Mass Hypnosis

I am usually very late accepting massive media hits. Partly because the small amount of rebellion left inside me does not want to follow the herd and partly because I think that a gigantic amount of people liking anything only indicates that it is for shit. Hitler, Reagan, the Bay City Rollers, Two and a Half Men. Do I need to supply any more examples? So it took me 2 years to listen to Appetite of Destruction in its entirety, a few months to get behind Barack Obama (I was a John Edwards guy) and I have yet to see Titanic. But occasionally I am compelled to pick up an item that was hyped to the point of parody. I have been thinking about reading James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces the Oprah selection that was once godlike and quickly demonized as it became known that the memoir was more a vague retelling. Although I knew little about the book when all the acclaim and controversy was raging, I did feel sympathy for the author. Although he may have not lived every incident in the book exactly as it occurred, he did certainly draw upon his own experiences as any good author does. The term memoir is the poison here. People want things to be real so they can be voyeurs into another person’s misery and many authors, actors, and otherwise just regular losers get sucked in based on the promise of a fast buck and quick fame. While Frey’s story may have garnered little attention as a novel, he certainly would not have received so much derision.

As far as the book is concerned, if taken as a novel (as even the best memoir or biography should be) it is a true classic hard boiled tale of addiction and desperation. It harkens back to some of the grittiest works of Burroughs, Kerouac, and even a touch of Hemingway swagger. All of the aforementioned masters wrote highly personalized stories, but in order to protect friends and their own reputations and also to fully enjoy the artistic license warranted to authors they mostly remained in the genre of fiction. An author should not feel that it is necessary to guarantee prose.

So basically I am saying give the book a shot. Just forget all the hype and read it like the novel it should have been promoted as.

Movies I Liked in 2009

What follows is a list of movies I enjoyed and would recommend. Most of these movies were new in 2009 (at least on DVD), but some are ones I just watched for the first time. There is no particular order, but I did save the best 2 movies I saw for last.

1. Shotgun Stories - Not only because this movie was set and filmed in Arkansas and not only because Ben Nichols from Lucero did the soundtrack. This movie is darkly dramatic and quite frankly scary.
2. Religulous - Although no Michael Moore, Bill Maher does demonstrate how ridiculous externalizing religous beliefs can be.
3. Role Models - I should have know that when I grew up I wanted to be Paul Rudd. He co-wrote this movie as well as starred in it.
4. The Reader - Nazis and Kate Winslet. Count me in.
5. The Foot Fist Way - Danny McBride is one of the funniest character actors out there. He gets all the roles Seth Rogan would have if he did not become a dashing leading man. Also check out the first season of Eastbound and Down.
6. Tyson - I have always been a fan of the great heavyweights ever since my dad and I used to watch Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes fights on ABC back in the 1970's. This documentary really sheds some light on what happened to such a talented man and will make you see him as a human being.
7. Californication (seasons 1 & 2) - Because I do not have the premium movie channels I usually come to these shows late. After watching the first episode of season 1, I was totally hooked and watched both seasons in short order. Amazingly acted, funny and dramatic.
8. Observe and Report - Much like the amazingly misunderstood movie The Cable Guy (Jim Carrey), Seth Rogan takes a dark turn in this film. Observe and Report is not an easy "haha" comedy full of dick jokes and stoner laughs. Be ready to be challenged and maybe a little disturbed.
9. I Love You, Man - Paul Rudd!
10. Julie and Julia - Meryl Streep's performance in this film is just amazing. She is so consistent and does her job outside of the Hollywood tabloid glare, it is easy to forget that she is one of the greatest actors of any era.
11. Impaler - The best documentaries focus on quirky characters operating in the ordinary world. Satanic priest, gubernatorial candidate, and blood sucking vampire Jonathan Sharkey will be hard for you to forget.
12. The Boondock Saints and Overnight - I cannot believe it took me ten years to see this movie. Great dialogue and artistic use of violence. The documentary Overnight follows the making of the Boondock Saints and the unmaking of writer/director Troy Duffy. Although artistcally talented, Duffy is a domineering egomaniac who is his own worst enemy.
13. The Hangover - Other than Judd Apatow, Todd Phillips has made some of the most interesting comedies in recent years. I am sure you have seen this movie, but if you have not Zach Galifianakis alone is worth the time spent.
14. Funny People - It is always amazing to watch actors and filmmakers mature through their work. As advertised Funny People is the third movie written and directed by Judd Apatow and features many of the usual suspects such as Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill, and Leslie Mann (Apatow's wife). What really stands out is the combination of what one would expect from a Judd Apatow comedy, and what I think is the best acting performance by Adam Sandler ever. He does not rely on silly voices and mugging to the camera in this film. He portrays a very real and flawed character with a skill that I hope portends his future roles.
15. Inglourious Basterds - I love all of Quentin Tarantino's films and have watched each one dozens of times. Inglourious Basterds is by far the best written and acted of the bunch. This movie belongs in the same conversation as groundbreaking films such as the Wild Bunch, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and dare I say the Godfather II. Watch it and then watch it again.