Miltary Sci Fi Snippet

Just thought I would post a snippet of something I am working on.  This started off as three different beginnings to the same story, before I realized that I could re-work the plot and combine them all into one story.  It's pretty raw, and will most likely see a lot of editing later.  But I think you get the idea.  Hope you enjoy!

***

Hausen ran. He had run for much of his life; in play as a child, as an athlete in high school, and as a soldier in the Coalition Defense Force. But never in his many years of running had he felt so free, or moved so fast. The metallic thump-click of his footfalls carried him across the artificial turf at approximately seventy-five kilometers an hour. His stride with his new cybernetic legs was nearly twice what his natural one had been, and his cybernetic arms matched the pace in wide swings.


Despite the speed and kinetic energy he was producing, his heartbeat was strong and rhythmic, his breathing just above resting. His biological parts were barely moving, and thus burning much less oxygen than he would have six weeks ago.

Six weeks. The thought crossed his mind for the umpteenth time. It had barely been a month and a half since the Ixil smart bomb had deprived him of his natural limbs, and nearly of his life. It had only been the tenacity of his squad mates that had saved his wrecked body from the crater. The guided mortar fire had indeed come in, just a moment too late. The bomb that had nearly killed Hausen had been the last to be launched by the hidden Ixil bunker.

A week in intensive care at the CDF Med Center, followed by a week in the Regen Tank, and now a month of rehab and training, and Hausen felt like a new and improved version of his old self. All of his memories were intact (save for the moment when the bomb had impacted two feet behind him), and all of his skills and knowledge had returned in full. That was key, and it was why the CDF was investing in cyborgs rather than robots or androids.

“You can’t train a robot.” Dr. Sybon had said. “You can only program them, and hope that their learning algorithms function properly. But with cybernetics, we give a person improved abilities to apply to skills they already have.”

“Not to mention a second lease on life.” Hausen had laughed.

“Indeed!”

As he approached the final obstacle in the course, Hausen slowed to a trot, reaching back to pull his rifle from his cradle behind his right shoulder. The course was ten kilometers long, and involved several sprints, jumps, climbs and swims. These last were the hardest to deal with. The weight of his limbs threatened to drag him under, but if he remembered to deploy the aquatic enhancements first, he did fine. He was starting to learn to do this without thinking now, and it was much easier to handle.

The course was also a combat simulation course, wherein he had two stations of hand-to-hand with combat robots, and four stations of shooting in various positions and at various ranges. This last one was the final station before the sprint to the finish. The range was just over five-hundred meters, through thick (artificial) foliage. There were three targets, each at different locations, and he was required to shoot each from a different firing position. There was a large, “L”-shaped barrier here, allowing a shot each while standing against a wall, standing free, and crouching behind a low barricade.

Hausen braced himself against the wall, and brought his rifle up. The M-931A3 is a magnetic rail gun that fires explosive-tipped, 3mm projectiles. The impact is deadly to say the least, and would make short work of the plasteel targets downrange. Through the integrated multi-spectral scope, Hausen placed the cross-hairs on the largest target and squeezed the trigger. There was a pop as the round left the muzzle, and an instant later a hole the size of a man’s fist appeared center mass. Without a pause, the cyborg immediately stepped to his right and sighted in on the next target. To a normal person, this would have been a difficult shot, as the body’s tendency to move slightly, even when standing still, would have made the cross hairs waver. But Hausen was perfectly balanced, and his machine parts did not move but microns. Thus within two seconds of his first shot, his second round was sent downrange to the same effect. As soon as the shot was fired, Hausen immediately crouched and rested the weapon on the barricade. The third target was not much more than a silhouette of a head and shoulders, barely visible through the brush. With a flick of his thumb, Hausen switched the site through the various spectrums until the entire target was lit up, the intervening foliage a mere shadow in the background. With a third squeeze of the trigger, the head of the target was neatly removed.

The cybernetic soldier immediately stood and, without even slinging his rifle, sprinted the last few hundred meters to the finish. He crossed and came to a dead stop, looking at Sergeant Keelrod, who had been keeping time and score. After entering a few bits of data, he read the results.

