Tuesday, December 31, 2013
It's almost Midnight...
... and Ann Miller is marching with the last few minutes to the end of 2013!
Hoping to start the New Year with a Bang!
Marilyn Monroe and Ann Miller stand ready to help you start 2014 with a bang! However, I don't recommend following their lead as far as fireworks safety goes....
The Year is Rapidly Coming to a Close
The end of 2013 will soon be upon us! For some, the hands one the clock can't move fast enough past 23:59:59!
Friday, December 27, 2013
Marx Bros deliver 'Room Service'
Room Service (1938)
Starring: The Marx Bros, Frank Albertson, Donald McBride, Lucille Ball, Cliff Dunstan, Philip Wood, Alexander Asro, and Ann Miller
Director: William Seiter
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A broke theatrical producer (Groucho Marx) engages in an increasingly desperate series of ruses to prevent eviction of himself and the cast of the play he is trying to secure financial backing for.
"Room Service" is the only Marx Bros. film that was not specifically written for them. It's an adaptation of a play that was hugely successful at the time, and many of the supporting actors (such as Donald McBride as the long-suffering hotel inspector) play the same roles the originated on stage. I assume it's a faithful adaptation, as the stage roots are so visible that the vast majority of the film takes place in a single room, with characters coming and going through its three different doors and one can even sense where the lights would dim and come up between acts.
The fact that the film is "stagey" doesn't hurt it, however, as running in and out of doors and verbal patter is the Marx Bros. stock and trade. I felt that the only weakness here over material tailor-made for the trio was that Harpo feels under-utulized, even if he gets to be at the center of the film's culmination and the conclusion of one of its funniest sequences--a prolonged fake suicide and impromptu memorial
While Groucho and Chico expertly deliver some superb lines, the aforementioned suicide scene and the aftermath with Harpo are the only parts that compare to the many great bits in "Duck Soup" or "A Day at the Races." The pacing of the film is solid and the comedy is top-notch, but in general only that the suicide sequence really felt like it could only have been done by the Marx Bros.
In some ways, this might be a film that even those who don't usually like Marx Bros. movies can enjoy. The story serves a greater function here than just moving us from comedic set piece to comedic set piece, and there isn't the sense that there's a single character that's the target of Grouch's abuse is also lacking. As stories go, the only weak point I felt was the romantic subplot between the playwright (Frank Albertson) and one of the hotel staff (Ann Miller); it added nothing whatsoever to the film.
Trivia: Ann Miller was only 15 when she appeared in as the love interest in "Room Service", having lied about her age to be hired at RKO as a contract player.
Starring: The Marx Bros, Frank Albertson, Donald McBride, Lucille Ball, Cliff Dunstan, Philip Wood, Alexander Asro, and Ann Miller
Director: William Seiter
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A broke theatrical producer (Groucho Marx) engages in an increasingly desperate series of ruses to prevent eviction of himself and the cast of the play he is trying to secure financial backing for.
"Room Service" is the only Marx Bros. film that was not specifically written for them. It's an adaptation of a play that was hugely successful at the time, and many of the supporting actors (such as Donald McBride as the long-suffering hotel inspector) play the same roles the originated on stage. I assume it's a faithful adaptation, as the stage roots are so visible that the vast majority of the film takes place in a single room, with characters coming and going through its three different doors and one can even sense where the lights would dim and come up between acts.
The fact that the film is "stagey" doesn't hurt it, however, as running in and out of doors and verbal patter is the Marx Bros. stock and trade. I felt that the only weakness here over material tailor-made for the trio was that Harpo feels under-utulized, even if he gets to be at the center of the film's culmination and the conclusion of one of its funniest sequences--a prolonged fake suicide and impromptu memorial
While Groucho and Chico expertly deliver some superb lines, the aforementioned suicide scene and the aftermath with Harpo are the only parts that compare to the many great bits in "Duck Soup" or "A Day at the Races." The pacing of the film is solid and the comedy is top-notch, but in general only that the suicide sequence really felt like it could only have been done by the Marx Bros.
In some ways, this might be a film that even those who don't usually like Marx Bros. movies can enjoy. The story serves a greater function here than just moving us from comedic set piece to comedic set piece, and there isn't the sense that there's a single character that's the target of Grouch's abuse is also lacking. As stories go, the only weak point I felt was the romantic subplot between the playwright (Frank Albertson) and one of the hotel staff (Ann Miller); it added nothing whatsoever to the film.
