Just LIke Heaven

Well, it's happened again. While you were watching Garcon Stupide or maybe The Constant Gardner, I was out rotting my brain cells at Just Like Heaven, which is so predictable that you may find yourself reciting all the plot points after you've seen the first ten minutes. That doesn't mean that Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo aren't charming enough to pull it off. They are. Even when the movie is violating its own internal logic, you might not care because it's big-hearted and funny.

I wanted to see Lord of War, I really did, but the sad fact of the matter is that I now choose movies pretty much by the times of their screenings, and Lord of War just didn't work. That's OK. I had a few laughs and didn't feel terribly manipulated (since I pretty much knew what was coming). What more can you ask for two bucks?

I Hope He Gets Crappy Mileage

IOL: Luxury van has all the comforts of home...: "London - The world's largest luxury camping van, which cost more than 1-million pounds (almost R12-million) to build, has been custom made for an oil sheik.

Austrian company Action Mobil built the 12-metre-long vehicle for use on long desert trips, with a huge 13-litre, 600hp engine.

The Desert Challenger took one-and-a-half-years to construct and includes a lavishly furnished living room and a state-of-the-art kitchen."

Yes, We Have More Bananas

A week or so back I wrote a short post about my banana crop. All I know about bananas I learned from Harry Belafonte (they "hide the deadly black tarantula"), but apparently the growing season isn't over, and the crop will be larger than I thought. As you can see in this photo, there's a new bunch of bananas beginning to take shape, and the blossoms are still there on the tips of the fruit. Looks as if this will be a small bunch, and I might not harvest it until nearly winter.

Dr. Grammar

Dr. Grammar - Frequently Asked Questions: "The Dr. Grammar Frequently Asked Questions page contains answers to questions previously asked of Dr. Grammar that may provide help with your grammar questions. The questions are listed alphabetically, so they can be searched quickly and easily. Browse through the list of questions from the list below to find help on your topic or, if you want a Complete Reference List, click here or, if you want to search the Dr. Grammar FAQs, click here."

I picked this link up over at Pop Culture Junk Mail, and it warms the cockles of an old English teacher's heart.

Stark House Press Does Randisi

Stark House Press has another double volume in its continuing series. I've praised Stark House here several times, and Greg Shepard keeps doing great work. This new book reprints two novels by Bob Randisi, one of the most prolific writers of our time. It also has an introduction by Randisi and a bibliography what will astound you. (Well, it astounded me, and I thought I knew about everything Bob has written. I didn't.)

The book is worth its price for the intro and bibliography alone, but it also contains two novels, The Ham Reporter and The Disappearance of Penny. The first is a historical novel about Bat Masterson in the days when he was a sportswriter in New York City, where he teams up with Damon Runyon to look for a missing friend. This is probably my favorite of Randisi's books, but I also like The Disappearance of Penny, which was the first of his books that I ever read. It's about Henry Po, who works for the New York Racing Commission, and once again there's a missing person. It's Randisi's first published novel, which I have in a nice old paperback that's become fairly hard to find. Thanks to Stark House, you can now read it without having to search for it.

This new double volume isn't available until December. Put it on your Christmas list.

Ummmm, Canned Squirrel

Tri-State Neighbor: Country Living: "'I had never canned jams and jellies so we tried that. This year we are going to add jalapeno pepper jelly and canned squirrel. The canned squirrel was Smokey's idea. We asked the Fair Board to add it to the list of acceptable items and they did,' Maurer said."

Coming to DVD -- The Rockford Files

DVD Times - The Rockford Files Season 1 (R1) in December: "Universal Studios Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of The Rockford Files: Season One for 6th December 2005 priced at $39.98 SRP. James Garner stars as Jim Rockford, a private investigator who lives and works in his trailer in Malibu, Los Angeles in the popular television crime series The Rockford Files."

Thanks to Thrilling Days of Yesteryear and Something Old, Nothing New for the tip. Lee Goldberg has a mention, too.