“Time: fourteen minutes, twelve seconds. Accuracy: 100%.” He looked to Hausen. “A new record, Corporal.”

Stallone movie music

Two posts in one day? Yeah, I do that occasionally. This one came to mind while on my lunchtime walk, listening to my “Workout” playlist, which features two of these songs.

Back in the 80’s a lot of Stallone’s movies featured original songs specifically written for them. Sometimes they were kind of bad, sometimes they were good, and sometimes they were AWESOME! Here is a list of my five favorites (as always, in no particular order).

Voice of America’s Sons – John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band
(Cobra)
This is one of those distinctive songs from an 80’s action movie. Played over the ending credits, as Stallone drives off with the (then) smokin’ hot Brigitte Nielsen on the back of his bike. It’s actually part of an over all good album. One that I used to own (and may still) on LP. I still listen to this song on my iPod.


No Easy Way Out – Robert Tepper
(Rocky IV)
In a movie that actually hit a lot of emotional points, the scene that features this song is a montage of scenes documenting Rocky’s life from the previous movies. In the context of the story, it’s actually a pretty heart-rending scene. Again, this one was part of a really good soundtrack album.


Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
(Rocky III)
This is the one everyone knows. Survivor owe their success to Stallone. He screened several bands for this song, and picked them out to write and perform it. And the rest is Anthem Rock History. They did a follow up for IV called Burning Heart, which was also very good. I’m sure this still gets a lot play in gyms around the world.


Meet Me Halfway – Kenny Loggins
(Over the Top)
A classic tale of estranged father and son bonding, set against the unlikely backdrop of professional arm-wrestling. Hey, Stallone liked to do things just off mainstream most of the time. Over all, the movie is decent (though they could have found a better kid to play his son). And this song is a wonderful effort by the undisputed King of Movie Songs, Kenny Loggins, that captures that relationship quite well.


Hearts on Fire – John Cafferty
(Rocky IV)
I mentioned Survivor’s song, Burning Heart, in this movie. And it was tough to pick this one or that. In the end, I like this one better. I really like John Cafferty’s voice (he did all the singing for the Eddie & the Cruisers movies too). And the song just gets the blood pumping.

The Expendables 2

I love this "retro" poster.

So, after circumventing a crisis with our cheap-ass Blu-Ray player, I finally managed to watch The Expendables 2 this weekend (thank the Maker for the Digital Copy through iTunes). My short review that I posted as a Facebook status was “Awesome. A lot of tongue in cheek, a lot of melodramatic predictability, a lot of nods to the fans. The fights were well-done, the violence gory and brutal, and the stunts very exciting. I'd say it was better than the first.” Here I will give a longer review, without giving away too much. Actually, this will probably be more of a rant. But, that’s why you come here, right? To hear me rant?

It’s not much of a spoiler, but it needs stating, since so many “critics” seem to miss this point. This is an Action Movie about Action Heroes saving the world from Action Villains through the use of Violence and Mayhem. What that means is, the focus is on ACTION. Not to be confused with ACTING. There is plenty of Acting in this film, and it’s all pretty good. There are no characters that are completely unbelievable (unless intentionally so), and the dialogue is generally natural and logical (with a few forced one-liners, but that’s all part of the gag, I think). However, the acting is not the point.

I think most critics agree that this movie does exactly what it intends to do (though they condescendingly do so in a back-handed fashion). It is an Action Movie that revels in its Action. It delivers a cohesive plot, a logical story, and a satisfying closure. And it does all of this with well-filmed sequences, exceptional fight scenes, a lot of guns, fists and feet flying, and CGI that was not overused. All of this Action goodness is wrapped lovingly in well-realized characters, realistic performances, and good story pacing. Sprinkle the whole thing with a healthy layer of tongue-in-cheek, and BAM! A recipe for Awesome.

Do I have a favorite character or performance? Not really. I liked pretty much everyone in this film. But Sly is perfect as the grizzled, disenchanted warrior who longs for a more simple life that he knows he will never have.  So he has grown cynical about the whole idea, much to the chagrin of his friends. This is actually one of the more subtle points of the film, and I think it’s one that people will probably overlook.

