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Every month, Cosmik Debris brings you many CD and record reviews, but the writers manage to find a little time for other pursuits, like reading, going to movies and watching videos. That's where Everything Else In Review comes in.
BOOK: We Owe You Nothing - Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews
Editor: Daniel Sinker
Publisher: Akashic
Reviewed by Erick Mertz
Daniel Sinker's Punk Planet magazine has long been a vital resource for those interested, not only in the latest underground bands and fashions, but the tenacious lifestyles and personalities active within. Over seven years, this Chicago-based publication has ascended to the pinnacle of punk journalism with an annual distribution of more than 10,000 copies worldwide, and supplanted former stalwarts Maximum Rock And Roll as the "source." Culled from more than 300 conducted interviews, the 25 anthologized here in We Owe You Nothing - Punk Planet The Collected Interviews represent an outstanding sample from the diverse arcs within the movement's circle.
We Owe You Nothing touches its subjects deeply, embracing in an honest conversational tone not only the trivia of wheres and whens, but a glimpse of the motivation behind their music or politics. Among the most insightful are those with razor sharp Steve Albini on major label production, and the extensive oral history of Black Flag, speaking candidly with seven key members from the band's history. Notorious collagists Negativland weigh in with tales of their copyright battle with Island records and Ian MacKaye offers a rare and valuable insight into what exactly the all encompassing D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) ethic means to his band Fugazi. More than about music, We Owe You Nothing embraces social critic Noam Chomsky's iconoclastic world views and the tough work of non-profit Central Ohio Abortion Access Fund. Divided into six thematic sections, separating big name pioneers from the politicians, We Owe You Nothing is the rare anthology that is at the same time comprehensive and accessible.
Both good reading and a divine critique of our culture at large, We Owe You Nothing is the type of book you can drop on the floor, pick up and find something interesting at random. For readers who have never scanned an issue of Punk Planet, this is an apt introduction that never once digresses into labels and inside language. The force of punk has an undeniable place in the history of independent music - and further, an ever-growing niche in free-thinking society. We Owe You Nothing is a lasting document which is a testament to that.
(C) 2002 - Erick Mertz
DVD: The Harryhausen Chronicles
Rhino Home Video - 60 Min. Plus extras
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
On Oscar night in 1992, Tom Hanks stood at the podium and spoke for generations of fantasy film buffs when he said "Some people say Casablanca or Citizen Kane. I say Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest film ever made."
Hanks' words came just after a special Oscar had been awarded to special effects legend, Ray Harryhausen, one of the nicest guys on the planet, and as he'd readily admit, a teenager in a senior citizen's body. If you've seen and loved films like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, 20 Million Miles To Earth, The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver, The First Men In The Moon, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Mighty Joe Young, Clash Of The Titans and, of course, Jason and the Argonauts, you're already a Harryhausen fan, even if you never knew the name of the man who brought all those wonderful creatures to life.
It wasn't an easy thing to do, as we learn in this illuminating, fascinating and highly entertaining DVD (also available on VHS). Harryhausen's forte was stop motion photography, as well as building the models he was filming. A single second of motion required 24 photographs. Through interviews with the thoroughly loveable Harryhausen himself, we discover that this process can either be difficult (as it is when he was working with a single creature in motion) or painstaking (when there would be complex creatures in battle, such as the Medusa from Clash Of The Titans, which had writhing snakes for hair and was seen by the light of a flickering fire). Beyond painstaking is the mind numbing, which is how Harryhausen must have felt at times while working on his most famous scene: the sword battle between the Argonauts and the skeleton army. Three humans, seven skeletons locked in deadly combat, and you only had to see that movie once to remember the scene for a lifetime. Here, we discover that Harryhausen's task was so great that had he done nothing else he still would have deserved that special Oscar, because it took so much time to position all the appendages of the seven skeletons for each shot that only half a second of motion could be filmed per day. Four and a half months of work for one scene.
His level of dedication was consistent throughout his career. Through this DVD we get an appreciation for his work ethic and, most importantly, the sense of wonder and fun that he never lost, beginning with a pact made as a teen with his friend, Ray Bradbury, who is interviewed in several segments. The most enjoyable thing of all is seeing Harryhausen's creations in their current state, or at least as they were in 1997, when this documentary was filmed. Dinosaurs are seen in original footage, then we get to see them now, and there's something very exciting about that. Harryhausen's taken very good care of them. Many of the creatures from the Sinbad and Jason movies are displayed, and from time to time I felt a little silly for being surprised various creatures were really only a foot tall. Hey, it's not my fault. Ray Harryhausen was just that good at his craft. Now retired, he frequently turns up at sci-fi and fantasy conventions. Good guy to have a conversation with. After watching The Harryhausen Chronicles you feel like you just have.
