Jason 3-D: A Comprehensive Expose on Friday the 13th Part 3

Of the twelve Friday the 13th films (including Freddy v. Jason), the third installment rates pretty close to the bottom in my book. Yes, it will always hold a special place in my heart as the first Friday the 13th film I ever actually saw in the theater, having seen the first two movies on cable television.  Yes, I can still remember my Dad taking me and my best friend at the time to the small theater out on Dixie Highway in front of the K-Mart to see the film.  Yes, the 3-D effects in the films were done well enough that a couple of times in the movie I unashamedly raised my hand to ward off the clothes-line pole or to try and touch the handle of the pitchfork that was stick out towards me.  Yes, I did like the final girl of the film, who was not only pretty and smart, but she proved herself capable of overcoming her fear to brandish that final death blow to Jason Voorhees' head with an ax.  Despite all of that, the film just has too many plot holes, too many inconsistencies, and too bad of acting for me to consider it a great movie.  However, after author R.G. Henning's retrospective look at Friday the 13th, Part 2, I had to pick up his comprehensive expose on the third film to see if he could give me some idea as to why so many fans of the series seem to love this movie.

 

Jason 3-D: A Comprehensive Expose on Friday the 13th Part 3 provides considerably more details about the film, its actors, its directors, and its history than Peter M. Bracke's Crystal Lake Memories.  While Bracke's book does a fantastic job of looking at the first eleven films, with countless interviews from so many of the actors, directors, producers, and other behind-the-scenes people, Henning, in this book, narrows down the scope to just this one film.  As with his prior book (Sackhead), which dug deep into the first sequel, this book goes in-depth into the second sequel and its enormous impact on the series as a whole.  While Part 2 introduced film-goers and fans to Jason Voorhees as a somewhat crazed adult seeking revenge for the death of his mother, Part 3 established Jason as not only a one-man killing machine, but created the iconic look of the deformed, bald-headed killer hiding behind a hockey mask.  And just like in his previous retrospective, Henning gives readers story details for each of the characters, detailed descriptions of the various victims (and survivor!), interviews with many of the cast members, lots of photos and fun facts, and some well-thought-out answers to questions that have plagued fans for years.

 

I give Henning credit - he does acknowledge that this film, despite its fan-following and the love that so many seem to have for it, is the worst of the first four films (which all center around a more "human" Jason Voorhees, before he is revived as a zombie in Part VI).  Despite having some great looking actors, the actual acting itself leaves a lot to be desired, and the film seems to focus more on the visual 3-D effects that were the big thing at the time than on any of the acting skills of its cast.  He also acknowledges the number of plot holes and inconsistencies in the story (such as how Jason's attack on Chris in the woods several years prior shows him in the same appearance as he is in this movie - bald! - while in Part 2, which supposedly took place just two days prior to the events in this film, Jason had long hair; and how could Chris imagine/dream Mrs. Voorhees coming out of the lake to grab her, when she had no idea who Mrs. Voorhees was; and how come Jason's face changes visually throughout the film [thanks to three different face molds]; and so many other things).  So, since he notices the same exact things in this film that I did, how in the world can this be such a popular film in the series' mythos?

 

Henning answers that question in this book, and after considering everything he lays out amid the behind-the-scenes discussions, the fan reactions, and the cast interviews, it all seems to come down to this one fact - despite the bad acting, despite the careless story, despite the focus on the 3-D effects, there is one thing this film does manage to do very successfully: Part 3 defined Jason Voorhees in both look and character, firmly establishing his presence for the rest of the series.  And looking back at the film, I have to agree.  Despite all of its flaws, actor Richard Brooker's portrayal of Jason definitely cemented his character, defining not only the hockey-mask appearance, but also moving him beyond just the "young child in a man's body crying out for revenge over his mother's death" motivation.  In this film, Henning points out that Jason becomes determined, he becomes purposeful, and he even becomes emotional (such as the scene where his frustration has him throwing aside boxes and bales of hay searching for Chris in the barn).  In this film, Jason actually HAS character, something that does not get further evolution until Part VII, when Kane Hodder takes over the role and becomes the consummate Jason Voorhees.  And in so thinking, I have begun to open my mind a little bit more to the film and have decided to go back and re-watch it (yet again!) with a new perspective.

 

The interviewed provided some surprising information - such as the fact that Catherine Parks is originally from Orlando, Florida and graduated from University of South Florida - my current home state and my alma mater!  I wish I had known that when I met her some years ago at a Spooky Empire, as I would have loved to have talked to her about that.  The interviews also revealed that both Paul Kratka and David Katims both had roles on General Hospital before landing parts in Friday the 13th Part 3!  Of course, I was not watching GH back then, but I'd be curious to see their scenes from the soap to see just how different they appeared than in the movie!  And the fact that many of these actors were newbies to the industry when they took these roles, and many of them also left Hollywood not long after the film to pursue careers as doctors, lawyers, journalists, and other "professional" careers.  Sadly, several of the actors have since died (Richard Brooker, Gloria Charles, Steve Susskind), so I'll never have the opportunity to meet any of them.

