Posts Tagged ‘Death by Fruitcake Movie’

My Bestsellers, A Great Blue Christmas Review, and Quarry

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024

You may not know what my bestselling books actually are. And I don’t know for sure that these three novels have outsold everything else I’ve done – various editions of Road to Perdition for example – but they continue to sell and generate income.

They are on sale right now.

Supreme Justice cover
E-Book:
Executive Order cover
E-Book:
Fate of the Union cover
E-Book:

Supreme Justice, Fate of the Union and Executive Order will be $2.99 each starting 12/1/2024 and running through 12/31/2024. These are e-books not physical publications. (The physical editions are nice, just not on sale.)

The novels, the last of which was published in 2017, have some interesting themes, considering what has transpired in America since.

Supreme Justice dealt with a Conservative-stacked Supreme Court; Fate of the Union was about a multi-millionaire who runs for president and tries to overthrow the government; and Executive Order concerns a coup by the Secret Service to replace the President.

My co-author Matt Clemens and I have pitched several further Reeder-and-Rogers novels with Thomas & Mercer and have gotten nowhere, despite the strong sales of this (what now appears to be a) trilogy. As tumultuous as the politics are right now, Matt and I actually feel a little relieved not to be adding to the Reeder and Rogers canon. They take place somewhat in the future – not enough to be viewed as science-fiction certainly – and despite what some have posted on Amazon reviewing pages, the books do not take a political stand, at least not overtly. The politics of the two main characters are not the same, for one thing.

I mention all this because (a) you might have been unaware of them and that they are among my bestselling novels, and (b) they are on sale right now.

* * *
Blue Christmas banner

You’re going to have to put up with me talking about Blue Christmas for the next few weeks, since we need to encourage you to buy it on physical media or stream it on Amazon Prime (and a couple of other places) before Christmas 2024 is in the rear-view mirror. I encourage you to use Diabolik, but you can get it from Amazon, obviously. Don’t pay more than around twenty bucks, despite its official price of thirty or so.

We had hoped to do a few more Iowa advanced screenings of Death by Fruitcake, but that hasn’t jelled. We have not been helped by how late Thanksgiving came this year, and how suddenly we’re in December already.

I made a calculation that following Blue Christmas up with a second Christmas movie was the smart thing to do. I still think it was – particularly since the two movies are very different – but it made dealing with a limited theatrical release in our native Iowa become problematic. We did do very well with our Death by Fruitcake advanced screening in our native Muscatine, selling out the houses on the two nights we premiered the production.

We spent a little more money, and took a little more time, on Death By Fruitcake than we did Blue Christmas. I think it represents a step up. But I am grateful to the reviewers and, well, viewers who have been gracious about the micro-budget nature of Blue Christmas.

To all of you who have posted glowing reviews, positive Facebook posts and nice e-mails about our modest little effort, thank you so much…and merry Christmas.

One of the best reviews we’ve received is from the well-respected Douglas Pratt at his DVD-Laser Disc Newsletter.

Have a Blue Christmas!

We hate to spoil it, but it happens in the first few minutes anyway and it is just the very beginning of the film’s inspirations when you hear that the name of the grumpy detective’s dead partner, at the start of the VCI Entertainment MVDvisual Blu-ray, Blue Christmas), is ‘Jake Marley.’ It is 1942, and Marley was killed a year ago, of course, on Christmas Day. What happens when you take A Christmas Carol and cross it with The Maltese Falcon? Well, with a good-sized cast and the creative inspiration already in place, you get the most perfect community theater property to show up this side of Mamma Mia! That is how the very low budget film plays, but its imagination and wit are so compelling, and the Dickensian emotional hooks are so effectively preserved, that it can do no wrong. Written and directed by Max Allan Collins, Rob Merritt stars as a 4F detective who is running a reasonably successful detective agency in Chicago, even though he’s chintzy with his staff and blows off requests for charity. He falls asleep at his desk that night, and the visitors start coming, the first of which is his former partner, who needs him to find the killer. Everything else in the 79-minute feature is such a joy to discover, we will leave it to you with glad tidings.

