1408: Enter if you DARE!

What if you experienced a personal tragedy that left you with no beliefs to cling to?

What if you so desperately needed to experience a paranormal phenomenon - just to see for yourself that there is indeed something more out there?

That's exactly where writer Mike Enslin (John Cusack) finds himself after a heartbreaking occurrence sends his own life and career into a downward spiral of drunken despair. Choked by an unnatural obsession with the afterlife, Enslin has abandoned his serious literary pursuits in favor of writing banal travel books about "haunted" tourist attractions.

But one day, Mike Enslin receives a postcard warning him not to stay in Room 1408 of New York's Dolphin Hotel. Of course, he simply cannot resist. After all, this may be the answer to the prayers he thought no higher being was around to hear.

After repeated warnings from the hotel's manager (Samuel L. Jackson), Enslin finally gets the room - and an 800 dollar bottle of scotch.

Then, all hell - as they say - breaks loose...

That's the basic setup for 1408, and it's quite the eerie ride. "Stay Scared" is a motto Enslin often repeats to his readers, and this movie certainly does its best to ensure the same reaction from viewers.

John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are both promoted as the stars of the film, but don't be fooled by the double billing. Cusack is most definitely the main character. Samuel L. Jackson actually only has a small (but nonetheless very effective) part. Catherine McCormack also appears in a minor role, and Tony Shalhoub (from Monk) shows up in what turns out to be a glorified cameo at best.

In fact, there are many scenes where Cusack is essentially acting by himself. He's a true marvel to watch at work. As a result, the hotel room ends up becoming a "character" in its own right.

1408 reminded me of a mix between Silent Hill (both the movie and the games) and Dark Water (that lame Jennifer Connelly horror flick), but this is thankfully much better than either of those.

This film adaptation of Stephen King's short story (from Everything's Eventual) is nothing short of weird. If you like your horror with a little more intelligence and bite to it, don't be afraid to take the room key and unlock the mysteries of 1408.

Justice Society of America: The Liberty Files review

Good evening America. Gabriel here broadcasting from on top of the Empire State Building. Tonight's entry is brought to you by Luxor Soap.

DC Comics has a special place in my heart. I don't know what exactly but something about DC has always appealed. Marvel (after the disgusting, so-called Circulation Wars) has repulsed me. They pretty much have turned their back on what made their characters so great. Even their movies are shit. But this entry isn't about why Marvel sucks (that's for another time).

Getting back... I've always like the team books. Seeing the group dynamic, the contrast in personalities, MO's and costumes is such an immersive thrill. The Outsiders, the Justice League of America, the Green Lantern Corp,the Teen Titans. All great titles. But there is one title which I always liked. The Justice Society of America. Something about this team REALLY speaks to me.

My friend Mitch summed it up nicely in 3 words. "They're old school." He's quite right. Many, many heroes of the JSA have been around since WW2. And if not them, then the names. That's right. Their names. The JSA is about passing on the torch. The legacy of being a hero. If I can paraphrase a quote I heard from two writers at the 2007 Comic-Con in NYC - "The Titans teach you to be a team. The JLA teaches you to fight but the JSA teaches you to be heroes." Oh very true. The adventures the JSA have are much more... Well... Adventurous, more human, more dramatic. Even their villains seem much more intriguing than the ones the JLA or Titans have face.

Moving along. Being a fan of the "old school" I naturally picked up anything and everything about the JSA. JSA issues, trade paperbacks, crossovers et cetera. Their new series is simply amazing. Anyway, on to the main point of this entry.

At the NYC Comic-Con, I was browsing through the boxes of various vendors when this caught my eye.

Whoa. Such an interesting look. I scan the back, skim through the book and I was suitably impressed. WW2 espionage! Holy shit! Well I'm sold. It's a decision I was quite pleased with.

It takes the idea that the JSA were an espionage group operating for the US Government. Every character has an intriguing look to them. Batman (codenamed the Bat) is dressed like an army commando for example.

