DEATH of a Movie Star

The author sent me a copy of his novel to read and review:

Although I thought the TV show (the venue of the novel) televised from Ventura, Ca was preposterous and the novel’s ending filled with soppy cornball fluff, I kinda liked the story. Go figure. At times the writing almost seemed childlike. Other times it felt macabre. But at no times did I feel like laughing, even though the novel’s back cover states...Get ready to laugh your head off. So I’m a little muddled over whether I liked the novel or not. I think (that) I’ll settle on...I liked it (sort of). I say sort of because I’m not sure the author, Timothy Patrick, even knows what genre his book belongs in. It’s rather freakish. So let me tell you a little bit about the story.

Lenora Danmore has a reality TV show, StarBash, which is aired on the site of her Ventura, Ca ranch for seventeen weeks per season (this is year four of the show). The show is a monster hit and is watched by 50 million people each week. Lenora is 87 years old and is building a movie museum on her property, mainly to highlight her egotistical career. The museum is very hi-tech with many androids (it’s the year 2020) taking parts in the scenes depicting her films. Her producer and TV host is Micah Bailey, who lives on Lenora’s estate. The show highlights 15 washed-up actors, who will be disparaged and shamed for seventeen weeks until one of them gets a second chance in Hollywood by winning the Greasy Dishrag (the show’s trophy) and a ten million dollar movie contract. For that contract, the contestants will absorb the show’s degradations with sad smiles on their faces.

So the world wants to know why Cassandra Moreaux, a respected Hollywood A-lister, would join the show as a contestant. Why would she be willing to take 17 weeks of insults (if she survives the full season without being fired)? Does she have evidence of Lenora helping blacklist her mom, Wendy Rainy, during the Joe McCarthy Red Scare era, thus ruining her mom’s career? And did the show purposely hire one time popular actress Brandi Bonacore, now a waitress, to be a contestant on the show because of her feud with Cassandra? And what is Lenora scheming in order to launch her self-centered museum? What type of revenge is Cassandra cooking up against Lenora. What’s Brandi’s reprisal against Cassandra going to be? And what’s on the agenda of StarBash’s host, Micah Bailey, who also owns the rights to the show? Wow, it seems like a lot of questions need to be answered (haha). Hey, I'm finally laughing!

Brandi knew, “The screwy thing was that because of the show’s popularity, if a down-and-out actor dared cross the line and did well on the show, then that suddenly popular rogue actor zoomed straight to the top, and the jobs came flooding in.” And Cassandra complained to Micah Bailey, “Every week you tell 50 million people that actors are less than human and deserve to be treated like shit.” Who is right? Are they both right? One thing for sure is that Lenora Danmore holds the Joker card. Now that you have a taste of this novel, you will have to buy your own copy to find out who wins the 10 million dollar movie contract. Is it Cassandra? Is it Brandi? Or is it one of the thirteen other contestants that I didn’t even mention?

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Comment: I understand that Timothy Patrick’s novel is a satire on Tinseltown, but is Hollywood that shallow? Are their egos that large? Probably. I do remember reading that Sylvester Stallone orders his servants not look at him while they are in the same room with him and when they leave the room, their eyes must be looking down on the floor as they back out of the room. I’ve never watched another of his movies (and I don’t even know if it’s true or not).

If you read Christina Crawford’s 1978 book, Mommie Dearest, you know how cruel actress Joan Crawford was to her daughter. It’s been said that Quentin Tarantino is well beyond self-assured. It’s been reported that Will Smith thinks that he is the biggest star in the world. Gwyneth Paltrow thinks she is so big that she doesn’t need to learn the plot of the movie she is in (I still like her). Alec Baldwin has been called “a complete ass.” Charlie Sheen has been called rich, arrogant and perverted.

And what can you say about Donald Trump? I rest my case.

DEATH ON LAKE MICHIGAN

The author sent his novel to me to read and review:

Can an assistant editor of a small town newspaper single handedly solve a murder mystery? Yes he can if he is Mike O’Brien, the Stroh drinking newsman from Gull Haven, Michigan and a cast of one hundred...at least it seemed like that. I’m a believer that up to five main characters per novel makes for a more enjoyable story. When I can remember all the character’s without writing their names down, I’m a happy camper. Steven Arnett, you are a good storyteller but please talk to Cormac McCarthy as soon as you can. And listen, Mike O’Brien doesn’t have to be somewhat infatuated by every woman he meets...does he? The story and plot were good. And while the author’s prose needs to get stronger and more descriptive...it didn’t disrupt the story. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised how effortlessly the story read. Would I have liked some cliffhanger chapter endings? Yes indeedy, but there were none. There was also a general lack of tension and empathy in this novel (that has to change). Okay, enough of my pickiness already...what’s the story about?

