In the NY Times this morning,there was an article about the upcoming Rick Moody book The Diviners but not about the content of the pages but the cover art. At Book Expo America,the publishers saw folks not bother to pick up copies(I already had a copy from work so I didn't grab one either)from the huge display and did some checking around as to why. Their main concern was that women were rejecting it due to the cover,so they changed it.
Hopefully,the link in the title will show you the difference but just in case,I'll describe the artwork in question-the Advance Reader's Copy(ARC for short)has a large wraparound battle scene bathed in a bright golden aura with a Robert E. Howard theme. The front of the jacket has a barbarian warrior holding aloft a forked branch as he is perched atop a large rock. The new jacket has the same has the same Conan wannabe but his image is now shown on a movie screen in a darkened theater.
Normally I would be against cover change just on general principle(my dad was an artist)but in this case,I think they may have the right idea. When I first saw the ARC,I thought it was some Robert Jordan hunk of junk but then I looked at it later and noticed the author's name. I was going"Rick Moody? Ice Storm Rick Moody?"(I saw the movie). I have to confess that I've only read an introduction written by Moody for The Mayor of Casterbridge(and it was very well done-got me to atleast try to read it but Thomas Hardy outdones Hawthorne in the major league angst department)but this cover with his name on it intrigued me. However,in this biz
one look is all some folks give a book and a bad cover does turn people off,especially if you're
not a name brand author.
My only suggestion would've been to project the barbarian onto a TV screen-the plot of the book(yes Virginia,there's a plot)is about a woman trying to launch a miniseries about the history of diviners-water finding folk,hence the Mr. Pointy held by the He-Man cover boy. Women are central characters in the novel which is the main reason Time Warner was nervous about the
lack of feminine interest. I wish Rick Moody and co. well and just hope the book gets good publicity from the reviews so that this cover art change doesn't become a harbinger of bad book sales.
Pop Culture Princess
especially welcome to extensive readers
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Bad Movie Month:The Final Chapter
It took me awhile to select the final entry to wrap up BBM-so many choices,from Showgirls to Gigli(didn't see Gigli,which made the choice abit easier)and beyond. Even looked thru my MST3K sets for inspiration but then a moment of clarity came forth and a conversation with one of my co-workers popped into view. We had been discussing why Hollywood can't make a simple genre adaptation work(in particular,comic books and video games,which was really his pet peeve-I personally don't believe that any video game can beget a good movie since the whole nature of games require some interaction and skill which a movie is not meant to deliever) and I brought up one of my pet peeves,Hideaway.
Hideaway was a mid-ninties horror film based on a Dean Koontz novel(back then,I think he was still called Dean R. Koontz)which was pretty cool but the movie was such a crapfest that Koontz sued the studio to take his name off the picture(a second go around for director Bret Leonard who had Stephen King win a similar lawsuit for Lawnmower Man,a way better sci-fi flick.)Being a Koontz fan,I couldn't blame him but did see the damn thing anyway(and bought the soundtrack because I liked the opening song,"Go to Hell" I hang my head in shame.) Jeff Goldblum starred as Hatch Harrison,an antiques dealer who died in a car crash but only long enough to come back from the dead with a psychic connection to a punky serial killer(Jeremy Sisto) who soon sets his sights on Hatch's daughter,Regina,as portrayed by a pre-Batgirl Alicia Silverstone.
Alicia was the main probelm with the adaptation(no,not her acting)-in the book,Hatch and his wife adopted a little girl after his near death experience who was physically handicapped. Regina was not a Little Nell sterotype;she was a smart,good natured character in her own right. Of course,Hollywood loves kid in jeopardy stuff but they were anxious to hook the MTV audience so hey,let's turn her into Jeff's firstborn kid and make her a sexy teenager but for some extra angst,we can make up a younger sister that gets hit by a car to make Jeff even more protective of his daughter!
The rewrite clearly shows in one early scene when the fatal car crash happens;Jeff and wife Christine Lahti take Alicia on a picnic or something(bear with me,haven't seen this sucker in a while)and during the accident,Alicia is conveniantly given the chance to escape the teetering auto just before it goes over. Gee,it helps to be a character that's not supposed in that part of the story in the first place,doesn't it?
I do have to admit that Jeremy Sisto was good casting as Vassago(he excells at being creepycool,which got him that gig on Six Feet Under)-too bad he wasn't made as interesting as the novel's version was. Alfred Molina gets some screen time to explain how Sisto fits into the plot but winds up being another victim,along with the audience. I won't even go into the goofy
F/X used for the final showdown,which looks videogamish in a bad way. So sad to see a potentially good story get grinded up in the multiplex mill.
Dean Koontz really has bad luck with film adaptations-the closest to a good one was the TV miniseries,Intensity(the French thriller,High Tension,has some plot similarites but they diverge on a major plot twist). It's a shame because while guys like Stephen King have a good mix of books-to-film adaptations(high point,Misery and The Shawshank Redemption-low point,Carrie 2 and Pet Semetary),a fella with really great storytelling skills can't seem to cut a break in this department. Granted,I'm not fond of his series titles-the Christopher Snow books and now the Frankenstein titles leave me cold-but when Dean gets his plot on,get ready for a meaty sucker that you can gleefully sink your teeth into.
Hideaway was a mid-ninties horror film based on a Dean Koontz novel(back then,I think he was still called Dean R. Koontz)which was pretty cool but the movie was such a crapfest that Koontz sued the studio to take his name off the picture(a second go around for director Bret Leonard who had Stephen King win a similar lawsuit for Lawnmower Man,a way better sci-fi flick.)Being a Koontz fan,I couldn't blame him but did see the damn thing anyway(and bought the soundtrack because I liked the opening song,"Go to Hell" I hang my head in shame.) Jeff Goldblum starred as Hatch Harrison,an antiques dealer who died in a car crash but only long enough to come back from the dead with a psychic connection to a punky serial killer(Jeremy Sisto) who soon sets his sights on Hatch's daughter,Regina,as portrayed by a pre-Batgirl Alicia Silverstone.
Alicia was the main probelm with the adaptation(no,not her acting)-in the book,Hatch and his wife adopted a little girl after his near death experience who was physically handicapped. Regina was not a Little Nell sterotype;she was a smart,good natured character in her own right. Of course,Hollywood loves kid in jeopardy stuff but they were anxious to hook the MTV audience so hey,let's turn her into Jeff's firstborn kid and make her a sexy teenager but for some extra angst,we can make up a younger sister that gets hit by a car to make Jeff even more protective of his daughter!
The rewrite clearly shows in one early scene when the fatal car crash happens;Jeff and wife Christine Lahti take Alicia on a picnic or something(bear with me,haven't seen this sucker in a while)and during the accident,Alicia is conveniantly given the chance to escape the teetering auto just before it goes over. Gee,it helps to be a character that's not supposed in that part of the story in the first place,doesn't it?
I do have to admit that Jeremy Sisto was good casting as Vassago(he excells at being creepycool,which got him that gig on Six Feet Under)-too bad he wasn't made as interesting as the novel's version was. Alfred Molina gets some screen time to explain how Sisto fits into the plot but winds up being another victim,along with the audience. I won't even go into the goofy
F/X used for the final showdown,which looks videogamish in a bad way. So sad to see a potentially good story get grinded up in the multiplex mill.
Dean Koontz really has bad luck with film adaptations-the closest to a good one was the TV miniseries,Intensity(the French thriller,High Tension,has some plot similarites but they diverge on a major plot twist). It's a shame because while guys like Stephen King have a good mix of books-to-film adaptations(high point,Misery and The Shawshank Redemption-low point,Carrie 2 and Pet Semetary),a fella with really great storytelling skills can't seem to cut a break in this department. Granted,I'm not fond of his series titles-the Christopher Snow books and now the Frankenstein titles leave me cold-but when Dean gets his plot on,get ready for a meaty sucker that you can gleefully sink your teeth into.
Friday, August 19, 2005
"We will bring you the limp and beaten body of Bob Barker!"
I've been browsing thru Ken Tucker's book,Kissing Bill O'Reilly-Roasting Miss Piggy:100 things I love/hate about Television,and find him to be a rather grouchy fellow. I use to read his tv write-ups in Entertainment Weekly and enjoy some of his opinions(he atleast appreciated Buffy as a good show) and while I can certainly agree to disargee,some of his dislikes are puzzling to me.
One that caught my eye was that he hates The Price Is Right,claiming it to be a gaudy carnival
spectacle that only requires contestants("hungover college students")to know "rudimentary addition and the price of a love seat at Wal-Mart". How can you hate The Price Is Right? It's one of the best examples of goofy game show fun. The audience is not just made up of college kids but also retirees and middle aged homemakers(very red state,I suppose). Where else are you going to see both the older and the younger generation compete on equal terms?
Yes,Bob Barker is a animal rights loving lech(he still gets alittle too excited with female contestants) but at this point,he's rather quaint. I only object to his drawing out the suspension towards the end of a pricing game-he really milks the time hardcore,big audience teaser. Also,the pricing games are cool-how can you hate Plinko? In case you don't know,Plinko is a large scale version of those handheld pinball games that your mom buys right off the toy store rack. I also love the mountain climber game,where if you guess wrong ,the yodeling fella falls off the cliff. Kitsch at it's finest,people.
To each his own,I guess. Ken's a nice guy but can you trust the wisdom of a man who hates The Brady Bunch like they killed his dog(then again,Jan was always abit offcenter there)but loves Full House and ABC's TGIF line-up?
One that caught my eye was that he hates The Price Is Right,claiming it to be a gaudy carnival
spectacle that only requires contestants("hungover college students")to know "rudimentary addition and the price of a love seat at Wal-Mart". How can you hate The Price Is Right? It's one of the best examples of goofy game show fun. The audience is not just made up of college kids but also retirees and middle aged homemakers(very red state,I suppose). Where else are you going to see both the older and the younger generation compete on equal terms?
Yes,Bob Barker is a animal rights loving lech(he still gets alittle too excited with female contestants) but at this point,he's rather quaint. I only object to his drawing out the suspension towards the end of a pricing game-he really milks the time hardcore,big audience teaser. Also,the pricing games are cool-how can you hate Plinko? In case you don't know,Plinko is a large scale version of those handheld pinball games that your mom buys right off the toy store rack. I also love the mountain climber game,where if you guess wrong ,the yodeling fella falls off the cliff. Kitsch at it's finest,people.
To each his own,I guess. Ken's a nice guy but can you trust the wisdom of a man who hates The Brady Bunch like they killed his dog(then again,Jan was always abit offcenter there)but loves Full House and ABC's TGIF line-up?
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Son of Bad Movie Movie Month
We continue our celebration of Bad Movies with one of the genre's most urksome offerings:The Bad Literary Adaptation. It's a time honored Hollywood tradition:turn one of your favorite books(or atleast a decent classic)into a Bizarro World version of itself.
Many will quickly point to such charmers as The Bonfire of the Vanities(a movie I actually booed at in the theater but will admit that I found Melanie Griffith's line"Sherman,where are all the white people?"amusing) or Simon Burch(the fact that they changed not only the original title,A Prayer for Owen Meany,but also the name of the title character is a clear sign of bad things to come)but for my money,Demi Moore's version of the Scarlet Letter is prime rib rankness.
