Welcome to WeeklyWilson.com, where author/film critic Connie (Corcoran) Wilson avoids totally losing her marbles in semi-retirement by writing about film (see the Chicago Film Festival reviews and SXSW), politics and books----her own books and those of other people. You'll also find her diverging frequently to share humorous (or not-so-humorous) anecdotes and concerns. Try it! You'll like it!

Month: March 2012 Page 1 of 2

Elimination Night Proves to be Heejun Han’s Swan Song on March 29, 2012

Thursday, March 29, 2012, Fox, 8 p.m. (ET) Steven Tyler said it best, in dismissing Heejun Han from “American Idol”:  “You saw this coming last week.  Unfortunately, after talking, we’re going to have to let you go, man.” And so Heejun Han exits “American Idol” in 9th place.

The rest of the show consisted of “flashbacks” to how the contestants had done on Wednesday night’s performance night with Jimmy Iovine critiquing.  Jimmy Iovine’s observations were right in tune with my own.  He criticized each performer’s performance as the trios of singers were called to the fore to receive the bad news, and his critiques parallel my own in most cases.

The first set of 3 was Elise, Phillip and Hollie. As I had feared, Hollie was in the lowest three. The second trio, comprised of Colton, Joshua and Heejun, delivered Heejun to his fate; he looked glum and did seem to “see it coming,” as Steven Tyler put it. It’s always best not to get on the wrong side of the judges, and Heejun had done that.

The third set of three, Skylar, DeAndre and Jessica, delivered the only surprise of the night, for me, when Skylar  have received fewer votes than the other two. I did criticize her awful outfits, but I thought her singing went well. Perhaps the Hispanic/Filippino vote for Jessica is coalescing? I noticed, with a smile, that the short Skylar couldn’t quite make it onto the elimination stool, so she just stood there beside it. (Why don’t they give these poor kids a chair that they don’t have to perch on?)

I thought that Jimmy’s remark about DeAndre (“I’m sitting right in the middle on Deandre. He needs more experience.  If enough people buy into it (his falsetto), he’s okay. Otherwise, he’s in trouble.”) Going forward, I would agree with that assessment. Eric Benet came out in person to congratulate DeAndre on his performance. I had said that Benet’s SONG was not that well-known (when compared to “Whole Lotta’ Love,” which Elise performed) but someone took me to task for not knowing who Eric Benet is. How can any of us not know that he was married to Hallie Berry. He also hasn’t had a really big hit since 2000, so that means that, when Eric was at his hottest, DeAndre was about four years old, since he’s still in high school.

Jimmy also mentioned the crying jag many of the contestants were on Wednesday night, saying, “When you cry, your voice closes.” He gave Colton no props, saying, “I don’t think he sings as well as the other 8 contestants at this point in the show” declaring him to be ‘behind on points.” (Ouch!)

On the other hand, Jimmy Iovine boosted Elise Testone’s stock by saying she was a dark horse and “comin’ on strong.” Of Hollie, Jimmy said, “I don’t believe you win this on technique. You win it on passion.” He also praised Stevie Nicks’ belief in Phillip Phillips saying, “I’ve been around Stevie Nicks for a very long time, and she’s very rarely wrong.” We also had Steven Tyler announcing a new Aerosmith tour, the Global Warming Tour, to kick off June 16th in Minneapolis.

Nicki Minaj performed a routine for her new release “Starships” that featured her falling out of her bra-like top and sounding like a chipmunk. Her hair was bleached blonde and she had on a dress with a train (a la Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday). She pranced more than dance and announced she’d like to come back as a guest judge. Her performance was almost as noteworthy as her grim, sacrilegious Grammy turn.

Going forward, I would expect the strongest contenders to be (in no particular order) Elise, Joshua, Jessica and Phillip, while the also-rans list, for me, is formed of Skylar, Colton, Deandre and Hollie.

March 28, 2012, on “American Idol:” Who Did Well? Who Will Go Home?

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) Deandre Brackensick, who sang fifth in tonight’s “American Idol” performance night, sang Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry.” That song could have been used as the theme of tonight’s performances, with several of the remaining 9 contestants tearing up at key moments. [Yes, I know who Eric Benet is, Gentle Reader. That is not the point here. The point is that a song like “Whole Lotta’ Love” by Led Zeppelin (as an example) is going to be much more recognized than “Sometimes I Cry” by the singer best-known for his marriage to Halle Berry, whose biggest hit came 12 years ago.]

First up was Colton Dixon, who selected a LifeHouse song, and, after giving the females in the audience lyrics like, “You’re all I want, you’re all I need. How could it be any better than this?” (which Colton described as his “favorite worship song of all time”) he teared up a bit, to start the evening off. Steven Tyler declared, “You’ve got that star quality,” while Jennifer Lopez gushed, “You’re a performer. You’re amazing” and Randy—who has a genius for stating the obvious—said, “I think I could be looking at a contender for the title.” (Someone should clue Randy in that all the contestants are there because they are “contenders for the title.”)

 

Skylar Laine from Mississippi followed and selected a Miranda Lambert song. She had on the most horrible outfit I’ve seen this year: a black studded pleather motorcycle jacket with a weird asymmetrical top with a white border that emphasized exactly the areas that a short somewhat stocky performer like Skylar should be seeking to de-emphasize. The earrings for all the girls were so large that a wind might have taken any of them skyward. Jennifer praised Sklar’s “unbridled energy”, while Randy declared, “I loved it. It’s all about telling a story. You are a powerhouse singer.” Skylar’s outfit during her trio was just as bad a choice, but her enthusiastic performances remained typical for the country girl from the Southland.

