Herbert West, Reanimator

What you see here is a portrait of Dr. Herbert West taken from the RPG game Call of Cthulhu. Horror fans will know him as the villainous protagonist from H.P. Lovecraft's aptly titled Herbert West-Reanimator. The not so good doctor is a disciple if Frankenstein and he reanimates dead bodies. Except he is far more ruthless and cynical about it. Frankly, he is utterly amoral and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The short story is not very well written, Lovecraft considered it an old shame, yet it's very entertaining and genuinely scary. I am blogging about it today because they are filming a new adaptation. I'm carefully optimistic. They made a Re-Animator back in 1985, which was followed by sequels, but the film was very loosely adapted from the source material and turned into a gory horror comedy. Still fun to watch, but I think, I hope, that the new adaptation will be suitably dark. Anyway, I am in my countdown to the countdown to Halloween, so always nice to keep myself in a spooky mood and look forward to new horror movies.

"L'Objet du délit"

Bon, ben il y a un film français que je veux voir. C'est une chose qui m'arrive assez rarement, mais celui-ci m'intéresse. Vous devinerez facilement pourquoi. DOnc, le film a pour titre L'Objet du délit. Réalisé par Agnès Jaoui, il raconte une production troublée de l'opéra Les Noces de Figaro, de Mozart, alors que des allégations d'agression sexuelle éclatent. Une comédie dramatique inspirée du mouvement #MeToo, avec comme myse-en-abyme un opéra qui justement parle en des termes à peine couverts (sinon pas du tout couverts) de harcèlement sexuel. Vous pouvez voir la bande annonce plus bas.

More Man on Fire?

 So I blogged last month about Man on Fire. It's a Netflix spy thriller series freely adapted from a novel by A.J. Quinnell. The book was also made into a movie about twenty years ago. Anyway, I finished watching the series and, while I don't think it's the greatest TV series of its genre, I was thoroughly entertained and it was solid. And I suspect (and hope) there will be more of it. Like many spy thrillers based on a novel, they decided to carry on the story when the source material finishes. Man on Fire ends with a sequel hook. So I guess if the series is a success (I have no idea how popular it is, streaming can be tricky), there will be more seasons commissioned. I sure hope so.

RIP Marc Messier

Triste nouvelle que je viens d'apprendre: Marc Messier est mort. Un grand acteur québécois, tant dans la comédie que dans les séries dramatiques. Je l'ai surtout apprécié dans Grande ourse et dans la seconde série d'Omertà, où il jouait Paul Spencer, un financier véreux (et homosexuel), pris dans un engrenage entre la mafia, les motards et d'autres groupes criminels, en plus d'être victime d'un chantage. Messier était brillant dans le rôle. Je sais que ce n'est pas son rôle le plus connu, mais pour moi c'était mon préféré. Enfin bref, c'est vraiment triste.

Harry Lime (can you hear the theme?)

As you most likely know if you have been reading this blog, Vienna is not only the city of music, it is also the city of espionage. And thus, it is the setting of The Third Man, a classic Noir spy movie (and book). So from time to time, in souvenir shops and public places, we are reminded of this connection. They even had music box with the antagonist's Harry Lime's theme. Played by Orson Welles. The character, not the theme. You've heard it before, check here. I do regret not buying a piece of movie memorabilia, but the music, as cheerful as it is, ends up being quite unnerving, especially if you know the story.

Man On Fire

 Well, here I am, plugging another spy thriller, and another Netflix series. This time it's Man on Fire. I started it very recently, so I'm not sure if the series will hold on, but so far so good. It's about a former CIA operative who has to protect the orphaned daughter of his assassinated mentor from terrorists. It's set in Brazil and, like I said, so far so good. Nothing terribly original, but nothing horrible either, the plot keeps me invested in it. I know it's freely adapted from a novel from A.J. Quinnell and that it was already adapted in a 2004 movie, which I haven't seen, so the story is all new to me. If I am still satisfied when I finish it, I might buy the novel. Anyway, if you read the source material, or watched any of its adaptations, let me know in the comments. Please no spoilers.

Glock (Signature Weapon)

This is a new post in my Signature Weapons series, about weapons that say something about the characters using them, especially but not exclusively in crime fiction. So today I am blogging about the Glock. This is the very first firearm of the series. And before I go further, a disclaimer: I know almost nothing of firearms, I'm not a gun enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination, I don't have a gun fetish either, so I am writing this as a complete outsider, but as an aspiring crime fiction writer. Now, I find Glocks interesting for a number of reasons: thematically, symbolically and practically. First, it is the service weapon of many police forces in the world, including the SQ (Sûreté du Québec). So this is often the weapon of choice of my characters. According to the TV Tropes entry on handguns, it has the reputation of being the boring but practical gun of all boring, but practical guns. It's reliable without being flashy. Also, it's an Austrian weapon, and the name is very close to the German Glocke, which means bell. I find it ironic that a weapon is thus linked to something often seen as delicate and playful, used to produce music. And yes, I am working to use this double entendre in couple of stories.