Before you say"Hey,be fair! Demi didn't direct or write the screenplay",I must remind you of her brilliant statement that changing the plot wasn't a big deal because "not many people have read the book."Well,the Cliff Notes people might agree-their sales of Scarlet Letter notes would indicate that. Nevermind that there's been more than one film version,either-Demi knows best. Mind you,this is a woman who willingly dates Ashton Kutcher and takes him on double dates with her ex-husband,so can you blame me for doubting her judgment skills?
I was not forced to see SL when it was out but I couldn't resist;it drew me in like a driver slowing down to get a really good look at a major auto accident. Some things you just have to see for yourself to truly gauge the damage. I did read the book and liked it quite abit. Hawthorne is one moody sob-for a man who wasn't catholic,he certainly wore a hair shirt well.Guess that that whole story about guilt and accepting responsibilty wasn't dramatic enough for Demi,Roland Jaffe and co;naw,let's add some hot barn sex,a mute slave girl,Robert Duvall dancing around with a dead deer hat and oh,don't forget the indian attack!
Let's take the mute slave girl issue;first off Hester doesn't own a slave in the book and actually during the time period of the story,indentured servants were more of the rage. Even if she did own a slave,her name would not be Mituba. She would've been called Hope or Ellie,not some P.C. attempt at bringing up issues that have nothing to due with the plot. Of course,she's mute because what better way to add an unnessasary character than to not give her any dialogue and what better way to get rid of her than to have crazy Robert Duvall murder her to frame Gary Oldman which helps to bring in that Indian attack!
I do wonder if anyone assigned to read the Scarlet Letter ever used this movie to puff up their book report;I can only imagine the teacher's eyes bleeding as she reads about the "red" bird that leads Hester to the barn where she gets her bones jumped while Mituba takes a bath as the fake red bird watches(I truly pity the actress given the part of Mituba;hoped she changed agents after this movie). The bird looks like a canary that was attacked with a Magic Marker-you think a big budget film could've have afforded to hijack a cardinal or at least make a better looking obvious symbolic gesture.
The sad part is Demi Moore was really hoping to get some Oscar talk out of this but wound up being the belle of the Razzies ball that year. Cheer up,hon-maybe there'll be an even worse classic remake that will make your cinema diaster look quant,like a version of Moby Dick starring Jon Heder("Call me Ismael-Gosh!")perfecting his whaling skills,with Richard Gere as Captain Ahab and Hillary Duff as Queenie(gotta have a love interest). Hope I didn't give anyone any ideas there......
Many will quickly point to such charmers as The Bonfire of the Vanities(a movie I actually booed at in the theater but will admit that I found Melanie Griffith's line"Sherman,where are all the white people?"amusing) or Simon Burch(the fact that they changed not only the original title,A Prayer for Owen Meany,but also the name of the title character is a clear sign of bad things to come)but for my money,Demi Moore's version of the Scarlet Letter is prime rib rankness.
Before you say"Hey,be fair! Demi didn't direct or write the screenplay",I must remind you of her brilliant statement that changing the plot wasn't a big deal because "not many people have read the book."Well,the Cliff Notes people might agree-their sales of Scarlet Letter notes would indicate that. Nevermind that there's been more than one film version,either-Demi knows best. Mind you,this is a woman who willingly dates Ashton Kutcher and takes him on double dates with her ex-husband,so can you blame me for doubting her judgment skills?
I was not forced to see SL when it was out but I couldn't resist;it drew me in like a driver slowing down to get a really good look at a major auto accident. Some things you just have to see for yourself to truly gauge the damage. I did read the book and liked it quite abit. Hawthorne is one moody sob-for a man who wasn't catholic,he certainly wore a hair shirt well.Guess that that whole story about guilt and accepting responsibilty wasn't dramatic enough for Demi,Roland Jaffe and co;naw,let's add some hot barn sex,a mute slave girl,Robert Duvall dancing around with a dead deer hat and oh,don't forget the indian attack!
Let's take the mute slave girl issue;first off Hester doesn't own a slave in the book and actually during the time period of the story,indentured servants were more of the rage. Even if she did own a slave,her name would not be Mituba. She would've been called Hope or Ellie,not some P.C. attempt at bringing up issues that have nothing to due with the plot. Of course,she's mute because what better way to add an unnessasary character than to not give her any dialogue and what better way to get rid of her than to have crazy Robert Duvall murder her to frame Gary Oldman which helps to bring in that Indian attack!
I do wonder if anyone assigned to read the Scarlet Letter ever used this movie to puff up their book report;I can only imagine the teacher's eyes bleeding as she reads about the "red" bird that leads Hester to the barn where she gets her bones jumped while Mituba takes a bath as the fake red bird watches(I truly pity the actress given the part of Mituba;hoped she changed agents after this movie). The bird looks like a canary that was attacked with a Magic Marker-you think a big budget film could've have afforded to hijack a cardinal or at least make a better looking obvious symbolic gesture.
The sad part is Demi Moore was really hoping to get some Oscar talk out of this but wound up being the belle of the Razzies ball that year. Cheer up,hon-maybe there'll be an even worse classic remake that will make your cinema diaster look quant,like a version of Moby Dick starring Jon Heder("Call me Ismael-Gosh!")perfecting his whaling skills,with Richard Gere as Captain Ahab and Hillary Duff as Queenie(gotta have a love interest). Hope I didn't give anyone any ideas there......
Friday, August 12, 2005
Kung Fu High School,coming to a theater near you
Kung Fu High School is actually a book but I would be truly surpised if Hollywood hasn't yet come a-calling for film rights to one of the most action packed and emotionally charged books I've ever read in my life. The plot is simple:MLK (Martin Luther King)High School has become a all-out gangbanger warzone. Every student is in a gang,either to oppose Ridley,the local druglord or working for him-every authority figure knows about it but they're either on the take or just minding their own. Into this situation walks Jimmy Chang,a young and legendary marital arts champion who has recented vowed to give up fighting after a run-in with the law and decides to stay with his cousins,Cue and Jen B,who are main members of the Waves,one of the gangs not tied to Ridley.
On his first day,Jimmy gets"kicked in"-an inititation ritual where you get beat down and I'm not talking about a few punches and kicks here. In being "kicked in"bones breaking and permenant scarring are the norm. Jimmy refuses to fight back and when Cue intervenes,a domino effect of
death,loss and major league showdowns is set off.
Jen is the narrator(she has a bit of a not-so-cousinly crush on Jimmy,yet another complication to the plot)and altho,she sees herself as "Cold Jen",she is the heart and soul of this story. Trapped in a hopeless mess with a father who was crippled at his construction job and dependant on his daughter's care,guilt ridden by memories of her dead mother and being made a pawn in Ridley's game to wipe out any competition,Jen wavers but never falls down in her mission to avenge her loved ones and do what is right by the code of honor present in her world.
Time Out in London compared Ryan Gattis(this is actually his second novel-his first one,Roo Kickkick and the Big Bad Blimp,came out in the UK)to Bret Easton Ellis but this is a fella who is more in step with Chuck Palahniuk and just as damn good. At times,I was reminded of the great '70's cult classic The Warriors(most folks will think of Battle Royale)but what hooked me into finishing this book is the realism laced with kung fu storytelling and pop culture bites that snap just right. Hell,it reminded me of when I was in high school(which had a notorious rep for plenty of good reasons). In this day and age of Kill Bill,Sin City and Kung Fu Hustle,it's nice to see a literary equilivent at a bookstore near you.
On his first day,Jimmy gets"kicked in"-an inititation ritual where you get beat down and I'm not talking about a few punches and kicks here. In being "kicked in"bones breaking and permenant scarring are the norm. Jimmy refuses to fight back and when Cue intervenes,a domino effect of
death,loss and major league showdowns is set off.
Jen is the narrator(she has a bit of a not-so-cousinly crush on Jimmy,yet another complication to the plot)and altho,she sees herself as "Cold Jen",she is the heart and soul of this story. Trapped in a hopeless mess with a father who was crippled at his construction job and dependant on his daughter's care,guilt ridden by memories of her dead mother and being made a pawn in Ridley's game to wipe out any competition,Jen wavers but never falls down in her mission to avenge her loved ones and do what is right by the code of honor present in her world.
Time Out in London compared Ryan Gattis(this is actually his second novel-his first one,Roo Kickkick and the Big Bad Blimp,came out in the UK)to Bret Easton Ellis but this is a fella who is more in step with Chuck Palahniuk and just as damn good. At times,I was reminded of the great '70's cult classic The Warriors(most folks will think of Battle Royale)but what hooked me into finishing this book is the realism laced with kung fu storytelling and pop culture bites that snap just right. Hell,it reminded me of when I was in high school(which had a notorious rep for plenty of good reasons). In this day and age of Kill Bill,Sin City and Kung Fu Hustle,it's nice to see a literary equilivent at a bookstore near you.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Bad Movie Month 2:Electric Boogaloo
We continue our celebration of Bad Movie Month with one of my favorite it's-so-bad-it's-good guilty pleasures:Once Bitten,starring a very young pre-In Living Color Jim Carrey as the hapless male virgin being pursued by the clearly desparate to pay her rent that month Lauren Hutton as the vampire known only as the Countess,eager to preserve her youth and beauty by biting Jim's inner thigh three times(yep,the sex jokes are that subtle,folks).
The Countess is backed up by the amazing effeminate Cleavon Little as her Renfield,who is in charge of getting her a fresh virgin and keeping the other junior vampires in line(for some reason,even tho the Countess must feed from young men,there are a few vampirellas tossed in the fang gang). The thing about this movie is that it's really just a goofy sex comedy with vampires spinkled in;horny boy wants good girl,horny boy goes out with equally horny friends to find bad girl but meets older woman who gets him in over his head and back to good girl who
finally has sex with him.
Lauren Hutton is R. Kelly creepy as she prowls after Carrey-woman looks old enough to be his mom(or stepmom)and if the genders were reversed,Benson & Stabler from SVU would be on the case. Hutton's main move as an evil-doer is to leer ghoulishly in fake fangs and push people
over in crowded areas. Also,one of the best moments is at the school Halloween dance,where the Countess battles for Carrey in a dance contest against his good girlfriend(dressed in a Jill of Jack and Jill costume that quickly adjusts into a somewhat sexy outfit)with Jim making gooney faces while swearing that he's"not wearing a costume!" The song that plays during the dance battle is called"Hands off"-again with the subtle.
With bad dream sequences,lame sex jokes with a dash of homophobia and lines such as"You can have your butler and your chaffeur and your slut who eats buttons!"(not an accurate qouting but yes,Miss Hutton does bite off buttons),Once Bitten is a classically bad '80s movie to be treasured-if you don't believe me,check it for yourself-it came out on DVD at last to enjoyed by all.
The Countess is backed up by the amazing effeminate Cleavon Little as her Renfield,who is in charge of getting her a fresh virgin and keeping the other junior vampires in line(for some reason,even tho the Countess must feed from young men,there are a few vampirellas tossed in the fang gang). The thing about this movie is that it's really just a goofy sex comedy with vampires spinkled in;horny boy wants good girl,horny boy goes out with equally horny friends to find bad girl but meets older woman who gets him in over his head and back to good girl who
finally has sex with him.
