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Books, Tapes, and Cool Stuff Reviews Audio Star Wars, Bone, and more Reviewed by Dave Canfield
To help you feast your eyes and feed your hearts on adventure, myth, and all things wonderrific, we've designed this section to let you know about the coolest in imagi-products and books. We throw in everything but the kitchen sink and take special pride in trying it all out for you ahead of time.
That many people collect virtually anything associated with their favorite band, film, TV show is hardly surprising. We're always looking for a sense of ownership, affiliation. Many people have found ideas worthy of that sort of adulation in Star Wars. Hence the incredible amount, and I mean this as no disrespect, of junk that has been created to feed the public desire for images from that series of films. Yet Stephen J. Sansweet, one of the world's foremost SW collectors has made a compelling case for his mania. The key chains, posters, ticket stubs, movie props, photos not only point to the ubiquitous appeal of Lucas' characters but to the very nature of that appeal. Within the pages of this moderately priced, elegantly packaged collection of Star Wars memorabilia is the public’s hunger for heroes. Appropriately enough, turn the first page of the spiral binding and the Darth Vadar Velcro cover flap flip opens to reveal the kindly but scarred face of the recently redeemed Annakin Skywalker. We want to believe that worst of villains can be redeemed, we want to believe in the youthful exuberance of Luke Skywalker, we want Princess Leia's to rescue and we want, like Han Solo, to live outside of the boundaries of the law set up by the false empire. I could go on. The virtues of the Lucas' films are apparent for those who have ears to hear. For the rest? Oh well, they probably think the whole thing is silly. And maybe a full color layout depicting a Star Wars popsicle box is silly. But what motivates it is decidedly serious and important. So a C3PO cardboard mask is not just another piece of cultural flotsam and jetsam but, potentially, the way for someone else to celebrate what that character represents -- Everyman, courage in the face of fear, loyalty. To be sure,
Star Wars borrows it's mythos from many sources. And many
of those sources would be infinitely more rewarding than SW if interacted
with directly (and with the same earnestness of heart). But then again
the inverse is true. I wonder how many readers of The Iliad or
The Odyssey or Bullfinch’s Mythology would have
the heart to enjoy something as childlike and wonderful as Star
Wars.
STAR WARS: The Radio Drama and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:
The Radio Drama Few things have provoked the imagination of America as powerfully as Star Wars and few Star Wars related media are as imaginatively provocative as National Public Radio's Star Wars: The Radio Drama and The Empire Strikes Back: The Radio Drama. First hitting NPR airwaves in 1981, these serials, available as twelve discs in this handsomely boxed edition, represent two of the best (and most popular) radio series in the history of the medium. Besides expanding the source material with many additional characters and plot lines. Performances are strong throughout with many of the original actors from the film lending their voice talents. Mark Hamill reprises his role as Luke Skywalker, Anthony Daniels recreates the voice of C3PO and Billy Dee Williams once again stars as the free wheeling rapscallion Lando Calrissian. John Williams provides the music and best of all George Lucas donated the entire bank of original SW and ESB sound effects to the project. I recommend a dark room and a few good friends. If they ask what you're doing dredging up an old fossil like this, just tell them what director John Madden told the world when Star Wars: The Radio Drama was about to debut, "You may think you've seen the movie. Wait till you've heard it." Write the High Bridge Company, 1000 Westgate Drive, St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 or order from any Borders bookstore.