• The Good - The art is amazing. The color, the inking, the penciling, the character designs. The dialogue, I'm pleased to say, isn't a cliché of 1940s speak like so many other comics set during that time. The story, involving a Nazi secret weapon, is simply thrilling. The surprise ending will really give you a kick to the balls.
  
• The Bad - The 2nd story set during the Cold War seems too much like regular super hero stories. I wasn't too impressed with it. I felt as if it was too rush and there some glaring plot holes with regards to continuity.
  
• The Ugly - While the sheer number of heroes set in the "mystery men" mold is truly amazing, one can't help want MORE heroes and villains.
  

I recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of the JSA, WW2 espionage and pulp fiction mystery men.

From Booklist
The first generation of superheroes arrived just in time for World War II. To that era Jolley and Harris return, but not quite, for they conjure a world subtly different than even standard comic-book reality. Batman is called in to help two other costumed crime fighters apprehend Jack the Grin (i.e., the Joker), thought to be carrying plans for a German superweapon. The mission is accomplished, and the captured document indicates that the Nazis have a "super-man."

Fortunately, Uncle Sam also has a superman--namely, Superman, though he is top secret. He has a secret, too: the reason he was sent, or, rather, expelled, to Earth. The action stays hot and heavy, through WWII and into cold war H-bomb espionage. Batman and peers encounter several horrifying supervillains, capped by their most dangerous opponent ever. This Batman is a domineering, rather paranoid good guy in a dangerous world that Harris' active compositions and sharp lines, colored in dark shades lit by explosions, make more exciting than, to date, Batman movies have been.
Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Doctor Who and pulp fiction

Good evening America. This is Gabriel with a secret communique broadcasting live from the Flying Reaper's radio room.

Doctor Who may be British sci-fi (there is a distinct FEEL to British sci-fi but that's another article for another day)but it's obviously been influenced by the great pulp novels/comics of yesteryear. Super science, horror, space opera, mystery... It's all there people.

Take the following TV episodes for example

• The Talons of Weng Chiang is quite entertaining. You have murderous crime syndicates, a time-displaced mad scientist, giant rats, an animated doll filled with murderous intent. All of which set during Victorian Era England!
• Mask of Mandragora, set in 15th century Italy involves a violent cult, courtly backstabbings and an alien entity.
  
• Pyramid of Mars is a real cracker of a story. Robot mummies, otherworldly entities which were worshipped as Egyptian gods and madman with the power to destroy worlds.
  
• The Daemons has the hero facing down apparent demonic creatures which seek to lay waste to the planet if Earth fails to pass judgement.
  
• Horror of Fang Rock is a chilling story of an alien creature stranded on Earth with plans of making it into a base of operations against another alien race. Set during the Edwardian Era, the dialogue is engaging and delightful.
  
• Ghost Light, back once more to the Victorian period, the intrepid hero races to find out what is causing the madness in a decaying mansion filled with evil.
  
• Image of the Fendahl has a scientist studying an ancient skull with a pentagram on its crown which is apparently the remains of a monstrous entity from an alien culture's mythology. It's not a coincidence that the Fendahl and the Fendahleen look something straight out H.P. Lovecraft's writings.
• The War Games A gentlemanly war is more than it seems as the hero discovers soldiers from other eras.
  
• Black Orchid, another Edwardian Era story this time involving a dark family secret which is hidden in the secret passages of a sprawling mansion.
• The Abominable Snowmen 1920s Tibet is the backdrop for a dangerous mission investigating the strange occurrence of the Yeti.
• The Green Death has a supercomputer gone insane in a bid to take over the world by any means necessary.
• The Android Invasion pits the hero against robotic duplicates running among in an English countryside
  

See the obvious influences? Supercomputers, robots, bizarre mysteries, science run amok!

Something else that's quite interesting is Doctor Who & the Invaders from Mars. An audio drama published by Big Finish, it tells the tale of the Doctor in New York.

It's 1938 and the Doctor & Charley land in NYC. They run afoul of mobsters with some odd technology and it turns out the Halloween invasion transmitted over the radio was, in fact, a real invasion from Mars! Well... Sort of.