 

Hollie Cavanagh probably received the least glowing reviews from the judges after she sang Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel.” She, too, teared up, saying that it was celebrity judge Stevie Nicks’ story of her mother’s recent passing that caused her to lose it.  Steven Tyler said, “I just wish you’d have sung a different song. It was just okay for me.” I’m with Steven on this, and Randy pointed out some “pitchy moments” for Hollie. She looked lovely in an all –white dress with a silver necklace collar and her hair down, and the stage effects of fog and snow were equally effective, but it wasn’t Hollie’s best night.

 

Deandre Brackensick, as mentioned above, sang fifth, and selected an obscure song, despite the fact that Jimmy Iovine and Stevie Nicks pointed out that, “He’s one of the guys in jeopardy here.” Deandre chose to display his impressive falsetto range, but he selected a song (Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry”) that was not that well known.  Steven Tyler chose to say, “You gave Prince a run for his money” So beautiful” referencing the high runs in the song, and Jennifer Lopez used the word “Crazy” five times. Randy, in his usual bombastic fashion, said, “That’s who you are. Guess who else is back in the house!” I’d like to see Deandre resurrect some old BeeGees hits if he insists on singing in this high falsetto voice, but nevermind about that for now.

 

The final singer who did not do it for me tonight (to be followed by the “hits”) was Jessica Sanchez, undeniably one of the most vocally talented of the girls. Her song by Beyonce: meh. Jessica used a set with red doors and wore a dress with a train that was not her most attractive look (plus the de rigeur huge earrings). Although Steven Tyler dubbed the dress “beautiful” and Jennifer Lopez used words like “Beautiful. Gorgeous. Great performance,” for me, Jessica had an “off” night. I’d say that about all of those mentioned above.
So, who really hit the vocal ball out of the park on “American Idol” on March 28th?

 

They saved the best for last.

 

Elise Testone sang Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta’ Love’ and brought the house down.  Steven Tyler told her, “You made Robert Plant proud.” Jennifer Lopez proclaimed that it was “some real rock star stuff” and Randy said, “An amazing job. Congrats!” Elise had a bit of an advantage in that she has sung the song with her own band previously. She also had the confidence of knowing that Stevie Nicks thought she was outstanding and said she would hire her right then, if she needed a singer, saying, “I don’t like to sing with just anyone.”

 

Heejun Han also did a nice job with his choice of the Donnie Hathaway song “I’m Singing This Song for You” and much talk of how he has turned his attitude around.  The judges did give him a standing ovation, and Steven Tyler said, “You did it.  You turned it around.  That was great.”  Jennifer Lopez remarked, “You don’t make it this far by mistake.”  Randy praised Heejun’s “buttery, beautiful tone,” although noting that “it wasn’t perfect.” Heejun has been in the bottom three more than once, and, last week, he definitely pissed off Steven Tyler. Was his good job tonight enough to keep him from going home? We’ll know tomorrow (Thursday, March 29, 2012).

 

Two (of the four) best, for me, were Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet.

 

I happen to be a Johnny Lang fan (“Lie to Me” being my favorite) and have seen him in concert, so I did know his song “Look Out My Window,” and I loved what Phillip did with it. Phillip is always interesting and, as Stevie Nicks remarked, “He’s gorgeous.” That was right after Stevie told Phillip (who asked for her autograph), “You’re going to be a very big star.”  Randy said, of Phillip’s performance, “That was a great performance. Amazing. I love you. I love the individuality.  Big Props.  You got big things in front of you.” To me, Phillip is a young version of Dave Matthews, so the Johnny Lang twist was appreciated.

 

Joshua Ledet was also “on” tonight, singing Mariah Carey’s “Without You” (Harry Nillson version0 and doing it justice.  Randy said, “Dude, I think that was flawless. It was emotional for you.” That comment was in reference to Joshua’s tearing up at the end of the song, which made the fourth contestant of the night (Colton, Hollie, DeAndre and Joshua) and the fifth standing “O” from the judges.

 

The contestants also formed trios to sing spirited versions of songs by Michael Jackson (Deandre/HeeJun and Joshua), Madonna (Skylar/Jessica and Hollie) and Fleetwood Mac (Colton/Elise and Phillip). These were very enjoyable, and I only wished that Skylar’s sweater didn’t hang below her white jacket, which stuck out and emphasized her generous posterior. The hat wasn’t working for me, either, but she sure is a spunky singer. And, after all, this is a singing competition.
So, who’s going home tomorrow night?

 

I put Phillip Phillips, Joshua Ledet, Elise Testone as “safe.” Heejun Han was good tonight, but did he do too much damage to his image last week and in prior weeks?  Colton has a female fan club, of which I am not a member, so they’ll probably phone it in. Skylar was her usual spirited self, (but had on horrible outfits); Hollie looked beautiful but made a few vocal gaffes. DeAndre did his falsetto schtick, which the judges seemed to love, but did the folks at home? And Jessica was lackluster, but, if she were to show up as the lowest vote getter, I believe the judges would use their once-in-a-season “save” for her.

 

If I were a betting woman, I’d stick with the two boys who have become regulars in the bottom three (Heejun and DeAndre) and throw in one of the girls who were off their game tonight, which means Hollie first and Jessica second, since her song didn’t receive the enthusiastic reception of some others.

 

If they kick Elise off after that performance, there is no justice.

