Saturday, December 29, 2018

Book Review: Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost by Erin Osmon

Jason Molina: Riding with the GhostJason Molina: Riding with the Ghost by Erin Osmon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew little of Molina's music, but I was interested in his story since I'm also from Northern Ohio. Osmon's book is well written and provides a clear enough portrait of Molina, but he remains somewhat mysterious at the end. Although his music was never "commercial" it certainly inspired many other artists who went on to greater success. The final part of the book covering his descent into alcoholism is horrific and really sad, an all too familiar story of addiction. I only wish there had been more context on his relationship to the music scene of the 1990s and 2000s: Was Molina merely a regional phenomenon? Was he part of some larger folk revival? Or an iconoclast showing a new generation of musicians a way forward? Riding with the Ghost is a step above most rock biographies, neither a hagiography nor loaded with overheated criticism, just good solid journalism.


View all my reviews

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Best Movie Podcasts of 2018

It goes without saying that podcasts have proven themselves to be the next wave of film criticism and appreciation over the past decade. There are also many varieties of movie podcasts. Perspectives range from industry insiders, dedicated cinephiles, and film academics. Many feature interviews, but not all. Some formats are very structured, others less so. The best podcasts are well produced, insightful, and welcoming to new listeners. 

The Projection Booth Podcast  


Launched in 2011 by Mike White and Mondo Justin (who has since moved on to other endeavors), The Projection Booth is a weekly podcast that initially focused on cult films from the 1970s and 1980s, but now covers a wide array of movies from different genres and eras. More than any other podcast, The Projection Booth changed the way I look at movies. 

Each show begins with Mike and his co-hosts discussing the week's film, their own personal histories with the movie, and its connection to other movies. The next segments are typically interviews with cast and crew from the production or authors who've written about the film.

The Projection Booth has a reputation for long episodes, a few have run over six hours, such as their detailed coverage of Conan: The Barbarian, Star Wars, and The Magnificent Ambersons. Most episodes clock in around 2-3 hours. Often there are theme months: September or "Czechtember" looks at Czechoslovakian movies, October is naturally reserved for horror, and November is set aside for film noir (Noirvember).

The Projection Booth is for movie fans who appreciate a deep dive into film analysis and history. Episodes may convince you to look at your favorite movie differently, or discover new films you won't hear about anywhere else.

Highlights from 2018 include episodes on: Exorcist II: The Heretic, The Getaway, Kings and Desperate Men, Figures in a Landscape, The Parallax View, Scarecrow, Falling Down, and The Long Goodbye.


MovieFilm Podcast    


A bi-weekly podcast hosted by film critic Zaki Hasan and comic book writer Brian Hall, Movie Film Podcast focuses on new releases and features commentary on entertainment news. Each installment reviews a new release and includes a spoilers segment. Zaki and Brian also break down the business side of the industry, analyze box office returns, and track upcoming releases. Zaki and Brian also release film commentaries on major franchises of the past. Their recent commentary track on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves from 1991 did a fantastic job of looking at the film as one of the last pre-CGI summer hits. Zaki also hosts a monthly podcast, Nostalgia Film Theater, that features quality interviews on pop culture history.

The Faculty of Horror      


Toronto based film academics Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West host the monthly podcast Faculty of Horror. Each new edition features commentary on the horror genre and its history. Some episodes focus on one film, while others take a more thematic approach. They approach horror from a socio-political and feminist perspective, their academic minded analysis is accessible and educational.  Andrea and Alexandra have built a great chemistry over the years. I would recommend every episode from 2018 for new listeners. Their most recent episode on The Stepford Wives and Get Out is a master class of film analysis. Start there!

Movie Geeks United      


A pioneering podcast, Movie Geeks United is now in its 11th year and still going strong. Movie Geeks United has a vast archive of interviews with some of the giants from cinema history, cinematographers, film score composers, and editors talking about their craft. Hosted by Jamey DuVall with co-hosts Dean Treadway, Jerry Dennis, and Adam Long, weekly podcast, each new episode covers the latest in movie news and features reviews of the newest releases. Each month a show is devoted to home entertainment and blu-rays. Their groundbreaking series on the films of Stanley Kubrick and Brian De Palma are film studies courses in themselves. For 2018 the show stuck to their basic format. Highlights include their their look back at summer 1993 releases and a debate on whether Netflix is good or bad for movies.

Horror Movie Podcast     


Horror Movie Podcast was one of the first podcasts I began listening to in what seems like a lifetime ago. Hosted by Jay of the Dead, "Wolfman" Josh Ligairi, and Dr. Shock, Horror Movie Podcast is bi-weekly and covers all the new major horror movie. They also have a vast archive of content on the history of horror franchises. The style is freewheeling and engaging; their devotion to the genre and the variety within it are endearing. Highlights from 2018 include a two part series on religion and modern horror back in July. Also don't miss their coverage of Halloween and the end of the year shows that reflect on the state of horror on movies and television. 

'80s All Over     


The '80s All Over podcast began by covering the major releases of January 1980. Each subsequent edition moves in chronological order through the decade. Hosted by Scott Weinberg and Drew McWeeny, both bring a fresh perspective to movies of the Reagan years. Part of the show's appeal is how perspectives of film from the decade have changed, specifically in regard to issues of representation as they relate to class, race, sexuality, and gender. A highlight from this year's season would be the episode covering the films that came out in June of 1984, a fateful summer in movie history (Temple of Doom, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, Wargames, The Terminator). 