Biggest surprise performance? JCVD.  Vilain (I kinda love that name) is a sinister villain who is just short of Blofeld-esque over-the-top.  He's kind of a dick, but he is practical, if a bit ruthless.  He's also flamboyant in a way that only Van Damme can do.  And the fight between he and Stallone is just brutal.

Biggest disappointment? Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was hoping to see the Oak flex some actual muscle in this. I was hoping to see that he had taken a page from Sly’s book, and put in the gym-time to prepare for this role. But alas, Trench hid himself behind an old Army field jacket, and did nothing more than shoot a huge gun (that he stole from Terry Crews) from the hip, and look irritated most of the time. Granted, it worked anyways, and the banter between Trench and Church and Barney was all pretty good. But, it left me wanting more from him.

Best gigglefit character?  Chuck Norris.  From his first appearance, to the only name he is referred to by, he adds a sense of fun to this film, that really works well.  They even managed to work a "Chuck Norris Fact" in there.  Loved it!

Overall, I think this movie was a bit better than the first. The Expendables suffered from Sly trying to do too much. By having Simon West direct (quite capably), Sly was able to sit back, be an Action Star, and add in his advice where needed. And it was nice to hear that Simon wasn’t that dickish director with a big head, and he was willing to seek Sly’s advice whenever he needed to. In the end, we have a great actioner that will hopefully start a new era of good old-fashioned ass-kicking. But, I’m not holding my breath. I’m sure that Hollywood will simply call it a “nostalgia fluke” and go back to making more CGI-laden cotton candy action films.

Bonus feature: There is already talk of Expendables 3. And Sly is of the opinion that it would be best served to involve a new group of younger stars as a sort of “passing the torch” type of film. This make me giddy. Someone get Dwayne and Vin on the line!

Thanks!

My wife will be making this tomorrow...  *drool*

This time last year, I did a post about what I was thankful for. I thought about doing another one, but really, the list would be practically the same. My life has not changed much in the last year. And honestly, this is probably a good thing. Because I have a pretty good life, all things considered.

But when I say not much, that means that it has changed some. First of all, my wife’s business is growing. She is already back up to her income level from when she worked for that wretched place that shall not be named. She gets new clients fairly regularly, she has developed new services to provide, and she is generally happier as a business woman than as just another hair dresser. I seriously envy her. She is able to make a good living doing something she loves. I have never had that.

We’ve also gained another kid of sorts (which technically brings us to four). My 17-year old daughter met a guy through Xbox Live a few years ago, and they have more or less been a steady thing. However, things had taken a turn for the worst for this kid, to the point where things were desperate. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that, when he recently turned 18, he was looking for an escape from a very bad situation at home. So, we decided to provide that for him. After a drive through several states and back, we now have an 18-year old who needs a lot of attention and help. And we are happy to do so, because he is really a good kid. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been productive. And we feel better for providing hope to this lost soul. Hope he might never have had otherwise.  One cool thing is that he has the same taste in Xbox games as me (though he does like zombies a bit more than I do).  So, he helps me play Skyrim.

The other kids are doing fine. My oldest is a senior, and chomping at the bit to graduate so she can come “home.” My stepdaughter is growing up fast, and we are now entering the hormonal preteen phase (God help us). The upside is she is starting to develop more reasoning skills, so it’s easier to rationalize with her. Though sometimes she reminds us that she is still only a kid. And my son will be 4 tomorrow. He is growing up so fast. And man does he have his daddy’s temper! He is going to be handful. But, like all of his siblings, he is capable of great love and affection, so in the end, it balances out.

For myself, I soldier on. I am about a third of the way through my Master’s degree. Still not sure what I will be doing with it when I get it. But, really, it’s a delaying action until I can afford to start paying back student loans. I figure that will happen when I no longer have to pay child support every month. I may look into teaching on some level. I have friends who are teachers, and they inspire me at times.

My writing has kind of suffered a bit. I have good days and bad. With all that I have going on in my life, writing sometimes has to take a backseat. However, some days I get some really good work done. Like yesterday, I laid the foundation for an anthology of Western short stories. It’s a genre I have never really worked much in, and have only written a single complete story. So, this will be fun. Theme is boxing in the old west, and the tentative title is “Frontier Fists” (I Googled that, and found nothing, so I think should be ok).