 

 

Erika Van Pelt Becomes #10 Contestant on Eleventh Season of “American Idol”

The elimination round for this week’s “American Idol” turned out as I had predicted: a female contestant would be cut, rather than a male, and one who had selected an obscure song.

There is a definite bias amongst the young people voting. The bias is in favor of the male contestants. Therefore, a weak performance by a Deandre or a Heejun will be forgiven by the screaming teenyboppers, while the female contestant who has done a better job will be given her walking papers.

In my article yesterday, I mentioned that the most obscure songs by girls were sung by Elise and Erika. I had considered the very real possibility that Heejun Han would be kicked off, but his song was entertaining, if not as well sung as those of some others. Heejun has definitely angered judge Steven Tyler, so I wouldn’t count on anyone “saving” him if he continues being picked for the bottom three. Heejun and Deandre seem to end up in the bottom three nearly every week; were I a betting person, I would not bet on either to win, and Jimmy Iovine as much as said this about Heejun on air, which seemed somewhat cruel.
Erika Van Pelt had come out with a brand-new hair-do that I remarked reminded me of Lisa Minnelli. She sang “I Believe in You and Me” and the judges’ remarks were:  “Amazing by the end. An unbelievable tone. You sold me.” (Randy) Jennifer praised Erika’s tone and interpretation, telling her that she “makes songs come alive.” Steven Tyler said, “It was perfect. I think you’re great.” Despite these salutes, the judges did not use their one “save” for Erika. My theory is that they’re saving it for a Jessica Sanchez or a Joshua Ledet, should they be in peril.

 

The elimination of Erika (no relation to Lucy) just proves that the judges don’t carry as much weight in their remarks as the ability of at-home viewers to relate to the contestants’ selections. I’m sure that many will remember how taken with Casey Abrams the judges were last year. He did not prevail, even though a big magazine picked him to win it all. (“People,” if I remember correctly.).

 

Casey Abrams was in the audience with his parents this night, possibly because Hailey Reinhardt was featured singing her new release. Another singer who delivered an underwhelming performance was Lana DelRay. The best entertainment portions of elimination night were provided by the opening group number (Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time”) and by the appearance of fellow Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry to salute Steven Tyler on his birthday.

“American Idol” Contestants Display “Attitude” on March 21, 2012 Show

Wednesday, March 21, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET)  Attitude seemed to be the keyword tonight on “American Idol.” Who has it? Who needs to get it? What should it be?

The recent entry of Tommy Hilfiger as an advisor to the contestants on how they should dress produced advice to Phillip Phillips that he should not wear gray and, from celebrity mentor Sean P. Diddy Combs and Jimmy Iovine, that he should put the guitar down and sing without it. Phillip did neither. He not only wore gray-on-gray, but he contributed a version of “Movin’ Out” that was so original  I didn’t recognize it as a Billy Joel song (tonight’s theme).  Phillip said, “I’m not a guy about image.  The music comes first” and was pronounced “brilliant” by one judge.

Jessica Sanchez had another good night, singing “Everybody Has A Dream.” Jennifer Lopez called it her “defining moment” and Randy praised her consistency. There seems to be a bit of a contradiction there, since the judges were quite critical of her song last week, when she attempted an upbeat number from Gloria Estefan. Steven Tyler said, “You’ve gone way past my judging. Thank you for letting me hear you sing, baby.” Randy called her song, “Flawless, perfect, perfection.”

Colton Dixon was another contestant who showed some attitude regarding the comments made about his hair by Tommy Hilfiger. He sang Joel’s “Piano Man” and the judges seemed to like it. [I thought the ending just dropped off in a weird way].

Heejun Han sang “Don’t Go Changing” and seemed to be telling the judges off. It seemed as though Steven Tyler was not taking it well, as he said, “You showed ’em. You told ’em. At some point, you gotta’ take it (the music business) more serious.” Both Randy and Jennifer, while unimpressed with Heejun’s vocals, said it was “enjoyable” and “a breath of fresh air.” Heejun escaped elimination last week; we’ll see how he does this week.

Deandre Brackensick did “Only the Good Die Young.” Randy pointed out that it “wasn’t that great…just okay.”

Erika Van Pelt sang “New York State of Mind” and she displayed her “attitude” by letting the show cut and color her hair into a virtual Liza Minelli flashback.  One of the judges compared her new short hair-do to Pat Benatar. I saw Pat Benatar this past summer; her hair  looked nothing like this Minelli do.

Joshua Ledet, who had such a great week last week, sang “She’s Got A Way” and admitted that he “didn’t know the song.” It wasn’t Joshua’s best night, considering he is perhaps the most vocally talented male contestant, although Steven Tyler said he “sang the sweat out of that song.” What was more puzzling was Steven Tyler’s admission that he “didn’t know the song.” (Yikes!)

Skylar Laine sang “Shameless.” It wasn’t her best night. She wore HUGE earrings, as did all the girls.

Elise Testone, who sang a song nobody knows called “Vienna” was praised by the judges. Again, not as good a choice of songs as she could have made.

Hollie Cavanagh had an off night in singing “Honesty.” She was off-key at several points. She did look very nice in a white pantsuit with a sparkly silver top.

Who will go home? I’d say one of the girls who sang an obscure song. The most obscure song was that sung by Elise, followed closely by Skylar’s. Skylar should get the country vote, but Erika and her new black haircut might end up in the dumps, as well. I’m betting that Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Colton Dixon, Joshua Ledet and Hollie Cavanagh will be “safe,” but, after that, it’s anybody’s ball game.

