Darkness Take My Hand
I've read four of Dennis Lehane's books, I was impressed with the first three: Shutter Island, Mystic River, and A Drink Before the War. They were smart and witty, with none of the filler of, say, a Robert Crais, who really doesn't have anything to say or a story to tell, but writes anyway. Darkness, Take my Hand is by far the least impressive of the Lehane novels I have read so far, though it does not sink the depths of your latter Elvis Cole novels (Crais showed promise with The Monkey's Raincoat, but fell off sharply after that). As a novel it's hardly original, one of the 90's serial killer genre, it has Kenzie and Gennaro trying to catch a dismembering, stalking, really smart psycho who taunts them at every turn. It doesn't have the dark feel of Lehane's better work, it lacks the fresh wit of A Drink Before War, and the original everything of Shutter Island. That's not to say that it's a stupid book, it's smarter and rawer and more original than most, but he can do better. This book is for completists, the ones who have to read every book by a particular author.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Inside Man
If they had pitched this as a TV movie, without the Denzel Washington/Jodie Foster/Clive Owen star-power, they would have had a hard time selling it. This is one of those that make for excellent trailers, (or maybe it's that Spike Lee movies make for good trailers, not really sure which) but not much more. I wasn't bored, but that was largely due to Denzel Washington's electric performance, pulling an entertaining character out of a nothing script. Jodie Foster hams away, as does Christopher Plummer. Clive Owen gives a decent little performance, like an up-and-comer trying to make his name inspite of the script, which he is. There isn't anything worthwhile here (apart from a pair of buxom women), nothing original, very little that is even mildly entertaining.
Spike Lee's message has been reduced to criticizing video games and mild, buried messages about NYPD bigotry. No I didn't miss the (yawn) subtext about American financial power and Nazi-Germany, my response is, so? Pretty much every financial empire on earth has been in bed with unsavory characters at one point or another. The pursuit of wealth necessitates ugliness. Rich men are pretty much always amoral, particularly men who make the acquisition of wealth their life's work. Nothing new there, Mr Lee.
As with all Spike Lee films, there are a few of those WTF moments, when something completely gratuitous/inappropriate/downright bizarre shows up in the screenplay. The latter love-scene with Denzel Washington's character and his girlfriend, the video game animation, the signature floating-down-the-street, shot, the stripping-down sequence.
Technorati Tags: Inside, Man, Denzel, Washington, Clive, Owen, Jodie, Foster, movies, movie, film, films, cinema, Spike, Lee, Joint, director, NYPD, Nazi, screenplay, actor
If they had pitched this as a TV movie, without the Denzel Washington/Jodie Foster/Clive Owen star-power, they would have had a hard time selling it. This is one of those that make for excellent trailers, (or maybe it's that Spike Lee movies make for good trailers, not really sure which) but not much more. I wasn't bored, but that was largely due to Denzel Washington's electric performance, pulling an entertaining character out of a nothing script. Jodie Foster hams away, as does Christopher Plummer. Clive Owen gives a decent little performance, like an up-and-comer trying to make his name inspite of the script, which he is. There isn't anything worthwhile here (apart from a pair of buxom women), nothing original, very little that is even mildly entertaining.
Spike Lee's message has been reduced to criticizing video games and mild, buried messages about NYPD bigotry. No I didn't miss the (yawn) subtext about American financial power and Nazi-Germany, my response is, so? Pretty much every financial empire on earth has been in bed with unsavory characters at one point or another. The pursuit of wealth necessitates ugliness. Rich men are pretty much always amoral, particularly men who make the acquisition of wealth their life's work. Nothing new there, Mr Lee.
As with all Spike Lee films, there are a few of those WTF moments, when something completely gratuitous/inappropriate/downright bizarre shows up in the screenplay. The latter love-scene with Denzel Washington's character and his girlfriend, the video game animation, the signature floating-down-the-street, shot, the stripping-down sequence.
Technorati Tags: Inside, Man, Denzel, Washington, Clive, Owen, Jodie, Foster, movies, movie, film, films, cinema, Spike, Lee, Joint, director, NYPD, Nazi, screenplay, actor
Sunday, March 26, 2006
V for Vendetta 2
The politics are wonky. I don't believe that the Bush Administration is conspiring to create a modern Fascist tyranny, not because I believe that they couldn't, but because it wouldn't be practical. It wouldn't serve a purpose. I believe that V, along with Michael Moore's products, is leftist Alarmism + sheer cynical capitalism. It's a convenient club that Democrats can use to beat their political opponents. That said, a lot of the legitimate, necessary steps to counter terrorism do look like fascism. Police-work, when it tries hard to neutralize law-breaking looks like fascism.
