Movies
I haven't seen one in over three weeks. Perhaps I shall do that this weekend.
TV
The Wire
I watched all five seasons of The Wire in about the space of three months which is a lot of TV watching for me. I was initially drawn to The Wire because I was looking for a new show to watch when several people recommended it to me. I have a weakness for cop shows and David Simon's first show Homicide: Life on the Street was my favorite show in high school. I used to watch it religiously every Friday night (True, I had no life). Man, talk about a dark show. I am happy to report that David Simon's latest show is even better and darker. It's ostensibly a cop show; but what it's really about is the way different institutions create, govern, and affect modern urban America and the costs and benefits those institutions impose on everyone. By my
count, there are only four or five major characters who don't lose their souls - for lack of a better word.
I was going to do a big thematic review on the show before I found one on one of my favorite blogs that says everything much better than I ever could. http://www.thevalve.org/go/valve/article/in_withdrawal_from_modernity_the_western_and_the_west_side_in_the_wire/ Comparing it to the western genre is just brilliant. In a nutshell, The Wire is a true work of art and one best televisions ever filmed and the perfect rebuttal to anyone who thinks all TV is a complete waste of time. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28694 I would recommend watching it but it has pretty graphic content of all kinds so make your own decision. Keep in mind it was on HBO and it's a cop show but a damn good one.
Books
The Watchmen
I decided to read my first graphic novel because I wanted to be part of the culture zeitgeist surrounding the movie, it was being discussed on several literary blogs I visit and I was tired of being left all, and it was recommend to me by a friend whose opinion I have no reason not to trust. All I can say is that is was so worth it. This was one of the complex, intricate, and rewarding books I've ever read. The only challenging thing was training myself to slow down and look at the pictures.
Serena
This was basically a re-imaging of Shakespeare's Macbeth with the Macbeths as American depression era timber barons as opposed to Scottish royalty. This story was told in sparse, biblical prose that reminded me a lot of early Cormac McCarthy. This story took a while to get going but once it did I couldn't put it down. (How's that for a cliche?) It was fascinating to see how the more supernatural parts of Macbeth were handled. I highly recommend this morality tale about the effects of power and violence on the human soul. My only complaint was that I would have liked to see a little more psychological character development. It was still worth the read though.
Newspapers
The Seattle Times
I just started reading it so the verdict is still out. I've been reading the PI for twelve years but I felt like I had no choice but to switch after they printed their last edition. The new web-based version interested me at first because I read all my news online anyway; but it's just not the same. They don't have the financial resources to cover stories the way they used to and linking to other people's stories is a sad, sorry substitute. I still read their comics page because I am creature of habit. The whole thing is just too sad to write about any further.
Plays
Betrayal
I saw Harold Pinter's classic play last Wednesday. It was only 75 minutes long but it was chocked full of goodness and an innovative chronological structure. Harold Pinter was famous for writing about "the hidden menace of every day life" and for dialogue containing lots of pregnant pauses. This play was no exception. I never knew conversations about playing squash could be so tragic. The Seattle Rep did a great job of making a 30 year old play about adultery seem fresh and relevant.
Music
The National
I just started listening to theses guys and I regret that I've wasted so many years of my life not listening to them. The true test of a good band for me is the ability to write songs that sound uniquely their own but that sound different enough that I don't get bored. They live on the softer side of the indie rock world but that doesn't mean they don't rock out every once in a while.
Elvis Costello
I've been wanting to get into him for a while so I finally just broke down a bought a greatest hits album which is something I never do because it feels too much like cheating. I had no choice because the man has put out so much stuff that there was no other place to start. As far as criticism goes, there's nothing I could add about a legend like Elvis Costello so I won't try to.
These albums made me realize a couple things. First off all, I'm a grown-up now since I no longer need all my music to have big riffs, hard-charging drum lines, and angry lyrics. I guess I have matured in the past ten years. Now I'll pretty much listen to anything if it's good. Don't get me wrong, I still rock out now and then but moderation is the keyboard now. Although, whenever I get depressed I still pop in a little Pearl Jam and rock out like a fifteen year old boy upset about being grounded.
I also realized that new music no longer makes me as happy as it once did. I think the fact that it is now so widely available has something to do with it. I mean, I hear a new band every day. It's not like when I was a kid. For sheer exhilaration, nothing will ever beat driving an hour to the nearest biggest city to buy the new Smashing Pumpkins CD, putting it in the portable CD player, and driving through town in my friend's red Geo Metro with the volume cranked all the way up. I still haven't found a better way of jumping into new music.
MISC
I have more reviews coming because I bought more stuff from Amazon this week that I am just waiting to show up like a kid on Christmas morning. I lifted my personal moratorium on book and CD buying because now that I have Amazon Prime it seems like a waste not to buy stuff since I get free two-day shipping. Don't worry if you can't follow my logic about how spending more money is actually the thrifty thing to do; after all, I am operating on a much higher plane of existence than most people. That's also why Amazon loves me.
I found a new website that I am quite excited about. It looks pretty good as far as middlebrow arts and entertainment website go. http://headbutler.com/
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