Over at New Scientist, a fascinating article on a fascinating Tate Gallery, London, exhibition about the effect of pop culture–particularly Star Wars–on the late Saddam Hussein. At first, you chuckle. Then you hear some of the parallels–and you may still chuckle.
Saddam had an unpublished fantasy novel (which I’m dying to read now! Can you imagine that hitting the market–a Fantasy novel by Saddam Hussein??) and a few more than coincidental leanings towards the dark figure. However, from the article in New Scientist, the threads are thin. I would have loved seeing more than a few stretches of metaphorical underpinnings to Saddam’s tactics and beliefs. While the helmets are a nice touch; as they prove to be Vaderish, so are WW2 gasmasks…. and we aren’t making Hitler/Darth connections (though I would say that Darth was modeled after Hitler, obviously— Brown Shirts and Stormtroopers, no stretch there). Since the Darth mask was most probably modeled on a gasmask, I think the Gallery is taking a bit of liberty to say that Saddam had a Darth-fetish.
Consider this point the author, Jessica Griggs, makes:
Could this all be coincidence? Perhaps, but you’ll be convinced otherwise once you’ve read about Sadaam’s private militia’s uniform. Before his son, Uday, handed over control of the Fedayeen Sadaam (translation: “Saddam’s Men of Sacrifice”) to his younger brother he wanted to give his father something to remember his work by. So he presented Saddam with their new uniform: black shirt, black trousers and a ski-mask over which a strikingly Darth Vader-esque helmet was placed.
It seems more likely that Uday had a Star Wars ideal in mind for his father–since there are few other instances of Star Warsian artifacts. The upraised swords is, at best, coincidental, made more science fiction-y by the artist who makes the swords into light sabers. The “lurid” fantasy posters are from a different genre of literature. The fact that the artist is a friend of the person who designed the poster for Star Wars is called a streeeeetch. The paintings in Saddam’s “Safe House” were both by a fantasy artist. The link here.
It’s a stretch to see these fantasy paintings connected to Darth Vader of science fiction. Yep, Saddam might have been a fan of fantasy/science fiction…but beyond that is the artist’s license.
It is not unbelievable that science fiction pop culture might have an influence on dictators. Certainly their heroes have a powerful pull on the Western World; couldn’t their powerful dictators be enamored by fellow dictators? Since few of them survive in Science fiction past their novel series, I don’t think ANYONE would want to model an empire on them.
Unless, of course, you can make sure that you have no plucky twins, rescued and hidden at birth, lurking somewhere in the galaxy, ready and waiting to upset your glorious domination.
Now, I want to see the article on Saddam Hussein’s fantasy novel.
I gave Justine Davidson, the theatre reviewer for the Whitehorse Star, a long hug at the end of The Laramie Project, the Guild Society/GALA play.
Both of us were near tears.
She said over my shoulder, “Does this mean it’s good when the journalists are crying?”
We weren’t the only ones moved.
But don’t let this make you think the play is a downer. It isn’t.
It’s mostly a fascinating study of 80 people learning to cope with sudden and abrupt change. The tragedy of Matthew Shepard’s murder happens before the play begins — so this is, in effect, the aftermath.
This is a community coming to terms with what they think about it — and finding themselves at the centre of a media tornado. You find yourself rooting for them as they try to make it through. …
The Wolfman,(2010) directed by Joe Johnston, starring Benicio Del Toro, is a remake of The Wolfman, (1941) directed by George Waggner, and starring Lon Chaney, Jr. You know that. My biggest question through the movie is WHY REMAKE IT?
The first half hour is a snoozer, merely a recap of the film you’ve already seen. In fact, the writers so depend on you knowing the characters from the 1941 movie that hardly anyone is allowed screentime to develop as NEW characters. Who is Lawrence Talbot in this version? We don’t know. He’s cast in such dark and moody lighting, such gothic teasery, that we don’t get a sense of Lawrence as a person. They make the BIG SIN of Bad Movies–let the actors only talk about the Plot. So, every line, every snippet of dialogue is there to give us Backstory, Context, Tell Us Things We Should Know–but no one is allowed to actually talk about anything else. No one asks anyone to pass the salt. There’s no time. We must talk, and talk quickly, about the plot.
