It’s really happening folks! I am officially a published author. The only question now is will I be successful published author?
In an attempt to get a “Yes” to that question, I am having an official book launch on April 29th. If you’ll be in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia that evening, I highly recommend you attend. Details below, hope to see you there!
Greetings everyone!
Today I’m going to do something extra special as a review. The show I’m going to write about is so well done; great story, brilliant acting, stellar direction, that I am doing not one but TWO reviews. The first to entice those who haven’t seen it to see it. The second to discuss with those who have seen it. Let’s go!
REVIEW ONE – The show is called Miss Sherlock and as the name implies, it’s inspired by the world created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through his timeless character Sherlock Holmes.
In this world however, Sherlock is a Japanese woman living in Tokyo. A masterful performance by Yûko Takeuchi successfully transports the hyper-observant, socially indifferent investigator across cultural boundaries. Together with her side-kick doctor Wato, played by Shihori Kanjiya, they solve crimes the local police can’t figure out.
So far you might be thinking, “okay this is just Holmes in a bra” but it’s way more than that. The series manages to keep many of the traditional elements of Sherlock Holmes stories (genius investigating by Sherlock, Wato being the buffer between Sherlock and society, etc) but with modern twists and turns that almost force you to binge-watch the first season. If you like crime and detective shows, you’ll really like Miss Sherlock. If you like Holmes stories, you’ll LOVE IT!
REVIEW TWO
**SPOILERS**
I say again, **SPOILERS**
Okay guys, for the people who have experienced Miss Sherlock, I want to touch upon why it’s awesome.
Initially, the main focus of the story is not Sherlock but Wato. The doctor (much like the Watson character in the 2010 series Sherlock) is a full partner in carrying this series. In the first episode you find out right away the stakes are high when Wato arrives at the Tokyo airport, meets her old mentor, and then watches in horror when the man explodes in front of her. Wato is deeply and personally vested in the investigation. This horrific event along with the fact that she’s dealing with PTSD help to make her a well-rounded character.
The Sherlock character is brilliant of course but initially it’s Wato and the other people who interact with Sherlock (Her landlord, her brother, Inspector Reimon) who peel back the layers of the detective and show a real person underneath. This real person however is hidden under logical thinking and rudeness but we the audience are rewarded in each episode with insight into the Sherlock persona. As the series continues Takeuchi brings the humanity of Sherlock onto the screen. The high-water mark of the series is when Sherlock pronounces her friendship with Watson and makes the ultimate sacrifice for her.
This is a series that was masterfully done and it pained me to find out that the lead actress Yûko Takeuchi died in 2020, an apparent suicide. There will never be a season two of this series.
Side Note: For our US readers, the national suicide prevention hotline number is 800-273-8255. Please, PLEASE talk to someone if you ever feel like life is not worth living.
It turns out that my first contract as a novelist is with World Castle Publishing. When I submitted my novella HOM for consideration, I was offered a contract which I signed on August 12th. The book is due to be available early next year. Check out my bio HERE.
It’s back! In Case You Haven’t Seen It rolls on. This time I review Marvel’s animated series “What If…” available for viewing at Disney+.
Like the other creations of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), What If… is based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores how the established Marvel reality could be altered if small changes are made. Imagine, “What if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four?” or “What if Wolverine was an Agent of Shield?” stuff like that. I enjoyed these comics as a kid but as an adult storyteller I’m impressed with this latest Marvel offering. This is the first quality animation I’ve ever seen from Marvel. If you haven’t seen it, SEE IT! I highly recommend it.
SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS!!
This ends the section for those who haven’t seen What If… If you have, then let’s continue on:
In this first episode in the What If… series, (What if Captain Carter was the First Avenger?) Steve Rogers (the skinny kid from Brooklyn) does not receive the super soldier serum. Instead, circumstances force Peggy Carter to climb into the chamber and become champion of the allied forces fighting Nazi Germany (actually an ancient evil organization called Hydra) in WWII.
This story moves fast. I mean really fast. But it has to since it’s trying to squeeze an entire movie concept into a thirty minute episode. As a result some of the scenes and sequences seem rushed. Don’t get me wrong, I love the show so far but be warned; have your popcorn ready and visit the restroom before you watch. A blink means you missed something.
