Pop Culture Nerd – Page 11 – Pop Culture Nerd

Does This List Make You Feel Stupid?

Newsweek recently published this list of Top 100 Books of All Time, using some number-crunching method based on other book lists. Browsing through it, I was dismayed to find I’ve read only 13! (It’s even more disconcerting considering I was in Advanced Placement English.)

This does not include the ones I’ve only seen a movie version of, or those I didn’t manage to finish. C’mon, Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy went on forehhhhhver. I attacked that massive tome (900+ pages) twice, in high school and college, like Jason on his quest for golden fleece, determined to break through walls of dense prose and get past monster run-on sentences. Alas, I had to admit defeat both times due to induced narcolepsy.

So the books I can claim to have read (and their ranking on the list) are:

2) 1984—George Orwell

15) The Catcher in the Rye—J.D. Salinger

18) The Great Gatsby—F. Scott Fitzgerald

21) The Grapes of Wrath—John Steinbeck

36) Winnie-the-Pooh—A.A. Milne (one of the best books ever written)

49) Hamlet—William Shakespeare

54) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—Mark Twain

58) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—Ken Kesey (even more amazing than the film, if that’s possible)

61) Animal Farm—George Orwell

62) Lord of the Flies—William Golding (freaked me out but blew me away)

66) The Big Sleep—Raymond Chandler

83) The Maltese Falcon—Dashiell Hammett (required reading for noir fans)

99) The Color Purple—Alice Walker (cried like a baby through most of it)

I know this list is far from definitive because there’s nothing on there from the 21st century and only two from the last 25 years. Loads are from at least 50 years ago, many are from several centuries back and a few are from the time Before Christ. I’m surprised stories told via cavemen drawings didn’t make the cut.

But it’s fun to play along. So, which ones have you read? What books do you think should’ve been on there? And if you’ve truly managed to finish War and Peace (#1 on list), please send in a photo and/or book report so I can see you’re not an urban legend.

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AMELIA Trailer on the Fourth of July

In honor of Independence Day, I thought this gorgeous trailer for the movie Amelia, as in Earhart, would be appropriate. In it, the pilot, played by Hilary Swank, says she flies because “I want to be free.”

This reminds me of being a kid living in Viet Nam during the war, looking at planes from the roof of my house, hoping some day I’d get to fly on one, maybe even go to America where people are free.

Luckily, though the ride was turbulent, I got my wish.

Celebrate your freedom. May it extend beyond the skies.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3iAfXNIsrs]

The movie opens October 23, 2009 in the U.S. (Update: Read my review here.)

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My Thoughts on the Alice Hoffman Twitter Controversy

By now, you may have heard about the Twitter controversy which flared up last weekend surrounding author Alice Hoffman’s reaction to getting a tepid review from the Boston Globe. If you haven’t, her Twitter account has since been deleted so you’ll have to read the details on Gawker.

In short, Hoffman seemingly became enraged at Roberta Silman, the Globe critic, for being unenthusiastic about Hoffman’s latest novel, The Story Sisters (read that review here). The author proceeded to fire off more than 20 tweets attacking Silman (calling her “moron”), the Globe, the city of Boston, and people who try to keep women down.

So, she’s human and got her feelings hurt. What’s the harm, right? Except Hoffman posted Silman’s e-mail and (supposedly) unlisted phone number, rallying her fans to tell off the “snarky” critic. At this point, Hoffman became much nastier than anything Silman wrote in her review. My feelings towards the author shifted.

I’ve long been a fan of Hoffman’s work, have enjoyed most of her oeuvre, and Story Sisters is in my TBR pile. But I think she crossed a line. If someone posted my unlisted number, there’d be hell to pay. So I find myself pushing Story Sisters farther down the stack because suddenly, I’m not as eager to pick it up. I know this isn’t logical—the book was written before all this happened so one thing has nothing to do with the other—but I have to admit an author’s personality does affect how much I want to read his/her books.

Many years ago, I was a devoted fan of an author who shall remain unnamed. I thought his books were the most beautiful creations. But I attended a signing one night and he was so dull during the reading with his monotone voice, he actually put me to sleep. I haven’t picked up another of his books since, fearing it’ll have a similar soporific effect on me. I didn’t blacklist him or anything, but subconsciously stopped gravitating towards his books.

Conversely, I’d never read British author Peter Robinson when I went to a signing to get a copy inscribed for a friend who couldn’t make it. Robinson was so charming and smart and made me laugh so hard during Q & A, I had to immediately check out his books, hoping his sense of humor is contained in them.

This isn’t to say I expect authors to be perfect people or put on an act at appearances. In fact, if they try too hard to be “on,” that turns me off, too. But I do want writers to be a little entertaining since they are storytellers. If they come across duller than dirt, how exciting can their stories be? Then again, maybe they’re just shy.

I know I shouldn’t deprive myself of someone’s talent just because they lack a sparkling personality, but there are more good books in the world than I can read in my lifetime so why should I waste time supporting wankers and bores?