To the movie’s credit there are three new twists thrown in:
* * *SPOILERS * * *
1. Lawrence Talbot is an American Actor, starring in Hamlet in London. This is cool. I don’t mind there being some Shakespearian allusions in the movie! Yay! And Lawrence Talbot and Hamlet have some similarities— they’ve seen the truth about their fathers; they have seen their mothers ravaged by other men; they were gone for most of their adult life and are brought back for a funeral; they are in a quandary about what to do; their girlfriends think they are insane; they must kill their “fathers”. Brilliant idea to show these similarities. But where Shakespeare’s play develops characters, Johnston’s movie superimposes limp characters onto established patterns. Not only is Del Toro’s Talbot hoping you think of Chaney’s Talbot, but he’s hoping you think of Hamlet–except Hamlet was clever, Hamlet PLAYED insane, Hamlet had a plan… Talbot in this film has no plan. He’s a victim of the werewolf, a victim of his Father, and ultimately a victim of the town. The Comparison to Hamlet is an attempt to ride on Shakespeare’s coattails and give this film some depth it doesn’t earn.
IF they had started the movie on stage with Benicio Del Toro, playing Hamlet, going backstage to hear that his sister-in-law had written to him to come to the Family Manse, there’s been a murder–and he had to go back onstage—that would have been interesting. It would have been SCENE. We could have seen Talbot as an actor, as a person…. BEFORE he goes home to Goth House.
2. Anthony Hopkins is HIMSELF a Werewolf. Cool. In fact, I think both men are sexy as werewolves and the battle scene is beautifully done and fun to watch. In fact, I’m sure that battle scene is worth the whole movie to some. By making the dad a werewolf too, you add a great deal to the idea that Fathers make their Sons into monsters when they are monsters. And I kind of liked this aspect of the movie. It should add a depth to becoming a monster–abusive parents create abusive children, etc. But that’s not really explored. The Dad is completely heartless in that he’s finally decided to embrace his inner Werewolf and just kill at random. He has no reason and no regret. And so, we don’t care about him. He’s one-dimensional and speaks from the script. And neither man can stop himself from killing once he’s a werewolf…. so why bother with morality at all?
3. Lawrence Talbot was sent to a mental institution. VERY cool. I like this. It’s logical. He sees his father kill his mother and goes a little bonkers. And then they send him to America where those who are a little bonkers will fit in. One scene. That’s all the movie gives this beautiful, but underdeveloped, idea… so Talbot is dunked in icy water and given injections, and we get a flashback. That’s it. And, the second major transformation happens here…which is fun to watch. But the addition of this backstory is sewn on with big thread and doesn’t really match the rest of the movie. It isn’t utilized.
Some inconsistencies in this movie made this remake more confusing and tiresome.
A. Why wasn’t Lawrence killed when he saw his father eating his mother? None of the other werewolves have stopped to save a child…. Lawrence should be dead, or he should have never seen that incident.
B. Sometimes the moon comes through a cloud and changes you AT ONCE, and sometimes, you get to walk around outside or inside as a human being until you’ve finished your dialogue, and then you get to transform into the werewolf. There’s no clear rule about transformation. Bad.
C. What is the purpose of the Inspector or Gwen now? They are Wasted characters because they’re not given any screen time to really develop. In 1941, Lawrence Talbot was a normal man, flirting with a beautiful girl, come back to run the estate of his family. When he is bitten, that first “normal” life is taken from him.
Watch this here and see the development of character in a 1940’s way (and, wow, is Lon Chaney Jr. a hunk of a guy)
In 2010, Lawrence Talbot is already doom and gloom, and his bite is just further nightmare. Nothing is normal in this new Talbot’s life. The girl he’s flirting with now–that’s his dead brother’s fiance. His father? A werewolf who killed his own wife. There ain’t a happy moment in this film–and therefore, without that happier beginning, there is no tragedy.
This was the HEART of the 1941 film. That a good man could be destroyed by a bite from a werewolf. It has been ripped out of the chest of this story to make way for a kind of pre-ordained House of Usher doom….