The Movies That Made Me    


A new podcast from the folks behind the Youtube channel Trailers from Hell, The Movies That Made Me is hosted by screenwriter Josh Olson (A History of Violence) and famed director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling). Each episode features a special guest talking about the movies that shaped their life.  Memorable episodes include Illeana Douglas on great movie scenes, Keith Gordon on political cinema, and Ron Perlman just talking about life. I look forward to seeing their guest list for next year.

The 4:30 Movie       
 a


Another podcast that debuted this year, The 4:30 Movie features a panel of four regular hosts (and an occasional guest) who take a novel approach to podcasting: each episode plans a week of TV programming, rebooting a concept based on the classic TV stand by of the week day 4:30 movie, a staple of local TV stations in the days before cable. The hosts like to joke around and don't take each other too seriously, but they do take the movies seriously. Seek out the episode devoted to a week of Spielberg movies. 

Maltin on Movies                   


Leonard Maltin's been a leader in film appreciation for decades. His annual Movie Guide was a perennial purchase for movie fans everywhere. Maltin's podcast continues to celebrate film. Co-hosted with his daughter Jessie, the format is a weekly one hour interview with an eclectic list of group of guests. Memorable episodes from 2018 include a visit from a loquacious Al Pacino, director of Black Panther Ryan Coogler, and Jordan Peele who wrote and directed Get Out

Movie Sign with the Mads     


Alumni of Mystery Science Theater Trace Beaulieu and Frank Coniff and comedian Caralina Hidalgo get together and discuss a new film each week. They tackle new releases and the classics. A standout episode for me was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the all star comedy from 1963 and the 1955 masterpiece The Night of the Hunter. Each episode runs around 45 minutes, always humorous and insightful.

Musical Notation      


For those who enjoy film scores, Musical Notation is a weekly podcast on the fine points of cinema and music. A big plus is that each episode is only 20-25 minutes, they're informative, fast paced, and feature great music. Musical Notation's host West Anthony covers all eras in film music. His ongoing series on the great director/composer collaborations such as Alfred Hitchcock/Bernard Herrmann and Steven Spielberg/John Williams are great ways to revisit those movies. 

Conclusion

So that wraps up the best of podcasting for 2018. All of these are available on itunes and are easily accessible with a google search. Finally, there are many of other movie podcasts out there and I hope to discover more new ones this coming year. 

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Book Review: Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, etc.

Jeff Tweedy, founding member of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco, has penned a moving memoir about the creative life, family, and the Midwest. Tweedy's tone frequently shifts between playful humor to heavy going meditations on how confusing and painful life can be. Let's Go also plays with the form of one of the hackneyed genre of books, the "rock memoir." Tweedy is self deprecating and insightful on the evolution of music over the past decades.

Tweedy's reminisces of growing up in Belleville, Illinois, about 30 miles west of St. Louis, are a highlight. He avoids the wistful nostalgia of Jean Sheperd, but gives a realistic portrait of a region in decline in the 1970s:

In reality it was pretty depressing. Depressing and depressed in all of the familiar ways common to dying Midwest manufacturing hubs: a lot of old empty buildings and a lot of occupied bar stools (1).

His father worked for the railroad, while his Mom was an interior designer. Jeff's siblings were much older so he grew up as an only child. Tweedy formed a close bond with his Mom because his Dad worked long hours, a functional alcoholic who drank a 12 pack of beer every night to relieve the monotony of his work. Despite the slightly dysfunctional household both parents supported Jeff in his pursuit of music.

In High School, Tweedy befriended classmate Jay Farrar, with whom he shared a passion for punk records. Farrar came from a musical family and served as a sort of mentor to Tweedy even though they were same age, encouraging him write his own songs. Uncle Tupelo would record four albums from 1989-1993 and gain critical attention as the "alt-country" band. As Tweedy's confidence as a singer and songwriter grew, the partnership frayed and ended in 1994. Farrar would start his own band Son Volt. Tweedy formed Wilco out of desperation, uncertain if he could lead a band, but eventually found the experience to be liberating: 

when Jay Farrar quit the band, I went really quickly from feeling despondent to some place of excitement and curiosity. It really was the cliche of one door closing and another opening (124).

Wilco would build an audience in time through non-stop touring and gain recognition as a premier American band. Their 1999 LP Summerteeth begin an experimental phase, abandoning traditional rock in favor of pushing studio technology to the limits. Tweedy also began to take inspiration from modern literature. Wilco's 2002 release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot became a touchstone album of the decade in more ways than one. The music found it audience in a novel way - the internet. Album art and cryptic lyrics were oddly in sync with the post-9/11 climate hovering over America.

Tweedy also sets the record straight on a tumultuous time for WIlco, specifically the firing of his main collaborator during that era, Jay Bennett. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and songwriter in his own right, Bennett brought an energy that pushed the band creatively. Bennett's addiction to pills and creative differences with Tweedy led to tensions and Tweedy fired him from Wilco, a drama that played out on the 2002 documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. Bennett passed away in 2009 from an overdose, news Tweedy dreaded to hear. But he also credits the move with saving his own life and facing his own addictions.

Aside from music, Let's Go is about Tweedy's maturing as a person, husband, and father. He entered rehab to kick his addiction to pills (due to anxiety and recurring migraines he struggled with since childhood). Tweedy's accounts of losing his parents and supporting his wife through a cancer scare are harrowing and moving. 

