Category: Reviews

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (2006)

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A memoir from a non-fiction writer may seem sort of an odd idea. And it is. Doesn’t mean it’s not wonderful.

Author Bill Bryson uses tales of his childhood alter-ego “The Thunderbolt Kid” as a dramatic device to tell long, rich and wonderful anecdotes about growing up in Iowa in the 1950’s. Not a bad conceit, really, and if it helped him to collect these thoughts into a narrative – great. But I found these interludes a little distracting, taking the book away from what is a very detailed and entertaining time capsule.

One of the things I appreciate the most about Bryson’s writing is that it doesn’t really matter what he’s talking about; his ability to humanize situations and provide perspective is the glue that holds his books together. There’s a personal touch to his work even when he’s discussing technical material, but it really shines through in this one. Highly recommended.

[schema type=”book” url=”http://www.billbryson.co.uk/” name=”The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” description=”From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century. A book that delivers on the promise that it is “laugh-out-loud funny.” Some say that the first hints that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came from his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. Across the moth-holed chest was a golden thunderbolt. It may have looked like an old college football sweater, but young Bryson knew better. It was obviously the Sacred Jersey of Zap, and proved that he had been placed with this innocuous family in the middle of America to fly, become invisible, shoot guns out of people’s hands from a distance, and wear his underpants over his jeans in the manner of Superman. Bill Bryson’s first travel book opened with the immortal line, “I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.” In this hilarious new memoir, he travels back to explore the kid he once was and the weird and wonderful world of 1950s America. He modestly claims that this is a book about not very much: about being small and getting much larger slowly. But for the rest of us, it is a laugh-out-loud book that will speak volumes – especially to anyone who has ever been young.” author=”Bill Bryson” publisher=”Broadway Books” pubdate=”2006-10-17″ isbn=”0739315234″ ebook=”yes” paperback=”yes” hardcover=”yes” ]

October 9, 2014
Bossypants (2011)

Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t really have a ton to say about this book. It was wonderfully funny, which was an absolute certainty coming from such a funny comedienne & writer. It was also completely unsubstantial and probably longer than a book about an active person needs to be. Going through the book, I felt like I did when I heard Tina Fey was being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor; it’s not that it was unjustified – far from it. It just seemed a bit premature. As talented as Fey is, I suspect that her best work is still ahead of her (or at least that her best isn’t behind her). It’s a little early for career retrospectives, isn’t it?

Like all autobiographies, it is most enjoyable the further the narrative stays from the present time. The stories of growing up and discovering her voice are absolutely hysterical. Once the story starts to catch up to current events it feels more like a journal. I’m not that interested in reading an author’s thoughts on things that just happened – I was there – I got the gist of it. More detail starts to feel like justification and over-explanation of events – I’m already reading your side of the story – it’s your book. Tell me more about your theatre camp – that was a riot…

The exception to this criticism is the newer material on parenting. Because that is providing access to things I didn’t previously know about. And because it is side-splitting funny.

I actually listened to the author narrate this story as opposed to reading it. I’m sure I would have enjoyed the book without Tina Fey’s voice but I can’t imagine I would have enjoyed it as much. She has such a fantastic delivery. Recommended.

[schema type=”book” url=”http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/tina-fey/bossypants/9780316056861/” name=”Bossypants” description=”Tina Fey, one of the most powerful and beloved women in entertainment, brings sharp wit and uncanny observational skill to everything she does, from television to major motion pictures. She’s managed to be known as both the thinking man’s sex symbol, and every woman’s alter-ego/imaginary best friend. Now, for the first time, Fey takes her writing talent off-screen and into the pages of a audiobook. From her disastrous honeymoon cruise to the oversold joys of breastfeeding, from how to assemble the perfect female body to the working mom’s inner thoughts (when cleaning under the couch: eat the Cheerio, pocket the penny. Unless your sweatpants don’t have pockets…), Tina Fey puts her unique and endlessly funny mark on modern life, love, marriage, and motherhood.” author=”Tina Fey” publisher=”Reagan Arthur Books” pubdate=”2011-04-05″ isbn=”0316056863″ ebook=”yes” paperback=”yes” hardcover=”yes” ]

October 9, 2014
A Better World (2014)

A Better World by Marcus Sakey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you read my review of Brilliance (Brilliance Saga, #1), you know that I appreciated the novel but was very interested to see what author Marcus Sakey would be able to achieve with the story once he’d got all the exposition out of the way. I’m very pleased that my hunch that the second novel would be more rewarding was correct.