The problem is that for fascism truly to succeed, it can't look like it at first. The other problem is that the outside world really does hate and envy America. I say this as someone who has seen a lot of this hatred and envy first hand. So it's not like 9/11 was an anomaly, America faces real threats. That's what the loud lefties fail to address.
Law enforcement becomes more aggressive, more self-righteous, more power-hungry when it perceives a genuine danger, it also gets that way when it starts to have ambitions and delusions of grandeur. In other words, V for Vendetta could be a timely warning, but it's probably not.
Technorati Tags: V, for, Vendetta, movies, film, movie, films, Michael, Moore, Bush, Administration, fascism, fascist, police, politics, America, leftist, capitalism, entertainment, review,
The politics are wonky. I don't believe that the Bush Administration is conspiring to create a modern Fascist tyranny, not because I believe that they couldn't, but because it wouldn't be practical. It wouldn't serve a purpose. I believe that V, along with Michael Moore's products, is leftist Alarmism + sheer cynical capitalism. It's a convenient club that Democrats can use to beat their political opponents. That said, a lot of the legitimate, necessary steps to counter terrorism do look like fascism. Police-work, when it tries hard to neutralize law-breaking looks like fascism.
The problem is that for fascism truly to succeed, it can't look like it at first. The other problem is that the outside world really does hate and envy America. I say this as someone who has seen a lot of this hatred and envy first hand. So it's not like 9/11 was an anomaly, America faces real threats. That's what the loud lefties fail to address.
Law enforcement becomes more aggressive, more self-righteous, more power-hungry when it perceives a genuine danger, it also gets that way when it starts to have ambitions and delusions of grandeur. In other words, V for Vendetta could be a timely warning, but it's probably not.
Technorati Tags: V, for, Vendetta, movies, film, movie, films, Michael, Moore, Bush, Administration, fascism, fascist, police, politics, America, leftist, capitalism, entertainment, review,
Saturday, March 25, 2006
V for Vendetta 1
The first feeling I had when leaving the theater was that V had not been much of an action film. The trailers made it seem much more like an action-filled comicbook adventure than it had been, really. That doesn't mean that it wasn't good (Natalie Portman is definitely an asset), just that if you were expecting something light and shallowly exciting, you would be disappointed. The thing about V for Vendetta is that it's serious as a corrupt judge, or a egomaniacal dictator.
Setting it in the UK was a stroke of genius, rather than the concession to the Bush Administration that some of the films critics have made it out to be. If indeed it was motivated by cowardice, the Wachowskis' yellow streak is beautiful. John Hurt brings a panache to the role of the chancellor that only an Englishman could. Hugo Weaving steals the movie with simply the most brilliant piece of voice acting ever. He is so good, you never feel a need to see his face. Britain is the star of V, the gravitas, the absence of American naivete, it makes V that much more believable.
It's clear that this movie was not made with a Matrix-sized budget. It had the feel of Billy Zane's Phantom to it, a cheap movie pretending to be Batman. What saves it, is the message. However ridiculous might be it's basis, there is no question as to the earnestness of its exponents, the parallels of the film's UK to the present day USA are as obvious as a pile of shit on the dinner-table.
Technorati Tags: Hugo, Weaving, V, for, Vendetta, Wachowski, Brothers, Wachowskis, movie, movies, cinema, review, reviews, action, Natalie, Portman, actor, acting, politics, actors, UK, Britain, dictator, chancellor, John, Hurt, Billy, Zane, Phantom, Batman, Comic, comics, comicbooks, comic-books, Bush, Administration
The first feeling I had when leaving the theater was that V had not been much of an action film. The trailers made it seem much more like an action-filled comicbook adventure than it had been, really. That doesn't mean that it wasn't good (Natalie Portman is definitely an asset), just that if you were expecting something light and shallowly exciting, you would be disappointed. The thing about V for Vendetta is that it's serious as a corrupt judge, or a egomaniacal dictator.
