Gone Girl // Directed by David Fincher {Movie}

Why I'm watching

I’ve heard great things about it, one of my favorite musicians did the soundtrack, and the book was flying off the shelves this summer. Alas, I am a bad librarian, and didn’t read the book. 

Where I saw the movie
Our local theater.

So how was it?

How well do you know your loved ones? Nick and Amy live a placid married life, until one day Amy disappears from their suburban home. Her diary, and a romantic scavenger hunt set up for their anniversary, point to her husband as the killer. I can’t summarize too much, because this is the kind of movie you don’t want spoilers for.

Alan came home the next day and said “oh good, you’re still here.” Jerk.

Let’s talk about the music.
Gone Girl is the third soundtrack created by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, of Nine Inch Nails fame, in collaboration with director David Fincher. They won an Oscar for their first effort in The Social Network, and later won a Grammy for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Fincher found inspiration at the spa/chiropractor, where the new-age background music was "inauthentically trying to make him feel alright." And… yeah, even if they’d never worked together before, Reznor is exactly the guy you want for music that’s just a little bit off.

I knew about the soundtrack before seeing the movie, but conveniently forgot… until a completely normal, run-of-the-mill, boring cocktail party had me on edge. Without the music, it was a fairly boring expository conversation between two characters; with the music, you can pick up on the claustrophobia and anxiety.

The Wikipedia page has a great write-up of the soundtrack’s development and response from critics. NPR has a great First Listen article. USA Today has some great insight into the theory and mechanics behind the music.

Recommendation
For fans of psychological thrillers. I know it stars Ben Affleck, but this is not a date movie. I repeat: this. is not. a. date. movie.

Feels
Uneasy into downright terrifying. The movie is best described with the inspiration for its soundtrack: new-age music gone bad.

Favorites
Can I pick the whole thing? Because wow, that blew me away. The casting was perfect (yes, even Affleck), the cinematography was great, the pacing of the story was excellent, the plot was interesting and original, the surprises were surprising, and the music - oh my god the music.

Least favorites
I’m not sure how well the movie will stand up to re-watching. The movie doesn’t rely on a big twist (like, say, the 6th Sense) but part of the thrill comes from not knowing what will happen next.

Astounding Stories // multiple authors

Finished the October 1930 Astounding Stories of Super-Science!

Some of these would make good Twilight Zone style TV episodes. A couple of them are hilari-bad. They’re chock full of familiar Sci-Fi tropes and early imaginings of the future, along with some fairly awful science.

Stolen Brains // S. P. Meek 
A Sherlock/Watson-style duo solve a case involving mysterious amnesia, an unexplained spherical ship, and a brain-goo-stealing megalomaniac dwarf. Simple, but not painful.

The Invisible Death // Victor Rousseau 
Invisible Comrad Mad-Scientist-cum-Emperor decimates the United States with fuzzy science, Explains His Plan to the Manly Hero, and is betrayed by Misguided Female Love Interest. An adventure in thirteen verbose chapters.

Prisoners of the Electron // Robert H. Leitfred 
A honey-I-shrunk-the kids plot, with kitschy futuristic inventions, dumb-as-bricks female characters, awkward and uncomfortable romance, heaps of treknobabble, and -- I kid you not -- subatomic dinosaurs. The author tortures his thesaurus and describes his characters’ eyes no less than 9 times before anyone even gets shrunk. I could go on. and on. and ON. A fantastic candidate for literary MST3000.

Nanette gazed with staring eyes... 

Also, can we appreciate this stunning feat of metaphor and thesaurus abuse?

Dazzling white teeth caught the glow of the blue-white incandescents along the platform, and became under the bow of her red lips a string of priceless pearls.

Jetta of the Lowlands (Part 2 of 3) // Ray Cummings 
An interesting look at climate change from a 1930s perspective.