I’m also making some slow progress on my S&P story. I really need to hammer that out. I have the entire plot outlined, and the first couple of pages written. I should probably step back and create a cast list, and some more background work before I really get into writing it.

For reading, I am all over the place. With so much of my “reading” time (such as it is) being taken up by school-related reading, I have yet to read an entire book in months. My to-read pile is so high, that I have decided to stop buying books for a while. You know, unless something really good catches my eye. What? I can quit any time I want!

Been watching movies and TV shows a bit here and there on NetFlix and video. I bought The Expendables 2 yesterday. My hope is to watch it tonight, but we will see. While I was at Target, I also got the DVD release of a Canadian SciFi show called Starhunter. It sounds cool, and the first season stars Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers, Streets of Fire), so that alone makes it worth the $5.

Thanksgiving is going to be with some good friends, and the kids will have lots of grandparents (both real and adopted) around. Saturday is his birthday lunch with family coming down for the afternoon. All in all, I am really looking forward to this weekend. About the only thing that could make it better is if my oldest was here. But, she will be here for Christmas break soon enough.

To all my followers, new and old, have a great holiday season! I am very thankful that you all take a moment of your time to listen to me ramble.

Ranting again

I will never understand why movies are measured on an upward scale, with low-brow humor being at the bottom, and “Shakespeare” drama being at the top. As if “aiming” for anything other than Oscar-winning drama is somehow aiming lower.

Case in point, Dolph Lundgren posted this review for The Expendables 2 on his Facebook today:

"The Expendables 2 is far from a perfect film, but it at least has the benefit of knowing what it wants to be, aiming absolutely no higher than being a good old boy romp through various places with all sorts of nifty, mayhem wreaking toys. This Blu-ray looks and sound great and comes with some good supplements. Recommended."
- Jeffrey Kauffman, BLU-RAY.COM

Ok, that sounds like a good review, I suppose. It praises the movie, generally, and points out some good strengths. Fair enough. But why start with “…is far from a perfect film”? What the fuck is a perfect film? I can point out plot holes, bad acting and weaknesses in just about any film, so IMHO there is no such thing. And what about that little “aiming absolutely no higher than being a good old boy romp…” part? What a back-handed compliment. What a condescending pat on the head. As if to say “Yes, you’re a fun little movie, but you’re not real art.”

The problem is that film critics (both formally trained and couch commando types) measure films on a single scale. Invariably, this scale will measure acting ability and artistic relevance, but only in the context of genre. If a movie is a drama, the performances are given more weight. Conversely, in an action movie, the performances are automatically assumed to be lesser. Because if they were really acting, they’d be in a drama, right?

Oh, and of course, if the movie features some kind of melodramatic love-story it gets extra points. And bonus kudos if the male lead sheds tears. Because that is ACTING! That’s high art. That’s class and sophistication. Oh, those explosions and well-choreographed fight scenes and violent death scenes are just…fun. But they’re not real art.

Here’s an idea - why don’t we judge movies based on how well they represent their genre? For instance, if an action movie has a hero that is believable, fight scenes that are exciting and well-choreographed, and a narrative pace that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, let’s just call that a good movie and be done. No need for qualifiers, no need to place it in the context of it being “only an action movie.” And the same standards can be adapted to other genres. Did that comedy make you laugh? Was the plot logical, the characters relatable? Yes? Oh, then it’s a good movie. Period.

Nothing grates my nerves more than to hear someone give me a laundry list of things they like about a movie, and then finish up with “But I wouldn’t call it a good movie.” Why not, you pretentious prick? Get over yourself. You’re probably not nearly as sophisticated or as smart as you think you are, asshole.

Yeah, I get a little irate about this kind of stuff. Sue me.

Where is the Action?

Yesterday, Eoin at The Action Elite brought up a good topic of discussion (you should read it before continuing).  That is, whatever happened to the star power in action movies?  I posted this nice long response on his Facebook page:

I think you have only touched on the tip of the iceberg here. Certainly the recession has played a part in what we are seeing in the film industry. With ticket prices over double what they were during the 80’s, people have to be much more choosy when deciding which films to see in the theater, and which to wait for on video, or even forego at all. I, myself, have been subjected to this. I actually missed seeing EXPENDABLES 2 in the theater because I simply couldn’t find a time when I could afford it (or get away from the family life, but that’s a whole other issue).