Setting it in the UK was a stroke of genius, rather than the concession to the Bush Administration that some of the films critics have made it out to be. If indeed it was motivated by cowardice, the Wachowskis' yellow streak is beautiful. John Hurt brings a panache to the role of the chancellor that only an Englishman could. Hugo Weaving steals the movie with simply the most brilliant piece of voice acting ever. He is so good, you never feel a need to see his face. Britain is the star of V, the gravitas, the absence of American naivete, it makes V that much more believable.
It's clear that this movie was not made with a Matrix-sized budget. It had the feel of Billy Zane's Phantom to it, a cheap movie pretending to be Batman. What saves it, is the message. However ridiculous might be it's basis, there is no question as to the earnestness of its exponents, the parallels of the film's UK to the present day USA are as obvious as a pile of shit on the dinner-table.
Technorati Tags: Hugo, Weaving, V, for, Vendetta, Wachowski, Brothers, Wachowskis, movie, movies, cinema, review, reviews, action, Natalie, Portman, actor, acting, politics, actors, UK, Britain, dictator, chancellor, John, Hurt, Billy, Zane, Phantom, Batman, Comic, comics, comicbooks, comic-books, Bush, Administration
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Saw V for Vendetta finally. First things first: Natalie Portman is beautiful. Too young for my taste, would have been even when I was her age, but dammit she is so nice to look at! And she has hips! The lines in her face and that wider butt have made her more womanly, so that in 10 or so years he might have a place in my er, fantasy-life. Also, her head is nicely shaped, fortunately. [Note that at 14 I was attracted to the same age-group I am now at 31, namely the 35-50's. I wonder if when I'm fifty, should I survive that long (I shudder to think), I will be attracted to 70 year-old women. Hell, some of them look good to me now. ]
Her accent-work is more than fine, it's Streepishly good. Her emotional range is a little bit underdeveloped. She doesn't hit distress as well as I wanted her to (like in the scene where she finds out that V decieved her), but she gets close enough to make me respect her acting. She doesn't do nuance very well. Her conversations with Stephen Fry could have been done better if she wasn't concentrating on her accent. I have a feeling she will get better about all of this though.
Technorati Tags: Natalie, Portman, V, for, Vendetta, acting, movie, movies, films, film, cinema, actor, actress, act, review, critique, performance, Meryl, Streep,
Saw V for Vendetta finally. First things first: Natalie Portman is beautiful. Too young for my taste, would have been even when I was her age, but dammit she is so nice to look at! And she has hips! The lines in her face and that wider butt have made her more womanly, so that in 10 or so years he might have a place in my er, fantasy-life. Also, her head is nicely shaped, fortunately. [Note that at 14 I was attracted to the same age-group I am now at 31, namely the 35-50's. I wonder if when I'm fifty, should I survive that long (I shudder to think), I will be attracted to 70 year-old women. Hell, some of them look good to me now. ]
Her accent-work is more than fine, it's Streepishly good. Her emotional range is a little bit underdeveloped. She doesn't hit distress as well as I wanted her to (like in the scene where she finds out that V decieved her), but she gets close enough to make me respect her acting. She doesn't do nuance very well. Her conversations with Stephen Fry could have been done better if she wasn't concentrating on her accent. I have a feeling she will get better about all of this though.
Technorati Tags: Natalie, Portman, V, for, Vendetta, acting, movie, movies, films, film, cinema, actor, actress, act, review, critique, performance, Meryl, Streep,
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Charleston City Paper
The film critic in the Charleston City Paper writes that there are moments in The Hills Have Eyes where "new heights of imbecility must be scaled" by the characters in order to keep the plot going. Not really sure what he/she means exactly, and it's a capsule review so they don't have to explain what they mean.
On of the things that make the movie (or any movie, for that matter) entertaining is that there are no great leaps of imagination. It stays within the bounds of expected human behavior. The thing about movie critiquing is that when people (especially one's friends) start to talk in glowing terms about a movie, the instinct is to pan it. The solution is to not have any friends. Works for me.
The film critic in the Charleston City Paper writes that there are moments in The Hills Have Eyes where "new heights of imbecility must be scaled" by the characters in order to keep the plot going. Not really sure what he/she means exactly, and it's a capsule review so they don't have to explain what they mean.