The entire film was shot on a single set, mostly as the detective’s office, but redressed slightly for a few flashback scenes and the like. The one quibble we would have is that the film, shot on HD, is presented in widescreen format with an aspect ratio of about 2.35:1. It is very clear in scene after scene that there is not enough decoration to support the framing and that blocking the movie in a squared, full screen image would not only have given it greater production value, but would have better captured the Forties tone the film otherwise so lovingly conveys. Nevertheless, the colors are bright and sharp, and the endless string of instrumental Christmas tunes playing on the soundtrack are well served by the modest dimensionality of the stereo sound. There are optional English subtitles, a trailer, an excellent 26-minute profile of the Iowa-based Collins that barely mentions his work as a film director as it focuses on his prolific writing career (nothing like the Iowa cost of living when you’re trying to get by as a writer…), and an extensive 102-minute collection of post-screening interviews with almost the full cast and crew at different locations, as they all share their eagerness for the project and the enjoyment they had putting it together. Although she only appears in one of the Q&A’s, it is worth noting that regional actress Alisabeth Von Presley is as captivating in person as she is in the memorable part she plays in the film as the specific and inspired ghost of Christmas Past. Scot Gehret, as another inspired ghost of Christmas Future, also has several crowd pleasing moments in the interviews.

Collins and producer Chad Bishop provide a decent commentary track, talking about each cast member (including how they were chosen, their working methods, their personalities and many other details), the technical choices, the adjustments when they decided to do the whole thing in one location (they shot it at a college theater in Iowa in 6 days), how the story was gestated, its previous iterations, and what their own working relationship was like.

Doug Pratt’s ability to take the production on its own (admittedly limited) terms is textbook Good Reviewing.

* * *

I have delivered Return of the Maltese Falcon to Hard Case Crime and sister company Titan Books.

Publisher/editor Charles Ardai got back to me lightning fast, as is his habit, so the book has largely been put to bed – though not due out till January 2026. My Mike Hammer editor Andrew Sumner, at Titan, will be giving it an editorial pass soon, which will really finalize matters.

That gives me a year to be ready for what I think will be a lot of praise but possibly as many attacks. For readers of hardboiled/noir fiction – or just great American fiction – my providing a sequel to a work of this stature – takes a good deal of nerve…and maybe reckless abandon.

But I’m something of an old hand at taking over for my heroes – scripting Dick Tracy for fifteen years, completing Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer over a period of seventeen years. It’s done out of love and respect, I assure you. And I consider it an incredible privilege to walk in such shoes, despite the unlikelihood of ever really filling them.

* * *
Quarry's Return audiobook cover
Quarry’s Return Audiobook Cover

Sample Audio:

Trade Paperback: Bookshop Purchase Link Amazon Purchase Link Books-A-Million Purchase Link Barnes & Noble Purchase Link
E-Book: Google Play Kobo
Digital Audiobook: Audible Purchase Link Google Play Kobo
Audiobook CD: Amazon Purchase Link Books-A-Million Purchase Link
Audiobook MP3 CD: Amazon Purchase Link Books-A-Million Purchase Link

With all the fuss over my little movies here of late, the new Quarry has gotten a bit lost in the shuffle, But we have 24 Amazon reviews currently, all five-star.

And Barb and I are listening to Stefan Rudnicki’s reading of Quarry’s Return right now, and he’s done usual terrific job – he really gets it.

In case you didn’t see it, here’s the Publisher’s Weekly review.

QUARRY’S RETURN
Max Allan Collins. Hard Case Crime, $12.95 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-80336-876-4
Retired hit man Quarry returns to the killing business with ruthless efficiency in the highly satisfying 17th entry in Collins’s crime series (after Quarry’s Blood). When a journalist shows up at Quarry’s door searching for his daughter, bestselling true crime author Susan Breedlove, Quarry senses trouble. Predictably, the reporter turns out to be a hired assassin, and his expert knife skills make him more than a match for the 71-year-old ex-killer. Fortunately, Quarry’s former lover Luann Lloyd, who he believed was dead, arrives in the nick of time to rescue him. But Quarry’s daughter is far from safe; evidence suggests she’s been abducted while investigating a series of cold case murders, forcing Quarry to return to Port City, Iowa, where he met Susan’s mother and left contract killing, and where Susan had been conducting research. With Luann’s help, Quarry begins his own investigation into the killings Susan was writing about, in the belief that exposing the culprit will lead him to her. The fluid narration is better than ever, and Collins brings the proceedings to an exhilarating and unexpected conclusion. Fans will hope Quarry returns again soon.
* * *

I hope all of you had lovely Thanksgivings – we did, with a jaunt to the Amana Colonies for an incredible meal – and are dealing with the imminent arrival of Christmas.