Now in a somewhat more comfortable place, Tweedy now makes music with his two sons and still tours with Wilco. He's become a notable producer, his recent work with Mavis Staples is especially notable. While the book never directly addresses the changing perceptions of Wilco from being the hip "American Radiohead" to the passive-aggressive sobriquet of "dad rock" bestowed on them by Pitchfork. Jeff acknowledges his fans have matured along with him and the band.

Let's Go is everything a good memoir should be. There's witty anecdotes, wry humor, and a literary touch. The writing style is direct and accessible. Tweedy's often self deprecating and goes out of his way to demystify the mystique of the songwriter, crediting much of his success to luck, family support, and work ethic. Tweedy's also generous towards his influences and is himself a walking encyclopedia of music history. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Sunday, October 28, 2018

First they came . . .

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

- Martin Niemoller (1892-1984)

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Book Review: Trouble Boys: The True Story of The Replacements by Bob Mehr

The Replacements were Paul Westerberg, Bob Stinson, Tommy Stinson, and Chris Mars. All from Minneapolis. Author Bob Mehr spent 10 years working on the book that tells their entire story. Mehr immerses you in their world, allowing the reader to be a fly on the wall in their wild journey through the Midwest and beyond.

Bob and Tommy Stinson were half brothers who grew up in a climate of abuse and alcoholism. On the path to juvenile delinquency, they found purpose in music. Paul Westerberg came from a more stable background, finding music to be salve for the repression of the Midwest. Tommy was only 13 when he started playing bass for the band, his brother Bob was the unpredictable lead guitarist. Westerberg wrote his own material and honed a charismatic stage presence, confrontational, but never boring. Chris Mars was the drummer, always a bit more restrained than his band mates  (except when he sometimes appeared as his crazed alter ego Pappy the Clown).

The Replacements emerged out of punk and their early performance style was anarchic, but their influences were far more varied than most punk bands, something that made it difficult to put them in a box. It's as if the Beatles began their recording career during the Hamburg days. Above all, alcohol fueled their stage presence. Some nights they were brilliant, other nights they could barely stand as they played. 

Always a critical darling, the Replacements never managed to hit the massive popularity that always seemed to be within their reach. While all their albums are excellent their string of records from 1983-1987 included Hootenanny, Let it Be, Tim, and, Pleased to Meet Me all represent the best of 1980s alternative rock. They refused to make videos until the end of their run and had habit of sabotaging themselves at key moments. A 1986 appearance on Saturday Night Live was marred by their drunken backstage behavior, trashing dressing rooms and saying the "F" word during their performance. In 1988 they opened for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and failed to connect with stadium crowds so they began to parody Petty who they found to be a bore (Petty made 250 grand a show, while the Mats made a mere fraction of that amount)

The band prided themselves on being great when they felt like it. If crowds were indifferent they got confrontational. Melancholy also followed the band, in 1986 they forced Bob out of the band due to his erratic behavior, replacing him with Slim Dunlap who proved a more calming presence. Bob passed away in 1995. The book opens with a heartbreaking account of his funeral, a scene that haunts the entire book.

The later albums were more polished and somewhat overproduced, made with the intention of recording a hit, the closest they came was the perfect power pop of "Achin' to Be." Things came apart slowly as they came to terms with their addictions and moved on. Many familiar faces make an appearance. REM is set up as their rival, the more successful counterpart of the 1980s alternative scene. Devoted fans included Tom Waits (their drunken adventures with Waits are another highlight) and Bob Dylan. They found a kindred soul in Alex Chilton, member of the legendary band Big Star, who served as a mentor to the Mats. Rumor had it their fellow Minnesotan Prince sometimes sneaked into their shows. 

Trouble Boys is a hardscrabble tale of Midwest guys who went for it all and almost made it. Beautiful loser tales have an undeniable glory and luster and this book has it. Mehr never gets judgmental about their reckless and often dangerous behavior, it's miracle they all survived. But in between all the debauchery are genuine moments of humanity, desperation, and existential foolishness. And great music.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Book Review: Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire by Kurt Anderson

Fantasyland provides much needed historical context of how America arrived into the current Twilight Zone/Black Mirror/my alternative facts best your alternative facts moment of history we currently inhabit. Anderson fills the book with well known and not so well known history, while some chapters seemed unnecessary, there's enough steady and entertaining analysis to sustain the full book.

Anderson documents how Americans have been dreamers since the beginning.The first Europeans to settle in Virginia were there for the pipe dream of gold. After decades of finding none they had to settle on a less glamorous life - agriculture. The Puritans threw religion into the mix, radicals who believed their way of life was superior. When the Puritans splintered among themselves, each faction certain they had discovered the truth of the gospel. 

Historically, America's split both ways. The rationalism of the framers left a marked impression, while at the same time magical thinking and paranoia continued to hold sway throughout the 19th Century. Most of the book covers the last thirty years when America took a deep dive into the unreal. Anderson traces the modern descent into craziness to the 1960s.

The counterculture's passion for The Lord of the Rings, New Age, and drug experimentation led to a certain way of thinking, the truth is within you. Facts and evidence don't matter. Meanwhile fundamentalist Christianity experienced a resurgence. Tired of science challenging sacred biblical history and public schools banning prayer, holy rollers took aim at science. A creationist world view makes sense because was say so. A plague of both your houses goes the argument. 