On of the things that make the movie (or any movie, for that matter) entertaining is that there are no great leaps of imagination. It stays within the bounds of expected human behavior. The thing about movie critiquing is that when people (especially one's friends) start to talk in glowing terms about a movie, the instinct is to pan it. The solution is to not have any friends. Works for me.
First Nude
I remember the first nude woman I ever saw onscreen. It was in a movie called Sidney Sheldon's The Other Side of Midnight. It was also the first "realistic" depiction of sex I had ever seen. I was about 8 years old. I remember thinking that that could not have been a woman because her breasts were so small. It wasn't exactly a sexual experience for me, just sort of a milepost.
The first nude woman I had ever seen other than my mother was an English friend of my mom's who had red hair. I remember being surprised that pubic hair also came in "red". I was about 5 at the time. I know hat this has nothing to do with movies. Allow me to digress for a minute, dammit.
I remember the first nude woman I ever saw onscreen. It was in a movie called Sidney Sheldon's The Other Side of Midnight. It was also the first "realistic" depiction of sex I had ever seen. I was about 8 years old. I remember thinking that that could not have been a woman because her breasts were so small. It wasn't exactly a sexual experience for me, just sort of a milepost.
The first nude woman I had ever seen other than my mother was an English friend of my mom's who had red hair. I remember being surprised that pubic hair also came in "red". I was about 5 at the time. I know hat this has nothing to do with movies. Allow me to digress for a minute, dammit.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Not usually a big fan of re-makes. In fact, I'm usually the snob who complains that the latest MTV-ized Hollywood teen version wasn't as good as the original. In the case of The Hills Have Eyes, I didn't see the original, in fact, the only thing I know about it is that it was the first movie to have the bad-guy's first-person POV. I have a hard time thinking it was as good or as intensely ugly as this one.
No, it's not an "enjoyable" movie, and if you aren't used to real onscreen violence, THHE will stick with you for days. It's considerably more ugly than Se7en or Saw. Take it from somebody who saw both of those. This however is as smart as each of those were. Alexander Aja did a fine job making a movie that was hard to watch without being flashy with it.
I'm not sure if the original had the same America-and-its-enemies subtext, don't see what the parallel would have been at that point. For those who have seen the remake: Note that the Republican is the one who gets them in trouble. Actually it's all the dogs's fault, but the Republican is the one who gets suckered in. The Democrat saves the day and the Christian gets eliminated early on.
Technorati Tags: The, Hills, Have, Eyes, Horror, America, Terrorism, American, movie, movies, films, film, cinema, Wes, Craven,
Not usually a big fan of re-makes. In fact, I'm usually the snob who complains that the latest MTV-ized Hollywood teen version wasn't as good as the original. In the case of The Hills Have Eyes, I didn't see the original, in fact, the only thing I know about it is that it was the first movie to have the bad-guy's first-person POV. I have a hard time thinking it was as good or as intensely ugly as this one.
No, it's not an "enjoyable" movie, and if you aren't used to real onscreen violence, THHE will stick with you for days. It's considerably more ugly than Se7en or Saw. Take it from somebody who saw both of those. This however is as smart as each of those were. Alexander Aja did a fine job making a movie that was hard to watch without being flashy with it.
I'm not sure if the original had the same America-and-its-enemies subtext, don't see what the parallel would have been at that point. For those who have seen the remake: Note that the Republican is the one who gets them in trouble. Actually it's all the dogs's fault, but the Republican is the one who gets suckered in. The Democrat saves the day and the Christian gets eliminated early on.
Technorati Tags: The, Hills, Have, Eyes, Horror, America, Terrorism, American, movie, movies, films, film, cinema, Wes, Craven,
The Hills Have Eyes Is Really About Terrorism
There is a sequence in The Hills Have Eyes wherein somebody gets stabbed through the back with an American flag. One of the bad guys. One of the products of US government nuclear experiments in the New Mexico desert the early 60's. This happens in a model-home, at a table of mannequins representing the American Family. The theme of America vs the enemies it has created is constantly rammed down the throats of the audience. The fact that the family travelling through the NM desert being politically mixed is also not accidental. The savagery of the enemies, the totally different value-systems, the softness of the victims. It's all a commentary, but if you have seen the movie you probably don't need to be told that.
America gets attacked and brutalized, and it's needs to toughen up and become more ruthless than it's enemies. It needs to do what needs to be done to survive. And, it will never stop having enemies.
