Recently there have been some rumors and official releases out of Hollywood that have me, and other movie lovers, concerned. The first was a rumor about Ben Affleck and Matt Damon doing a remake of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and the other, an honest-to-goodness press release that a studio is going to do a brand new DIRTY DOZEN. In the former case, the writers of Entertainment Weekly were quick to lash out at the idiocy of such a propsal. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID is a much loved, western classic. Near perfection to most fans. So what’s the logic behind wanting to remake it? Ergo, the folks going after the World War II combat classic, want to modernize the story. Huh? So who are the supposed convicts recruits going to be fighting now, arab terrorists? Oh, please, give us a break!! When you consider the fact, and this is simply the law of percentages, that the majority of movies Hollywood puts out every year are just plain awful, you begin to understand why good..or bettet yet, great films are rare..and cherished. Leave them alone. In the past, such stupid attempts have resulted in
trashy, dumb results foisted on the public, lured in by curiosity. Anyone remember
PSYCHO not with Anthony Perkins?? There was one.
Duh! Or how about THE FLIGHT OF THE PHONENIX, albeit a half-way decent action piece, when viewed back to back the original Jimmy Steward original, once again I’m left scratching my head in bewilderment.

Movies aren’t cheap. Even the smallest ones cost millions to make. So, Hollywood moguls, why do you waste all that money on making movies NOBODY wants to see? Where, on the other hand, you have vaults and vaults filled with bad movies just begging to be remade…right! Anyone remember WILD WILD WEST? Oh, please, I know college film students who could have made a better movie. So, come on people, if you agree with me, let’s start spreading one phrase around the internet so that the film people wake up. That pharase…REMAKE BAD MOVIES!!! I want to see bumper stickers.

And before I get a half dozen letters pointing out Peter Jackson’s remake of my beloved KING KONG was brilliant, let me say..YES. It was! But then again, he is the exception that proves the rule. Not every director is Peter Jackson, to our dismay. REMAKE BAD MOVIES!!! It has a certain ring to it, doesn’t

Look out pulp world, here I come. Last weekend, Wild Cat Book publisher, Ron Hanna, graciously invited me to attend PulpCon with him this year. I said okay. I’ve never done a Pulp convention before and am very, very excited about going to this one. It’s held in Dayton, Ohio from 3Aug to 6Aug. So, if any of you loyal airmen are in the area, please stop on by. I hope to be signing copies of..BROTHER GRIM..
THE HOUNDS OF HELL..CAPTAIN HAZZARD-PYTHON MEN OF THE LOST CITY (out in two more weeks) and
BILL BARNES-AIR ADVENTURER. Geez, I never had this many title before me at the comic cons. Ha. Looks to be a great show and here’s hoping I meet lots of new fans/airmen.

And lastly, although Spring officially kicked off this past week, and the weather here in New Hampshire has been shockingly nice, we loyal Red Sox fans are eagerly awaiting Monday, 3 April, when the new 2006 baseball season kicks off. They’ll be in Texas playing the Rangers. And that my friends, is the real start of Spring.
Enjoy.

Till next week, Ron, over and out.