Reading: THE BOY WITH THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART by Mathias Malzieu

As of tomorrow I start reading Mathias Malzieu's "The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart" which I bought about a year and a half ago.  It's a very short story, so it shouldn't take me long to finished it; this is after all my first post "Perpetual Motion" book and I've swore not to ever take so long to read a book, so let's see how I do.

Documentary: "Buck"

I was invited by a good friend to a showing of the documentary BUCK, about Dan "Buck" Brannaman, a horse trainer and practitioner of natural horsemanship, who was the main inspiration behind the book and movie THE HORSE WHISPERER.

Buck is a super likable soul, he's really inspirational, especially how he's form such rapor with horses and how patient he is with the horses owners, teaching them how to communicate with the animals without losing their temper, since Buck suffered from child abuse at the hands of his dad, but it makes sense, that he turn that abuse into something positive.  A wonderful film that should you have a chance, should watch. A.

Joanna Newsom

In the last 48hours, a friend of mine inadvertily linked me to this video performance of Joanna Newsom, whom I've never heard of before.  Now that I do, I'm pretty much getting my hands on everything Joanna Newsom.

This particular song, the sound, her voice, the lyrics, and most importantly they way she performs it; her facial expression, her visible pain, just breaks my heart into infinite pieces.

On: THE DREAM OF PERPETUAL MOTION by Dexter Palmer

Done.  It took me long enough, but I can't believe I'm now done and can start reading other books, which is always a good thing. I'm making a personal vow not to ever take such a long time with a book regardless of how I feel while reading it.

THE DREAM OF PERPETUAL MOTION has a lot going on for it.  The fantastical, steampunk world created by Dexter Palmer is quite striking, the writing is extremely funny, at times curiously quirky, sentimental early on, with a huge magical child eye on its first half, and peppered through out, there's are starlingly dark scenes, that though violent, are balance by a sense of humor to keep them from turning you off from its gore.

Though the story remains compelling, it loses steam after the halfway point, mostly because its main character, Harold Winslow, becomes dour with adulthood (he's recounting his life, and from childhood up to his early twenties his life is most absorbing) and he becomes borderline abstract, almost secondary to all the things happening around him, and not as likable, only because as life dulls him, he becomes a cypher with almost no personality, and I feel like we in turn, lose the sould of the story in the process.  Also, the books starts dragging some, to the point that it becomes hard to continued reading, with things happening, it seems, just to make the story longer but not advancing it in any shape or form.

When the story reaches its climax, it feels as though Harold doesn't even want to be there, he's just doing it so that it all ends as it should; if he was an actor in a movie, this would be the equivalent of him phone it in.  Which makes me sad, because I really enjoy most of the book, and as a steampunk enthusiast, I love the world Dexter created for it, and how cool it all was at the beginning and how intriguing everything was from the point of view of Harold the kid, Harold the teenager, Harold the young adult, until Harold the 30 year old, left us a bit cold.

I'm sure others will find the book riveting from beginning to end, I just wished Dexter Palmer would have not let Harold become more or less a device to tight everything together without giving him a choice.  B-

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 Trailer

My heart just wept, and its pumping with anticipation.

The Dream of Perpetual Motion--Update

Ok, so I haven't finished THE DREAM OF PERPETUAL MOTION, but I'm almost done. I have only 15 pages left to go, which I should be done with tomorrow.

On "Super 8"

A truly nostalgia/throw back to the wonders of early Steven Spielberg movies, with shades of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, THE GOONIES, E.T. and even a bit of STAND BY ME.  It's a very simple straight-forward film, that's hugely entertaining in terms of storytelling, acting, and thrills.  B+

To Read or Not to Read

I have a cold, one of those head/dry colds that's not as nasty as a full on cold bordering on flu, but a cold nonetheless.  This post isn't about me having a cold, of course not, but head/dry colds are so irritatingly maddening, I have to vent! It's been 5 days and it just won't leave me alone.  To make matters worse, it finally got hot here in New York. Our first heatwave took us from mid 70s to mid 90s and tomorrow it's going to hit 100.  A cold and hot weather is not one of my favorite combinations, but I digress.....

The real topic here is that just over a year ago, I bought a copy of Dexter Palmer's THE DREAM OF PERPETUAL MOTION on the fly without knowing anything about it.... and I still haven't finish reading it.

I initially was very into the book.  The premise, the world Mr. Palmer had created for it, the character's, etc., but just after the halfway point, the book started changing and then I felt like it was dragging on and going on in tangents, some good, some not quite interesting, to the point that I put the book down and I haven't pick it up to finish it, even though I only have the last 70 pages to go.  I became so disenchanted with how everything evolved from the promising start, that I can't bring myself to read it the remaining of it.  What's sad, is that it's keeping me from reading anything else that's waiting patiently for me to get to.  I buy books way too often and I currently have about 40 (and counting) waiting for me to crack them open.  And of course, I have a list of books I'm wanting to get because I've heard great things about them, like the new (and one before it) China Mieville novel.