 

I love Henning's careful look at some of the unanswered questions about the film, and his very plausible explanations and answers - such as, did Jason sexually assault Chris in the flashback scene?  Why did he not kill her back then?  Is Jason right-handed or left-handed (which seems to change from film to film)?  Whose blood-soaked clothing did Chris find in the upstairs bathroom?  Where did Chuck and Chili get the pot they smoked at the house, when they ate it all in the van when they thought the police were after them?  How did the biker gang find Higgins Haven (and know that's where Shelly and Vera had come from)?  Why did the newscaster at the beginning refer to the murderer as an "ax-wielding killer," when Jason never killed anyone with an ax in the second film? And one thing I don't recall ever noticing, but which Henning brought up in this book - why is it the name of Jason Voorhees is never mentioned anywhere in this film?  It played such an important part of the ending of the first film, and was the main focus of the second film; yet, despite how important this film was to the enduring legacy of the character, not one time in this film is his name said.  Just another reason to go back and watch the film!

 

One important fact Henning does bring out about this film, something that I have always thought was glossed over, is that the character of Debbie, played by Tracey Savage, was pregnant.  It is made clear several times in the film (with Debbie refusing to smoke weed or drink alcohol due to her pregnancy), so the fact that Jason murders her while she lies in the hammock with the dead body of her boyfriend (the unborn child's father) hanging above her in the rafters is much more horrific, as it means that Jason not only murdered an adult woman, but he also killed her unborn child.  In Part 2, he unceremoniously swings a machete into the face of a man in a wheelchair, and now in Part 3, he without remorse shoves a knife through the neck of a mother-to-be.  It definitely establishes a practice and pattern that anyone can be a potential victim of Jason Voorhees. 

 

So, to my friends Wayne, and Marcus, and David, who all just LOVE Friday the 13th Part 3 - you can thank R.G. Henning for making me take another look at this film from a different perspective and give it a chance I've never given it up till now.

 

RATING:  10 iconic hockey-masks out of 10 for once again giving fans an outstandingly well-researched and fact-filled look at this long-enduring fan-favorite film of the series.

Ripped to Shreds - a retro-'80s horror graphic novelization

I am a HUGE fan of '80s horror/slasher flicks.  Ever since I watched my first Friday the 13th film on cable TV back in the early '80s, I was hooked.  As the years went by, I watched every slasher film I could get my hands on - Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Prom Night, My Bloody Valentine, Terror Train, New Year's Evil, Silent Night, Deadly Night, Happy Birthday to Me, Final Exam, The Funhouse, Chopping Mall, and the list goes on.  Some were great, some were good, some were bad, and some were just plain awful. The love of this genre has continued on till today, with films like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Happy Death Day, Wrong Turn, and so on - but, honestly, nothing compares to the zany stories that made up those '80s films.  I mean, anyone who has ever seen the Sleepaway Camp films knows exactly what I'm talking about.  So, when I saw the Kickstarter for this graphic novel, there was no doubt that I was going to get it.

 

Ripped to Shreds is a love letter to fans of those '80s slasher films.  In fact, it was originally supposed to BE one of those '80s slasher films!  Ripped to Shreds is based upon a screenplay written by Michael Johnson, which was initially advertised to begin filming in late 1980.  Unfortunately, the project remained in what is affectionately referred to in Hollywood as "development hell" for three years, and ultimately it was scrapped, thought to become just another in a long line of "lost" slasher films never to be made.  Flash forward more than forty years later, and a collector happened to come across the one and only surviving copy of the Ripped to Shreds script - a copy that Apostrophe Comics has brilliantly turned into a beautifully bound, fantastically drawn, and superbly scripted graphic novel that captures the true essence of the film and the genre!  Adapted by Scott Alan Gregory (writer), Thiago Motta (illustrator), and Karla Aguilar (colorist), the graphic novel is the ultimate must-have for die-hard fans of 1980s' slashers!

 

The story is actually a mix of elements that would have turned out an amazingly great film!  An opening flashback to a campfire, where teens are getting drunk, and where three girls take off in a car, only to pick up a lone hitchhiker - a man who slashes them with his metal claw, causing them to crash - and only one girl survives!  Years later (the present - 1980s), another group of teens are around a campfire, talking about the legend of the clawed killer and the fatal car crash.  Some people believe if you drive that same road at night, the ghost of the murdered girls will appear in your car and force you off the road.  Needless to say, one young couple have to put the legend to the test - and they pay the price for it.

 

The two main characters - Madeline (modeled after Lauren Marie-Taylor from Friday the 13th, Part 2) and Richard (modeled after Russell Todd from Friday the 13th, Part 2) set about to uncover the truth.  Is the legend true?  Is there a clawed killer our there?  Or did their friends merely die as a a result of a freak accident?  Like any good slasher movie, there are any number of suspects - the suspicious gardener who is uber-religious and is keeping his daughter (the only survivor of that original accident all those years ago) captive in her own home; the juvenile crime detective, who seems to have an unhealthy interest in the investigation and the teens; or even that girl who survived the original crash, whose mind is now fractured.  Before you can say "booze, sex, and drugs," the bodies start to pile up, ripped to shreds by that deadly claw (hence, the title!), and Scott and Vickie ... er, I mean Madeline and Richard have to work harder to uncover the truth.

