A - Z Challenge: A Look Back and an award.

Thanks to Elizabeth Mueller (www.elizabethmueller.blogspot.com) for this fantastic award.

Tomorrow has been set aside for this but I'll just go ahead and do my "look back" today.

The A - Z Challenge was good fun and although it was tough to make it all the way to the end it wouldn't be called a challenge if it was easy. It gave me a chance to mention some stuff that wouldn't ordinarily see the light of day. Highlights include:

B for Bubba Ho-Tep
M for Steve Mosby
R for Rules of Prey
...and S for Surveillance.

Check them out if you get the chance.

I have found some great new blogs throughout the challenge and I'd like to thank those of you who have visited this blog because of it, especially the folks who have become followers. I'm fast approaching 100 and can't quite believe it. All of your comments are very much appreciated. I plan to update the "Visit These Places" section soon so there will be some new additions.

Also a quick thanks to the people who have been here since the beginning (more or less), especially Michael (www.mickmal1.blogspot.com) and Alex (www.alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com), I value your input, wit and friendship.

Now on with the show. Next up is a review of London Boulevard on dvd.

A - Z Challenge: Z

Z is for..............................Zombies.

Love them or loathe them, if you're a horror fan you can't escape them.

From Geroge A Romero's classics to 28 Days Later and Shaun Of The Dead they are a force to be reckoned with at the movies.

I have also recently read a couple of zombie novels by Craig DiLouie, the second of which, The Infection, is absolutely brilliant.

There will be more to come from these demented souls courtesy of Permuted Press so stick around, it's bound to be eventful to say the least.

A - Z Challenge: Y

Y is for......................................Youngblood.

It's video classic time again.

Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb and Patrick Swayze star in this story of an ice hockey pro trying to make a name for himself.

I remember thoroughly enjoying this at the time but that was in 1986 so who knows how it'd hold up today.

A- Z Challenge: X

X is for.............................................American History X.

Edward Norton delivers a stunning performance in this powerful drama from 1998.

He plays Derek Vinyard, a young man who believes in White Power and who sympathizes with the Nazi cause.

While serving a prison sentence he sees the error of his ways and decides to help prevent his young brother (Edward Furlong) taking the wrong path.

This is a fantastic film with great performances all round. Highly recommended.

A - Z Challenge: W

W is for.................................Willard.

This curious little film from 2003 stars everyone's favourite eccentric Crispin Glover as Willard, a man able to command a colony of rats to do his bidding.

When he is fired by his obnoxious boss, he turns to his "friends" to help in his quest for revenge.

This won't be to everyone's taste but I enjoyed it, it was pretty original and Glover is always worth watching.

A - Z Challenge: V

V is for............................Vin Diesel.

After some small roles Vin Diesel exploded onto the big screen as Riddick in the fantastic Pitch Black.

Then came box office hits The Fast & The Furious and XXX, these were followed by the under-rated revenge drama A Man Apart.

After a couple of flops Diesel has wisely returned to the Fast & Furious franchise, the latest of which, Fast & Furious 5 aka Fast Five is in cinemas now. Hopefully I'll be reviewing that soon.

A - Z Challenge: U

U is for......................................Uma Thurman.

Ok so she might have had a couple of flop movies lately but who could forget her amazing performance as the assassin out to dispose of her former friends in the Kill Bill films.

Rumour has it Kill Bill vol.3 will be with us in 2014 and Uma is set to reprise her role as The Bride.

Bring it on !!

A - Z Challenge: T

T is for...........................................Thor.

This isn't the big blonde guy with the blockbuster movie.

This is the supershock novel of Dog v Werewolf !!

It's recently been made available on Kindle.

You can read my full review of this fantastic book elsewhere here, click the Wayne Smith label.

A - Z Challenge: S

S is for ..................................Surveillance.

Check out the trailer for this disturbing drama from Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David.

I won't give too much away but it involves corrupt cops, serial killers and features Michael Ironside alongside Julia Ormond and Bill Pullman.

Highly recommended but not for the squeamish.

A - Z Challenge: R

R is for.................................Rules Of Prey by John Sandford.

Never have a motive.

Never kill anyone you know.

Never carry a weapon after you've used it.

These are just some of the rules laid down by a serial killer known as Mad Dog in the first installment of the fantastic Prey series, all of which feature maverick cop Lucas Davenport.

I have been enjoying the company of Davenport, his colleagues and his family for approximately 20 years now and they continue to excite and captivate.

John Sandford has created one of the most loved and enduring crime novel series and each time I begin the latest installment it's like sitting down for a drink with an old friend.

I highly recommend beginning with Rules Of Prey, you'll be in it for the duration if you do.

Sandford now has a spin off series featuring another cop from these books, Virgil Flowers and next month sees the release of the 21st Prey novel, Buried Prey.

I for one can't wait.

A - Z Challenge: Q

Q is for...................................Q - The Winged Serpent.

This 1982 monster movie is pretty pathetic by today's standards but thinking of it takes me back to a lovely period of time when the highlight of my week was going to the local video shop with my Dad to hire some films.

This must have been one of the first creature features that I ever saw and the sight of the beast flying around New York amazed me at the time.

The cast included David Carradine, Michael Moriarty and Richard Roundtree.

A - Z Challenge: P

P is for………………………Prison Break.

Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is on death row. He has been convicted of murder and his alleged victim was the President’s brother.

Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is convinced of Linc’s innocence so he devises a meticulous plan to help him escape the notorious Fox River prison. Stage one is to deliberately get himself convicted so that he can set his plan in motion from inside the prison walls.

Sounds more like a movie than a tv show but this brilliant drama lasted four seasons and featured some of the best tv performances of recent years. The pick of the bunch has to be Robert Knepper’s portrayal of the despicable “T-Bag” who unbelievably ends up as everyone’s favourite character.

It consistently delivered high tension, action packed episodes and is a must-see for fans of quality tv.

A - Z Challenge: O

O is for.....................................One False Move.

This character driven drama from 1991 stars an almost unrecognisable Billy Bob Thornton as a killer on the run with his two companions.

Awaiting their arrival in his sleepy little town is local cop Dale "Hurricane" Dixon, a fantastic Bill Paxton, but is he prepared for the mayhem they will bring?

This is a superior drama, it's a slow burner with terrific performances.

Highly recommended.

A - Z Challenge: N

N is for................................Near Dark.

This vampire film from 1987 was way ahead of it's time.

It's the age old story of a young man being bitten (infected) and refusing to kill so that he remains an outsider even within the brood.

Word is it's to be re-made so now is the time to catch the original.

It features strong performances from Adrian Pasdar (Heroes) and Lance Henriksen (Millennium) with a show stealing turn from Bill Paxton (Big Love).

A - Z Challenge: M

M is for.......................................Steve Mosby.

Mosby's books have had me captivated from the get go. His debut, The Third Person, was a sci-fi / crime hybrid that wasn't 100% to my taste but I knew that the style of writing was something special.

Since then he has evolved into one of the best crime writers around. His compelling serial killer story The 50/50 Killer is about to be made into a movie in France.

Also check out Cry For Help and Still Bleeding, my review of which (from Amazon UK) is below.

Steve Mosby takes us on a disturbing journey through the murky side of the internet and into the world of murder and suicide memorabilia. Alex Connor left his family and friends behind when a traumatic event changed his life. Upon hearing of another such event he returns and quickly gets caught up in some very sinister goings on. Giving away plot points would spoil the book but in this story we have murder, abuse, suicide, greed, voyeurism and a couple of twists that even a jaded reader like me didn't see coming. The torment of Alex and policeman Paul Kearney add an emotional side to a tale so despicable that it will not be to everyone's taste. Trust me, if your happy in the world of easy reading then Mosby is not for you. On the other hand, if you can handle the nasty side of things what you get is a fantastic piece of crime fiction written so profoundly that it puts many authors who churn out formulaic books year after year to shame. I stress that this is not for the faint of heart but I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who enjoyed the likes of early Mo Hayder (Birdman, The Treatment) or fancies stepping out from the top ten bestsellers and into a darker world altogether.

Still Bleeding is currently the publisher's (Orion) book of the month and Mosby's new novel Black Flowers is available now.

Check www.theleftroom.co.uk for more info. on this brilliant author.

A - Z Challenge: L

L is for.............................................Lantana.

This Australian drama no doubt led to Anthony LaPaglia's starring role in Without A Trace. Here he plays a troubled cop investigating the case of a woman gone missing.

With excellent support from Geoffrey Rush and Barbara Hershey this powerful film examines all types of loving relationships while asking the question, is love enough?

Unpredicatable and with powerhouse performances this is a welcome addition to any dvd collection.

What are you waiting for?

A - Z Challenge: K

K is for......................................Kung Fu Hustle.

In 2004 director & star Stephen Chow brought us this crazy martial arts adventure from Hong Kong.

Chow is Sing, a downtrodden wannabe gangster who finds himself caught up in a battle between the unusual residents of a little village and the imposing Axe gang. Which way will Sing go...and who will be revealed as the ultimate kung fu master?

I can only describe this as Big Trouble In Little China on acid, now theres a phrase you never thought you'd hear !

A - Z Challenge: J

J is for........................................Jump Tomorrow.

This quirky British film follows a young Nigerian man and his French pal as they go on a road trip to reach the arranged marriage of the former.

The duo discover some of life's joys and have plenty of laughs on the way but will young George go through with the wedding?

The film's title comes from a piece of dialogue in which one of the friends is about to throw himself off a tall building. The other talks him down by saying that they have many things to do and see today, he could always jump tomorrow.

I think it's a great expression and the film isn't too bad either.

A - Z Challenge: I

I is for..................................Michael Ironside.

Michael Ironside’s performance as Ham Tyler in the original V introduced me to a new type of character, the anti-hero. Here was a good guy with a bad attitude, he didn’t suffer fools gladly and constantly ribbed the hero of the piece Donovan, labelling him “Gooder” because of his Do-gooding. He despatched the bad guys with ease and, on occasion, displayed a softer side, like the time he turned up as Santa Claus at a kids party.

One of the best tv characters of all time without a doubt.

Ironside went on to star in Top Gun, Total Recall and Highlander II but never achieved the status that he deserved. He now pops up in the odd film and appears infrequently in tv dramas.

Heres to the ultimate anti-hero, Michael Ironside.

A - Z Challenge: H

H is for.........................Hidalgo. This is a good old fashioned family film starring Viggo Mortensen from The Lord Of The Rings as Frank Hopkins who agrees to ride Hidalgo, his Mustang, in a 3000 mile race across the desert. Will the duo's bond be enough to help them survive, or even win? Check out the trailer.