Stephen King's "Joyland" book review

There is a lot to like in this retro tale of summer, spooks, 70's young love, and amusement park life. Stephen King again proves he is a master story teller. His characters are sympathetic and richly drawn. We have "Madame Fortuna"/Rozzie Gold from Brookyn, the carny mentalist; Mrs Shoplaw, the worldly landlady; Erin, the feisty coed;  Mr Easterbrook, nonagenarian owner of the park and Mike Ross, the dying child with "the sight" and yummy mummy/sharpshooter, Annie Ross. Our hero is college student, Devin Jones, who dreams of being an author much like Mr King. Devin takes a summer job in a B grade amusement park (think Jesse Eisenberg in the marvellous "Adventureland" flick from 2009, though this park is on the North Carolina coast ).  One of Jones's jobs is to "wear the fur" (dress up as the park's mascot, a giant dog). Is this a nostalgic nod to Scooby Doo (and those "meddling kids" investigating spooky carryings-on in fun parks)?
Okay, I might be pushing my luck with that one.

Amusement park/sideshow alley settings tap a rich vein for mystery, horror and the macabre (e.g. books like "Nightmare Alley", "Something Wicked This Way Comes", Koontz's "The Funhouse", films like "Freaks" and "The Seven Faces of Dr Lao").
I enjoyed the amusement park lingo used by the staff and the behind-the-scenes descriptions of the amusement park. This novel has a lot of heart, chills are secondary. A quick pleasurable read, celebrating Americana gothic and pulp fiction.
Hard Case Crime books, 2013, 283 pages
Note the retro, lurid cover.

Stephen King "Doctor Sleep" A return to form?

Don't you love a page-turner? This is a return to form for Stephen King, as good as his horror classics from the seventies. You don't need to have read "The Shining" to appreciate this sequel, though.
Danny Torrance, the little boy with the shining, is now in his thirties, battling alcoholism as well as his psychic powers. King's own experiences with alcoholism makes this novel stronger and more pertinent than other recent efforts. He explores near family ties, death and the plight of the elderly (obviously close to King's heart). The hospice scenes are extremely well handled. The final chapters show King in a more compassionate and contemplative vein. It was over 35 years since he wrote "The Shining".
Abra, the feisty 13 year old with mega-shining is a likeable and well drawn character. The travelling vampires (masquerading as retirees/grey nomads) who feed on children for their life force is amusing as well as terrifying.
Some of the most disturbing passages are derived from sordid real life (e.g. the soiled diaper toddler crying "Canny"). Rose, the head of the vampire clan, is a worthy adversary for Dan and Abra.
Stephen King writes: "Watch out for those Winnebagos and Bounders. You never know who might be inside. Or what."
A great curl-up-by-the-openfire book.

486 pages, hard cover, Hodder & Stoughton.

"Dracula" Episode 10, finale, NBC TV series, 2013, spoilers

"Dracula" went out with a bang, literally. Bye bye to wireless electricity.
 Lots to like in the final episode (with possibly no Season 2 due to low ratings). The creator, Cole Haddon, was the writer for this finale. Although Harker and Van Helsing (love his nifty crucifixes) seem to be geared up for a vampire hunt in the last scene (shades of  the final scene of 1979 version of "Salem's Lot".
Van Helsing goes postal - mayhem in his lab, knifing good one Renfield (I'll miss that big dude) and a creepy revenge scene (kids putting the bite on daddy in the cellar). As Nigel Powers told Austin, "Never trust the Dutch, son."
The Italian seer was underused (loved his cool specs). The Jane/Grayson fist fight could have been much longer (a la "Banshee" fight scenes).
It's been a fun (and sumptuous to look at) ride - Victorian melodrama, bodice-ripping, dismemberment, blood lust, steampunk, a spot of lesbianism, secret societies, revenge and eternal love.