The dialogue is witty and quick, the story immersive and fun. The voice acting... well. God bless the British but the attempt at American accents is laughable and corny.

The Martians sound exactly like something out of an old time radio show and they fit perfectly in the grand scheme of the story.

I highly recommend Doctor Who if you desire a nice change of pace with regards to Sci-Fi and Horror.

Musical Musings- Pulp Themes (an opinion)

Hi, folks. Don here, broadcasting from the radio room of The Flying Reaper, Dr. Lightning's all-purpose transformable armored zeppelin. This post is about music: what it means to my pulp-fan's brain.

In 1872, french composer Camille Saint-Saens wrote a "symphonic poem" called "Le Rouet d'Omphale" (or "Omphale's Spinning Wheel"). The topic of this classical music piece is the legend of Hercules: he finds himself in exile, in service of the Lydian queen Omphale. She forces the hero to dress as a woman and to perform the duties of a maid and seamstress. The piece is lilting and flowery, a soft and harmless musical composition... until the middle third. At this point in the narrative, Hercules bemoans his fate to Omphale as she forces him to spin wool at her feet. This passage of the music is mournful, full of aggression and sadness and regret. It is a bit of a downer, and not heroic at all in this light.

But:

In 1937, the Mutual Broadcasting System first broadcast a radio program called "The Shadow", starring a young Orson Welles. The famous opening and closing lines ("Who Knows What Evil...") were not performed by Welles, but by a recording of radio actor and former Shadow (when the character was an announcer) Frank Readick Jr. Behind this recording was an orchestral version (later to be stripped down to just an organ) of...

the middle third of "Le Rouet d'Omphale".

Now, in this new light, the piece has taken on a new feeling to many that hear it: dark and vengeful when in it's full orchestral form, foggy and mysterioso when played by the organ. "Omphale's Spinning Wheel" has since become "The Shadow's theme".

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Music has a strong power to create images in the minds of the listener, whether it's a piece connected with a famous scene in a movie (think of the "Jaws" theme), or whether it causes the listener to dream up the images themselves. I've always been a big fan of musical themes for stories and characters, and they've always helped me to see the events depicted in a story more clearly.

Another piece by Saint-Saens that fits perfectly with The Shadow is his Symphony No. 3 In C Minor Op. 78 , particularly the leitmotifs present in the beginning of the first and third movements. It lends itself, I believe, to stealthy pursuits. Agents move on their orders. A taxicab pulls away from the curb, the driver tersely watching his quarry as he trails a dark sedan through the night-time streets. A mobster vanishes into the darkness, only to be replaced by a cloaked and slouch-hatted figure, briefly seen under a street-lamp.

It is a powerfully visual piece of music.

Other music from other sources creeps into my head from time to time when reading pulps. For Doc Savage, I think the perfect theme would be "Olympic Fanfare" by movie-music master John Williams. Another John Williams composition, ("The Mission"- you would probably know it better as the NBC Nightly News theme) would be a perfect theme for one of my characters, Challenger Storm (shameless plug!). I admit, it may be hard to distance your head from the thematic elements and movies the pieces were written for, but trust me: it can be done.

A final example of classical-style music matching well with pulp fiction can be seen in Chris Kalb's Spider "Flash Trailer" (that's the black & white cartoon near the bottom of the page). Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" (from his "Carmina Burana") is used to great effect here. This piece has been used (some would say "overused") many, many times in the past, but I don't think it's ever fit as well as it does here. The element of grand horror and epic struggle present in those Spider novels matches perfectly with the bombastic choral arrangement and crashing symbols. "Epic" does not do the description justice.

The Art of Fighting

Good morning America! Gabriel broadcasting live from NYC thanks in part to Clorox.

Here's an interesting article I found on the fighting art used by Sherlock Holmes, Doc Savage and the Shadow. I've decided to post the article here because it is pulp related after all.
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Baritsu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Baritsu is possibly the world's most famous fictional martial art.

