Take it Easy

I spent this past weekend doing a whole lot of nothing. And in between doing nothing, I popped in my DVD of THE BIG EASY. And god damn, I forgot how great that movie is.

It came out in 1987, was directed by Jim McBride, and tells the story of Lt. Remy McSwain, whose investigation of a mob war is complicated by Assistant DA Anne Osborne, who's investigating the entire precinct on corruption charges.

Remy's played by Dennis Quaid, and while I really enjoyed Taylor Kitsch's portrayal of Gambit in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, a better pick would've been to yank Dennis Quaid out of 1987 and use him. With his Cajun accent and his overflowing charm, it's no great leap to see that Chris Claremont was probably inspired by Quaid's character in this movie, and used him as the basis for Gambit.

And I don't blame him. Quaid is just fantastic. His character is admittedly corrupt, but only around the edges. He takes advantage of the "perks," as he calls them (free meals, parking wherever he wants, etc.). But he's a smart investigator, and he's genuinely smitten with Anne Osborne. And it's easy to see why. As played by Ellen Barkin, Anne is smart and likable and has this sexy vulnerability that seems remarkably genuine.

Their first sex scene is one of the best I've ever seen, simply because of the awkwardness involved. These are two people you genuinely like, and are rooting for. It's also interesting to note how early in the movie they hook up. It's not something they build towards until the final act. It happens pretty early, and the rest of the movie is spent trying to figure out -- or even if -- they're going to be together in light of everything that's going on around them.

When I write stories, I sometimes get too bogged down in the plot. I want the mystery to be compelling, I want the twists to be surprising, etc. And those are good instincts, of course. But the best plot in the world will be utterly uninvolving if it's not inhabited by engaging characters. And nowhere is that lesson more evident than in THE BIG EASY. It's got a good plot, don't get me wrong. But the plot isn't what keeps you involved -- it's the characters.

If you've never this movie, do yourself a big favor and check it out. You won't be sorry.

Making Progress

I know when a book goes on hiatus, it's not unheard of for it never to return. So the announcement that DYNAMO 5 was going on hiatus until the Spring was met with a bit of skepticism in some parts.

Well, I'm here to show you that progress is being made on the next issue. Our new artist, Julio Brilha, is almost halfway done with his first issue, and here's a look at some of the first colors, provided by the incomparable Ron Riley.

I think you'll agree that Julio's a great fit for this book. He doesn't deviate wildly from the tone set by Mahmud, but he definitely brings his own flare.

The House of the Devil

I'm not a huge horror movie fan. I guess it's because they tend to be too formulaic, and that formula tends to be: introduce a bunch of characters, and then kill them all. To me, that formula is missing a third act, you know? So I tend to shy away from most horror movies simply because, to me, if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. Plus, it doesn't much creativity to have something pop out of the shadows accompanied by a loud sound effect.

But occasionally, a horror movie will come along that really works for me. I thought PARANORMAL ACTIVITY was pretty good, although a bit gimmicky. I liked THE STRANGERS for awhile, until it turned into that "two act" formula I mentioned earlier. The last really good horror movie I saw was THE DESCENT, which had engaging characters, a truly original premise, and some fantastic direction.

Then came THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL.

As I write this, it's in (very) limited release, but is available On Demand. It's a fantastic, low budget horror movie with almost unbearable tension. It's filmed on 16mm film and set in the 1980s, yet it's not played for laughs. There's not a single wink or nudge to be seen. It's played entirely straight, and has atmosphere and creepiness to spare.

The premise is simple: Samantha, a college student with money woes, takes a job as a babysitter in a creepy house with even creepier owners. That's it. Sounds pretty generic, right? And it could be, in the hands of a lesser director. But Ti West (who I'd never heard of before this movie) does a fantastic job of building mood and ratcheting up the tension as the film unfolds.

Be warned that it's a very slow-moving, deliberate film. And I wouldn't be surprised if today's audiences (the people who like SAW, for example) find the film "boring." But if you're reading this blog, I automatically assume you have excellent taste.

So trust me, and seek out this movie.

Throwing down the gauntlet

Okay, so I've had this blog for well over a year now and it's always been updated sporadically, at best. But today, that changes!

I've decided to post every day for the month of November, just to try to get into the habit. We'll see if it takes. Hell, some of what I post might actually be interesting.

On Sale This Week

Dynamo 5 #25

Story by Jay Faerber, art by Mahmud A. Asrar, Joe Eisma, Anthony Castrillo, Tim Seeley, Andie Tong, and Fran Bueno, cover by Mahmud A. Asrar & Ron Riley

CHANGE IS HERE!

In the wake of Father Gideon's devastating attack, Maddie's darkest secret is revealed – and it will change Dynamo 5 forever!

Featuring 45 pages of all-new material, including five back-up stories, each of which examines a different aspect of the changes that take place this issue and laying the groundwork for the future of the series!
48 pages * FC * $4.99

This is it -- the issue we've been building to for awhile now. Consider it a season finale, if you will. It's a real game-changer, as well as Mahmud's swan song as regular series artist. Following this issue, we'll be taking a break for a few months are our new artist gets some pages under his belt. But don't let the impending hiatus take away from the sheer awesomeness of this issue. We really pulled out all the stops, and I got the chance to work with a great bunch of artists on our five back-up stories. The book looks truly fantastic, cover to cover.

If you can't make it to your local comic shop until later this week, you can read a 9-page preview of this issue, over at Newsarama.

Baltimore Comicon

I'll have a table at the Image section at the Baltimore Comicon this weekend, Oct. 10th & 11th. I hope you come by and say hi! I'll have books for sale, and I'm always happy to sign comics and chat with fans.

For more information at the show, go here.

Coming in January

It's our 4th DYNAMO 5 trade paperback, collecting issues #20-25, including the #0 issue. This means that the entire series will be available in trade paperback form when we return from hiatus this Spring.

The cover is by Mahmud A. Asrar and Ron Riley, as always.