Girl Detective

Emily Hill writes such a compelling essay on Patrick Hamilton that I think I’m bound to read his work and become one of the readers she identifies at the beginning:

the skimmer, the trash whore, the short-attention giggle-seeker, the populist, the escapist, the wistful romanticist, the book group conversationalist, the academic, the self-improver, the factual addict, the fetishist, the literary stalker.

I’ve been many (but not all) of these over the course of my reading life; they’re not mutually exclusive. Generally, I’m an escapist. Hamilton’s stories sound as if they’d be _outstanding_ in that capacity. (Thanks to Mental Multivitamin for the link)

Roger Ebert’s health has kept him from his show Ebert and Roeper for over a year now. Cohost Richard Roeper has worked with many guests, but with the new season, a few changes were evident. The signature thumb review was gone; films were recommended or not. Ebert co-owns the trademark, and has withdrawn permission for the thumbs, as the contract for the show is negotiated with Disney. The show title is now At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper. My new crush, the meticulously groomed (NB: not code for gay, just an observation), smart and snarky Robert Wilonsky warms Ebert’s seat each week for the foreseeable future. The show continues to be a good weekly update on what’s coming out, and what’s worth seeing in the theater, on DVD, or not at all.

Check out the new, extensive archives at the Ebert and Roeper site.

One of the best and funniest of the fall’s new shows. I’m not the only one to think so: see The Watcher, Everybody Loves Saturday Night, Teevee.net, Entertainment Weekly, and The Onion AV Club. It’s a dark, comedic fantasy about a slacker named Sam whose parents sold his soul to the devil, and the bill comes due on his 21st birthday. It’s a little like Buffy with Boys. Robert Wise is charming with a perfect undercurrent of scary as the devil. Sam is non-threateningly cute, he’s got a less-good-looking-but-funnier friend named Sock, and his love interest is sweet but not (yet) cloying. The first ep was directed by Kevin Smith, and made me laugh out loud several times, mostly at things Sock did. This got an immediate season pass on my Tivo.

There’s been a fair amount of griping about the Bionic Woman reboot of the 70’s sci-fi series. I have fond memories of that show from my childhood, which I dare not test by actually tracking down old eps. (Though there is that one with Kristy McNichol as a telekinetic, now that I think of it.)

The criticism focuses most on English star Michelle Ryan’s lack of charisma, though she doesn’t seem to have much to work with, given the character as written. Jaime Summers is a college dropout, a bartender, and a caregiver for her technologically transgressive little sister, who was left on Jaime’s doorstep by their drunk father. Lindsay Wagner’s Jaime was a famous tennis player, whose athleticism brought her to the notice of the bionic scientists. BW 2007 gets her hardware upgrade courtesy of her mad scientist boyfriend, reluctantly financed by shady government types. Other snarks center on the all-over-the-place pilot.

I don’t disagree on either point. Ryan’s Summers is not compelling, and there’s a lot going on. But Katee Sackhoff, one of my favorite actor’s from Battlestar Galactica, has a treat of a recurring role as Sarah Corvus, the original bionic woman. Miguel Ferrer is also good as the head government baddie, who I kept wishing would be named as Oscar Goldman. And a crowded pilot means there’s a lot to explore if the season pans out.

A cameo by Aaron Douglas, who plays Chief Tyrol on Battlestar Galactica, shows that BW creators are hoping to snare the BG geek audience. They’re at least got me, for now.

Some other opinions at Teevee.net, Onion AV Club, The Watcher.

#65 in my 2007 movie challenge was Nancy Drew. In spite of middling reviews, I felt I had to see it. What kind of girl-detective cred would I have if I didn’t?

The attractive Emma Roberts (daughter of Eric and niece of Julia) plays Nancy, a small-town girl who helps the police solve crime and catch bad guys in small-town River Heights. As in the books, she has a blue roadster, a boyfriend named Ned, and friends named Bess and George. Her father is Carson Drew, played (rather Oedipally in my mind) by Tate Donovan, whose hairline looked suspiciously tidy to me. Nancy and her Dad move to California. While Nancy promised Dad to give up sleuthing, her curious nature can’t rest. She begins to investigate the mysterious death of the previous owner of the house they’re renting. Hijinks ensue; truth, justice, and single mothers triumph in the end.