 

Fans will enjoy the ultimate revelation and backstory, as you learn the truth about what really happened all those years ago and who was really at fault for the death of those girls.  Madeline gets a fantastic final girl battle against the killer in a darkened house, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her (she was, after all, in the shower when the lights went out!).  I love the ingenuity the character uses to lure the killer into a deadly trap, so just when you think he has her, she turns the tables and kills the killer!  There is a nice wrap-up scene as Richard accompanies Madeline in the ambulance to the hospital, explaining to her the truth about the killer identity and why the murders were taking place ... only to get that one final shock at the end - a surprising twist that would have left the door open for a sequel (of course, that would have necessitated the first film ever being made in the first place!).  

 

The hardcover book contains no only the full adaptation of the script, but plenty of special features in the back to make you feel like you were enjoying a DVD / BluRay version of the story.  From an interview with the original screenplay writer, Michael Johnson, to interviews with both actors (Russell Todd and Lauren Marie-Taylor) about their involvement in the project, to production designs of the killer claw, as well as commentary about the overall production of the graphic novel, character design pages, and a cover gallery.   

 

This book deserves the greatest of all accolades for successfully bringing back a 1980s film in a format that is both visually and artistically pleasing, and will satisfy any fan's appetite for a "new" '80s slasher!

 

RATING:  10 mutilated bodies hanging upside down out of 10 for a true '80s classic - the perfect horror / slasher flick that, sadly, was never made!

Sackhead: The Definitive Retrospective on Friday the 13th, Part 2

When the film Friday the 13th was first released in 1980, I did not want to go see it (even though my mom was willing to take a pre-teen boy to see the movie, I refused to see a horror movie!).  It was not until 1981, during the summer, that I first saw the film when it was released on cable television.  Even watching it in the middle of the day, the movie made me jump.  Once it was over, I thought that was it.  So, imagine my surprise, when looking through the movie channel guide (yes, way back then, we would get monthly guides from the movie channels, letting us know what movies would be airing that particular month), I happened across airings of a film titled Friday the 13th, Part 2!  Having enjoyed the first film, despite the jump scares and gore, I was anxious to see this second film.  After all, the killer had been beheaded in the first movie, so where could they go from there?  Well, that second film and the introduction of Jason Voorhees as the Crystal Lake killer cemented my love for this series of films.  Now, here we are some forty-plus years and a total of 12 films later, and my love for the Friday the 13th series has only grown.  Books, action figures, multiple versions of DVD box sets, posters, and other assorted collectibles give visible proof of my devotion to the films and characters.  Thus, when I happened across this retrospective while scrolling through Amazon, I did not hesitate to buy it.  After all, Part 2 was the film that gave the world one of the most iconic horror movie killers of all time - Jason!  Ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma...

 

Sackhead: The Definitive Retrospective on Friday the 13th, Part 2 does exactly what the title says it will do - it provides fans with the only, truly in-depth look at the first sequel in the franchise. I'm not familiar at all with the author, R. G. Henning.  His bio on the back cover indicates he created and runs a Facebook forum (Packanack Lodge) that is dedicated solely to the second film.  He also is a talent handler, representing many of the cast members from the movie franchise, which I can imagine must be an utter thrill!  And based on this book, the man clearly knows his stuff.  The amount of information contained in this book just about this one film is staggering.  Yes, the Crystal Lake Memories book by Peter M. Bracke offers an intense look at all of the films (up through Freddy v. Jason); but this book digs deep into just the first sequel, offering interviews with most of the cast, detailed character descriptions, a plethora of photos, tons of fun facts, and some long-awaited answers to questions that have been plaguing fans for decades.

 

The interviews provide some insight into not only the actors themselves, but also into the filming of the movie, the characters, and why the film has become such an important part of the Friday the 13th mythos for fans.  Some of the information is already out there in other sources, such as Steve Dash's feelings about Warrington Gilette being credited as Jason, when Dash actually performed more of the role under the hood; Adrienne King coming back for only a minor scene, partially due to the stalker situation that came to be after the first movie came out; Amy Steel's later regrets about not returning for Part 3; etc.  However, there was a lot of new information to be gleaned from the interviews. I was not aware that Adrienne King did not know her character was going to be killed off when she agreed to do the opening scene; nor that the opening sequence was the last thing filmed, and that the rush of filming it resulted in her near injury with the ice pick that killed Alice.  I was also not aware that Marta Kober was only 16 years old when she did the movie, and so Paramount set certain parameters revolving intimate scenes involving her character (Sandra).  I found it amusing to learn that Jack Marks (who played the deputy) had never driven when he got this part and had to be taught how to drive the police car for his scenes in the film - I also had never paid attention to the fact that his character is never actually named in the movie, and that his name was not established until the Simon Hawke novelization years later.  There is so much more, I could go on for paragraph after paragraph after paragraph!