The Window with the Sleeping Nude -- Robert Leslie Bellem

I'd been wanting to read this book for years, but I hadn't been able to find an affordable copy. Finally a sort of ratty one turned up on eBay, so I bought it. I was hoping for something along the lines of Bellem's Dan Turner stories, but that's not what I found. Nothing in the novel rises to the level of the divine zaniness of Turner's escapades, and Barney Cunard is no Dan Turner. Still, it's a fast-moving (and short, at 120 pages) story of a nude body in a department store window, with enough complications to keep things interesting. Who knew that deparment stores in the '40s were staffed by so many gorgeous women? Bellem loves describing them, especially their important assets. So the book was fun to read as a period piece, but a little disappointing. Nice cover, though.

Sue Feder, R. I. P.

Sue Feder
FEDER, Sue On September 9, 2005, SUE FEDER MILLER of Towson by way of Brooklyn. Beloved wife of Larry Miller, loving daughter of Marvin and Rhoda Feder, dear sister of Nanette and Richard Williams and Mitchell Feder, adoring aunt of Eric and Alex Williams and Melanie and Andrea Feder. Services and Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chauvrah. Arrangements by THE JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME, P.A. Published in the Baltimore Sun from 9/11/2005 - 9/12/2005.

I was lucky enough to know Sue, having met her through DAPA-EM and talked and joked with her at a lot of mystery conventions. She never seemed to get depressed or to lose her sense of humor. She was one of the good guys, and I'll miss her a lot.

Fiddlers -- Ed McBain

I've mentioned my admiration of Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain, among many other pseudonyms) before. Here, here, and here, for example. So it was with a little bit of sadness and regret that I picked up Fiddlers, which, because of McBain's recent death, is probably the last of the 87th Precinct novels.

McBain hasn't lost a step with age or illness. I'm sure you can think of a writer or two who should have stopped writing long before the end of a long career, like an athlete who plays one season too long. McBain wasn't one of those writers. He's just as sharp now as he was when I first read one of his books more than 50 years ago. Maybe sharper. I think that his body of work is about as impressive as that of any writer during the second half of the 20th century.

For me, it was impossible to read Fiddlers without having McBain's final illness in mind, and I'm convinced that he had it in mind, too. Just how much, I'm not sure. Is the book a grim joke in its own way? Autobiographical in any sense? I don't know. I do know that it's a typically well-written procedural with appearances by Steve Carella, Meyer, Bert Kling, Cotton Hawes, and Fat Ollie Weeks tracking down a serial killer. The stories of their personal lives aren't resolved, exactly, but I think readers who have been following them for many years, as I have, will be satisfied with their final appearances.

When I closed the book, I thought, "Well, that's it." But it's not. I can always go back and start over at the beginning of the series with books like The Mugger and The Pusher. I probably won't, but the possiblity is always there. McBain will be around for a long, long time.

9/11

Best. Nurse's Outfit. Ever.

Some of you may be old enough to remember the "generation gap." I've come up with a new term to describe the gulf between me and some of you who read the blog: the "intellectual gap." See, I picture most of you as spending the weekend watching the films of Preston Sturges, or seeing La Strada for the tenth time, or writing an article on the politics of Costa-Gavras. While I went to see The Transporter 2.

This isn't a movie for intellectuals. In fact, the more you think about it, the less effective it becomes, mainly because it seems to be set in some alternate universe where the laws of physics (and in fact all natural laws) have been suspended for the duration of the movie, which is mainly one great action scene after another, with occasional pauses (most of them no longer than five or six seconds) for exposition, not that the exposition matters in the least. If you like this kind of thing (and when it's this well done, I certainly do), then this is the kind of thing you'll like.

Now about that nurse's uniform. You gotta love a woman who wears a white smock to pose as a nurse, especially when she's wearing it over a bra, garter belt, and black hose. Oh, yeah, and two gigantic automatic pistols. I mean, a gal's gotta dress for her job. You can check out a film clip of this scene, my favorite scene in any movie this summer, here. Not that you'd want to. You probably have to get back to watching Tea with Mussolini. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Line Forms on the Right

From the Sun: An eighth Police Academy movie is on the cards – and all the original stars are being invited back.

Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith and Leslie Easterbrook are among the actors being asked to make cameos in the film.

The film makers feel the time is right for the original castmates to return and pass the truncheon to a group of new recruits.