So I come back to my first response: WHY remake such a classic film? To get neat special effects in and to get more gory. There are some scary moments in the film, but twice we are blatantly tricked, making us feel like fools: Samson the dog scare us at quiet moments. (Oops! Not a werewolf…shucks. Gotcha anyway!)
There’s lots of killing, lots of killing, and it’s so random, that after awhile, it all becomes white noise. Six people, ten people, there’s no challenge to the werewolf. THEY ALL have silver bullets, but not one of them can shoot straight? Yeah, right.
Bottom Line: Beautifully filmed and with stellar special effects, the Wolf Man gives us nothing else new and tarnishes what was good about the original. If you’re interested in seeing the classic, follow the Youtube connection above to see the whole film.
Some stunning work by Morgan Whibley, a Whitehorse based photographer. The Alley Series. (Yes, it was stunning and fun even before I was a subject.) His rules are simple:
One alley from sidewalk to sidewalk.
Ambient light only.
A different person everyday.
Seven days a week.
He’d been doing this for 43 days in a row when he ran into me. Follow the link, get stunned by his work. All Yukoners, all beautiful pictures, wonderful, fun people. They are our stories.
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But my story got me to thinking about being a writer of genre.
Morgan tells me to come into his shop, Photovision, and when I get there he cuts a piece of cardboard from a box, slaps down two markers and says, Draw. What do I draw? He’s made a speech bubble. “Whatever you want to.” I have NO idea what to put there. He wants the first things I think of. I hem and haw a bit. Suddenly, I just sketch out a design and draw Mr. Spock with a latte from Baked Cafe there. We shoot the photo in the alley.
And then, it’s over, so I think. And I’m halfway back to my truck and I think–“You fool! You could have said something important about the value of words. That words can be healing, or words can be explosive and destructive. And what did you do? You did something frivolous. And stupid–and highly derivative. Are you just a Trekkie? Is that all you are?” These were the voices in my head.
So I ran back to Morgan, grabbed him by the shirt collar. “We have to do it again!” I said. Okay, maybe I didn’t grab his shirt collar, but I was insistent that we do it again because I’ve thought of something more important to “say.” So he patiently carves out another speech bubble for me, and I draw out the symbol for Medicine (you know, the two snakes wrapped around the staff with wings–started by Moses, so long ago)–cause I’m going for “Healing Words”….
Yeah.
So, we go out into the alley so I can get shot again. And we’re both thinking the same thing, and we’re talking…maybe we’re overanalyzing, we both say.
And we take the shots. And they are highly thought out… and they say the “right thing.” But they seem orchestrated, forced.
I think, later, that THIS is the argument that every writer has with him/herself. Especially writers of any genre: humor, science fiction, romance, fantasy, western, children’s, young adult, gay, hairy monster, etc.
We think that we must say something IMPORTANT with what we write. That we have to use our considerable talent, and all writers have “considerable talent” with words, and say something like “WORLD PEACE, IDIOTS!” or “Stop oppressing us!!” or “Global Warming is REAL!” or “Whales don’t deserve to be SHOT!” And who can argue with these messages? Certainly they are important. We all know that. And certainly other people will consider you a much weightier writer, a writer with HEFT, if you can tackle Global Warming, or Teen Pregnancy, or something important, in your writing. They often give awards in that direction (and they do it in film too….).
But who’s to say that the person who laughs at my first photograph won’t be healed? Who’s to say that you can’t heal someone with words without broadcasting that you are HEALING them? Who wants to be hit over the head with a message? And why can’t REALLY good genre do everything that you need it to do–be a damn good story, with a subtle message and a lot of entertainment?
I think, as writers, we all balance between these two photos: the need to say something important, and the need to say something fun and frivolous. And we see them as two different categories. That we can’t be fun and important. We see this in many other areas too (religion, politics, leadership), but for me it resonates as the battle I fight every day: What value, I think, is Fantasy writing? How does it help the world? Shouldn’t I turn my skills to Environmental Literature?
No. You should only do that if you are called to do that. If you try to write Environmental Literature and you were born to write Children’s Books about Rockets and Squid–then you will be a very frustrated Environmental Literary Writer. Where is your passion? If you find your passion, I think you get the package deal. You will affect people in important ways by being yourself.
