Encanto, Latin America Film Polling and Paradise Atop the Hudson publication date on Monday Morning Diary (November 29)

by Sam Juliano

The Latin American film polling project will continue until 5:00 P.M. on Monday, December 6th.  Unforgettable movies from Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Chile and Columbia have been dominating yet another international polling, one bringing on a large number of completed ballots, according to Voting Tabulator Bill Kamberger.

Speaking of December 6th, my novel, Paradise Atop the Hudson, will finally publish on that busy day.  Lucille and I will take the plunge, and unless there are technical hurdles which could delay us further with the process, I am expecting the Amazon link to the book to be live at the site within 24 hours or so after we surrender the manuscript and art.  I am still re-arranging and writing the massive acknowledgment section, and awaiting some review blurbs from friends who received a copy of the manuscript early.  I want to thank everyone for their patience, interest and amazing assistance to get this project consummated.  I plan to resume with the book’s sequel, Irish Jesus in Fairview, shortly after the work connected to Paradise has been completed.

I trust that all our friends stateside enjoyed Thanksgiving Day and a return to some degree of normalcy after last year’s cancellations.  It was so great to meet up with our relatives again.

Lucille, young Sammy and I took in the new Disney animated musical-fantasy, Encanto Saturday night in the Teaneck multiplex. Fueled by a mostly fabulous score by Germaine Franco, with eight songs in Spanish and English by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this rollicking picture about sibling rivalries and cultural displacement was a sensory delight, and much like its ethic predecessor, “Coco” the visuals were imbued with phantasmagorical heft. Not quite the emotional powerhouse “Coco” is, Encanto is still a beautifully made and conceived film that is wholly irresistible.

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Happy Thanksgiving, Latin American Film Polling, and Belfast on Monday Morning Diary (November 22)

 

by Sam Juliano

We are wishing all our friends and readers stateside a Happy Thanksgiving!  After a pandemic-ravaged year, this will be the first time in two seasons many will be getting to see their families again.

Jim Clark published a fabulous essay on Antonioni’s Red Desert this past week at the site.  My novel Paradise Atop the Hudson inches closer to publication, but this past week I have had to remove some song lyrics from the narrative, since a writer must obtain written permission to include them.

The past week Lucille and I saw one new film in a theater (on Friday evening.)  First the caveats. Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is NOT as great a film as Hope and Glory, nor The Long Day Closes. The former had stronger plot cohesion and the latter more overtly impressionist strokes that aren’t compromised by the clash between romanticism and realism we see in Belfast. The thick Irish brogue is often incomprehensible, and subtitles would have helped. This largely charming film makes fine use of Van Morrison songs, and boasts some splendid performances, led by the youthful protagonist, Buddy, played by Jude Hill. Incorporation of movies, and some wonderful scenes with the boy’s grandparents brings some added familial resonance in a film that combines the idyllic with the horror of Protestant and Catholic violence in a city where the former adherents are trying to purge their religious adversaries from the soil at every turn. Belfast is alluring and memorable for sure, but not the best film of the year as some have been touting it as. The use of monochrome was wise, methinks, and I count myself as a fan of the “Everlasting Love” segment. 4.5 of 5.0

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Mexico, Cuba, Central and South America Film Polling!

Everyone gets 20 choices, to be presented as always in one of three ways: RANKED numerically, alphabetically or chronologically. All films released or made in any Latin American country are eligible, and of course there is no restriction on the number of films you may choose from one particular country. As always, Bill Kamberger will make all decisions involving eligibility, and the voting will run until Monday, December 6th. My own Top 20, as usual, is presented ALPHABETICALLY. I deeply regret leaving off “Pixote,” “Amores Perros,” “Strawberry and Chocolate,” “The Secret in Their Eyes,” “Zama,” “Bacurau,” “The Official Story,” “Central Station,” “End of the Century,” “Embrace of the Serpent,” and several others including a few more by Jodorowsky, , and though I never connected with Reygades’ “Silent Light” like many respected friends did, I hereby acknowledge it. My list:

Ahi, esta el detalle (Oro; 1940; Mexico)

The Battle of Chile (Guzman; 1975-79; Chile)

Black Orpheus (Camus; 1959; Brazil)

La Casa del Angel (Nilsson; 1957; Argentina)

City of God (Meirelles; 2002; Brazil)

El – This Strange Passion (Bunuel; 1953; Mexico)

The Exterminating Angel (Bunuel; 1962; Mexico)

Los Olvidados (Bunuel; 1962; Mexico)

Macario (Gavaldon; 1960; Mexico)

Maria Candelaria (Fernandez; 1943; Mexico)

Memories of Underdevelopment (Alea; 1968; Cuba)

The Pearl (Fernandez; 1947; Mexico)

Roma (Cuaron; 2018; Mexico)

Santa Sangre (Jodorowky; 1989; Mexico)

Simon of the Desert (Bunuel; 1965; Mexico)

To the Left of the Father Carvalho; 2001; Brazil)

Undertow (Fuentes-Leon; 2019; Peru/Columbia)

Vidas Secas (Dos Santos; 1963; Brazil)

The Way He Looks (Ribeiro; 2014; Brazil)

Y Tu Mama Tambien (Cuaron; 2001; Mexico)

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“Mon Oncle Antoine,” “The Sweet Hereafter,” ‘Jesus of Montreal,” “Exotica,” Atanarjuat” The Fast Runner,” “My Winnipeg” Lead Top 100 Canadian Film Polling!

1. Mon Oncle Antoine (Claude Jutra, 1971) – 233

2. The Sweet Hereafter (Atom Egoyan, 1997) – 225

3. Jesus of Montreal (Denys Arcand, 1989) – 140

4. Exotica (Atom Egoyan, 1994) – 139

5. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Zacharias Kunuk, 2001) – 137.5

6. My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2007) – 124

7. Stories We Tell (Sarah Polley, 2012) – 123.5

8. Mommy (Xavier Dolan, 2014) – 114.5

9. Incendies (Denis Villeneuve, 2010) – 108

10. C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Valée, 2005) – 99.5

11. Black Robe (Bruce Beresford, 1991) – 95

12. The Man Who Planted Trees (Frédéric Back, 1987) – 93.5

13. Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988) – 92.5

14. Goin’ Down the Road (Donald Shebib, 1970) – 92

15. The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers, 2019) – 84

16. The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015) – 82

17. Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (François Girard, 1993) – 81.5

18. Neighbours (Norman McLaren, 1952) – 74

19. Away from Her (Sarah Polley, 2006) – 71

20. Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996) – 70

21. Léolo (Jean-Claude Lauzon, 1992) – 70

22. The Red Violin (François Girard, 1998) – 69.5

23. The Heart of the World (Guy Maddin, 2000) – 67.5

24. The Barbarian Invasions (Denys Arcand, 2003) – 64

25. Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983) – 61.5

26. The Daytrippers (Greg Mottola, 1996) – 61

27. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (Ted Kotcheff, 1974) – 57

28. The Brood (David Cronenberg, 1979) – 54.5

29. The Big Snit (Richard Condie, 1985) – 54

30. Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2012) – 53.5

31. Warrendale (Allan King, 1967) – 53

32. Last Night (Don McKellar, 1998) – 51

33. Black Soul (Martine Chartrand, 2001) – 50.5

34. Spider (David Cronenberg, 2002) – 50.5

35. Les Ordres (Michel Brault, 1974) – 50

36. A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, 2011) – 49

37. Begone Dull Care (Norman McLaren & Evelyn Lambart, 1949) – 47.5

38. The Saddest Music in the World (Guy Maddin, 2003) – 47

39. The Grey Fox (Phillip Borsos, 1982) – 46.5

40. The Cat Came Back (Cordell Barker, 1988) – 44

41. Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015) – 42.5

42. Back to God’s Country (David Hartford, 1919) – 40

43. Les bons débarras / Good Riddance (Francis Mankiewicz, 1980) – 40

44. Water (Deepa Mehta, 2005) – 39.5

45. Wavelength (Michael Snow, 1967) – 38

46. A History of Violence (David Cronenberg, 2005) – 36

47. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Werner Herzog, 2010) – 35

