The light behind their eyes blew each other's cover

Huh. I guess that video is what I might expect for a song called What What (in the Butt). Best parts? I can't decide between the flaming cross or the lascivious consumption of the chocolate. It reminds me of my favorite TV commercial of all time found below ( as NSFW as is possible)

Two flicks

If you are looking for an engaging atmospheric movie about murder and intrigue in 1950s Hollywood, watch something other than Hollywoodland. Goodness gracious me, this is one boring movie. The movie concerns the death of George Reeves, who played Superman on TV. After his death, lame PI guy played by Adrien Brody works to find out if the apparent suicide was actually murder. I gave up on this one at the hour mark. Ben Affleck was good as Reeves, but the story is boring. The PI investigation is without any interest and the PI character is cut and pasted right out of Noir for Dummies. He is a wash-out with drinking and woman problems. For once can we have a clean-living, family man PI or someone who doesn't rip off Phillip Marlowe.

While it doesn't live up to the hype, Cloverfield is a diversion for movie monster fans. It suffers from shallow, uninteresting characters, far too much exposition populated by said characters, nausea inducing shaky cam and holding back too much information. On the plus side, the terror and confusion (clearly nodding to 9/11) of the event are well portrayed and there are a few scares. The monster is ok, nothing special, but his path of destruction is one of the better ones depicted. Lower your expectations and this one may keep you engaged.

I was so wasted

This was my favorite song of 1993 and it still has one of the best names of all time...Talkin' About the Smilin' Deathporn Immortality Blues. This Flaming Lips video is not the strangest they have done, but I do like the guy who delivers the "ooo wop wop" parts. Watch for his chorus later as well. This is a song best played loud on a stereo in a small room, but it is fine in the video as well.



And Holy Smokes! Here is Frogs. Another great one, and the video features Wayne Coyne's dental work.

Cult books

Have a look at this list of the Top 50 Cult Books of all time from the Independent. The article states that defining that which makes a book a cult book is a challenge and they eventually fall back on Felix Frankfurter's definition of pornography, you know it when you see it. Very broadly, the books on the list of the kind that provide some sort of life lesson that may cause adherents to harangue their friends and neighbors about this great wisdom they have found. If you fail your savings throw, some of these books (Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Fountainhead, will immediately turn you into a pompous blowhard-jackass, so read carefully.

I consider cult books to be books that are intensely loved and revered by a relatively small readership. Like indie rock, there is an element of clubby exclusivity, but the ideas themselves or the expression of those ideas are unlikely to find mass appeal. HP Lovecraft (or if you desire greater obscurity Clark Ashton Smith) in horror, Phillip K Dick in scifi, and Edward Abbey in green literary fiction are all authors with dedicated fans, but the love of which befuddles many.

For many cult authors, including the three above, there is an implicit or even explicit rejection of elements of the mass culture. If a reader doesn't as some level share these underlying viewpoints and assumptions, much of the appeal of the books will be lost. This makes these cult authors a challenge to recommend.

In An Instant

Bob Woodruff, an ABC news reporter and soon to be anchor, nearly died when an IED detonated near his convoy. In An Instant, a book co-written by Woodruff and his wife Lee, describes the event and the struggle of the family to deal with the trauma.

The book starts with explosion and the phone call that the President of ABC made to Lee while she and the children visited Disney World. She knew it was bad because, as she notes, the President of the company doesn't call employees spouses while they are on vacation.

After describing the near miraculous survival, thanks to luck and the excellent medical care provided by the Army, and her trip to Germany to see her husband, the book jumps back to the 80s and begins to tell the story of their marriage and life together up until the time of the bombing. I initially thought this was just filler, it provides important context and reinforces the strong bond between husband and wife.

I had assumed that the best parts of the book would be Bob Woodruff's remembrance of the events and his struggle for recovery. While those sections are good, the best parts is Lee Woodruff's story. She presents a remarkably lucid and grounded description of an emotional roller-coaster. What could have been mawkish is instead a moving look at the toll the war takes on families.