Do you ever feel this way when you hear about a writer behaving badly? What about actors? Did Christian Bale’s on-set decimation of a crew member deter you from seeing Terminator Salvation? Post a comment and let’s discuss.

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Trailer: Ricky Gervais's THE INVENTION OF LYING

I’ve been waiting for this trailer and it doesn’t disappoint. The Invention of Lying (formerly known as This Side of the Truth) has such an amazing cast, I don’t know how it can not be funny. No one can take a to-his-face insult like Ricky Gervais.

Besides the people seen in the trailer—Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, et al.—Jeffrey Tambor, Patrick Stewart and Jason Bateman are also in this movie. If that’s not enough, Gervais says on his blog there are “great cameo surprises.”

Co-written and co-directed by Gervais with Matthew Robinson, Lying opens September 25, 2009 in the U.S. and October 2 in the U.K.

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Review: Richard Lange's THIS WICKED WORLD

Every once in a while, a neo-noir writer comes along who’s so exciting, he/she turns me into an annoying evangelist-type fan with a fervent need to spread the word. Five years ago, Charlie Huston had this effect on me with his first novel, Caught Stealing. Gillian Flynn did it to me in 2006 with Sharp Objects. This year, the honor goes to Richard Lange and his debut novel, This Wicked World.

Former marine and ex-con Jimmy Boone is a bartender on Hollywood Boulevard, trying to repair his life after a horrible mistake cost him a luxiourious lifestyle and landed him in prison. One day, he goes with a friend as a favor to look into an illegal immigrant’s death and quickly becomes obsessed with the case, even after his friend has dropped the investigation. Boone’s probe into the matter gets him involved with an attractive ex-cop neighbor, a vindictive stripper and her drug-dealing brother, and a deadly criminal mastermind who runs a dog-fighting ring in the Twentynine Palms desert. Things go violently awry and Boone finds himself in a situation that puts his life—and those of his friends—in mortal danger.

There are many things to praise about this novel: the tight yet expressive prose; the hip, witty dialogue that almost needs to be read aloud so you can hear how good Lange is with banter; the compelling plot which slowly reveals why Boone went to prison; and the unexpected moments of black humor (a bad guy’s profane internal monologue is cut off mid-sentence when he gets shot).

But the most striking thing about this book is the cast of characters. In this story, no one is completely heroic and no one is pure evil. Everyone lives in a gray area, surviving the only way they know how, searching for the same thing: redemption. The good guys have done some questionable things in their past but somehow you don’t judge them. More surprisingly, Lange made me understand and empathize a little with the nastiest characters, even as I was horrified by their actions. One of the crime boss’s henchmen, for example, can kill a man in cold blood but also subjects himself to painful tattoo-removal procedures so he can look more respectable in court while fighting for custody of his young daughter.

This dual nature extends to the novel’s L.A. setting as well. The city can be a glamorous place but Lange prefers hanging out in the grittier neighborhoods, capturing the feel of places and people who usually have police searchlights instead of movie spotlights on them. “Wicked” can mean either evil or wonderful so the title is appropriate because this story is both.

Nerd verdict: Wicked World is wicked good

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Review: Margot Berwin's HOTHOUSE FLOWER AND THE 9 PLANTS OF DESIRE

You know how sometimes when you go on vacation, you want something light to read but don’t want it to be so trashy as to elicit condescending looks from people sitting next to you on the plane? Well, I’ve got the perfect holiday read for you: Margot Berwin’s Hothouse Flower and the 9 Plants of Desire. I just road-tested this theory and received only glances of interest and curiosity. I mean, look at that eye-catching cover. And here’s an instance where you can judge a book by its cover because the story inside is just as colorful and full of life.

Berwin’s debut novel is about Lila, a newly divorced New York ad exec who decides to buy some plants for her new apartment. In the process, she meets a handsome plant vendor, David Exley, and Armand, who owns a magical laundromat set up like a tropical jungle, with plants everywhere (the steamy air is good for them), moss on the floor and butterflies flying free. Armand tells Lila about the nine plants of desire, each representing a quality such as fortune, love at first sight and magic. The plants can only be found if they choose to reveal themselves to someone they deem worthy. Once a person possesses all nine, his/her desires shall be granted.

Lila goes searching for the plants in the rain forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, where she encounters snakes, an enigmatic jungle guide, lots of scorpions and a black panther which shadows her. While looking for the plants, she finds something even more important—her spiritual strength.

The story has a little bit of everything—adventure, humor, romance, magical realism, interesting plant facts—so no wonder a movie is in the works with Julia Roberts attached. Even with all these elements, Berwin manages to keep the pace breezy. Her vivid description of the extraordinary laundromat made me wish I had one in my neighborhood and her account of cannabis sativa in the form of sinsemilla—the plant of female sexuality—is incredibly sensual. Unlike the potent marijuana this plant produces, however, this novel will take you on a wild ride without killing any of your brain cells.