48. Enemy (Denis Villeneuve, 2013) – 34

49. Strange Brew (Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas, 1983) – 34

50. Crac (Frédéric Back, 1980) – 31.5

51. The Adjuster (Atom Egoyan, 1991) – 31

52. New Waterford Girl (Allan Moyle, 1999) – 30

53. No Skin Off My Ass (Bruce La Bruce, 1991) – 29

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MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI and TONINO GUERRA’S RED DESERT “There’s something terrible about reality…”

 by James Clark

      Those of you who have been charting the trilogy designed by film writer extraordinary, Tonino Guerra, probably realize that an arc of ascending intensity has been put into action. Though intensity is its business, the intimacy of the crisis has a very subtle presence. Each of the protagonists undergoes humiliation in face of a state-of-affair beyond their wit and gut. (This matter had been a fixture of filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman; and his presence here is everywhere.)

As we test the water of “what next,” it only gets more formidable. It only gets more formidable because from time immemorial the powers that be, have chosen to either the ways of forced (imaged) immortality or the overrated ways of science. There is another way, but it requires some preparation. Our film today, with its springboard of the trilogy, studies most closely a figure, namely, Giuliana, having become, by force of a car accident, a most reluctant pariah. The shock of her near death (without serious injury) had introduced to her an intensity unknown and unwanted. Her patrician assets, though, carry a background of being special, being, if not bright, reckless. A more canny victim would shake it off. But Giuliana, with an appetite to the more, cannot fully face down her new, terrible love of a wisdom. The saga of the uncanny is a staple within Guerra’s poetic intensity.

Giuliana’s innovation affords a glimpse of a dimension needed to be engaged. She’s far from a sage; but she’s also engaged in serious toil. Her toils are far from academic. But they deliver a statement to us, meaningful in their urgency. In the midst of her husband’s massive industrial concern, with its regular strikes, and regular pestilence, our protagonist wends her way to provide, as best she can, her energies of the mundane along with her energies of the extreme unique. We find her walking with her young son, Valerio, close to her home. Her home being an adjunct of her husband’s business. She and Valerio ignore those troubles. She approaches the outing as a safari, an exotic shake-up. With the actions agog by the conflict, what does, though, by way of her very ill of ease, is the sandwich of one of the watchers. “Can I buy it?”/ “But I’ve already eaten some…”/ “It doesn’t matter…” (In fact, the exercise involves getting close to the man in the street.) She grabs the purchase and eats the sandwich as if she were a worker. She is, in fact, acting out some kind of solidarity. Not so much a political connection, but a leaver of universal understanding. Moreover, right from the first second of the film, there are blurring visuals of the entities on tap, the trees, the sky, the factory. This blur is not about a foggy moment of Giuliana’s entrance to the filthy business of her husband’s enterprise; but about a moment of her entrance to an uncanny force—calling her to help!

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Broadway Show “Come from Away,” Canadian Film Polling and Paradise Atop the Hudson on Monday Morning Diary (November 15)

by Sam Juliano

Thanksgiving Day is just ten days from now, and for many of us this means returning the annual routine that was disrupted by last year’s serious COVID situation.  For Lucille and I this means spending the holiday with her sister and over sixty others in their specious Butler, New Jersey home.

Many thanks to those participating in the Canadian Film polling, which ends on Wednesday at 5:00 P.M.  Next up will be Latin Cinema in the new world (Mexico; Cuba; Central and South America) all together.  That poll lead-in will be posted on Friday.