The book can be read as one family's struggle, but it can also be read as part of a national tragedy as so many soldiers come home wounded to families with far fewer resources than the Woodruffs.

Takin a ride to nowhere, we'll take that ride

Every few months I stop by the Criterion Collection website to see which movies they are releasing and to look at the older ones. If you are unfamiliar with the series, the Collection releases high quality transfers of important movies, often with extensive extra material including documentaries. The definition of importance is fairly broad. It includes intrinsic value, but also the influences that a film had on the development of cinema and films of particular historic value. I've often used the collection as a short list of movies to find on Netflix, at the library or at Movie Madness.

Two Lane Blacktop is a movie I most likely never would have watched were it not for its recent release in a Criterion edition. It would appear to be a simple road movie involving a race between James Taylor and Dennis Wilson (the Beach Boy) and Warren Oates. It is actually one of the strongest movies about alienation in America I've yet seen.

These characters are almost completely without identity. Names are never used. Oates's character is known as GTO in the credits because that is what he drives. Taylor and Wilson are called the Driver and the Mechanic, while the girl who joins them is called the girl. Oates picks up a lot of hitchikers and tells a different life story to each. The road race he provokes with Taylor is just another story to escape whatever it is he is fleeing.

Taylor and Wilson, while spending nearly all their time together drifting from race to race, almost never speak and when they do it is about cars and racing for money. Taylor is nearly always blank, unless he has to rile up a potential competitor. The girl blows in and then out of their lives as lost as they are.

The story plays out against Route 66 and other back roads. Most of the terrain is beautiful, but empty. The towns they visit tend to also be empty or they provide no human interaction.

Thanks to the near lack of dialogue, the movies message is not pounded into by soliloquy or fiery debate between characters. Instead we just watch the loneliness and emptiness on screen.

In the Woods

Tana French's In the Woods will appeal to readers who crave well-written, suspenseful, character driven police procedurals. It should also appeal to those people (like my colleague who recommended) who claim to not like police procedurals but love movies like Gone Baby Gone. It has two big mysteries, plenty of chilling imagery and balances pacing and plot well. And despite it being a debut novel, French is comfortable enough to put aside some of the genre rules.

The book is both helped and hurt by French's flouting of genre conventions. While the book is constructed in the classic buddy pair style, the relationship develops in an unexpected way and the effects of the changes directly play into the plot, which is nice.

On the downside, French invests quite a bit into an element of the story which she ultimately drops, in a way I thought perfunctory. She may be taking a page from Peter Robinson ( a writer from whom other writers ought to take pages) and be setting up a plot for a future book, but it didn't feel that way. Instead it felt like it could not be properly resolved into the structure of the book.

The book is set in modern Dublin and describes some of the cultural conflicts arising in this newly wealthy city. I suspect the future books will delve deeper into this city. There is nothing better than crime novels to get a feel for the socioeconomic map of a city. Or at least an author's perceptions of said map.

Drinkin' and readin'

Jacket Copy (the LA Times book blog) links to a Jeff VanderMeer post about which beers go with which books. Both are fun and are worth your time.

I was going to try to come up with a few pairings myself, but I realized that starting with beer 2, I really can't read any more. I can look at words and turn pages, but nothing sticks. So the only thing I can add is that the best beer for reading a book you don't like is the 120 Minute IPA from Dog Fish Head. After one of those you will be so polluted you won't care what you are reading. Not that you will remember anything.

Hyperbole should be used carefully

On the American Conservative Blog (which is well worth reading regularly), I saw this jaw-dropping opener from the Weekly Standard.

Great commanders often come in pairs: Eisenhower and Patton, Grant and Sherman, Napoleon and Davout, Marlborough and Eugene, Caesar and Labienus. Generals David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno can now be added to the list.