 

Each chapter focuses on a different actor/character, and Henning opens each chapter with a narrative that provides the reader details about each character and his or her appearance in the film.  These narratives provide some insight into the motivations of the characters, and I'm assuming Henning gleaned some of this from Hawke's novelization (which added details not seen in the movie), or perhaps simply from the actions and dialogue of the characters themselves in the film. At the end of each chapter, Henning addresses a number of questions that fans have raised about seeming inconsistencies or impossible events that happen within the film, and he provides some well-thought out and reasoned answers that, in most cases, make perfect sense.  What happened to Paul Holt at the end of the film - did he survive or was he killed? Why did Jason use the dull side of the machete to kill Scott? Why was Terry killed off-screen, when all the other deaths were filmed? What dog did Jeff and Sandra find mutilated, since Muffy turns up alive and well at the end? Where were Ted and the other surviving counselors at the end of the film? Was Crazy Ralph's death unrealistic and illogically filmed? How did Jason find Alice in her house at the beginning of the film? And how did he know her number to call her (and for that matter, how did he know how to use a phone)? And why did he remove the whistling tea kettle from the stove burner after he killed Alice?  These questions, and more, find answers at long last in this book!

 

As if all of this were not enough, Henning also throws in a number of "Fun Facts" in each chapter, little tidbits about the movie, its actors, and the Friday the 13th series itself that provide an even wider understanding and knowledge for fans to appreciate.  Did you know the working title of the moving during filming was simply "Jason"? Or, were you aware that the name "Ginny Field" was inspired by the original Friday the 13th's art director, Virginia Field? Or even more surprising, that actor Bill Randolph ("Jeff") made another appearance (albeit from the back) in the film after his character was killed? And did you realize that the character of "Mark" was the only handicapped character to ever be killed in the entire franchise?  Henning offers so many more fun tidbits like that that only enhance every fan's knowledge of the Friday the 13th series, and Part 2 in particular.  

I have fortunate enough to meet four of the cast members from the film over the years - Amy Steel, John Furey, Warrington Gillette, and Steve Dash (and Adrienne King, so technically I've met five) - and I hope to someday meet more of them.  This book opened my eyes to just how important this film is to the series as a whole, and it has prompted me to go back and watch the film (for the umpteenth time) with an entirely new perspective.  I mean, let's be serious - how many other films can boast having five different actors portray Jason Voorhees?  This book is a definite must have for any true Friday the 13th fan, and the amount of research that went into the book evidences the love Henning has for the film that only a real fan can understand!

 

RATING:  10 severed heads in a refrigerator out of 10 for providing such detailed and well-researched information about one of the best films in not only this franchise, but perhaps in all slasher film history!

The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms, or Lost in the WIlds of Florida (The Moving Picture Girls No. 4)

The Stratemeyer Syndicate published a number of series under the pen name of author "Laura Lee Hope," and the Moving Picture Girls is just one of them.  The series ran from 1914 to 1916, for a total of seven books.  Original published by Grosset & Dunlap, like so many other series back in the day, it was later reprinted by other publishers, including World Syndicate (which is the editions I have).  Although I have all seven books (in dust jacket, which I consider myself to be fortunate!), I decided to pick up this fourth book in the series, since it is set in Florida.  It has been fun to read all of these children's series books set in Florida and see just how many real references are used and how many fictional settings are created.  Unlike the Outdoor Girls' adventure in Florida, which was littered with one fictional place after another, this series actually utilized a number of actual locations.

The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms, or Lost in the Wilds of Florida tells the story of Ruth and Alice DeVere's adventures in the Sunshine State with the film company for whom they are employed, along with their father.  In the first chapter, the girls (and the rest of the acting troupe) learn from the company's manager, Frank Pertrell, that they will all be heading to Florida aboard a "steamer" to film their next dramas (p. 4).  Most everyone is excited about the prospect, and Ruth and Alice are even confident that the warm weather of Florida will help improve their father's health (which seems a bit familiar to part of the plot from The Outdoor Girls in Florida).  But right off the bat, things start to go wrong - first, one of the actors falls overboard from the ship, and then a fire in the lower decks forces all of the passengers to be ferried to another steamboat for the remainder of the journey to St. Augustine.

From the moment the troupe arrives in Florida, I perked up and started paying attention to everywhere the girls and their fellow actors went.  The mere mention of arriving in St. Augustine by way of Jacksonville - and their intended travel later down to Lake Kissimmee - well, I was anxious to see what real locales from these places would be mentioned.  Right off the bat, the girls hear about Fort Marion (Historic Fort Marion) and Fort Mantanzas (Historic Fort Mantanzas), two historic sites where the crew would be filming scenes for their movies (p. 66).  And when the girls go exploring, they decide to travel down St. George Street to see the Old City Gates (p. 67), which turns out to be exactly where the gates are located (St. Augustine Old City Gates).  The girls also pay a visit to an orange grove, said to be just a short distance from the city gates (p. 70).  While the Garnetts' orange grove was quite famous back in the day, it has since been sold off and is no longer there (St. Augustine Orange Groves).  And, of course, one cannot mention St. Augustine without mentioning the Fountain of Youth, to which the girls pay a visit (p. 73).  Of course, the book describes the fountain being located on Myrtle Avenue, when in reality it is located on Magnolia Avenue (Historic Fountain of Youth).  But let's not quibble about names...

