The Master

Once again, Paul Thomas Anderson has made a flawed work of genius. Freddie Quell is a WWII vet, psychologically damaged before he even went to war and currently spends his time drinking solvents and cleaners during and between various jobs. He stumbles upon "the master's" (Lancaster Dodd's) vessel before it embarks upon a seafaring, brain-washing voy-ahj. Lancaster Dodd is to L. Ron Hubbard as Charles Foster Kane is to William Randolph Hearst.

"The Master" has a great premise, brilliant cinematography, and acting performances for the ages. It also has surprisingly good pacing for a movie that my friend Shawn accurately described as having "no plot, I mean NO plot."

The flaw is that I don't ever get a connection with the characters. I never truly felt why Lancaster Dodd and Freddie Quell need each other. I suppose Freddie seems to benefit by having a direction for awhile, but the whole thing is so ambiguous that it's hard to tell.

Quell, played by Joaquin Phoenix, and Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, have an early scene for the ages wherein Dodd engages Quell in "informal processing," which involves an interrogation apparently designed to confront the person being processed rapidly and quickly before delusion can set in so that the subject comes to some truth about him/herself. Amy Adams also gives an amazing performance as Dodd's wife, Peggy.

This movie's strong points make it hard to fault this movie. My brain was excited at the end, yet this was betrayed by the involuntary shoulder shrug that occurred as I relieved myself in the theater bathroom, focusing on one point in the urinal.

You should see this movie. 99% of the reason is for the "informal processing scene" and 1% is to get that toilet reference (do it for me).

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Norwood - Charles Portis

I was anxious to read Portis after seeing "True Grit" (still need to read it), and reading about his facility with Southern dialogue.

That being said, coming off the heels of the breakneck pace of "Leviathan Wakes" and my consequent breakneck reading pace, I read this book too fast and missed (some of) the devil in the details, Portis's dialog and prose.

I didn't miss it all and it made for a nice weekend read.

"I wish Sammy Ortega was here," said Miss Phillips. "He'd break your arm."

"I'd like to see him try it," said Norwood.

"I was talking to Fring, I wasn't talking to you," she said. "But he'd get you too if he felt like it, you bigmouth country son of a bitch. He'd kick your ass into the middle of next week."

"I'd like to see him try it."

"You just got through saying that. Don't keep saying the same thing over and over again. Don't you have good sense?"

"You said you was talking to him the first time."

"You peckerwood."

Leviathan Wakes - James S.A. Corey

Even though this is a hefty tome at over 600 pages, "Leviathan Wakes" non-stop action makes the reading easy. This "kick-ass space opera" as George R.R. Martin's blurb refers to it is, indeed, a kick-ass space opera. Penned by James S.A. Corey, it is a rollicking good time with noir and horror elements thrown in. James S.A. Corey is the pen name for the collaboration of the authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.

On my Goodreads review, I deliberately didn't talk about it much, but for my own edification and record-keeping, I'd like to put my thoughts down here. If you're going to read it, I'd suggest you stop reading now as the book is best enjoyed with no prior conceptions.

The book is well-paced throughout, but the second half of the book contained elements that rang a little false to me, especially the notion of using the Mormons' generation ship to push the infected space station into the sun.

An additional question I ponder is if this would have been a better book if the stakes hadn't been the highest (survival of humanity)? I understand that these stakes are a trope of the space opera sub-genre, but I wonder if a better book would have been written had the stakes been dialed down somewhat to allow less desperate measures to be used for resolution? Those desperate measures took me out of the story somewhat. Drama exists in many forms and levels - the very survival of humanity doesn't have to be at stake to create it.

My criticisms are minor and almost seem disingenuous given how much fun this tale gives to the reader. I look forward to reading the second of three in the series, "Caliban's War."

