Okay, so my new Horror/Sci-Fi novella, Boom Town, has nothing to do with super heroes…but then I thought,
or maybe it does! Not in the super-human sense, but in the ultimate human
sense. The two pre-teen characters, Brady and Kim, go through some things in
this story, and willingly put themselves in situations too, that speaks volumes
of the greatness we all have within ourselves, and of the many super things we
are all capable.
Where’s this going?
Well, with the release of the new Avengers movie less than a
month away, I want to talk about a couple of my favorite comic book movies. As
a kid I fell hard for ALL four of the Superman movies. I was also fond of the
Spiderman flicks. Then, of course, there was the Incredible Hulk TV series and
the “Greatest American Hero” (not a comic, but I had to throw Ralph in here). I
thought about all of these cool flicks we’ve been given over the last 15 years
or so. And despite loving a lot of them, for me two stand head and shoulders
above the rest: “Batman Begins” and “Iron
Man.”
What do they both have in common? Origins. I’m actually not
hip to the comic origins, but these two films f*&#ing rule. And it’s the
long beginnings that make the awesome middles and ends kick so much ass. It’s
the writing and the directing, and it’s the actors, too. Robert Downey Jr. and
Christian Bale disappear. I see only Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne. And it’s not just
them, either. The supporting actors in these films are top notch, as well.
Morgan Freeman, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Liam Neeson,
Katie Holmes….all right, I added Katie because she’s cute, but the rest kill
it.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that if one of these films is my
favorite, of course the other has to be right behind. We have similarities in
Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne. Both are good-looking, rich kids. Both have dead
parents. Both are extremely smart. Neither has “super human” powers, yet both
develop tools to make them appear as though they do. In the films, they are
each separated from the rich homes that they live in and find themselves in
harsh conditions on the other side of the planet. Sure, how and why they end up
there is different, but the results are the same. These men change. These men
see the world outside of themselves and hear a calling. They have the means to
become proactive in saving those who need saving. And they do. And they do it
in f&*%ing style.
Of course, Batman is dark and pretty scary. Bruce Wayne
plays up his rich, douche bag, playboy persona to portray the part the public
expects of him. And while his path starts off as more of a mission of
vengeance, he ultimately (thanks to Katie Holmes) accepts that revenge is not a
worthy driving force and becomes the true knight his city needs.
Iron Man, on the other hand, explodes on the scene ready for
the spotlight and for the world to see, front and center. Tony Stark, unlike
Mr. Wayne, left as a douche bag, but comes home ready to right his (or his
companies) wrongs. This, of course, does not jibe well with his business
partner, the perfectly played (by the Dude himself, Jeff Bridges) Obadiah
Stane. Watching Tony’s personal
transformation is pretty f*&#ing cool.
I love watching these two flicks. It’s exciting to watch
those fantastically scripted origins, and also seeing who turns out as the real
villains. Oh, the betrayal! But like I said at the start, it’s these origins
that draw you in, that make these characters feel so real, and make you pull so
hard for them when they create their super hero alter egos.
In my new novella, Boom
Town, you’ll find a few characters that may pull you in and surprise you as
to what common people, those who actually give a shit about their families,
their friends, and their towns, can do when faced with extraordinary
circumstances. What is that they’re up against? And what price will they pay? I
hope you’ll pick up a copy and find out.
And like the rest of the world, I am eagerly anticipating “Avengers 2.”
We won’t discuss my early thoughts on “Superman Vs. Batman”…
Thanks for reading along. I invite you to tell me what your
favorite hero-type movies are and what you think about Boom Town, too.
Cheers,
Glenn
Boom Town
Print Length: 81 pages
Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (April 7, 2015)
Terror
from below!
In
the summer of 1979, Eckert, Wisconsin, was the sight of the most unique UFO
encounter in history. A young couple observed a saucer-like aircraft hovering
over Hollers Hill. A blue beam blasted down from the center of the craft into
the hill and caused the ground to rumble for miles.
Now,
thirty years later, Eckert is experiencing nightly rumbles that stir up wild
rumors and garner outside attention. The earthly tremors are being blamed on
everything from earthquakes to underground earth dwellers. Two pre-teens
discover a pipe out behind Packard’s Flea Market uprooted by the “booms” and
come into contact with the powerful ooze bubbling from within. What begins as
curiosity will end in an afternoon of unbridled terror for the entire town.
"...Stephen
King-lite. (Boom Town) is quick, punchy and goes places you may not see coming
before the final page is swiped or turned." -
Horror After Dark
"Boom
Town is quick and entertaining read that harkens back to the 1980's brand of
small town (or intimate invasion) alien pieces. Like a reader’s digest version
of Late Night Horror Television presentations (every region had one, for me it
was "Fright Night Theatre") of "Invaders From Mars",
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Night of the Creeps" or
"Xtro"” – Zachary, Mouths of Madness Podcast
“Rolfe
weaves a wonderful tale of big, bad things happening to a small, good town. A
sure winner!” – Hunter Shea, author of Island of the Forbidden
and The Montauk Monster
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Glenn Rolfe is an author, singer, songwriter and all around fun loving guy from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King and Richard Laymon. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.
He is the author the ghost/mystery/thriller novella, ABRAM'S BRIDGE (Samhain Publishing, Jan. 2015) and his latest novella, a Horror/Sci-Fi mash-up, BOOM TOWN (Samhain Publishing). A full-length novel, BLOOD AND RAIN, will come out this Fall from Samhain Publishing and THINGS WE FEAR, a novella, is set to publish from Samhain in 2016.
His debut novel, THE HAUNTED HALLS (James Ward Kirk Publishing, 2014), is available now, as well as his short story collection, SLUSH (Alien Agenda Publishing, 2014).
Look for his punk rock band, The Never Nudes, on Amazon and Facebook.
Check out his website: www.glennrolfe.com
