Love, Mercy...and the Golden Globes: Conclusion

So, who really won at at the Golden Globes last Sunday night? Hats off to all trophy winners, from Ennio Morricone to Leonardo DiCaprio to Lady Gaga. But many of us were focused on one small part of the show,,,a duel that prove to be savage as hell.

Mel Gibson had been announced as a presenter. And his long-term nemesis, Ricky Gervais, would host the event once again. Since hearing of Gibson's selection, the Brit comic actor and writer had been sharpening his barbs. Later it was reported that he had close to a hundred zingers to choose from. For Gibson, the Globes represented the real start of the comeback trail after a decade of scandals and shame. He was now directing his first film in ten years. And, since 2006, the Very Bad year, his acting options had been limited to two major films that were barely released, a new film (Blood Father) that has yet to be released, and a small number of cameos.

So the Globes were important to Gibson. But could he survive Gervais...and the huge target on his back?

The contestants:



Gibson: convicted in popular opinion of misogyny, racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism.

Claims to fame before the Very Bad Year:
Acting: Max Max 1-3, Lethal Weapon 1-4, Galipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Bounty, Hamlet, Braveheart
Directing: Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto
Awards: Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture




Gervais: revered by the public for his verbal slicings and dicings of Hollywood greats.

Claims to fame before this night:
Hosting: Serial offender at three prior Golden Globes. Master of the below the belt jab. No one above or beneath his contempt.
Writing and Acting: The Night at the Museum movies. TV: The Office, Family Guy, Derek, The Ricky Gervais Show
Awards: multiple awards for The Office


                                           Verdict

Gervais' jabs were predictably cruel and cheap. But they were also recycled and tired: shots at Mel's past drinking and--hey, let's fan the flames some more--anti-Semitic remarks.

Now, hear this: Gervais may have had a hundred zingers in his bag. But Gibson only needed three: the shocking opening quip about how seeing Ricky always reminded him to have a colonoscopy. Then, when Gervais snatched his drink as if afraid that the alcoholic might steal it, Gibson responded in classic form: Don't worry. You need something to put you to sleep, I've got something that'll put you out for the whole night. Finally: unheard to the audience, Gervais tried to rile Mel by asking what the f--- he'd meant by 'sugartits' (which Mel allegedly called a female copy). Mel chose not to let it slide, since he's always denied saying the word. "I don't know," he told Gervais, "You'll have to ask the guy who said that."

                                          And Yet...

Life's still not a Hollywood movie. The internet is not abuzz with news of Mel Gibson suddenly swarmed with huge offers. Hosting the Globes was a start, as is directing Hacksaw Ridge. If Blood Father is properly released, and is a first-rate film, it may attract decent crowds. Word of mouth may work its stuff.

But the haters are still out there. And in the end it still comes down to Gibson: his commitment to proving again every day that he really is a changed man.

Love, Mercy...and the Golden Globes: Part 1

1/10/2015

The Golden Globes will air tonight. And this post is experimental in that I have no idea how the event will play out. The huge news, of course, is that Mel Gibson will be a presenter. But is forgiveness in the air after a blacklisted decade...or will Ricky Gervais lead the charge of ridicule and venom?

Which Mel Gibson will we see?



or



Now, all of us have heard The Tapes. And there's no way to praise them. Nor is there any making light of remarks that were made to the cops. An all-out alcoholic with--as they say--some real issues blew up.

He needed help--and got it. He needed some down time--and got that as well. In fact, for ten years he's been SOL, except for a handful of roles. His last film--an indie--wrapped 2 years ago but has still not been released. (Blood Father.)  His name is the instant release for any trace of venom or hate in decent human beings. They don't know and they don't care what Mel Gibson has done since his Crash. They only know what they've been told: he's a racist, a misogynist, an unrepentant brute...and a seriously rich bastard.

