Quick Review: OCTOBER By Al Sarrantonio

Original Paperback Cover

A compelling and ambitious horror novel, with finely-drawn characters and a surprisingly humane bent to the writing. It is marred only by an episodic, slightly disjointed feel, and a subdued if somewhat touching ending. As is typical of most of author Al Sarrantonio’s work, the novel is drenched in Halloween atmospherics.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Book Review: CHICAGHOSTS#1: GONE GORILLA By Robert W. Walker

Let me get this out of the way first: I am a huge Robert W. Walker fan. Ever since I stumbled upon a paperback copy of the superbly entertaining thriller Cutting Edge (the first in the Edge series featuring the incomparable detective Lucas Stonecoat), I've read every Robert W. Walker book I could find. I am somewhat in awe of Walker - who has written a countless number of novels, novellas, and short story collections - mainly because of his seemingly tireless ability to produce book after book of quality genre fiction (thrillers, horror, mysteries, historical fiction...), some of which, in my humble opinion, are landmarks of the mid-list market, like the superb and superbly entertaining Vampire Dreams (a.k.a Curse of The Vampire), one of the best horror-action novels ever written, and the aforementioned Cutting Edge.

When you buy a Robert W. Walker book you know what you are getting: smooth prose, tight plots, memorable characters, and oodles of entertainment.

And that brings me to Walker's latest, a short novel called Chicaghosts#1: Gone Gorilla (available to buy as an e-book on June 21, 2016), a fun, funny, light thriller, that's highly readable and, well, oodles of fun! It revolves around a stolen stuffed gorilla, a musty museum full of secrets, a spellcaster out for revenge, and the team of retired detectives, who call themselves "The Old Farts Squad", that takes on the case. It's a super-breezy read, with Walker obviously having a whale of a time. The story isn't that original, but what makes it fresh is Walker's emphasis on comedy, with the snappy dialogue containing some real zingers. Add to that prose so smooth it practically reads itself, and a surprising and welcome appearance by vampire-hunter/archaeologist Abraham Stroud (the protagonist of Walker's fantastic series Bloodscreams), and you got one helluva of an enjoyable read.

A must for fans of Preston and Child's Relic, Golden Age pulp fiction, and anyone looking for a short, fun read.

Can't wait for the sequel, tentatively titled Chicaghosts#2: The Monster Pit!

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: GHOST STORY (1981)

Original Theatrical Poster

A dreary adaptation of Peter Straub's Ghost Story, one of the most popular and critically-praised horror novels of the past 50 years. The film benefits from having a cast of old pros, led by a charming Fred Astaire, but suffers greatly from an incoherent script, a deathly slow pace, a miscast Alice Krige, and uneven direction. Despite the film's faults, though, the film's ending improves upon the novel's.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: KINDERGARTEN COP 2 (2016)

First things first: I am a huge Dolph Lundgren fan. Ever since he made a big splash in Rocky IV (1985) as the evil Russkie who kills Apollo Creed, I've watched almost every film the guy has been in (even the dreadful Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and a couple of straight to video disasters that are best forgotten forever). What I like most about Lundgren is his ability to take any project, however lame the script is, and turn it into a watchable, occasionally terrifically entertaining, movie. His breezy charm, his mastery of martial arts, and his tongue-in-cheek approach, make him one of the most reliable action starts of the past 30 years.

And that brings me to Kindergarten Cop 2 (2016), the official sequel to the 1990 Universal/Ivan Reitman hit starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, this is a low-budget, direct-to-video movie. Yes, some of the comedy feels canned and too marketing department-vetted for my taste. But damn if this movie doesn't have charm! Thanks to Lundgren, a game supporting cast, and a terrific pace, this is one entertaining action-comedy. The first 15 minutes or so are surprisingly bland, with a ludicrous action sequence taking place in cheap, darkened sets. But once Lundgren starts interacting with the children, everything clicks into place, making Kindergarten Cop 2 one of the better big studio comedy sequels I've seen in a while. Dare I even say that Kindergarten Cop 2 is better than the original? Well, yes!

The original had Schwarzenegger, director Ivan Reitman, and a big budget, but, for some reason, something about it always felt a bit off to me. Kindergarten Cop 2, although a much more modest effort, is faster, more effective, and, yes, funnier. A must see for fans of the original, 80's action-comedies, and the Dolph.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Music Review: PRINCE: Hit N Run: Phase Two (2015)

As a loyal Prince fan for almost twenty years, and as someone who was devastated at the news of his death, I am reluctant to admit that the bulk of Prince's output in the past ten years or so hasn't really moved me that much. In my opinion, the last good Prince album was 2007's Planet Earth.