Fantasyland helps explain what happened in 2016 in a tangential way, a year many viewed as an anomaly. Anderson looks at fits of paranoia in the past, the only difference is that William Jennings Bryan or Joseph McCarthy were never elected president. While people rage at the phantoms on the internet, there are millions of people getting things done and keeping things rolling. There's enough room for the crazies and the dreamers, lately it appears a threshold was crossed. Can we go back?

Coming of age in the 90s, conspiracy theories was such a part of the Zeitgeist. While I found them fascinating, less so as I got older, they were to be taken with a grain of salt. Taking them all seriously is a trip down the rabbit hole.  While the media realized stories on Roswell and the Kennedy assassination brought high ratings, they were always done with a note of skepticism. Now, people take these things as the Truth and act on that information (not helped by a certain national leader who traffics in them.) Anderson's optimistic that the pendulum will swing the other way. I hope he's right.

Anderson, Kurt. Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500 Year History. New York: Random House, 2017. 


Monday, August 13, 2018

In Praise of Libraries, Democracy's Secret Weapon

"I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries."

- Carl Sagan

Social media hits us everyday with jeremiads telling us democracy is on the brink of collapse. At times, I'm inclined to agree, there's no doubt democracy is being tested right now, I also think there are encouraging signs democracy will rebound. To quote the good Dr. Bennell from the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, "we only know the true worth of something when we are in danger of losing it." 

A month ago Fortune Magazine online ran an article arguing that Amazon should take over all the libraries to save tax payers money, run them like a business. The author, economist Panos Mourdoukoutas, faced an onslaught of irate librarians on Twitter, who eviscerated his proposal. Fortune eventually removed the article. When you piss off librarians, you've really stepped in it.


Libraries are still open. Patrons are free to read Helen Keller, Karl Marx, George Carlin, Phylis Schlafly, or James Baldwin.

Public libraries are one of the last places a citizen can go for free and have access to all sorts of beneficial services. Even the smallest towns in America still have libraries. Privatizing them for profit would be the last frontier for the ultra libertarians I suppose. Just like those "for profit" schools, if everything were just run like a business, all social problems would magically disappear. While Amazon provides amazing services, I have real issues with the company, with stories on how they treat their warehouse employees. Perhaps it's because libraries exemplify socialism that works that really gnaws at the ultra capitalists. Supporting free services through slightly higher taxes keeps libraries going, so just think of how checking out a book is a radical act! Just imagine if the same were true for health care and education.

I guess a paradigm shift still needs to be made on those grave issues. The haves lose their cool at the idea of paying higher taxes towards health care and education for the have nots. Why must the earners and producers support the weak who will never provide for themselves? Consider the Fox News conniption fit over Democratic-Socialist (and soon to be congressional representative) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's policy ideas on these issues. But I've never heard an affluent person complain about their tax money enabling a poor person to read The Jungle or Oliver Twist - for free!!!!!  

As long as libraries are vibrant, we can take some comfort. The Library of Congress remains one of the great landmarks of Washington DC, especially the display of Jefferson's personal collection of books, one of the most impressive during his time. The exhibit reminds us a democratic culture cultivates books, free thought, and new ideas. A nation of readers will be wise and strong. And maybe, just maybe, libraries point the way to a brighter future.







Sunday, July 22, 2018

TV Review: In Search of . . .

On Friday, In Search of . . . returned to television on the History Channel. From 1977-82 Leonard NImoy hosted the classic series that explored supernatural mysteries. Reruns of the show were once staples of A&E. Mitch Pileggi hosted a revivial in 2003. Now the current Mr. Spock, Zachary Quinto, is hosting another reboot on the History Channel.

The first episode stayed with a staple of In Search of . . . - alien visitations. As someone who's consumed their share of 1970s and 1980s pop culture, UFOs were an obsession in those decades, somewhat less so today. Quinto visited with a man who claimed he was abducted and another who said he was exposed to alien chemistry. To understand their stories Quinto tried to simulate an abduction experience by being levitated in the air on cables while experiencing sensory deprivation. In the best segment Quinto paid a visit to SETI headquarters (Search for Extra-Intelligence Life Institute), a government funded group of scientists who seek out alien signals with radio telescopes.

Zachary Quinto did a great job as host, bringing the right mix of skepticism and open mindedness. Unlike Nimoy, Quinto takes a more hands on approach to the subject matter. Nimoy never condescended to this audience and took each topic seriously. Critics of the show could easily claim it legitimized pseudo-science, but on the other subjects like extended life spans and historical mysteries - do spur the imagination. In a time when some pride themselves on questioning science, a show that explores mysteries with a scientific approach is a positive. Creativity is essential to science. 

In Search of . . . airs Friday nights at 9 on the History Channel.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

RIP Harlan Ellison (1934-2018)

Harlan Ellison passed away today. A dynamic figure known for his writing in all mediums - Fiction, Criticism, Film, Television, and comic books. Known for his irascible personality, he proudly accepted the charge of being the most contentious man on the planet. He liked to say he was a combination of Jiminy Cricket and Zorro. 

I first remember seeing Ellison making TV appearances in the 1990s on Politically Incorrect and the Syfy Channel. On youtube his interviews from the 1970s with Tom Snyder are a treasure - one of the all time great raconteurs. He ran away from home several times and worked all sorts of manual labor jobs, later earned his writing credentials by starting with the Pulp Magazines, knowing all the legends of that period including L. Ron Hubbard, Isaac Asimov, and many others. Later he went on to Hollywood and wrote for television, including the greatest Star Trek episode of all time "The City on the Edge of Forever."