The following article is worth a look, if you'd like to look a bit deeper. It's by a professional journalist who began as a Gibson hater. She took the time to get to know him, hear his side of the whole story. Read for yourself before judging.

http://deadline.com/2014/03/mel-gibson-career-hollywood-deserves-chance-697084/

One quote well worth considering:

I’ve spoken to numerous colleagues who forgave Gibson for his anti-Semitic remarks (that list includes Dean Devlin, Mike Medavoy and Richard Donner) and they are quick to remind you who Gibson helped along the way. Start with Robert Downey Jr, who at one point was broke and an insurance risk on films. Gibson put up the insurance bond himself to secure Downey to star in The Singing Detective, which Gibson’s Icon produced. It was a performance that ignited the actor’s resurgence. I know that he also helped Britney Spears when she hit bottom, and that he tried to save Whitney Houston from the drug abuse that ultimately killed her. Not everybody is that generous: when Gibson himself needed a break that came when Warner Bros hired him for a showy role in The Hangover Part II, he was abruptly dropped when cast complained to director Todd Phillips. Mind you, these same actors happily worked with Tyson despite his felony conviction for rape.

Anyway, here we are on the day of the night of the Globes.

And anything can happen. Hacksaw Ridge, Gibson's first stint as a director since The Passion, may put him back on the A-List. Blood Father may soon be released. The crowd may go wild this evening and welcome the fallen star home. He may be allowed to direct his long-time passion, a film about The Vikings, though Leonardo DiCaprio won't work with him.

But this morning things are in the air. And Ricky Gervais giddily sharpens the knives he will wield:

On Getting Back to the Business of Art

It has always been so...but can't always be so: I'd prefer to write and focus on the imaginative and technical sides of my art, hoping perfection of those would lead the dollars to come in abundance.



To my way of thinking, I'd earned them. And I'd be pleased to be repaid in the thing I'd refused to sell out for. Decades later--with four traditionally published novels and four ebooks--I find myself struggling to master skills many newbies have easily mastered:
--Achieving Online Visibility when hundreds of thousands--maybe a million--new Ebooks are published each year.
--Obtaining reviews when most review sites are backlogged and some are temporarily closed....and even those who've been gifted with copies may not bother to read or review.
--Mastering social media, especially Twitter and Facebook.
--Effectively launching new Ebooks.
--Pricing.

Etc., etc., etc.

So last year I decided to consecrate 2016 to the nitty-gritty...the nuts and bolts...the reality side of Ebooking. One fundamental decision I made took even me by surprise: I'd learn to tighten the zip on my lips.



I'd come to realize two essential truths: though books abound on Ebook Success, no one is sharing trade secrets and no one who has made a killing will help others poach on their turf. Correction: I should have said I'd realized three essential truths. For I'd come to accept that this is the world's way...without losing hope of improving the way.

Reflection took me back to a book on self-help I'd read decades ago.




This perennial bestseller is actually a commercial abridgment of Hills' massive original Law of Success (available in 4 volumes of approximately 250 pages each). Many readers of the slim paperback may have visions of literally thinking themselves rich--waking up rich overnight. And the publisher's version abounds with examples of poor people who came into money they'd simply imagined themselves having.

But the original Law of Success tells a far different, and far more useful, story--with the emphasis.  evenly spread among the guiding principles. Not just positive thinking or creative visualization but work, strategy, temperance, personality, character and more.




And one cornerstone that came back to me now was the principle of the MasterMind Group (MMG): men and women of power and destiny forming alliances...sharing their resources with like-minded souls...and inspiring one another. After all:




Last night I learned a new strategy for improving my Amazon book page. And I can't wait to share it with the MMG when the round table is full.

Reb MacRath's First Annual December Reberoo Awards

Welcome! I know, it's a gala event and you're feeling gangbusters excited. The ceremony this year has been restricted to DVD, Film and TV awards. Even so, remember: try not to block the aisle or jump up and down in your seats. Also remember: these awards are for shows, films or actors I've enjoyed this year...no limits on the year of the release or performance.