Once Peggy Carter is made into a super soldier, she faces similar challenges as Steve Rogers did in the first Captain America movie, but for different reasons. Steve was not allowed to fight right away because the head of the Super Soldier program, Col. Chester Phillips didn’t think much of Rogers as a soldier, super or otherwise. Fortunately in Peggy Carter’s new reality, this guy is killed off early. the bad news is another officer by the name of Col John Flynn doesn’t think much of a woman’s ability to fight, super or otherwise.
But like Rodgers in the Captain America movie, Peggy says to Hell with that colonel so-and-so and decides to go out and prove her worth. With the help of Howard Stark, Peggy has a uniform, a shield and is ready for action. Let me tell you folks, this girl is Hell On Wheels in a fight. She takes out an entire Nazi convoy single-handed and recovers the dreaded Tesseract, an alien device of immense power. After her impromptu mission, Peggy basically promotes herself to Captain Carter and commences to kick a lot of German Army ass. Captain Carter does such a great job, Col. Flynn has no choice but to get on board.
Captain Carter is given a mission to rescue an elite fighting squad called The Howling Commandos who were captured by Hydra. Meanwhile Steve Rogers, who was crippled by gunfire early in the story, pilots Howard Stark’s Hydra Smasher Armor. His experience is much like Lt Col. Rhodes in the Captain America Civil War movie. You could say he’s the first War Machine.
Captain Carter and The Howling Commandos join The Hydra Smasher and commence to whoop even more German Army ass, that is until Hydra brings in it’s secret weapon.
I won’t say any more except that this episode is an action packed romp that manages to include a heart felt story of the relationship between Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers. If you’re willing to suspend reality and not ask yourself “How the hell did Peggy get all those kick-ass super soldier fighting skills?” you’ll enjoy this episode. The door is left open for more Captain Carter action. I hope she steps through.
I’ll warn you up front, I’m biased because I wrote the script 🙂
But even with that in mind, I believe you love the latest short film I’ve had a hand in producing. The title is FOREVER and and you can check it out HERE:
A thoughtful person would leave a constructive comment below. Enjoy!
Well everybody, I finally did it! You now have a one-stop location to view my work in film. Check it out at https://jemoore451.wixsite.com/jmfilmmaking.
By the way, if you have a site that showcases your storytelling efforts please let me know. I’ll promote it in this blog. Can’t wait to see what you guys are doing!
The extremely talented Marsharee Neely has agreed to allow me to showcase samples of some of his best artwork in this blog. I chose him especially because he uses his unique style of art to tell powerful stories. For example:
And also…
One more time…
This is just the tip of Marsharee’s artistic iceberg. Soon his work will be available from his website or you can contact him for personalized work. For now, leave some feedback at this post and check out samples of his other works on Instagram under @_paintbrushprn.
Until next time!
Hey everyone! Even though I’m working on a feature length script to sell, I still have to keep busy in other areas. I am a writer right? That business spills into short stories.
I have submitted Vacation In The Shade to an online magazine called Fleas On The Dog. They liked it enough to include it with other great stories in the September edition of their magazine. You can check it out HERE.
Please let me know what you think of the story and the magazine. Feedback is my currency for now and I deserve to be paid.
And please, please, PLEASE let me know what you’re working on as far as writing, music, painting, whatever. This blog is supposed to be supporting all kinds of artists. If you’re not an artist yourself, tell an artist you know about the site.
Until next time!
Hi everyone!
Yes, I know it’s been forever since the last post right? But like a farmer who has neglected his plot of land, I have returned to see if I can grow something productive from this blog.
There has been a lot going on of late but in this post I’ll discuss the progress I’m making on a feature-length script I’m working on. It’s called Kiki Diamond: Bounty Hunter and I think when it’s done, It will be a sellable script. I include one of my favorite sequences below:
Greetings all!
I know it’s been awhile but I hope this post will be worth it. Remember that casting call from the last post? Well, the cast is set! The first cast meeting for the film Alesha will be held today. The story? A Sci-fi tale where an Alexa-type virtual assistant becomes flesh and blood, complicating (maybe threatening?) a young man’s life. Here are the actors who made the cut:
We’re shooting next month and anticipate release in August, just in time for film festivals. Keep an eye out!
Storyteller Enterprises 