An Extra Man // Jackson Gee 
Something goes wrong in the invention of a Victoria-age transporter -- yes, a transporter, like Star Trek. In terms of prose, this one strikes an incredible balance between vivid and (deliberately?) absurd; it reminds me of Doctor Who, somehow. Best of the bunch.

John Wick // Keanu Reeves {Movie}

Why I'm watching
Keanu Reeves + action movie = AWESOME. 

Where I saw the movie
Our local theater. I LOVE our local theater… matinee tickets are like $5, and the chairs are super comfy. You can even move the armrests out of the way to snuggle. We went by ourselves on a weeknight, so the theater was mostly empty.

So how was it?

John Wick is your typical, formulaic action/revenge movie. And it. is. awesome. John Wick is the guy you send to take out the guy from Taken.

The story is pretty basic. After his wife’s death, ex-hitman John Wick comes out of retirement for revenge. And by revenge, I mean take down the Russian mob and kill everyone involved. It has all the tropes: retired hitman, deceased wife, revenge, cool cars, seedy underground crime organizations, Russian mobsters, annoying sons of Russian mobsters, gun fights, knife fights, car chases, a chase scene through a crowded club, dramatic one-liners and sarcastic quips… everything you could want in an action movie, and it’s all done really, really well. And it keeps a perfect balance between stylized and realistic.

Recommendation
This is an action movie that will appeal to pretty much everyone, as long as you don't mind a little blood. There is a lot of violence, but no excessive gore.  

Feels
Touching, sad, cheesy, hilarious. You will sniffle, you will laugh, you will cheer.

Favorites
The realism and detail in the fight choreography, especially the club scene. What action movie is really complete without a chase scene through a crowded club, techno music blasting? And NO ONE can deliver a cheesy action hero one-liner like Keanu Reeves. I don’t want to give anything away about the (very sparse) plot, but the opening scenes definitely get you ready for some serious hardcore revenge.

Least favorites
There was one death that I wish hadn’t happened, although I can see why it was sort of necessary for the plot.  

Related viewing
If you liked this movie, check out the Korean action movie Man From Nowhere starring Bin Won. The fight choreography has a similar level of realism and intricacy, and Bin Won has a similar deadpan delivery.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

The Count of Monte Cristo // Alexandre Dumas

The 1800s version of an action movie : love, jealousy, revenge, unbelievable wealth, badassery, and triumph over your enemies. 

This month has been a mixture of sending out all sorts of job applications (hire me!!!!), taking two ballroom lessons a week (yikes!), competing, and getting ready for Halloween (shoulder angel and devil!). Oh, and we just started planning Friendsgiving.

In between all that, I’ve been reading The Count of Monte Cristo… which, as it turns out, is a great frickin’ read. I’ve also figured out how to get Google Books to read eBooks from Project Gutenberg. Not gonna lie, I did a little victory dance.
 
Why I'm reading
So, I’ve got a weird reason for finally reading this. I’ve been watching anime on Crunchyroll recently, and came across an anime adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo. More specifically, a psychedelic-space-vampire-demon anime adaptation called Gankutsuou. So I’ve got the gist of the story, but I’m guessing the Count isn’t actually possessed by a vampire-space-demon.

Where I got the book
Project Gutenberg! The Project Gutenberg library hosts eBooks that can be freely used in the United States, because they are not protected by U.S. copyright law (or authors have given permission). That means entirely free (no ads) and entirely legal.

Expectations
A long story about betrayal, revenge, and setting things right. I wonder if the Count will be a more sympathetic character in the original, and if I will agree with his idea of “setting things right.” I’m also expecting it to be a little hard to read, in terms of writing style/complexity.

So how was it? 

First of all, why hasn’t HBO or AMC made this into a miniseries yet?! The characters are so engaging - the servants, the enemies, the frenemies, the good guys; they all have backstory and personality. And the whole thing is so full of suffering and delicious revenge.

