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Pitch Black gets a Director's Cut. Time for the monthly round-up our picks of the new SF/F DVDs and videos - and a few extra book reviews squeezed in too! Impakto by Richard Calder An ‘Impakto’ is an aborted foetus that refuses to die and grows up into a demi-demon human. This novel follows the life of one such impakto, Raul Riviera, when he discovers his origins and his place in the order of hell and heaven, led much of the time by his female artificer, step-mother and lover, Maximilla Morales. His first encounter with her is after a plane crash where she restores him to health and replaces a missing hand with a steel claw. Later, she supplements the willing Riviera with other cybernetic implants and protection although none of this seems to come to the fore in later parts of the story. Although Calder shows a very well developed use of language in his writing, it hides a clouded vision. For all the difference it makes, there is little to differentiate our reality from the inter-dimensional city of Ur to what purports to be Heaven. Saying something is so often fails to impress the image of difference on this reviewer. The blending of high-tech with a seemingly semi-magical kingdom doesn’t gel. If anything, it’s often misleading. You would be mistaken to believe that the space rocket to heaven hadn’t even taken off. There is an almost emotional blandness about the characters. It’s almost as though Calder wants to impress with his vocabulary than to give the reader the emotional impact that is happening to the characters themselves who become increasingly enigmatic. Whether this will be regarded as a flaw with some readers remains to be seen. check out website: www.earthlight.co.uk. (c) GF Willmetts. 2001 Aliens: The Illustrated Screenplay and
forward by James Cameron. This is the companion volume to last year’s ‘Alien: The Illustrated Screenplay’ on its UK release. The US release was out nearly a year ago. Quite why there is a discrepancy between the release dates - this one came out in August and yes, I did buy it - is hard to say. I haven’t spotted it reviewed in any of the media mags. Considering the lavish publication and the hordes of Alien fans out there, sales should be guaranteed providing it's promoted. OK, so what have we got here. The final draft of Jim Cameron’s screenplay plus cuts that weren’t in the original and director’s versions. This is combined with various photos from the film, production sketches and other such. A lot of these I don’t have in my collection anyway. A couple of the more interesting photos shows Weaver looking up at the real driver of the powerloader disguised in black and that rare still from the one out-take from both film versions of Ripley encountering a cocooned Burke. It’s a pity this was taken out cos it would have at least explained where the explosion came from that forced Ripley and Newt through the Queen’s Chamber. There’s a sort of déjà vu feeling reading the script. Having seen the film enough times, the dialogue hits the map in my head as I relive it here. The biggest obvious differences are principally with the marines speech, especially that of Apone and Hudson. It’s well known that Bill Paxton’s ab-lib en route to the planet was something Cameron kept in the film but so much other jargon was added later. Whether these came from the actors or Cameron himself should have been covered cos they were a definite improvement on the draft script. It’s also odd that editor Paul Sammon fails to note this in his comments regarding the cuts. In fact, I compared many of his cuts to the actual draft and either someone made a mistake or they’re just duplicates from the draft. Overall, the book is worth it for a copy of the screenplay and photos alone. Like with the previous volume, I still think it would have benefitted from having a cast and production credits or even a cinema poster included. (c) GF Willmetts 2001 Shadowkings: Book One Of The Shadowkings
Trilogy by Michael Cobley The overall plot - as is obligatory to many books in the heavy fantasy category - concerns the destruction of an empire by demon driven hordes who ravage its innocent peasantry, enlightened towns and cities and generally lay waste to the land. (I've personally never been too sure why demon hordes need to do this sort of thing. It must have something to do with the lack of a good supermarket in their dimension.) The plot is initially driven by the increasingly bestial behaviour of Brynak as he learns in his dreams that he is in actual fact a Shadowking. His courageous former lover, Keren, saves the heir to the Khatrimantine Empire from his clutches, unfortunately minus one arm. From then on the plot alliances thicken until there is a virtually impenetrable soup of characters interacting and generally