What's Odd About Thomas?

Saturday Stories

July 25 Edition

What's Odd About Thomas?

January 21, 2015, Wednesday

I watched Odd Thomas and I found it a struggle to avoid comparing the movie to the book. I just finished reading it the other day.

As a reader I was deeply moved and as a writer I was really impressed with its effortless grace. I've read a lot of Dean Koontz's novels and this is what I liked best. I like Anton Yelchin as Odd. The film is fine on the main elements except for Odd basking in the media spotlight which is totally out of character.

I think the people behind the film are not aware of how deep the story really is. They didn't include Terri, the owner of the restaurant where Odd works as a short order cook; and they reduced Odd's mentor Ozzie to a tasteless cameo. These are two of Odd's emotional and psychological anchors. I had John Goodman and Michelle Pfeiffer in my mental movie version. I would consider it a great privilege to have people like them in my own life.

Odd Thomas

I can relate to the way Odd has created a simple and quiet life for himself. He is surrounded by people who love him even if he is different from every else.

Huggybear Journals

February 13, 2015, Friday

It was Friday the 13th as I was reading Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 horror classic Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde near midnight of February 2015.

"The creature who crept into my house that night," as Lanyon wrote to Utterson, "was, on Jekyll's own confession, known by the name of Hyde and hunted for in every corner of the land as the murderer of Carew." 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Movie

with Spencer Tracy