 A male body washes up on Ashley Beach. Apparently, someone bashed the man on the back of his head with a blunt object before he was thrown overboard and drowned (according to the ensuing autopsy). The victim is Rich Mallon, partygoer and drug dealer, who is sporadically a friend, and sometimes a enemy of Grant Fields, the local drug boss. They were seen arguing on Grant’s sixty foot foot boat the night before. Did Grant have him killed? Newsman Mike O’Brien gets right on the story...“Rich Mallon Found Dead (reads the headline)…Apparently murdered, Wednesday when his body washed up on Ashley Beach. Police and the Lake County Rescue Squad raced to Ashley Beach when a call came in that the body had been spotted, but there was no chance to save Mallon...the exact cause and time of death won’t be known until an autopsy is performed…” Who killed him? As the story continues, the author comes up with quite a few candidates who had good reason to kill Mallon. Part of the fun reading this novel was trying to figure out whodunit. And believe me, the author gives the reader many choices to ponder.

While this was a likable story, it wasn’t as suspenseful as it could have been. I think (that) the author can use this story as a literary introduction for the protagonist of a new series: Mike O’Brien, crusading editor of his own newspaper. Mike O’Brien’s special talent can be in solving mysteries. Clive Cussler has done this very successfully with many different characters, such as Dirk Pitt, Isaac Bell and Juan Cabrillo. But I would suggest to Mr. Arnett that he should read some of Clive Cussler’s works to see how he weaves excitement into his pages. I know that I’ve been highly critical, but it’s for a good reason. The reason is that I think Steven Arnett is capable of doing much better. He knows the storytelling part, just do it with some panache.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Comment: The advice I gave Mr. Arnett is easier said than done. How many Clive Cussler-like authors are really out there? A lot more than you would think. Various famous authors have had long runs with the same protagonist. Ian Fleming wrote twelve James Bond novels (since his death, other writers are continuing the Bond stories). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote nine Sherlock Holmes novels. Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote twenty four Tarzan novels. Stephen King has written eight The Dark Tower novels, featuring his gunslinger.

Now, how about these granddaddies: Edward Stratemeyer’s The Hardy Boys series ran from 1927 to 2005 and produced 190 volumes! Agatha Christie wrote 40 mysteries featuring the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (my personal favorite). And finally, Carolyn Keene wrote 56 Nancy Drew mysteries. I think I proved my point...it can be done.  

THE AFTERLIFE REVOLUTION

The author sent me an autographed copy of his book to read and review:

Not for nothing, Whitley Strieber has lived a remarkable life. Not only is he a best selling writer (many of his books have also been adapted into movies), but he also has experienced an alleged alien encounter in his upstate NY cabin. That Incident can be found in Whitley’s 1987 best selling book, Communion: A true story, which later was adapted into a movie starring Christopher Walken as Whitley Strieber. And lately Whitley is in perpetual touch with his recently deceased (love of his life) wife, Anne Strieber, who basically is teaching him the ins and outs of the spiritual world, thus the title of this book. The conversations between Whitley and Anne occur in his mind, but are augmented by Anne contacting friends (after her death), who in turn, let Whitley know that they have heard from her in order to prove to Whitley that what he hears from her is real. Do I believe what Whitley and Anne (the co-writer) are saying about the afterlife? What do I gain by disbelieving? I and millions of others want it to be true. Is it possible that Whitley hears what he wants to hear while he is lamenting the loss of his partner? Absolutely, but I want to believe him. In my review, we will touch on some of the highlights of the book. But in order to get a true understanding of their revolution, the reader must read the full 277 pages like a fine wine. Savor it very slowly. You want it to be true...if not, death is the end...total blackness. If so, I coulda robbed a bank! I coulda been a crook! I coulda been a contender! (Marlon Brando in the 1954 movie, On the Waterfront) Haha, just kidding.