Ellison mastered the short story form, the stories pack the punch of a Raymond Carver or Flannery O'Connor. Listing them would take too long, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" is one of the all time great allegories on God and artificial intelligence; "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" on urban blight; "Paladin of the Lost Hour" is an unforgettable tale of friendship; "Jeffty is Five" on the loss of childhood innocence. Those just scratch the surface of the stories. Any understanding of modern pop culture must seek out the writings of Ellison.

At the legendary Daisy Club in Los Angeles Ellison played pool with Omar Sharif, Peter Falk, Paul Newman, and Telly Savales. He took part in the March on Selma; gave hundreds of speeches in support of the Equal Rights Amendment; once punched out a writing professor at Ohio State who said he had no talent; did the same to a TV producer; almost came to blows with Frank Sinatra; wrote stories as the public watched at bookstores; traveled with the Rolling Stones; got Carl Sagan out of a scrap; could keep up with Robin Williams; stood up for his beliefs; mentored many writers; and held court at his house The Lost Aztec Temple of Mars.

Harlan will be missed. He took on stupidity, cowardice, prejudice, sexism, racism, bullies, and ignorance. Most important of all - he inspired many to think and be a better human. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Book Review: Why Bob Dylan Matters by Richard F. Thomas

In the new book Why Bob Dylan Matters Harvard classicist Richard F. Thomas places Dylan's writing firmly within the Greek-Roman tradition. Thomas argues Dylan is an artist of world historical importance, the poet of the English language during the second half of the 20th Century, taking up the mantle of T.S. Eliot. In 2016, Dylan earned the Nobel Prize for Literature placing his work within an elite group of American writers.* While the book may come off as a plea to skeptical academics to take Dylan's art seriously, it's also evident Dylan studies (Dylanology) will from this point on be in the hands of academics (for better or worse). Why Bob Dylan Matters illuminates how the music of Dylan connects to the wider scope of history.

Thomas draws connections between Dylan's work and the ancient world, a part of history that's fascinated Dylan since childhood. Thomas notes Dylan's membership in his High School's Latin Club back in Hibbing and his lifelong use of Rome for inspiration. He compares Dylan's love songs to those of the Roman poet Catullus. Roman imagery and ideas are specially present in Dylan's 21st Century albums, in particular the 2012 LP Tempest. Clues to Dylan's passion for Rome are all over his work, from passages in his memoir Chronicles Vol.1 and his radio show The Theme Time Radio Hour (2006-2009). There's also the obvious parallel of 20th Century America being the new Rome. Dylan, born in 1941, the year America entered the Second World War, the conflict that ended with America emerging as a global superpower. Dylan's art has evolved along with America's rise and decline on the world stage. 

Thomas also puts to rest the notion that Dylan's a plagiarist. Going back to the early days in New York in the early 1960s, Dylan was accused of lifting melodies from other folk songs and recently of using lyrics from such diverse sources as Confederate poet Henry Timrod and the Japanese novelist Junichi Saga. Thomas explains the concept of intertextuality, "the creative use of existing texts" to produce new meanings. A plagiarist passes off another's work as their own. To paraphrase T.S. Eliot: a good poet borrows, a great poet steals. 

Thomas spends little time on Dylan's long middle period that arguably lasted from 1967 and ended with Time Out of Mind in 1997, although he does discuss the 1974 masterpiece Blood on the Tracks. The book also analyzes Dylan's ever changing stage persona. After winning the Nobel Prize, his concert repertoire remains unchanging, serving as a sort of overview of his career, including the Frank Sinatra covers that have enamored him over the past few years. 

Another strength of Why Bob Dylan Matters is that it opens the door for more discussion on Dylan. More studies are needed that view Dylan from a female perspective, by cultures outside of the West, his relationship with Jewish-American and African-American culture, and what his music says about the human condition itself. The humanities owe Dylan a great debt, he will help keep them in business. Whether Dylan will still be listened to in the next century is unknown. But we can conclude his work changed many during his own time. To quote a Dylan lyric, "I've got nothin' but affection for all those who've sailed with me."

* The following Americans have also been awared the Nobel Prize for Literature: Sinclair Lewis (1930); Eugene O'Neill (1936); Pearl S. Buck (1939); T.S. Eliot (1948); William Faulkner (1949); Ernest Hemingway (1954): John Steinbeck (1962); Saul Bellow (1976); Isaac Bashevis Singer (1978); Joseph Brodsky (1987); Toni Morrison (1993); Bob Dylan (2016).

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Book Review: The View From Flyover Country by Sarah Kendzior

Why did all those swing states embrace donald trump? While there's no clear answer, but several, Sarah Kenzior's writing provides some historical context, especially aimed at those who live on the coasts and look at middle America as a foreign country. As Kenzior writes the red state/blue state is dichotomy is false, there's more variety and diversity in the middle of the country than anywhere else in America, as Kenzior writes "I live in the middle, and when you live in the middle, you see all sides." In the tradition of Ida Tarbell, Kenzior's sheds lights light on machinations of power. 

Kenzior's writing style is straight forward, direct, and poignant. Hard truths abound. Her topics include economics, race, media, and foreign policy. A recurring motif is the refusal of corporations to pay a decent wage and the stop gap measures to prevent upward mobility. This holds true in the media and academia. Often the gateways are unpaid internships or meager stipends, which typically only allow those with the means to enter those fields. Saying America is a meritocracy now strains credibility. 