By the 1890s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had become weary of chronicling the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He had actually killed Holmes off in his 1893 story, the Final Problem, in which Holmes apparently plunged to his death over a waterfall during a struggle with his arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty.

However, such was the public clamour for the fictional detective's return that Doyle capitulated and revived Holmes for another story, the Adventure of the Empty House, in 1901. As Holmes himself explained his apparently miraculous survival:

"When I reached the end I stood at bay. He drew no weapon, but he rushed at me and threw his long arms around me. He knew that his own game was up, and was only anxious to revenge himself upon me. We tottered together upon the brink of the fall. I have some knowledge, however, of baritsu, or the Japanese system of wrestling, which has more than once been very useful to me. I slipped through his grip, and he with a horrible scream kicked madly for a few seconds and clawed the air with both his hands. But for all his efforts he could not get his balance, and over he went. With my face over the brink I saw him fall for a long way. Then he struck a rock, bounced off, and splashed into the water."

In fact, baritsu did not exist outside the pages of the English editions of the Adventure of the Empty House. Doyle had, presumably, meant to refer to Bartitsu, which was an eclectic martial art that had been founded by Londoner E. W. Barton-Wright around 1898 or 1899, i.e. several years after Holmes supposedly had used it (but a couple of years before Conan Doyle was writing).

It is uncertain why Holmes referred to 'Baritsu', rather than 'Bartitsu'. It is possible that Doyle, who, like Barton-Wright, was writing for Pearson's Magazine during the late 1890s, was vaguely aware of Bartitsu and simply mis-remembered or misheard the term; it may even have been a typographical error or a concern about copyright. In any case, baritsu was considered to be too esoteric by Doyle's American editors, who further added to the confusion by substituting the word "jiujitsu" in the American editions of the story.

Another possible source for the word could be the Russian "borets" ("борец"), "fighter", "wrestler".

This confusion of names persisted through much of the 20th century, with Holmes enthusiasts puzzling over the identity of baritsu and mistakenly identifying it as bujutsu, sumo and judo. It was not until the 1990s that scholars including Y. Hirayama, J. Hall, Richard Bowen and James Webb were able to positively identify the martial art of Sherlock Holmes.

Meanwhile, baritsu developed a life of its own during the latter 20th century, and it was duly recorded that fictional heroes including Doc Savage and the Shadow had been initiated into its mysteries; those last two were established as knowing Baritsu in a DC published crossover that spilled over into The Shadow Strikes. It was also incorporated into the rules of several role-playing games set during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Weird Horror!

I like that type of horror that makes you go "OH MY GOD... WHAT IS THAT?!" Horror like Event Horizon, In the Mouth of Madness and John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness for example. It's the type horror that isn't associated with ghosts, the devil or black magic (even Prince of Darkness. even though it says the devil is involved, the entity described is more akin to stuff written by HP Lovecraft, Robert Bloch etc).

A another example is Guy De Maupassant's The Horla in which an extra-spatial entity is slowing gaining control of a man who goes to great lengths to stop it. Madness begins to creep into the narrator's scribblings as he realizes something is just not right. In fact, the idea of the Horla inspired a Star Trek episode where it's revealed that this entity (in the episode) was behind the Jack the Ripper killings and other brutal murders on other planets.

One of the future stories of the Red Phantom will involve him and a little known Egyptian cult (scrolls down to the 2nd half to see more)dedicated to one of these foul entities. Be prepared for some weirdness!

This is the horror in which the monsters, for lack of a better term, are indescribable.

Case in point, the Pyramid Head from the Silent Hill 2 video game.
Despite the humanoid body, it's decidedly evil. The lack of a face, the odd pyramid mask and the obscenely huge knife all contribute to that feeling of "it just doesn't feel right." I don't know about you but this is much more scarier than a walking skeleton. At least with a skeleton, you can club it and it'll fall apart.














With this odd thing... Well, pray that you die quickly. If Lovecraft, Franz Kafka and De Maupassant were alive, they'd agree that the Pyramid Head is the zenith of weird horror.