Now, I don't want to sound like I hate THE DREAM OF PERPETUAL MOTION or anything, I still really like a lot it's first half, and though I'm let down to an extent with the second half, in no way I think it sucks, it's just one of those books that you were sure was going one way and it took a turn you aren't quite into it, even as you see the reason why.

But it is keeping me from reading the other novels I have and it's been a year now.  I miss reading things other than my own--I've been doing a lot of editing and though exciting, I also want a bit of a distraction--so I'm hoping that by addressing my PERPETUAL MOTION dilemma here, it's going to give me the push I need to pick up the book, finish it, and move on to the next one.  It's only 70 pages, and though I've been quite busy, I should be able to finish it quickly, but I'm going to give myself a full week to do so. Who knows, maybe the ending will completely make up for my dissatisfaction of the last quarter.

Check back next Wednesday for a review (fingers crossed).

On "Sharp Objects" by Gilliam Flynn

Has anyone read Gillian Flynn's SHARP OBJECTS from 2006?
It was her debut novel, and as far as contemporary horror stories goes, SHARP OBJECTS remains one darkly unsettling, disturbing novel that crawls under your skin and stays there for months.  5 years later, I still recall my reaction to its best and most chilling passages.  What sets SHARP OBJECTS apart from most novels, and really what keeps you from putting the book down, is Ms Flynn's sharp (for lack of a better word) stylize writing, and her talent to make vivid for us, a family, a small town, a handful of mean teenage girls that, though not supernatural monsters, are the stuff of nightmares.  And the pay off? Sick is a word that comes to mind often.

I decided to touch on SHARP OBJECTS because, shortly after finishing the book, I was so taken by it and the damage caused to its main character, that I was inspire to write a song; a sort of theme from the book (I get inspire to write songs to things quite often).  Going through some old files I came across the lyrics sheet, and re-reading it, it immediately took me back to the world within the book and it's horrors, and I decided to post it here so you can have a look.  No matter how many times it happens, it always amazes me when something gets such a strong hold of you that it inspire you in turn, to create other things.

If you've read the book, let me know what you think.

Sharp Objects

I still have that spot baby, awaiting your name/

Come to me and give me peace of mind/don’t you want your angel to be all right?/

Come to me and give me what I need/

I remember the first time/I remember the pain/I remember the release/

Oh yes/the release/

My body starts to hum, as the memories burn brightly in my mind/

And my skin/oh yes/my skin/it screams obscenities back at me/

And I ache/I ache hard/once/

Like a period typed at the end of a sentence/

“Babydoll” you call out in the wind/but little “whore” is all I hear/

I was “wicked” “nasty” “queasy” “harmful” and the words kept coming/

Your mouth was a trap full of pearly white teeth gnawing away hungrily/

Over miles and miles of skin/

Words ripple up and words ripple down/

Yet my body won’t hush, ’cause the cutting tool was never found/

I remember it well/I remember you denied me/I remember you told me I hurt your love/

Oh yes/your love/

You said that I hurt you when I ran away from your side/

What about me and the bleeding I got going inside?/

You were hurt/oh yes/you were hurt/

But I ached/hard/once/

Like a period typed at the end of a sentence/

“Babydoll” you call out in the wind/but little “whore” is all I hear/

I wanted to be “Inarticulate” “duplicious” “worrisome” “tragic” and the damage kept on going/

‘Cause your mouth was a trap full of pearly white teeth gnawing away hungrily/

Over miles and miles of my skin/

Words ripple up and words ripple down/

Yet my body won’t hush, ‘cause the cutting tool was never found/

I still have that clean spot baby, awaiting your name/

Come to me and give me peace/come to me and silence my skin/

Give me your mouth with its full set of pearly sharp objects~

XMEN: FIRST CLASS

I've chose to give XMEN: FIRST CLASS it's own review because it deserves better than being grouped with subpar summer fare.

I knew (hoped really) from the trailer that this had the potential to be the kind of summer movie that excites, at the same time that entertains without insulting your intelligent or gives you cheap thrills. And I'm glad to say that after weeks of stale disappointments, this is the first blockbuster of the season to deliver the popcorn goods.

Matthew Vaughn (LAYER CAKE, KICK-ASS, STARDUST) has yet to disappoint as a director, and he's quickly becoming a favorite of mine; to the point that if I see he's involved, then I make it a point to see it.  And though I'm one of the few that didn't completely hated part 3, LAST STAND, I was glad he had been given the chance to undo the mess that Brett Ratner created with that last movie. (The less said about ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, the better).