Lauren Hutton is R. Kelly creepy as she prowls after Carrey-woman looks old enough to be his mom(or stepmom)and if the genders were reversed,Benson & Stabler from SVU would be on the case. Hutton's main move as an evil-doer is to leer ghoulishly in fake fangs and push people
over in crowded areas. Also,one of the best moments is at the school Halloween dance,where the Countess battles for Carrey in a dance contest against his good girlfriend(dressed in a Jill of Jack and Jill costume that quickly adjusts into a somewhat sexy outfit)with Jim making gooney faces while swearing that he's"not wearing a costume!" The song that plays during the dance battle is called"Hands off"-again with the subtle.
With bad dream sequences,lame sex jokes with a dash of homophobia and lines such as"You can have your butler and your chaffeur and your slut who eats buttons!"(not an accurate qouting but yes,Miss Hutton does bite off buttons),Once Bitten is a classically bad '80s movie to be treasured-if you don't believe me,check it for yourself-it came out on DVD at last to enjoyed by all.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Studio Shenanagans and why the Traveler is going nowhere
The NYT had a story in the Arts section over the weekend about the making of the Da Vinci Code movie;seems the studio powers-that-be are wussing out and trying to make script changes in order to get "Passion money" at the boxoffice. The biggest change they want to have is to dilute the main premise(which even a non-DVC fan like me knows):that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene who was to be the true Holy Grail and that Mary was to run things but was upsurped by men who wished to dominate the Church(a theory that's been around even before the book came out and has some scholarly backing).
First off,I didn't read the Da Vinci Code-had a copy but never got around to it,it's one of those books that are so trendy you'ld rather not bother with it. I have nothing against Dan Brown's books but he just doesn't seem like my cup of tea. However,it is real damn stupid of the studio to think that the same audience that went in droves to the Passion of the Christ(one of the best gore films I've ever seen-saw it while attending a horror convention and it put me and my friends in the right mood,let me tell ya)will flock to a castrated version of DVC. Even the consultant person they went to said"Are you kidding me?" Granted,this is a Ron Howard
movie with Tom Hanks in the lead so they're bound to gloss over some part of the story but mark my words,screw with the main premise and you'ld better be prepared for the massive backlash that will ensue. You have been warned,Sony.
Also saw a story in Yahoo entertainment news about why the book The Traveler is a great big flop;one theory is that the mysterious author, John Twelve Hawks, who lives"off the grid" not being available to do a promotional tour hurt sales. That's part of it but the main reason the book hasn't done any major chart climbing could be due to the overpromotion by the publisher and the fact that it's a hokey sci-fi fantasy conspiracy mess. I overheard the sales rep trying to sell my boss on this sucker and he was floundering around for a way to explain the plot. My boss even asked me about it while the rep was there(I had heard of it but wasn't worried about having it in the store)and wanted to know why I didn't order some for the store(I do that from time to time-if it's something we don't have and should,I'll put it on order with our supplier).
I faked them out with"Well,I was waiting to see if any of our customers requested it"-truth of the matter was,I didn't think anyone would want to read it. We have a small area of customers and not alot of sci-fi people(despite the college crowd within the vicinity),not to mention the story sounds like luke-warm Carlos Castenada mixed in an X-Files sauce of silliness. I mean,
having the last of a ancient warrior race called "Harlequins" doesn't strike me as badass,it makes me think of killer clown girls who hang out with the Joker.
Not to mention,gee ,there are two brothers who share"traveler" powers,this isn't going to be some Cain and Abel,one good and the other bad kind of deal,is it? No,it can't be THAT obvious!
Now the Traveler,I might actually read because Gods know these days,we need a good laugh.
Heck,reading out some of the chapters of the new Anne Rice Jesus novel with Little Sister made for quite a few funny moments(that's another tale for another time). Anyway,turns out I was right-did order The Traveler and we haven't sold a copy yet. The Historian,however,(a book that I knew was good and made sure we had in stock)has sold at a good clip and hit the best sellers lists around the country. When you want escapist literature,classics are a nice base to start from and Dracula is prime real estate.
First off,I didn't read the Da Vinci Code-had a copy but never got around to it,it's one of those books that are so trendy you'ld rather not bother with it. I have nothing against Dan Brown's books but he just doesn't seem like my cup of tea. However,it is real damn stupid of the studio to think that the same audience that went in droves to the Passion of the Christ(one of the best gore films I've ever seen-saw it while attending a horror convention and it put me and my friends in the right mood,let me tell ya)will flock to a castrated version of DVC. Even the consultant person they went to said"Are you kidding me?" Granted,this is a Ron Howard
movie with Tom Hanks in the lead so they're bound to gloss over some part of the story but mark my words,screw with the main premise and you'ld better be prepared for the massive backlash that will ensue. You have been warned,Sony.
Also saw a story in Yahoo entertainment news about why the book The Traveler is a great big flop;one theory is that the mysterious author, John Twelve Hawks, who lives"off the grid" not being available to do a promotional tour hurt sales. That's part of it but the main reason the book hasn't done any major chart climbing could be due to the overpromotion by the publisher and the fact that it's a hokey sci-fi fantasy conspiracy mess. I overheard the sales rep trying to sell my boss on this sucker and he was floundering around for a way to explain the plot. My boss even asked me about it while the rep was there(I had heard of it but wasn't worried about having it in the store)and wanted to know why I didn't order some for the store(I do that from time to time-if it's something we don't have and should,I'll put it on order with our supplier).
I faked them out with"Well,I was waiting to see if any of our customers requested it"-truth of the matter was,I didn't think anyone would want to read it. We have a small area of customers and not alot of sci-fi people(despite the college crowd within the vicinity),not to mention the story sounds like luke-warm Carlos Castenada mixed in an X-Files sauce of silliness. I mean,
having the last of a ancient warrior race called "Harlequins" doesn't strike me as badass,it makes me think of killer clown girls who hang out with the Joker.
Not to mention,gee ,there are two brothers who share"traveler" powers,this isn't going to be some Cain and Abel,one good and the other bad kind of deal,is it? No,it can't be THAT obvious!
Now the Traveler,I might actually read because Gods know these days,we need a good laugh.
Heck,reading out some of the chapters of the new Anne Rice Jesus novel with Little Sister made for quite a few funny moments(that's another tale for another time). Anyway,turns out I was right-did order The Traveler and we haven't sold a copy yet. The Historian,however,(a book that I knew was good and made sure we had in stock)has sold at a good clip and hit the best sellers lists around the country. When you want escapist literature,classics are a nice base to start from and Dracula is prime real estate.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Bookselling ain't easy!
Recently,an issue of Publishers Weekly(the biggest magazine in the book industry)published an essay by a fellow named Seth Grodin,who expressed his ideas about how independant bookstores need to be more service friendly,which is like saying KFC doesn't have enough chicken on the menu. He said that many bookstores(chains and indies)are very supermarket like and only cater to needs rather than wants. Bookstores should be more like a jewelry store,with select items showcased elegantly. That's a nice ideal but let me clue you in on the real deal.
First,the supermarket analogy is good in terms of being overwhelmed by product but faulty by saying they only have what people need. People do need bread and milk but they don't need cheese popcorn and Oreos;those are wants. Supermarkets have both,like many other retail businesses. The jewelry store goal is nice but not praticial;most people don't go to jewelry stores on a regular basis and in most places,you can't touch anything due to the security glass. That might work for a rare book dealer but not for someone selling current titles. Folks need to be able to walk in and pick up a book,check the back cover for plot info,admire the front cover art-in other words,enjoy the sensation of a fresh copy the way you would savor the aroma of freshly baked bread from the corner bakery.
Being service friendly is a good selling point and it's one where most indies excell at. Of course,dealing with the public is rather nasty at times-for every pleasant person who says "thank you",there are a dozen who are downright wacky. I've had a woman who was so angry at me for not giving her free giftwrap that she literally spoke in tongues. I said to her"Ma'am if you're going to rant at me,please do it in English." One of the other customers tried to reason with her(a major sign that you're dealing with a probelm person is when other customers feel bad for you and try to help)and said to her"If you were in a coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee and they have packs of sugar and creamers,would you expect to use the sugar and creamers there or take them home?" to which she replied"I would take ALL of the creamers!"
-how very christian of her.
What keeps me going(and not postal)is that I love books and like to help people find the ones they want,need or just desire. I've gotten over the "Can you order from Amazon/do they have it at Barnes & Noble" enquires you get(which,to me,is like going into McDonalds and asking them to sell you a Whopper)to an extent and try to do the best that I can for someone who just needs a book to relax or give as a gift. If I owned a bookstore,it would an all fiction store with novels galore and literary biographies,how to write and appreciate literature titles and plenty of bookmarks-see,even I get dreamy-eyed about this racket.
The best model for a bookstore would be the one set by Giles when he opened the Magic Box"It's just like the library,only people pay for the things they never return."
First,the supermarket analogy is good in terms of being overwhelmed by product but faulty by saying they only have what people need. People do need bread and milk but they don't need cheese popcorn and Oreos;those are wants. Supermarkets have both,like many other retail businesses. The jewelry store goal is nice but not praticial;most people don't go to jewelry stores on a regular basis and in most places,you can't touch anything due to the security glass. That might work for a rare book dealer but not for someone selling current titles. Folks need to be able to walk in and pick up a book,check the back cover for plot info,admire the front cover art-in other words,enjoy the sensation of a fresh copy the way you would savor the aroma of freshly baked bread from the corner bakery.
Being service friendly is a good selling point and it's one where most indies excell at. Of course,dealing with the public is rather nasty at times-for every pleasant person who says "thank you",there are a dozen who are downright wacky. I've had a woman who was so angry at me for not giving her free giftwrap that she literally spoke in tongues. I said to her"Ma'am if you're going to rant at me,please do it in English." One of the other customers tried to reason with her(a major sign that you're dealing with a probelm person is when other customers feel bad for you and try to help)and said to her"If you were in a coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee and they have packs of sugar and creamers,would you expect to use the sugar and creamers there or take them home?" to which she replied"I would take ALL of the creamers!"
-how very christian of her.
What keeps me going(and not postal)is that I love books and like to help people find the ones they want,need or just desire. I've gotten over the "Can you order from Amazon/do they have it at Barnes & Noble" enquires you get(which,to me,is like going into McDonalds and asking them to sell you a Whopper)to an extent and try to do the best that I can for someone who just needs a book to relax or give as a gift. If I owned a bookstore,it would an all fiction store with novels galore and literary biographies,how to write and appreciate literature titles and plenty of bookmarks-see,even I get dreamy-eyed about this racket.
The best model for a bookstore would be the one set by Giles when he opened the Magic Box"It's just like the library,only people pay for the things they never return."
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Celebrate Bad Movie Month!
I unofficially declare August to be Bad Movie Month-I know,bad movies crop up bigtime in January/February but since August is the only month without a holiday in it,it deserves the crown much more. Is it a coincidence that Deuce Bigalow:European Gigolo is coming out this month?(if you really think so,you should not enter a video store without supervision,seriously).