The Sisters Brothers, - Patrick deWitt

"... 'Now you dance, chink!' With these words, the boy began dancing wildly and without grace, looking much like someone forced to stand barefoot over hot coals. It was an ugly thing to witness, and if I had not before made my decision about Mayfield, the matter was now settled in my mind." - Eli Sisters

After reading and greatly enjoying this book, it's finally come to me that I’m a fan of the Western. It surprises me, although I’m doing some head-smacking at my lateness in the realization. Westerns, whether in book or film form, bored me when I was younger. I think the drab landscape, lack of technology and overused tropes kept me away. What I think has brought me back is the prose in both Portis’ book “True Grit” and the recently remade film, as well as the excellent HBO series “Deadwood.” I have a fondness for this style of prose - characterized by formal use of language, sometimes punctuated by expletives and employing minimal use of contractions. DeWitt continues this style to magnificent effect.

This is a tale of Eli and Charlie Sisters: two brothers who are killers for hire. They encounter many characters and events on their journey. This might be called an anti-Western for its satirical moments, somewhat rambling plot and overall bleak outlook on civilization. The plot is secondary in my view, although it isn’t horrible. The joy of reading this book is the musings of the narrator, Eli Sisters as well as other characters in the book.

I’ve collected a few that follow.

Regarding gold-rush era San Francisco:

"’You must understand, gentlemen, that the tradition of thrift and sensible spending has all but vanished here. For example, when I arrived last time from working my claim I had a sizeable sack of gold dust, and though I knew it was lunacy I decided to sit down and have a large dinner in the most expensive restaurant I could find... and for this repast, which would have put me back perhaps half a dollar in my hometown, I paid the sum of thirty dollars in cash’

Charlie was disgusted. ‘Only a moron would pay that.’

‘I agree,’ said the man. ‘One hundred percent I agree. And I am happy to welcome you to a town peopled in morons exclusively. I hope that your transformation to moron is not an unpleasant experience.’”

 

“‘Yesterday I saw a man leap from the roof of the Orient Hotel, laughing all the way to the ground, upon which he fairly exploded. He was drunk, they say, but I had seen him sober shortly before this. There is a feeling here, which if it gets you, will envenom your very center. It is a madness of possibilities. That leaping man’s final act was the embodiment of the collective mind of San Francisco. I understand it completely. I had a strong desire to applaud, if you want to know the truth.’”

This is the most I’ve enjoyed a book in a long time. A blurb refers to it as “cowboy noir,” which is apt. It is much-appreciated storytelling enlivened by simple, straightforward, writing craft.

Body count:

16 men shot
2 men poisoned
1 man drowned
1 man suicide by axe
2 bears
4 horses
1 dog
9 beavers

Prometheus

There are a few things good about this movie, unfortunately they don’t make up for the movie being, well, stupid. If you’re reading this as a part of your decision process to see it in the theater, don't. Overall, the movie misses its mark. Read on if you don’t mind spoilers or have already seen the film.

Good things about the movie are Michael Fassbender’s performance and the cinematography and special effects.

So much for the good aspects.

The script for this movie simply makes no sense. During the opening scene, we are introduced to two archaeologists in love, Elizabeth and Charlie, who find a cave painting depicting giant humanoids pointing out to a star cluster. They connect this to other primitive cultures' depictions of similar humanoids pointing to a similar star cluster (5 stars).

Somehow that’s interpreted as an invitation to come find humanity’s creators (the “engineers”)? They rustle up some funding from Weyland-Yutani corporation - a TRILLION dollars, according to Meredith Vickers, played by Charlize Theron, the chosen Weyland representative. Vickers and crew, aboard the spaceship Prometheus, head to a distant moon. How they were able to narrow down a cluster of 5 heavenly bodies to a single spot in the universe seems ridiculous, but, okay, it moves the story forward.

Once aboard the ship, it seems that Meredith Vickers is in charge, but then a hologram of Peter Weyland, the company founder, instructs them that the archaeologists in love are in charge. Plus we have the captain of the ship, played by Idris Elba, who also seems to have some autonomy. A trillion-dollar expedition where no one is quite certain who’s boss?

Upon arrival at the moon, this lack of leadership is evident as they run off without, seemingly, forming a plan. Cap’n Janek warns them they only have 6 hours of daylight left, but damn the torpedos (!), the archaeologists in love are not going to wait to meet their makers! Ahem.