If you're interested in learning more about the man, here are some Harryhausen links, and check out site they're on, too.
(C) 2002 - DJ Johnson
MOVIE: Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi)
Written and Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
English version Directed by Kirk Wise
Music By Joe Hisaishi
English voices by Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden,
Suzanne Pleshette, Lauren Holly, Michael Chiklis
Studio Ghibli Films, Distributed by Disney
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
The Japanese have a special approach to animated fantasy that is refreshing in a world of feature cartooning where all too often the computer generated graphics are the star. Hayao Miyazaki is not only THE master of Japanese animation but he is a master storyteller as well. His credits include the wonderful My Friend Totoro and Princess Mononoke, the highest grossing film in Japanese history (yes, their top film is animated). Miyazaki adds to his reputation with Spirited Away; some will say this wonderfully original movie tops everything he's done before.
Spirited Away is the story of Chihiro (English voice by Daveigh Chase), a young girl whose family takes a wrong turn driving to their new house. They end up in a strange deserted town with a huge abandoned bathhouse at one end. The magic begins as they smell food. Chihiro's parents partake and are turned into pigs. Then, as night falls, the place takes on its true colors, re-populating as a kind of resort for spirits. It's freaky but in a fun way; Japanese spirits are very unlike the ones you'll find in movies like, say, 13 Ghosts. For example there's the huge daikon god (daikon is an oriental radish that's sort of a fat white carrot), with eyes, stubby legs, arms and a hat. Imagine the vegetable rendered as a sumo wrestler. That's just one; there's everything from dragons to dust bunnies coming to the bathhouse. The whole place is owned by a powerful witch named Yubaba (voiced by Suzanne Pleshette) who has a small body and an unsettlingly oversize face that looks rather like a Western grandmother. A friendly teenage boy, Haku (Jason Marsden), who is actually another spirit, tries to help Chihiro. He tells her that in order to stay and find a way to save her parents, Chihiro has to get a job from Yubaba, cleaning up the bathhouse. This leads to some disarmingly comic and vividly powerful moments. It's perhaps too powerful in spots for very young kids, a couple scenes are definitely scary, but elementary school kids and up will enjoy it.
Miyazaki's technique is amazing. The animation looks traditional, that is uncomputerized and hand drawn, but it's full of wonderful tracking shots and shimmering multi-layered transparencies that would be hard to execute by completely traditional methods. The music is well orchestrated by Joe Hisaishi; it's not too modern or adventurous, but it hits all the emotional spots just right. But on top of it all is the sheer imagination of Miyazaki's story. I haven't seen anything so richly original in years.
Maybe we should remove the "Japanese" qualifier and simply call Hayao Miyazaki the best in the world, the Ultimate Master Animator. Spirited Away is such a beautiful and entertaining film that it's nigh impossible to convey just how much it will move you in a few short paragraphs. Unfortunately a film of this quality is doomed to limited release, so when it hits a few screens in your town see it immediately, on the big screen where it should be. A video or DVD will never do Miyazaki's vision justice.
(C) 2002 - Rusty Pipes
BOOK: Perpetual War For Perpetual Peace - How We Got To Be So Hated
Author: Gore Vidal
Publisher: Nation Books, 2002
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
There has been a clammy near-silence from the serious political writers when it comes to criticism of our country's handling of the aftermath of 911. The silence only deepens when one looks for reasoned assessments of what we've done to merit such desperate acts.
Gore Vidal is one of only a handful of thinkers who have broken that silence, daring to expose a shameful trend in American government. He says America's, no, a small clique of the rich's, penchant for control of the world has led to a parade of deceit and murder which is totally at odds with what America is supposed to stand for.
In explaining his points about terrorism and the rogue actions of our government, Vidal draws more on material about Tim McVeigh instead of Osama Bin Laden. Vidal actually had correspondence with McVeigh, initiated by the self-confessed bomber before his execution this year. He considers McVeigh quite different from the lone madman mask that the media have willingly pasted on to his face. He even questions the "lone" part.
I don't agree with everything that he says, and many things are offered only as possibilities with little evidence, but his thought carries an impressive weight nonetheless. Essays like this don't come very often; it should be read by everyone.
(C) 2002 - Rusty Pipes
DVD: Carnival Of Souls
Rhino Home Video - 1962 - 80 minutes.