There are a number of other factual descriptions on the story, from the old guard room and dungeon of Fort Marion to the alligator farm on Anastasia, and from Lake Kissimmee along the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee.  The only hiccup I found in the locales was the mention of Sycamore, which is said to be a small town near Lake Kissimmee (p. 102).  In reality, Sycamore is a town located up in the panhandle of Florida, and well over 300 miles away from Lake Kissimmee!  However, this is a minor detail, as we certainly can't expect the author to keep all points in the story exactly as they are in the real world!  And this slight discrepancy certainly does not take away from the enjoyment of the story.  I mean, after all, these girls and their friends and fellow actors are making silent films at the turn of the century right here in Florida!  And I will admit, it took me a minute to put the film making into context with the time period, because I kept wondering why the manager was yelling out directions while the cameras were rolling, until I remember that in 1914, films did not yet have sound!  Thus, it would have been natural for directors to be calling out things to the actors from behind the cameras to keep the action and story moving.

The story itself involved only a slight mystery - it seems that two young women that Ruth and Alice had previously met on a train (perhaps in a previous book?  this story is not quite clear on that point) have gone missing, and it just so happens that they went missing from Lake Kissimmee!  As the story goes, the two women went out to gather rare wild flowers and were never heard from again (p. 103).  The locals and even their own family believe they were lost in the everglades, and all hope was given up of finding the two.  Now, it is funny that they are said to be lost in the everglades, as a similar plot actually plays out many years later in the 161st Nancy Drew mystery, aptly titled Lost in the Everglades.  In that story, a young woman goes off alone backwater camping and disappears.  Was that story lifted from this one?  Who's to say...  But the fact the two girls in this story were hoping to find a rare orchid actually has a ring of truth to it, since the Vandeae orchid, which also has a part of its tribe the holy grail of all orchid-hunters, the "ghost orchid," is said to be local to Florida (The Ghost Orchid).  Thus, yet another touch of reality thrown into a fictional tale.

The overall story does have some resemblances to The Outdoor Girls in Florida (published just one year prior to this one, also under the pen name of Laura Lee Hope!).  As indicated above, both stories feature a character who comes to Florida in the hopes of improving their health; both stories feature boat trips through the everglades, with fearful encounters with alligators; both stories feature a man/boy in tattered/ragged clothes who comes to the rescue of the girls with a gun; both stories find the girls getting lost on the river after getting all turned around following a picnic amid the everglades; and in both stories, the girls do not really play much of a part in solving the mystery - they merely stumble upon the missing individuals.  In fact, there is even a humorous reference to the fact that the two missing girls are described as real "outdoor girls" (p. 106).  Perhaps that was a slight nod by the author to the actual Outdoor Girls, who themselves got lost while boating in the everglades.

I would be remiss if I did not also bring attention to the similarities to the frontis piece illustration of both The Outdoor Girls in Florida and this book.  In The Outdoor Girls, the scene depicted shows a manatee taking off with the girls' boat, having been caught in the anchor rope.  A man in a canoe stand ready to take a shot at the manatee in order to free the girls' boat.  In this book, we see Ruth and Alice in a boat with Paul Ardite, a fellow actor and love interest of Alice, and the boat is being pulled by a manatee who is caught in the anchor line, while in the background, Russ Dalwood, the film operator, is just filming away.  It is funny that both scenes feature a manatee tangled in the boat's ropes and unwittingly pulling the boat away from where it should be.  The only difference is, in The Moving Picture Girls' story, Russ tells them to let the manatee pull them as he continues to film it, believing it will make for good drama.  And in The Moving Picture Girls, instead of using a gun to shoot at the manatee, Paul uses his oar to simply nudge the manatee to go under and ultimately loosen itself from the anchor line, thus freeing it without any injury.  I find it too much of a coincidence that the same scene would basically play itself out in both books (and in both stories, the girls are fearful at first that it is an alligator that has snagged hold of their boat!), and even much more than a coincidence that both books, just a year apart, would have basically the same scene as their frontis piece!

Two final observations I wish to make on this book.  First, I find the presence of the omniscent narrator making his/her voice known throughout the book rather interesting.  Perhaps this was more common back in the early 1900s, but to have the narrator break the fourth wall and speak directly to the reader, thus breaking out of the story itself, is rather odd.  This occurs in a big way in Chapter Two, in which the narrator point blank addresses the reader:  "...may I take just a few moments to acquaint my new readers with something of the former books of this series?" (p. 12).  And with that question, the narrator proceeds to give brief synopses of the first three books in the series, providing not only titles, but also plot details and outcomes of those stories.  The narrator then goes on to provide brief descriptions of each character who plays a part in the story, from Ruth and Alice, along with their father, to all of the members of the film troupe!  This becomes a four-page break in the story that basically has the narrator speaking directly to the reader.  There are other moments in the book where the narrator breaks in to give reasons for jumps in time or to simply skip portions of the troupe's activities that the narrator does not believe to be important to the reader nor the story.  It gives the overall a book a sense of being told to the reader, rather than an adventure the reader is actually taking part with, and the closest thing I can compare it to would the television show, Young Sheldon, where the older version of the character narrates each episode, sometimes interjecting his own personal thoughts into the events of the episode.

The second observation I wanted to make is the reference in this book, as well as The Outdoor Girls in Florida, to orange blossoms.  In both stories, the girls make comments about orange blossoms in connection with their trip to Florida, and in both instances, the references seem to have a relation to thoughts of marriage (p. 69).  I did not realize this, but after a bit of research, I discovered that orange blossoms, "[l]ike the white gown, have been associated with weddings for centuries because the flower symbolizes virtue, love, and fertility" (Orange Blossom Brides).  I guess, as the saying goes, you learn something new every day!