Really comes roaring down the track this year.

M.A.C.

A Personal Note & A Premiere Weekend

Tuesday, November 5th, 2024

I try to keep politics out of these updates – having no desire to offend my “customers” (as a great writer would often call his readers), much less my personal friends and business associates – but this election is just too important. Please support Kamala Harris for President. I’d like to wake up on November 6 still in a democracy, with the rule of law respected (and fluoride in the water, since I haven’t had a cavity since 1966).

* * *

This week in our home town of Muscatine, Iowa, the Palms Theater hosted a world premiere of our new film, Death by Fruitcake. We had near full houses both nights (Friday and Saturday Nov. 1 and 2) with star Paula Sands appearing on both nights, co-star Alisabeth Von Presley on Saturday night and their co-star Rob Merritt (star of Blue Christmas!) appearing on Friday evening.

Death by Fruitcake brings the main characters of the Antiques novels to life, as created by my lovely and incredibly talented wife Barbara and her tagalong husband. Antiques Slay Belles, the latest in the novel series, is out now. Paula inhabits the uninhibited Vivian Borne and Alisabeth her long-suffering daughter Brandy. And they do an absolutely stellar job of it.

The screenings weren’t flawless. These were our first showings anywhere other than on our computers and Death by Fruitcake is primarily intended for television (streaming most likely) and physical media (Blu-ray and DVD). None of that marketing has begun, as the film is intended for a 2025 holiday release. So there were bumps, chiefly of the audio variety (softer image and audio on Friday, and still not ideal audio on Saturday). But they were eminently watchable and got a terrific reaction from both audiences, with lots of laughs and a good deal of fun at the red carpet event before and after, thanks to the efforts of producer/director of photography/editor Chad Bishop. Q and A with many cast members took place each night after the screening, and excerpts will appear on the eventual physical media.

Almost all of the cast made it to one of the two performances, so it was a star-studded night.

We are talking to the Last Picture House in Davenport and to the Collins Road Theater in Cedar Rapids about a few more advance screenings of Death by Fruitcake (stayed tuned) and the Palms in Muscatine is starting a one-week run on Friday Nov. 8 through Thursday Nov. 14. (I will likely be there on Friday for the two evening showings.)

Blue Christmas may be shown in other Fridley theaters around the state (we’re still talking) and at the Last Picture and maybe Collins Road (workin’ on it, as Bret Maverick once said). And of course the Blu-ray and DVD of Blue Christmas are available now from VCI/MVD (and can be found easily at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and numerous other on-line retailers).

For now, enjoy these photos from our wonderful weekend event with our stars and two lovely crowds at the Palms Theater in Muscatine.


Much of the cast is on hand to display the Number 2 for an infamous on-screen moment of Vivian Borne’s questionable taste during an interrogation (interview!). Front row (left to right): Producer Chad Bishop, Paula Sands, Alisabeth Von Presley, M.A.C., Barbara Collins; second row (left to right ) Tommy Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt, Tracy Pelzer-Timm, Ben Rollins, Chris Causey, Brian Linderman, Rene Mauck.

Alisabeth Von Presley (Brandy), M.A.C., Paula Sands (Vivian) on the red carpet at the Palms Theater.

Q & A with Alisabeth and Paula after the Saturday night screening.

Our gorgeous Brandy and Vivian (Alisabeth Von Presley and Paula Sands).

Source Writer/Production Manager Barbara Collins and Writer/Director M.A.C. — with Bella as Sushi!

Writer/director M.A.C. and producer/d.p./editor Chad Bishop

Star Rob Merritt and co-star Tommy Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt

Tommy and lovely co-star Cassidy Probasco

M.A.C.

Movies and Me

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024

[Bulletin: THE PALMS THEATER WEB SITE IS BACK UP! ORDER TICKETS HERE.]

For those of you in the eastern Iowa (and nearby Illinois) area who have been wanting to get advance tickets to the Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 premiere screenings at the Palms Theatre in Muscatine, you will have probably noticed that for some days now the Palms web site has been essentially down.

Tickets are available through Fandango, however.

Tickets for the Friday Nov. 1 screening at 7 pm – with stars Paula Sands and Rob Merritt on hand, as well as myself and numerous others from cast and crew – can be purchased here.

Tickets for the Saturday Nov. 2 screening at 7 pm – with stars Paula Sands and Alisabeth Von Presley on hand, as well as myself and numerous others from cast and crew – can be purchased here.