Brussels, city of espionage

 This post is another one from my city of espionage series, talking of cities in the world closely associated with espionage and intelligence services. And today I chose one who may be lesser known in that regard. I am talking of course of Brussels. The capital city of Belgium and the administrative centre of the European Union, it is a city of vital geopolitical importance. Therefore it makes sense that Brussels is also a centre of international espionage. Yet, we don't really see it in fiction. I am not (yet) a connoisseur of spy thrillers, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember Brussels being featured in spy novels or movies. Or TV series. I don't even remember Brussels being mentioned, even in passing. I visited it once, years and years ago, and while I thought it looked like a nice enough city, I didn't see it as a paerticularly glamorous or exotic one, let alone a suitable place for gritty espionage dramas. But I think it deserves more recognition and it deserves to be featured more often in spy thrillers.

Evil Milk

I have been wanting to share this meme for a while now and thought, why not today. Now, I have only watched one movie of thee four featured here. It is, of course, A Clockwork Orange, my favourite film and based on a novel by my favourite author, Anthony Burgess. In both book and movie, milk represents purity, innocence and a certain barbarism, if not downright bestial savagery. My reflection on milk in fiction can befound in this post from 2010. So this meme is not new to me, but it's still worth sharing.

The Entertainer (Ragtime)

I rewatched The Sting recently. I have a few observations about it. Okay, mainly two. One, what a great movie, I never get bored watching it. I could start it again now and still be entertained. Two, what a great score the film has! Maybe nowadays it's actually more famous than the movie itself. Composed by Scott Joplin in the early XXth century, arranged by Marvin Hamlisch for the movie, it's just so perfectly atmospheric. So anyway, since I was thinking I share too little music on Vraie Fiction these days and since this is in my head a lot, I am sharing today The Entertainer. My brothers and I used to listen to it endlessly playing poker when we were teenagers. True story. But not with real money.

Joliet, Illinois (a crime fiction post)

 From time to time, I rewatch beloved old classic movies, because I love to revisit them and rediscover old things about them. I saw on Netflix that The Sting was available, so I started watching it again. I love, love, love this caper, it made me discover Robert Redford, Paul Newman and... poker (more on the latter in this post). Anyway, I was watching the movie and it struck me that it starts in the city of Joliet, Illinois. And that it might be the only thing I know about Joliet: it's featured in The Sting. Okay, so most of the action is set in the most famous and infamous Chicago, but I like when a work of crime fiction shed light on a lesser known place. Lesser known to someone like me who is not from the US anyway.

Premier Strudel

Lors de la première soirée de notre séjour à Salsbourg, nous avons participé à une visite guidée de la résidence des Von Trap dans La mélodie du bonheur, avec performances des airs de la comédie musicale. Nous avons aussi eu droit, en guise de repas, à notre premier strudel de notre séjour. Strudels aux pommes, bien entendu. C'était bon, bien que frugal.

Geneva, city of espionage

 Carrying on from my promise made in my post from the 25th of February, I am blogging again about a city associated with espionage, in fiction and in history. So today, I wanted to blog about Geneva. I have been to Switzerland once in ym life, more than 25 years ago, a very short stay, but I never set foot in its capital. However, I have seen it featured in many spy thrillers, as well as a few documentaries about espionage. Being a center of finance, diplomacy and international politics, it makes sense that Geneva has been a key setting for secret business, before and after the Cold War. I want to go to Switzerland and have a long stay there for a number of reasons (okay, mainly its trains). If we ever go to Geneva on holiday, I will keep this in mind, and maybe bring with me a spy thriller novel set there to read in my spare time.

Vienna, city of espionnage

 You may remember back on the 25th of February, I had made the project of starting a number of posts here about cities and places associated with espionage, in fiction and/or in history. Well, I haven't forgotten it and today is the fitst post of I hope a new series. The first city I wanted to blog about came as a no brainer: I am talking of course of Vienna. Because it is not only the City of Music, it could easily qualify as the City of Espionage, and way before the Cold War. Of course it was one of those places at the center of the conflict between East and West, but it has always been the convergence point for both worlds, both Europes so to speak. Also, I suspect that due to its picturesque look, many spies would rather meet there than anywhere else in the world. For the writer, it makes for a great backdrop for a gripping drama, the beauty of Vienna a sharp contrast to the ruthless game of cloaks and daggers being played. Should you visit it, keep that in mind. I know I will next time.