In honor of this glorious tradition of bad cinema,I intend to write about a bad movie every week-let's start with the John Travolta Folly known as Battlefield Earth. I didn't see this when it was out in theaters but I recieved a very interesting phone call at work the weekend it was released. I got the call on Sunday from Bridge Publications(the official publishers of L. Ron Old Mother Hubbard's books) and a ultra-cheerful female voice said:
"Hi,We're calling from Bridge Publications and were wondering if you had Battlefield Earth in stock and how many you've sold so far!"
First off,it's unusual for any publishing house to make any calls on a weekend,particularly a Sunday(most are closed on weekends)and while a publishing rep might call to see if you recieve the latest new releases in on time,they rarely ask about how many you sold. Anyway,I looked up the title(we only had two copies-no movie art covers,just a "now a movie" sticker pasted on the front)and told the lady"Sorry,we haven't sold any."
"Really? Where do you have it in the store?"
"In the science fiction section."
"Is it face out?(face out means instead of shelving the book with the spine showing,you place it cover first so as to catch the eye)"
"Yes,it's face out"
"Where do you have it on the shelf? Is it up front? Is it near the front of the store?"
Ok,this was getting much too much-I wrapped up the call as quick as I could and wondered about it with my co-worker. The scary thing was...
They called again the next day.
I kid you not-I handed the phone over to my boss(who had been told about the previous call). She let them know she didn't need any other titles and hung up,fast as hell. If that is not the workings of a cult,I don't know what is. I wound up seeing BE on HBO(which I no longer have,not due to watching BE but it came close after The Postman aired)just to see how bad it was. Whoa,mama! This is the kind of movie that you watch for a few minutes and think"This can't get any worse" and yet,it does. You watch Barry Pepper go into his hair whipping action poses and say"This can't get any worse" and it does while John Travolta in a bad mutant Wookie Klingon suit runs around,calling people "rat-brain" and forcing poor Forrest Whittaker to join him.
The stupidest thing about BE is not the costumes,the bad overacting or the image of Kelly Preston with a giant alien tongue;no,the plot premise is the worst thing about it. The plot is this: Earth is taken over in a matter of minutes by an advanced warlike alien race,out to use Earth as a gold mine(this was written in the fifties,after all) and humans have become ignorant savages that John Travolta decides to enslave as a cheap source of labor to find more gold to get a promotion(Earth's like working in a crappy neighborhood). However,the Aliens have no idea that Fort Knox exists-it's only when Barry Pepper gets a mental upgrade from some techno glowworm f/x that he is smart enough to find Fort Knox and use the gold still there to turn the tables on the alien overlords.
Now,I ask you-how am I suppose to believe that an alien race,bent on conquering Earth to find gold,is so highly advanced that the invasion lasted only a matter of minutes that they can't find Fort Knox?! Have no clue that it exists?! People,please-suspense of disbelief is all well and good but this is barely a thread here! Truly a bad movie for the ages-only wish there was a MST3K version of it available on DVD.
In honor of this glorious tradition of bad cinema,I intend to write about a bad movie every week-let's start with the John Travolta Folly known as Battlefield Earth. I didn't see this when it was out in theaters but I recieved a very interesting phone call at work the weekend it was released. I got the call on Sunday from Bridge Publications(the official publishers of L. Ron Old Mother Hubbard's books) and a ultra-cheerful female voice said:
"Hi,We're calling from Bridge Publications and were wondering if you had Battlefield Earth in stock and how many you've sold so far!"
First off,it's unusual for any publishing house to make any calls on a weekend,particularly a Sunday(most are closed on weekends)and while a publishing rep might call to see if you recieve the latest new releases in on time,they rarely ask about how many you sold. Anyway,I looked up the title(we only had two copies-no movie art covers,just a "now a movie" sticker pasted on the front)and told the lady"Sorry,we haven't sold any."
"Really? Where do you have it in the store?"
"In the science fiction section."
"Is it face out?(face out means instead of shelving the book with the spine showing,you place it cover first so as to catch the eye)"
"Yes,it's face out"
"Where do you have it on the shelf? Is it up front? Is it near the front of the store?"
Ok,this was getting much too much-I wrapped up the call as quick as I could and wondered about it with my co-worker. The scary thing was...
They called again the next day.
I kid you not-I handed the phone over to my boss(who had been told about the previous call). She let them know she didn't need any other titles and hung up,fast as hell. If that is not the workings of a cult,I don't know what is. I wound up seeing BE on HBO(which I no longer have,not due to watching BE but it came close after The Postman aired)just to see how bad it was. Whoa,mama! This is the kind of movie that you watch for a few minutes and think"This can't get any worse" and yet,it does. You watch Barry Pepper go into his hair whipping action poses and say"This can't get any worse" and it does while John Travolta in a bad mutant Wookie Klingon suit runs around,calling people "rat-brain" and forcing poor Forrest Whittaker to join him.
The stupidest thing about BE is not the costumes,the bad overacting or the image of Kelly Preston with a giant alien tongue;no,the plot premise is the worst thing about it. The plot is this: Earth is taken over in a matter of minutes by an advanced warlike alien race,out to use Earth as a gold mine(this was written in the fifties,after all) and humans have become ignorant savages that John Travolta decides to enslave as a cheap source of labor to find more gold to get a promotion(Earth's like working in a crappy neighborhood). However,the Aliens have no idea that Fort Knox exists-it's only when Barry Pepper gets a mental upgrade from some techno glowworm f/x that he is smart enough to find Fort Knox and use the gold still there to turn the tables on the alien overlords.
Now,I ask you-how am I suppose to believe that an alien race,bent on conquering Earth to find gold,is so highly advanced that the invasion lasted only a matter of minutes that they can't find Fort Knox?! Have no clue that it exists?! People,please-suspense of disbelief is all well and good but this is barely a thread here! Truly a bad movie for the ages-only wish there was a MST3K version of it available on DVD.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Keeping Cool about Gwen Stefani
I just saw the latest Gwen Stefani video"Cool",which my sister and I have had a debate about for a couple of days. We both like her music(my sis is much more of a music person than me-if I see a video and don't recognize the singer,9 times out of ten,she knows who they are)but Little Sis was insistant that the song/video was passive-aggressive.
First off,I must confess that I am not a whole album person(meaning:I only play certain songs that I like and skip the rest-I am the audience CD singles were made for)and am old enough to really remember a time before MTV,when you had to make your own mental music video. I do appreciate the High Fidelity mindset,however-how better to define a person than by their personal mini-obessions,I ask you? I just can't play a whole album(except for musicals which is obvious why)and dissect each song's meaning in relation to the one before/after it.
My Little Sis is not like that but she takes her music pretty serious(no,she's not a musician-she's a cartoonist)and can get annoyed at things with a passion just like I do when she starts teasing me about vampire babies(don't ask-really weird debate). She finds the "Cool" video,in which Gwen recieves a visit from an ex-lover and his current girlfriend while having flashbacks of their former relationship,to be total bullshit and her version of it would have Gwen poisoning the new girlfriend's tea(they serve tea in "Cool")and then gutting the ex with a paring knife while chasing him around with a meathook. Girl's been watching too many horror movies lately,I swear.
She's kidding,of course,in her own way but if she was directing this video it would like something out of American Psycho(more like the movie than the book-I tried reading that sucker but it was like watching one of those American Idol auditions where the person singing badly has no clue on God's earth just how talentless he/she is). As for me,I heard the song before I saw the video and really liked it. Actually did buy the album just to have the first three songs readibly available and was pleasantly surpised by "Cool". The smooth contrast of it right after "Hollaback Girl" gives it a nice flow and Stefani's voice is bittersweet with beauty. I really didn't pay attention to the lyrics the first time-I just grooved on her voice.
The video is pretty good-the sets are Euro-eque and the lighting has that combo of so-clear-and yet-so-sepia-glow(particularly in the flashbacks). I don't think that the sentiment is phony-maybe Gwen is really over her former relationship and wants to use this song to move on or maybe she just thought it sounded cool:).
First off,I must confess that I am not a whole album person(meaning:I only play certain songs that I like and skip the rest-I am the audience CD singles were made for)and am old enough to really remember a time before MTV,when you had to make your own mental music video. I do appreciate the High Fidelity mindset,however-how better to define a person than by their personal mini-obessions,I ask you? I just can't play a whole album(except for musicals which is obvious why)and dissect each song's meaning in relation to the one before/after it.
My Little Sis is not like that but she takes her music pretty serious(no,she's not a musician-she's a cartoonist)and can get annoyed at things with a passion just like I do when she starts teasing me about vampire babies(don't ask-really weird debate). She finds the "Cool" video,in which Gwen recieves a visit from an ex-lover and his current girlfriend while having flashbacks of their former relationship,to be total bullshit and her version of it would have Gwen poisoning the new girlfriend's tea(they serve tea in "Cool")and then gutting the ex with a paring knife while chasing him around with a meathook. Girl's been watching too many horror movies lately,I swear.
She's kidding,of course,in her own way but if she was directing this video it would like something out of American Psycho(more like the movie than the book-I tried reading that sucker but it was like watching one of those American Idol auditions where the person singing badly has no clue on God's earth just how talentless he/she is). As for me,I heard the song before I saw the video and really liked it. Actually did buy the album just to have the first three songs readibly available and was pleasantly surpised by "Cool". The smooth contrast of it right after "Hollaback Girl" gives it a nice flow and Stefani's voice is bittersweet with beauty. I really didn't pay attention to the lyrics the first time-I just grooved on her voice.
The video is pretty good-the sets are Euro-eque and the lighting has that combo of so-clear-and yet-so-sepia-glow(particularly in the flashbacks). I don't think that the sentiment is phony-maybe Gwen is really over her former relationship and wants to use this song to move on or maybe she just thought it sounded cool:).
Friday, July 29, 2005
The Devil's Rejects-Dark 70's redux
Last week,I went with my sister to see The Devil's Rejects and despite the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie being shown with the bottom part of the screen cut off(prompting an audience member to yell"Hey,Asshole!" when the guy in the projector booth started to fix it during the film),it was quite an experience. I can't say I loved or hated this movie but I sure wasn't bored or freaked out.
What hooked me was how incredibly 1970s the whole thing was-I grew up in that time period(was about 11 years old in 1978 when this movie takes place)and the smallest of details were accurate-Baby Firefly's sing-song taunt of "Chinese,Japanese,Dirty Knees-Look at these!"(I think my sis was right about Sheri Moon Zombie having a fetish about showing her ass-did a hell of alot of that),another character's declaration of"I'm Willy Wonka and this is my chocolate factory!",the music choices,even the ice cream favor of "tutti-fucking-frutti"(do they even make that anymore?)brought up a whole heaping scoopful of memories.
At that age,I wasn't seeing movies like that(there was an incident where some of my older cousins told my mom that they were taking my brother and me to a Bad News Bears movie but we went to Enter the Dragon instead-love that part where Bruce was fighting the Slasher hand guy in the mirror maze)but DR has alot of the feel of those early to mid seventies indie exploitation films to the point where it could be easily mistaken for one. Rob Zombie was majorly influenced by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre style of "let's put on a show in the barn with Dad's home tools"and does some rather clever referencing of Mark Twain and Groucho Marx.