That said, let's get it on! But first, a little awards-style performance:




Thank you, Freddie. Onward now!

                                                          TV 

Favorite Current TV Drama:
The Good Wife, Season 7. Hard to believe that this great show may be in its final season. This season's as strong as the best of the past: complex, full of surprises, and deeply moving.

Favorite Past TV Historical Drama:
Rome, Season 1. From Caesar's Gallic campaign to his assassination, this show never scrimped on style, drama, controversy, or suspense. Easy to see why some have called this first season the greatest ever event on TV.

Most Compulsively Rewatchable TV Shows
1) House of Cards, Seasons 1-3.
2) Prison Break, Seasons 1-4 for me, but 1-2 for many.
3) Have Gun Will Travel: 6 seasons of 25 minute episodes that rarely missed the bull's eye and never missed the target completely.

Favorite Female Performances on TV:
1) Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife.
2) Claire Danes, Homeland

Favorite Male Performances on TV
1) Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
2) William Fichtner, Prison Break

Favorite Portrayal of Julius Caesar:
Ciaran Hinds, Rome Season One, is second to none. Accept no substitutes.

Favorite Comeback by a Blacklisted Actor
Wentworth Miller, who rarely worked after admitting he is gay, returned in a series of guest stints on the Flash. These grew into a big ensemble role in the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow--and the lead in next year's Prison Break Season 5.

Favorite actor of all time in a TV western.
Richard Boone, as Paladin in Have Gun Will Travel. Rough and tumble, elegant, witty, erudite, relentless, vulnerable.

            Intermission: Required Embarrassing Moment

Well, it wouldn't be a real awards show without one dreadful embarrassing moment. So, let's pause for a wardrobe malfunction:




                                                            FILMS ON DVD

Favorite Films That Improved with Rewatching
1) Tombstone: Western excitement at its very best, with an electrifying performance by Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. 'I'm your Huckleberry"!
2) High Noon: I was too young when I first saw it to appreciate its real-time, slow fuse beauty. 88 unforgettable minutes with Gary Cooper at his best.
3) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Writer Shane (Lethal Weapon) Black made delightful comeback with help from an actor who needed one too: Robert Downey Jr. Another great performance from the underrated Val Kilmer. Real wit abounds here instead of the Black's usual zingers and quips.
4) Casualties of War, directed by Brian De Palma. I didn't 'get it' the first time around. But this year it blew me out of the back of my chair.

Favorite Dementedly Correct DVD Packaging
1) The dual packaging of Wall Street and its sequel Money Never Sleeps: the case for both measures a gigantic 11" x 6.5".
2) The heartlessly cheap packaging of 4 Lethal Weapon films--with all four discs mounted on a single spindle--mirrors the fate of the franchise: the same movie made over and over again with less and less feeling each time.

Favorite Rediscovered Director
Brian De Palma, brilliant beyond belief in: Femme Fatale, Body Double, Casualties of War, Dressed to Kill, Carlito's Way, Blow Out...and on and on.

Favorite Masterpieces Buried by Spineless Studios
1) Heaven's Gate: The Director's Cut.
2) White Dog, directed by Samuel Fuller.
3) Sorcerer, directed by William Friedkin
4) Killer Joe, directed by William Friedkin

Favorite Just-Discovered Horror Classic
Diabolique--the film Hitchcock had wanted to make was done just right by a Frenchman.

Favorite Comebacks by Fallen Superstars
1) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Tom Cruise found his gravitas and dropped the grinning boy toy act in this series landmark.
2) John Wick. Keanu Reeves came roaring back after battling depression and crappy reviews for whatever he did. One of the best action films ever made. And, let's be glad, Keanu's plate is full again--with a half-dozen films in the pipeline, including John Wick 2.


Favorite Delivery of a Single Line of Dialogue
"Give me back my son!" by Mel Gibson in Ransom.