The publication of Paradise Atop the Hudson is nearing, but in order to be sure the manuscript is free of blemishes we plan to spend another week to ten days or so giving it another read.  I am also trying to get a few more review blurbs, but this is tricky to engineer, unless the person providing one has either read the full novel, or even part of it.

Lucille and I attended the Saturday evening performance of the 9-11-aftermath musical “Come From Away” last night night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre with Bill Kamberger, who bused up from Baltimore for one of his Broadway marathons. Powerful, poignant, and boasting an electrifying score, the economically staged “Come From Away” is a triumph of the human spirit.

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HorrorFest 2021 wrap; Canadian Film Polling; Eternals and The French Dispatch on Monday Morning Diary (November 8)

by Sam Juliano

Jamie Uhler’s 2021 HorrorFest concludes this week with a final entry.  In a prologue to the review, sent to a small e mail chain, he voiced the hope he might be able to stage it again next year, but specified it would depend on a few factors.  Here’s hoping everything comes together.  In any case his final salvo considers a Czech film he officially anoints as the finest of all the films he reviewed.

Thanks to all who have voted (and those still planning to cast a ballot) in our Canadian Film polling.  According to Voting Tabulator Bill Kamberger the returns so far have been astounding.

The publication of Paradise Atop the Hudson is close at hand, but before I download the book and the art, I must make positively certain no errors remain on the manuscript, which is always a tricky proposition for a single set of eyes.  To this end, Bill has been incredible.  The painstaking revision though, has kept me away from Irish Jesus in Fairview, which will resume immediately after Paradise is published.

Lucille, young Sammy, Jeremy and I saw two films in theaters this past week, both at the Teaneck multiplex.  Eternals (3/5) and The French Dispatch (4/5) were reasonably entertaining films, but some issues were prevalent, especially in the case of the former film.

Jamie’s review follows:

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Canada Polling Has Launched! Each Voter Asked to Choose 15 titles!

by Sam Juliano

Our trip around the world now makes a stop in animation-rich Canada, the land of the maple leaf, David Cronenberg and a remarkably diverse cinema. Bill Kamberger, who will again proctor and tabulate the ballot submissions, will also sort out any films that might not actually qualify. He will make the final ruling.. This time voters are asked to choose FIFTEEN (15) films either RANKED, CHRONOLOGICAL or ALPHABETICAL. The voting will run until 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 17th.

As always my own list of favorites will be presented here in alphabetical order, with all fifteen roughly equal in greatness. For the first time I have included multiple animated titles, three in total. I could have choses several more Cronenberg films, but I settled on the one I like best. I regret leaving off Villenue and Dolan in this mix. And I mourn excluding the animated “The Cat Came Back,” which I deeply love. Here we go:

The Apprenticeship of of Duddy Kravitz (Kotchoff; 1974)

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Kunik; 2001)

The Big Snit (Condie; 1985)

Black Robe (Beresford; 1991)

J. A. Martin Photographer (Beaudin; 1977)

Jesus of Montreal (Arcand; 1989)

Leolo (Lauzon; 1992)

The Man Who Planted Trees (Back; 1987)

Mon Oncle Antoine (Jutra; 1971)

Neighbours (McLaren; 1952)

The Red Violin (Girard; 1998)

Spider (Cronenberg; 2002)

The Sweet Hereafter (Egoyan; 1997)

War Witch (Nguyen; 2012)

Water (Mehta; 1974)

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“M,” “Nosferatu,” “Pandora’s “Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” Lead German Film Results (Top 105).