I definitely enjoyed this story much more than The Outdoor Girls, and despite the similarities, the actual writing of the books appears different, leaving me to believe this book was not written by Howard Garis, who wrote The Outdoor Girls' adventure in Florida.  I was not able to find any identification as to the ghostwriter for this book, but perhaps someone out there has some information and can share it one day!

RATING:  8 dangerous bogs of quicksand out of 10 for a fun romp through St. Augustine and the Everglades, with a bit of historical film antics thrown in for good measure!

Penny Nichols - a Top Shelf Productions graphic novel

If you are a fan of vintage children's mystery series, and you know anything about Mildred Wirt, then you'll know right away why I picked up this graphic novel.  Way back in 1936, Mildred Wirt wrote a three book series of mysteries under the pseudonym of Joan Clark, with a fourth and final book being published in 1939.  The title character to this series?  Why, none other than Penny Nichols.  The daughter of a private investigator, Penny stumbles across one mystery after another that she must solve, helping people along the way.  So, when I happened to come across this graphic novel bearing the same exact name, well, there was no way I could pass this up!

Penny Nichols is the creation of MK Reed (writer), Greg Means (writer), and Matt Wiegle (artist).  Instead of a teenage amateur sleuth, this particular Penny Nichols is a 26-year old, single woman who is cynical, sarcastic, and sassy (oh, how I love her already!).  She has been meandering through life, working one temp job after another and babysitting her sister's two young daughters.  She is not looking for romance, she is not particularly searching for a career, and she is ... well, to put it bluntly, she is simply settled into a mundane life.  Until the fateful day she is stuck handing out free samples of her sister's new health juice (don't ask what it is made of - or better yet, listen to Penny's description of it:  "[a] vitamin rich, ProBio-Antijuice and professional strength floor cleaner" [p. 13]).  That should give you an idea of just how wonderfully snippy Penny is.  

 

And it happens to be just what Bobert and Sam are looking for!  After all, they are making a low-budget (VERY low budget, as in non-existent) horror flick, and they need someone who can help manage the books ... and help edit the script ... well, actually, write the dialogue ... and the scenes ... and organize it all ... and find some extras ... and find the costumes ... and assist in editing ... and, well, you get the drift.  Penny is suddenly thrust into a world of make-believe blood, exploding heads, excitable actresses, over-eager actors, gung-ho special effects artists, super-smooth and suave producers, and lazy, self-centered directors and writers.  And she finds that she loves every minute of it!  In fact, Blood Wedding (the name of the horror flick) is exactly the kick-in-the-pants Penny needs to find meaning in her life - as well as friends and a future!  Oh, there's plenty of mishaps, frustrations, and problems along the way, but Penny's attitude fits absolutely perfectly into all of it, and if it weren't for her, the movie would never have gotten made!

Reed and Means provide a fun story, but quite frankly, it's Penny's dialogue and quick wit that really steals the show for this book.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I smiled, snickered, and outright laughed at her comments to people.  Take the Vancome Lady from MadTV, add a little Karen from Will & Grace, and throw in a bit of Dorothy from The Golden Girls, and you've got Penny Nichols!  But what truly endears her to the reader (well, to me, at least), is that underneath all of those smart remarks likes a person who simply wants to find a place where she fits in - and find it she does amidst the group of misfits making this film.  By the end of the book, you're not only cheering for Penny, but for the entire crew.

The art by Matt Wiegle is somewhat cartoony and a bit rough around the edges, but it grows on you.  The more you read, the more you get a feel for the characters, the more you realize Wiegle has managed to capture the essence of each character in the way they look.  Penny's plain, frumpy appearance ... Bobert's slick, smooth look ... Spazzy's over-exuberant, teen image ... Sam's lazy, unkept manner ... Lix's almost-goth, grunge style ... each character truly LOOKS like their personality!  It's perfect.  And the panels that depict the movie being filmed - they are so gloriously bloody and gruesome, yet hilarious at the same time.  Which fits beautifully with the whole idea of the story.  Reed and Means definitely picked the perfect artist for this book.

I would love to see more stories of Penny and her cohorts.  This creative team needs to get back together and give us some more stories - after all, I have no doubt there are more low-budget films that Penny can help cobble together, while temping part time to pay her bills.  And who knows?  Maybe one day she can follow in her namesake's shoes and solve a mystery or two!

RATING:  9 melting and exploding heads out of 10 for utterly surprising me with a well-written, witty, wonderful tale of a woman simply trying to find her place in this world!

WW84: Wonder Woman - The Junior Novel

The Wonder Woman '84 (titled "WW84") film came out three years ago (back in 2020).  As with the first film, there were plenty of merchandising that came out with the film, including a junior novelization of the film.  Unlike the first film, however, there was no adult novelization (which surprised me).  Since I pretty much collect all things Wonder Woman, I picked up the junior novel when it came up, and it has sat up on my "to-be-read" shelf ever since.  Having seen the movie, I knew the reading the book would feel a little redundant - but, I also knew that sooner or later I'd pick it up and read it just to see how it compares with the film.  And it pretty much was what I was expecting.

