Silent Humor

By Jamie London

 The most popular show on television now is Mad Men. Not only are devotees captivated by the complex characters and the captivating storyline - they love the series insider look at the intriguing world of advertising. The crazy creatives, the back-stabbing and politics, the demanding clients.

Now theres a great new novel that provides readers that same entree to the world of advertising, but with a contemporary setting, a suspenseful plot and a heap of laughs along the way to a big surprise ending.

COMMERCIAL BREAK, by Keith Harmeyer, is the story of Adam Glassman, a worn out ad man who gives new meaning to the word “creativity” when he dreams up what would possibly be the biggest idea of his career - a way to swindle his contemptible clients out of millions and make a fresh start.

A chain of unpredicted obstacles makes the set up even more difficult than Adam imagined. There’s Harry Steck, an unsavory private investigator, hired by a disgruntled former employee to dig up dirt on Adamwith life-threatening consequences. And Samantha Winningham, the attractive young art director whose affair with Adam may cause the whole plan to fall apart, and land Adam in prison.

Eventually, the pieces are in place. All that is left on Super Bowl Sunday are a group of eager clients, a very nervous would-be con man, and one burning question : can he get away with it?

COMMERCIAL BREAK is MAD MEN meets THE PRODUCERS - unpredictable, fast-paced, and sometimes laugh-out-loud hilarious, with the type of out of the ordinary storyline and rich characters enjoyed by readers of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard.

COMMERCIAL BREAK is highly recommended reading. It just might be the best novel you read this year. Give it a look!

Buy COMMERCIAL BREAK, by Keith Harmeyer, at http://www.CommercialBreakTheNovel.com and at Amazon.

How The Art Of The Unspoken Word Can Be Funny

Movie reviews The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

By Mr D Stevens

 Movie Reviews this week looks at The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard a riotous comedy produced by Will Ferell (Wedding Crashers)

It stars Jeremy Piven (Entourage) as Don Ready, a car sales man that has been brought in by Ben Selleck played by James Brolin (played Ronald Reagan in The Reagans, and father of Josh, he looks remarkably like an older Christian Bale), to help save his business.

Don brings along his team Ving Rhames (Pulp fiction) as Jibby Newsome, David Koechner (Saturday Night Live) as dependable Brent Gage, the lovely Kathryn Hahn (Revolutionary Road) as Babs Merrick.

In his attempt to improve sales they hire a DJ, and advertise the event, and when the day comes Don and his crew are pretty good at delivering at their promises, using every and anything to “Hard sell” people into buying from Selleck’s cars.

However things are not as easy going as Don first thought, as there is a competing car lot, owned by Stu Harding played by Alan Thicke (The Trial of Red Riding Hood), whose son Paxton Harding played by Ed Helms (The Hangover) is chasing a music career with his group “The Bigups” and is a fiance to Tammy, daughter of Ben Selleck played by the lovely Jordana Spiro (My Boys).

Will Ferell makes an appearance as McDermott ill fated friend during a time in Alberquerque.

Don finds out that he would like to settle down rather than be on the road all the time, as expected he soon starts falling for Ivy, but seeing she is already engaged to Paxton, his chances are pretty slim.

It has some classic funny moments, notably including Will Ferell and a sky diving jump, and Babs seducing a man into buying a car by tapping into his fantasy. The always on edge Dick Lewiston played by Charles Napier (Austin Powers 2) who seems to talk about his dislike of others has some memorable scenes, the prelude prior to all the employees picking up on the sole “Japanese” employee Teddy Dang, played by Ken Jeong (his scenes in the hilarious The Hangover has to be seen) is memorable simply for the way Dick stares at him, as Don tries to encourage them for the big sell.

Mr D Stevens is a reviewer at Movie reviews

silent humor

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