About five years ago I started hearing about this comic called Bone. But the more people tried to explain it to me the odder it sounded. Five years later and much more interested in comics I can tell you that Bone is one of the reasons why. In fact he's one of the major reasons. If I collected only one comic my choice would still be Bone. For those unfamiliar with the story I'll disclose enough here to wet your appetites. We begin by meeting three cousins Fone Bone our protagonist, Phoney Bone- gruff and self-serving, and the carefree Smiley Bone. They've been run out of their native Boneville due to one of Phoney's ever present and ever-backfiring scams. While on the road they become separated by a swarm of locusts and find their way one by one into a deep forest where Bone encounters Ted the insect, gets his head burnt by The Red Dragon and narrowly escapes the stupid, stupid rat creatures. Bone also meets and promptly falls madly in love with Thorn a beautiful young girl who invites him to stay on her Grandmothers farm. Grandma the champion Cow racer of the county has already met and beaten up Phoney and isn't sure what to make of Bone but reckons he can stay around for awhile. But what about the Locust King, the evil Hooded One and Grandma's boyfriend Lucius? Heck who wins the Great Cow Race? Is it the mystery cow?! Believe me it just gets odder and more wondrous from there. Jeff Smith has said that he created Bone when he was in kindegarten. Given the characters and storyline, it's a claim I do not doubt. The childlike innocence and sense of adventure that make up this series make it a unique contribution to the comics world and comparisons to the spirit of Tolkien are not without weight. That Smith owes a debt to the work of Walt Kelly (particularly Pogo) and the mixed realism/cartoon style of Dave Sims’ Cerebus is apparent from the outset. But his sense of comic timing and mastery of the panel will surprise even the most jaded comic reader. At this point you can scurry through the comic shops of America attempting to get yourself up to speed, but I recommend that you purchase these beautifully done hardcovers direct from Cartoon Books. More information on Bone is forthcoming but till then catch up with these two volumes.
Hardy has done much to impress with his series of encyclopedias. They are comprehensive, accurate and have done much to provide an overview of the genres he has thus tackled, Horror, Science Fiction and the Western. This latest volume The Gangster Film is likewise a much-appreciated entry. Arranged chronologically The Gangster Film critically evaluates over 1,500 motion pictures offering plot synopses, credits and, scattered throughout, essays on the development of the genre, the rise of the action picture, Hong Kong contributions and the development of the Mafioso subgenre. It also has a handy list of genre Oscar winners and nominees and is current through 1997. I really can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone seriously interested in these types of films. It's price, $65 may disAMERICAS GREATEST ROLLERCOASTER THRILLS IN 3-D.suade some, but you can't get a better book of this kind for the money.
3-D is a durable American icon making a comeback every twenty-five years or so. But besides the revivals of classic 3-D feature films like House of Wax and Creature From The Black Lagoon and the atrocious video releases of trash like, Catwomen on The Moon and Robot Monster the lover of 3-D feature length films is out of luck. Right? Wrong. These two video's would be fairly entertaining without the near 3-D effect but with it "Look OUT!!" Stats on speed, height, G-forces and history are given with every coaster. You also get interviews with top coaster designer Ron Toomer and American Coaster Enthusiasts President, Ray Ueberroth. Undeniably though the best part is when they strap you (I mean the camera) in the front car of each coaster for a 3-d ride! Each hour-long video (they must be bought separately) comes with 2 pair of 3-d specs. If you're a coaster fan but not a fan of 3-d these videos are also viewable without using the glasses. Highly recommended and tested by several JPUSA staff these videos let you ride more than twenty-five of the best coasters out there. Just remember KEEP YOUR HANDS IN THE CAR. Write Goldhil Media International for a catalogue or visit them at goldhil@vcnet.com.
FEARING THE DARK: THE VAL LEWTON CAREER Deservedly, much attention has been paid in the last decade to Universal's horror films of the thirties and forties. But the classic 1940's horror films of RKO and producer Val Lewton are just beginning to get the critical attention they deserve. If you don't know who Val Lewton is then I encourage you to go to your local library or video store and rent any of the following, Cat People, The Body Snatcher, I Walked With A Zombie, Bedlam or Curse of The Cat People. Don't let their sensational titles fool you. Any of these films can be called minor gems and each deserves to be placed alongside or even above Universals output in the same time period. Edmund G. Bansak's remarkable book Fearing The Dark: The Val Lewton Career fills a much needed void in providing a wealth of biographical detail about Lewton and his work. Known for his restraint (you almost never see the monster in his films) he nevertheless almost single-handedly saved the horror genre from the clutches of parody at a time when Universal was pairing Dracula, The Wolfman and Frankenstein with the likes of Abbot and Costello. That his pictures are graced with such subtlety is a testimony to his talent especially considering the limitations forced on him during his tenure at RKO. He was often told ahead of time what the title of the film would be. Leaving him to work under the heavy weight of living up to their sensationalistic promise. And he was also often told exactly how long each film had to be. His understated yet potent approach to his horror films encouraged and fostered the development of film noire. Any discussion of Lewton has to include the incredible influence he had on directors like Robert Wise, Mark Robson and Jacques Tourneur. Special chapters on each of these men and their relationship to Lewton leave no doubt of this. There are also excellent chapters on the development of the horror genre just preceding Lewton and his indirect influence on Orson Welles. Unfortunately Lewton's life is also a study of just how much and how quickly things can go wrong with a career in Hollywood. Lewton was destined to join the ranks of most of horror's greats leaving behind not only a vast legacy of cinematic success, but an even vaster unrealized potential.