What I liked: the iconic pencil drawings that framed the film with Nancy in various sleuthing poses. These nicely evoked the hardcover books as well as the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys television show of my youth. The books had a cameo on Nancy’s shelves, and their titles were used in passing to refer to an actress’s movies. The soundtrack was surprisingly good, and Roberts’s retro wardrobe was dreamy. Nancy was a clever, resourceful heroine, and thus a good role model for girls. Ned was a thoughtful, sincere guy, and their pairing was sweet, if strangely prim. Bruce Willis had a clever cameo.

What didn’t work: The film’s tone veered way over the line of goofy all the way into bizarre. It often seemed like the filmmakers didn’t know which tone to pick, so they threw a bunch in to see what would work best. The shrill, round boy who became her sidekick brought Jar Jar Binks to my mind, and his two-dimensional sister and her friend were no better. I suspect the imbalance was because the film was aimed at ‘tweens, but about a girl who must be at least sixteen, since she can drive. The mystery and the characters were very simple. I think the film would have been more successful if it had attempted to satisfy an older audience.

I strongly considered dropping Bones from my Tivo’s season pass list. I liked it last season, but didn’t love it. The eps were uneven, and the mysteries were often boring. What stood out was the ensemble cast, and that’s not necessarily enough to keep me aboard during a crowded fall TV season with a handful of promising new shows. But Entertainment Weekly had only good things to say, and the gals at Everybody Loves Saturday Night liked the premiere so much I knew I might have to give it another chance, and I’m glad I did. The season premiere was funny, icky, and engaging. So Bones remains on my season pass list, for now.

That last scene, though, with Brennan and Booth on a bench was seriously undermined by the painfully fake DC Mall backdrop.

I feel like a bad geek that I don’t love, or even sometimes like, Heroes. With all the media blitz and the love from places like Entertainment Weekly, I feel like a curmudgeon that I can’t join the chorus, especially because it’s so connected to, and respectful of, one of my favorite media mediums, comic books. I mean, Tim Sale did all the Isaac paintings last season; how cool was that?

The problem with a team show, though, is that there are going to be weak links. The more characters I like, the more I like the show. And here’s how the numbers stack up, for me:

Like: Claire, her dad HRG, Peter Petrelli, Hiro, Ando, Sylar

Don’t like: Parkman, Molly, Mohinder, Nathan Petrelli, Mrs. Petrelli, Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Muggles.

Meh: Nicki and Micah, new characters Maya and her brother

The season premiere didn’t do much for me. Last year I watched the first few eps, got bored, stopped watching, and started again toward the end when my husband G. Grod said it got good again. I don’t want to miss good stuff, but I dislike at least half the characters, and those aren’t good odds. Perhaps the addition of Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) will turn the tide.

Other opinions from The Onion AV Club, Entertainment Weekly, Everybody Loves Saturday Night, and The Watcher

Hilarious, and Neil Patrick Harris is full of awesomeness as womanizer extraordinaire, Barney.

I started watching this past summer in reruns. Like most comedies, it wasn’t necessary to know all the backstory to enjoy it. I’ve laughed out loud multiple times during each episode. Harris shines, but the rest of the ensemble cast does good work, especially Jason Segal, a member of the Judd Apatow crew. Highly recommended, this has a season pass on my Tivo.

Check out reviews from The Onion AV Club, ALoTT5MA, and The Watcher. And watch a 3 minute recap at Youtube that fills in a fair amount of history.

From Persephone Books:

To celebrate The Fortnight in September, the extraordinary novel by RC Sherriff (extraordinary because it is not really ‘about’ anything except a family on holiday in Bognor Regis, and yet it is impossible to put down - or forget) we thought we would tempt you with a special September offer.

If, before Monday morning, you order two books on the website, and one includes The Fortnight in September, we will send you a third book free of charge: just pay the normal amount for two books and write in the Additional Information box which book you would like free. (This offer also applies in Europe and America; although the third book will be sent surface mail and may take longer to arrive.)

Persephone resurrects out of print books by or about women’s lives and reprints them in lovely softcover editions. If you’ve thought about ordering before but didn’t know where in their impressive catalog to start, I recommend Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, a sassy tale of mistaken identity reminiscent of a 30’s era Hollywood romantic comedy, something that would have starred Clark Gable or Cary Grant. I also loved The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, about a family forced by circumstance to take on non-traditional roles. It helped me make the decision to resign my job after I had Drake, and four years later the memory of it is urging me to move back in the direction of paid, professional work.