Other characters on this exploratory mission include a geologist and a biologist. These guys are the best part of the movie. Upon entering a cave complex, the geologist sets out robotic drones that quickly map the subterranean caverns and tunnels. The geologist skillfully leads them through the caverns whereupon they find dead engineers. The geologist and the biologist freak out at this. They knew there was the prospect of finding LIVE engineers and I guess they assumed that they would be friendly, but the fact that they were massacred, 2000 YEARS AGO, is freaking them out. So they split. Not only do they split, but THEY GET LOST. EVEN THOUGH THE ENTIRE PLACE IS MAPPED WITH THE GEOLOGIST’S DRONES AND THEY’RE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH CAP’N JANEK. A storm comes and these two are forced to spend the night in the cave. During the night they run into a phallic, alien, snake-like creature. They're trapped underground, millions of miles from home and they're encountering their first live alien which acts just like a king cobra. What does the highly qualified BIOLOGIST, hired to go on a TRILLION-DOLLAR MISSION DO? HE TREATS IT LIKE A GERBIL FOR FUCK’S SAKE, COOING AT IT AND OFFERING HIS HAND TO IT, WHEREUPON ANIMALS ATTACK AND HE AND THE HANSEL-AND-GRETEL GEOLOGIST RIGHTLY SUFFER A HORRIBLE DEATH.

I almost applauded.

I’ll just (try and) stop here. They have an automated surgery pod that is for men only because apparently having breasts and a vagina complicates a pod capable of robotic surgery. The archaeologist in love convinces it to do an alien abortion, anyhow, and with her stomach stapled completes a bunch of action scenes meanwhile the rest of the crew ignores the abortion and the blood-spattered pod. Um, what else? Vickers gets crushed to death by a crashing, rolling space ship because she couldn’t figure out how to run a perpendicular path from it. I guess she thought it was chasing her. There are also tired existential discussions attempting to drive this film and two members of the crew we know nothing about who agree on a kamikaze mission at the end.

There is more. Suffice it say that this movie fails due to lazy writing.

I just hoped this would be better than "Alien 3" or "Alien Resurrection." Please don't make me pick where "Prometheus" fits in the now 3 horrible Alien franchise films.

The Peculiar Memories Of Thomas Penman - Bruce Robinson

This was a tough decision to either forge ahead and finish or abandon it (which is what I did).

Part of my hesitancy to finish was Robinson's style (it's not unfair to label it a little obtuse), fascination with the mundane details and, well, frankly, not understanding the British place names, etc (shame on me for letting that be a factor).

I put this on my "to reread" shelf because after I turned the book back into the library, I am still thinking about it and maybe regretting not pushing through. It certainly has some charm, isn't horribly long and I'm experiencing some regret.

On the other hand, there are way too many books out there and life is short.

If you're reading this in an attempt to decide whether or not to read it, please, give it a shot. I'm very much on the fence and didn't give it a full read.

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Out of the last four fantasy/sci-fi books I've started to read, this is the only one I finished. I wished I wouldn't have. Hints of a great fantasy story at the beginning, followed by superkid / playboy going through teenage angst at a... wait for it... magic school.

I enjoyed reading it, but that enjoyment was due to being felt led on by a promise (correctly or incorrectly perceived) that didn't happen. What was that promise? THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER MAGIC SCHOOL.

"That gets told in the next book(s)." Really? I try to be positive. I do. I read all the glowing reviews for this book and ended up REALLY not liking it. So, maybe it gets better in the next? Let's look at the reviews with a more guarded eye this time. I came across this HILARIOUS review of the next book by "Jacob"

"THE GODDAMN FELURIAN BIT."

Click the link. Read about the Felurian bit.

Fool me once - shame on you...

There's an old Zen koan that says "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." It's entirely metaphorical and basically means if you think you've attained enlightenment, think again.

If you see J.K. Rowling on the road, kill her.

Happy birthday, Pete Townsend! Pete Townshend and Jack White perfoming in 2006

Thanks, Antiquiet!