Directed by Herk Harvey
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
I'd heard of it, but never seen it. A confirmed fan of spooky movies, I had no idea this lower-than-low budget, black & white flick was going to cause me to turn one bedroom light on, pull the blanket up just under my eyes and consider waking my wife a few times just so someone could tell me "it's just a movie." Rhino Home Video is following the filmmaker's lead by cutting costs here and there to make this available for around ten bucks. Ten bucks to have the hell scared out of me. What's the blue book on having the hell scared out of you these days? It's impossible to watch this film and not come away with awe and admiration for director Herk Harvey, who took a budget that was mostly in coin rolls and used it to make an atmospheric chiller about a girl who is one of three in a car that goes off a bridge and into a river during a drag race in small town America. Three hours of diving and dragging the river later, a surprised community watches as the girl, Mary (Candace Hilligoss), struggles her way onto the bank, covered in silt and completely confused. She's the only survivor. Mary takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City and leaves the little town behind, but there are visions and strange happenings, odd sensations she can't explain, and there are changes in her personality, as well. To make matters worse, at times it seems nobody can see or hear her. The answer may lie within the ruins of the old fairgrounds on the lake, where no one is supposed to go. Something seems to be driving her there. The fairground seen in the film was actually the old Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, an abandoned and eerie place that could have been shot in Super 8 and still been effective. What happens to Mary when she finally crosses that line? Well, I bet you've seen it a hundred times to my one, but just in case you haven't, I won't tell. I will say that although I predicted part of the end, the presentation still left me nervous. This is one of three old films Rhino's releasing in time for Halloween, and it's far and away the best of the lot. They're all ten bucks, they're all reviewed in this issue, they're all devoid of special features, but hey... ten bucks.
(C) 2002 - DJ Johnson
MOVIE: Amy's Orgasm
Written and Directed by Julie Davis
Starring Julie Davis, Nick Chinlund,
Caroline Aaron, Jeff Cesario
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
No, this is not a porno flick. It's a very likeable first-person take on the love life of Amy, a young Jewish pop psychology writer with a hit book to her credit. The book? It's called "Why Love Doesn't Work," but it's pretty clear from the start that she desperately wants it to work. Promoting the book, she does an interview with a top rated shock radio host (Nick Chinlund) and in spite of her own advice it's the proverbial opposites attracting. On again, off again, they circle each other warily, hungrily and hilariously through the whole flick.
Julie is alternately sunny, obsessive and comely onscreen, and as a writer she's almost a female Woody Allen, with a disarmingly intelligent, introspective sense of humor. As a director she shows some great chops in spite of the off-Hollywood budget, such as the opening shot where she starts off talking into the camera in front of a book signing scene. After she sets things up, she steps away and we are pushed into the scene only to find her Amy character behind a table of books. Nothing an A-list director couldn't do with $50 million of course, but Davis does it effortlessly and fills all scenes with solid work from the cast in addition to several clever cutaway fantasies.
There is some light bedroom tussling in Amy's Orgasm but perhaps on a truth in marketing level it could have been titled better, because it probably puts off a lot of people, especially women, who would enjoy it. Once seen, however, no one will deny this is a great little film.
(C) 2002 - Rusty Pipes
DVD: The Awful Truth - Second Season
Written and Directed By Michael Moore
Docurama - 300 Min., 2 disc set
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
One of the annoying things about TV shows running in a particular time slot is that across the season you almost never get to see all the episodes of a series. That's what happened to me and Michael Moore's The Awful Truth when it was running two years ago; I only saw about two thirds of the series. It's a pleasure to get ahold of this DVD to correct this gasping hole in my, er, education.
Moore has a flair for political theater and in these 12 episodes are some of the greatest stunts he's ever pulled to twist the nose of authority. A particular favorite is when Mike opens a combination Rudolph Giuliani trinket and sex toy shop so that he can skirt the former mayor's edict that no more than 40% of a store's items can be sex oriented. Another is Pistol Pete, the talking gun that tries to upstage the NRA's spokesmascot Eddie Eagle. Also not to be missed are the Amadou Diallo Wallet Exchange (so NY cops can tell you're not holding a gun), the Old Age Home Karate Class, and one that got quite a bit of press: the Presidential Mosh Pit, where Republican Alan Keyes actually did a crowd dive and won the endorsement of Michael Moore.The second disc starts out with the Corporate Cops episode which seems rather prescient now. Michael goes after the executives of medical equipment manufacturer C.R. Bard who have a judgment of $65 million against them for making defective catheters that injured 17 people and actually killed two. But have never paid a dime and were still free upon the making of the story.
Other bits feature reporter Jay Martel and Lenny the Bookie giving odds (the next President leading us to world peace, 20 to 1; going to hell in a handbasket, 40 to 1).
