#140RVW: WarGames (1983)

Tight & clever thriller works just as well today, but as 80′s time capsules go, they don’t come better than this. Quality makes it a classic

Grumpy and outdated comments on rock...

Palladia is showing some 2010 benefit at the Albert Hall right now. Observations:

1. The Who: knock it off. It's sad.
2. I don't get Them Crooked Vultures. I know many will hate me for it, but I really don't get much out of anything Josh Homme does. Dave Grohl only has so many years of being the greatest rocker on the planet; I hate to see him slumming. But he's a big boy. The guy I feel most sorry for is Alain Johannes; must suck to back up bands less interesting but more successful than your own. Matt Mahaffey of Self certainly must have felt that way touring as part of Beck's band.
3. Noel Gallagher is making a lot of classically trained musicians play an orchestral version of Wonderwall. What an asshole.
4. Arctic Monkeys: Yeah, I guess so. They're good, but not getting any heat off them. I like them as the best of a bad lot...
5. The Specials are the greatest band in the world.

Earlier tonight they were showing Ziggy Stardust. I always watch it when I come across it. It's not that it's so good, it's just really amazing to watch the fans. These kids aren't going crazy because he's amazing, they're going crazy because they had never seen anything like this before. They could really be protected from knowing that Bowie was a human being. The illusion of the rock star is forever ruined, entirely to our detriment...

#hai-commute: In the brisk Autumn air...

#hai-commute:

In the brisk Autumn air
Would it not please the senses
To close the damn door?

#hai-commute: On a travel day...

On a travel day <br />
Beautiful dog behaves well<br />
But his people suck

#improbibabble - Real Stories Too Improbable to Work as Screenplays...

1st in a series of actual news stories you could not sell as plausible if you were pitching them as films:

Murder Suspect McAfee Blogs While on the Run From Police

#140RVW: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

#140RVW: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Whedon's so good it's unfair. No one better at bringing genuine moments to the absurd. A total joy.

http://seenth.at/chatter/18105

#140RVW: Father of Invention

#140RVW: Father of Invention. Never even heard of this and now know why. Good 1st act but stalls and sputters out. Give Spacey props, though

http://boxd.it/1cAc

#140RVW: Skyfall

#140RVW: Skyfall. So good. Manages to be dark and gritty and fun at same time. A must-see for anyone who's ever enjoyed a Bond of any era...

http://boxd.it/17Fc

#140RVW: The Commitments

#140RVW: The Commitments. Did you know that the guitarist is played by Glen Hansard? Just found out. Only seen this amazing movie 100 times.

http://boxd.it/xvIz

Also, I must point out that although the movie was released in 1991, I was not in the movie. Or was I...

#140RVW: Game Change

#140RVW: Game Change. Moore, Harris & Harrelson captivating in well-told tale of bat-shit crazy people. Had nearly forgotten the weirdness.

http://seenth.at/chatter/17513

#140RVW: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

#140RVW: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Delightful story, charmingly delivered by lovely McGregor, Blunt & Waked. KSThomas too fun for words.

http://boxd.it/2Ptc

#140RVW: As Good As It Gets

#140RVW: As Good As It Gets. Jack's smug mugging fails to ruin James L Brooks' master class, but it's a close thing. Hwood, more Helen Hunt!

#140RVW: Monsters, Inc.

#140RVW: Monsters, Inc. Pixar's 4th is where they really hit their stride; has heart & humor, but 1st killer premise. Tear up EVERY time...

Stealing Trinity by Ward Larsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Impulse buy; picked up as Kindle deal of the day months ago and picked away at it a bit at a time before seriously powering through it recently. Very glad I did.

Very different than my usual read, but that's the whole point, isn't it? I can easily see why historical fiction is such a popular genre. This sort of "What if" thinking is natural to everyone, and so makes for an inexhaustible supply of scenarios.

This one is quite simple in the telling: the pursuit of a loose thread; a Nazi agent tasked with stealing the secrets of the Manhattan Project in the days after the surrender of Germany.

Great thriller; interesting story. Well written, but switches perspective/voice a little too frequently; gets a little distracting. Inclusion of female protagonist so prominently into the third act changes the tone of the piece. Turns the feel from tight spy story to Hollywood thriller. Not necessarily a bad thing, just unexpected and tonally at odds with the earlier chapters.

All in all, a very enjoyable read; looking forward to move of the author's works.

View all my reviews

#140RVW: Dr. No

#140RVW: Dr. No. 50 years later and it still plays. Imperfect but all the pieces are there to launch franchise. Underneath the Mango Tree...

#hai-commute: On the odd morning...

On the odd morning
When I don't use quiet car
Worst mistake ever

#140RVW: The Big Lebowski

#140RVW: The Big Lebowski. Saw 3x in theaters, countless since. Still holds up as cult fun. Coens' dopey noir feels safe by their standards.

#140RVW: Blast From The Past

#140RVW: Blast From The Past. Obvious gags barely detract from surprisingly solid com. Punches its weight.Fraser charming, Spacek steals it.

#140RVW: The Prestige

#140RVW: The Prestige. Good book, great adaptation. Nolan's finest? Yes. Best in class acting, quick pace, tight dialogue, gorgeous design.

#140RVW - Wait 'Til Next Year: Saga of the Cubs

#140RVW: Wait 'Til Next Year: Saga of the Cubs. Standard sports doc fare kept alive by the richness of the subject. Joyless if you're a fan.