We’re sorry about the difficulties with the Palms web site, and by the time you read this those difficulties may have been remedied. But for now (on 10-21-24), the Fandango link is what you’ll want to use.

Right now these are the only screenings scheduled for this year, although the Last Picture House in Davenport has expressed a strong interest in having us.

We also will likely have limited runs of Blue Christmas at the Palms in Muscatine and other Fridley Chain theaters in Iowa, as well as at the Last Picture House…but those plans are not yet firmed up.

Blue Christmas will be out on Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 12 from VCI and MVD. They can be ordered from Amazon here.

Barb and I, as co-authors of the long-running Antiques mystery-novel series, are thrilled with having Death By Fruitcake to demonstrate how effectively our concept can be transferred to the screen. We’ve come very close over the years, with tons of interest from networks and streamers, but it never quite happened. Which is why we decided to do it ourselves, and show how we think it should be done – specifically including breaking the fourth wall, so that Brandy and Vivian can talk directly to the audience from time to time, invoking the unconventional and (we think) fun rule-breaking style of the books.

Two releases in the Antiques/Trash ‘n’ Treasures mystery novel series are imminent.

The new one, Antiques Slay Belles, will be available on Nov. 5.

The previous one, Antiques Foe, is available in a handsome full-size trade paperback on Oct. 29.

Antiques Slay Belles by Barbara Allan
Hardcover:
E-Book: Nook Kobo Google PLay
Antiques Foe by Barbara Allan
Paperback:

We must point out that our publisher (Severn House) is British and sometimes the books are hard to find in the USA – distribution to Barnes & Noble appears limited. So please take advantage of the links above, or buy from whatever on-line bookseller you like and trust (this includes Barnes & Noble). [Target Circle has a “buy 1 get 1 50% off select books” deal active through October 26, and both Barbara Allan books (and more) are eligible. –Nate]

We’ve had good support for our efforts with both our film of Blue Christmas and Death By Fruitcake, with the naysayers being exclusively people who haven’t seen either movie yet – just are contemptuous of any film that doesn’t have a Hollywood budget and the name stars that go with it.

For Death by Fruitcake, we are fortunate to have two regional celebrities in Emmy-winning broadcaster Paula Sands and American Idol/American Songwriter Contest pop sensation Alisabeth Von Presley. Alisabeth, of course, is in Blue Christmas along with Fruitcake co-star Rob Merritt, who is by our yardstick the most successful actor in this part of the world.

I have enjoyed getting back to indie filmmaking and, if it’s not too impractical at my age, to possibly do more of it. I’ve been blessed to have a certain amount of bigtime Hollywood success in Road to Perdition and the Quarry TV series; and fairly big success with The Expert debuting in primetime on HBO and Mommy appearing in primetime on Lifetime. And both Mommy movies were video store hits back in the Blockbuster days. I’ve had things on Iowa PBS (notably Eliot Ness: An Untouchable Life) and written several independent features for others, including the Quarry-derived The Last Lullaby and the upcoming Mickey Spillane’s Saturday Night in Cap City.

My point, if there is one, is that this notion of letting budget stand in the way of telling stories is a self-imposed limitation. Sure, Blue Christmas would be “better” if I’d had multiple locations and a bunch of Hollywood acting talent. But figuring out how to tell my story with talented local actors (pro and pro-am) on a single set, and shoot it in six days, was how I was able to finally get a project done (Blue Christmas) that I’d been trying to do since 1995.

Death By Fruitcake was a matter of choosing an Antiques story that could be told using limited locations – and the novella Antiques Fruitcake in the three-novella collection Antiques Ho Ho Homicide was perfect. I knew, from having done Mickey Spillane’s Encore for Murder and Blue Christmas with non-Hollywood talent that Death By Fruitcake was possible. And for all the limitations our micro budget imposed upon us, I could not be prouder of the result.

It’s incredibly gratifying for Barb and me to see Brandy and her mother brought so fully to life by two gifted comic actresses, Alisabeth Von Presley and Paula Sands.

Some of you may have to wait till next year to see it, but I’m confident we’ll get Fruitcake out there in some form for you to partake of a slice. And look for announcements about streaming service availability of Blue Christmas soon.

Although…if you have Blu-ray, the VCI release is packed full of extra features.

Here’s some great area coverage of the Fruitcake premiere weekend.

M.A.C.