Technorati Tags: The, Hills, Have, Eyes, Horror, America, Terrorism, American, movie, movies, films, film, cinema, Wes, Craven,
There is a sequence in The Hills Have Eyes wherein somebody gets stabbed through the back with an American flag. One of the bad guys. One of the products of US government nuclear experiments in the New Mexico desert the early 60's. This happens in a model-home, at a table of mannequins representing the American Family. The theme of America vs the enemies it has created is constantly rammed down the throats of the audience. The fact that the family travelling through the NM desert being politically mixed is also not accidental. The savagery of the enemies, the totally different value-systems, the softness of the victims. It's all a commentary, but if you have seen the movie you probably don't need to be told that.
America gets attacked and brutalized, and it's needs to toughen up and become more ruthless than it's enemies. It needs to do what needs to be done to survive. And, it will never stop having enemies.
Technorati Tags: The, Hills, Have, Eyes, Horror, America, Terrorism, American, movie, movies, films, film, cinema, Wes, Craven,
The Hills Have Eyes
It's been a while since I saw a real horror movie at a theater. Am still somewhat traumatized. keep in mind that the last thing I saw like The Hills Have Eyes was Saw 2, and that wasn't even meant to be scary.
Summary:
Family on a road trip is terrorized by disfigured savages (mutated products of government nuclear tests) in the New Mexico desert.
In one graphic five-minute sequence, there is a likable man burned alive, a young girl raped, and the young mother of a baby shot. Oh, and I left a killing out so you don't think I want to spoil it entirely for you.
This is, for me, a real horror movie. It's brutal, and bloody, and merciless. It's also hopeless and dark if you take it literally. If you don't, it's a cautionary tale about America, it's past and it's future. It's still dark when you see the obvious (hammered-home) metaphor. I didn't like it, but then I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to be liked. It's done too well.
Ok, there are always you perverted assholes (I know a few of you) who will go to see a movie once they hear "rape-sequence". Let me burst your bubble: it's not in itself particularly graphic and it's only violent, nothing titillating.
Technorati Tags: The, Hills, Have, Eyes, Wes, Craven, movie, movies, cinema, film, films, horror, blood
It's been a while since I saw a real horror movie at a theater. Am still somewhat traumatized. keep in mind that the last thing I saw like The Hills Have Eyes was Saw 2, and that wasn't even meant to be scary.
Summary:
Family on a road trip is terrorized by disfigured savages (mutated products of government nuclear tests) in the New Mexico desert.
In one graphic five-minute sequence, there is a likable man burned alive, a young girl raped, and the young mother of a baby shot. Oh, and I left a killing out so you don't think I want to spoil it entirely for you.
This is, for me, a real horror movie. It's brutal, and bloody, and merciless. It's also hopeless and dark if you take it literally. If you don't, it's a cautionary tale about America, it's past and it's future. It's still dark when you see the obvious (hammered-home) metaphor. I didn't like it, but then I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to be liked. It's done too well.
Ok, there are always you perverted assholes (I know a few of you) who will go to see a movie once they hear "rape-sequence". Let me burst your bubble: it's not in itself particularly graphic and it's only violent, nothing titillating.
Technorati Tags: The, Hills, Have, Eyes, Wes, Craven, movie, movies, cinema, film, films, horror, blood
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Guaranteed Oscar Picks (Call your Bookie)
My Oscar Picks:
Best Picture:
Munich
Best Actor:
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
Best Actress:
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Best Supporting Actor:
George Clooney, Syriana
Best Supporting Actress:
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Best Achievement in Directing:
Steven Spielberg, Munich
Best Screenplay:
Crash, Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Technorati Tags: Felicity, Huffman, Oscar, Best, Actress, George, Clooney, Actor, Supporting, Role, Directing, Director, Achievement, Joaquin, Phoenix, Walk, the, Line
Best Picture:
Munich
Best Actor:
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
Best Actress:
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Best Supporting Actor:
George Clooney, Syriana
Best Supporting Actress:
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Best Achievement in Directing:
Steven Spielberg, Munich
Best Screenplay:
Crash, Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Technorati Tags: Felicity, Huffman, Oscar, Best, Actress, George, Clooney, Actor, Supporting, Role, Directing, Director, Achievement, Joaquin, Phoenix, Walk, the, Line
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Fark, Trolls, and Snakes on a Plane
If you bother reading though this Fark thread on Snakes on a Plane you will see that there a couple of what seem to be racial trolls. Pretending to troll is the best way to get out of being called a particular kind of asshole. What you do is dress up your argument in mildly absurd hyperbole and then people will wonder if you actually meant it or are just trying to get attention. Pedophiles, misogynists, antisemites, jingoists, and cowards from a variety of objectionable schools of thought use this tactic.