"Murder in Mississippi" by John Safran, true crime, 2013

I have followed John Safran's ballsy and brave documentaries since the mid 90's. His wry humour, as well as the ability to get himself into (and out of) explosive situations, make his films compulsive viewing.
In his series "Race Relations", Safran spends time with Richard Barrett, a white supremacist in the Deep South. In 2010 Barrett is brutally murdered by troubled black youth, Vincent McGee. Safran turns from filmmaker to investigator/author.
True crime books are not my bag, however I could not put this one down. Carefully constructed, witty and insightful. The characters Safran tracks down, the twists and turns, the secrets, the politics and culture of Mississippi, the honesty of the interviews are astounding. It's amazing how people just open up and tell Safran so much. It highlights the huge differences between Australians and Americans. John Safran (raised in a comfortable part of Melbourne, Australia) has an amazing knack of fitting into any situation, letting people tell their stories while he stands back, without making judgements.
There is a lovely little bit about one third of the way through where the author reflects about the impact parents can have, referencing his own experiences in his late teens.
Part history lesson, part crime story, part personal journey.

When you finish the book .... go on Vincent McGee's (use lowercase "g") Facebook page ...chilling.

"Murder in Mississippi : The true story of how I met a white supremacist, befriended his black killer and wrote this book" John Safran, author.
Highly recommended. Published by Penguin Books, 2013, 368 pages
U.S. edition title "God's Gonna Cut You Down"

PS A nice companion piece is HBO's moody and dark "True Detective" - Southern Gothic set in Louisiana.

"Peaky Blinders" Once Upon A Time In Birmingham, BBC2, review

From the stunning opening scene (dude rides into town on a horse??) featuring Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand", atmospheric Birmingham alleys aglow with furnace blasts, you knew this was going to be one out of the box. The scene by the fog shrouded canal (with a windmill in the left frame - think Sergio Leone) and slowly approaching canal barge, will knock your socks off.
Cillian Murphy (wily, but tormented Thomas) is charismatic and Helen McCrory (I liked her in "North Square") is perfect as the knowing family matriarch who can tote a gun with the best of 'em. Sam Neill chews up the scenery as the evangelical police chief who is sent to clean up the town.
Sure it's style driven, more like a Western than a Midlands crime drama, but it had me from the first minute. Thomas's opium smoking scene reminded me of "Once Upon A Time In America" (Sergio Leone again).
"Boardwalk Empire" has some competition. Interesting to note that writer/creator Steven Knight used to write for Brum icon Jasper Carrott.

Update:
Episode 2 was even better. Two great scenes - Tom and CI Campbell having afternoon tea and Billy Kimber's meeting in the pub with the Shelby clan.
Episode 3 - I'm hooked. This show goes from strength to strength. The warehouse confrontation between Tommy and Freddie was riveting. The race track scenes were opulent. The visuals in this show are quite beautiful. Production values rival "Boardwalk Empire". Arthur had more to do in this episode. Some nasty violence in the gents' lavatory. Disturbing seeing the little tyke brandishing the cleaver. Tommy is a wonderfully complex character. As is Grace.
Episode 4 Brilliant scene with Sam Neill and Cillian Murphy in the garage. I am getting used to the hodgepodge of accents. Tom shows again he is the master negotiator. Loved the big fat gypsy wedding. I think Grace has finally shown her hand.

"I'm So Excited" (2013), I'm so disappointed

Pedro Almodóvar's new movie is a pretty silly sex comedy. Imagine "Airplane!" meets "Priscilla". It was fun to see Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas in the first scene, explaining the plane's later predicament. It's definitely a lot lighter than the director's other recent work. 

As usual it looks gorgeous - striking colours and design. The setting - a Business Class cabin staffed by three outrageous queens while the whole of economy sleeps (due to mass doses of "muscle relaxant") - was nutty and quirky. But after that, I didn't get a whole lot of chuckles. 

Loads of sex, boozing and drug use. The galley's concoction - "Valencia Cocktail" - champagne, OJ, gin and mescaline and the mincing cabin crew's Pointer Sisters' dance number were the highlights.

No great character development, even though all the pointy-end passengers go through their back stories.

I sometimes wonder when I'm watching a foreign film - do the subtitles tell my brain: "Oh, this has subtitles, it must be more arty" (and worthy of my respect, than if I was watching a Hollywood flick).