The oppressive corporate culture of 21st Century America goes on full display on these pages; revealing a nation of bean counters who revel in testing the limits of how much people will allow themselves to be intimidated. Within these essays are the blueprint of the issues that need to be addressed - what the media and politicians should be discussing.  

To quote Bob Dylan's song "Dignity" the soul of the nation is under the knife. Kenzior laments how the Midwest is now caricatured as angry trump supporters at diners donning their MAGA hats espousing xenophobia. NY Times profiles of trump voters who feel marginalized and fear diversity, while ignoring the multiple points of view in all regions.

From a historical perspective America is trapped in a new Gilded Age, like the one that spanned the 1870s to the 1890s. The Progressive Era followed and carried America for most of the 20th Century, an era that produced vibrant unions, state and local leaders with a reformist approach, all the while demanding civic responsibility. That's not nostalgia, read the history. A new Progressive Era may be the only hope we have in saving ourselves. 

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Book Review: Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films by Molly Haskell


Haskell, Molly. Steven Spielberg: A Life in Film. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017.

Film critic Molly Haskell's lively commentary on Steven Spielberg's filmography treats her subject with the right amount of distance, allowing for a wealth of insight. As she confesses in the introduction:

I had never been an ardent fan . . .  He readily acknowledged that he had no feeling for European films. He always wanted his films to arrive someplace. But brooding ambiguities, unresolved longings, things left unsaid, and the erotic transactions of men and women are what drew me to movie in the first place. His great subjects - children, adolescents, - and genres -- science fiction, fantasy, horror, action-adventure -- were stay away zones for me. Even his forays into history were inspirational rather ironic or fatalistic, the work of a man who favored moral clarity, was uncomfortable with "shades of grey." (x)

Free of a mostly male fandom that's enraptured with every shot in a Spielberg film, Haskell applies sharp analysis towards unlocking his films that reveal conscious and unconscious preoccupations. Like many critics who were taken aback at Spielberg's early films and his influence on film history, film historians consider him a regressive force who made entertaining movies with little substance. Haskell cited Spielberg mentioning her back in 1978 as one of his most persistent critics, yet through the course of the book Haskell comes to admire Spielberg as an artist who displayed maturity in his later work. The second half of his career seems to be a response to the first half. 

Haskell often notes Spielberg's avoidance of films that deal with adult relationships, specifically romantic ones. She attributes his preoccupations to his childhood, an outsider in post-war suburbia because he was Jewish and never one of the cool guys. Hence his movies were usually about the nerd who triumphs.

His parents, Arnold and Leah, were both college educated and benefited from the opportunities that arrived after the war. Arnold served in the Pacific Theatre, earned a college degree with the GI Bill, and became a pioneer at IBM as a computer technology expert. His Dad's war stories led to his lifelong obsession with the era. At the same time, Arnold was rarely home and gave first priority to his career, his long absences left Steve resentful at being stuck with a spirited mother and two younger sisters. His relationship with Leah, more like a cool older sister than parental figure, encouraged his creativity.

Stories of Steven sneaking into the Universal lot and watching old time directors in action are legendary. The films he made as a teenager reveal a budding talent, a prodigy of visual story telling. His 1969 short Amblin caught the eye of Universal Executives, an apolitical story about a cool hippy girl and a "square" guy on the road foreshadowed his crowd pleasing sensibilities. After gaining experience in episodic television, famously directed the first Columbo movie, he gained international fame with Duel, a stark tale of a man being chased by a monstrous truck on the back highways of California.


The early films were about the put upon male. Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind are nerd fantasies about child like men who triumph against great odds, a shark and stultifying domesticity (at least that's how detractors saw it). By the 1980s, Spielberg was becoming more of a brand than filmmaker, producing films like a factory, franchises launched, but more serious movies. Spielberg married Amy Irving and they had a son Max, after their union ended he married Kate Capshaw and adopted more children. Being a father changed the tone of his films, most notably Empire of the Sun from 1987, which Haskell considers his best. The story of a spoiled child who becomes a refugee taps into the darkness of childhood and the dangers of holding on to its illusions. 

Haskell is especially complimentary towards his later work that begins with Schindler's List, a film brought Spielberg back in touch with his Judaism and led to the Shoah Project, a collection of hundreds of oral histories with holocaust survivors. Amistad dealt American slavery. After 9/11 his work took on a darker turn: post-humanism in A.I. (a project he inherited from Stanley Kubrick) surveillance culture in Minority Report, the psychological toll of the war on terror in War of the Worlds and Munich. Catch Me If You Can is his most autobiographical, a not so nostalgic period piece that explored family, loneliness, and identity. Haskell considers Lincoln and Bridge of Spies valuable works of civic responsibility, especially prescient films in the tainted age of Trump. 

Although Spielberg has spoken of wanting to make a "woman's picture," his protagonists remain mostly male. Unfortunately, plans to make a film about photojournalist Lynsey Addario starring Jennifer Lawrence fell through. Haskell doesn't consider Spielberg a misogynist, but argues he's more interested in masculinity as a subject. He's not alone, filmmakers of Spielberg's New Hollywood generation (Scorsese, DePalma, Lucas, Coppola) primarily made films about men (with a few exceptions.) Now in the #MeToo era, lingering male control of the film industry is all too apparent. Last year actress/director Elizabeth Banks called out Spielberg for not casting female leads, but later apologized when she got called out being inaccurate, The Color Purple deals directly with gender.