A Better World examines the ramifications of former FBI agent Nick Cooper’s actions at the climax of Brilliance. Our world has been turned upside down, with the Brilliant-led terrorist group the Children of Darwin able to operate almost without impunity in the absence of the Department of Analysis and Response (DAR).

There is a lot of political intrigue in this series, but it succeeds best with its feet on the ground, up close with those dealing with the effects of the world-shaking actions in this chaotic time. The Children of Darwin are able to completely isolate 3 major American cities, starving them of supplies and aid. Mob rule & martial law vie for control, both seeming worse than the actions of the terrorists. The maxim about civilization being twenty-four hours and two meals away from barbarism is perfectly illustrated here.

The story works because of its terrifying plausibility. In fact, the Brilliants don’t really even have much to do. The real story of this novel has much less to do with superhuman abilities than it does with all too human weakness.

It’s not all positive; the writing is still very screenplay-esque and the author makes the unforgivable sin of not finishing the story. It’s understood when you’re in the middle book of a trilogy that everything isn’t going to be wrapped up neatly, but there is no excuse for releasing a story that feels this unfinished. There’s an expectation on the part of the reader that each installment of a series has to feel like a complete story, even when the overall tale is not done.

My annoyance at this lapse is due in large part to my desire to find out what happens next. It just could have been much more elegantly tied off if not tied up.

I really enjoyed A Better World – a good story got much better in the second installment. Recommended – with the caveat that you may want to wait until the series is complete before starting…

[schema type=”book” url=”http://marcussakey.com/” name=”A Better World” description=”The brilliants changed everything. Since 1980, 1% of the world has been born with gifts we’d only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person’s most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional…and the rest of us. Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities. Supermarket shelves stand empty. 911 calls go unanswered. Fanatics are burning people alive. Nick Cooper has always fought to make the world better for his children. As both a brilliant and an advisor to the president of the United States, he’s against everything the terrorists represent. But as America slides toward a devastating civil war, Cooper is forced to play a game he dares not lose—because his opponents have their own vision of a better world. And to reach it, they’re willing to burn this one down. From Marcus Sakey, “the master of the mindful page turner” (Gillian Flynn) and “one of our best storytellers” (Michael Connelly), Book Two of the Brilliance Saga is a relentless thrill ride that will change the way you look at your world—and the people around you.” author=”Marcus Sakey” publisher=”Thomas & Mercer” pubdate=”2014-06-17″ isbn=”1477823948″ ebook=”yes” paperback=”yes” ]

October 8, 2014

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Joe Johnston’s directorial debut sure takes a long time to get going; feels like 20 minutes of exposition. Pity, cause payoff’s pretty good.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids:

Let’s be clear: I’m reviewing this solely because it’s the 25^th anniversary of the movie (I’m sort of a slave to this anniversary thing – may need to do something about that). Because previously I wouldn’t have been caught dead watching this movie. It came out when I was 16 and an opinionated jerk who probably would have classified this as the nadir of film. Which just further illustrates my snobbery and the perils of same – because Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was not bad at all. In fact, as a 41 year old opinionated jerk, I fully appreciated it for the solid family adventure it is.

The movie starts off really slowly. It really does – the setup for the actual shrinking event must be 20 minutes of not very interesting exposition. It certainly feels that way, anyways.

Rick Moranis plays the absent-minded professor, in this movie named Wayne Szalinski. I hardly need tell you what kind of character he is, since this is a standard archetype. The film feels it is necessary, though, so we spend a ton of time learning that his wife is considering leaving him, his colleagues don’t respect him, his inventions are buggy, his relationship with his kids borders on absenteeism, and he fights with his neighbor. The neighbors are similarly over-written as Russ Thompson Sr (Matt Frewer) struggles with his sons, particularly Russ Jr (Thomas Wilson Brown), who doesn’t want anything to do with his father’s interests. Both men are married – to Diane (Marcia Strassman) & Mae (Kristine Sutherland), respectively – but it barely matters since neither woman is given much to do.