But if you’re still not sure, give them a call (minding the time difference in London). The women of Persephone would be happy to help you find something suitable.

I thought last night’s finale part 1 of Top Chef was very satisfying. The least talented chef was eliminated for making some poor choices, while nice-guy, hanger-on Dale finally stepped up and won a challenge. Best of all, he did it by learning from past successes and mistakes.

I’m out of time, but for more commentary, see Anthony Bourdain and ALoTT5MA.

I wasn’t thrilled with Maybelline’s Define-a-Lash mascara, in spite of its lovely, metallic green tube. The weird, plastic-hedgehog brush didn’t prevent clumps. And the Neutrogena Clean Lash Tint, while good, only comes in black.

On the advice of my sister Sydney, I tried Maybelline Full n Soft mascara, and I think it’s a winner. It has a big, dense brush and a range of colors. It’s not one they’re pushing; product was on floor level. It’s more thickening and darkening than lengthening. Since that’s what I was looking for, I’m happy so far.

Earlier this summer I had good results from L’Oreal’s Sublime Glow moisturizing self tanner. The smell was light and not unpleasant, the color was barely orange, and streaks were minimal. Last summer, I tried Dove Energy Glow with little success. It had a faint unpleasant smell, plus it was orange and streaky.

On the advice of my knowledgeable sister Sydney, I tried Nivea Sun-Kissed Firming Moisturizer. I like it even better than the L’Oreal. The scent is light and pleasant, and the results are not orange at all. In fact, when I used it I became worried that I’d gotten some actual sun–I couldn’t tell the difference.

#64 in my 2007 movie challenge was the Buster Keaton silent film Sherlock, Jr. Keaton plays a poor movie clerk displaced from his girlfriend’s affections when a thieving cad frames him for stealing a watch. There is a memorable dream sequence in which Keaton and the other characters intermingle on the screen. It’s worthwhile on its own, but far more arresting given the lack of technology available, as with Citizen Kane and Rules of the Game.

Bit of trivia: One of the writer’s was Clyde Bruckman, whose name was used in the title of one of my favorite X-Files episodes.

Yesterday afternoon, 19mo Guppy was long and loud is his protest against afternoon nap. I went in to comfort him and try to settle him down. There was a great deal of snot running out of his nose.

And a noodle.

In horror, I grabbed a tissue and wiped up the mess. I confirmed that it was, in fact, about an inch or so of linguine.

Which we’d had THE NIGHT BEFORE for dinner.

“Oh,” said my husband G. Grod when I told him about it later. “THAT’s why he was breathing so heavily last night over the baby monitor.”

#42 in my 2007 book challenge was Nicholas Kulish’s Last One In, a satire of the war in Iraq. It’s a fish-out-of-water premise when gossip columnist Jimmy Stephens screws up and gets himself sent to cover the imminent US invasion of Iraq. Jimmy is a good everyman character–a little bit sleazy, a lot self-involved, but with an essential goodness that outs in the end. It’s easy to relate to his shock at the conditions and his confusion about so many aspects of his new circumstances. Last One In is dark, funny, and sad. It doesn’t descend to cruelty. It’s a thought-provoking ground-level view of the grueling mundanity of military action as well as the reasons people go, and the reasons people stay or leave.

Last week I was downstairs with 19mo Guppy, who had awakened early (pre-6am) per his usual. I heard 4yo Drake on the stairs, and called out good morning, and said I was glad to see him. He scowled at me, stomped down the stairs, ran up to me, then kicked me in the shin with his bare foot.

This is the kind of thing I think of when people, especially non-parents, get all gooshy and romantic about motherhood.

According to the MPAA:

A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.

I took Drake to see Ratatouille yesterday. Within ten minutes he was terrified, and I didn’t blame him. I was offended then, and further later when I confirmed the G rating and what it is supposed to cover. To me, minimal violence DOES NOT encompass a little old lady pulling out a shotgun, shooting at main characters until her gun is empty, searching for bullets, reloading, releasing rat poison, putting on a gas mask, and continuing to shoot. This scene, about ten minutes into the movie, is loud, violent and it scared my four year old child.