Trivia: Ann Miller was only 15 when she appeared in as the love interest in "Room Service", having lied about her age to be hired at RKO as a contract player.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
It's Christmas Morning...
... and everyone is dancing with glee over the pile of gifts Santa has brought them!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
It's Christmas Eve!
May Santa, or one of his helpers, bring you everything on your Wish List!
(And if you have a few days off, allow me to suggest you spend it gaming with family and friends! You can get all the NUELOW Games themed Christmas releases (edited and co-designed by yours truly) up to the most recent one bundled together in "A Christmas Box" by clicking here. The just-released 2014 Christmas Special is also available. Give yourself and your family and friends the gift of rollplaying this Christmas!)
Friday, December 20, 2013
The Louise Brooks Quarterly: A White Christmas
Louise Brooks would like to remind you that there's only four days until Christmas. Also, she wants to underscore the unifying theme of this blog.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Christmas is coming...
... and Ann Miller is trimmer her tree. Soon she will be applying fake snow to her lawn, using the world's largest powder-puff.
Are you ready for Christmas yet?
Are you ready for Christmas yet?
That's no way to treat the mayor!
Earlier this week, NUELOW Games released another book in which I contribute a chunk of RPG material -- this time, a set of rules for creating superheroes in the d20 OGL Modern system with Golden Age teen heroes Dynamic Boy and Yankee Boy being statted out as examples of how to use the rules in practice.
The book in question is titled "Madden's Boys," and it's the fourth in a series of comics/rpg hybrid books spotlighting the work of Bill Madden, an artist who had a brief comics career in 1941 and then faded from the field. He had an energetic and quirky style that in many ways resembles that which would become with underground comics artists in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel that his art has stood up to the passage of time very nicely and that the total obscurity into which his small body of work has fallen is undeserved.
That said, like many Golden Age artists, Madden's execution is sometimes a little rough around the edges. In each of the collections I've worked on, there's always a panel or two that make me laugh... for unintended reasons. The sequence below comes from Dynamic Boy's origin story where he takes on gangsters and corrupt politicians:
The book in question is titled "Madden's Boys," and it's the fourth in a series of comics/rpg hybrid books spotlighting the work of Bill Madden, an artist who had a brief comics career in 1941 and then faded from the field. He had an energetic and quirky style that in many ways resembles that which would become with underground comics artists in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel that his art has stood up to the passage of time very nicely and that the total obscurity into which his small body of work has fallen is undeserved.
That said, like many Golden Age artists, Madden's execution is sometimes a little rough around the edges. In each of the collections I've worked on, there's always a panel or two that make me laugh... for unintended reasons. The sequence below comes from Dynamic Boy's origin story where he takes on gangsters and corrupt politicians:
Yes... taking his head off with a chair is indeed no way to treat the mayor! (But, whew!, turning the page we discover his head is still attached and his neck isn't snapped!)
Whether you are in the mood for some quirky, early superhero comics, or if you want to see a new way to handle super-characters in d20 Modern games, this is a book that's worth checking out. Click here to take a look at previews and, I hope, to purchase and download your own copy.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
A Black and White Friday the 13th
Our thanks to Kate Moss for demonstrating the unifying theme of this blog. May your Friday the 13th be a lucky one!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
In the Twilight Zone.
A girl. A guy. A guitar. A curious, version of a classic song that builds to a cheerful finale. A fitting performance for... the Twilight Zone
(This strange little cover was performed by Tess Gaerthe (vocals) and Thomas Zwijsen (guitar) of the Netherlands. I hope you enjoy it. I came upon it while amusing myself posting a whole string of "Twilight Zone" covers to Facebook. It seemed to fit better here, though.)
(This strange little cover was performed by Tess Gaerthe (vocals) and Thomas Zwijsen (guitar) of the Netherlands. I hope you enjoy it. I came upon it while amusing myself posting a whole string of "Twilight Zone" covers to Facebook. It seemed to fit better here, though.)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
I think her objections were reasonable...
This week, NUELOW Games will release the first issue of our new anthology series Werewolf Hunter. Here's an excerpt from one of the stories featuring the headliner Professor Broussard and his faithful companions in monster hunting Lilly and Dan. (The art is by Saul Rosen. Click on the images for larger, more easily readable versions.)