slaying each other. They include Mazaret, the noble leader trying to restore the enlightened civilising cult of the Earthmother; Surveil, sent to retrieve the Crystal Eye; and Bardow, the all-seeing mage who holds astral conversations in italics. They are up against the Mogaun, Warlord and embryo Shadowking, Byrnack; and many acolytes of varying degrees of pure evil and mineral composition. Heroism, treachery and big ugly demons with white eyes abound. Strangest name, Orgraaleshenoth, belongs to one of the ugliest characters out of a pretty ugly bunch. Even though he sometimes spoke in bold case and claimed to be Daemonkind, I'm still not totally sure whose side he pitched for. This book is a feast of description. So much so that half-way through this reader felt satiated and craved a good one-liner. As the dense and convoluted narrative is the staple diet of many dedicated fantasy readers they will no doubt find it a thoroughly good read. It has enough ingredients of the magical dimensions to stuff the pillow - or is it doorstop - that is the serious fantasy trilogy. The scene setting can be excellent, though frequently too much and in the way of the action. The compulsion to include minutiae and language that verges on the cod archaic can also have a deadening effect. It is probably obvious by now that this reviewer is not a follower of heavy-duty fantasy and found the catalogue of names of 'who-does-what-to-whom-and-where' difficult to absorb. There is a road map after the title page but drive carefully if you don't want to fall down the Wellsource, collide with a Shadowking or be engaged in conversation by one of their garrulous horses. In fact, the number of characters in this book with severe personality problems and sinister powers to match helps convey the impression of never ending battle. It is a wonder how the benign character of Surveil manages to survive to the end of the book, let alone be allowed to go on a quest to retrieve the Crystal Eye. Possessing such holy stoicism in the face of unspeakable evil, she does have a resemblance to a certain (at the moment deceased) character in ‘Farscape’. ‘Shadowkings’ is the first of a trilogy. The second volume in the series will be ‘Shadowgod’. If you are a keen reader of fantasy with all its twists, turns, magical conventions and keen lack of humour, this book is a must. Michael Cobley is obviously a new adept of the genre and has mastered its formula with a confidence that will no doubt be maintained in its sequels. check out websites: www.earthlight.co.uk; www.shadowkings.co.uk and www.deepphase.co.uk. (c) Jane Palmer. 2001. Darkers by Lisa DuMond Philip Lew must be the only cop to lose his job and status over a cream puff pastry. (Read it and find out!) After world-wide televised humiliation, he is obliged to seek refuge from his infamy on the satellite aptly Hades, where he earns a living installing security's systems for the different levels of its seriously strange residents. Legislation on Hades takes the meaning of political correctness to its extreme. Here, with the force of the law, it is a haven for the Darkers, virally enhanced humans who have chosen to become vampires and werewolves for a sort of immortality, despite the fact that movement can become an art form for some because of their plastic implants. Zombies, humans who have sold on their bodies for the use of after death, undertake tasks that the mentally aware do not want. Due to friend Percy's paranoia and Phil's own aspiration to emulate Sam Spade, the hero sets out to investigate the mysterious disappearances of an increasing the number of men. Gina, his new girlfriend, is reluctantly obliged to join him on the run when Hades' security realises that he can identify the suspect responsible for the abductions. After leaping rooftops and laying low in a vacant luxury apartment, they are eventually sucked into the embrace of the Darkers' underworld. The narrative is a first person stream of thought from Phil Lew. Throughout the action he is sardonic, embittered, sometimes rambling and frequently beset by lewd thoughts about Gina, quite often at the most inconvenient moments. For the unprepared, Darkers can come as quite a jolt. Initially Phil's wit is delivered with Sten gun effect that can leave the reader feeling quite breathless. There have been witty and sardonic space heroes before, of course, but Phil owes more to the genre of early detective fiction. However bizarre Hades' society is on the surface, it has something Earthbound in its feel for the "creeps" and other members of Hades' underclass. This is not to say that the satellite isn't a wonderful invention in its a claustrophobic awfulness. So much so, the author can tend to luxuriate in the idea. Also, having such a witty and garrulous hero, there is a temptation to over-egg the cake. In