1. M (Fritz Lang, 1931) – 429

2. Nosferatu (F. W. Murnau, 1922) – 360.5

3. Pandora’s Box (G. W. Pabst, 1929) – 321.5

4. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920) – 256.5

5. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972) – 226

6. The Last Laugh (F. W. Murnau, 1924) – 220.5

7. The Blue Angel (Josef von Sternberg, 1930) – 214

8. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1974) – 199

9. Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) – 195

10. Berlin Alexanderplatz (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1980) – 184.5

11. Never Look Away (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2018) – 180

12. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006) – 158.5

13. Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932) – 151

14. The Golem (Paul Wegener & Carl Boese, 1920) – 148

15. Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders, 1987) – 147.5

16. Phoenix (Christian Petzold, 2014) – 146

17. The Marriage of Maria Braun (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1979) – 132

18. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Lotte Reiniger, 1926) – 130.5

19. Faust (F. W. Murnau, 1926) – 127

20. (Our) Hitler: A Film from Germany (Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, 1977) – 126

21. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, 2009) – 125

22. The Tin Drum (Volker Schlöndorff, 1979) – 124

23. Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2016) – 122.5

24. Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, 1982) – 121.5

25. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser / Every Man for Himself and God Against All (Werner Herzog, 1974) – 120

26. Die Nibelungen: Siegfried & Kriemhild’s Revenge (Fritz Lang, 1924) – 104

27. The Bridge (Bernhard Wicki, 1959) – 102.5

28. Mädchen in Uniform (Leontine Sagan & Carl Froelich, 1931) – 98.5

29. In a Year of 13 Moons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1978) – 93

30. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang, 1933) – 92

31. People on Sunday (Robert Siodmak & Edgar G. Ulmer, 1930) – 89.5

32. Stroszek (Werner Herzog, 1977) – 86.5

33. Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984) – 83.5

34. Alice in the Cities (Wim Wenders, 1974) – 82

35. Head-On (Fatih Akin, 2004) – 78.5

36. Das Boot (Wolfgang Petersen, 1981) – 77

37. Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (Fritz Lang, 1922) – 74.5

38. Olympia 1 & 2 (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938) – 74

39. Kings of the Road (Wim Wenders, 1976) – 69.5

40. Stars (Konrad Wolf, 1959) – 68.5

41. Liebelei (Max Ophüls, 1933) – 67

42. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972) – 66.5

43. Europa Europa (Agnieszka Holland, 1990) – 66.5

44. Run Lola Run (Tom Tykwer, 1998) – 64.5

45. Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004) – 60.5

46. Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany (Edgar Reitz, 1984) – 60.5

47. The Nasty Girl (Michael Verhoeven, 1990) – 58

48. Young Törless (Volker Schlöndorff, 1966) – 58

49. Fox and His Friends / Fist-Fight of Freedom (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1975) – 56.5

50. The Kaiser’s Lackey / Man of Straw (Wolfgang Staudte, 1951) – 56

51. Paths (Chris Miera, 2017) – 54

52. I Was Nineteen (Konrad Wolf, 1968) – 51

53. Barbara (Christian Petzold, 2012) – 50.5

54. The Threepenny Opera (G. W. Pabst, 1931) – 50.5

55. Different from the Others (Richard Oswald, 1919) – 49.5

56. Asphalt (Joe May, 1929) – 48.5

57. Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1981) – 47.5

58. Michael (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1924) – 44.5

59. The Congress Dances (Erik Charell, 1931) – 44

60. Angry Harvest (Agnieszka Holland, 1985) – 43

61. Good Bye, Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker, 2003) – 43

62. Kameradschaft (G. W. Pabst, 1931) – 43

63. The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (Danièle Huillet & Jean-Marie Straub, 1968) – 42.5

64. The Merchant of Four Seasons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1971) – 42

65. Nosferatu the Vampyre (Werner Herzog, 1979) – 42

66. Transit (Christian Petzold, 2018) – 41.5

67. Knife in the Head (Reinhard Hauff, 1978) – 40.5

68. Variety (E. A. Dupont, 1925) – 40.5

69. Waxworks (Paul Leni & Leo Birinksy, 1924) – 40.5

70. Nowhere in Africa (Caroline Link, 2001) – 40

71. The American Friend (Wim Wenders, 1977) – 38.5

72. Westfront 1918 (G. W. Pabst, 1930) – 38.5

73. Kuhle Wampe, or Who Owns the World? (Slatan Dudow, 1932) – 37.5

74. Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982) – 36

75. The Oyster Princess (Ernst Lubitsch, 1919) – 35.5

76. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (Margarethe von Trotta & Volker Schlöndorff, 1975) – 34.5