WW84: Wonder Woman is an abridged version of the movie, just as the junior novelization of the first movie was.  The original film was adapted by Steve Korte, while this one was adapted by Calliope Glass; however, Glass did not do any better of a job than Korte did with the original.  There are quite a number of elements from the film - important elements to the story! - that are missing in the book.  Now, I can understand when you are writing a book aimed at younger readers, you might want to leave out any adult content (such as scenes of a sexual or intimate nature, or scenes of harsh violence); but I don't understand leaving out elements that are important to the plot.  It leaves the story lacking and incomplete.

For example, in the opening scene, in which a young Diana is ready to compete in the Amazon games on Themyscira, Glass leaves out a very important part that results in Antiope stopping Diana before she can complete, and possibly win, the game.  In the film, Diana is knocked off her horse, and so she cheats by taking a short cut to catch up with her horse and stay ahead of the other contestants.  Thus, it makes sense when Antiope catches her and stops her from throwing the spear at the end, because she has to learn the lessen that she cannot take short cuts  cheat in order to win at something.  Sometimes it's just not meant for her to win.  Yet, that element of the story is omitted from this novelization, and so when Antiope snatches her out from victory, it doesn't make sense.

There's also the story of Steve Trevor's return.  The book follows the story with regard to Diana's wish for her one true love to return; however, the book completely ignores the fact that his return is in the form of taking over another man, whose life and identity disappears when Steve takes over the form.  Instead, Steve merely wakes up and is there, with no mention of this other man.  Readers also lose out on Maxwell Lord's son, who plays a pivotal role in his part of the story.  He is nowhere to be seen in this book.

And, just like the junior novelization of that first film, this book completely leaves out the final climactic battle, instead ending on the part where Diana and Steve are getting ready to stop Maxwell Lord and Barbara Minerva, while at the same time preventing the world from entering a nuclear war.  That final battle is important on so many levels, with the redemption of Lord, the complete conversion of Minerva over to the Cheetah, and Diana's ultimate sacrifice.  Young readers get none of that.  And while I'm all for not wanting to spoil the ending of a movie, this is a novelization, and as such, it should have the full story, regardless of how abridged.  Leave out the cheating, leave out the son, leave out the stolen identity - but leave out the ending?  No, sorry, that just doesn't work for me.

The book does include eight pages of color photos from the movie, so that is one saving grace.  Otherwise, this book feels much less than what it should be and is a big disappointment.

RATING:  5 wish-granting citrines out of 10 for, at the very least, giving young readers a portion of the story.

Wonder Woman - the Official Movie Novelization

When a hurricane comes through and you have no power, trust me when I say - it gives you plenty of time to read!  And what better way to spend the time than reading the novelization of one of DC's greatest superhero films since Christopher Reeve's Superman!  The official novelization of the Wonder Woman film is, by far, one of the best film novelizations I have ever read.  It didn't just stay true to the film - it was the closest I've ever seen to a book matching the film exactly!

Author Nancy Holder adapted the film nearly flawlessly (and the reason I say "nearly" you'll see in just a bit...).  With every page, the descriptions so vivid, the dialogue such a match, that I could visualize with no difficulty the scenes from the film.  In fact, while reading the novel, I pretty much felt like I was the watching the movie again!  Every scene, every bit of dialogue (at least, to the best of my recollection), every character, every action, everything!  Yes, we did get some inner dialogue here and there from the characters, particularly Diana - but it fit the characterization, and I could easily see Diana and some of the other characters thinking these things as they acted the way they did in the movie.

I am not sure if Holder adapted this from the original screenplay, a later revision, or if she simply took it from the film itself (the last seems totally plausible, since there are no scenes in the book that aren't in the movie, and there were no scenes omitted as was what happened with the junior reader novelization), but regardless of how she did it, I am impressed with her capture of the film.  It's not often you read a book and you can actually feel the innocence of Diana as she arrives in Man's World - or feel her betrayal and anger when she thinks Steve has lied to her - or feel her determination and loss when she battles Ares after ... well, I won't say that, as I don't want to spoil anything for those who may not have seen the film yet.

Now, the reason the book is only "nearly" flawless and not perfectly flawless is because of the number of editing snafus.  It's a shame really, since I just finished making comments about the lack of editing these days in my last review (of the second Boxcar Children Great Adventure book).  Yes, as I turned page after page, I was stunned at how many grammatical errors there were, or instances where words were simply missing from the sentence, or the wrong spelling of the word.  Do books even have editors any more? Or have we become a society so dependent on technology, that we think the computer will catch any errors and we don't actually have to read the drafts prior to sending to print?

Yes, I realize to err is human - however, when I'm shelling out hard-earned money for the books, I expect the product that I receive to be a bit more professional.  One or two mistakes in a 280 page book I can probably overlook - but when there are one or more mistakes in every other chapter, it becomes annoying, as it immediately takes me out of the story, ruining my full enjoyment of the book.

But enough about that.  This is Wonder Woman.  This is the Wonder Woman that I have been waiting years and years to see brought to life on the big screen.  This is the Wonder Woman that I absolutely love seeing brought into the limelight where she belongs.  Outside of the editorial errors, this is an engaging, action-packed, smooth read that made me smile, made me tear-up, and made me wish more and more and more that this was the kind of story DC Comics would publish in their comics these days.