There is no real dichotomy between writings—there is only being true and not being true to yourself. The truth is–we need comedy, romance, westerns, mysteries, radio dramas, children’s picture books with gorillas in them–we need to laugh to fight the absurdity, we need to feel hope in the face of injustice, and we need to fantasize about escape. We need it All.
Call me brazen for even suggesting that I know better than anyone else how to do politics–but that’s what blogs are for. While this blog usually focuses on science fiction and fantasy writing, it has, on occasion, gone off the cuff.
I have a way to pass Healthcare legislation.
If a Representative or Senator votes against the Healthcare legislation and it passes, those districts they represent do not benefit from that Healthcare. Let them OPT OUT their district and see how long it takes for folks to MOVE from that district, or elect someone else to represent them.
With Healthcare, I think their constituents should pay the price of their vote. If they vote against Healthcare, they don’t get it. No one in their district will get it. Let’s see how long it takes for people to say—“Oh, I SHOULD HAVE HAD this Healthcare that these other people are enjoying. But my STUPID REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE voted against it. He’s outta there!!”
In fact, why not make it a place by place vote—skip trying to “make it pass” through votes. Tell anyone who votes for it, that they can have it. If it’s so bad, it will fail. But if it’s good, then people will scream if they DON’T get it.
If you’re a fan of Vincent Chong, and you’ve seen my post on him, you’ll be delighted to know he has a new blog and he has a new Art Book coming out. The details are below.
Vincent was commissioned to redesign covers for all of Stephen King’s books, and they’re stunning. I’ve picked out a few designs I like. I’m waiting still for the really cool werewolf one. (But there aren’t really any good werewolf novels yet…gonna have to write one)
My new blog http://vincentchongart.wordpress.com is now online. The blog will be updated regularly and feature posts including news updates, artwork, behind-the-scenes material such as sketches, insights into my working methods/inspirations, tips and info on life as a freelancer and much more. There’s also free downloads including desktop wallpapers, so please stop by for a visit and check it out.
I’m also excited to announce that the first art book collecting my work will be published by Telos Publishing. Entitled ALTERED VISIONS: THE ART OF VINCENT CHONG, the book will be a 48 page, A5, full colour hardback edition. Further details can be found on my blog.
The book will be published 25th March and launched at the World Horror Convention 2010 but you can pre-order a copy now direct from the publisher’s website http://www.telos.co.uk under the ‘Original and Classic Fiction’ section. Copies are expected to be limited so place your order now to avoid disappointment.
If you know of anyone else who may be interested in my blog or art book, please pass this information onto them.
My story, “One Nation Under Gods,” was selected to be part of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy anthology, Tesseracts 14, edited by Brett Savory and John Robert Colombo, due out in September 2010. The Tesseracts series is devoted to Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy and Horror, and has had, as you might have guessed, 14 other volumes (a Tesseracts Q was for Quebec, and the requisite 1-13 which came before).
You might have caught me reading a portion of this at the Yukon Writers Festival a couple of years back. It involves two kids and a history test, and a complete restructuring of the United States based on values Americans, like me, hold sacred: patriotism, freedom, the just war, independence, religion. I just personified them a bit. I’m very pleased it found a home. I’m now going to start work on the novel version of this story.
The picture on the left is the construction of the Statue of Liberty, a figure which looms large on the landscape at the beginning of my story. And as I was now an immigrant to Canada, the Statue of Liberty loomed large on my new immigrant’s mind…what a dramatic beginning to a new life for those coming to America. For me, I saw her on my way out. On my drive from Texas to the Yukon, I parked my red truck in Calgary for one month, flew to Vermont to be part of a writer’s colony, and in that time, snuck down to see her. Like some mistress I was breaking up with.
How do you explain to her that you are leaving?
I put her in my story, though, and so in this way, she haunts me.
Over at New Scientist, a fascinating article on a fascinating Tate Gallery, London, exhibition about the effect of pop culture–particularly Star Wars–on the late Saddam Hussein. At first, you chuckle. Then you hear some of the parallels–and you may still chuckle.
It’s a stretch to see these fantasy paintings connected to Darth Vader of science fiction. Yep, Saddam might have been a fan of fantasy/science fiction…but beyond that is the artist’s license. 
Bear Witness 