I think if I had been Lilly, I would have objected to the "new technique" as well. But, hey, at least Professor Broussard and Danny were nearby and ready to jump out with nets and cattle-prods... not hiding in the bushes 100 yards away.
You can read more of this excursion into inventive monster hunting in The Werewolf Hunter #1, coming later this week. In addition to two adventures featuring Broussard, the issue brings you the return of Lady Satan, a werewolf story illustrated by the great Lee Elias, and short stories by Robert E. Howard and yours truly, Steve Miller.
To get warmed up, why don't you check out Lady Satan by George Tuska, also from NUELOW?
Professor Broussard's interesting methods will also be featured in the next issue of Science Sleuths
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Halloween is coming...
and Vera Ellen is cleaning out last year's cobwebs and ghost dust so she'll be ready. What steps are you taking?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
The June Collyer Quarterly
In the early part of the 20th century, it was common for movie studios to do holiday-themed promotional pictures featuring their starlets. In 1930, June posed for Paramount staff photographer Eugene Robert Richee in celebration of Halloween.
Why white cats? Maybe they were trying to marry Halloween witches with a Maneki-neko good luck and wealth them?
Why white cats? Maybe they were trying to marry Halloween witches with a Maneki-neko good luck and wealth them?
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Rocketpacks never go out of style!
At least that's what L.L. Hundal and I hope, as we're replacing the scientific fisticuffs of girlfriends Jill Trent and Daisy Smythe (of "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth") with the high-flying adventure of inventors Cal Martin and Doris Dalton (of "Rocketman") in our ongoing Science Sleuths comic book/rpg series.
The change is happening in part because the B-feature, "Spider Queen", is coming to close with the just-released issue #3. The intent all along was to replace it with "Rocketman," but as we started work on Science Sleuths #3 and beyond, we decided to change our plans slightly. The initial plan was to burn through our inventory of Jill Trent stories as quickly as possible, but that meant we'd be out of them as of Science Sleuths #4. We've been successful enough with the series so far that we think it might have some legs, so instead Jill will become the B-feature while Cal and Doris step into the front slot.
Here's the first page of the first "Rocketman" story to give you a little taste of what's being offered. The full tale can be read in Science Sleuths #3. (Click on it for a larger, more readable version.)
While the artwork on the "Rocketman" series is more pleasing to the eyes of modern readers than some on "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth," the writing is generally pretty weak. Current plans call for yours truly to write partially new scripts for at least one "Rocketman" story per issue. For Science Sleuths #3, there's only one bit of dialogue that I rewrote, and I think it made the story 100 times better. If you get the book, I'm sure you'll be able to spot it due to the inconsistent lettering. :)
We hope you'll give Science Sleuth #3 a try, giving Spider Queen a nice send-off while giving Cal and Doris a warm welcome. If you do check it you, be sure to tell us what you think. If you have a favorite Golden Age comic book scientist or inventor who you think needs to be returned to the spotlight, let us know about that, too. We might be able to fit stories featuring your favorite characters into future issues.
Meanwhile, please enjoy these illos of women with rocketpacks, which will be included in a sci-fi themed forthcoming NUELOW Games stock art collection.
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| Cal Martin and Doris Dalton: Partners in business, love, and crime-fighting |
We hope you'll give Science Sleuth #3 a try, giving Spider Queen a nice send-off while giving Cal and Doris a warm welcome. If you do check it you, be sure to tell us what you think. If you have a favorite Golden Age comic book scientist or inventor who you think needs to be returned to the spotlight, let us know about that, too. We might be able to fit stories featuring your favorite characters into future issues.
Meanwhile, please enjoy these illos of women with rocketpacks, which will be included in a sci-fi themed forthcoming NUELOW Games stock art collection.
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| Can Rocketgirl save the birds from the bird?! |
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| Rocketpack vs. Two-headed Monster! |
A quarter of a century ago...
... this is what Milla Jovovich looked like. (The first picture first saw print in September of 1988, 25 years ago.)
And here's what she looks like today...
Monday, August 19, 2013
Paulette Goddard is Jill Trent?
As some of you know (or will momentarily learn), I am the publisher and co-editor the Science Sleuth series from NUELOW Games. In the course of preparing the Jill Trent, Science Sleuth stories for publication, I came across something interesting.