“In August of 2015, at the age of 69 and after 45 years of marriage, my wife Anne died. For two years, she had been struggling with a catastrophic brain tumor and I had been trying with increasing desperation to save her. The dark pit of grief I fell into when I looked upon her still form was the greatest pain I had ever known.” You see, since they were so close, it’s possible that Whitley is imagining talking to his wife. But you will learn that other people have also heard from her. And the author understands that some readers will have doubt, “While I don’t expect our story to be accepted uncritically, I do want you to know that I feel sure that our book is being written by two people, one physical and one nonphysical. I am not talking to my imagination. My wife set out to do this and she has accomplished steady, reliable communication between us, and as I think will become clear, many of the new ideas that are discussed between us in these pages emerge out of a very different perspective than we are used to in physical life.” Whitley and Anne believed that, “nonphysical humanity very much wants contact with physical humanity.” But, they had to prove their theory. All the amazing things that happened to them during the 1990s caused them to focus on the question of afterlife. Can they accomplish something that even the great Harry Houdini couldn’t? If one of them died...could the nonphysical contact the physical?

On page 28, Whitley writes, “We began to think that communication must be possible, and so started discussing what might happen when one of us died. We decided that whichever one of us moved on first we attempt contact, but not directly. We were both skeptical to accept something like that uncritically. So we decided that initial contacts had to be with other people who had no idea of our plan, which we never discussed with anybody.” Then Anne died. “After she died, I lay beside her with my hand still on her chest. I was unable to move. I fought for breath. Then I heard her say...Get up, go on.” The next day, Whitley received a email from friends in Florida. They said that there was a brilliant flash in their home when they emailed back to Whitley, thanking him for letting them know that Anne passed away peacefully. They said, “We think it was Anne making her presence known.” Whitley thought, “It was about that time that I remembered our plan from so many years ago. The one to die first would initiate communication through friends, not directly.” I think Whitley was being totally honest with the public when he said, “One of the hardest things about being in contact with the dead is believing that it is real. This is because we determine reality based on physical cues, and they are totally absent in this type of communication. So we want signs, sign after sign.” One has to wonder if the closeness of the couple brought on things he wanted to hear. I don’t know, I tend to believe the man. Before I end my review, I want you to read what Whitley said on page 66, “I would say that my relationship with Anne is deeper now than it was when we were both in the physical. I was her companion in life. Now I am in communion with her.” Was this book a tad eerie? Yes, but also very thought-provoking.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Comment: As you get older you start to think about death...Is it final, or is there something else? During the talks that Whitley had with Anne after her death, heaven and hell were not discussed. She also didn’t use the word reincarnation. Instead she says, “some ascend as she has, others enter the light, others linger nearby and get reborn. Maybe some even go to physical realities or other worlds and species entirely. Some also seem to descend into densities greater than this one.” It’s a lot to chew on.

On page 35, Whitley writes,”The great human question is ‘will I live after death?’ It is simple, universal and haunts us all, everyone, all the time. Science, by insisting with such compelling authority that we are mortal flesh and no more, reinforces our fear of annihilation. At the same time, the increasingly complex and vivid material world makes it harder and harder for us to hear the soul’s subtle inner voice.”

As you get older, I think you also get wishy washy. What I mean by that is your attitude changes. For instance, when I was younger, I was aggressive and a Republican. The hell with those freeloaders! This is a laissez-faire capitalistic country and that’s that. Now that I’m older, I vote Democratic because I want all the freebies that I’m entitled to. So if you don’t believe in the afterlife when you are young...you might now.

BLOOD BROTHERS

Deanne Stillman’s book was more than the story of the friendship between Buffalo Bill Cody and the Lakota Chief, Sitting Bull. It was the history of both men after the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn (a.k.a. Custer’s Last Stand) until their deaths in 1890 (Sitting Bull) and 1917 (Buffalo Bill). This was well written and by far the most informative book about these two superstars (three, if you include Annie Oakley) of the late 1800s. Deanne put in a lot of information that I already knew, but it was necessary in order to tell the whole story. After the slaughter at Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull became Public Enemy No.1, even though he didn’t kill Lt. Col. Custer or lead the attack against the blue coats. His second in command, Crazy Horse, lead the attack. One must remember that the army attacked the Indian village first, thus precipitating a revenge attack by a combination of various tribes. I’ve often thought that the many different names of Indian tribes were just as confusing as the multiple names one Russian character holds in a classic Russian novel, such as Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. The Sioux are three tribes: the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota (all speaking different languages). Each tribe has many sub divisions, Sitting Bull is a Hunkpapa, which is a division of the Lakota, which in turn is part of the Sioux nation. Got It? Anyway, let’s review some of the main parts of this informative and compelling non fiction book. The first part involves Sitting Bull’s exit out of the USA into Canada.

