Monday, October 18, 2004
Mmmm...Funniest Book, Ever!
Physical State: cold cold COLD
Mental State: 10 km/ph
Music: Schroeder on RadioIndieRock
Fashion sense: black sweatshirt, blue sweats
Here you thought I was gone for good but the good news is that I am still here (and now able to tip you off to even more cool stuff and useless information to amaze and delight your friends and enemies).
One thing that is definitely cool is the new book from the stable of talented writers who work with Jon Stewart on his Emmy-winning, always relevant and undeniably hilarious television program The Daily Show. The new book called America: A Citizen's Guide To Democracy Inaction is page after page of laughs for anyone who follows American culture, history and politics (a bestseller in Canada at present not suprisingly). Nicely designed and layed-out, this book will keep you coming back for more. People in the bookstore must have thought I was insane chuckling under my breath as I was looking through it. There is absolutely no coincidence (not) that this book has come out on the eve of an new US presidential election, ha ha. Buy, borrow or steal this book and you'll thank me (ok stealing is wrong...maybe you can get on the 500+ person hold list that this will no doubt have at the local library). A great extension of the show's brilliance into book form.
Another thing that I did over the weekend was check out the DVD version of a cult horror film I haven't seen since I was in my late teens and watched often. Franklin, Michigan native Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead from 1981. The story goes that a bunch of friends go to an abandoned cabin for a weekend (Horror 101 says it must be so). "One by one they are taken" after the release of evil spirits from playing a recording of recitations from The Necronomicon. Bruce Campbell has gone on to lifetime cult-status as his character Ash (and starred in two other Evil Deads: Evil Dead 2and Army of Darkness). Campbell then went on to do the equally campy and bizarre Bubba Ho-Tep and published an autobiography If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor. I had forgotten how G-O-R-Y the first Evil Dead was but also darkly hilarious in its low-budget effects and acting style. It is easy to see why this is a classic because it is at times bloody but also because of its incredible silly dialogue (almost borderline SCTV at times). Its interesting to see how Raimi, the man who now makes Spiderman (and is producer for the new English remake of The Grudge), got started. Not the best horror film ever but certainly still interesting and a classic. How come they don't make tons of these kinds of films anymore. Totally indie and low-budget but incredibly addictive.
Feel free to leave comments people, that space is there for ya! I'd love to hear from you. I need some movie ideas for Halloween. Give me your favourites.
Album of the week - The Arcade Fire - Funeral