indulging his skilful turn of ironic observation the plot can lose momentum. With judicious editing, even though it may mean sacrificing some gems of wit, Darkers could be more than a clever combination of derivative genres and fall into the category of cult classic. There are some very nice touches, like the probability of three youths in black leather - petty thieves in waiting - being "hopped by geriatric gangs out to for trouble". Towards the end everything speeds up and with a deft twist in the tale explodes into a scary crescendo. A highly recommended read that deserves to be in hard copy format as well as electronically available. Available through: hardshell.com, amazon.com, powells.com, borders.com, hikeeba.com, www.bn.com Check out website: http://www.hikeeba.com. (c) Jane Palmer. 2001. Pitch Black: Director’s Cut The time is a misnomer. The actual film runs for about 1 hour 40 minutes. The remainder of the video is a 45 minute TV video called ‘Into Pitch Black’. Thinking this was a behind the scenes piece, I decided to watch it first. I was both mistaken and surprised. It was a second story set in this reality on another planet disclosing info about some of the characters from the feature film combined with demonstrations of the cyber-technology that you can have installed in your body for a price. It was dark and sinister and beautifully crafted and begging for a series to be based around it. As there hasn’t been a release of a regular ‘Pitch Black’, I have no comparison as to what is different between the two versions. If it’s because of this additional film then one can only hope for other such additions. OK, let’s get down to the chase and the actual film itself. ‘Pitch Black’ is about a cargo starship that crashlands on a triple sun planet whose inhabitants only come out at night. That, as they later discover isn’t often and then for extended periods of total eclipse. Amongst the survivors is Richard Riddick (actor Vin Diesel), an escaped dangerous murdering convict being returned to prison after escaping to have his retinas silvered so he can see in the dark. Apparently, the prison keeps their prisoners in the dark and Riddick likes to see what is going on. Judging by certain body contortions and superior strength and stamina, these aren’t the only additions he’s had administered. The survivors of the crash have to persuade him to help move power cells from their old ship to a shuttle at an abandoned archaeology camp so they can escape. The story itself is a combination of ‘ten little indians’ with a little touch of ‘Alien’ - hardly surprising considering they both use the same plot elements. What is apparent by the end of the film that this is really a redemption plot with a couple of the characters discovering hidden strengths and resolves they thought they wouldn’t have. Visually, what you can see of the picture when its light, is impressive. The Australian landscape certainly lends itself to something not earthly. The alien creatures are certainly not something you want to tangle with. Although their jaws resemble something from the aforementioned ‘Alien’ films, everything else about them doesn’t. Their ecology was also justified. They don’t just have a taste for human flesh but will cannibalise each other for food as well. One can only speculate why there aren’t any daylight living creatures but the number of the night time beasts suggests that on this part of the planet, they’ve probably been eaten. There has been suggestion of a second film on this planet and no doubt the producers might be considering them. Much of the information about the film is inferred far more than from the dialogue. If anything, more effort should have been given so we could care more for the human characters than merely as cannonfodder. Some of the characters aren’t particularly nice anyway and there was probably some sadistical glee from the production side in seeing them getting their deserts. By the time, some of the ‘nicer’ characters were eaten they were seen more as casualties of survival. None of the survivors had time to dwell on their deaths and so neither does the viewers. Is it good SF? Oddly enough, despite the faults, I have to say yeah. It’s certainly worth a look if for nothing else then seeing Claudia Black’s first major film appearance before ‘Farscape’. There is certainly enough going on in this film that deserves further analysis. check out: www.pitch-black.com. (c) GF Willmetts. 2001. The Mammoth Book Of Vampire Stories By