Wayne has built a machine to shrink items but it doesn’t work until a freak accident causes, blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. After a career spent as the technical talent behind some major productions, director Joe Johnston would eventually become quite a good director. With this first foray, however, he needed to learn from the adage “don’t bore us, get to the chorus”. Once we’re actually into the plot, however, the movie picks up nicely and his roots as an effects artist and art director on some of the biggest adventure pictures of all time make for a great foray into fun fantasy, if a bit limited by budget in this instance.

The four kids – Russ Jr & Ron Thompson (Jared Rushton), Amy (Amy O’Neill) & Nick Szalinski (Robert Oliveri) – must navigate the back yard to get back to the house, all while shrunk to ¼“. This, of course, is where the movie finds its footing and becomes the kind of movie that kids love. Seeing it for the first time, now an adult (ehh, sort of) it didn’t hit me the same way my daughter enjoyed it, but I could absolutely see the quality and the appeal. I’m not going to outline all of the adventures or gags, but it’s good stuff that still works on today’s youth, even though the effects show their age.

Yes, it’s a Disney movie, with all that implies, but Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a solid, well-made family film that ages better than I would have expected. Might have been more enjoyable with a ten-minute haircut, but that also would have probably reduced the screen time of Matt Frewer, whom I love, so let’s call it square. Recommended.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: B (7 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/) [schema type=”movie” url=”http://movies.disney.com/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids” name=”Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” description=”The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.” director=”Joe Johnston” actor_1=”Rick Moranis” actor_2=”Matt Frewer” ]

Main Cast	Rick Moranis Wayne Szalinski, Matt Frewer Big Russ Thompson, Marcia Strassman Diane Szalinski, Kristine Sutherland Mae Thompson
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 23 Jun 1989 UTC
Director	Joe Johnston
Genres	Adventure, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Plot	The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.
Poster
Runtime	93
Tagline	The most astonishing, innovative, backyard adventure of all time!
Writers	Stuart Gordon (story) &, Brian Yuzna (story) …
Year	1989

October 7, 2014

Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Shocking, layered, magical, transporting masterpiece – Gus Van Sant burst onto scene with a wholly original film that blew everyone away…

Spoiler-free Movie Review of Drugstore Cowboy:

One of the great things about cinema is the ability to peel back the curtain to show the audience something they may have never seen before and expose them to entire ways of life that are completely foreign. Gus Van Sant’s 1989 masterpiece Drugstore Cowboy paints a portrait of the drug lifestyle that is completely unique to anything that had come before and helped to usher in a new age for independent film.

The story by Van Sant and Daniel Yost is based on the then unpublished autobiography of long-time drug addict James Fogle, who robbed drugstores to support his habit. The screenplay follows the character of Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) and his wife Dianne (Kelly Lynch) as they try to keep the high going in Portland, Oregon in 1971 by robbing drugstores with the help of junior junkie couple Rick (James LeGros) & Nadine (Heather Graham in her 2nd film).

Bob and his young protégés are constantly trying to stay high and ahead of the law, pursued by the dogged Detective Gentry (James Remar), whose desire to lock up Bob is matched by an almost fatherly concern for the young thief. Among fellow low-life junkies and cops, can Bob make a change in his life?

The picture is just so good. There’s gritty realism and gallows humor mixed evenly with drug euphoria and dramatic excellence. It’s a fascinating portrait of addiction and low-life thievery in the 1970’s, but the story is really timeless. When the superstitious Bob is driven out of town, Drugstore Cowboy turns into a road picture for its second act, which keeps it very fresh.

The acting is uniformly excellent. This is Dillon’s favorite of his films – it’s certainly his best performance and arguably reinvented him as a serious actor for the second act of his career. All of the supporting players shine in their own way, with Lynch being particularly sympathetic and impressive. There is a small part by William S. Burroughs that is spellbinding and led me into a huge Burroughs phase after seeing him first here.

The film covers the depravity of the junkie lifestyle with unflinching realism but also no small amount of humor. Bob is incredibly charismatic and it’s easy to find the romance in the lifestyle depicted. But Van Sant displays a great sense of timing and tone in the way he contrasts the highs and lows. It was really refreshing and eye-opening at the time, and still plays.

Probably Van Sant’s best picture, Drugstore Cowboy is just as unique as it was on this day 25 years ago. This is a film with something to say and continues to be relevant and important despite the period setting of the tale. Highly recommended…