Manhunter

Attention America, this is Doctor Lightning broadcasting from under the Thames River in England. This transmission is about one of the few heroes I respect... The Manhunter.

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I've been a comic fan for many, many years (27 years in fact). Yes, even Doctor Lightning is fond of comics. My interests are wide and varied.

I got into them in the 80s when my godparents got me a box of 200 (100 Marvel, 100 DC)comics from JC Penny for Christmas. I was in the middle of the Bronze Age of comics and I was loving it.

This was before Batman became an obsessed, misanthropic psychotic. This was when Spider-man didn't have more neuroses than Woody Allen. This was when the X-Men weren't whining about being ostracized by people. This was when Marvel heroes had real costumes and not fancy, trendy clothing worn by ravers in a shitty dance club. See the X-Men and Daredevil movies for example.

One comic in particular got me into DC and pulp style comics heavily. In 1984, DC published a collection of stories involving a character from the 1940s. He was Paul Kirk and was a member of various hero groups during World War 2.

Unlike other non-superpowered heroes of the time (the Punisher, Batman, Shang-Chi etc), Paul Kirk really struck a chord in me. I don't know why, but something about his appearances in the Golden Age and Bronze Age really, really, REALLY left a deep impression on me.

Kirk's unwavering sense of honor, justice, loyalty and deep intolerance of those who consistently manipulated others for their needs had a resonating effect on me. Those attributes were also evident in other pulp style heroes such as the Shadow, the Phantom, the Spirit, the Crimson Avenger to name a few.

A relentless, stalwart avenger who sought justice for those oppressed. So this is one of the heroes who's had a profound effect on me.

Take the time to read the following bits of information on Paul Kirk.

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Taken from Who's Who in the DC Universe...
History

.....As a young man, socialite Paul Kirk made a reputation as a big-game hunter and tracker in Africa. Boasting superior tracking skills, Kirk lead game safaris and captured animals for zoos around the world in the late 1930's. He tired of the life, seeking greater challenges. His abilites came to the notice of a group of alien hunters known as the Manhunters, who track down criminals. Shortly after the United States entry into World War II, Kirk was tricked into joining the society of Manhunters by tracking down the murderer of his friend Police Inspector Donovan (himself a Manhunter Agent). Taking the name Manhunter and the costume as his own, Kirk had little contact with other Manhunter agents, including Dan Richards, also calling himself Manhunter.

..... As World War II progressed, Kirk began working for OSS, an American Intellegence group, usually not in costume. Kirk undertook many brutal missions behind enemy lines, and by the time of the war's end, tired of the senseless brutality and took to Africa to try and heal the wounds his hunting had created on his soul.

.....In 1946, weary of living, Kirk was accidentily trampled by an elephant. Near death, his body was taken by a group called the Council, a eugenics group bent on world domination. Over the decades, Kirk's body was repaired and altered, giving him greater reflexes and the ability to heal wounds instantaneously. His genetic template was used in the groundforces of The Council, its soldiers were Kirk's clones. Learning of The Council's plans for world conquest, Kirk shattered The Council and destroyed much of its resurces. One of the clones became a hero of sorts, infiltrating the Darkseid lead Secret Society of Super-Villains and smashing its plans for a time, at the cost of his own life. All the other clones have been eliminated by friends of Paul Kirk.

Powers and Abilities

.....Paul Kirk was one of the greatest trackers and hunters in modern history. Using these abilities, and with great fighting prowess, Paul Kirk was a relentless fighter for justice. Kirk was proficient with many types of firearms and vehicles.

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Taken from the Wiki entry on him...
The following month after Dan Richards appeared, DC decided to have one of their pre-existing characters, big game hunter Paul Kirk, put on a costume and take the name Manhunter as well. This happened in April 1942's Adventure Comics #73, written by Jack Kirby and drawn by Kirby and Joe Simon, although Paul Kirk had first appeared in Adventure #58. Kirk was a wealthy hunter who lost a friend to a murderer, and decided to hunt a more dangerous quarry: outlaws.