Here's a drawing of Jill Trent, cropped from a panel in "Bubble Trouble," a story that originally appeared in Wonder Comics #12 (cover date June 1947) and reprinted in ROLF! Christmas Special III in July of 2013:
I think it's safe to say that Al Camy, the primary artist on Jill Trent, Science Sleuth based Jill on actress Paulette Goddard. Why do I say that? If you don't see Paulette Goddard in that drawing, how about after looking at this 1942 photo (from a series of bathing suit shots she posed for):
Coming August 1946 from Century Pictures: SCIENCE SLEUTHS! Starring Paulette Goddard as Jill Trent, Bob Hope as Eddie O'Malley, Lionel Atwill as Dr. Knight, Turhan Bey as Lefty Rubio, and Linda Turner as Daisy Smythe. Produced by Joseph Steiner, Directed by George Marshall.
Here's a drawing of Jill Trent, cropped from a panel in "Bubble Trouble," a story that originally appeared in Wonder Comics #12 (cover date June 1947) and reprinted in ROLF! Christmas Special III in July of 2013:
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| Jill Trent (from ROLF! Christmas Special III) |
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| Paulette Goddard in 1942 |
Coming August 1946 from Century Pictures: SCIENCE SLEUTHS! Starring Paulette Goddard as Jill Trent, Bob Hope as Eddie O'Malley, Lionel Atwill as Dr. Knight, Turhan Bey as Lefty Rubio, and Linda Turner as Daisy Smythe. Produced by Joseph Steiner, Directed by George Marshall.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Line, Please! (Contest Time!)
In July, NUELOW Games released its best-selling comics title so far--Science Sleuths #1.
On August 22, the second issue of Science Sleuths will be released through DriveThruComics, RPGNow, and DriveThruRPG. It contains three more tales featuring the hard-hitting inventor/crime-buster Jill Trent and another adventure starring the original web-slinger, Spider Queen.
NUELOW Games is offering Shades of Gray readers an opportunity to win not only a free copy of Science Sleuths #2, but free copies of every issue of Science Sleuths published for the rest of 2013.
To enter the contest, you need to write the best line for the this panel, taken from one of the Jill Trent, Science Sleuth stories:
Submit your line through a comment below this post, through Twitter or to nuelow@clearwire.net. The funniest or most interesting line will win the free four-month subscription to Science Sleuths while two runner-ups will win free copies of Science Sleuths #2.
Rules & Such
Contest entries must be submitted by Midnight on August 22, 2013. Winners will be selected by Steve Miller, and all decisions are final. Entrants grant permission for their submissions to appear on blogs operated by Steve Miller, as well as NUELOW Games's Facebook page. Entrants must provide a working email address in order to be notified, and winners will also need to have an account or to establish one with DriveThruComics, RPGNow, or DriveThruRPG in order to receive their winnings. DriveThruComics, RPGNow, and DriveThruRPG not involved with this contest in any way, nor is the mention of them to be construed as an endorsement. The awards have no cash value.
On August 22, the second issue of Science Sleuths will be released through DriveThruComics, RPGNow, and DriveThruRPG. It contains three more tales featuring the hard-hitting inventor/crime-buster Jill Trent and another adventure starring the original web-slinger, Spider Queen.
NUELOW Games is offering Shades of Gray readers an opportunity to win not only a free copy of Science Sleuths #2, but free copies of every issue of Science Sleuths published for the rest of 2013.
To enter the contest, you need to write the best line for the this panel, taken from one of the Jill Trent, Science Sleuth stories:
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| By Al Camy |
Rules & Such
Contest entries must be submitted by Midnight on August 22, 2013. Winners will be selected by Steve Miller, and all decisions are final. Entrants grant permission for their submissions to appear on blogs operated by Steve Miller, as well as NUELOW Games's Facebook page. Entrants must provide a working email address in order to be notified, and winners will also need to have an account or to establish one with DriveThruComics, RPGNow, or DriveThruRPG in order to receive their winnings. DriveThruComics, RPGNow, and DriveThruRPG not involved with this contest in any way, nor is the mention of them to be construed as an endorsement. The awards have no cash value.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Classic Cinema: D.O.A.