Leslie, who played LT Debbie Callahan in all but one of the six sequels, has already agreed to reprise her role.

Flashgun Casey

Via Ivan at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, a link to the page where you can order the new book I mentioned the other day:
Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: "Description
All there is to know about the crime fighting hero created by the award winning mystery writer George Harmon Coxe.

From his debut in the 1930's Black Mask pulp magazine to his radio and television adventures, and in the movies, novels, comic books and a play.

# Introduction by noted mystery critic, William F. Nolan
# First-ever literary biography of George Harmon Coxe, twice President of the Mystery Writers of America and recipient of the MWA Grand Master Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the mystery genre and the consistently high quality of his work.
# Complete Black Mask short story, 'Return Engagement,' the very first Casey story
# Synopses of all 21 short stories and novelettes, 6 novels, 4 comic books, 2 films and a play
# 2 uncirculated radio scripts
# Complete Program Log for radio series: 431 programs, 1943-1950, 1954-1955
# Complete Program Log for television series: 62 programs, 1945, 1951-1952
# 31 photographs and illustrations, including cast photographs for radio and television series"

Some Good News from New Orleans

I just heard from my friend Bob Skinner, who says he's had good news from Xavier University. The school's going to continue paying the faculty and staff, and they plan to reopen in January 2006. My relief at hearing this is nothing compared to Bob's, but I'm elated. I was really worried about his situation, but now I know for sure that he'll come through this just fine. Thanks to all who responded to my request for job possibilities, and keep Bob and his wife in mind. They've still got some tough times ahead.

Bananas

Remember the banana tree in my back yard? Of course you don't. That's because you probably didn't look at the picture I posted here on July 10. I harvested the bananas the day before we left for Bouchercon, and we left them to finish ripening. Today we enjoyed the fruits of our labor (no pun intended) in a salad at dinner. They were delicious. Too bad this year's crop was so small.

Chupacabra Update

KFTY || TV50 - Was it El Chupacabra? Texas Man Kills Chicken Slayer:

COLEMAN, Texas -- Was the strange creature recently killed in this West Texas town a bloodsucking monster called a chupacabra?

Or a coyote with a bad case of mange?

Whatever it is, it's causing a big stir in Coleman, a city of 5,100 or so people 52 miles south of Abilene. In fact, the last time an animal caused this much talk was five years ago, when a Dallas-area hunter shot and killed a monkey on a nearby ranch.

I used to live in Brownwood, only a few miles from Coleman. I never saw a Chupacabra, but I did see a coyote or two.

The Heirs of Anthony Boucher -- Marvin Lachman

Marv Lachman has written a book about mystery fandom that I predict will be on a lot of awards lists next year. In this anecdotal illustrated history, he gives capsule summaries of every Bouchercon (including attendance figures), discusses every mystery fanzine ever published, looks at mystery fandom from its beginnings to the present, and even talks a bit about fannish scholarship and the future of fandom.

For me, reading The Heirs of Anthony Boucher was almost as good as reliving many of the best moments of the last thirty years. When Judy was reading the book last night, she said, "This is like old home week." I think that nails it for those of us who have been fans for many of the years covered in the book.

But The Heirs of Anthony Boucher is certainly more than that. It's an invaluable documentation of the history (so far) of fandom, and it's something that everyone who cares about mysteries, mystery writing, and mystery fandom should own and read. I suggest that you order a copy now. You won't regret it.

Paperback Covers!

Via Scrubbles, here's a gallery of old paperback covers that you can view as a slide show.

Bob Skinner

I know a couple of writers from New Orleans. One of them, Robert Skinner, and I have been corresponding by e-mail for a lot of years now. I found out yesterday that he's safe and sound but that his house is most likely a total loss (it was only a couple of blocks from one of the levees that broke). Bob had a great collection of old radios, old cameras, old western revolvers and other western memorabilia, not to mention books. Probably everything is gone.

Bob also had a good job as the director of the Xavier University library. He won't be getting paid again anytime soon, if ever. Today he applied for food stamps. He's also in the market for a job, so if any of you know a library that could use a highly qualified director, let me know. Bob's taking things a lot better than I would, for damned sure, and he knows he was luckier than a lot of folks, but he could use a little help.