 

 

Shannon Magrane Is Eliminated from “American Idol” on the Ides of March (March 15th)

Thursday, March 15, 2012, Fox, 8 pm (ET) The singer sent home this week was sixteen-year-old Shannon Magrane. Justice was not done, but it is true that Shannon had a bad week last week and could have justifiably been sent packing on March 8, 2012.

Lowest Vote-Getters

Host Ryan Seacrest called the eleven contestants to the front of the stage in two sets of four and one set of three. The first four (Phil, Elise, Joshua and Skylar) had all done well, but Elise was in the bottom three. Of the second quartet (Deandre, Jessica, Shannon and Colton) Deandre had arguably done the worst job, but it was predictable that a girl, rather than a boy, would be the lowest vote-getter. That girl was Shannon. The final trio consisted of Hollie, Heejun and Erika.  Erika—who had done a very good job—was the third contestant said to have garnered the fewest votes.

Entertainment

Demi Lovato sang and Daughtry, the band formed by Season Five contestant Chris Daughtry, sang the single “Outta’ My Head” from their new album “Break the Spell.” It hardly seems possible that six years have gone by since Chris Daughtry was unceremoniously booted from Idol.

Shannon’s Swan Song

Shannon Magrane was given the opportunity to sing her song one more time and she did a wonderful job. The judges chose not to use their one-per-season “save” and Shannon was gone. She can truly leave with her head held high.

Comments

Jimmy Iovine, one of the two celebrity coaches responsible for helping the contestants select so many loser songs this week, was in the audience, dressed in a windbreaker and a baseball cap. He’s a 59-year-old record company executive who once had a romance with Stevie Nicks (although he has been married and divorced and fathered four children with someone else). Why doesn’t Jimmy dress in a slightly more age-and-station appropriate fashion? Does he think dressing like he’s going out to walk the dog makes him look “cool” or younger? We had Tommy Hilfiger announce that he is going to coach the singers on how to make their best and most appropriate appearance, while Jimmy was shown in the audience, looking like he was going to immediately go for a jog after the show (coronary health permitting). Jimmy also criticized the way contestant Hollie Cavanagh was dressed, saying she was dressed “too old.” While I understand Jimmy’s point about the gorgeous gold brocade gown with cut-outs that Hollie wore (she looked great, but she is only eighteen), it seems interesting that Mr. Iovine has such insight into the age-appropriateness of clothing others are wearing, but so little insight into what he is seen wearing on national television. You can argue that he is not a “contestant” but his image is still being beamed into millions of homes. He looks like he is dressed to sweep out the garage. (It doesn’t make you look any younger, Jimmy. It just seems a bit desperate.) At one point, Jimmy was heard saying, to Randy, “Nice jacket,” in reference to one of Randy’s typically fashion-challenged outfits. Maybe Tommy Hilfiger can do something with Randy and Jimmy while he’s working with the contestants? It’s probably not going to work for Steven Tyler, who can fall back on his rock star persona as an excuse for some of his get-ups (an interesting hat, this week). And, while we’re on the subject of Jimmy Iovine, how many 60-year-old men who are NOT from the South still go by “Jimmy”? (Just wondering.)

Contradictions

With so many of this week’s contestants,  the judges’ comments were, “It was not the right song for you.” They said this to Jessica Sanchez, Heejun Han (Steven Tyler: “It’s too far out of your range.”) and Deandre Brackensick (“Endless Love”).  Yet, when Colton Dixon sang a song that nobody knew (“Broken Heart” by White Lion), judge Randy Jackson said, “Oh, well, the song doesn’t matter. Now we’ll just think of it as a Colton Dixon song.” It also seemed a bit unfair to show Colton hanging out with Chris Daughtry, who reportedly is a fan. Will the other contestants get equal time? Can Joshua Ledet secure a picture with Percy Sledge (whose song he sang) and have that flashed onscreen? This speaks to the unfair way in which Jermaine Jones was squeezed back into the competition, when he had been eliminated earlier, but no similar “extra” female contestant was chosen. Why was that, when there were plenty who were worthy?

Here’s another contradiction. How many times have you heard the judges criticize the contestants for sounding “too much like the original artist”? Yet, when a few contestants on Wednesday night tried to truly make the song original, they were criticized for it.  Most notably, Erika Van Pelt, who sang Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” was told (by Steven Tyler), “You’re too busy all over it.”

So, which is it?

Should the contestant try to deliver the song in an original way, or should the contestant just sing the melody, as many were urged to do by the judges on Wednesday night?

Two things are certain: Heejun Han deserved elimination this week more than Shannon Magrane; I think he recognized that fact. Secondly, as Ryan Seacrest put it after Shannon’s Swan Song, “You stood out here fearlessly and gave it your all.” Yes, she did, and it’s too bad that she wasn’t kept in the competition while Heejun Han, who gave a breathy off-pitch performance on Wednesday night, continues.

“American Idol” Results for March 15, 2012: The Ides of March

Fox, Wed., March 15, 2012, 8 pm (ET)  “American Idol” contestants had a hit-or-miss night. Most of the misses seemed to hinge on the young performers giving in to the advice of their elders (Jimmy Iovine and Will i.am.) to sing alternate songs. Each performer was to sing a song from the year they were born.

Standouts of the Night

Definitely the standout performer of the night was Joshua Ledet, who has the best male voice. Singing next-to-last, Jennifer Lopez commented that the show had “saved the best for last” as Joshua delivered a soulful rendition of “When A Man Loves A Woman.” Randy Jackson even said that, somewhere, Percy Sledge, who originally sang the song (Ledet sang Michael Bolton’s version), was smiling down. “You gave it up so big God came through your eyes.” Jennifer Lopez went so far as to say it was “the best thing I’ve ever seen on ‘American Idol.’” Steven Tyler spared the hyperbole, but did note that Joshua was in the same class as Jessica Sanchez last week, when she did an incredible job with Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” With adjectives like “phenomenal” and “incredible” Joshua stood out.

