Week Two and Still Interested!

I've decided to make this a weekly blog, so check in on Sundays for the week's picks.

Literature: Autobiography of a Fat Bride
The book is actually called Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood. Consider it nonfiction chick lit. I rarely laugh out loud at a book but this one made me giggle and cackle throughout. (Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods does as well.) The book is a bunch of 2-3 page vignettes about author Laurie Notaro's life. Her life is way funnier than mine, but nothing she writes seems untrue; it all could happen. My favorite story is "It Takes Guts." This isn't something you have to read the whole way through at once. Consider leaving it on your bedside table and turn to it every few days.

Movies: Sweet Land and The Holiday
This week I saw two excellent romances and couldn't judge between them. Now, romance - as many of you know - is not my most favorite of film genres but these two might just sway me to the dark side.

Many of you probably haven't heard of Sweet Land. The film came out in 2005 and stars Elizabeth Reaser and Tim Guinee. Unless you're a Stargate SG-1 fan, you probably won't recongize either of them. Inge (Reaser) is a German woman who is sent to American by Olaf's (Guinee) parents to be his wife. In essence, she's a mail-order bride. Unfortunately, she is a German entering America during WWI and the two face a lot of adversity and hatred. It's a really sweet love story that has a framing technique similar to Frankenstein: a story within a story within a story. Good stuff!

Many of you probably have heard of The Holiday. I have to admit, I was skeptical, especially considering the famousness of the cast and my aversion to both Camerion Diaz and Jack Black. But I loved this film! Jack Black proves, yet again, that obnoxious and annoying comedians can actually do serious pretty damn well. (The others would be Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey.) My favorite part of the film is actually a sub-plot with Arthur (Eli Wallach) and Iris (Kate Winslet). This film reminds me of an old-fashioned love story like The Philadelphia Story, and given the aforementioned sub-plot, I think that's the point. If you're looking for a great Friday night popcorn film, get this one!

Television: Ice Road Truckers on The History Channel
The History Channel is one of my favorite channels. I came to Ice Road Truckers about three episodes into the season. If you haven't heard about the show yet, it focuses on truck drivers on one of Canada's ice roads. These men drive huge loads 200+ miles to diamond mines in northern Canada. They make oodles of money but the trip is very dangerous. Can you imagine driving a semi on ice that is less than 3-feet thick and cracking the entire time you're on it? They can only drive 15 mph and the trips take upwards of a day. Once they get back to base, they turn around and do it all over again. The show's first season ended last Sunday, but the show was popular enough that the season repeats starting tonight at 10pm. I would strongly suggest you catch the "Dash for the Cash" the second time around.

The First Batch of Reviews

Okay folks, here with go with my very first picks. Although I could have started with many different choices, I went with things I've seen recently.

Film: The Bourne Ultimatum
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! First, Matt Damon was a fantastic choice for Jason Bourne. He really fits the part. Second, Paul Greengrass is a fantastic director. He completely ignores traditional camera angles, editing, and framing. You really feel like you're in the moment with Bourne every step of the way. If you haven't seen this in the theater yet, go! You'll really want your first viewing to be with a big screen and surround sound. Trust me.

Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I cried for the last 150 pages. I won't say anything more about it for all of you who haven't read it yet. J. K. Rowling is one of the best contemporary fiction writers out there. She really brought the story to an excellent close. I read all seven back-to-back and there are things in the first couple of books that show up again at the end. Her ability to craft a series is second to none.

Television: Deadwood
Hey, I didn't say this blog was about current stuff! I've been rewatching Season 1 of Deadwood this week for a project. (I am also working my way up to Season 3, which I still haven't seen due to not having HBO.) The cast is perfect. Timothy Oliphant and Ian McShane are two of the most ambiguous baddies out there. And I know my ambiguous baddies! Timothy Oliphant stares a guy down and the guy runs and hides. (Too bad Timothy wasn't quite as villainous in "Live Free and Die Hard.") The language - despite the F-bomb every other word - is actually quite poetic. Plus, you may be surprised to learn that the writer is a woman. I am really looking forward to watching Season 3.

That's my take today on pop culture.

The First of Many...

Greetings folks!

I know, you're utterly shocked to find that I have a blog. Believe me, so am I.

I have decided to give blogging a try. I am nothing if not a bit curious. However, you won't get anything too regular here. I may post several days in a row and then not for several weeks. I make no promises. I do, however, make a premise. (ha ha)

This blog is dedicated to the literature, film, and television shows that I think are worthy of discussion. Sorry, you won't get any music reviews here as I am not up on music. For that, you must contact my good friend Matt as he is my own personal music guru. (I can, however, tell you that Snakefarm in my new favorite band despite the fact they only have one CD and you can't download them on iTunes.) I want to share with my friends all those things I'm reading and watching that I think are good enough to pass on. Hopefully some of you will even share your humble opinions.

So, without further ado, our first discussion...