"King Kong" The Musical Melbourne World Premiere, review

Picture Source: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Unique, groundbreaking, overblown, a mishmash of styles, poignant, ambitious - all of the above. The sheer scale of the production means that Australians will only see this in Melbourne. Who knows whether it will play in Broadway or London. This is no traditional musical comedy. Sometimes you think you are watching a hi tech rock concert spectacular - the incredible mega screens and projections.
It's like Baz Luhrmann has hijacked the proceedings. But for 95% of the time, it works. There are some mind blowing scenes that you won't forget in a hurry. "Full Moon Lullaby" is the standout song. "Rise" sung by the urban prophet of doom (Queenie Van De Zandt) is also good. The first song with its references to the iconic N.Y. skyscaper construction workers photograph (see below) and the German cult film "Metropolis".
The 30's chorus girls motif is overused but this is a minor quibble. Sound (I bet the guests next door at The Westin can hear the performance, especially the BOOMS), lighting, eclectic score, sets, myriad costumes, vocal talent -  all top shelf. Where has Esther Hannaford been? She was Tracy's best friend in "Hairspray". Now the leading lady, Esther Hannaford is a star as AnneDarrow. Her interplay with Kong is compelling.
This is state of the art musical theatre. In two and a half hours you are in midtown New York, on board ship, on Skull Island, backstage, atop the Empire State Building.

Oh.... not forgetting the simian star, Kong. The band of 13 puppeteers got one of the biggest rounds of applause on curtain call. The facial expressions on the mammoth (6 metre tall) beast are incredible. The 15 metre serpent fighting Kong will knock your socks off. The trippy mega screens, undulating stage, creepy Skull Island denizens (crawling from the ceiling), techno music made me think I was at a rave party. This is a new breed of musical theatre.
So many things could have gone wrong - all the cables, moving stages, electronics, hydraulics - this is only a month into its run - everything was flawless.
The clincher is premiering in The Regent, Melbourne's most opulent (1929) picture palace.

A little question: bit surprised about the muted applause after each song, during some of the matinee performance. Was it too loud for the old dears?
Seating tip: get a seat in the centre (to appreciate the trippy projections and screen effects), not too close (we sat 7 rows from the front in the Stalls). Perfect, but first 15 rows in the centre would be good. The Dress Circle balcony starts way back in the auditorium. Last 10 rows of Stalls, beware (the overhang means your view of the top part of stage is obstructed). Google seating plan of The Regent.

"When artisans were real men" Source:Slideshare

"Hannibal" NBC Episode 13 Series 1 final "Savoureux" review, spoilers

Don't expect fast moving action in this series final. This is a mood piece. The beautifully executed final scene between Will and Hannibal (with Mads Mikkelsen's glimmer of a smile). He knows that he knows. And he knows that he knows....
Dr Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson) certainly knows heaps about Lecter's past.
No graphic violence, apart from a regurgitated ear in Will's kitchen sink. Toward the end, Will sees Hannibal as the darkly demonic deer creature he has been dreaming of throughout this series - the realisation of who and what Lecter is. Now you realise what Lecter was doing with Will's fishing lures in an early episode.
I suppose some viewers might be getting a bit toey (restless) - waiting for a confrontation. But I think the tension is delicious - as delicious as Hannibal's weekly gourmet treats.
Series 2 must feature the missing Abigail (Kacey Rohl).

"Hannibal" NBC Series 1, Episode 11 "Roti" review

It is novel to find a lead character in a prime time show who is truly disturbed. Will is the real deal. As usual, the show serves up some stunning images - glaciers, tidal waves and the corpse totem. Let's not forget Will's 'wet dream'. Use of colour is powerful - wintry greys and white contrasted with deep greens and blood red.

The scene on the operating table ("Ms Lounds will be assisting") combined the gruesome with the comic - shades of the 1985 cult movie "Re-Animator". Nice to see Dr Gideon (Eddie Izzard) back (Bryan Fuller worked with Izzard in the "Mockingbird Lane" pilot). "Hannibal" raises the issue of the power of psychiatrists    can wield with their patients.
Check out the thriller cliche - the killer waiting in the car's rear seat - nice switcheroo - this time the killer is in the front seat.
The final scene with Gillian Anderson as Hannibal's savvy shrink was good value.