But related to that is the film quality. It really has gone down. These days we are deluged with very pretty movies with no substance. A lot of flash, and no story, plot, or originality. Remakes, sequels and reboots seem to be the only things that Hollywood can produce. Add to that the fact that so many stars pretend to be action stars, but really don’t have the legit cred to do so (I refer to this as the David Carradine Syndrome).

And finally, the Internet. It has effected the action film genre in many ways. Critics are everywhere, and anyone with a blog can play at it (present company excluded, of course). Action movies have always been the whipping boy of critics. But, back in the day, they were relegated to print and TV. Now, they are all over the place, spreading their skewed reviews like a plague. Look at JOHN CARTER, for example. Critics panned it before even seeing it. And unfortunately, people listen to them. The other way the Internet has made things worse is cheap availability. Whether it be piracy, or just NetFlix streaming, people are more apt to see an action movie (or just about any movie, for that matter) when it is most cheap and convenient for them.

I think the heyday of the Action Star Power is indeed over. We had a good run, though.

That got me to thinking, what is it that is missing?  I think there are three elements that have nearly killed the action movie.

1.  No Action Stars - There are actors, and there are Action Stars.  When I was in high school, I wanted to be an Action Star.  Not an actor, an Action Star.  I wanted to make Action films.  I wanted to beat up, blow up, blow away and cut down bad guys.  Unfortunately, there are very few actors who are dedicated to this sort of film.  I mean, truly dedicated.  They all want to do an Action movie here and there, mainly for the payday, but in the end, they just want to be artists.  And while I think that is perfectly fine, it does leave a gap that isn't getting filled.  And then there are the phonies.  The ones who have no Action cred, but are "taught" Action skills that can be faked on screen with fancyu editing and stunt-doubles (again, the David Carradine Syndrome).  They get the part because of their name, but they are NOT Action stars.  The true Action Stars are relegated to B-movie status and DTV movies.  And while many of these movies are fun to watch, they suffer from low budgets, and hack directors looking for a quick buck.  Which leads me to the second problem...

2.  No Action Directors - When I say "no" I mean very few.  And the ones who are good at directing Action movies, don't do it enough.  And when they do, something always goes terribly wrong (usually because some witless suit with a Producer credit makes changes that suck).  So, the majority of Action movies are made with 2nd (or 3rd) rate directors, who use gimmicks and shortcuts to make their films flashy.  But in the end, the story suffers.  And yes, story and plot are important in Action movies.  I don't want to just watch two hours of some muscled lunk do nothing but punch, kick and shoot, no matter how pretty it is.  I need there to be a good framework to hang that on.  I need to care about the Hero, despise the Villain, and cheer when the Henchman gets blown away.  And that's what a plot and story are for.

3.  Pussified Society - I'm just going to say it.  Americans are just too PC and wussified to handle real Action movies these days (IMO, YMMV).  They want to pretend that movies are made to serve a higher purpose.  To promote some feel-good social agenda.  They don't want to offend anyone, so they dumb down the action, and play up the "humanity."  Ok, fine.  Humanity in your hero is great.  And there is room for that sort of thing (in fact, I needs to be in there).  But it can't be the focus of the story.  An Action movie needs to be focused on the ACTION.  Yes, it's good to know why my Hero is shooting forty bad guys with an M-60, but he needs to be shown doing it.  And it needs to be graphic and satisfying.  Action movies do serve a purpose.  They let us live out our violent fantasies without actually hurting anyone.  It's a vicarious existence, and it is essential for modern man.  We are still violent animals beneath our veneer of civilization, and Action movies allow us to experience that release without consequence.

Let me close by saying that these are generalizations.  There are exceptions.  Some good Action movies get made by good directors, starring good Action Stars (Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and of course Sly, Arnie and Dolph).  But these are the exceptions, rather than the rule.  Will real action movies make a comeback?  I don't know.  But one can certainly hope.