Performers Who Did Well

The final performer of the night, the petite Hollie Cavanagh, who sang Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” did well, as did Phillip Phillips, who survived very recent kidney stone surgery to do his Dave Matthews schtick. Others who should be safe include Skylar Laine, (one of the few Idols who stuck to her guns and sang the song she wanted to sing), Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Sneakin’ Up On You.” Also good this night was Erika Van Pelt. She sang a bluesy version of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” and earned kudos for her performance and appearance from two of the three judges (“You look amazing tonight.”) Shannon Magrane, who sang Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day”, also did well, and the judges seemed to like Colton Dixon’s “Broken Heart” by White Lion. Elise Testone scored with an Al Green song that President Obama crooned recently, and earned praise for making it her own.

Performers Who Did Less Well

Although Jessica Sanchez is arguably the best female vocalist in the competition, her choice of Gloria Estefan’s “Hard to Be Around” did not serve her well. Likewise, Heejun Han faltered with Richard Marx’s “Right There Waiting.” He seemed to be out of breath.  Randy called it “pitchy in at least five or six spots.” Deandre Brackensick of the flyaway hair let the judges talk him into “Endless Love.”  The judges all agreed it was the wrong song to showcase Deandre’s falsetto. Randy picked Heejun to get the axe.

Unluckiest Idol

The performer who definitely had the worst night was Jermaine Jones. He was kicked off “Idol” for failing to disclose four active arrest warrants. Elsewhere on the Internet, rumors ran rampant that Jermaine had also lied about being abandoned by his father in childhood. From the rehearsal tape, Jermaine’s version of “Somewhere Out There” would have been very good, but it was always odd (and unfair) that he was allowed in as the thirteenth male contestant, when no “extra” girl was allowed into the competition.

“The Devil’s Coattails: More Dispatches from the Dark Frontier”: A Review

Jason V. Brock.

The Devil’s Coattails: More Dispatches from the Dark Frontier (Cycatrix Press), edited by Jason V. Brock and William F. Nolan, available in a limited-edition (52) deluxe hardcover version, signed and lettered editions and in 500 trade hardcovers is a treat on so many levels.

 

There are the stories, of course, from the likes of William F. Nolan, Melanie Tem, Jerry E. Airth, J. Brundage, James Robert Smith, Norman Corwin, Steve Rasnic Tem, Richard Christian Matheson, Earl Hamner, Jr., Sunni K. Brock, Nancy Kilpatrick, Paul J. Salamoff, Marc Scott Zicree, W.H. Pugmire and Maryanne K. Snyder, Richard Selzer, Gary A. Braunbeck, and Paul G. Bens, Jr. But there are also at least thirty fascinating illustrations to accompany the stories (not counting the headshots of the authors’ themselves).

 

Joe Hill.

With a Foreword by S.T. Joshi and a cover by award-winning artist Vincent Chong of the U.K., whose work has been used by authors such as Ray Bradbury, Stephen King and Joe Hill, this short story collection has a little something for everyone, beginning with Ramsey Campbell’s story “The Moons.” [One nice touch in the anthology is the paragraph that accompanies each story, so that we learn what inspired it, from the author’s point-of-view.]

 

Campbell, often referred to as “Britain’s most respected living horror writer,” tells us that he and his wife Jenny had gone to a nature reserve at Freshfield near Liverpool for a Sunday walk when the ranger at the gate mentioned that several youngsters were missing somewhere in the area. This inspired Ramsey to write a most intriguing story focusing on exactly that topic, but with the sinister Edgar Allan Poe-like mounting horror that readers have come to expect from this President of the British Fantasy Society and Society of Fantastic Films.

 

Jason V. Brock follows Campbell’s story with his own, “Object Lesson, “ which, for me, was one of the most powerful in the collection. Jason and I shared space within the anthology Butcher Knives & Body Counts, edited by Vince Liaguno, and we share a memory of the loss of a loved one, in this case, our fathers. The story is very touching.  Jason relates that he wrote the first draft when only twelve. It took me immediately back to my father’s hospital room at the Mayo Clinic over Labor Day, when the oncologist told me to “take him home and make him comfortable,” as my father was days from dying from terminal liver cancer.  A multi-talented writer, illustrator, filmmaker and musician, Jason’s wife, Sunni Brock, also shares a story with us in this anthology, one entitled “Dying to Forget.”

 

Dan O’Bannon’s “Invocation” is adapted from some of the now-deceased writer’s older works, found in boxes by Jason, Sunni and the author’s widow.  Diane O’Bannon says, “The Brocks and I enjoyed reading it, and we hope you will, too.” Considering that O’Bannon was the screenwriter behind “Alien” and “Total Recall,” among others, this short piece stands as tribute to the man who passed away in late 2009.

 

John Shirley’s contribution, “Gunboat Whores,” has Wyatt Earp on a boat with ladies of the evening. Shirley shares that this is part of a novel and the product of a good deal of research that showed that young Wyatt Earp did, indeed, work on a gunboat similar to the one in the story.

 

William F. Nolan & Connie Wilson.