The highlight of the film is a showdown with the cops set to "Freebird" which really makes the movie and is one of the more memorable images I've seen onscreen this year. I didn't see House of a Thousand Corpses so I can't tell if DR is a sequel or a prequel(not going to watch it either way)but when Zombie comes out with another movie,I will be first in line. Speaking of lines,check out the title link for some interesting qoutes from the film.
What hooked me was how incredibly 1970s the whole thing was-I grew up in that time period(was about 11 years old in 1978 when this movie takes place)and the smallest of details were accurate-Baby Firefly's sing-song taunt of "Chinese,Japanese,Dirty Knees-Look at these!"(I think my sis was right about Sheri Moon Zombie having a fetish about showing her ass-did a hell of alot of that),another character's declaration of"I'm Willy Wonka and this is my chocolate factory!",the music choices,even the ice cream favor of "tutti-fucking-frutti"(do they even make that anymore?)brought up a whole heaping scoopful of memories.
At that age,I wasn't seeing movies like that(there was an incident where some of my older cousins told my mom that they were taking my brother and me to a Bad News Bears movie but we went to Enter the Dragon instead-love that part where Bruce was fighting the Slasher hand guy in the mirror maze)but DR has alot of the feel of those early to mid seventies indie exploitation films to the point where it could be easily mistaken for one. Rob Zombie was majorly influenced by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre style of "let's put on a show in the barn with Dad's home tools"and does some rather clever referencing of Mark Twain and Groucho Marx.
The highlight of the film is a showdown with the cops set to "Freebird" which really makes the movie and is one of the more memorable images I've seen onscreen this year. I didn't see House of a Thousand Corpses so I can't tell if DR is a sequel or a prequel(not going to watch it either way)but when Zombie comes out with another movie,I will be first in line. Speaking of lines,check out the title link for some interesting qoutes from the film.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Jane Austen adaptations brew a tempest in a teapot
Coming this fall is a new version of one of Jane Austen's most popular novels-Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet and Dame Judy Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. If you thought all JA fans would simply flock to this film with glee and giggles,you are so wrong,buddy. Like many fandoms,JA people do not always agree abour certain things-which book is the best,who should've married whom and which film/tv adaptation is the best or the worst.
Currently,I discovered a minor fracas stirring up at the ROP-a link to a blog objecting to the new P&P movie had a link to Pemberley calling it a "Communist regime of P.C. correctness"(am paraphrasing because the link was removed due to objections from the Pemberfolk). First off,I think that Communism and politcal correctness are polar opposites to each other and secondly,if you disagee with a group of people about a movie,calling them facists(which one of the blog founders did),does little to strengthen your position.
The whole debate is based on the trailer(which is playing before "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ' in some theaters) and as we all know,trailers are misleading and nine times out of ten,take scenes out of context and hype up whatever plot points the marketing execs think will sell the movie. All most people are saying is,wait until the movie is out(and some reviews are available)before prejudging it as terrible.
I've debated JA movies before on ROP and we get quite a heated discussion at times(I really hated the Patricia Rozema versions of Mansfield Park,which played up political themes that were not the focus of the book,blended Jane Austen's biography into the plot and rewrote the lead character because the director thought she was"boring"-afraid alot of JA fans find poor Fanny Price dull but to turn her into something she is and was not written as....grr,arggh!)but
the ROP does try to keep things civil which is what Jane would've wanted,IMO.
I've seen the trailer more than once and while it may not turn out to be as good as the A&E version(which I love,having it on VHS and two DVD editions),it might have some merit. The cast is mostly British,the sets look lovely and I saw quite a bit of the book in the scenes briefly shown to make it worth a look when it hits the theaters. The protest blog is called Save Austen's Pride & Prejudice Society-S.A.P.P.S . for short(their own initials,not a joke). They do have a link to the "blasphemous" trailer or you can clink the title link here and decide for yourself if this film will pollute the shades of Pemberley.
Currently,I discovered a minor fracas stirring up at the ROP-a link to a blog objecting to the new P&P movie had a link to Pemberley calling it a "Communist regime of P.C. correctness"(am paraphrasing because the link was removed due to objections from the Pemberfolk). First off,I think that Communism and politcal correctness are polar opposites to each other and secondly,if you disagee with a group of people about a movie,calling them facists(which one of the blog founders did),does little to strengthen your position.
The whole debate is based on the trailer(which is playing before "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ' in some theaters) and as we all know,trailers are misleading and nine times out of ten,take scenes out of context and hype up whatever plot points the marketing execs think will sell the movie. All most people are saying is,wait until the movie is out(and some reviews are available)before prejudging it as terrible.
I've debated JA movies before on ROP and we get quite a heated discussion at times(I really hated the Patricia Rozema versions of Mansfield Park,which played up political themes that were not the focus of the book,blended Jane Austen's biography into the plot and rewrote the lead character because the director thought she was"boring"-afraid alot of JA fans find poor Fanny Price dull but to turn her into something she is and was not written as....grr,arggh!)but
the ROP does try to keep things civil which is what Jane would've wanted,IMO.
I've seen the trailer more than once and while it may not turn out to be as good as the A&E version(which I love,having it on VHS and two DVD editions),it might have some merit. The cast is mostly British,the sets look lovely and I saw quite a bit of the book in the scenes briefly shown to make it worth a look when it hits the theaters. The protest blog is called Save Austen's Pride & Prejudice Society-S.A.P.P.S . for short(their own initials,not a joke). They do have a link to the "blasphemous" trailer or you can clink the title link here and decide for yourself if this film will pollute the shades of Pemberley.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Smallville and Sunnydale hook-up
Woo to the MF hoo! I just looked at Kryptonsite(the best website for Smallville fans)and they have big news: James Marsters is joining the cast as Brainiac next season! I'm as happy as a kid on Christmas morning,people. As a huge BTVS fan,Spike has been my favorite bad boy on the series(and loved his stint on Angel season 5 as well). Seeing JM play another great villian is a joy to behold(Yes, I know that James Marsters is not really Spike and no,I don't have any fanfics written about him...did have an idea for one about Spike & Vampire Willow but refuse to go there for the good of all mankind),especially on this show.
I got into Smallville after Buffy was finally off the air-had seen the pilot episode(and the Christopher Reeve first appearance)but since both shows were on opposite each other,I had to stay loyal to the Scoobies. I did watch the premiere episode of Season 3,when Clark was on Red K and being a very badass farm boy out in Metropolis-had to admit,I thought seeing the dark side of Superman was pretty cool. I bought the S1 DVD to catch up and have become a fan of the show ever since then. It helps that I know a couple of Smallville watchers who helped me understand a few things(like why Clark ran away in the first place).
One of the best things about this show is that it makes Superman more accessable-some call it the Marvelization of the character but by focusing on Clark the average guy(so to speak)and slowly developing the hero he will become,gives you more of an interest and empathy with the character. Also,the casting has been great-the actors work so well together that suspension of disbelief comes easily(even with the Lana possessed by a witch storyline)to the audience.
Tom Wopat will be on the show,too-bit of a Dukes of Hazzard reunion there. What I look forward to most is seeing JM act with Michael Rosenbaum(yes,I do love "Sexy Lexy")-two of my favorite bad boys together....oh,and you can use the link in the title of this post to find out more about next season's Smallville. I have such a villian jones,it's too sad for words.
I got into Smallville after Buffy was finally off the air-had seen the pilot episode(and the Christopher Reeve first appearance)but since both shows were on opposite each other,I had to stay loyal to the Scoobies. I did watch the premiere episode of Season 3,when Clark was on Red K and being a very badass farm boy out in Metropolis-had to admit,I thought seeing the dark side of Superman was pretty cool. I bought the S1 DVD to catch up and have become a fan of the show ever since then. It helps that I know a couple of Smallville watchers who helped me understand a few things(like why Clark ran away in the first place).
One of the best things about this show is that it makes Superman more accessable-some call it the Marvelization of the character but by focusing on Clark the average guy(so to speak)and slowly developing the hero he will become,gives you more of an interest and empathy with the character. Also,the casting has been great-the actors work so well together that suspension of disbelief comes easily(even with the Lana possessed by a witch storyline)to the audience.
Tom Wopat will be on the show,too-bit of a Dukes of Hazzard reunion there. What I look forward to most is seeing JM act with Michael Rosenbaum(yes,I do love "Sexy Lexy")-two of my favorite bad boys together....oh,and you can use the link in the title of this post to find out more about next season's Smallville. I have such a villian jones,it's too sad for words.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Beach Book Bingo
I just finished the new Sophie Kinsella book,Undomestic Goddess(Kinsella is best known for her Shopaholic series)and thought it was OK. The story is about a stressed-out lawyer named Samantha Sweeting(name's a little too cutsey)who after discovering a major error she made that cost the company 50 million ,has a panic attack and winds up in the middle of the countryside, taking a housekeeping job regardless of the fact that she can't cook or clean.
The storyline is rather sitcomish but Kinsella creates such a likability about her characters that you're willing to extend your suspence of disbelief more than usual. It's not that this is a non-Shopaholic title;I read Can You Keep A Secret? last year and it was a more solid story. Undomestic Goddess has it's moments of good characterization as when Samantha rushes to a birthday dinner in her honor,only to be greeted by her mother and brother calling in on their cell phones to cancel on her and later in the book when Sam's new friends throw her a much better party-corny but it works. If I were to compare UnG to a movie,I would match it with While You Were Sleeping-Sandra Bullock's charms carried that one(not to mention the esemble cast).
Another good fun read is Adored by Tilly Bagshawe(I love that name)-it's an old school style of Judith Krantz glamgirl writing about an up and coming actress/model,Sienna McMahon the granddaughter of Duke McMahon,who seeks fame and true love. Some might mention Jackie Collins but trust me,I've read some Jackie C and Adored is not as sleazy as Hollywood Wives. I know Jackie C likes to compare herself to Charles Dickens(writing for the common folk)but Dickens never had blowjob scenes or people humping in elevators in any of his books,so methinks the lady knows not of what she speaks.
Adored is out and out fun-a soap opera with sizzle. Tilly Bagshawe is the sister of Louise Bagshawe,the author of several Brit lit books;haven't read her yet but might grab The Go To Girl when my reading pile gets low. Tilly's next novel is about horseracing-don't know much about that but looking forward to checking it out.
If you want some more stimulating reading for your beach blanket time,here's a couple of non-fiction titles that are easy on the eyes but good food for thought(both are in paperback):
So Many Books,So Little Time by Sara Nelson-it's about a year of reading and how it relates to her life,also comments on various book trends such as that one book that's the flavor of the month which everyone seems to have in their hands except you. I was happy to discover that I liked many of the books that she does too(Crimson Petal and the White I totally adored but wasn't drawn to Michel Faber's earlier novel like Sara was)and many of the chapters are touching,such as the one about getting her son to enjoy Charlotte's Web. Sara Nelson now is Editor-in-Chief at Publishers Weekly(THE magazine in the book business)and they made a good pick in her,lady knows her stuff.
