Crime and Punishment

No, let's not examine that daunting heap of pages by Dostoyevsky. Instead, how about I chat about crime and mystery fiction? Those two genres, or sub-genres, depending on how you look at it, are often use interchangeably. But I see them as different (things): the first suggests that crime is involved, but there needn't be a mystery for a crime story to exist; the second intimates that there is indeed a mystery, but there need not necessarily be a crime where there is a mystery. Maybe the salt shaker is missing. The dog knocked it, and it rolled so far underneath the table that nobody noticed it. No crime, but there is a bit of a mystery, right? Bad dog!

As a kid, I gravitated to stories of detection: Freddy the Pig (he was a P.I. in one story), then Encyclopedia Brown, Hardy Boys... and naturally ended up collecting and devouring the Sherlock Holmes series. The youth-oriented stuff was lightweight but the perfect set-up for the greatest sleuth in literature. 

A couple of decades later, a new friend who was practically an expert in crime fiction got me reading Block, Westlake, and Parker, just to name a few authors. I loved seeing things from the criminal perspective, like Bernie Rhodenbarr in Block's burglar stories, and Keller in his Hit Man novels. Troubled good guy Jesse Stone was Parker's best-loved character, coming back and again in a successful series, both in books and TV films.

Then my mother, also always an avid reader, mentioned to me that she had been enjoying a bunch of mystery authors, and she recommended some novels by Grafton, Evanovich, Engel, Francis, and Gorman. I chugged through a bunch of those writers' offerings, then moved on. It was easy to see a predictable formula in so many of those stories,and I found that too many of the characters really grated on my nerves after a while. 

It was imperative that I at least try out some old-school stuff like Chandler (who I loved, especially The Big Sleep) and Hammett (who I did not). Their hard-boiled detectives of the pulp world inspired the crime and noir films of the 40's, 50's and 60's. I must confess I've seen more of those film adaptations than read the original stories.

A bit later, in the mid-to-late 2000's, I discovered Patricia Cornwell (medical crime thrillers), who I still really like. The past few years, I've been reading Michael Connelly... I've read nearly every Detective Bosch novel. And I've dabbled in the works of Robert Harris, Graham Greene, and a bit of Le Carre (his non-spy fiction).

Very recently, I tried some Jo Nesbo, who weaves unusual and fun tales featuring his protagonist Harry Hole (pronounced Holy). Another highly likable brilliant cop with a troubled past. 

Fervent crime and mystery fiction fans devour novels of the genre at a rapid rate. I, on the other hand, steer out of the genre now and then. I like to read non-fiction, like a good bio or autobio, something fascinating in sociology occasionally, humour, a little horror, SF and fantasy, straight-up fiction, even "literature" (Atwood, Homer, and so on). I seem to need the variety. But then I'll steer back to my comfort food - crime.

Metal Night on the Headphones

A friend loaned me his CD copy of Volcano by black metal band Satyricon. I was suitably impressed. I can appreciate raspy vocals like this far better than the cookie monster growling of other extreme metal bands. The thundering double bass drums are oppressive, and the wall-of-sound guitars are super-heavy and wild. Dark and aggressive, this is cool stuff... and that third track, Fuel For Hatred, is one helluva rocking tune. 

Then I popped over to YouTube to sample some tracks from some of the more recent Megadeth albums, like Cryptic Writings, Risk, and The World Needs a Hero. I've been remiss about keeping abreast of Dave Mustaine's music for a while now, so it's high time I caught up and decided what albums I'd like to add to my collection. Youthanasia (1994), a disc both melodic and heavy, was the last one I bought. Yeah, guilty as charged. But it is easily to live in a time warp, listening to the oldies all the time, especially when it seems nothing very interesting is being released anymore. Guess I was wrong. 

From what I understand, 2009's Endgame is a great return to form by this legendary thrash band. Mustaine has been the constant in Megadeth, writing music and lyrics, singing and playing guitar, though he's changed supporting personnel frequently. It sounds to me like Dave's found a solid line-up to keep this mega-band moving forward. 