D.O.A. (aka "Dead On Arrival") (1949)
Starring: Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, Beverly Garland, Lynne Bagget, Luther Adler, William Ching, and Henry Hart
Director: Rudolph Mate
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
Frank Bigalow (O'Brien) is a small town accountant on a spur-of-the-moment vacation in San Francisco when he is poisoned by a slow acting toxin with no hope of surviving. He spends his last few hours of life trying to solve his own murder.
"D.O.A." is one of the greatest murder mystery films ever made, as well as a stellar example of the film noir genre as it manifested in American movies. It turns a number of movie and mystery conventions on their heads, and even some six decades after it was made, it feels fresh and exciting as one watches it unfold. The pace grows more frantic as the literal deadline for our hero approaches while the mystery of why he was poisoned seems to grow more elusive with each supposed clue he uncovers. It's a movie that holds up to repeated viewings--it almost demands it, because once you know the answer to the mystery, it's great fun to see how certain scenes take on a different tenor. What this film does with snappy writing, moody lighting, and artful cinematography is amazing... and I wish there was some sign that modern filmmakers watched movies like this and studied them and took lessons away from them. Sadly, this does not appear to be the case.
As great as I think this movie is, it's not perfect. There are a couple of ham-fisted attempts at comedy early on, as Bigalow walks into the middle of a salesman's convention at his hotel; one of the film's villains is portrayed by a performance that goes just a bit too far over-the-top in this film which is otherwise marked by fairly low-key performances; and the overly sinister and melodramatic appearance of the poisoner in the jazz club when a close-in shot of a patron switching Bigalow's drinks wold have been far more effective and in keeping with the rest of the scene. Despite my sense that the director went too far with these three elements, they still make sense within the context of the film, and given the greatness of what surrounds them, they are easily forgiven.
If you're a lover of mystery films or the film noir genre, you absolutely must see "D.O.A.". This goes double if you fancy yourself a writer or a filmmaker; we need more work like this these days. I thought I had reviewed this film years ago, but since I can't seem to find any sign of a post, I must never have gotten around to it. So, although my intent was to just make an entry in the "Classic Cinema" series and give you the chance to watch this great film right here, I figured there was no time like the present.
And there's no time like the present for you to watch "D/O.A."/ I've embedded it below for your enjoyment.
Starring: Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, Beverly Garland, Lynne Bagget, Luther Adler, William Ching, and Henry Hart
Director: Rudolph Mate
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
Frank Bigalow (O'Brien) is a small town accountant on a spur-of-the-moment vacation in San Francisco when he is poisoned by a slow acting toxin with no hope of surviving. He spends his last few hours of life trying to solve his own murder.
"D.O.A." is one of the greatest murder mystery films ever made, as well as a stellar example of the film noir genre as it manifested in American movies. It turns a number of movie and mystery conventions on their heads, and even some six decades after it was made, it feels fresh and exciting as one watches it unfold. The pace grows more frantic as the literal deadline for our hero approaches while the mystery of why he was poisoned seems to grow more elusive with each supposed clue he uncovers. It's a movie that holds up to repeated viewings--it almost demands it, because once you know the answer to the mystery, it's great fun to see how certain scenes take on a different tenor. What this film does with snappy writing, moody lighting, and artful cinematography is amazing... and I wish there was some sign that modern filmmakers watched movies like this and studied them and took lessons away from them. Sadly, this does not appear to be the case.
As great as I think this movie is, it's not perfect. There are a couple of ham-fisted attempts at comedy early on, as Bigalow walks into the middle of a salesman's convention at his hotel; one of the film's villains is portrayed by a performance that goes just a bit too far over-the-top in this film which is otherwise marked by fairly low-key performances; and the overly sinister and melodramatic appearance of the poisoner in the jazz club when a close-in shot of a patron switching Bigalow's drinks wold have been far more effective and in keeping with the rest of the scene. Despite my sense that the director went too far with these three elements, they still make sense within the context of the film, and given the greatness of what surrounds them, they are easily forgiven.
If you're a lover of mystery films or the film noir genre, you absolutely must see "D.O.A.". This goes double if you fancy yourself a writer or a filmmaker; we need more work like this these days. I thought I had reviewed this film years ago, but since I can't seem to find any sign of a post, I must never have gotten around to it. So, although my intent was to just make an entry in the "Classic Cinema" series and give you the chance to watch this great film right here, I figured there was no time like the present.
And there's no time like the present for you to watch "D/O.A."/ I've embedded it below for your enjoyment.
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