The Writer's Life 6/27 - Undeterred

I caught up to The Maze Runner (2014) last night, courtesy of Netflix. Adapted from the novel by James Dashner, it melds elements from forerunners into a routine sci-fi/horror fest. It has elements of the Jurassic Park and Alien series, as well as William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies. The premise is simple: a large group of youths are placed in an isolated setting where they must learn to survive. None has any but fleeting memories of the past. They are enclosed in a large area surrounded by four high walls. Each day a part opens up to a maze. The slot closes before nightfall, and the runners must vacate to avoid ravenous nocturnal creatures. Will the maze lead them out of the predicament and back to the real world? Why were they put there? By film’s end, the questions are answered. I was unfamiliar with the young cast, which acquits itself adequately. The real star is the maze, the impressive set. I sense this is a case where those who have read the book will appreciate the flick more than those who haven’t. I wasn’t bored, but neither was I absorbed during the less than two-hour running time. The film was a winner financially. I’m surprised the budget was “only” 34 million. It brought in 102 million in the U. S. alone, which green-lighted a sequel, which I’ll probably skip. It was directed by Wes Ball, his first time at the helm of a full feature. Since it turned a tidy profit, he will get more work, which will reveal the extent of his talent. Rated PG-13, its violence is suggestive, cloaked in darkness, rather than explicit. 221,000+ users at IMDb have rated it, forging to a consensus of 6.9 of ten. On a scale of five, I say 2.5.

Despite an acute sense of futility, I've managed to continue to write and to promote my work. Some days that sense is more forbidding than others. Such was the case today, as the forecast all but guaranteed rain in the early afternoon. I forced myself to set up shop at the foot of the elevated train station at Bay Parkway, where I'm able to scramble to shelter immediately. I brought about a third of the wares I usually do and would not risk displaying my own books, knowing what moisture does to the covers. I simply wore my trusty sign around my neck, advertising my madness. While I didn't sell any of my books, I got lucky with other stuff. My thanks to the woman who bought three books and the gentleman who bought two DVDs, all in Russian. Not pressing my luck, I left at one PM.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/