I do a fair bit of traveling and when I do there's almost nothing I enjoy more than a book on tape. Especially if I'm not driving and I can follow along. But so often, the reader of said book, whoever he or she is, sounds about as excited as a highschooler forced to memorize some ancient Latin declension. Imagine my excitement when I found this set of tapes featuring as a reader none other than the master of imagination Ray Bradbury himself. Among the fourteen featured tales are such perennial Bradbury classics as "The Foghorn" in which the last of the dinosaurs falls in love with the mournful cry of a lighthouse. "In There Will Come Soft Rains" an automated house carries on it's duties long after it's family has been extinguished by a nuclear war. My personal favorite "The Sound of Thunder" concerns the possible effects of time travel on the future. The benefits of having the work read by the author are innumerable when they have the kind of connection that Ray does to his own material. My only complaint is the shortness of the program. This really should be a series. An author like Ray has so many classic moments to choose from why not just have him do his best fifty or so tales. If the $44.98 price-tag of this six tape set (total running time four hours thirty-seven minutes) is a little too daunting you might try the two-tape set at $15.98 you get fewer stories but the same inimitable interpretation by Ray. I'm to understand that Listening Library has also released an unabridged version of Ray reading "The Martian Chronicles." If so we'll review that for you next time. Till then treat yourself to a little wonder.
When I was a kid few things were as thrilling to me as footage of a tornado on the evening news. Of course, living at the end of what meteorologists referred to as Tornado Alley (the center of much of the countries twister activity) kept my storm chasing imagination continually fed but man, oh, man what I would have done to get a hold of this three video set. In just over six hours you'll see truly spectacular footage of more than one-hundred fifty tornadoes including, merging funnels, multiple vortex twisters and a cockpit view of research rocket's being fired into a funnel. You'll be there with the storm chasers, those crazies who actually go looking for mother natures most dangerous weather phenomena and you'll see the first educational film on twisters dating back to the forties. You'll also learn how tornado's are rated and hear history on some of the most devastating storms in US. history. If Twister amazed you on the big screen, you won't believe what's on your little screen at home. These are simply the best videos available on this subject. For those interested in still more tornado info or in how to order these videos are available through the Tornado project at www.tornadoproject.com or at goldhil@vcnetcom
GOLDEN HORRORS: An Illustrated Critical Filmography,
1931-1939 It's always a pleasure to see another book about Hollywood's golden age of horror. While the Universal era was covered extensively (and to my mind without missing a beat) by Brunas, Brunas and Weaver in McFarland's excellent book Universal Horrors, Bryan Senn takes wider aim at roughly the same time period covering almost fifty films from several different studios. Senn takes pains to be thorough and fair. Cast and credits and listed at the beginning followed by synopsis. Each film is analyzed under the following sections, Credits, Synopsis, Memorable Moments, Assets, Liabilities, Reviews and Production Notes. As if that weren't enough, Senn also appends footnotes. All the major 1930's films of fantasy, science fiction and horror are covered and it was nice to see extensive coverage of minor gems like Murders in the Zoo and Vampyr. Senn's use of photos was interesting even to my jaded acquaintance with golden age stills. There were several I'd never seen before and many that were clearer than I'd remembered seeing them in the past. The books two appendices are also of note. Appendix A. covers what Senn refers to as borderline horrors, lost films and foreign exclusions. Appendix B. offers a collection of "Golden Age of Horror's Ten Best of Lists from thirty prominent writers, editors and critics. McFarland continues to find people with something to say about this era. By publishing Golden Horrors and books like it, McFarland is responsible for helping preserve an important part of our national heritage.