Nerd verdict: An exotic, sexy Desire

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Book Giveaway: Linda Castillo's SWORN TO SILENCE

St. Martin’s Press is giving away 2oo—that’s right, two hundred—copies of this new thriller, which is getting really strong buzz. Click here and fill out the form to enter.

The giveaway runs until July 21 and is for U.S. residents only.

Good luck!

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What Lisa Marie Presley Has to Say about Michael Jackson

Lisa Marie Presley, who was married to Michael Jackson for 20 months, posted this today on her MySpace blog. It’s a poignant read. She says Jackson somehow knew he was going to end up like her father.

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Michael Jackson 1958-2009

What is going on this week?! This is crazy. I’m on vacation, hanging out with the family when my sister turned on the news and said, “Michael Jackson died!” It was a “Huh?” moment that still feels unreal.

This is so shocking and sad. I need more time to write a proper tribute but wanted to post the following questions so we can reminisce together here and remember the impact MJ had on pop culture.

Where were you when Jackson busted out that moonwalk on Motown’s 25th anniversay special? (To refresh your memory, watch the video below.)
How long did it take you to learn the “Thriller” dance and how many times have you performed it at parties?
Favorite Jackson song?

UPDATE: I have a source who will be inside the Staples Center for Jackson’s memorial July 7. Check back here later that day for a report.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15SxqqwF63U]

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Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009

My heart is heavy and my words are clumsy right now so I turn the floor over to a contributing writer, Christian Moralde, who had several personal encounters with Fawcett over the years. I thought his impressions of her would make a fitting tribute.

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I’ve long respected Farrah Fawcett’s work as an actress but only in the last ten years have I really appreciated the person and become aware she was a lot more than the pin-up in the red bathing suit and one of Charlie’s angels.

She was an Emmy, Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominee, worked off-Broadway and held her own against co-stars such as Cicely Tyson, Robert Duvall, Sidney Poitier, Geraldine Page, Kirk Douglas, and Glenn Close. She was actively involved in charity work against domestic violence and served as a board member for the National Advisory Council for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

First time I met her was in 2002, at a Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibition of her artwork. I asked Farrah what kept her going and made her a survivor in the industry.

“Always be yourself. Always use yourself,” she said.

The second time I met her was at the 2004 TV Land Awards, where she was being honored and having the time of her life. I asked her backstage if I could take her photo and she flipped her hair playfully in full Farrah mode. At another point, someone asked her to hold up a product (I don’t recall what it was) and have her picture taken with it. This was strictly against the orders of her manager, who was standing nearby. When he wasn’t looking, she grabbed the product and told the person to hurry up and take the picture before her manager turned around. I’ve never forgotten her graciousness, lively spirit, and genuine sense of self.

In 2006, I had the opportunity to talk to the late director, Robert Altman, at an Oscars nominee luncheon about directing Farrah in Dr. T and the Women. His face lit up and his eyes sparkled. “She is lovely, a genuine lady and pleasure to work with.”

A couple of years later, Farrah was invited to speak to the Los Angeles chapter of the Screen Actors Guild about her career, which spanned more than three decades. We chatted afterwards about how she’d managed to have this longevity and she said, “Don’t look at the negative. Always look at the positive.” She must have used those words often during her fight with cancer.

I don’t want to focus on that final struggle for which she was primarily known these past few years. In writing this, my hope is to acknowledge her spirit and celebrate her life because she was a class act.

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Curious Case of Facebook Movie

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO

Last year, reports surfaced that Aaron Sorkin would write a movie about the creation of Facebook, which I found curious enough. Sorkin has written highly dramatic, cerebral projects about military law proceedings (A Few Good Men) and D.C. politics (The West Wing) and now he turns his pen towards…social networking? How compelling can that be? And if someone’s not on Facebook, can they still enjoy it?

The project just took an intriguing turn as Variety reports that David Fincher is considering directing the movie, called The Social Network. Fincher is known for directing dark projects so why does this story interest him? I’m aware of the controversy surrounding Facebook’s creation—CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard classmates sued him for stealing their idea—but didn’t realize it was gritty enough to interest the director of Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac. His last film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, might have included a love story but was really about mortality.

So is your interest suddenly piqued? Would you watch this movie if Fincher directs it? Who should play Zuckerberg? (UPDATE: Click here to see who Columbia cast as Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake’s in the movie, too!)

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First Official Photos of Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND

I’m still on vacation but these photos are too good not to share.

Disney just released the first official images of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, slated for release March 5, 2010. Whether or not you’re a Burton fan, I think you’ve got to admit these pictures are stunning.

In case you can’t tell due to all the makeup, that’s Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Nineteen-year-old Mia Wasikowska plays Alice, an excellent choice from what I’ve seen of her work in Defiance and In Treatment.

Other cast members include Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar, Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit and Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat. I can’t wait to see those pictures.

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on these and let me know what you think. (UPDATE: Check out the teaser trailer here.)

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