Author Archives: Bob Evans

Sunday Night Movie:The Count Of Monte Cristo (2002)

Last night I was in the mood for adventure, for the sort of film that pumps the blood, sets the imagination running, and is filled with heros and villains. Quickly sorting through my growing collection I settled on the 2002 version of The Count Of Monte Cristo. (I specifically did not call this a remake. A remake is where you go and use an earlier film as your source material, sometimes using the exact same script for production. A new version ignores other production in favor of the original source material)

I must admit that I have always been drawn to the ‘righteous fury’ moments in films. The particular moment in time when the hero (in general) is exacting a long due moment of justice. In Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan when the Enterprise rises up behind Reliant it always sends my heart racing.  The Count Of Monte Cristo is really just one long build to those ‘righteous fury’ moments. It is populated with wonderful characters set amid dazzling backgrounds and fascinating history.

This version stars Jim Caviezel as Edmond Dantes a good, moral, but hopelessly naive young man. Edmond has as his best friend Fernand Mondego, played by the terribly talented Guy Pierce, a weak drunkard of a man with a bitter and frustrated nature that Edmond is blind to. Between the two men is the lovely Mercedès Iguanada, played by Dagmara Dominczykv, steadyfast, loyal, and intelligent Mercedes is on love with edmond constantly rebuffing Fernand’s improper advances. The triangle would have stood unbroken save an ill-fortune voyage of Edmond’s ship that sees the captain stuck down and Edmond making an emergency landfall upon Elba. Elba prison to the exiled Napoleon. Abused edmond’s nature Napoleon uses the young man to send a message to his loyal supporter, landing edmond in a dread prison. illiterate, friendless, and with the world believing him to be an executed traitor Edmond must find a way for the justice he needs.

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Sunday Afternoon

Just a quick update on how my day has gone.

Actually in spite of the arthritis flare today has been a fairly nice day. My sweetie-wife and I went to Balboa Park and walked around for a couple of miles getting in much needed exercise for yours truly. On Sunday at Balboa park they have open houses for their international houses. These are organizations that promote their host countries. It’s really a celebration of culture and heritage. Each house will have flyers and foods from their culture and occasionally music and dancing.

The big impression I had this go around — like I said this happens every Sunday and it was not our first time there — was at the Ireland House. First they had live music and it was spunky and fun and I wanted it on a CD. Secondly I tried a new food, Colcannon. Damn, that was good! It’s a dish made from mashed potatoes. with other ingredients tossed in. It is definitely something I want more of.

Also in another section of the park the International Dance Association was hold a celebration with music and dancing all day long. We popped in long enough to see a bit of English Morris Dancing, but not much more. we did see a number of young people practicing and rehearsing for their performance on the bag pipes.

I recorded it for your amusement.

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Fans with time.

So if you watched the superbowl, or saw it here, you may have seen the teaser trailer for this year Captain America: The First Avenger. A film I plan on seeing.

Well some enterprising fan has recut the trailer with shall we say more empathic music.

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More than a line edit

That is what the edit of Love and Loyalty is turning into. I started off just trying to bring my sentence construction up to my current standards. However as I have mentioned here I discovered a glaring fault in chapter two, with the feedback from the MG Writers group, and so that means a total re-write of chapter ttwo.

Now I have found several scenes that would greatly enhance the novel with their addition. Some were scenes that existed in the plot, but were handled ‘off-screen’ as it were. Some were scenes I knew about but never wrote into the narrative because I thought it worked without them. Now I understand hat I need to expand the POV of the novel and employ more of Hitchcock’s ‘ticking Bomb theory of suspense.’

lovely

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A somewhat trying day

I started my day with a visit to the dentist. Luckily what was scheduled to take 90 minutes only took 60. I had five crowns put into my mouth today. One of my teeth, Number 6 he is not a tooth he is a free man, was particularly sensitive and Dr Rhodes was forced to numb half of my mouth. The new teeth look great and it good to be back to regular eating. I had pizza to celebrate.

After that I had chores around the house to do. I cleaned out some old storage containers with old manuscripts in them. Then it was odd to see ,my sinus surgeon for my six-month follow-up. I did not see Dr. Weeks but rather his physician’s assistant. Still my sinuses look great and I have been throttled back to annual check-up now,

I had a headache — I always seem to get them after getting numbed at the Dentist, so their will be no further blogging tonight.

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