THE ROSS THOMAS AWARD

Last year saw the first annual Ross Thomas Award given out for best first line.

This year the award is taking on a little bigger scope with a pretty impressive list of judges from the mystery community.Intermediate judges to whittle the list down and final judges to pick from the short list.

Nominations are open to any thriller or mystery or crime fiction book from 2005 in the English language. The nominations are open to the public and you can enter as many first lines as you'd like. Nominate first lines here




Here's the official press release:

For immediate release
Contacts:

Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine jon@crimespreemag.com

Jim Huang, The Drood Review
jim@themysterycompany.com

SECOND ROSS THOMAS AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN

The Drood Review and Crimespree Magazine announce that nominations are now open for this year’s Ross Thomas Prize, given annually to the best first line in a thriller or mystery novel. This year’s contest will include a significantly expanded panel of judges, and is expected to attract over a thousand entries.

Nominations must be made at Ross Thomas Best First Line Award by July 1, 2006. The first lines of all novels published in the English language in the calendar year 2005 are eligible, including hard covers, paperbacks, and electronic novels released by commercial presses or self-published. Nominations can be made by readers, publishers, publicists, agents, and authors. Authors are encouraged to nominate their own work.

A short list of finalists will be announced August 1, and the winner will be announced September 28, 2006, at Bouchercon in Madison, Wisconsin. Judges this year include librarians, critics, booksellers, authors and industry experts. Among those serving are Lee Child, Laura Lippman, Bleak House Books’ Ben Leroy, Raymond Kearney, Bill Fitzhugh, Mark Billingham, Cara Black, Sarah Weinman, Maggie Griffin, and David Montgomery, plus many others.

Last year’s winner was Jennifer Apodaca of Los Angeles for the first line of Ninja Soccer Moms:

“The thing about revenge is it takes a woman who is well and truly pissed to get it right.”

The Ross Thomas Prize is given with permission of Ross Thomas’s widow, Rosalie.





Rick Riordan on Tour

Rick Riordan is on tour with his latset book, the second in his young adult series featuring Percy Jackson. The book is called THE SEA OF MONSTERS and it is a follow up to last years THE LIGHTENING THIEF. Three more are planned for the series and a script is being written fo a major studio film by the sripter from Shrek. The books are amzing and grand fun.

Fans of the Tres Navarre series need not despair, the next Tres book should be out next spring.

I am so happy to see things really going well for Rick, he's a hell of a nice guy and a hell of a writer. At tonights event he had both kids and adults eating out of his hands. It's a great presentation that gets the young and old interested. Rick really is right at home telling stories.




Now go get this great new Book!!!!





THE SEA OF MONSTERS!!





Two More DVD reviews - Crash and Blue Thunder

Crash (2-Disc Director's Cut Edition)
Lion’s Gate home entertainment

Since Crash won the Oscar for best picture; views on this film seem to have become fairly passionate. While many feel it was the best film on 05, others are suggesting it is the worst film ever to win the Oscar. Anne Proulx, author of the story that Brokeback Mountain is based on, called the film “trash”. Of course this was in the middle of a diatribe that would cause even a ten year old to question her maturity.
My own thoughts are this: Crash is a very good film with some absolutely amazing performances. They got great performances out of Ryan Phillippe and Sandra Bullock for God’s sake! When you put together a cast featuring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Terrance Howard, Brendan Fraser, it is hard to make a bad one. Having said that, Crash is also a bit heavy handed and overly preachy at times. Considering the subject matter, it would be hard to avoid these accusations. Crash seems to want to teach us something in every scene and, as a result of this, the films suffers. I think if they had stepped back in a couple of scenes, the impact of the overall film would have been greater.I am in no way suggesting Crash is a bad film, it is worth seeing. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to suggest that everyone does. It will make you think, regardless of your own views on the ethnic groups around you. Is Crash the best film of the year? Perhaps not, but certainly a must see movie.
Special Features:
The two disc edition features outstanding commentary by Director/writer Haggis, co- writer Bobby Moresco and actor/producer Don Cheadle. The commentary really adds some insight into the intentions of the writers as well as how Don felt about the film and the people in it.
Also included are deleted scenes with comments from the director, 3 featuettes (Behind the Metal and Glass: the making of Crash, L.A. The other main character and Unspoken) as well as looks at how screnes changed from the script or storyboards to when the scene was actually shot. You also get some musical montages and the video of Bird York’s In the Deep.
The featurettes show just how strongly felt about the material. This really shows just how powerful the script is and how deep the emotions run when it comes to the stereotypes that are common is everyday life.
Even if you bought the first DVD, it would be worth picking up this special edition.
Jeremy Lynch


Blue Thunder: (Special Edition)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

LAPD helicopter patrol pilot Frank Murphy is assigned to test-pilot the Blue Thunder, a new hi-tech helicopter designed for riot control at the 1984 LA Olympics. The Blue Thunder has been built with heavy weaponry targeted through the pilot's headgear, infra-red cameras, armor casing, silent rotors and has computer access to all government files. But as the tests begin, Frank discovers that the plans for Blue Thunder include not just riot control but assassination and government surveillance as well. Frank decides that his only recourse is to steal the Blue Thunder. But this has him hunted through the skies of L.A. by the Blue Thunder's designers, who are determined to bring him down.