Thank you, Holder, for taking the feature film and making Wonder Woman just as successful in print!

RATING:  8 golden lassos of truth out of 10 for, well, simply put, bringing more Wonder Woman to the public at large!

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter - Movie Novelization

Evil Comes Home.

While some people have criticized the Resident Evil films for various reasons, I have absolutely loved each and every one of them.  Milla Jovovich breathed life into the character of Alice, the protagonist through all of the films, and so it was with a bit of sadness that I went to see "The Final Chapter," which is toted as the conclusion to the series of films:  Resident Evil, Apocalypse, Extinction, Afterlife, Retribution and now, The Final Chapter.

I have not read any of the novelizations until after I saw the film, and this novelization of the last film is an example of why. The books, which are based on what I assume to be the original screenplays, tend to have not only more story to them (including backgrounds, characterization, and such), but they also tend to have additional storylines that don't appear in the movie.  For this book, it was the story of Becky, the girl who Alice believed to be her daughter during the alternate reality sequences of the last film/book.

The Final Chapter stays somewhat consistent with the film, although its opening offers a lot more backstory to connect the ending of the last film with the beginning of this one. Readers learn more about the fight that Alice, along with Ada, Jill, and Leon, endured as the hordes of undead and vile creatures created by the Umbrella Corporation converged on the White House.  We find out more about Albert Wesker's betrayal (like we didn't see that coming" during the battle, and we learn the ultimate fates of Ada, Jill, and Leon.  Readers also discovery why Alice was underneath all that rubble at the beginning of The Final Chapter.

I'll admit, I had fun reading the novelization, as there were moments where I felt like I was sitting in the theater once again, watching the movie.  Alice's battle with the nightmarish creatures unleashed by Umbrella.  Alice reuniting with Claire Redfield.  The revelation of the traitor in their midst.  The big reveal of Alice's true identity and her connection with the Red Queen.  The ultimate battle between Alice and Wesker & Isaacs.  The sad deaths of some of Alice's companions.

The underlying thread of Alice's search for and concern for Becky, her "daughter," is the biggest difference between the film and the book.  The film has no mention of Becky whatsoever, while the book continues the subplot throughout the whole story.  In fact, the very end is drastically different - without providing any spoilers here, let's just say that the end of the book focuses on Becky, while the end of the movie provides an entirely different direction for the story.

And the epilogue ... I have to wonder if that was a post-credits scene in the movie, as I did not stay for the end of the credits.  Once I buy the DVD, I'll have to watch and see.  Not that it really makes a difference, since there talks of re-booting the whole Resident Evil franchise, which would make the epilogue pretty much irrelevant. (Personally, I hate the idea of a reboot.  There is a whole world of stories that they could tell set within this world already created - plenty of other characters they could follow).

So, the saga of Alice has come to an end.  It was a satisfying series of stories, and although she will be missed, I can say that they provided the story a very satisfying conclusion.

RATING:  9 decanters, sculptures, and fountain pens out of 10 for concluding the Resident Evil saga of Alice with some unexpected twists and turns, but with no dangling plot threads.

Wonder Woman: The Deluxe Junior Novel

Based on the feature film, this junior novelization was the first book based on the new movie to hit the stands - and, being the Wonder Woman fanatic that I am, I had to buy it.  I mean, let's face it - as great as the movie was, there was no way they could mess up the novelization of it, right?

Well...

For the most part, the book remains pretty faithful to the movie, although with a few variations that I have to believe were done for the sake of keeping it from being too violent and adult for the young readers.  For instance, one of the characters who dies on Themyscria in the beginning of the film does not die in the book; and, when Diana walks in on Steve stepping out of the baths, the book has him quickly wrapping a towel around himself (which did not happen in the film!).  And while some minor events and elements were skipped or glossed over that had no heavy bearing on the overall plot, as the book neared the conclusion, things suddenly changed...drastically!

I mean, c'mon.  Where's Ares?  In the film (spoiler here!), Ares plays an important part from the beginning, as the Amazons are basically in constant training so as to be prepared is Ares returns.  This aspect is mentioned briefly in the beginning of the book, that was it.  It's never brought up again, and Diana never once mentions him when she does into man's world.  And that epic battle at the climax of the film is completely missing in the novelization.

And that all-important sacrifice that one of the characters makes, something that has major impact in the film, is also not featured in the book.  In fact, Diana's whole reason for doing what she does at the end is completely re-written, and no sacrifice is needed (meaning that all characters survive in the book).

What were they thinking?  The book is adapted by Steve Korte, and I have no idea who this author is.  Perhaps this novelization was taken from an earlier version of the script? Although, to be honest, I've not read anywhere that there were any major re-writes, and there would have to be for the ending to be so different as it is in the book.  I guess when they say "based" on the feature film, the mean just that.  It's based on it, it is not a true novelization of it.

I did buy the deluxe edition, which is hardcover with the glossy photo and also has 8 pages of photos inside (which do not spoil anything from the film, if you were wondering). So, although the story was a bit off, the book itself is nicely put together and worth having for that alone.

Now, I also bought the adult novelization of the film, so when I get around to reading that one, we'll see how faithful that is to the film.

RATING:  7 melting gas masks out of 10 for getting Wonder Woman out there in the market again and hopefully leading more young readers to follow her adventures!