Although Richards and Kirk never met in golden age stories, they did meet in All-Star Squadron #31, from 1984, and argued over who should get the Manhunter name. They resolved the dilemma by joining different teams: Dan Richards became a member of the Freedom Fighters, while Paul Kirk stayed as a member of the All-Star Squadron.

Paul Kirk appeared in Adventure Comics from issue #73 to #92, which appeared to end his career in 1944, but it was not to be. Many years later, in 1973's Detective Comics #437, Paul Kirk was literally resurrected in a story by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson. He had been killed by an elephant on safari in the 1940s, but his body had been saved by the Council, a secret society dedicated to the control of the world. After his return from death, Kirk had a healing factor (it was later revealed that this was due to an injection of nanobots) and was trained extensively in the martial arts by Asano Nitobe. He was also the genetic source for many clones, which the council intended to use as their paramilitary arm, with the original Paul Kirk as their leader.

The Council underestimated Kirk's morals, though, and when he refused to kill a police officer, they realized he couldn't be their assassin and decided to have him terminated.

In a classic series of short vignettes and a single issue crossover with Batman, Manhunter defeated the Council, but not before they managed to kill him. Interpol agent Christine St. Clair and Nitobe believed that all the clones were killed, but swore to kill any they found in the future.
Paul Kirk's story ran from Detective Comics #437 through #442 as a backup, and #443 (1974) was the aforementioned full-length crossover with Batman. These stories are considered as classics of the comic-book form and have been reprinted several times; first, in 1979 and in black and white format by Excalibur, and then in color by DC in 1984. The Simonson/Goodwin Manhunter was reissued again in 1999, with some additional material (namely, a silent story illustrated by Simonson from notes by Goodwin, who had died prior to the issue of the new collection; as such, the new collection was dedicated to Goodwin's memory).

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Now, as to why Kate Spencer is pitiful. Well for one thing, the Manhunter we all know and love is about hunting his enemies and dispatching them. He uses his skills as a big game hunter to track his enemies in the dead of night. His deductive reasoning is on par with Batman, the Sandman (Wesley Dodds and his protegé), the Elongated Man and the Shadow. His tenacity, nay... His obsession to capturing evil doers is legendary. But above all, he's a man of justice.

Later another Manhunter (Mark Shaw) would carry on the tradition, albeit for profit. But his thirst for justice sometimes overcame his need for money. In the end, he's still a Manhunter.

Kate Spencer on the other hand... Just another silly angry "femme fatale" with big guns. Her gear... Well, here. Read this.

When Kate pursues Copperhead, she sneaks into an evidence room to steal some items she can use against him. Manhunter #15 tells the origin of each of the three items she takes:

• The Suit - The suit comes from a member of the Darkstars who died in battle and fell to Earth to rot. A drifter found it and used it to defend himself against a group of attackers. Successfully defeating them, he robbed them and left the suit in a dumpster.
• The Gauntlets - A small-time crook found the gauntlets, originally worn by Azrael during his stint as Batman, in Gotham City. The crook used them in an unsuccessful burglary, but when the police arrived, the crook fell to his death, leaving the gauntlets still dug into the side of the building.
• The Staff - An attack on Eclipso ended with several heroes dead; among them was a man programmed to believe that he is Mark Shaw. The staff was recovered with the body and hidden in storage.

So she steals equipment and calls herself the new Manhunter? Such a slap to the face of what is the noble tradition of the Manhunter. There will be a reckoning and this impostor to the name will get her comeuppance soon.

This is Doctor Lightning signing off...

Photoshop pulp

Seeing the lurid poster of Taratino's Grindhouse has inspired me to create my own pulp covers.

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A collector of Asian antiquities fights for his life as his latest acquisition comes to life and begins to slaughter people left and right in the name of some profane deity.

Can the intrepid historian stop this loathsome creature before it kills again?!
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Three heroes united against a common foe.

The Red Phantom - Crimson clad avenger of the oppressed and killer of ghosts.

The Manhunter - Vengeance driven vigilante seeks the most dangerous game... man.

Lobster Johnson - Spectral hero committed to protecting America and its citizens