And right now, I'm blasting Megadeth's brand new album, Dystopia on the headphones. Good gravy, this is heavy brilliance that I really did not expect! These songs have a feel that would make them right at home on the 1990 thrash epic, Rust in Peace (my personal fave from Megadave). I'm halfway through the album here and so far there isn't a bad song. Super bottom end on the powerful drums and beefy, melodic bass, crazed guitar riffs and solos, and of course, Mustaine's signature vocal sneer. The man is in top form here, sounding as good as ever, and his current band line-up is firing on all cylinders. Slick, massive production gives a punch that threatens to wilt your eardrums. 

Metal heaven!

Girls, Guns, and Gadgets

Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood) in Diamonds Are Forever

James Bond is all business... until a pretty girl comes along. Then he'd make time for an interlude, afterward resuming his cloak-and-dagger operations.

Bond would strap on his bow tie for an evening at the baccarat table, sip some vodka martinis, keep a date with a young lady, maybe slip out for some surveillance... possibly run into trouble, then employ one or more of his Q Branch gadgets. Like the knockout gas-emitting ballpoint pen, or the poison-dart outfitted wristwatch. Or if all else failed, Bond would put his trusty Walther PPK to use. I wonder if 007 has to renew his license - to kill - every five years, like the rest of us common folk. 

Guns and gadgets... standard issue 00 Section gear

It'll be a bit of a wait until the successor to the latest Bond film, SPECRE. I digested the movie quite easily when I saw it in the theatre in November. Pretty good, if not perfect. I look forward to getting the movie on home video so I can see how it holds up on re-watch, and look for details that escaped me the first time around. Like cool little references to early Bond films, and even the flaws that escaped me in the cinema. But maybe I'll be more forgiving on follow-up viewings and will enjoy it more than ever 

A couple of Cineplex Tribute magazines from back

when Pierce Brosnan played 007

I recently dug up some cool old Bond goodies, like the Cineplex Tribute magazines pictured above, featuring none other than Mr. Brosnan during his tenure as 007. I've no idea if these mags will ever have much resale value if I decide to part with them, but they are nice to have around for "old times sake". Well, not so old, I guess.

But some truly vintage stuff was uncovered as I dug through the backs of drawers and shelves here. Like a very old-timey View-Master, probably from the 40's or 50's (handed down by my parents), plus the discs from the Bond film Live and Let Die. I used to love looking at the 3D images of View-Masters when I was a kid. This was well before home video, tapes or discs, so this was the only way to relive the movies in visual format. Pretty nifty back in the day.

Remember View-Masters? This compact stereoscope

was a fun way to re-live TV shows and movies when I was

a kid, way before home video. Here's my Live and Let Die

(James Bond movie) disc set... plus my vintage viewer

(circa 1940's) - with its original (battered) box

Distressed... About Kim Mitchell

This week, when I heard news that Kim Mitchell had suffered a heart attack, I momentarily panicked. I asked friends to check online to make sure Kim was okay. Though we'd lost a rock legend in David Bowie earlier this week, I have always felt far more bound to fellow Canadian, rocker Kim Mitchell, and I was genuinely worried. Thankfully, as of today, he is recovering in hospital and will be back home shortly. Whew!

70's Kim Mitchell, before the 

ball caps and patio lanterns

I truly grew up on Kim's music. I first saw him heading up Max Webster when the band played my high school in the late 70's. I was knocked out by their weird, creative, and powerful music. Ever since that Friday night "dance" (we didn't dance), I've been a Max Webster and Kim Mitchell fan. 

After that memorable school concert, I saw Kim again - solo, with his new back-up band, in my hometown of Orillia a couple of times. I caught him again in Brampton, near Toronto, in the mid-80's. Then after I moved to Ottawa, still within the same province, Kim came to visit more than a few times, and I saw him perform at some warm and festive summertime events. Then in the mid-90's, I was fortunate enough to see our favourite Canadian rocker with his re-united Max Webster a couple of times. Man, those guys rocked. Read more here and here. 