The article itself has an analysis that may be of value, but that first paragraph destroys the credibility of all that follows. There are so many problems here. The first the attempt to link past life and death struggles (US Civil War, World War for sure, Wars against Louis XIV maybe) with the current Iraq war.

Those supporting continuation of the war pitch it as a life and death struggle for the US, which is not, rather than a bad situation we created that may (or may not!) get worse if we disengage. The policy question is whether it is better for the US interest to leave or not, but people are uncomfortable with that.

Another serious problem with this statement is how we are told these generals are the Pattons of counterinsurgency and that mastery of large scale military operations is the secret to military success. The selection of the generals cited maintains the US fixation on short term military campaigns to achieve a total military victory.

As Brian Bond illustrated in his excellent Pursuit of Victory, the concept of victory is becoming outdated. Instead the focus should be on policy outcomes. In that case, our models are more likely to be Acheson and Marshall, those that helped put in place long term policies that succeeded, rather than looking for the short term and ultimately ephemeral military victory.

Finally, the authors have chosen some of the greatest military leaders of all time, who as I mentioned were engaged in titanic struggles. These are the sorts who will be studied for ages. No offense to Petraeus and Odierno, but shouldn't we wait and see how the war pans out before we award them their Triumph.

I am legend

I watched I am Legend last night. It's a decent night's entertainment, nothing special mind, but if you have been jonesing for a post-apocalyptic movie, this should should hit the spot. High points include Will Smith reprising Tom Hanks role in Castaway, deserted New York, and climactic battle. I would have liked a tad more back story added, but I could live without it. As the last man alive, the only history that really mattered was the history of the main character.

Although this is a largely faithful version of the book, fandom is mad that it isn't a perfect one. I am a huge fan of the book, but I think it is often better if the movie differs at the plot level, while maintaining the overall spirit and/or ideas of the book. This is a thriller and I want to be excited and surprised, so having a rote repeat of the book won't do. The theatrical ending of the film doesn't really fit the spirit of the book, but if you were to blend it with the original and deleted one, it fits much better. Not perfectly, but good enough.

My next movie is Cloverfield. It will be interesting to compare the two NYC catastrophe movies.

The power of John Eckhart compels you

I have a thing for devils and demons. For some reason, I find the thought of them quite frightening, much more so than other fantastic villains like vampires. Maybe it is the near omnipotence, or maybe it is watching the Exorcist at far too young an age. Whatever, I just like reading stories about them ( which explains my great enjoyment of A Good and Happy Child.)

Sadly, demon and devil books have a tendency to suck. John Shirley's Demons is easily one of the worst books I have ever read (see my spilt bile here). And even the follow on Exorcist books didn't do that much for me (although this scene from Exorcist 3 scared the piss out of me).

So, whilst perusing the new selections at the library, I spied a thriller set amongst the aristocracy of Hell, I picked it up but quite rapidly put it back. Could it be any good? Anyway, today I thought I would check the reviews at Amazon to see what people think.

All I could remember was the demon concept, so I tried that and got....John Eckhart's Prayers that Rout Demons. While it seems to lean metaphorical, it also seems like it may be a how to guide to battling the infernal. Personally, assuming demons are in fact real, I think a professional is warranted. I turn to a professional to get a wasp nest out of my eaves, do dealing with a beast that can rend my soul is really beyond me. After all, as seen below, even the pros have problems.

New crime book

I am in the middle of Tana French's In the Woods, which to my surprise is the beginning of a new series of police procedurals. I say surprise as the press I have seen tended to emphasize the suspense thriller elements, which are definitely present.

I am impressed that despite this being a debut, French has clearly already hid her stride. This is no mean feat as even the greatest take their time in getting it right. Peter Robinson had quite a few books under his belt before he took off. Dennis Lehane's first and the initial George Pelecanos books showed hope for future greatness, but weren't great in and of themselves.