POLAR LIGHTS ODD RODS To say that Polar Lights has saved figure modeling for the masses is both appropriate and an understatement. Till now most of the figure model market had been eaten up with high dollar vinyl and resin kits. Now you can get many of your old favorite Aurora kits for between fifteen and twenty-five dollars! Three cheers for Polar Lights!! The most lighthearted of all these are the Oddrods. Each model is a combination of a classic Aurora Monster with an appropriate hotrod and all have been unavailable since they were discontinued in the mid-sixties. Thus far we've seen reissues of the "King Kong Thronester, Frankenstein Flivver, Mummy's Chariot, Undertaker Dragster, and Wolfman's Wagon. These models bring to mind not only the glory days of Aurora, but the crazy artwork of Big Daddy Ed Roth and Cartoons. I spent part of my vacation building the Frankenstein Flivver and I had a blast!!! It definitely put the "mod" in modeling. The facial features are highly detailed and I actually plan to re-do my kit with an airbrush once I get the hang of using it. Having not assembled a lot of car models in my time it was a challenge to try and get that cherry finish. If you would like to edge from figure modeling into car modeling the Odd Rods are a great way to start. All of the Odd Rods can be viewed on Polar Lights Web Site at link here. It appears Polar Lights will be expanding their Odd Rods to include 1999 releases of both Dracula's Dragster and a Go-Kart seating eveybody’s favorite big lizard that I'm not allowed to name because of a licensing issue. If I'm not mistaken, that completes the series. Maybe they could be persuaded to come up with their own original kit to round it out. Drop them a note at the link above and let them know what you think.
Nostalgia -- if we are not careful -- signals the end of wonder. But my rediscovery of this childhood hobby has been nothing but inspirational. My love affair with Aurora monster models started in the early 1970's when I encountered the soon to be extinct Glow In The Dark series. There have never been a series of mass produced models like it. The Phantom of the Opera, King Kong, Godzilla, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon. But even then I had no idea of the history behind Aurora. As it was, I got in on the last legs of a hobby that had prestigious beginnings. Thanks, Bill Bruegman, for the missing piece. Like most of you I found a way to trash my built-up Aurora's only to bemoan their collectibility years later. Of course, one nice thing about not having them around is I'm not tempted to sell them. I can simply bask in the memories secure in the knowledge that unless someone re-issues the Godzilla Gokart or the Big Frankie, I’ll never own one. And I have other reasons to withhold a sad face over my childhood treasures-turned-commodities. Now, more people than ever have a stake in cataloguing them, writing about them, and generally making sure that if I really want one or even just information about one I can get hold of them fairly easily. And their collectibility will encourage Bill Bruegman to continue publishing his wonderful history and price guide. Virtually everything you'd want to know about Aurora is here. Included is a carefully researched article on the history of the Aurora company (part of which is reprinted here.) that features tons of quotes from Aurora exec's. There's also a rare interview with artist James Bama, creator of the monster lines famous box art. Prototypes of figures that were never developed! Ad art and instructions, detailed product info and a check list of reissues by other companies would round out an already great book. But Bruegman gives you all that before you even get to his price guide which is generously illustrated with instructions, box art and built-ups. Two small caveats. Won't somebody front Bill the
money to redo his book in color? Oh, how those b/w photos (especially
of the boxes) do tease. The other is hardly a caveat actually, it's
more a point of information. Instruction sheets for the models are not
printed here in full. There are some portions of various instruction
sheets included though. Whether you collect or just love Aurora keep
this book in a convenient to reach place so you don't strain your arm
reaching for it. You will reach for it again and again.
Written for Cornerstone Online, Imaginarium #4, first posted 1/30/99 |