And almost all of my 80's and 90's parties featured Kim's music on the stereo. He was like an honorary invitee, who contributed the entertainment, but couldn't make it to the kitchen, where the rest of us were sucking back cold ones, playing cards, and swearing. 

I will admit that I lost touch with Mitchell's music after his '94 album Itch, which I did like a lot, but the snippets of the next album sort of lost me. But I still have a huge soft spot for all the oldies. 

Tonight, after revisiting some Harlequin (the Canadian band that enjoyed some success during the 80's... and also played at my high school somewhere around 1980) on YouTube, I discovered a full Kim Mitchell concert from 2013. It was great to again hear the many hits from Mitchell's glory days. It was even better when he hauled out a few Max classics! Those included High Class In Borrowed Shoes, and just as the show was about to end on a curiously quiet note with Patio Lanterns... the band pulled out the manic guitar solo section of Max\s Beyond The Moon. Wow.

Kim still has faithful bassist and co-vocalist Peter Fredette on board; Pete's been with Mitchell since he first went solo in '82. His expertise onstage is invaluable to the Mitchell experience. The two bandmates work seamlessly together, having developed perfect stage interplay and chemistry - both vocally and instrumentally. 

Keep on rockin', Kim.

Life is a Fantasy

As I entered my teen years, at about age twelve or thirteen, I discovered a new sort of fiction genre. Thus far, my main interests were mystery (like Sherlock Holmes) and science-fiction (especially Robert Heinlein). My new discovery was the fantasy category. I had previously spotted fantasy titles whenever I scanned the SF (science-fiction) shelves at my local library, but I had yet to venture into those worlds of sword and sorcery. 

I believe The Hobbit was my first full-fledged fantasy novel. It was glorious. I was seriously hooked on J.R.R. Tolkien's unique characters and adventure story. And then when I learned about the old man's Lord of the Rings trilogy... well, that set me off on over a decade of exploring the genre, starting in the mid-1970's and on into the 80's.

Armed with knowledge of the lore of Tolkien, Leiber, and Moorcock, I joined... or helped organize... a Dungeons and Dragons role-play game group in early high school. So while the jocks lugged their sports gear in their gym bags to the locker room, we nerdos hauled our D&D books and dice to the library "quiet" room. Read more on my D&D days here. 

My interest in the genre grew while I was in college, and I learned about several more authors, many of them listed below. I maintained and satisfied my voracious appetite for reading then, even with a heavy school workload. 

Here are some of my favourite fantasy authors and books:

JRR Tolkien... The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Silmarillion was tough, though)
Piers Anthony... Apprentice Adept series
Michael Moorcock... I loved the Elric (I'm still impressed), Conan, Hawkmoon series
Anne McCaffrey... Dragonriders of Pern (not really a fave, but unique and interesting)
Robert E. Howard... I read one Conan book, and liked it, but not enough to delve further
Fritz Leiber... Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series, Conjure Wife & other dark fantasy/horror
Stephen R. Donaldson.... Thomas Covenant series
Robert Holdstock.... Mythago Wood
C.S. Lewis.... Chronicles of Narnia
Marion Zimmer Bradley.... Mists of Avalon
Terry Brooks.... the first Sword of Shannara book (did not continue with the series)
Lyndon Hardy... Master of Five Magics (still, after all these years, a fave novel on my shelf)
Mary Stewart... Arthurian saga

Growing up, I developed a taste for progressive and heavy rock music that dealt with fantastical themes in lyrics. Artists like Yes, Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, and Iron Maiden borrowed ideas from fantasy literature. Sword and sorcery became closely linked to heavy metal for a time, with bands like Savatage, Black Sabbath, Dio, and even Megadeth dabbling in the imaginative and often dark worlds. There is a whole post dedicated to the subject... here. 

Thaumaturgy, alchemy, magic, sorcery, wizardry.

Better get 'em right, or there'll be Hell to pay!

