Will iconic images recorded in the grooves of an ancient vase unite the Holy Land or rip it further apart?

THE VASE

A novel by Mark M. DeRobertis

Muhsin Muhabi is a Palestinian potter, descended from a long line of potters. His business is run from the same shop owned by his ancestors since the day his forebears moved to Nazareth. The region's conflict saw the death of his oldest son, and rogue terrorists are in the process of recruiting his youngest in their plot to assassinate the Pope and Israeli prime minister.

Professor Hiram Weiss is an art historian at Nazareth’s Bethel University. He is also a Shin Bet operative on special assignment. With the help of fellow agent, Captain Benny Mathias, he plans to destroy the gang responsible for the death of his wife and only child. He puts a bomb in the ancient vase he takes on loan from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.

Mary Levin, the charming assistant to the director of Shin Bet, has lost a husband and most of her extended family to recurring wars and never-ending terrorism. She dedicates her life to the preservation of Israel, but to whom will she dedicate her heart? The brilliant professor from Bethel University? Or the gallant captain who now leads Kidon?

Harvey Holmes, the Sherlock of Haunted Houses, is a Hollywood TV host whose reality show just flopped. When a Lebanese restaurant owner requests his ghost-hunting services, he believes the opportunity will resurrect his career. All he has to do is exorcise the ghosts that are haunting the restaurant. It happens to be located right across the street from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.




Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Sequels vs Remakes

I talked about sequels and series yesterday. What about remakes? That would apply to movies. And I must admit to being more apt to watch a movie than I am to read a book.

Some movies should be remade and some don't need to be remade. I think, for example, that the first King Kong movie, even though it is a classic and well made, should have been remade, if for no other reason than the new technology that has come about for special effects.

That first attempt to remake it, the one with Jessica Lange, was a flop. But the second remake, the one by Peter Jackson, now that one was terrific. King Kong is a fine example to show that a dated movie can or should be remade in this modern era, but care should be exercised so you don't take a classic and ruin it. But if it's a home run like Jackson's, then, heck yeah.

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