Roy Schieder plays Frank and brings a sense of everyman to the role. Daniel Stern plays his sidekick and the late Warren Oates (who passed away before the film was released) is their grumpy but good captain. Hey, what is a police film without a grumpy captain?
Malcolm McDowell is deliciously foul as Col Cochrane, one of the Blue Thunder designers and somebody that Frank worked with in Vietnam.
Blue Thunder is average fare. It is a fun, thriller that plays up the potential for a Big Brother government right before the year 1984 actually came about. If you did not see it in the theatres, it is worth watching. I would call it the kind of film you want to spend your weekend afternoon watching. Not spectacular, but certainly a good time.
Special features:
Featurettes that cover the making of the helicopter, the making of the movie, and a promotional piece from 1983. Also included are storyboard galleries, director’s commentary and the original theatrical trailer.
Jeremy Lynch

DVD releases for April 4th

We start off April with some nice titles. Picture of the year Crash has 2-disc set that is quite nice. One of my favorite films of my early teens, Blue Thunder, is now out with some extras. While it is not a great film, it has held up surprisingly well over the last two decades. In addition to these, MCA has put out seasons of A-Team, Knight Rider and Magnum P.I. Gotta love the 80s. Check out the reviews for some of these titles than be found in other posts here on Crime Central.
Jeremy Lynch
Entertainment Editor.
Apr 4th
A-Team: Season 4
(1985-86) George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Mr. T. Three-disc set, $49.98 Extras: The Great '80s Flashback. (MCA)
Buy A-Team Season Four Here
Blue Thunder: The Special Edition
(1983) Dir.: John Badham; Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Daniel Stern $19.94 Extras: Commentary by Badham, the film's editor and the film's motion control supervisor; "Ride With the Angels" making-of featurette; "The Special" building the Blue Thunder helicopter featurette; 1983 promotional featurette. (Sony).
Buy Blue Thunder Here
Crash Special Edition
(2005) Dir.: Paul Haggis; Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Tony Danza. Two-disc set, $26.98. Extras: Introduction by writer-director Paul Haggis, commentary by Haggis and Cheadle, deleted scenes, "Behind the Metal and Glass" making-of featurette, featurette on Haggis, "L.A. - The Other Main Character" featurette, "Unspoken" featurette, music montages, script-to-screen comparisons, storyboard-to-screen comparisons, Bird York "In the Deep" music video. (Lionsgate).
Buy Crash The Special Edition here
Dirty
(2005) Dir: Chris Fisher; Cuba Gooding jr., Clifton Collins jr., Cole Hauser. $24.96 Extras: Commentary with Director Chris Fisher and Cinematographer Eliot Rocket, Deleted Scenes, "Gettin' Dirty" Premiere featurette, Skateboarding/Breakdancing featurette, "Chump" Music Video by OH NO. (Sony)
Buy Dirty here
Knight Rider: Season Four
(1985-86) David Hasselhoff. Three-disc set, $49.98 Extras: The Great '80s Flashback, K.I.T.T. Blueprints (MCA)
Buy Kight Rider here
Magnum P.I. Season four
(1983-84) Tom Seleck Three-disc set, $49.98 Extras: The Great '80s Flashback. (MCA)
See Review on this Blog
Buy Magnum PI Season 4 here

Magnum P.I.

Magnum P.I. – The complete Fourth season.
MCA Home video
Release date: April 4th, 2006

Season 4 of Magnum P.I. saw the series win it’s first Emmy as Tom Seleck picked up the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Overall the season is a strong one that starts out with a truly great episode that is one of the best of the series.
Home at Sea. After a boating accident, Thomas is left treading water in the ocean. As the hours go on, an increasingly fatigued Thomas relies on memories of his childhood to give him strength while waiting for rescue. A very emotional episode with an ending could bring even the strongest man to tears. Home At Sea by itself is worth the price of the season 4 set.
This season also sees the debut of Eugene Roche as Louis Dobbs, an old school P.I. from St. Louis. Roche appeared in five episodes throughout the series and two of them are featured here.

All in all, season 4 was as strong as any in the series. The writers and cast had clearly developed a good sense of the characters and had some great chemistry. I write this with a smile, having just relived some wonderful times with Magnum and co.

Jeremy Lynch