Posted by It’s almost time.
Draft #6 of Sanctum will be starting in about a week, week and a half. I’ve received a few manuscripts back from the Beta Readers (thank you again!), and am expecting the rest to come in over the next couple of days or so. I’m excited to see the commentary and suggestions. 🙂
January tends to feel a little “ploddy” (is that a word? lol) and it has taken its toll. I’m happy to welcome February. It’s cold here (about 14 in central Illinois), but not much in the way of snow.
I’ll be posting a NEW All Business article tomorrow, so keep a close eyeball peeled for that. In the meantime, not too much else to report! Like I said, January is not exactly a month of action. Lol.
What I’ve been watching as of late:
Kill List (2017) – I’d heard rumblings about this being a heck of a horror movie, but never took the plunge. It’s a British psychological horror film that presents itself as “one thing” for most of the movie, and then takes a sharp turn somewhere around the third act. It’s somewhat slow and somewhat weirdly paced, but the payoff is jaw dropping. Unless you’re okay with “horror proper”, I might advise against this. Fans of horror should have this one under their belt.
Nightmare Alley (2021) – “In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychologist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.” (from Google) This reminded me of Carnivale (which was ASTOUNDING) with a slice of American Horror Story (Season Four – FreakShow) thrown in. Yes, it leans heavy on Noir in some spots, but it’s just so darn good and riveting, I can overlook that part. (lol) Come to think of it, there’s a little bit of Freaks (Tod Browning film from 1931) in there, too. I gave this 8.4 and Charlie gave it an 8.7. High recommend. It’s 2 and a half hours, but didn’t feel like it at all.
The Pez Outlaw (2022) – Pure fun. Pure human interest story. Funny. Poignant. Worth it. No spoilers, but if you know what Pez is, watch this and enjoy. (I gave this a 9.0)
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) – Nick Cage at his Nick Cage-iest. It’s a story-in-a-story and that’s hardly a spoiler. It’s a “fun” romp, but a little forced and tedious. If you’re a fan, you’ll dig this. If you have a passing interest, you can go either way. I’m glad to have seen it if only to see what all the fuss was about, but honestly, if I never saw it, I’d be okay.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (2023) – Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, also referred to as Kai, first became known from the internet viral video Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker featuring him recounting a crime he apparently witnessed while hitchhiking. McGillvary subsequently received national attention in the press. (from Google) True Story/True Crime. Interesting story done in 20/20 News style about a story that broke on social media. Worth watching but no need to push this one to the top of your list.
The Pale Blue Eye (2022) – “A world-weary detective is hired to investigate the murder of a West Point cadet. Stymied by the cadets’ code of silence, he enlists one of their own to help unravel the case – a young man the world would come to know as Edgar Allan Poe.” (IMDb) I was pretty excited to see that Poe was prominently featured in this movie, and then sad to see that the story was pretty much total fiction. (I didn’t want to read about it before seeing it) It was still extremely well done – acting, setting, characterization. I also saw “shout outs” to a number of Poe’s REAL stories (if you see the movie and know some of his more famous work, you’ll catch the Easter eggs as well). It IS slow and gothic, but I was on board. Solid film overall.
And there it is. I am going to make my occasional plea for folks to send authors/musicians/artists my way to be part of the blog’s interview sections. Remember, ALL professional levels are welcome. Have them write to me at srovens@yahoo.com.
Thanks! 🙂
Sue
Sue Rovens 