So I guess French took her time with this one or threw a number of drafts and ideas away. If you like procedurals this one is for you. By the way, I realize I sound as if I like everything read I recently. Not so! I am actually tossing aside books I don't like so quickly I don't feel I can say anything about them.

Nature movies

The NY Times reports that Disney has created a new division to make nature movies. The plans call for a film called "Earth" next year, one called "Oceans," the year following and a one called Chimpanzee. The Times quotes the CEO of Disney saying they wish they had made the BBC Planet Earth series, to which I can only say hooray! It means there will be at least one movie to which I want to take the kids in the next few summers.

For those with old school tastes, Disney has released four DVD sets of Disney's True Life Adventures. I loved these when I was a kid. Or at least I recall loving them as a kid. They failed to enthrall mine I am sad to say.

Stately homes for the lords, croquet lawns, village greens

Michael Cox's The Meaning of Night is fantastic. It mixes the Victorian novel with the noir crime thriller to make for a completely engrossing reading experience.

While the story never leaves England, it has an epic feel. It follows the cursed life of Edward Glyver from birth in Dorset to troubled academic career to fixer for a London law firm. The tortuous path allows Cox to describe a wide range of English scenes from the hellish London to the idyllic Evenwood, home to Glyver's greatest enemy.

Glyver is driven, to the point of madness, to take revenge on the one who caused all of his failures and setbacks in life. Glyver is no hero. In the first pages of the book, he murders an innocent so that he can be ready when it counts. While he pines for a high born love, he has a prostitute lover, and also sleeps with the lower rent hookers. He drinks to the point of passing out in ditches and is a frequent user of opium. And there is more.

Astoundingly, Cox has made this unlovable rogue largely sympathetic. Part of it is his eloquence, but it also the sense of righteousness he brings to his quest for vengeance. As we learn more of what his enemy has done, we become more and more invested in his story and how he might find redemption. While those well-read in the genres are likely to spot the plot twists, the story is so fast paced and well described, you won't care. Few will see how nearly everything mentioned eventually ties back into the main story.

I particularly liked how Cox paints a wide English canvas without building up the overlong subplots that weigh down Victorians like Trollope and Dickens. We see Eton, the dark part of London, the law offices, Dorset and country life without having to wade through excessive detail and oceans of characters. Those looking for the Dickensian groteques will delight in the likes of Fordyce Jukes, Glyver's downstairs neighbor and co-worker and source of constant irritation.

Amidst all of this, there is a question (SPOILER) as to how reliable Glyver actually is. He is clearly a paranoid maniac, but is he an Ahab or is he Verbal Kint? There are odd little elements throughout that might sway your opinion, I remain uncertain. (/SPOILER.)

This book has me all fired up for the unread Victorian homages on my shelves. Fingersmith and the Crimson Petal and the White, here I come.

One about which to be hopeful

Charles Pellegrino, author of Dust, one of my favorite disaster novels may have one in the works. His website makes mention of a book called draculae(sic) an eco-thriller co-written by Bill Schutt. Schutt has a creepy looking book on the horizon called Dark Banquet - Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood Feeding Creatures. So, I take it he likes interesting subjects.

Dust is out of print, but is available for a penny (plus shipping of course) at Amazon. There are lots of haters amongst the reviewers, but I quite liked it. It is a story of the global ecosystem collapsing, and as you might guess, this can't be stopped, only survived. It's not a happy book, but it left me wanting more.

Pellegrino has a history of books filled with nastiness. His collaboration with George Zebrowski, the Killing Star, is a tale of first contact gone really, really bad. It also presents a theory as to why no alien broadcasts have been found.

Next book

I had planned on my next fiction book being Douglas Preston's Blasphemy. His last book, Tyrannosaur Canyon, was a lot of fun, so I expect this one will be too. I am going to push it down the list aways as my most recent read, The Meaning of Night, is likely to put in a bad light. This excellent book has among its many virtues the excellent use of language.

