The blog for mysteries, horror, screenwriting, books, OCD, comics, TV, and movies
Last year, when DC Comics announced Batman: The Adventures Continue: Season One - a limited comic book that would continue where Batman: The Animated Series left off - I was both thrilled and wary. Thrilled because B:TAS Emmy-winner Paul Dini would be the writer. Wary because it would introduce Jason Todd, the second Robin, who... Continue Reading →
If you’re thirsting for a summer read that isn’t about lady friends reconnecting at the beach, sipping mimosas all the live-long day, then here’s the book for you: The Wall, written by Mary Roberts Rinehart. It’s a voluminous mystery (nearly 397 pages!) set in a summer resort community in New York. The protagonist is Marcia... Continue Reading →
The plot of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is so full of twists and turns it could make a pretzel dizzy. No small feat in today’s mystery book market. But to reveal more than the basic plot would give away everything. And you don’t want to crack open this book with more than you... Continue Reading →
Scream was the first horror movie I saw that wasn’t edited for TV. The VHS roll-out featured special edition boxes showcasing an extreme close-up of the actresses faces frozen in horror. I bought the Courtney Cox one because I was obsessed with Friends. Nearly wore the tape out rewatching it. My parents thought the movie... Continue Reading →
The end of a beloved TV series often invokes two feelings in viewers: bittersweet or outrage. Just ask any Game of Thrones fan. Series finales are tricky. Producers and writers must craft a story that’s not only true to the characters, but reward the audience for joining them on their years-long journey. I’ve compiled an... Continue Reading →
The Golden Girls is one of the funniest and most iconic television comedies of all time. It’s also one of the most egregious examples of poor continuity. Details about the ladies’ pasts constantly change. In early episodes, Rose has been widowed for 15 years before moving in with Blanche. Later on, she’s only been a... Continue Reading →
If you’re adapting a novel, or want to adapt a novel, one of the best examples to follow is Casino Royale in 2006. Regular James Bond movie screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade were joined by Academy Award-winner Paul Haggis to bring to the screen the one remaining Ian Fleming Bond novel that MGM and... Continue Reading →
The reboot in comic books began as a device to wipe out decades of convoluted storylines. The first was in 1986 from DC Comics called Crisis On Infinite Earths. In it, a galactic baddie named the Anti-Monitor decides to destroy the DC Universe. There’s a huge battle... the Barry Allen Flash dies... you know the... Continue Reading →
The best class I took at the School of Visual Arts was Adapting the Novel during my third year. The instructor was the prolific writer/director/producer Suzanne Weinert. She broke down what makes a good and bad novel adaption. Basically, it boils down to one rule: take the three moments you remember most while reading the... Continue Reading →
Mysteries always drew my attention. Books, movies, TV, comic books - whatever the medium. It’s comforting to know that the chaos stirred up by a theft or murder will be solved by the last page and ordered restored to that particular fictional world. In my opinion, the best mysteries contain a hint of the supernatural.... Continue Reading →
The Shiver Nook 