



Comics:

From Vertigo comics, FABLES DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 1. This is a great series and we’ve praised more than a few times here at Crimespree. This deluxe edition is an oversized hardcover coming in at 264 pages featuring the first ten issues of the amazing series. Awesome art and Bill Willingham has done an amazing thing with the classic characters for our childhoods. “Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. When Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it's up to Fabletown's sheriff, the reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to find the killer.” Ruth can’t say enough good things about this book.
Buy Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 1


Volumes 1 and 2 of WONDERMARK would make a great gift for anyone with a sense of humor. These volumes are made up of individual comic strip using 19th century engravings for art with modern gags. Outrageously hysterical. Published by Dark Horse Comics.
Buy Wondermark: Beards of our Forefathers (Collection of Wondermark Comic Strips)
Buy Wondermark: Clever Tricks To Stave Off Death

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS from DC Comics is perfect for any old school comics fan. The story is ambitious and you don’t need to be caught up in continuity to enjoy it. The Legion of super heroes is under attack and they call on two other legions from parallel earths to help them battle the Legion of Super Villains led by an extremely evil Superboy Prime. Massive action and a wonderful story incorporating legion lore from decades of stories. Geoff Johns has surpassed himself in writing this and George Perez is at the top of his game on the art. Jon’s inner 12 year old fanboy was hyperventilating while he read this.
Buy Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds HC
And also:
Buy Final Crisis

Just in time, DC COMICS SHOWCASE PRESENTS has released THE HOUSE OF SECRETS, Volumes 1 & 2. Cain and Abel are your narrators. The pair introduced many of us to the world of Horror Comics long ago. HOUSE OF SECRETS delves into everything creepy, scary and weird. You’ll find werewolves and ghosts, evil stepmothers & talk of Doomsday. With many of the greatest artists and writers of its time contributing to this magnificent macabre, HOUSE OF SECRETS is as timeless as THE TWILIGHT ZONE and a great intro to the world of comics for anyone who likes their tales on the dark side. Give this inspired piece of Americana to someone you love for Christmas. It will curdle their toes. There are also a lot of other Showcase titles to choose from all priced to fit any budget. Look for the Warlord and Elclipso books out now as well.
Buy Showcase Presents: House of Secrets, Vol. 1
Buy Showcase Presents: House of Secrets Vol. 2

Looking for crime fiction comics? Five volumes of Scalped are out by Jason Aaron. From the description at Vertigo’s website: “Fifteen years ago, Dashiell "Dash" Bad Horse ran away from a life of abject poverty and utter hopelessness on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation searching for something better. Now he's come back home armed with nothing but a set of nunchucs, a hell-bent-for-leather attitude and one dark secret, to find nothing much has changed on "The Rez" — short of a glimmering new casino, and a once-proud people overcome by drugs and organized crime. Is he here to set things right or just get a piece of the action?”
This is an awesome hardboiled and dark crime fiction series. If you know anybody who thinks Scarface and The Godfather are holiday movies, hook them up with SCALPED.
Buy Scalped Vol. 1: Indian Country
Buy Scalped Vol. 2: Casino Boogie
Buy Scalped, Vol. 3: Dead Mothers
Buy Scalped Vol. 4: The Gravel in Your Guts
Buy Scalped Vol. 5: High Lonesome


Vertigo Crime also has their first two books out, FILTHY RICH by Brian Azzarello and Dark ENTRIES by Ian Rankin, both of these should make any comics loving crime fiction fan happy.
Buy Filthy Rich
Buy Dark Entries

Another really cool title with politics and intrigue: Ex Machina, now in deluxe editions.
Buy Ex Machina, Vol. 1 (Deluxe Edition)
Buy Ex Machina Deluxe Book Two

Duane Swierczynski has been doing some cool comics. Check out Iron Fist.
Buy Immortal Iron Fist Volume 5: Escape From The Eighth City TPB
Buy Immortal Iron Fist Volume 4: The Mortal Iron Fist TPB


The last title up is TOM STRONG: DELUXE EDITION Vol. 1, a creation of Alan Moore this series harkens back to the days before heroes were all dark and brooding. Tom Strong is a science hero, raised by his parents in a special environment on an island to be stronger and smarter than your average man. Kind of like Doc Savage and early Superman, Tom is one of the true good guys, fighting evil and keeping earth safe. The art is bright and colorful and the stories truly inspired. Perfect for comics fans of all ages.
Buy Tom Strong Deluxe Edition Vol. 1



Misc:

Dark Horse comics has a Bruce Campbell 12” action figure. It comes with a guns, booze, and miniature angel and devil for his shoulders. Fans of Burn Notice, and fans of Bruce will love this.
Buy Bruce Campbell 12 inch Action Figure

Looking for something to keep books from tipping over? Check out www.justbookends.com/. A whole website full of nothing but bookends!

We'll have more ideas in a few days!
Happy Holidays!

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