The plot is solid, the set pieces perfectly created and scenes choreographed in a more subtle way that allows you to take it all in and not have to search all over the screen to know what's going on.  The action sequence are thrilling, and though not every single character could be wholly fleshed out when you're dealing with this many, not one felt like a cardboard.  Well, with the exception of Emma Frost, but that's not the writers fault, but bad casting. January Jones is a terrible actress. No matter what she's in, she's lifeless, wooden, her expressions are blank, her line delivery monotonous, and she's supposed to be a vamp on this, but an olive swimming on a martini has more sex-appeal.  She's the one and only weak point on the whole film.

Which I'm fine with, because the rest of the cast shines enough to forgive her, none more than the trifecta of Kevin Bacon, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender.  Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, who still remains the most underrated actor of the last 25 years, shines as the movies villain without ever being cartoonish or coming off as demented.  James and Michael, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto respectively, are what keeps you glued to the screen. Not only are they superb in their respective roles, but they breathe so much life and complexity to their characters; their friendship being the heart and soul of the movie.  You actually feel their pain when it's time for them to break apart and go on in their chosen paths.  I can only hope that Matthew is called back to make the sequel and he brings back the whole cast, at the very least, James and Michael.

Oh, there are some funny bits in the movie too, especially the surprise cameos. XMEN has always been more dense and serious in term of storylines and FIRST CLASS, like LAST STAND before it, serves a brilliant balance of seriousness and exciting parts.  A-

Quick Film Reviews

I've tried to distract myself with with my old reliable solution: sitting in the dark, watching movies on the big screen.

Here are my quick takes on the films I've seen:

• BRIDESMAIDS: funny, sweet, and pretty solid in the fact that writers understand that comedies are funnier when the characters aren't cardboards but fleshed out and relatable. B+
• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES: complete waste of time.  Whatever little excitment was left in this series, this movie killed it. D
• KUNG FU PANDA II: losing some of the novelty of the first one, and not as solid, yet still fun to watch, even as you realized the story was a bit too close to "Legend of the Seeker" but with the brilliant Gary Oldman voicing the craziest, evil-est peacock ever, you sort of forgive the shortcomings. Part III better deliver. B
• PRIEST: though completely disposable, it actually had some entertaining bits, that kept you interested. If only I could say the same thing about PIRATES. C+
• THE HANGOVER II: completely unfunny. I may have laughed once, chuckle another time, but this was the most vile cashed-in, waste of time I've sat through in a while. Frame by frame the same movie and nothing about it is funny or outrageous. F

At A Loss, Searching For Peace.

I'm not usually the "sharing" kind.  I'm more of a "keep it to myself," and more to the point, a loner.  And I believe that it isn't any coincidence that I'm a writer; not as a result of being a loner, but because they naturally go hand in hand.......at least that's how I see it.

To be a writer, for the most part, involves being alone for long stretches of the day (if you have the luxury of time available) or at the very least, X amount of hours during the day. Sometimes locked away in some place, or sitting on some semi crowded public place-yet, your mind itself is far away in some world within your brain, spending time with all of those characters within you.  I can honestly say that I've spend now more time with the characters within me than with the actual people that constitute my circle of friends/relatives etc.

I'm a loner because I don't spend as much time with them or with anyone else period, and yet, I'm not alone because I'm "hanging out" with those whose entire life lies in the infinite realm of my imagination, and they all are, patiently waiting for their turn to be brought to life, so to speak, on papper.
As crazy as it sounds, it is these characters who know the real me, who share my trials and tribulations, just as I share theirs.

But every now and then, I feel the need to share with those outside my head, and in these internet times, the world. Such is the need now.

I brother of mine died, and another has fallen ill, and at this point, it doesn't look good.  Sometimes life beats us up physically, sometimes emotionally, and though I ran into some crazy knife-wielding old man in the subway and he cut my arm, it is my heart, my very soul that feels beaten to a pulp.  My head feels like it is about to explode any day now. The pain of having lost a brother is even harder to bear when the thought of losing another hammers away inside my head.

I've tried to write, to escape, but nothing has come.  All those characters within me have left me alone, which is probably the reason why I'm here sharing a slice of my personal life. It is as if they know this is something that you can't run from, that you must confront and deal with it.  I don't believe, I know I'm tough, and that I will learn to make my peace with it and feel better in time; it is just that I've never experience a lost this close to me, and I wasn't prepare for it to happen so soon, so suddenly.  Threating to occur again in my immediate future, leaving no time to heal in between both.

I sent a copy of VIOLET HILL to a magazine editor this week, something that would have otherwise lift my spirit, but it's significance didn't even register.  I even visited a church-first time in a while-but all I found was a bunch of tourist failing to behave themselves at the house of God, frustrating the clery at hand.

I'm at a loss, there's not much I can do. I may find it at some point, but for now, peace eludes me.