Condor Thriller(s)

 I love a good spy thriller, as you know, and I try to read all of the classics of the genre and watch them when there are any available. I watched Three Days of the Condor a few times, I even read James Grady's Six Days of the Condor. Great author to read, by the way, I suggest you see his other works (I haven't many of them, but still), not only the one that made him famous. Anyway, I recently learned that, like many iconic stories, this one got readapted in 2018, a TV series simply titled Condor. There's too many of them these days, on too many streaming services, it's hard to keep track, so I had no idea it even existed. I guess I will have to check if I can see it somewhere. If you have seen it, please leave a comment. In the meantime, I recommend the original novel. You might also find interesting that Grady wrote a sort of sequel to it, condor.net, setpost 9/11, with a new protagonist with the same codename.

Princesse/Impératrice Sissi

Il y a une personne en Autriche qui, sans être aussi célébrée par les touristes que le p'tit gars de Salsbourg (on Autrichien préféré, bien entendu), est quand même une attraction. Je parle de l'Impératrice Élisabeth de Wittelsbach. Aussi connue sous le nom de Princesse Sissi. Enfant, j'ai comme bien du monde connu Sissi grâce aux films avec Romy Schneiger. Des bluettes édulcorées, je crois, des romcoms pseudo-historiques, mais ça faisait des soirées de fin d'été assez plaisantes et ça désennuyait un peu. En plus, ça nous donnait un petit vernis d'histoire. Enfin bref, j'ai pris cette photo à Vienne, me demandant combien de touristes la princesse attire. Elle ou le portrait qu'en a donné Romy Schneider. Mais bon, elle peut bien avoir ses fans, elle ne doit certainement pas en avoir autant que Wolferl.

Anecdote à Salsbourg

Photo prise à Salsbourg lors de nos vacances d'été. Si l'édifice vous semble familier, c'est qu'il a été utilisé comme la résidence des Von Trap dans La mélodie du bonheur. Ma femme a insité pour que l'on aille à une visite-spectacle du lieu lors de notre première soirée là-bas. J'ai mes pèlerinages, elle a les siens. Alors donc, nous avons eu droit à quelques performances des airs de la comédie musicale, ainsi que des informations sur le tournage et sur l'histoire vraie qui a inspiré la fiction édulcorée. Et nous avons mangé notre premier strudel, offert avec le tour. Mais ce dont je voulais parler, c'est d'une spectatrice. Lors de la pause collation, alors que l'on allait s'asseoir à une table dans la cour intérieure, nous avons demandé à la dame âgée qui était là toute seule si ça ne lui dérangeait pas que l'on partage la même table. Elle a répondu dans un anglais très hésitant. Puis, elle m'a entendu parler à petit loup en français. Il s'est avéré qu'elle parlait très bien le français elle-même. Si je me rappelle bien, sa fille est mariée à un Français et elle a donc des petits-enfants francophones. La conversation s'est donc faite dans la langue de Molière. Alors voilà, dans une certaine partie de l'Europe, les gens d'un certain âge ont parfois une langue seconde autre que l'anglais.

Thunderball

I learned thanks to the Facebook page of Ian Fleming that yesterday was the anniversary of the publication of Thunderball. The book has a special place in my heart. First, it is the source material for one of my favourite James Bond movies, then it is the very first Bond novel I purchased and read. The very edition you see on this picture. It also marks the first apperance of Bond nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, one of my favourite villains ever, head of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extorsion). Let not the movies and their many parodies fool you: in the original novels, the organisation is almost inhumanly sinister. I want to revisit Thunderball one day, I suggest you give the novel a try in the meantime.

Radio Times ('Tis the season to be watching)

 It is a sight I always look for in shops this time of year: the Christmas edition of Radio Times! Because, as I said it before and as I am saying it again now: 'tis the season to be watching, falala lalaaaa... I buy it every year, except when we don't celebrate it in the UK, although even then I would be tempted to buy it anyway, just for the sheer pleasure of owning it and reading it. There are always interesting festive articles and interviews. This year, you may be surprised to know that I will not buy it. Because yes, we are going away. All the same, I love seeing Radio Times in the shops. It makes me feel Christmasssee.

Ciné-cadeau est commencé

Je veux faire un petit rappel pour mes lecteurs du Québec, surtout ceux qui ont des enfants: Ciné-cadeau est commencé depuis le 5 décembre. Il me semble, je me trompe peut-être, que ça commence beaucoup plus tôt que quand j'étais jeune. Pas que je m'en plaigne (ou pas que je m'en plaindrais si je vivais au Québec): ça fait durer le plaisir et ça nous permet aussi de patienter d'ici à Noël. Mais sinon, dites-moi ce que vous pensez de la cuvée 2025 et si vous regardez Ciné-cadeau déjà.