Women edited by Steve Jones When you first see the book it is obvious that the contents are vampire stories from the cover picture and the prominence of ‘Vampire’ in the title. So if you want vampire stories this is the book for you. So this book is about vampires and all the stories are written by women, all of these deductions come from the front cover! There are 34 stories written by 34 different women authors (well I assume they are all women and not men using pseudonyms). So every one should be different or so you would think. I found that after reading up to page 493 I could more or less predict the outcome of how the story was going to go, I was definitely 'vampired out'. This is not the type of book to read all at once if you are an avid reader. It is more for the person who has some spare time and feels like reading. Take it on a train or bus journey and choose a story (or stories) that can be read for the length of the journey. That way you have the beginning, middle and end all within 14 - 20 pages, easily finished in a journey of 2 hours (this I know as I took it with me on a train and read for 2 hours). All the stories have vampires as the main or secondary characters (as would be expected in a book of vampire stories!). They come in all shapes and sizes, male and female, good and bad. Some of them you sympathise with (they didn't want to be vampires) and some you just don't like (they enjoy being vampires). This is also how I feel about the stories. Like the vampires, some are good and some are bad (in one case very bad). I enjoyed Anne Rice and Tanith Lee but my personal favourite was ‘The Vengeful Spirit of Lake Nepeakea’ by Tanya Huff. She writes about a vampire private detective with a detective doing the day shift. I am ordering a couple of her novels to see if the characters are developed and can stand up to a longer story. I'm choosy in what I read so this is high praise from me. In my opinion there was only one story, ‘Homewrecker’, written by Poppy Z Brite, that I found was a waste of the paper it was printed on. Based on this short story, I will never buy one of her books (if I was given one I might read it) but from this example I would have to be desperate. To me, a book of short stories is for authors to advertise their work to a larger audience. They should be aiming to get you to the bookshop or Internet to buy more of their work. If you do enjoy a certain author this book tells you some titles previously published by the author with a short bio of them at the beginning of each story. In conclusion, I liked the stories in ‘Vampire Stories By Women’
and it is a good read (most of the time). It is ideal for people
who want to find different authors on the subject of vampires or
for those who read occasionally and don't want a story continuing
over 300 pages. If you travel a lot and like vampire stories then
this book is for you but beware of the long dark tunnels - you never
know what can be waiting there! (c) Stella Pang. 2001. Inner Visions: The Art Of Ron Walotsky Just for the record, I still like looking around bookshops and if an artbook appeals to me that I’ve yet to examine beyond the cover repro in a catalogue and want to add to my collection, I’ll still buy a copy. Case in point is this art book by Ron Walotsky, a title that’s been out over 18 months now. An American artist who’s SF covers tend to grace US book covers than any in the UK. I was puzzled why he didn’t appear in my Grolier SF Encyclopaedia CD. His art was there with several images for various books but not under his own text which is a shame because he is rather good. This artist is prolific, inventive, creative, versatile and other than a taste for decorating empty horseshoe crab shells and mask design has what looks like a busy schedule. Walotsky does everything from posters to children’s books to book and magazine covers. He also reads the material he paints which is reflected in the art. Although, he gives a little information about the paintings, much of the text comes remarks made by book and magazine editors and fellow artists Jim Burns and Bob Eggleton. Considering both the latter have had books come out after Walotsky, one couldn’t accuse either of doing this to keep it in the company. It’s very difficult to pin-point any favoured style or recurring themes in Walotsky to define a style. He does whatever is necessary for the demands of the art commissioned. I’ve made comments about over artbooks where we only see an artist’s commercial work. Here, we not only see that but a lot of remarkable uncommissioned work. Walotsky loves to paint. Don’t make the mistake of missing out on this artist’s work. check out website: www.papertiger.co.uk (c) GF Willmetts. 2001
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OTHER CONTENT - November 2001
The
Terrible Pain of Science Fiction Part II Voyager's
Final Episode: Endgame for a series that takes it up the end?
Broken
Bow Fight
or Flight Do
Robot Cats Dream of Electric Mice? Saving
the Robot Sentries Killing
Stars Empty
cities and Ant Men in Tibet Pitch
Black gets a Director's Cut Oh
the Vanity.
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