"Da Vinci's Demons" Series 1 final, Episode 8 "The Lovers" review

A ripper cliffhanger!
Loads of tension builds up as the Medici family prepare for Holy Communion. Showdown in the cathedral, blood-daubed priests, poisonous wafers, the lovely Vanessa carries on the Giuliano's name, Lucrezia earns her stripes and Leo saves the day for Lorenzo and Florence.
Nice to see mascara-boy back - cool flashback reuniting the Sons of Mithras in Constantinople. Nice astrolabe, dude.
I was looking forward to seeing the three amigos (Leo, Zor and Nico) sail off on their New World adventures.  Singing, "We're off on the road to El Dorado"??? Perhaps Series 2.

This series has benefitted from some very complex characters - like Dragonetti and Lucrezia.
A shame Joel Grey/Roman Polanski lookalike Pazzi escaped at the end. Glad Riario (Fab shades, by the way) can be evil in the next season.

"Up the Women" BBC4 TV series Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3 review

You think, O God, is this going to be a Frankie Howerd spinoff? No, it's a brave (could have been a train wreck) sitcom (1910 suffragettes) that is ten times better written and funnier than ITV's new sitcom "Vicious".
Don't forget the message, we seem to take this for granted these days, but feminism needs a kick in the pants after watching that reactionary 'sister' on "10 O'clock Live" last week.
After a rocky first scene, I settled back to enjoy this, as each character entered the Banbury Church Hall. The live audience is not as obtrusive after the first few minutes.
The lovable daffy nun (Judy Parfitt) from "Call the Midwife" has the best lines. I think I spied the sexy receptionist (Emma Pierson) from "Hotel Babylon" too. Adding to the fun, a very different Ryan Sampson (Grumio in Plebs). Boy, this guy is versatile.
Anyway I was won over by the end of the episode. This is Jessica Hynes's baby. Nice to see BBC has given bub a second series in 2014 (this time with 6 episodes). For good reason.

UPDATE: just watched this first episode again, few days later, this time with the wife....it's definitely a winner. Nicely written, sitcom with a heart. Episode 2 had more Ryan Sampson, too! Emma Pierson had a brilliant scene about her multitude of sprogs. It was as consistently funny as the first episode.

Third and final episode of the series featured a Monty Python-ish bit with the tiny Emmeline Pankhurst (Sandy Toksvig hiding under an enormous bonnet) portrayed as a school bully. This final half hour episode pulled out all the stops. I laughed out loud one moment, and was moved the next by the warm and well-drawn characters. Jessica Hynes's plaintive, tremulous voice is quite stirring.

"Hannibal" NBC Series 1, Episode 10 "Buffet Froid" review

Great to see NBC have commissioned Series 2. Shades of the supernatural in this disturbing episode. But then, aren't they all disturbing?
Hannibal capitalises on poor Will's mental state, again. Will's actual drawing of the clock face was a nice touch, well researched. The cadaverous girl under the bed and the opening up of the face (think Batman's The Joker meets a Pez fliptop pack) will cause nightmares for some young ones.
Liked the bit about Lecter's acute sense of smell and his medical colleague saying that Hannibal is the sanest man he knows (later Hannibal opens up the  good doctor's face with a pair of scissors).
Three observations:
Jack (Laurence Fishburne) is the boss everybody would love to have - loyal and principled.
The curse of thrillers: the victim always does dumb things - would you follow the wet footprints back to your bedroom?
For a gourmand, Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) has atrocious table manners. Watch what he does with his left hand when using a fork. Eeeek!

Trivia: In Australia, "Hannibal" is struggling in the ratings, the Seven Network have buried the show after 10:45 p.m. mid week.