Follow Shirley’s story with William F. Nolan’s poetic turn on “Dread Voyage,” inspired by the epic “Aeneid.” Nolan is well known for all forms of fiction, including receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers’ Association in 2010. If you studied the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey,” as I did while a literature major at the University of Iowa, you’ll like this one, delving into Greek mythology and portraying Circe, daughter of the Sun who lived on the isle of Aeaea.

 

Original artwork from "The Devil's Coattails."

After Bill Nolan’s epic poem came one of my favorite stories in the entire anthology, “Best Friends.” Written by Melanie Tem. “Best Friends” is a ghost story…or is it? This short story deals with the undeniable pain that the loss of a long-time friend leaves. Not loss through death; loss while still living. “After all those years and all that work, I’d finally come to terms with the impossible and the outrageous and the unbearable and the then bone-deep truth that Michelle wasn’t my friend any more. My life had finally settled into its new architecture without her, the way a body can sometimes but not always do after terrible surgery.  It only hurt when I pressed it, or breathed too deeply. Now, here she is again, and everything hurts.” Melanie nails this emotion so well, so tellingly. She describes “the long slow death of our friendship’ and its demise, saying, “I disciplined myself not to wish her ill.” When Melanie shares the fact that, “I used to torture myself by wondering if Michelle was keeping up with my life, too,” you nod your head in agreement if you’ve ever lost a friend to time, not death.  When she says she is “determined not to let her interfere with my life again,” the reader applauds the author’s determination. But we know that, even more than the loss of her husband (because she shares this thought), the loss of a close female friend of many years can be even worse. At some point, this story of a friend who betrays you, a friend lost, a woman grieving for her lost female friend, becomes a ghost story. When it does, you will marvel at how well Melanie Tem has captured the inevitable pain that accompanies the loss of a decades-long friendship and has taken that pain to another level here. Bravo!

 

Jerry E. Airth, in “Night Food” makes you never want to encounter mosquitoes again. That may seem like short shrift, but you need to read this story, so I don’t have to think about it again (she said, shivering).

 

J. Brundage’s “Too Good to Be Human,” she shares, was originally written for a sophomore-level Creative Writing class. The story is part sci-fi, part horror and all weird. Even the author says, “Some of my classmates didn’t quite know what to make of such an odd story.” It’s definitely original! I loved it.

 

James Robert Smith’s “On the First Day,” following on the heels of the Brundage piece, ups the weird ante. But isn’t that we came for? Isn’t that what we want? Seven days trapped inside, waiting for…what? It’s not surprising that James Robert Smith’s novel “The Flock” was optioned by Don (“Transformers”) Murphy and John (“West Wing”) Wells via Warner Brothers. It’s that spooky. Smith calls it “a paranoid fantasy.” I call it riveting.

 

Norman Corwin follows with “Barrels Ready,” a short story that this 101-year-old author related as “a fond reminiscence of an event in my early days as a reporter.” Mr. Corwin passed away in October, 2011, but he worked productively till the end of his life and was nominated for an Oscar for his adaptation of “Lust for Life.”

 

Steve Rasnic Tem’s “Cattiwampus” is a piece filled with down-home dialogue. A past recipient of a Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, British Fantasy and World Fantasy Awards, he relates a story descended from an old Appalachian folk tale. (I related more to Melanie’s story of a lost female friendship, but there’s much to like here, too.)

 

Original Artwork: "The Devil's Coattails."

Richard Christian Matheson gives us perhaps the shortest piece, “Interrogation.” This piece proves that the element of surprise is not just useful for humor. A surprising reversal of expectations works in horror, as well.  Matheson spans so many genres (novel, short stories, screenplays, musician) that this quirky piece is not unusual for a writer who has been a drummer for over thirty years and who also has worked with the UCLA Parapsychology Labs, investigating haunted houses and paranormal phenomenon.

 

“The Woods Colt” by Earl Hamner, Jr., explores the age-old longing of a boy for the approval and love of his father.  “Nothing he had ever accomplished had been enough to earn his father’s approval…’Why does no one love me?’ he would ask himself.  He reasoned that there was something wrong with him, that maybe he was not deserving of love, and so he remained distant from friends, an outsider, an alien.” Inspired by a house in disrepair, Earl Hamner, creator of “The Waltons,” reworks the age-old father-son dynamic to good effect here.

 

“Invisible” by Nancy Kilpatrick uses her experience(s) as a waitress in “Invisible.” Ghosts also abound in this story, but the waitress motif co-exists beautifully with the ghost theme.

 

Paul J. Salamoff follows Kilpatrick with a poem entitled “Can You Imagine…” It’s dedicated to the author’s children and muses about all the changes we’ve seen in technology since his children, Samantha and Ethan, were born. “The past was quite different, a bit out of sync, and from time to time you might pause to think.”

 

The works of Rod Serling inspired Rod Serling’s “After Twilight” by Marc Scott Zicree. It is a screenplay, dated “Spring, 2007.” (“Knife Through the Veil”) Playing around with the idea of Serling as a main character in something he called “Twilight Man,” he thought of combining the world of “Mad Men” with Serling’s world. A student of Serling’s who researched with off-the-record tape recordings Serling made when he taught at Sherwood Oaks College in California, there is much explanation of why “Knife Through the Veil” never made it to your television screens. And it’s a pity it didn’t.

 

“The Hidden Realm” by W.H. Pugmire & Maryanne K. Snyder write stories together and this one is a beauty.  It is entirely apropos that their first published tale was the lead story in an issue of “Weird Tales” (“The House of Idiot Children”) and that their third will be published in S. T. Joshi’s “Weird Fiction Review.”