The story follows Edmund Dantes, a salt-of-the-earth (salt-of-the-sea?) first mate aboard the Phaeron. Things are going pretty well for Dantes: he’s young, attractive, does his job well, he’s engaged to a pretty woman, and he’s about to be made captain. Then politics and jealousy get in the way, and he ends up in prison for fourteen years. He escapes and acquires a massive fortune; for the rest of the story, he uses his money to exact sweet, sweet revenge.

The book is separated into volumes, but I would separate it into six thematic sections: before prison, during prison, recovering from prison, rewarding friends, building revenge, and closure. Each one has a different feel to it. The revenge section is by far the longest, and perhaps the slowest - but by then, I was hooked, and I liked waiting for the hammer to fall on the count’s enemies.

Recommendation
Anyone who loves a historical fiction, adventure, or suspense. This is also a great read when you only have time for a chapter or two in one sitting. 

Feels
Well-rounded, exciting, colorful. Satisfying (lots of revenge and wish-fulfillment).

Favorites
The side characters are fantastic, and I’m a sucker for good villains. The thing is, no one is “the evil villain” - they’re regular people, and you understand them even as you hate them. I also loved the way storylines intertwine, but without cheesy parallels. A lot of modern books/TV/movies tie the story up in a perfect little bow, everything symmetrical and no loose ends. 

Least favorites
The ending was satisfying, but it did feel a little rushed.  

Writing style
Just as elaborate as I was expecting, but surprisingly easy to read, once you get used to the names. The perspective bounces around to different characters/locations every chapter or so, letting you see each new event in a slightly different light. You see the Count as himself in one chapter, then you meet a “mysterious stranger” in the next (with a wink and a nod from the author). Dumas doesn’t always tell you what the count is doing, so much as he leads you gently down the path to figuring it out yourself. 

So what did I really think?

Click "read more" - massive spoilers ahead!

Glamour Addiction // Juliet McMains

An exploration of the social and economic factors behind the glamorous world of competitive ballroom dancing, based on the author's personal experience, interviews, and limited research into similar ethnographies.  

 
Why I'm reading 
I've been participating in competitive ballroom dancing for nearly ten years now, so I wanted to check out what sort of literature is out there.

Where I got the book
Interlibrary Loan from the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library.

Expectations
A researched look into how the ballroom industry works. I've seen a preview, and it seemed a little wordy.

So how was it? 

Glamour Addiction is an exploration of the "Glamour Machine" that drives the American ballroom industry.

Honestly... I couldn't really get into it. She has some excellent insight, but ignores many aspects of the ballroom world that don't fit her model of an omnipresent oppressive glamor machine. Every point she made brought to mind similar experiences in my own ballroom career, but tons of counter examples too. And many of her points are just subjective opinion masquerading as fact.

Recommendation
This will really only appeal to ballroom dancers. I would recommend it to pro/am dancers (both pro and amateur). BUT I would only recommend with a warning: this is an interesting perspective, but not the be-all and end-all of the ballroom world.

Feels
Jaded. Even just a few pages in, I started to feel the author's resentment of her chosen profession. 

Favorites 
She makes a lot of painfully true points about the intersection of immigration and ballroom, and the image professional dancers must project. She's certainly made me think about certain relationships in the studios I visit... not rethink, because the relationships are pretty obvious, but to put them in the context of a bigger social system.

Least favorites 
Not one of her characters isn't hustling, struggling, or taking advantage of someone. No student who respects their teacher and just wants to dance. No am/am partnerships. No happy, fair, supportive studio owner with a white picket fence and two kids. No teens having fun and helping to pay for college. I know these people. I know they may not be the majority, but to simply ignore their resistance because they don't fit her thesis is a joke. 

Writing style
Bounces erratically between formal academic language and flowery prose. You can tell that the author has glued together several smaller essays.

Beijing Bastard // Val Wang

An early adult coming-of-age story, following a second generation Chinese American who moves to China, hoping to find a career in film and journalism.

Why I'm reading
I straight up don't remember requesting this book, but it showed up in my mailbox, and it doesn't look awful, so why not?