Shelf Life by Suzanne Shrempek Shea:If you want to know what it's like to work in an independant bookstore,look no further. Suzanne is the author of several novels who,while recovering from cancer treatments,gets a job at her local bookseller,Edwards Books in Spiringfield,Mass. She gives you the behind the counter scenes of bookstore life;working the register,setting up displays,store events and author signings,not to mention the interestingly
unusual customers you run across(one guy reads aloud the covers of each book he sees).Suzanne is a sweet lady(have had the pleasure of exchanging a few e-mails with her)and
her writing is as charming as she is.
The storyline is rather sitcomish but Kinsella creates such a likability about her characters that you're willing to extend your suspence of disbelief more than usual. It's not that this is a non-Shopaholic title;I read Can You Keep A Secret? last year and it was a more solid story. Undomestic Goddess has it's moments of good characterization as when Samantha rushes to a birthday dinner in her honor,only to be greeted by her mother and brother calling in on their cell phones to cancel on her and later in the book when Sam's new friends throw her a much better party-corny but it works. If I were to compare UnG to a movie,I would match it with While You Were Sleeping-Sandra Bullock's charms carried that one(not to mention the esemble cast).
Another good fun read is Adored by Tilly Bagshawe(I love that name)-it's an old school style of Judith Krantz glamgirl writing about an up and coming actress/model,Sienna McMahon the granddaughter of Duke McMahon,who seeks fame and true love. Some might mention Jackie Collins but trust me,I've read some Jackie C and Adored is not as sleazy as Hollywood Wives. I know Jackie C likes to compare herself to Charles Dickens(writing for the common folk)but Dickens never had blowjob scenes or people humping in elevators in any of his books,so methinks the lady knows not of what she speaks.
Adored is out and out fun-a soap opera with sizzle. Tilly Bagshawe is the sister of Louise Bagshawe,the author of several Brit lit books;haven't read her yet but might grab The Go To Girl when my reading pile gets low. Tilly's next novel is about horseracing-don't know much about that but looking forward to checking it out.
If you want some more stimulating reading for your beach blanket time,here's a couple of non-fiction titles that are easy on the eyes but good food for thought(both are in paperback):
So Many Books,So Little Time by Sara Nelson-it's about a year of reading and how it relates to her life,also comments on various book trends such as that one book that's the flavor of the month which everyone seems to have in their hands except you. I was happy to discover that I liked many of the books that she does too(Crimson Petal and the White I totally adored but wasn't drawn to Michel Faber's earlier novel like Sara was)and many of the chapters are touching,such as the one about getting her son to enjoy Charlotte's Web. Sara Nelson now is Editor-in-Chief at Publishers Weekly(THE magazine in the book business)and they made a good pick in her,lady knows her stuff.
Shelf Life by Suzanne Shrempek Shea:If you want to know what it's like to work in an independant bookstore,look no further. Suzanne is the author of several novels who,while recovering from cancer treatments,gets a job at her local bookseller,Edwards Books in Spiringfield,Mass. She gives you the behind the counter scenes of bookstore life;working the register,setting up displays,store events and author signings,not to mention the interestingly
unusual customers you run across(one guy reads aloud the covers of each book he sees).Suzanne is a sweet lady(have had the pleasure of exchanging a few e-mails with her)and
her writing is as charming as she is.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory-Cinematic Sweet Treat
I went to see Charlie & the Chocolate Factory alone today(my sister had no interest in it-we'll see The Devil's Rejects next weekend,a real family film there!)and it was quite good. I read the Roald Dahl book more than once as a kid-still remember what the library copy looked like:the jacket was dominated by a large picture of a half unwrapped(and bitten into)candy bar with the title placed in the usual brand name label along with a Quentin Blake illustration of Willy Wonka-and also enjoyed the Gene Wilder musical version,too. The new Tim Burton version stays close to the book but has it's own deviations from it just like the earlier 70's film did.
Johnny Depp has a surrealist,dippy vibe as Willy Wonka-the wacky juvenile mindset of someone who's been alone with their own thoughts for way too long. There is no Michael Jackson comparison,IMO-in fact,I think the ending may have been reworked the way it was to offset any MJ comparisons. I won't spoil the plot but if you see it,you'll know what I mean.
It's been awhile for a great Tim Burton movie to come along-Planet of the Apes was a forced compromise between what Burton wanted and what the studio wanted,not to mention having Marky Mark as the lead. Johnny Depp seems to be his muse so this movie has a nice flow and interesting bits of zany,like the Disneylandesque singing puppet show that greets the kids entering the factory which winds up in flames,with Wonka gleefully applauding. Also,how they did all those musical numbers with Deep Roy(playing all Oompa-Loopas,CGI style) must've been hard as hell. Do agree that the subplot about Willy's mean dentist dad doesn't add much to the film but you do get Christopher Lee out of it,so what the hey!
Also saw the trailer for the next Burton-Depp collabration,The Corpse Bride(surpise,surpise)-it looks as good as Nightmare Before Christmas with a dash of BeetleJuice for flavor. Definately worth checking out.
And since it's Harry Potter eve,I'll leave you with a chapter heading from the new book(never you mind how I know): Snape Victorious. Since I'll get my copy on Monday(thank the gods that I don't have to work tomorrow-I've done my HP time,believe me),I don't know anymore than that.
Johnny Depp has a surrealist,dippy vibe as Willy Wonka-the wacky juvenile mindset of someone who's been alone with their own thoughts for way too long. There is no Michael Jackson comparison,IMO-in fact,I think the ending may have been reworked the way it was to offset any MJ comparisons. I won't spoil the plot but if you see it,you'll know what I mean.
It's been awhile for a great Tim Burton movie to come along-Planet of the Apes was a forced compromise between what Burton wanted and what the studio wanted,not to mention having Marky Mark as the lead. Johnny Depp seems to be his muse so this movie has a nice flow and interesting bits of zany,like the Disneylandesque singing puppet show that greets the kids entering the factory which winds up in flames,with Wonka gleefully applauding. Also,how they did all those musical numbers with Deep Roy(playing all Oompa-Loopas,CGI style) must've been hard as hell. Do agree that the subplot about Willy's mean dentist dad doesn't add much to the film but you do get Christopher Lee out of it,so what the hey!
Also saw the trailer for the next Burton-Depp collabration,The Corpse Bride(surpise,surpise)-it looks as good as Nightmare Before Christmas with a dash of BeetleJuice for flavor. Definately worth checking out.
And since it's Harry Potter eve,I'll leave you with a chapter heading from the new book(never you mind how I know): Snape Victorious. Since I'll get my copy on Monday(thank the gods that I don't have to work tomorrow-I've done my HP time,believe me),I don't know anymore than that.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Bollywood lite
I bought the DVD of Bride & Prejudice this weekend(saw the movie with my sister and some of my JA ROP gang when it was in theaters)and it inspired me to read Bollywood Confidential by Sonia Singh. Sonia's first novel was titled Goddess for Hire about an L.A. girl of Indian descent who is tapped to be the newest incarnation of the goddess,Kali and since the book had sort of a Buffy theme,I rather enjoyed it.
Bride & Prejudice is not pure Bollywood,of course(not an expert in the subject)but then again,it was meant to be a hybrid of East/West and it works . I was hoping that one of the musical numbers cut out of the US version"Arrogance,Pride and Vanity" would be amongst the DVD extras but I've checked both the deleted scenes and extended musical numbers with no luck. The song appears on the soundtrack and many of us hoped it would be on the DVD but unless it's an Easter Egg,I'm not seeing it.
It's a great movie so I'm not that disappointed-Aishrawya Rai makes an excellant Lizzy Bennet aka Lalita. Martin Henderson is an OK Darcy-alittle too much of a nice guy at times. The biggest scene stealer is Mr. Kholi,which such lines as "As Gloria Estafan would say,the rhythm is gonna get you!" and his Arnold Horshak laugh,I cracked up every time he appears. Also,my favorite number is"No Life Without Wife" where Lalita's sisters mock her about Kholi's intentions towards her.
As for Bollywood Confidential,the story centers around Raveena Rai,a Hollywood D-list actress who goes to India to star in a Bollywood movie with the hope of using it to jumpstart her career. Raveena finds that her director is a cheapskate lech with a rep for getting his leading ladies flat on their back,her co-star Siddharth is one of the most adored celebs in India and is painfully shy,the script she was originally given has been tossed out on a whim and is being rewritten daily and her uncle Heeru,who she is staying with,lets birds fly in his house at all hours. Not that much different from Hollywood now is it?
I did enjoy the story and liked Raveena quite a bit-do wish that the book had been abit longer(it's less than 300 pages)and had more about life in India and some more Bollywood backstage. However,it's a well paced read and perhaps Singh will write another novel on the subject. She has a good sense of humor and can create very engaging characters. Also,in the "Black Bag" section of the book(it's an Avon paperback and they have their equilivent of DVD extras ),Sonia lists her ten favorite Bollywood movies and why she loves them. That was just as fun as the story. I recommend both the book and B&P as a nice double feature for a relaxing weekend.
Bride & Prejudice is not pure Bollywood,of course(not an expert in the subject)but then again,it was meant to be a hybrid of East/West and it works . I was hoping that one of the musical numbers cut out of the US version"Arrogance,Pride and Vanity" would be amongst the DVD extras but I've checked both the deleted scenes and extended musical numbers with no luck. The song appears on the soundtrack and many of us hoped it would be on the DVD but unless it's an Easter Egg,I'm not seeing it.
It's a great movie so I'm not that disappointed-Aishrawya Rai makes an excellant Lizzy Bennet aka Lalita. Martin Henderson is an OK Darcy-alittle too much of a nice guy at times. The biggest scene stealer is Mr. Kholi,which such lines as "As Gloria Estafan would say,the rhythm is gonna get you!" and his Arnold Horshak laugh,I cracked up every time he appears. Also,my favorite number is"No Life Without Wife" where Lalita's sisters mock her about Kholi's intentions towards her.
As for Bollywood Confidential,the story centers around Raveena Rai,a Hollywood D-list actress who goes to India to star in a Bollywood movie with the hope of using it to jumpstart her career. Raveena finds that her director is a cheapskate lech with a rep for getting his leading ladies flat on their back,her co-star Siddharth is one of the most adored celebs in India and is painfully shy,the script she was originally given has been tossed out on a whim and is being rewritten daily and her uncle Heeru,who she is staying with,lets birds fly in his house at all hours. Not that much different from Hollywood now is it?
I did enjoy the story and liked Raveena quite a bit-do wish that the book had been abit longer(it's less than 300 pages)and had more about life in India and some more Bollywood backstage. However,it's a well paced read and perhaps Singh will write another novel on the subject. She has a good sense of humor and can create very engaging characters. Also,in the "Black Bag" section of the book(it's an Avon paperback and they have their equilivent of DVD extras ),Sonia lists her ten favorite Bollywood movies and why she loves them. That was just as fun as the story. I recommend both the book and B&P as a nice double feature for a relaxing weekend.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Fantastic Four: a Marvelous movie
Today,my sister and I went to see The Fantastic Four,which despite many negative reviews,was a damn fine popcorn movie.As far as origin stories go,this one was well made and right to the point. Some of the best scenes were with Michael Chiklas as Ben Grimm,aka the Thing-one was truly touching as Ben's fiancee silently rejects him by placing her engagement ring on the ground(what a bitch) and as she walks away,Ben tries to pick it up but can't grip the ring with his stony fingers. Also enjoyed it when he punched Johnny Storm thru Reed Richards and knocked him into a billboard(Johnny Storm was a total horndog jerk but,of course,does the right thing when called to action).