 

“Crimean Vespers” by Richard Selzer is set in 1895. It features a rather lengthy epilogue that describes his affection for Anton Chekhov and how Selzer, a surgeon and writer from Troy, New York, makes use of information from his medical career to flesh out his stories (no pun intended.) Selzer wanted to try to cement his spiritual kinship with Chekhov in writing “Crimean Vespers.” The story reminded me of classic Poe or Nathaniel Hawthorne, but Chekhov it is, because the author told me so.

 

Original artwork: "The Devil's Coattails."

“And Dream of Phaedian Fancies” by the prolific Gary A. Braunbeck is an interesting attempt to tell a story from different points of view, almost like “Seven Samurai.” It is also a script to accompany a film’s final cut. Braunbeck has the ability to describe things so clearly that you feel you are there experiencing them with him, the mark of the multiple Stoker-award-winning author he is. (6 Stokers, 3 Shocklines “Shocker” Awards, an International Horror Guild Award and a World Fantasy Award nomination).  A bouquet of flowers lying on the steps of a porch sets off the story. One character (Gene) says, “What the hell good does any physical item do for the person who’s now dead?” A very creative, different format.  Braunbeck, the author of “Coffin County” and “Far, Dark Fields” delivers as only he can in this short piece.

 

“If You Love Me” by Paul G. Bens, Jr. is that most horrible of things: a horror story that could, conceivably, be true. No paranormal beasts or ghosts from beyond. Just a simple story of love.  “If you love me, you won’t die first,” says one gay lover to another.  As Bens notes, so insightfully, “It is a powerful aphrodisiac to find so blatantly in another what is lacking in oneself, and, eventually, life moves on and you have to find your own way.” But negotiating the world of AIDS forces decisions on this gay couple that should never be faced by anyone.

 

Along the way, as you read the stories, enjoy the wonderful artwork, the insightful author comments, and find your own favorite stories. It’s a wonderful companion piece to The Bleeding Edge: Dark Barriers, Dark Frontiers. For me, Melanie Tems and Jason Brock touched me, probably because the themes of their stories had just resonated in my own life, but all were well-written, well-edited and beautifully illustrated.

 

 

Super Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 Versus Super Tuesday, 2008

Mitt Romney in Davenport, IA.

Super Tuesday, 2012, is over. In a few ways, it was like Super Tuesday, 2008. There were more ways, however, in which it bore little resemblance to four years ago. For one thing, the enthusiasm in 2008 was at fever pitch. The Republican race is more like warmed-over left-overs. There are fewer contests this time, (none on the Democratic side), and the “winner-take-all” formula that helped McCain win the 1,144 votes needed for the Republican nomination has been changed in many states.

Romney Can’t Seal the Deal

The failure of Mitt Romney to decisively put away the states on the ballot on March 6, 2012, means that, much like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in 2008, this campaign will slog on to a far-off finish line. There aren’t too many big electoral vote states having contests until April.

Kansas is next on March 10. On March 13, Alabama, Mississippi and Hawaii vote. Super Tuesday was Mitt Romney’s chance to pull away from the pack, especially upstart former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. He failed to do so. Now, Romney’s gearing up for a big campaign in Illinois on March 20.

Mitt carried Ohio, a must-win state, by only about 12,000 votes. This slim victory margin caused more concern than celebration. No Republican has ever won the nomination without taking Ohio. Romney also won Massachusetts, Vermont, Idaho and Virginia. (In Virginia, however, only Romney and Ron Paul were on the ballot.)

 

Newt Gingrich in Davenport, IA.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich carried his home state of Georgia, vowing (like Edwards before him) to fight on (although Edwards quit after Nevada) and Santorum racked up wins in North Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma.  [Alaska—which seemed to be trending towards Romney—-was still out as of this writing.] Totals: 386 for Romney; 156 for Santorum; 85 for Gingrich; and 40 for Paul.

Romney/Santorum vs. Clinton/Obama in 2008

A CNN commentator said, “It was a slog.  It took forever. His (Romney’s) negatives are shooting up because of all the negative campaign ads.”  All agreed that Romney’s fundamental problem is that he cannot coalesce the Republican base. Said Donna Brazile on CNN, “I feel that is very weak.”

Compare Romney’s failure to win the hearts and minds of voters with the miracle in the cornfields of the Iowa caucuses that set Barack Obama on the path to the White House. With his first win in Iowa in 2008, there was talk of Obama’s “momentum in the Heartland.” This was especially sweet for Obama because, as described in the book Game Change, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, Hillary Clinton decided to “double down” on Iowa.

She poured millions of additional dollars into the campaign. It was a political gamble with a huge upside, if she won. The downside was that Hillary burned through a lot of her campaign cash. If Hillary didn’t win in Iowa, a huge deficit faced her campaign in New Hampshire and beyond.  Funding can hurt the lesser candidates (Paul, Gingrich), but Romney’s inability to close the deal may also hurt him. Santorum’s strong showings have swelled his war chest to $9 million.

Women Voters

Rick Santorum in Des Moines on Iowa caucus night.

One way in which 2008 and 2012 mirrored one another is that women voters went to the victor. Barack Obama took women voters away from Hillary Clinton in Iowa, but she came back in New Hampshire with her teary moment, won them back, and scored a victory there. Exit polls showed that this time women went for Romney over Santorum, 42% to 38% in Ohio.

Conclusion

Any way you analyze the results, Texas Governor Rick Perry was correct. He said, “This wasn’t a super night for anyone.” From now on, money woes could well plague those who did the least well.