I’ve long been aware that the MPAA ratings are screwed up, giving more leeway to violence than to sexuality, but I thought these errors were on the R and PG13 end of the spectrum. But as Drake found out, to both his and my dismay, the leeway on violence seems to be a pitfall of all the ratings.

Ratatouille might be a good movie for older kids and adults. It’s not for small kids. Shame on you MPAA, Disney, and Pixar. Why couldn’t the old lady simply have chased the rats with a broom–why the shotgun AND the gas? Next time I’ll consult a site like Common Sense Media to be better informed.

It’s the 75th anniversary of Philadelphia Eagles football, so the Eagles were wearing new and different uniforms today, in an homage to Philadelphia and its Swedish heritage–?

First, the yellow and blue jerseys were ugly. Second, I had a hard time remembering which team was the Eagles since the colors were so different from their usual ones. Third, isn’t Pennsylvania’s heritage German, since the “Dutch” got misunderstood from “Deutsche”? Finally, did anyone else think it odd to see a bunch of mostly African-American guys running around in the colors of the Swedish flag?

My husband G. Grod is an Eagles fan, and the season has gone rather badly until today. A few quotes from the game that amused me:

Before halftime: “The Eagles have played almost perfectly up to this point.”

On Brian Westbrook: “He’s like a Ferrari in traffic.” and “Maybe he needs to skip training every week.” (He was out of team practice this week for a knee injury.)

The Eagles’ first win of the season was decisive, at 56-21. G. is in a very good mood.

#41 in my 2007 book challenge was Karen Joy Fowler’s Jane Austen Book Club, a movie of which is coming soon to a theater near you.

When she spoke at The Twin Cities’ Book Fest a few years ago, she said she was at a bookstore reading for another author, and saw a sign for “The Jane Austen Book Club.”

She thought it was a great title, and decided to buy the book and was speculating on what the plot would be when she realized that the flyer was for a book group, not a book about a book group. Then she realized she wanted to write that book, or perhaps that she had to.

I know I’m not the only one who’s glad she did. I read this book in 2004. At the time, I’d read Pride and Prejudice once, and seen the A & E miniseries, as well as the films Mansfield Park and Clueless, which is based on Austen’s Emma. Fowler’s novel revolves through six characters, each of whom host a discussion of one of Austen’s six completed novels. Cleverly, there is also an email interlude that pays homage to Austen’s unfinished work. (Sanditon or Lady Susan, I think.)

I liked Fowler’s characters, and their development over the book. I also liked their discussion of Austen’s novels and the various interpretations. This made me want to read all six novels, which I now have done: Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion. I wondered how these readings would affect my experience of TJABC.

At first, I experienced literary vertigo and whiplash. There were now so many layers to Fowler’s writing and characters. Like Austen, she has a biting wit, and her book was full of sentences begging to be underlined and read aloud. Characters brought to mind one Austen character, then later another. The plots paralleled Austen, diverged, then came together again.

The first time I read TJABC, I liked it, and it inspired me to read six novels that I at least admired, and often enjoyed. This time, it impressed me greatly. Fowler not only wrote a book that stands on its own, but she simultaneously made it an homage to Austen’s writing, stories and characters. This re-reading of Fowler’s book makes me want to re-read Austen’s books. Fowler has created a lovely book that can keep on giving, both to current and future admirers of Jane.

In the book one character and her husband are fans of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the movie, the husband is played by Marc Blucas, who played Buffy’s boyfriend Riley on the show.

#40 in my 2007 book challenge was A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, credited to the late Michael Dorris. It was written at a time when he and then-wife Louise Erdrich were collaborating on everything they each wrote, and it has many of Erdrich’s hallmarks: Native American female characters; difficult and disappointing parental figures; interwoven, overlapping narratives; and family secrets. The only Erdrich-ian characteristic I didn’t see was dreamy, magical realism.

The book is divided into three sections, each narrated by a different character: Rayona, Christine (Ray’s mother), and Ida, (Christine’s mother). These three strong characters are what elevate this novel. They are complex and flawed, yet still easy to like, even though some of their choices are hard to understand, especially as they relate to family secrets and emotions.

If you like Erdrich’s work and have never read this, it’s an interesting addition to her oeuvre, whatever role she played. While Dorris may have done bad things, and he came to a tragic end, this book is about the redemptive power of family and love.

If you haven’t read Erdrich, I recommend her Blue Jay’s Dance: A Birth Year, and The Antelope Wife.