"The Fall" Creepiest show on TV at the moment Episodes 1-5 review

I am knocked out by "The Fall".
Gillian Anderson (confession: I have never been a big fan) is fantastic as the cold and complex detective. I was gobsmacked when she tells the handsome copper, "I'm at the Hilton, the room number is 203". I am sure Agent Scully would not have been so forward with Mulder!
The gliding camera through the serial killer's home, shot from the ceiling, was astounding. Very Brian De Palma or was it like that shot in the brothel in "Taxi Driver"? Anyway, it was cool.
Jamie Dornan is compelling. The creepy part is how he is living a 'normal' family life. The scene with the psychologist taking notes by sketching his patient was disturbing.
Episode 2 was harrowing. Lots of juxtapositions - the baby in Intensive Care/the father mourning for his baby - his daughter in the morgue; the killer washing his daughter's hair after washing the strangled solicitor. Some good plot twists - the smarmy solicitor being a friend of the latest victim, the final scene where the detective is gunned down in front of his son. Believable situations - the parent-teacher interview, the mother in the maternity ward. The scene with the police emergency operator was a gem. This is clever, but creepy television drama.
Just watched last episode, was sort of disappointed. Bit of a cliff hanger. Is there another series in this? Or does the viewer have to fill in the gaps (when the witness regains consciousness and ID's the bastard, will the creep stay in Scotland?).
Brilliant TV though. Gillian Anderson is now officially a hot TV property (a juicy cameo in "Hannibal", now this superbly written part).
More please.

"Da Vinci's Demons" Series 1, Episode 7 "The Hierophant" review, spoilers

God, I'm thick, just realising each episode title refers to a tarot card.
This is the penultimate episode in Series 1. We know Series 2 is going ahead so next week's episode shouldn't have too many revelations and disclosures. So much happened in this one, though. Leo's scuba dives into the Vatican, arising from the pope's misty bath waters like Martin Sheen in "Apocalypse Now". That snake-in-the-grass Pazzi poisoning one of his co-conspirators in front of his fellow villains. Remember James Bond villain, Blofeld? He used to top one of his underlings in Spectre HQ, as a warning to the rest. You know: "Kill Bond!" Enter piranha..... (gulp)"Yes No.1!"
Sorry, I'm rambling.
We discover why Lucrezia is a spy for Rome. Dad is the papal prisoner who played the board game with Riario in Episode 3. I wanted more time in the secret archives under the Vatican. Loved the papal elevator.
Didn't expect loyal Giulino (Tom Bateman) to be written out in the last scene. At least he had a good time with Vanessa the Underdresser.

"Da Vinci's Demons" Series 1, Episode 6, "The Devil" review

Well, they pulled all the stops out tonight! Turkish baths/saunas, big dicks, gladiators, pissed off Popes, Vlad the Impaler (the third?), bone chandeliers and a game of Kerplunk with an Abyssinian dude in the middle. But it all made sense in the end - Leo's quest for the Book Of Leaves' secret. A shame to see my favourite villain, Riario (Blake Ritson), get thumped by the Pope. Hope he bears a grudge.
Looking forward to next week. Perhaps with less full frontal male nudity. Made me feel rather inferior.

On second thoughts, the dude with the anaconda-like schlong in the sauna ("like a baby's arm" once intoned Austin Powers - perhaps it was his dad, Nigel Powers)....well it was probably a prosthetic (like Mark Wahlberg had in the final scene of "Boogie Nights"). The well-endowed Da Vinci character had to hold on to it while he ran, so as not to injure himself or anyone else. This has gone far enough, end of post.

Why are movies so damn L-O-N-G these days?

Is it to sell more pop corn and crap?
It is rare for a Hollywood movie to be under 100 minutes, usually around 2 hours, even comedies. Take   Judd Apatow's "This is 40".This very slight movie went on for 134 minutes!!!
Hollywood movies in the 30's, 40's, 50's could tell a story in 100 minutes or less. "The Wizard of Oz" 101 minutes, "Casablanca" 102 minutes, "His Girl Friday" 92 minutes, "The Maltese Falcon" 100 minutes.
"Warm Bodies" (2013) is an example of economical film-making. We had a zombie apocalypse, a love story and post apocalyptic redemption and rebirth, all in 97 minutes (including 2 minutes of end credits).
Another example "Philomena" (2014), a beautifully told tale in 98 minutes.
More please.