The takeaway from the book is that Spielberg's an artist aware of his shortcomings and has labored to address them, winning him more critical points than he received back in the 1980s. Haskell writes sharp prose and says more in 200 pages than what it would take another writer to do in 500. A modern and incisive study, a most read analysis of Spielberg and his told from a wise perspective. 


Sunday, May 20, 2018

Book Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

One of the best reviewed (and despised) novels of the past decade, Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch tells the tale of Theo Decker, a young man coming of age in New York City and Las Vegas during the early decades of the 21st Century. Many have compared The Goldfinch to a modern version of a Dickens novel in the tradition of David Copperfield and Great Expectations. Tartt creates vivid characters. Her writing style channels the suspense and excitement of life. Theo's not the most appealing character, more of a modern day Holden Caulfield, but he's a remarkable narrator. Like Homer, the epic story does what only the best books can do - resonate after reading them. The characters are real and their world blends with your own.

The novel begins with 13 year old Theo visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mom (they are very close) on a day he's been suspended from school. An explosion at the museum leaves Theo an orphan, forever separating him from his mom. The loss sets his life on an entirely different trajectory. Theo is taken in by a wealthy New York family, then moves to Las Vegas to live with his estranged father who left months earlier. Once in Vegas he meets Boris, a Russian who will become his best friend, easily the most memorable character in the novel. The son of a Russian miner, Boris seems to have been everywhere and done everything by the age of 15. Together, Theo and Boris have many misadventures often fueled by alcohol. Another tragedy brings Theo back to New York for the second half of the novel.

Back in New York, Theo becomes an antique dealer under the tutelage of Hobie who becomes his mentor and surrogate father. They share a connection to event that started the book. More secrets are revealed as Theo comes of age, mostly surrounding a stolen painting that connects all the characters. The second half loses some momentum as themes of addiction, fate, friendship, and fate vs chance are all explored. Is everything connected? Or is everything random? Or both? The final section moves to Amsterdam and briefly loses focus, but lands on its feet over the last 100 pages.

Great novels illuminate life; opens up new possibilities. Moments, imagery, and characters feel hauntingly real thanks to Tartt's immersive writing style. A novel about art, specifically the question of beauty and whether art makes us better people. Art is a positive force in the life of Theo, his mom, and Hobie, yet all see it differently.  What gives us meaning seems to be the question Tartt's attempting to answer in this 800+ page book.

Tartt's novel created a stir among critics who dismissed it as too popular and not literary enough. One may call it a potboiler, but the themes are heavy and the characters are complex. Even in our period of hyper technology and political instability, aspects of modern life Tartt wisely avoids, although I think it's possible to get a political subtext out of the story.  Human emotion and experience remains the same, questions that occupied Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens still hover over everything else. Tartt gets this and harnesses the power of the written word in the best way possible. 







Saturday, May 19, 2018

Book Review: Horror Films of the 1980s by John Kenneth Muir



John Kenneth Muir’s exhaustive history of 1980s horror is fascinating trip through the decade that gave us slashers, retro obsessive cinema, and horrifying allegories. Muir views the genre as a response to the social and political climates that shaped them, and horror at its best sheds a light on reality. The real life horrors of the 1980s were manifold: nuclear warfare, the AIDS epidemic and the subsequent sexual panic, out of control consumption, and the oldest fear of all: the monsters within all of us.
Muir often returns to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and “Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid” mantra as the defining characteristic of the 1980s. President Reagan made grand promises and waxed eloquently on the majesty of the American experiment, while at the same decimated the working class through tax cuts and Union busting, presided over the selling of arms for hostages, and talked a tad too freely about nuclear holocaust being God’s Will. Wes Craven’s unforgettable creation Freddy Kruger (played with gusto by Robert Englund) attacked teenagers in their dreams, just as Reagan infiltrated the subconscious of America with bright visions of city’s on the hill. The decade’s aversion to reality manifested itself in a shabby pop culture of MTV stars and fake moralistic/successful people on television (Bill Cosby being a prime example). But horror movies at their best shined a light through the facade of a schizoid culture.
The ironic element is how tame the 1980s look now in comparison to today. I was born in 1979 so those years were my childhood. Memories of He-Man guys, Diff’rent Strokes, The Muppet Show, Return of the Jedi, Hulk-a-Mania, Late Night With David Letterman, foment waves of nostalgia. Hell, even thoughts of Reagan taking the podium conjure images of continuity and dare I say statesmanship. Elitists wrote screeds against the new gilded age culture that grew trashier with each year, yet at the same time there’s self-assurance to the decade that resonates. 
Video stores and video arcades were meccas of pop culture bliss outs, a far different experience from doing an Amazon Prime search. One of the decades best genre films from 1984 Night of the Comet celebrated consumerism and apocalyptic culture with a subtle irony, honesty, and a distinct irreverence that leapfrogged over the rest. Nightmares are always around the corner, but why not try to have a good time anyway?
Reading over the 300+ reviews, there's sense of diminishing returns as the decade unfolds. The early years were riding the wave of the explosive 1970s. The horror genre reached an apogee during the early years of the decade, an indicator of a changing culture. Slashers became the most popular subgenre, one where the tropes became a kabuki play. May autuers emerged, the trend setters of the 1970s like Wes Craven, John Carpenter, and Tobe Hooper continued to raise the standards of the genre. New comers Sam Raimi, Tom Holland, and James Cameron expanded the possibilities of horror. One hit wonders are legion.
Muir applies the closest analysis to even to the most oppressive of clunkers, usually finding some element to praise. Even for the mediocre movies, and most of these are average, John gives you a reason to check them out. Some of these films are widely available and are regularly aired on cable television or are available to stream. But many of them are not. There are many hidden diamonds in this book that deserve a wider audience: Obscurities such as Alone in the Dark, Q: The Winged Serpent, The Stuff, The Entity, and many others. 
Horror fans will have much to savor with these volumes. For those looking for an iconoclastic look at the 1980s without the tired genre of Reagan hagiography, Horror Films of the 1980s will illuminate how movies are not only entertaining and an invaluable source of escapism, but an educational journey into the subconscious