I recently discovered the richly detailed mythos/urban fantasy by Canadian author Charles de Lint. I am most familiar with the novels he wrote in the 80's, like Moonheart, Greenmantle, and Wolf Moon. Moonheart in particular was an exceptional example of fantasy blended with our real world; the story is set right in Ottawa, where I live. 

As a youngster I loved sci-fi and fantasy films; my favourites of the latter were the Sinbad movies, Jason and the Argonauts, Three Worlds of Gulliver, and countless others. Good versus evil tales and mythological sagas are timeless in their appeal... these movies still hold up today. Just don't judge them too harshly based on their somewhat dated special effects. In fact, I prefer those old-school practical effects to today's too-slick and distracting computer-generated imagery in film. Clay figures and wooden models, since they are real materials, are more interesting to watch than digital effects that are lifeless and often lack dimension. In my books, anyway.

The old Sinbad movies dazzled the hell out of me when

I was a kid. They still do, thanks to the artistry of

stop-motion animation wizard Ray Harryhausen.

During the 1980's, my friends and I found further escapist fare in movies. Early in the 80's, we would pool our money each Friday night and rent a VCR (before players were more affordable and common for every home) and a stack of videos This decade saw a glut of medieval, sword and sorcery, and other fantasy in the cinema. There were the good and the bad, but some of the more notable ones were Excalibur, the Conan films, Ladyhawke, Beastmaster, Dragonslayer, Clash of the Titans, Dark Crystal, Krull, Legend, Highlander, Willow, and the Narnia TV serial out of the UK. 

Though I recognize the brilliance of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, my interest in the movies has waned. Yes, they are perfectly realized, if rather long... though the films certainly have a lot of literature to adapt, so it's understandable. Jackson's more recent "prequels", The Hobbit, did nothing for me. In fact, one movie was enough for me. I was bored to sleep by the excessively long first part of the Hobbit trilogy. Hey, it was originally a slim children's book, for crying out loud! How on earth can any film-maker in his right mind believe it's a good idea to translate such a short story into three three-hour movies? Nope, Jackson lost me there. 

I don't actively look for modern fantasy in fiction nowadays, but I did trip upon author extraordinaire China Miéville about a year ago. His urban fantasy The City in the City blew me away. I am about to begin his first book of a trilogy, called Perdido Street Station. Rarely has my mouth watered in anticipation over a fictional feast, but this one is doing it. 

Nearly time to chow down.

Top 5 Movies of 2015

The year 2015 was not a big one for outstanding movies for me. I must have seen at least a couple dozen films released during the past year, but precious few had a real impact on me. I could only come up with eight films that I'd be happy with placing on a top-of-the-year list. 

So I have assembled a Top 5 list instead of the typical Top 10. I'm picky about what I pay to see in the cinema, so I don't frequent the theatres on a very regular basis. I usually only turn up at the box office for favourite genres and franchises. For the rest of my 2015 release viewing, I watched online streaming movies at Netflix, Cineplex, and occasionally a movie studio website. 

Here is how I rank my Top 5 Movies of 2015:

1. Ex Machina
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
3. Mad Max; Fury Road
4. SPECTRE
5. Kingsman: The Secret Service

The few other notable flicks I caught were Jupiter Ascending (a fun if lightweight space fantasy), Chappie (a gritty and funny commentary on sentient robotics), and It Follows (a spooky and weird low-budget creeper).