Jessica Alba did a nice job as Sue Storm-I don't know why people pick on her so much. Granted,the woman's not Meryl Streep but I've seen her in Sin City and now in this movie and she can give a decent performance unlike a certain Oscar winning actress in a reject Roger Corman Black Scorpion outfit who does a lousy impersonation of Eartha Kitt's growl.
Julian McMahon was perfect as Doctor Doom-the man's cornering the market on bad guys ,what with Nip/Tuck and Charmed. I wouldn't mind if they cast him as the Joker for the next Batman movie. Speaking of which,most of the negative reviews complain that this movie isn't like Batman or Spiderman,therefore it sucks. Not every superhero movie is up to those standards,not to mention that there's less brooding and angst in the Fantastic Four set-up(except for Ben Grimm's plight but he does hook up with a better woman and kicks ass to boot),so the tone's gonna be different. Is it as good as Batman Begins? No. Is it as bad as Catwoman? Hell to the no,as Mrs. Bobby Brown would say(that show is so beyond disturbing). FF is worth seeing if you just want to go on a mental vacation or take the kids to a non-animated film.
Also saw the trailer for the new King Kong movie-while I like the fact that Peter Jackson's doing it as a period piece(updating it was a major flaw of the '70's remake),I'm not sure that I will want to see this in December. The original King Kong was shown on Channel 9 every Thanksgiving when I was a kid and we watched it faithfully(Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young played after it). It was one of my father's favorite movies and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who feels sentimental towards the old school version and has no need for another one. Still,it may get folks not familar with the first movie to check it out and that's always a good thing.
Jessica Alba did a nice job as Sue Storm-I don't know why people pick on her so much. Granted,the woman's not Meryl Streep but I've seen her in Sin City and now in this movie and she can give a decent performance unlike a certain Oscar winning actress in a reject Roger Corman Black Scorpion outfit who does a lousy impersonation of Eartha Kitt's growl.
Julian McMahon was perfect as Doctor Doom-the man's cornering the market on bad guys ,what with Nip/Tuck and Charmed. I wouldn't mind if they cast him as the Joker for the next Batman movie. Speaking of which,most of the negative reviews complain that this movie isn't like Batman or Spiderman,therefore it sucks. Not every superhero movie is up to those standards,not to mention that there's less brooding and angst in the Fantastic Four set-up(except for Ben Grimm's plight but he does hook up with a better woman and kicks ass to boot),so the tone's gonna be different. Is it as good as Batman Begins? No. Is it as bad as Catwoman? Hell to the no,as Mrs. Bobby Brown would say(that show is so beyond disturbing). FF is worth seeing if you just want to go on a mental vacation or take the kids to a non-animated film.
Also saw the trailer for the new King Kong movie-while I like the fact that Peter Jackson's doing it as a period piece(updating it was a major flaw of the '70's remake),I'm not sure that I will want to see this in December. The original King Kong was shown on Channel 9 every Thanksgiving when I was a kid and we watched it faithfully(Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young played after it). It was one of my father's favorite movies and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who feels sentimental towards the old school version and has no need for another one. Still,it may get folks not familar with the first movie to check it out and that's always a good thing.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Current state of reading and a prediction
I am proud of one thing that I did this holiday weekend;I finished three books and started two more more-woo to the hoo! You might not be impressed but if you saw the massive piles of books stacked neatly(and catagorized in a system that works for me)in my room and one of my chairs,I could get at the very least a high five.
The three books I completed were Hand Me Down by Lee Nicols,Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner and The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe. I prefer Rona's older novels(particularly Mazes and Monsters-even saw the TV movie version with a pre-Bosom Buddies Tom Hanks as the troubled youth who took his pseudo Dungeons-and-Dragons role-playing game too far)to her more recent ones-they just don't have the same zing,feel too updated.
Carpe Demon was pretty good-the subtitle of the book is"The adventures of a demon-hunting soccer mom" sums up the plot nicely. Not bad but I'm in no hurry for the next in the series(yes,it's gonna be a series)but am more anxious for the next Kim Harrison book after "Every Which Way but Dead". I like my vampire/demon hunter stories to be a bit more sexy. Still like Laurell K Hamilton despite the Skinamax styling of her last couple of Anita Blake books(no body minds the rampant sensuality of the Merry Gentry series but then again,it was worked into the plotline with much more logic)-a guilty pleasure should be both guilty and pleasuarable,after all.
Ok,enough of that-time to go over my current reading :for Braincandy,I'm reading The Frog Prince by Jane Porter(so far,so good),just started Popco by Scarlett Thomas and am making head way in a real intriguing title,The Town That Forgot to Breathe by Kenneth J.Harvey.
Harvey is a Canadian writer who is making his US debut with this book(available in October)-the story takes place in the island community of Bareneed,where the citizens are having visions of drowning victims and coming down with a mysterious illness that makes them literally forget to draw breath.
First off,I love the name Bareneed-you have to admire the subtlity. Also,the characters are well defined and feel realistic(which is tricky to do in a supernatural story). The publishers describe the author's writing style as "Stephen King meets Anne Proulx" which is fine but I would rather know more about the plot,people! Just saying. Fortunately,the book is very readable(hence the Stephen King reference)and sets a good sinister tone that doesn't broadcast what's to come next so you really have to keep reading . This book should do very well when it comes out,particularly if it gets good reviews and positive word-of-mouth ,which I am already to provide.
Popco is a UK novel also coming out in October(one of the best things about working in a bookstore is getting to read books not yet available-it's like having a sneak preview all to yourself) and is also a US debut for the author. Popco is the name of the toy company where our heroine,Alice,is working on creating the ultimate teen product. She's also deciphering a manuscript left by her grandfather that may lead to buried treasure or something even more valuable. I must confess that I grabbed this book mainly due to the title(also am a sucker for British writers)-Popco has a catchy sound that you can't help wanting to say. I like it so far and since it'll be out in paperback this fall,it has a good chance of selling. Folks tend to take a chance on a paperback with an unknown(to them)writer than a hardcover. There are excepts(The Historian is already high on the bestseller lists,I'm happy to see)but it does help new writers to have the first couple of books be more accessable,price wise.
For nonfiction,I'm reading Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich. It's her follow-up to Nickel and Dimed,only this time she checks out the plight of white collar workers. I usually don't read sociopolitical books but Nickel and Dimed wasn't preachy or statistic driven. Ehrnereich walked the walk and talked the talk which made the book so compelling. Bait and Switch is quite a hoot-at the part I'm reading,Ehrenreich is consulting"career coaches"who are supposed to help her find the right job but insist on giving her multiple personality tests,one of which the "coach" uses Wizard of Oz characters to demonstate different personality types(he even has dolls,I am not kidding) and being uberperky in a Stepford Wives sense. Kimberly(the coach that Barbara really,really can't stand)gives her such career advice as "don't you feel 37?" as a reason to lie about her age and to network by asking anyone she has contact with(such as her doctor or the doctor's receptionist) if they know of any job opportunities.
These "coaches" charge $600 and up for their services-only in America,folks. This book is gonna
be a winner,mark my words. Oh,and here's my prediction:War of the Worlds will not do as well at the box office next weekend as it did for the Fourth of July. From all the feedback I'm seeing at various posting boards,many people were disappointed by the movie and bad word of mouth will bring the profits down. This bodes well for the Fantastic Four-gonna be clobberin' time for Spielberg and Co.
The three books I completed were Hand Me Down by Lee Nicols,Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner and The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe. I prefer Rona's older novels(particularly Mazes and Monsters-even saw the TV movie version with a pre-Bosom Buddies Tom Hanks as the troubled youth who took his pseudo Dungeons-and-Dragons role-playing game too far)to her more recent ones-they just don't have the same zing,feel too updated.
Carpe Demon was pretty good-the subtitle of the book is"The adventures of a demon-hunting soccer mom" sums up the plot nicely. Not bad but I'm in no hurry for the next in the series(yes,it's gonna be a series)but am more anxious for the next Kim Harrison book after "Every Which Way but Dead". I like my vampire/demon hunter stories to be a bit more sexy. Still like Laurell K Hamilton despite the Skinamax styling of her last couple of Anita Blake books(no body minds the rampant sensuality of the Merry Gentry series but then again,it was worked into the plotline with much more logic)-a guilty pleasure should be both guilty and pleasuarable,after all.
Ok,enough of that-time to go over my current reading :for Braincandy,I'm reading The Frog Prince by Jane Porter(so far,so good),just started Popco by Scarlett Thomas and am making head way in a real intriguing title,The Town That Forgot to Breathe by Kenneth J.Harvey.
Harvey is a Canadian writer who is making his US debut with this book(available in October)-the story takes place in the island community of Bareneed,where the citizens are having visions of drowning victims and coming down with a mysterious illness that makes them literally forget to draw breath.
First off,I love the name Bareneed-you have to admire the subtlity. Also,the characters are well defined and feel realistic(which is tricky to do in a supernatural story). The publishers describe the author's writing style as "Stephen King meets Anne Proulx" which is fine but I would rather know more about the plot,people! Just saying. Fortunately,the book is very readable(hence the Stephen King reference)and sets a good sinister tone that doesn't broadcast what's to come next so you really have to keep reading . This book should do very well when it comes out,particularly if it gets good reviews and positive word-of-mouth ,which I am already to provide.
Popco is a UK novel also coming out in October(one of the best things about working in a bookstore is getting to read books not yet available-it's like having a sneak preview all to yourself) and is also a US debut for the author. Popco is the name of the toy company where our heroine,Alice,is working on creating the ultimate teen product. She's also deciphering a manuscript left by her grandfather that may lead to buried treasure or something even more valuable. I must confess that I grabbed this book mainly due to the title(also am a sucker for British writers)-Popco has a catchy sound that you can't help wanting to say. I like it so far and since it'll be out in paperback this fall,it has a good chance of selling. Folks tend to take a chance on a paperback with an unknown(to them)writer than a hardcover. There are excepts(The Historian is already high on the bestseller lists,I'm happy to see)but it does help new writers to have the first couple of books be more accessable,price wise.
For nonfiction,I'm reading Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich. It's her follow-up to Nickel and Dimed,only this time she checks out the plight of white collar workers. I usually don't read sociopolitical books but Nickel and Dimed wasn't preachy or statistic driven. Ehrnereich walked the walk and talked the talk which made the book so compelling. Bait and Switch is quite a hoot-at the part I'm reading,Ehrenreich is consulting"career coaches"who are supposed to help her find the right job but insist on giving her multiple personality tests,one of which the "coach" uses Wizard of Oz characters to demonstate different personality types(he even has dolls,I am not kidding) and being uberperky in a Stepford Wives sense. Kimberly(the coach that Barbara really,really can't stand)gives her such career advice as "don't you feel 37?" as a reason to lie about her age and to network by asking anyone she has contact with(such as her doctor or the doctor's receptionist) if they know of any job opportunities.