If you have such little faith in your ability to persuade, then why say anything? if you don't have the balls to fight for what you believe then why advertise that fact?
It's passive-aggressive. It's how you get out of confrontation you don't have the stomach for it. You feel you have accomplished something by merely stating your argument, even if your timidity says everything about the argument itself.
Snakes on a Plane is a fad that will die the minute it gets popular enough. It's the latest fat-kid-with-a-light-saber, lacking the eternal inherent fascinatingness of a tubgirl or goatse.
Technorati Tags: Samuel, L., Jackson, Snakes, On, a, Plane, Fark, Fark.com, troll, trolling, racist, racism, racial, movie, movies, cinema,
If you have such little faith in your ability to persuade, then why say anything? if you don't have the balls to fight for what you believe then why advertise that fact?
It's passive-aggressive. It's how you get out of confrontation you don't have the stomach for it. You feel you have accomplished something by merely stating your argument, even if your timidity says everything about the argument itself.
Snakes on a Plane is a fad that will die the minute it gets popular enough. It's the latest fat-kid-with-a-light-saber, lacking the eternal inherent fascinatingness of a tubgirl or goatse.
Technorati Tags: Samuel, L., Jackson, Snakes, On, a, Plane, Fark, Fark.com, troll, trolling, racist, racism, racial, movie, movies, cinema,
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Swingers and Key Parties
Inspired by the most depressing scene in a most depressing film (The Ice Storm), nerve.com has a key-party. That sequence in the movie made my skin crawl. If there is any set of people better suited to define the depths of human depravity than swingers. I don't mean your brow-beaten spouses (usually wives), I mean the gleeful, grinning, coldly lustful ones.
Technorati Tags: swingers, key, party, parties, The, Ice, Storm, Ang, Lee, movie, movies, adultery, swinging, sex
Technorati Tags: swingers, key, party, parties, The, Ice, Storm, Ang, Lee, movie, movies, adultery, swinging, sex
Oprah vs. Jonathan Franzen: Remembering The Ballsiest Act by a Contemporary American Novelist
"She's picked some good books," Franzen said in an interview posted on Powells.com, "but she's picked enough schmaltzy, one-dimensional ones that I cringe, myself ..."
Impossible to imagine the woman who endorsed Bridges of Madison County, and her audience, enjoying any of Jonathan Franzen
. Pretentious book-club bimbos ought to stick with work offering a veneer of thoughtfulness, by trendy authors. Mind you, I like that he got a sales boost out of the publicity. I realize that not ALL of her recommendations are bad, and I recognize that not ALL of her audience is witless, but witless women tend to follow her instructions as they would the dictates of a prophet. Oprah-fandom itself gives them the appearance of some sort of intelligence.
I got a kick out of Franzen's "apologies":
"To find myself being in the position of giving offense to someone who's a hero -- not a hero of mine per se, but a hero in general -- I feel bad," he told USA Today. (From here)
Technorati Tags: Jonathan, Franzen, Oprah, Winfrey, Oprah's, book, club, literature, books, bookclub, The, Corrections
Impossible to imagine the woman who endorsed Bridges of Madison County, and her audience, enjoying any of Jonathan Franzen
. Pretentious book-club bimbos ought to stick with work offering a veneer of thoughtfulness, by trendy authors. Mind you, I like that he got a sales boost out of the publicity. I realize that not ALL of her recommendations are bad, and I recognize that not ALL of her audience is witless, but witless women tend to follow her instructions as they would the dictates of a prophet. Oprah-fandom itself gives them the appearance of some sort of intelligence. I got a kick out of Franzen's "apologies":
"To find myself being in the position of giving offense to someone who's a hero -- not a hero of mine per se, but a hero in general -- I feel bad," he told USA Today. (From here)
Technorati Tags: Jonathan, Franzen, Oprah, Winfrey, Oprah's, book, club, literature, books, bookclub, The, Corrections
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