Favorite Bored Goodbye to a Once Favorite Franchise
Lethal Weapon: Buh-bye, buh-bye. The first entry was still rewatchable because of it had an emotional center: seriously suicidal cop looking for reason to live. The second was barely rewatchable. The third and fourth aren't worth my time.




          Intermission: Required Tasteless Joke Moment

A family walks into a hotel and the father walks up to the front desk to say, "I hope the porn is disabled." The desk clerk tells him in disgust, "It's just standard porn, you perv."




                           FILMS IN THEATERS

I seldom go to theaters now. So these awards are special.

Favorite Enraged Goodbyes to Once Beloved Franchises
1) Bond, James Bond. Daniel Craig and his bloated Spectre have ruined the franchise for me. Absolutely nothing but a brand new Bond will ever lure me back.
2) Jurassic World. Please, for God's sake, please--please!--can you stop this nonsense now?

Favorite Brilliantly Reimagined Classic
Creed. A new director with a passionately written script, terrific performances including an Oscar turn by Stallone, and a strong heart at its center.

Favorite Reboot of a Favorite Series
Max Max: Fury Road...directed by George Miller...with Tom Hardy, one of the world's greatest actors. Enough said.

Favorite Thriller Directed by an Unknown Name
Sicario. Hey, here's an idea. Get Denis Villeneuve to direct a different actor in the next Bond film...and I will go to the theater.






And happy holidays to all of you.

Blowout Boss MacTavin Sale--Phase 2: $1.99 each

Take advantage of my special holiday Amazon Countdown Event on the Boss MacTavin series, now priced at $1.99 each for two days...then going up and up once more. Here are the brand-new covers. Buy now before the prices begin to grow unScottish!

12/16: 12 a.m PST: $1.99 each
12/17: 4 p.m. PST: $2.99 each
12:19: 8 a.m. PST: $3.99 each
Sale ends 12/21 at midnight PST and price bumps to new regular price of $4.99

                   
                 Links for all books:

http://tinyurl.com/m7bl6ys

Blowout Boss MacTavin Sale...starting at $.99

Take advantage of my special holiday Amazon Countdown Event on the Boss MacTavin series, starting at $.99 for two days...and then going up in increments. Here are the brand-new covers:

12/14, 8 a.m. PST: $.99 each
12/16: 12 a.m PST: $1.99 each
12/17: 4 p.m. PST: $2.99 each
12:19: 8 a.m. PST: $3.99 each
Sale ends 12/21 at midnight PST and price bumps to new regular price of $4.99

                   
                 Links for all books:
http://tinyurl.com/m7bl6ys

Never Second Guess Your Instincts

As I wrote my new book, Caesar's Ghost, some parts cried for the present tense and some cried for the past. I just followed my instincts while writing. But then, as I went through the subsequent drafts, the Brutal Old Bastard (BOB) of my inner editor began to carp and criticize. Why here, not there, in the present? Why there, not here, in the past?

Now, I knew BOB was right on the money about not jumping tenses in a single paragraph--a source of confusion for readers. And I could understand BOB's preference for consistency: dream sequences or diary entries, for example, in the present tense. BOB might even be okay with all action scenes in the present--lending the scenes more urgency.

But, through the rewrites, BOB kept attempting to gain total control. Some scenes resisted--almost violently--my efforts to change tenses. My fingers would not hit the keys that would have changed the scenes. And it was time to let BOB know that he wasn't running the show, just helping to produce it. In fact, when given full control, BOB tends to trip on the feet of his rules.

I reached a compromise solution. I'd change any part from present to past tense--unless my fingers screamed in protest. And I'd devise a subtle way of highlighting my segues from the past to present tense. 

Many of BOB's rules are sound, while others are the barks of another century's harridans. 

Readers and viewers are fluent in the language of mixed time lines:

So I listend to BOB, with all due respect...but I followed my heart and my fingers.