Book Review: LOVE SONGS by Lawrence Sanders ** and 1/2 out of ****

With Love Songs (1972), Lawrence Sanders, once dubbed "America's Mr. Bestseller", delivers a strange, flawed, but compulsively readable psycho-sexual family drama.

Although the book is somewhat typical of the 1970's - there's plenty of kinky sex, groovy dialogue, characters walking around everywhere in bare feet, and a lot of existential talk about the meaning of life and love - unlike Sidney Sheldon, Irving Wallace, and others of his contemporaries, Sanders has a singular, fascinating authorial voice and a talent for smooth and confident prose, which have made his books age better. His books don't feel like they've just come off the assembly line (like the books of James Patterson, for instance), and there's a fevered, obsessive quality to his writing that is endlessly fascinating.

Love Songs, an uneven, dated novel, shouldn't work. The characters are mostly unlikable, and some of the dialogue is so purple it's almost funny. But work it does. This is an unputdownable book, and one which tells a bizarre, atmospheric tale of love, hate, drugs, and violence. A lot of what goes on here is implausible and psychologically ambiguous, but damn if it's not fun to read about.

If you're new to Sanders, this is not the place to start. A better choice would be one of his Deadly Sin books, or Capital Crimes, a superbly entertaining update of the Rasputin story.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

Movie Review: RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (2019) *** OUT OF ****

Released to a vicious critical response and disappointing box-office receipts, Rambo: Last Blood (2019), the fifth, and some say last, entry in the Rambo franchise, is a challenging film.

For die-hard fans of the character who have followed the series for almost forty years, Rambo: Last Blood is not an easy pill to swallow, let alone for casual viewers who are just after a solid, old-school action movie. The John Rambo featured here is an ageing, barely functional ex-soldier, trying to keep it together and not let the PTSD get the better of him. He has a surrogate daughter in the grandchild of his family's housekeeper, and he seems to have settled down into a steady, if uneasy life. Then the girl is kidnapped, and Rambo's life takes a tragically dark turn.

Stallone, who co-produced and co-wrote, takes a huge risk with this film. It's a dark, violent, slow drama, with much less action than one would expect from this type of movie. But, ultimately, it's a hugely rewarding risk. Stallone, aided by a solid cast and steady if conventional direction by Adrian Grunberg, chooses to tell a story that no one, not even the fans, expected; a downward spiral into despair, rage, and loss. Yes, there's a satisfying final battle, with plenty of gun play and a high body count, but that's not what makes the ending pack a punch. It's the cost that Rambo has to pay for survival and revenge, which Stallone plays beautifully, using his age-ravaged, scarred, and blood-stained face to say things that can't be said with words, in one of the best performances of his career.

The final shot, and a post-credit scene, hint at what might lie ahead for Rambo. But if this is the last we see of the character, then I can honestly say that the series ends on a hard-hitting, haunting, and dignified note.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

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Movie Review: Killer Joe (2011) ** and 1\2 out of ****

William Friedkin is a master filmmaker. His mastery of technique and impressionist storytelling is evident in such masterpieces as The Exorcist (1973), Sorcerer (1977), and the much maligned Cruising (1980). But, in the past thirty years or so, his choices have been underwhelming at best, and mind-boggling at worst. Killer Joe (2011), Friedkin's second collaboration with playwright Tracy Letts after the unforgettable Bug (2006), is a film that is hard to like, but easy to watch.

The story, about a redneck Texas family that decides to enlist the services of a killer for hire, the titular Killer Joe - a corrupt Dallas detective who moonlights as a paid assassin - and then suffering the consequences of their choice, is compelling at first, thanks to Friedkin's sure hand, and a bevy of arresting performances by all involved, especially Emile Hirsch, Gine Gershon, and Juno Temple as the brain-damaged teen who is slowly revealed to be more than meets the eye. But as the film progresses, and Killer Joe, played with charming menace by Matthew McConaughey, starts to take over the story, scenes grow more and more incoherent and overwrought, till we reach a climax so hysterical and heavy-handed, that one is relieved when the credits roll and Clarence Carter's Strokin' starts to play.

It is obvious that Friedkin and company are having a blast with the pitch-black comedy of it all. But Friedkin is obviously not interested in reining in the story's excesses in favor of clear storytellling and believable characters. On the contrary. He seems to relish the story's over-the-top violence and characterizations, piling layer upon of layer of vulgarity and ugliness, scene after repetitive scene.