Where I got the book
I received an "advance uncorrected proof" copy for review, from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. AWESOME.

Expectations
From reading the back cover, I'm expecting a relaxed coming of age story, a hint of Dragon Mom, a Bostonite view of mainland China, peppered with some edgy not-quite-racist humor.

So how was it? 

For most of the book, Beijing Bastards feels like it's trying very, very hard to get to a point, when I'm not entirely sure there is one. But that's ok; I enjoyed the ride, even if there was no destination.

It's the author's memoir of her early to mid twenties, when she decided to move to Beijing - not to reconnect with her heritage, but to escape her Chinese-American parents and follow her dreams. The title comes from an artsy-edgy movie about Beijing subculture. She's looking to connect, to become part of that subculture, to discover the "real" Beijing.

I liked it. Despite repetitive focus on the author trying to figure herself out, it's really more of an exploration of her experience in China. Her ultimate goal is to film a documentary in China, and the book was written in that same spirit.

It's very much what I expected - maybe a little less humor, but that's a good thing. Sometimes the people she meets come off as caricatures, but sometimes they're surprisingly real. I'm reminded of that time we all have late in our teenage years when we realize our parents (and all adults, and other people, too) have entire lives outside of what we know of them. That goes both for the author's family and for the people she meets along the way.

Recommendation
For fans of quirky memoirs, readers looking for a quick beach read that isn't romance, and anyone interested in a Chinese-American point of view.

Feels
Introspective and colorful.

Favorites
The littlest side characters are somehow the most engaging.

Least favorites
It's a little self-indulgent, but it's aware of its self-indulgence at least.

Writing style
Fun, lots of detail and flair, a typical "memoir" voice. Who couldn't love phrases like "having robbed me of my ancestral rent-controlled birthright" ?! And OH BOY the metaphors and similes. There's at least one every two or three sentences. That usually drives me nuts, but while I was certainly aware of it, it wasn't annoying.

THE END OF THE WORLD // Don Hertzfeldt

A full-color, hard-cover, coffee-table-worthy graphic novel about the world slowly and bizarrely falling apart ; from the creator of the Rejected cartoons and It’s Such A Beautiful Day.

Why I'm reading 
Feeling a bit restless. I think I need something a little less scholarly in between books of Tolkien. And I wasn't in the mood for humor.

Where I got the book
The coffee table! Alan bought it a while ago, but I've not been in the right mood to read it.

Expectations
I've seen a lot of the author's work, which ranges from gross/silly to existential and dark. This seems to be leaning towards the latter... but hopefully not as depressing as his movie about mental illness.

Meanwhile my wisdom teeth (or lack thereof) are doing better. Nobody tells you that you just have these, like.... deflated holes in your gums after they take out your teeth. I thought they'd sew it up more, but apparently the holes will go away on their own.

So how was it? 

Hmm. I don't know, I really don't. Where is the line between nonsense and trying too hard? Well, one way or another it had a very dystopian "Year Zero" feel to it. I'm glad I waited to read it until I was feeling a little bit tired, a little bit bored, not really all that up to thinking.

The story is... well, you can't really call it a story. It's more like a collection of random snapshots from a post-apocalyptic world. We're not talking Mad Max here; it's more like reality is coming apart at the seams.

In relation to Hertzfeldt's other works, this was random-all-over-the-place like Rejected, with a little bit of cartoon quirk, but had the darker feel of It's Such a Beautiful Day. According to the author's journal, "if the films were albums, i guess these would be the b-sides."

Recommendation

For when you're feeling just a little bit melancholy.

Feels
Somewhere in the middle of meaningful, dumb, and funny.

Favorites
I liked the art and the phrasing: very simple and bold, characteristic of Hertzfeldt. I like the little notes in the info page.

Least favorites
I wish it wasn't quite so "random". Certain parts felt like they were trying too hard, like a teenager taking about sporks and penguins.

Writing style
Esoteric, simple, unfinished.