Strangely enough, a couple of months prior to Prince's passing, and for the first time in years, I got into a Prince groove and started listening to his albums in chronological order. I also managed to grab a copy of Ronin Ro's biography of him, titled Prince: Inside the Music and The Masks, which proved to be a fascinating read. By the time he died, I had reached 1996's Emancipation, and by then, I had remembered how awesome an artist Prince really was. My obsession with his music wasn't a nostalgia-addled trip down memory lane after all. Even older and wiser I still think Prince is a genius and a singular artist who was truly one of the greatest musical integrationists who ever lived.

Which leads me to Hit N Run: Phase Two (2015), Prince's last released album prior to his death. From the stunning and moving opener "Baltimore" about the 2015 Baltimore/Freddie Gray riots, to the original and joyful "Big City", these 12 tracks are some of Prince's funkiest, liveliest, most heartfelt tracks in almost a decade. There's great guitar playing, impressive songwriting, and some of the best horn arrangements you're likely to hear in a long while. This is Prince at his best, at his most mature. This is Prince ebullient. And with songs including riffs from "Take me With U" and "Kiss", this is Prince coming full circle.

I still believe that Prince's best work was in the 80's and 90's, but Hit N Run: Phase Two proves that even in death, Prince went out on top, with an album that truly honors his legacy.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Remembering Prince: The Genius of Rock, Pop, Soul, and everything in between

It took me a couple of days to process the passing of Prince. He is my favorite musician of all-time. I was too shocked by the news, that I couldn't really say anything about it till now. Ever since I listened to the greatest hits collection issued in `93 when I was 15 years old, I have been a rabid fan, buying anything he put out (which led to some truly adventurous attempts to buy such rarities as Crystal Ball and New Power Generation). His music, the strangeness of it, the uniqueness of its sound, the magnificence of the guitar playing, the funkiness of the drum programming, was and always will be unlike anything else I've ever heard. I won't even mention his prowess as a live performer, or his legendary status as the greatest guitar player of all-time.

To me, Prince was the sound of my youth, the soundtrack to my writing, the musician who influenced me the most as a soundtrack composer. His world - the showy outfits, the obsession with the color purple, the overt spirituality, the moodiness of it all - always spoke to me, inspired me, touched me.

I always imagined that Prince would continue making music late into his seventies. I never thought he would die so soon. But an artist as talented as he was never really dies. I have his music, I have his concerts, and I have the memories of me as a kid listening to "1999" and "319" and "When Doves Cry" in my bedroom, imagining myself being as cool as he was, playing music as good as he did.

To this day, I consider Sign `O` Times (1987) one of the greatest albums ever. I think I am going to listen to that right now.

Rest in Peace and Love and Joy, Prince. We hear you.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: Ash Vs. Evil Dead: Season 1

With the involvement of Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Bruce Campbell (the team behind the original Evil Dead films), there was no doubt in anybody's mind that Ash Vs. Evil Dead was going to be something special. The question was: How special is it going to be? Well, dear fans, the answer is very!

From the pilot episode (co-written and flashily directed by Sam Raimi), Ash Vs. Evil Dead establishes a demented, funny, an darkly entertaining tone, which is full of style and just the right dose of nostalgia. The addition of new characters to the mythology (especially Ray Santiago as Pablo and a kick-ass Lucy Lawless as the mysterious Ruby), opens up the scope of the storytelling, while injecting a healthy dose of freshness and energy to the series.

That's not to say that the series is perfect. It isn't. My biggest complaint is that, with the exception of the stunning final three episodes, set in the original cabin from Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, the series isn't scary enough, as Raimi and co. seem to be more interested in making the series closer in tone to Army of Darkness (over the top gags, plenty of gore, and laugh-out-loud dark humor), than the fiercely nightmarish Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. Also, the season's plotting, for the most part, is herky-jerky, with the myriad plot strands not meshing together as well as they should.

But what Ash Vs. Evil Dead gets right is enough to make the faults a minor nuisance. From the stunningly stylish visuals, to the stomach-churning make-up effects, to the awesomeness that's Bruce Campbell as Ash, there's plenty here to satisfy the most rabid fan of Evil Dead.

With a terrific finale that sets up a hell of a plot line for the coming season, Ash Vs. Evil Dead: Season 1 is a joy to watch from beginning to end. Groovy!

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.