Saturday, March 24, 2018

Book Review: Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michel Wolff

Media hype aside, Fire and Fury is a compulsive read of the early days of the Trump White House. For most of 2017 Wolff had "fly on the wall" access to daily goings on of one of the most disorganized, mostly incompetent administrations in American history. Limitations of the book aside, it's uneven and repetitive, what emerges is a study in power that's illuminating, comical, and disturbing.

At its best, Fire and Fury provides a vivid portrait of Trump and the people around him. Steve Bannon, former chief strategist, is the Iago like protagonist. Others include Trump's Son-In-Law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka, usually referred to as Jarvanka. Other figures come and go, but the book is framed as a sort of Shakespearean tragedy with elements of King Lear, Othello, Julius Caesar. But only a writer with a true sense of the absurd will be able to make sense of this West Wing.

The book begins with a meeting between disgraced Fox News creator Roger Ailes and Bannon after Trump's improbable electoral victory over Hillary Clinton. Ailes expressed concern over the rumblings about Trump's Russia connections, which Bannon dismissed outright. Bannon ranted about China being the longer term threat, offering his usual reply when confronted about the peccadilloes of his man, "Trump is Trump."

The story of the first year of the Trump administration, according to Wolff, was the power struggle between Bannon and Jarvanka. Trump enjoys the infighting, the Darwinian struggle to win his favor, even tolerating Bannon's frequent vulgar language towards his Ivanka, telling her "it's a tough town." To note, some Presidents have taken such an approach, Nixon and FDR among them.

Bannon's backstory is one of disappointments - and resentment against the establishment. A working class Catholic, he overachieved as a student and was a naval officer in the 1970s, mid-level Goldman Sachs banker, and a frustrated screenwriter. A voracious reader of history, Bannon fancies himself a master historian who speaks in grandiose terms. He found a niche at Breitbart, a right wing media outlet, that views itself as the vanguard of the alt-right. Bannon's own ideas come across as incoherent, viewing globalization as a vast conspiracy to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization. Many on the left are also critical of globalization, but Bannon and his co-horts at Breitbart like to dabble with racist ideas under the guise of being politically incorrect. Bannon and his allies glean most of their pleasure by driving liberals up the wall. 

Bannon came into the Trump campaign at its lowest point in August 2016 and advised him to focus on Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida as the pathway to victory. During "Billy Bush weekend", a point when even Trump's closest allies were suggesting he end his candidacy, Bannon called for a scorched earth strategy, to double down and fight fire with fire. Trump's victory gave Bannon an almost mystical aura within the media. Yet, when given a position of power, Bannon proved to be a lackluster Machiavellian. All bluster. 

Jarvanka are the moderate influences on Trump, Kushner is viewed as an Establishment Republican, the last remnant of the liberal Rockefeller wing. Kushner often takes advice from Henry Kissinger (now 94) as his foreign policy protege. Wolff describes Kushner of taking Zen approach towards his boss/father-in-law, the key is getting to him at just the right time since Trump usually adopts the views of the last person he talked to. Needless to say, Jarvanka come off as out of their depth. They were behind the firing of FBI Director James Comey last May, an almost fatal mistake that led to the special counsel of Robert Mueller (Trump thought the media would love the dismissal of Comey).

As for Trump himself, I think he's got ADD. Wolff reports him getting always bored during briefings, talk of history and foreign policy bores him, especially power point presentations. He'll just get up and leave a meeting when he gets bored. Much of his time is consumed with watching TV and tracking what the media says about him, often driving his Twitter feed. Like Nixon, he feels the whole world is against him. He's described as an "old fashioned misogynist", who prefers working with women (he believes men are scheming and dishonest by nature). Working with him makes everyone depressed and crazy. 

Past presidents including Obama, Bush 41 and 43, and Clinton took the job seriously and appreciated the history behind it. Trump sees the Presidency as something to endure, he only cares about the prestige that comes with it. Wolff describes election night as an existential shock to the Trump's camp, most in his circle were planning for lucrative media careers. Trump envisioned a TV network to rival the power of Fox News. Long story short; everyone associated with the man is miserable.

Nothing in the book should be shocking to anyone who follows the news up close. Whether Trump will survive the term is anyone's guess. Vice President Mike Pence keeps a safe distance from the Trump camp, possibly prepping for his big moment. While most traditional Republicans pay lip service to him, deep down, they know they deserve better. Where will all this end up? All one can do is throw up one's hands and hope for the best - and vote!