77. Marianne and Juliane / The German Sisters (Margarethe von Trotta, 1981) – 34.5

78. The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin, 2007) – 32.5

79. Last Exit to Brooklyn (Uli Edel, 1989) – 31.5

80. Parsifal (Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, 1982) – 31.5

81. Querelle (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982) – 31

82. Diary of a Lost Girl (G. W. Pabst, 1929) – 29

83. Murderers Among Us (Wolfgang Staudte, 1946) – 29

84. Land of Silence and Darkness (Werner Herzog, 1971) – 28.5

85. Effi Briest (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1974) – 28

86. Münchhausen (Josef von Báky, 1943) – 27

87. The Love of Jeanne Ney (G. W. Pabst, 1927) – 25

88. Yesterday Girl (Alexander Kluge, 1966) – 24.5

89. The NeverEnding Story (Wolfgang Petersen, 1984) – 22.

90. From the Life of the Marionettes (Ingmar Bergman, 1980) – 21.5

91. Spies (Fritz Lang, 1928) – 21.5

92. Destiny (Fritz Lang, 1921) – 21

93. Mother Krause’s Journey to Happiness (Phil Jutzi, 1929) – 21

94. Triumph of the Will (Leni Riefenstahl, 1935) – 21

95. Under the Bridges (Helmut Käutner, 1946) – 21

96. Balance (Wolfgang & Christoph Lauenstein, 1989) – 20.5

97. Beyond Silence (Caroline Link, 1996) – 20.5

98. Pina (Wim Wenders, 2011) – 20.5

99. The Student of Prague (Paul Wegener & Stellan Rye, 1913) – 20.5

100. The Baader Meinhof Complex (Uli Edel, 2008) – 19

101. The Doll (Ernst Lubitsch, 1919) – 19

102. Everyone Else (Maren Ade, 2009) – 19

103. The Joyless Street (G. W. Pabst, 1925) – 19

104. Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (Marc Rothemund, 2005) – 19

105. The Wave (Dennis Gansel, 2008) – 19

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HorrorFest 2021, Halloween, German Film Polling and Election Day on Monday Morning Diary (November 1)

by Sam Juliano

Halloween 2021 is now past us, but it was wonderful to see trick or treaters out there in our neighborhood in large numbers.  This pleasant surprise did its part to bring us closer to a sense of normalcy, and as always we got to see some creative costumes.  Jamie Uhler’s sensational “HorrorFest 2021” was the best yet, and many of us have lists from which we can explore over the coming months and year.  God willing we can hope it will happen again in the late summer of 2022, and we can only say “Thank you Jamie” for engaging us with your brilliant capsule reviews.  The email chain where they were first presented was a real joy to read!  This week we have a bonanza of seven (7) more, all persuasively posed, most on the positive side.

The German Film Polling concludes today at 5:00 P.M.  Voting Tabulator Extraordinaire Bill Kamberger informed me yesterday that an astounding forty-six (46) ballots have been cast, and we are excited to hear the results, which we be sent on shortly after polls close today.  Next up will be Canada and its rich animated history.

Speaking of polls, Election Day is tomorrow, and here in New Jersey our Democratic Governor Phil Murphy seems headed for re-election, a prospect we are fully endorsing.  Murphy appeared in Garfield on Sunday morning to rally the troops.  Wishing all a wonderful week.  Here in the Garden State we teachers are off on said Election Day and on Thursday and Friday for the Teacher’s Convention.

Final proof-reading on Paradise Atop the Hudson by the ever-generous and brilliant Bill Kamberger will mean the novel should finally publish in two weeks.  As my great friend and motivator Valerie Clark has opined, this is a very exciting time!

This past week J.D. Lafrance published a fabulous review of H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator at the site!  Jamie’s amazing seven film horror presentation follows here:

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