These "coaches" charge $600 and up for their services-only in America,folks. This book is gonna
be a winner,mark my words. Oh,and here's my prediction:War of the Worlds will not do as well at the box office next weekend as it did for the Fourth of July. From all the feedback I'm seeing at various posting boards,many people were disappointed by the movie and bad word of mouth will bring the profits down. This bodes well for the Fantastic Four-gonna be clobberin' time for Spielberg and Co.
Monday, July 04, 2005
All my reading groups are online
I've just finished reading Hand Me Down by Lee Nichols-it was the June Book of the Month pick at ChicklitBooks. Chick Lit books is run by Rian Montgomery(found the site by searching for info on a book called Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards)and the title speaks for itself. Rian keeps the site very well updated and it's a good place to check out female friendly titles(I like that term,female friendly-have to figure out what the opposite of that would be).
The whole reading group/book club thing,I've only done online. There is a real Jane Austen Book Club(the Fowler book was great,hit all the right notes)and I've been part of it. It's at the Republic of Pemberley,THE best Jane Austen website around. How it works:
A title is selected by the adminstrators-they alternate between a JA book(the books are done in order of publication)and a non-JA but somewhat related book(example,we read a book about the way of life for Regency/Georgian women,The Gentlemen's Daughter).
A schedule is set to discuss certain chapter per week(week 1-chapters 1-5,etc)and at the end,there is a follow-up discussion. Folks are asked not to reveal any plot points beyond the chapters in discussion(there are always newbies who haven't read the book several hundred times like many of us). The reading group is referred to as Group Read(a separate board was recently made to accomedate the GR-before,we posted on either the actual board for the book in question or if it was a non-JA,the Library board).
The best thing about doing a reading group this way is the comfort factor-no worrying about whose house you're going to meet at,what to wear,are we having Chinese food again or what? You can sit in your jammies and post away to your heart's content or just read So-and So's post about why Mary Bennet is the most overlooked character in P&P or how Fanny Price really should've married Henry Crawford,who truly loved her(I firmly disagree on that one) . Those who have read the book usually select a Group Read Focus aka a theme to highlight certain sections of the story. I've done that myself and it makes rereading more fun-one of my GR themes was based on Nabokov's writings on Mansfield Park. Nabokov wasn't a big JA fan but did like MP and compared it to a fairy tale which is what I did. Fanny Price is a very controversal heroine for JA people-folks either like her or find her to be a total milksop. It was a honor for me to be one of the pro-Fanny brigade.
Since Pemberley takes time off in the summer(many of the members go to the Annual Meeting which is held around the country-I went to the one held in England back in '02 and it was one of the best experiences in my life),I decided to give the ChickLit read a chance. I post only moderately on forums(my sister and I share the computer) but try to keep my hand in it. Hand Me Down is a good read-the plot centers around Anne Olsen,the youngest of two highly sucessful sisters,Charlotte and Emily(yep,the names are supposed to be from the Brontes)whose fear of all things used extends to not wanting to date Ian,her sister Charlotte's high school ex, despite the chemistry between them. Lee Nichols herself answered some of our questions(nice-only had that once at ROP)and I'll probaly read her next book.
I think that one of the biggest selling points about the Oprah Book Club is that you avoid the whole "what to read next" discussion-she plunks the book down and that's that,no debate or hurt feelings. Most groups who met in the real world seem to have this struggle. At ROP,we get to suggest what non-JA title gets picked and at ChickLit,Rian set up a poll(there was a three-way tie,so some of us changed our votes to make things easier),which makes the whole process better.
The longest book I read in GR was Tom Jones. Not everyone was able to keep up(took alot of planning for the GR leader to set up a timetable for that baby)but those of us who did had a great time. Another good thing about ROP GRs is that everyone is welcome and if you don't join in one GR,you can wait for the next one without any points taken away. Atleast,that's how I feel about it. Maybe,I'll join one of those reading groups that meet in person someday but for now,the internet provides plenty of good book talk for me.
The whole reading group/book club thing,I've only done online. There is a real Jane Austen Book Club(the Fowler book was great,hit all the right notes)and I've been part of it. It's at the Republic of Pemberley,THE best Jane Austen website around. How it works:
A title is selected by the adminstrators-they alternate between a JA book(the books are done in order of publication)and a non-JA but somewhat related book(example,we read a book about the way of life for Regency/Georgian women,The Gentlemen's Daughter).
A schedule is set to discuss certain chapter per week(week 1-chapters 1-5,etc)and at the end,there is a follow-up discussion. Folks are asked not to reveal any plot points beyond the chapters in discussion(there are always newbies who haven't read the book several hundred times like many of us). The reading group is referred to as Group Read(a separate board was recently made to accomedate the GR-before,we posted on either the actual board for the book in question or if it was a non-JA,the Library board).
The best thing about doing a reading group this way is the comfort factor-no worrying about whose house you're going to meet at,what to wear,are we having Chinese food again or what? You can sit in your jammies and post away to your heart's content or just read So-and So's post about why Mary Bennet is the most overlooked character in P&P or how Fanny Price really should've married Henry Crawford,who truly loved her(I firmly disagree on that one) . Those who have read the book usually select a Group Read Focus aka a theme to highlight certain sections of the story. I've done that myself and it makes rereading more fun-one of my GR themes was based on Nabokov's writings on Mansfield Park. Nabokov wasn't a big JA fan but did like MP and compared it to a fairy tale which is what I did. Fanny Price is a very controversal heroine for JA people-folks either like her or find her to be a total milksop. It was a honor for me to be one of the pro-Fanny brigade.
Since Pemberley takes time off in the summer(many of the members go to the Annual Meeting which is held around the country-I went to the one held in England back in '02 and it was one of the best experiences in my life),I decided to give the ChickLit read a chance. I post only moderately on forums(my sister and I share the computer) but try to keep my hand in it. Hand Me Down is a good read-the plot centers around Anne Olsen,the youngest of two highly sucessful sisters,Charlotte and Emily(yep,the names are supposed to be from the Brontes)whose fear of all things used extends to not wanting to date Ian,her sister Charlotte's high school ex, despite the chemistry between them. Lee Nichols herself answered some of our questions(nice-only had that once at ROP)and I'll probaly read her next book.
I think that one of the biggest selling points about the Oprah Book Club is that you avoid the whole "what to read next" discussion-she plunks the book down and that's that,no debate or hurt feelings. Most groups who met in the real world seem to have this struggle. At ROP,we get to suggest what non-JA title gets picked and at ChickLit,Rian set up a poll(there was a three-way tie,so some of us changed our votes to make things easier),which makes the whole process better.
The longest book I read in GR was Tom Jones. Not everyone was able to keep up(took alot of planning for the GR leader to set up a timetable for that baby)but those of us who did had a great time. Another good thing about ROP GRs is that everyone is welcome and if you don't join in one GR,you can wait for the next one without any points taken away. Atleast,that's how I feel about it. Maybe,I'll join one of those reading groups that meet in person someday but for now,the internet provides plenty of good book talk for me.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Holy IMAX,Batman!
Just got back from seeing my first IMAX movie,Batman Begins. My sister and I had already seen BB but wanted to check out the IMAX format. My sister goes to the movies with me alot(she's younger than me)and our tastes have somewhat merged but we still keep our own personal preferences. She flat-out refused to see Revenge of the Sith("Fuck Star Wars" became her mantra for awhile)due to her being annoyed by the massive product placement and excessive media hype.
I'm at the point where Darth Vader soda bottles and mini"Lava Planet" M&Ms amuse me so I went by myself and was expectedly semi-entertained.
We both enjoyed BB so the only qualm I briefly had was the price of admission-I didn't realize that IMAX movies cost more(I'm a bargain matinee kind of gal)but figured this was a new experience so I put my penny pinching doubts aside and selected our seats on a computer screen(how very sci-fi it felt). We sat in row M and were amazed at how big the screen. Real BIG. Times Square Billboard big(like the Coca-Cola one General Zod was thrown into in Superman II).
I've read about how CinemaScope impacted audiences in the fifties and now I understand what that must of been like:having an imaginary world swallow you up and hold you tight in it's reality for a moment in time. The sights and sounds are enhanced a thousandfold and gives you truly a "Ride at the Movies."
Christian Bale makes an excellant Batman and is actor enough to be a great Bruce Wayne. I knew even before the movie came out that it would be good with him-if you've ever seen Equaliberium(and I recommend that you do,it's much better than the critics say and has a sweet throwdown sequence near the end),you know CB has the chops to be the ultimate kick-ass dark hero. Also loved him in American Psycho(the rare film that improves upon the book)and one of my favorite scenes in the Shaft remake is when his yuppie character stomps a fellow prisoner into the ground after being shoe-jacked. I only hope that the actor who plays the Joker in the next movie(my personal pick is Gale Harold,best known as Brian Kenny in the US version of Queer as Folk)is a true worthy opponent to this Darknight Detective.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is also coming out in IMAX(another movie my sis refuses to see)-find hard to imagine how that sucker's gonna look. Think I'll watch in the usual multiplex format. Oh,and the best thing about IMAX? No commercials or excessive trailers(have seen the PSA for Nat'l Amusement Cinemas starring the cast of Two and a Half Men so many times,I know the dialogue by heart)-just a promo announcing"You're watching an IMAX MOVIE,DAMNIT!" and then on with the show. Worth every penny.
I'm at the point where Darth Vader soda bottles and mini"Lava Planet" M&Ms amuse me so I went by myself and was expectedly semi-entertained.
We both enjoyed BB so the only qualm I briefly had was the price of admission-I didn't realize that IMAX movies cost more(I'm a bargain matinee kind of gal)but figured this was a new experience so I put my penny pinching doubts aside and selected our seats on a computer screen(how very sci-fi it felt). We sat in row M and were amazed at how big the screen. Real BIG. Times Square Billboard big(like the Coca-Cola one General Zod was thrown into in Superman II).
I've read about how CinemaScope impacted audiences in the fifties and now I understand what that must of been like:having an imaginary world swallow you up and hold you tight in it's reality for a moment in time. The sights and sounds are enhanced a thousandfold and gives you truly a "Ride at the Movies."
Christian Bale makes an excellant Batman and is actor enough to be a great Bruce Wayne. I knew even before the movie came out that it would be good with him-if you've ever seen Equaliberium(and I recommend that you do,it's much better than the critics say and has a sweet throwdown sequence near the end),you know CB has the chops to be the ultimate kick-ass dark hero. Also loved him in American Psycho(the rare film that improves upon the book)and one of my favorite scenes in the Shaft remake is when his yuppie character stomps a fellow prisoner into the ground after being shoe-jacked. I only hope that the actor who plays the Joker in the next movie(my personal pick is Gale Harold,best known as Brian Kenny in the US version of Queer as Folk)is a true worthy opponent to this Darknight Detective.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is also coming out in IMAX(another movie my sis refuses to see)-find hard to imagine how that sucker's gonna look. Think I'll watch in the usual multiplex format. Oh,and the best thing about IMAX? No commercials or excessive trailers(have seen the PSA for Nat'l Amusement Cinemas starring the cast of Two and a Half Men so many times,I know the dialogue by heart)-just a promo announcing"You're watching an IMAX MOVIE,DAMNIT!" and then on with the show. Worth every penny.
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