Preston is a great thriller writer, but he is no stylist, and in the afterglow of the Meaning of Night, I am likely to notice the use of language. With a few book's distance, I am likely to notice its strong points as well.

You might ask why I read read thrillers at all. Like the times when you want to eat comfort food, there are times when you want comfort books. For me this is a wide range of escapist fiction, that includes thrillers, horror and giant fantasy novels. You just can't read these alone or you like your body, your mind will get flabby.

Something for your nightmares

Kevin Phillips, author of American Theocracy has a new book on the poor state of the American economy. Bad Money is subtitled Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism. Give a listen to his recent interview on Diane Rehm.

The complaint in the book is a systemic one, rather than one targeted at President Bush. Like Michael Scheuer's critique of the American foreign policy establishment, this book appears to be a critique of all of American economic policy for the last few decades. This makes it all the more frightening, as it will more than the departure of Bush to save us.

Indie man got a lot of problems, but he don't mind saying fuck

Brack sent over the new Weezer single Pork n Beans, which is not about Rivers' favorite food, but instead is about trying to please the label and one's fans. It's a hooky, reference-laden, funny treat and I hope it gets some play. The chorus undermines the song a bit though. At the close he states "I don't give a hoot about what you think." A hoot? I know he is a Harvard-educated braniac, but this is hardly the verbiage of the rebellious rocker. I'm not sure he is really feelin' it here.

Contrast with Sleater Kinney's Entertain, the theme of which is similar. Carrie doesn't mind laying down the eff-bomb where appropriate. For a happier version check out B.A.D.'s Looking For A Song.

Ole Ole Ole for Mulholland

Mulholland Drive was originally the pilot for a TV series for ABC, and was clearly a few years too early. Had it come out in 2004 or 2005, it would have been seen as the next Lost. Oh well. I knew this going into the movie the first time and I figured most of the oddities in the movie were loose ends from the pilot. Having seen the movie for the second time, many of these apparent sidetracks make much more sense. I recommend watching the movie again if you it only once and found yourself puzzled.

Have a look at this fan site which collects a number of theories, some convincing, others not. The same site lead me to this analysis which is quite close to how I saw the film. This analysis is excellent. They are both worth reading, but of course only if you have seen the movie.

Coming down the mountain

In 2006, 11 people died while trying to summit Mt. Everest. One death, that of David Sharp, made headlines because forty climbers passed him as he was clearly in distress and many noted he was dying. Nick Heil's book Dark Summit explores the question of why this happened.

He begins with a lengthy, and engaging, discussion of how Everest was initially explored and conquered and how the commercial climbing industry grew over time. Heil keeps the pace moving, but clearly demonstrates the extreme physical toll and inherent danger of climbing the mountain. Temporary blindness, frostbite, and the loss of appendages are reasonably frequent outcomes of a climb. Everyone's blood thickens, slowing them down mentally and physically. The experiences fever dreams of Lincoln Hall, who came quite close to death but eventually made it down, are frightening.

Heil makes clear that it isn't just altitude that is difficult, the actual climb has its challenges as well. For some reason, I had pictured a basic trail winding its way up the mountain. Silly I know, but I don't climb mountains. While they are mentally and physically impaired that have to navigate a series of steps that require technical rock climbing.

After presenting the general experience of the climb, Heil eventually comes to argue that Sharp probably could not have been saved. He collapsed in an area where the climbers were already weak and they still had some treacherous terrain to navigate in order to return to safety. He notes that people could barely move themselves let alone a partially frozen one hundred and eighty pound man. This is quite convincing, although Heil also more disturbingly notes that people might not want to help because they would be giving their own chance to get to the top.

The point of the book is not to condemn or defend the commercialization of Everest, and I am certainly not knowledgeable enough to argue either way. People want to climb it and going with a commercial group is probably safer than going alone. The bigger mystery, which Heil, a climber himself, cannot explain, is why people put themselves through so much misery for such a goal.