The Ricochet Reviewer: Books, Movies, and Comics

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2024 Director: Robert Lieberman Writers: Tracy Torme, based on the book by Travis Walton Stars: D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas, Bradley Gregg, Noble Willingham, James Garner A very enjoyable film. The mystery surrounding Travis Walton's abduction by a UFO and the public suspicion directed at his coworkers is well-handled. The cast, which includes James Garner, Robert Patrick, and D.B. Sweeney among other familiar faces, is outstanding.   The scenes aboard the UFO are harrowing. However, the filmmakers misstepped by making Travis' friend the dramatic center of the film rather than Travis himself.   It would have been interesting to see Travis trying to cope with everyday life after his terrifying experience.

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2024 by Anne Rice In this volume, the weightiest and best of the Vampire  Chronicles to this point, Lestat encounters the supreme beings of the Universe--God, the Devil, and the Angels.  Memnoch escorts Lestat throughout the divine provinces and time itself as he explains his complicated relationship with God and humanity.  Rice's take on the situation understandably upsets many religious readers.  Anne Rice Still, if you can open yourself to her point of view, you will be treated to a fascinating journey that largely reconciles the presence of evil and injustice in a world created by a supposedly omnipotent and benevolent being.   Vampire fans may also be disappointed by how Lestat recedes into the background for major portions of the novel, but I felt that Memnoch was worthy of taking the spotlight. "Dancing with the Devil" (Turkish) "Memnoch the Devil" (Polish) "Memnoch the Devil" (Russian) "Memnoch the Satan" (Hungaria...

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2024 by Michael McDowell The age-old cycle of the rich and powerful abusing  the less fortunate with impunity plays out in the small Southern community of Babylon through the tragic interconnections between the poor, blueberry-farming Larkin family and the wealthy, banking Redfields.   However, this time, there are supernatural forces at work to balance the scales.   It is quite satisfying to see a sociopathic, entitled shit get his comeuppance but at a certain point the trajectory of such a story becomes clear and it takes a talented author to maintain interest.   Fortunately, Michael McDowell, gone too soon, was a wonderful writer.   Michael McDowell In this book, he peoples what could have been a pretty standard pulp horror story with vividly drawn, interesting characters and a powerful sense of location.  There are some startling developments and truly creepy scenes.   "The Mists of Babylon" (French) I didn’t much care for ...

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2024 Random Marvels Project Dipping my net into the ocean of Marvel and seeing what comes up. Writer: Doug Moench  Artist: George Tuska  Inker: Vinnie Colletta  We join John Jameson after the pendant that causes him to become Man-Wolf has been grafted permanently to his skin as a result of encounters with Spider-Man and Michael Morbius. This is an uncomplicated issue that seems to have two major purposes, one of which is to reintroduce us to the Man-Wolf. Another is to introduce us to Stroud, ex-CIA member of the Special Task Force, who seems primed to become Man-Wolf’s nemesis. He seems to be a bit of an asshole, but maybe that’s what it takes to catch a werewolf. Does anyone really think that Man-Wolf can’t survive this fall? I’m not a huge George Tuska fan, and Doug Moench doesn’t seem to be trying very hard.

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2024 Writer / Director: George A. Romero Stars: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini, Sara Venable, Fran Middleton, Al Levitsky, George A. Romero Young Martin (John Amplas) comes to the town  of Braddock, Pennsylvania to stay with an elderly cousin (Lincoln Maazel) who preserves old-world ways and believes Martin to be a Nosferatu.  He just might be right.   Martin definitely kills and he definitely has a taste for blood…but his ultimate nature is never definitively revealed.   The film begins with a murder, and the gritty way that Martin dispatches his victim, lacking any supernatural elements, is powerful evidence that he is a very sick and deluded man.  The black and white interludes that represent Martin’s breaks with reality could either be memories of vampiric adventures in Europe or deluded fantasies of power.   George Romero has grounded the iconic evil figure of the vampire in the form o...