“After the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, Sitting Bull and his people were hounded and hunted for years. They found refuge in Canada, finally returning to the Great Plains five years later when the buffalo began to vanish in Canada as they already had in the United States. There was also another problem: Sitting Bull’s renegade Hunkpapa band of Lakota Sioux had lost the protection of the Canadian government, which had succumbed to pressure from American officials, sending the Indians south, across what Indians called the Medicine Line, into their homeland, where they became prisoners of war.” Sitting Bull called the head of government in Canada, the Grandmother (I’m assuming he was referring to Queen Victoria) and he called the President of the USA, the Grandfather. The newspapers across the nation stated, Sitting Bull Surrenders! “Public Enemy Number One had been captured and America should no longer fear the man who single-handedly killed Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer on the Little Bighorn battlefield. It was of no consequence that Sitting Bull did not participate in the final siege; Crazy Horse, the other leader of the assault on the Seventh Cavalry, had already been killed, and it mattered only that Sitting Bull, the remaining figurehead, had been rendered powerless.” Sitting Bull and his people surrendered at Fort Buford, North Dakota on 7/19/1881. “All together, there were 188 Lakota men, women, and children coming in that day. Their clothing was rotten and falling apart, and some were covered only in dirty blankets.” Sitting Bull was dressed as a ragamuffin. “But they did not know that for Sitting Bull, his dress that day was something of a choice; it would not have befitted a Lakota leader to look better than his people...his appearance was misunderstood by his captors (for the umpteenth time).” The Wasichu (whiteman) just didn’t understand the Indians. All this happened in the first nine pages.

Let’s meet Buffalo Bill Cody. “In Europe, he was known as “Nature’s Nobleman,” a frontier self-sufficient with the sophistication of Western civilization; in America, he was “King of the Old West”- a title he deserved. He was a hunter, scout, shooter, rider, warrior, teller of tall tales, and a man of adventure par excellence. His experience in city and plain rendered him a kind of wise man, and presidents and generals sought his advice. His friends included Frederic Remington and Mark Twain and Pawnee chiefs; broncbusters who could drink him under the table and might have even been better riders; archdukes from foreign lands and ranch cooks who needed a job. He was open to all, he had no airs. What you saw was what you got, even if what you saw was sometimes a mirage. “He was the simplest of men,” as Annie Oakley would say at the end of his life, “as comfortable with cowboys as with kings.” “On May 19, 1883, Buffalo Bill launched his equine extravaganza in Omaha, Nebraska. The progenitor of the spectacle that Cody would take into history, it was called The Wild West, WF Cody and WF Carver’s Rocky Mountain and Prairie Exhibition. Interestingly, the title of the Wild West did not include the word show - it was not presented as something removed from the frontier, but rather as the Wild West itself.” Later in the year Cody’s steamer carrying his show collided with another steamer and sunk. The Wild West lost $60,000 that year (no small sum at the time). Then Cody met Annie Oakley. “After she demonstrated her skills, Cody hired her immediately. Together, she and Buffalo Bill would take the frontier spectacle to new heights of glamour and excitement.” The final piece of the show was the hiring of Sitting Bull. Cody had tried to hire the chief for two years to no avail. When Sitting Bull found out that Annie Oakley joined the show (he met her in St. Paul), “...he was ready to entertain an offer from the wasichu who was also named for the buffalo."

So you got a 56 page taste of this non fiction book. What happens after Sitting Bull joins the Wild West Show and his subsequent assassination by the Indian police on his Standing Rock Indian Reservation is a matter of history. Isn’t it peculiar that this story starts with Sitting Bull’s 1876 participation in Little Bighorn and ends with the tragedy of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre in South Dakota. Yet he was a peaceful man...he just wanted his people to be left alone. He so wanted to make peace with Grandfather. So sad.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Comment: The writer’s prose was terrific. I’ll close out my review with her beautiful paragraph that I call Imagine:

“Imagine being born into a world where your tribe was the most powerful in all the land and within that being born at the climax of its power. Imagine that in your lifetime, you witnessed a thing that consumed nearly everything you loved and were nourished by and that nearly everyone you cherished or parlayed with was destroyed, altered, killed, or locked up. Imagine being a person who lived through such a thing, sought to head it off directly and softly, was both celebrated and hated for doing so, and yet, because of an alliance with the natural world and it with you, saw the whole thing coming - even your own end. And then, finally, imagine embracing life with all of your might and force, your generosity and joy, trying to contain the wellspring of sorrow and blood that was flooding your world and drowning it, knowing that a river cannot be stopped but that there are many different ways to ride it. This was Sitting Bull’s fate and condition, and this is how it unfolded.”

Imagine.