"My beautiful robot is dancing alone"

Ex Machina is pretty much the perfect movie for me. The story successfully combines science-fiction with a character study, a relationship drama, and even some deft touches of humour... all within what feels like an art house film. As I watch Ex Machina, I can't help but think of other movies that tread sort of similar ground: like Her, which explores the bond between a man and his female-voiced computer operating system. Or there's Under The Skin, a low-key, creepy picture about a female alien predator that begins to develop feelings. Outside the sci-fi genre, Lost In Translation carries the same tone as Ex Machina, sharing a mood through music and pacing and cinematography. And that unusual immediate bonding between strangers is a theme that captivates me. The film is aesthetically pleasing in visuals and sound design, yet I feel like it harbours a slightly cold and uncomfortable secret. And that is slowly revealed as the tale unfolds. My full review of Ex Machina is here. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is still fresh in my mind after a recent cinema outing. The film beautifully, effortlessly, and even curiously captures the essence of the original trilogy (episodes IV, V, and VI). How did the franchise so horribly lose its way with the prequels? Yeah, we all know how.... director Lucas tried to do too much himself, with disappointing results. Anyway, that's all in the past, and now we have something wonderful to look forward to, at least as long as J.J. Abrams is at the helm. Future chapters in the Star Wars saga will take off from this impressive re-booting point. Abrams heroically achieved the near-impossible with The Force Awakens: he hauled out of storage and dusted off the actors from the original films; he developed brand new characters - in lead roles, no less; and he brought them all together in what is a genius restoration of the magical space opera we all love so much. I write more extensively about The Force Awakens here. 

Out with the old and in with the new

Mad Max: Fury Road is an assault on the senses. The intense and relentless action, and the wall of sound - created by both music and machinery - send the viewer to the edge of his or her seat. Right from the opening scene. Huge set-pieces, insane stuntwork, even wackier characters... aging director Miller somehow amped up Fury Road to something many times more visceral and demented than even his acclaimed Max films from decades ago. The movie is a marvel, yet it's even more stunning once you learn how they made it a reality. Reliable actors spit and fight and drive, gutsy to the last, capturing our imaginations once more in Max's post-apocalyptic world. Read my more analytical review here. 

SPECTRE is the Bond film that may make or break the franchise for me. I loved a large portion of the movie, but once the main villain was introduced, I was underwhelmed. The handling of the rest of the story felt lazy and uninspired. Still decent, but rather disappointing after a strong start. SPECTRE dug back into the vaults for the ingredients that made the Connery films unforgettable. This latest entry in the long-running franchise looks and feels much like those oldies. Yet, as I complained before, the head honcho bad guy just didn't do it for me. Waltz is a fine actor, but he didn't deliver the goods here. And again, the fun and intrigue seriously tapered off toward the end of the picture. Still, it's tough to follow a movie like Skyfall, or even reside with a modern classic like Casino Royale in the Daniel Craig set of Bond films. I ponder these ideas and more in my full review

Kingsman: The Secret Service, in some regards, is what SPECTRE should have been. The thrills and action, the maniacal super-villain, the fast-paced story leading up to a wham-bang finish. These were a bit lacking in SPECTRE, at least those last two points. Kingsman does not fizzle out at any time. In fact, some methodical character and story development at the start works very nicely for setting up an intricate and fun spectacle. Outlandish characters were perfectly suited to this fantasy spy outing, very much like a best of the best of James Bond. Sure, Kingsman goes well over-the-top at times, but it's laughable in an acceptable and very fun way. In fact, the goofiness here and there is at least never as embarrassing as creaky old Roger Moore performing implausible 007 stunts. I champion this under-appreciated film further in my full review. 

It's been quite a year for movies from my favourite franchises. I eagerly anticipated the Bond, Mad Max, and Star Wars films, and was mostly satisfied with the results. And since I'm a fan of the spy genre, Kingsman successfully filled a void until SPECTRE came along. The big surprise was the mind-bending Ex Machina, establishing what I hope is a trend in science-fiction film-making: more explorations of AI interacting with humankind. Fascinating stuff, and perfectly realized in this film. 

As for upcoming gems in 2016, I have no idea what will catch my fancy. There are some western/frontier-themed movies on their way... like The Revenant, which looks promising. A glut of comic-book superhero films will hit theatres, but I have very little interest in those. I simply look forward to The Force Awakens on home video in a few months, so I can enjoy it again and again. And maybe once I've added SPECTRE to my Blu-ray collection, I can appreciate it more fully on a re-watch. 

Cheers to a pretty darned good year in movies!