Rush Limbaugh Goes Too Far in Sandra Fluke Fiasco

Rush Limbaugh & Sandra Fluke.

The big news on Saturday, March 3, 2012, was Rush Limbaugh’s belated apology to third year law student Sandra Fluke. Ms. Fluke was barred from testifying at the Senate’s health care hearings on women’s access to contraception. [Republican Darrell Issa of California called her “unqualified.”]

A panel of all-male others (including a male Catholic priest) were allowed to testify. This exclusion of Ms. Fluke prompted the Democrats to hold a forum where Ms. Fluke was allowed to tell her story of a friend whose struggle to secure birth control pills from Georgetown University (a Catholic institution) to prevent cysts took so long that medical complications cost her an ovary.

The attacks on Sandra Fluke started on the first day of Women’s History Month. Rush Limbaugh insulted and demeaned Ms. Fluke on his show for three full days. He called her “a slut” and “a prostitute” on day one. He moved on in the next two days to suggest that, if birth control pills were provided to female students, they should be required to post sexual videos online.

It is not the first controversy for Rush Limbaugh, whose antics  provoked Senator Al Franken’s book Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot, in which he proved that Limbaugh did little fact-checking, preferring to broadcast inaccurate information if it  would  shock his audiences. Rush has mocked Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease and called Michelle Obama fat. He laughed at the Japanese earthquake disaster and made the outrageous statement soon after the 2008 presidential election, “I hope Obama fails.”

Limbaugh is not the only commentator who intends to provoke outrage. Bill O’Reilly often stirs things up. Bill Maher was taken to task for making fun of white men, (in the sexting scandal that involved Brett Favre.) Maher, on September 17, 2001, took on 9/11 saying, “We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away.  That’s cowardly.  Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it’s not cowardly.” That remark cost Maher his ABC program, “Politically Incorrect.”

Perhaps the radio commentator most closely paralleling Limbaugh’s current brouhaha, however, is Don Imus, who was fired by CBS radio when he called the Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hoes.” Despite repeated apologies and a two-week suspension, Imus was fired.

CBS said, “In our meeting with concerned groups, there has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people..That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision.” The fact that Imus scorned “women of color trying to make their way in this society” did not escape comment by CBS, but the rest of the CBS remarks apply equally to Sandra Fluke.

On Facebook, Carbonite’s CEO, David Friend, said that Limbaugh had overstepped “any reasonable bounds of decency” and added, “No one with daughters the age of Sandra Fluke, and I have two, could possibly abide the insult and abuse heaped upon this courageous and well-intentioned young lady.” Carbonite canceled all current and future advertising on Limbaugh’s show.

Most  apropos of all Imus comments, however, came from then-Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, back on April 11 of 2007: “…there’s nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group.  And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude…It was a degrading comment. What we’ve been seeing around this country is this constant ratcheting up of a coarsening of the culture that all of us have to think about…Insults, humor that degrades women, humor that is based in racism and racial stereotypes isn’t fun.  And the notion that somehow it’s cute or amusing, or a useful diversion, I think, is something that all of us have to recognize is just not the case.  We all have First Amendment rights.  And I am a Constitutional lawyer and strongly believe in free speech, but as a culture, we really have to do some soul-searching to think about what kind of toxic information we are feeding our kids.”

That was before Barack Obama became President Obama. President Barack Obama called Sandra Fluke to tell her that her parents should be proud of her (something Limbaugh had ridiculed on the air, saying, “Can you imagine, if you’re her parents, how proud you’d be?”)

Limbaugh’s defense?

In an apology on March 4 (after three days of attacks on Ms. Fluke) in which Limbaugh went totally off-topic ( “Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?”) Limbaugh said:  “My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir.  I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choice.”

What Limbaugh doesn’t understand is that it’s not just his word choice, nor his insincerity in apologizing after three days of attacks. Rush Limbaugh insulted every female of child-bearing age in America with  disregard for the truth and honesty of Ms. Fluke’s message. He insulted the mothers of America—all of us, regardless of age.  It’s not Limbaugh’s word choice. It’s everything and everyone he ridicules, whether it is Michael J. Fox’s debilitating Parkinson’s disease or Michelle Obama’s weight (when a good long look in the mirror should tell him that mocking others’ weight is a bad idea.)  It’s the lack of common human decency and mutual human respect.

Advertisers are defecting in droves from Limbaugh’s show. Perhaps, our long national nightmare will soon be over and Rush Limbaugh will  be fired, as unlikely as that seems? As Bill Maher said, on September 18, 2006, after his own ill-timed remarks cost him his TV show, “And so, to anybody who gets fired like I did, my advice would be you never know—it could be a good thing. It really could.”

Finalists on “American Idol” on 3/1: +10 out of 13

Jessica Sanchez, one of "American Idol's Finalists announced on March 1st, 2012.

The Finalists were announced for “American Idol’s” eleventh season on March 1st, 2012, and, while my picks were pretty much right on the money for the female contestants, I missed a couple of the boys.

The girls…all of whom were mentioned as strong contenders in my prediction column of yesterday….were Elise Testone, Jessica Sanchez, Erika VanPelt, Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, and Shannon McGrane.

The male contestants I thought were going to go through and correctly picked were Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Deandre Brackensick and a mention on my part of the likelihood of Colton Dixon. I did not select Jermaine Jones, Heejun Han or Jeremy Rosado, thinking, instead that either Reed Grimm, Aaron Marcellus or Adam Brock were more likely to be Finalists.

Still, 10 out of 13 is not a bad average at close to 80%. (76%)

Now we’ll see which of the contestants can go the distance.

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