In the end, the point of the story, if there's any, is lost under the noise, blood, and gags, wasting a fine cast with it.

But that is not to say Killer Joe is a bad film. No, sir. It is a well-made, memorable movie, even entertaining, in its own twisted way. But it is also crass, loud, and ultimately underwhelming. Watch it at your own peril.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

Review: Carrion. By Gary Brandner ** and 1\2 out of ****

Gary Brandner, the author of The Howling, one of the most entertaining horror novels to come out of the 1970's, is one of those authors that has an accessible, highly readable style that makes almost everything he writes fun to read.

Carrion is no exception. While it's not Bradner's best, this breezy read about a cheeky fortune teller who accidentally discovers that he has the ability to raise the dead, is sure to give you a few nights' entertainment. The main characters are likable, the prose unfussy, and the ending suitably tongue-in-cheek. Recommended.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

Review: The Shadow: Bells of Doom. By Walter B. Gibson ** out of ****

Serviceable The Shadow mystery, with intriguing Gothic overtones. But the convoluted plot and lack of a villain worthy of The Shadow's abilities, make it a forgettable entry.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

Review: The Shadow: Lingo. By Walter B. Gibson *** out ****

Layered, dazzlingly complex The Shadow mystery, which features some of Walter B. Gibson's best writing, and a plot so clever, it's almost a magic act. Typically, The Shadow stories fall into one of three categories: stories about small town crime syndicates, stories about a devious, almost omnipotent villain, and stories about organized crime. Lingo is arguably Gibson's ultimate tale about organized crime, with a large cast of characters, plenty of twists, and an ending that is sure to impress both die-hard fans and newcomers alike. Highly recommended.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.

Review: Z Nation: The Complete Series (2014-2018) ** and a 1/2 out of ****

Mostly known as a Walking Dead rip-off, Z Nation, a quirky and uneven series, is actually much more than that.

What begins as a silly, tongue-in-cheek horror/comedy show, ends as a politically charged apocalyptic thriller. Let's take a look at each individual season.

Season 1: Created by Karl Schaefer and Craig Engler, and hampered by a cast of actors who haven't yet found their groove and a ridiculously low-budget of a reported $700,000 per episode, the series nevertheless begins with a bang, delivering a quirky, funny, and action-packed pilot, and setting itself up as the anti-Walking Dead; irreverent, humorous, and silly. Throughout the first season, thanks mainly to some inspired twists and John Hyams' kinetic direction, the show tries to do its best with limited resources, and while the budget constraints make a couple of episodes almost unwatchable, overall, the season never stops being entertaining, and the ending is intriguing.

Season 2: Arguably the best season of the series, this is where the cast (especially the immensely funny Keith Allan), crew, and writers fire on all cylinders, delivering some of the show's best episodes, some of which are near-perfect exercises in zombie-action mayhem. Again, thanks to John Hyams' excellent direction, and some inspired touches by the writers, this is the season where Z Nation comes into its own and transcends both its origins and its genre. The ending is somewhat a letdown, but there is no doubt that this is the season where the show became something much better than it had any right to be, even rivaling the quality of some of the later seasons of The Walking Dead.

Season 3: Although the season begins with a fantastic, visually stylish two-parter, this is the season where things start to go awry. Here, the show's heavy handed politics start to rear its ugly head, with the humor and inspired quirkiness taking a backseat to uneven writing and some truly boring plotlines. Things pick up a bit near the end, but this is the season where Z Nation starts to lose its footing.

Season 4: An uneven season, again suffering from heavy-handed politics and some of the series' worst episodes. The opening and closing episodes are good, and the main storyline, about general Warren's recurring visions of bizarre apocalyptic events, allows fan favorite Kellita Smith to truly show her acting chops. The season finale, a thrilling and haunting episode, is a series highlight. An extremely uneven season, though.

Season 5: The nadir of the entire run of the series, it is here that the show's creators drop almost everything that made the show special, and turn it into a preachy, boring, and almost unrecognizable creation. Bad writing, uneven performances, and some truly nonsensical political proselytizing make this season a chore to sit through. Even Kellita Smith looks bored throughout the show, and the writers give the always reliable Keith Allan almost nothing to work with. Again, the ending is good, managing to be both uplifting and somber, but it isn't enough to recommend the entire season.

All in all, Z Nation is an interesting addition to the zombie genre, and with 69 episodes to go through, fans of the genre are sure to find plenty to enjoy, if they decide to stick with it and forgive it its numerous shortcomings, that is.

© Ahmed Khalifa. 2019.