"Bates Motel" A and E Series 1 Episode 9 "Underwater" 2013 review

"Why do crazy people keep gravitating towards me?" cries Norma. The funniest line of the night. Her confrontation with Ra'uf and the rest of the stoners was hilarious. One told her to "Chill".
An irate Norma does a Ruth Buzzi/Artie Johnson "Laugh In" tribute (attacks the real estate guy with her hand bag). Seeking consolation, she beds down with Norman.
Norman bonds with his teacher, Miss Watson (with dress and make up like she stepped out of the early 1960's). Dylan and Bradley also do some bonding. Olivia Cooke plays a funny scene after Emma has scarfed a 'herbal' cupcake.
The old killer in the backseat routine is used in the final scene. Come on, Norma, always check before getting into your vehicle.
Next week's series finale should be a doozy.

"Vicious" ITV Episode 3 review Please Sirs!

Pl-lease Sirs! (apologies to the wonderful Esmonde/Larbey TV series)
I gave this stinker another go. I need not have bothered. The running jokes aren't worth running with - the geriatric pussy, slagging off Violet, the vain, hammy actor. Did Jacobi and McKellen sack their agents after viewing this debacle? Juvenile dialogue like "is that dog shit I smell or just you?" could have been written for a junior high school skit. The "Downton Abbey" bit part involving potatoes caused a smile, but that's it. A lame resolution to the episode too.
Only rarely do you see a glint in Sir Ian McKellen's eye or a bit of business from Sir Derk Jacobi - a glimmer of what might have been. This series features one dimensional characters and tired situations. I won't bother with it again.
"Quel dommage" as Mr Clary would say.

P.S. The opening title music "Never Can Say Goodbye" is the Jimmy Somerville/The Communards version (I remember Jimmy from Bronski Beat). The music is probably the highlight of this meagre show.

"Da Vinci's Demons" Series 1, Episode 5 "The Tower" 2013 review

This week, a totally outlandish load of bollocks, but rollicking good fun. We had the Spanish Inquisition (“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!”), Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain visiting the Medicis with party-boy Torquemada (as Mel Brook's said, "...ya can't talk 'im outta anything!"), a performance of “The Decameron” (Italy’s “Canterbury Tales” /Carry on Florence), Leo being bi-curious, a courtroom drama, a jail break (courtesy of Leo’s bats with bombs) and a spot of bestiality.

Leo’s Superglueing of the magistrate to Porky Pig – the act of having sex with a pig being shown to the city of Florence, reminded me of Charlie Brooker’s marvellous “Black Mirror” (Series 1, Episode 1) with the PM being forced to commit the same act in front of the population on live TV.

Leo’s dad finally shows some affection for his boy and again we get the intriguing flashback to Leo’s revelation in the watery cave. I liked Leo's discourse on Nature - Florence meaning flowering. The Batman-like projection of the man-on-pig action into the night sky, complementing the performance of “The Decameron” was delightful.

Inventive Scriptwriters – 10, Historians – nil.

"Hannibal" NBC Series 1, Episode 7 "Sorbet" review

This episode was a real feast, beginning with an amazing scene showing a journey through the opera singer's vocal cords, Hannibal in the audience looking uncharacteristically emotional, symbolic red ribbons splashed across the stage. The singer was played by Broadway great, Ellen Greene ("Little Shop of Horrors"). For "The X-Files" tragics we had Gillian Anderson (looking more like Jerry Hall) as Lecter's quirky psychiatrist, Dr Du Maurier. Her comment to Hannibal that he was "wearing his person suit" was illuminating. At the same time we have Lecter analysing his Michael Jackson worshipping patient.

The subplot about the organ removal psycho was fascinating. Parallelling organ removal with USB cables??? Will does a particularly graphic mental crime reconstruction. Again we have the mystical deer, central in Will's thoughts.
Hannibal remarks to his socialite friends, "Who's hungry?" The dinner party this week featured pate, with a lot of preparation details.
Good job, Bryan Fuller/Jesse Alexander (script) and veteran director James Foley.