The special features are a little disappointing (Michael does second track narrations for only four episodes, and there's a short text biography), but you can't deny the subversive power of the episodes themselves which seem to get more disturbing as you go through them.
The Awful Truth will both entertain you and make you mad, and yes, it really it educational too.
(C) 2002 - Rusty Pipes
VHS: Todd McFarlane - The Devil You Know
dictatorial director: Kenton Vaughan
big shot movie stars: real people
soundtrack: barely there
also available on DVD
Reviewed by John Sekerka
White trash millionaire Todd McFarlane is rich enough to outbid everyone on the planet for Mark McGwire's historic seventieth homerun baseball, buy his way into batting practice with major league teams, and pretty well live out any childlike fantasy. And childlike is the theme here. McFarlane made his riches through the comic book industry, first by ressurrecting Spider Man, then throwing it all away and gambling on his own creation, Spawn. That comic book went on to outsell all the biggies, spawned (sorry, couldn't resist) a blockbuster movie and most importantly an endless line of pricy action figures. Filmmaker Kenton Vaughan follows McFarlane around, letting the verbose subject babble his way throughout. We see him operating his business in a dictatorial manner (he once fired his wife from her copy-ed position), sketching out ideas in walk-in closets, doting on his family, hanging out with his buds, and attending endless functions. McFarlane is really just an egotistical teenager who hasn't grown all the way up, has found a goldmine, and lives a full life in his own version of wonderland. The absurdity of this fairy tale is punctuated by a visit to one of his fans: a grown man who spends the majority of his income on Spawn dolls ... er, action figures. A special room is dedicated to this obsession, filled with unopened boxes of Spawn characters (which increases their collectibility). As he proudly shows off his wares, pointing out the different hair colour on several seemingly identical dolls, er, action figures, there is a pause and he sheepishly confesses that he has forsaken food in the past to keep his self-confessed habit going. What starts out as a prying biography style look at McFarlane turns out to be an eye opening look at the comic sub culture of America, which reflects the society quite accurately. Fantasy, escapism and greed - kids who don't grow up, or at least don't want to. Not a bad sentiment really, but there are better things to waste time on. Sheesh I'm sounding like my Mom, so I'll end it here.
(C) 2002 - John Sekerka
DVD: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Starring Michael Rennie, Sir Cedrick Hardwicke,
Mary Sinclair, Lowell Gilmore.
Teleplay by Gore Vidal. Rhino Home Video - 50 minutes
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
There are so many versions of this Robert Louis Stevenson classic story that it's nearly impossible to keep tabs on them all. When this one arrived, I wasn't even suspicious at first for just that reason. After watching it, however, I had a lot of questions. The 50 minute length makes you wonder, doesn't it? Sounds like an hour-long TV show with time left out for commercials, methinks. Then there's the look, familiar to anyone who has seen a lot of 1950s television, most of which was preserved by aiming a camera at a studio monitor, resulting in slightly curved edges, pasty faces and other oddities like black haloes around candles and lit matches. Was it possible this "feature film," as it is called on Rhino's website, has been lost to the world except for one copy, saved by the grace of God and a bored cameraman as it ran on television one day in the 50s? A search of Gore Vidal's filmography turns up no mention of this item. In fact, it took a lot of search engine surfing to finally find the truth: this was an early Vidal teleplay, aired on a CBS program called Climax! in 1955. Rhino's not trying to pull the wool over our eyes. The fact is they've got ahold of a collection of unusual movies with no owner's manual provided, and they're putting them out using the only information they have. In this case, a label that said "feature film."
But now that we've established pedigree, what about the show? The picture has already been described. You've probably seen plenty of Twilight Zone episodes with the very same look. The acting is excellent. Michael Rennie - you remember, the one who was ill the day the Earth stood still - gives us a very different Dr. Jekyll, one who isn't an innocent victim of his own curiosity and scientific drive. This Jekyll remembers the sins of Hyde and hungers for more. Sir Cedrick Hardwick is solid as ever playing Jekyll's colleague, Utterson. The transformation scenes aren't exactly state of the art, even for 1955, but it was television, as we now know, and there were budgets to consider and a week to do a show. For the 10 dollar asking price, this is an interesting addition to collections of Gore Vidal, vintage television and general horror DVDs. As a self-admitted horror TV junkie (meaning whatever the boob tube is showing at 3 AM), I can attest to the rarity of this program. I've never seen it in all those thousands of evenings. What's so strange about that is this is a Gore Vidal teleplay. Maybe not his best, but definitely one of his first, which should make it a cult classic, don't you think?
(C) 2002 - DJ Johnson
AUDIO BOOK: The Spoon River Anthology
Writer: Edgar Lee Masters
Distributor/Label: The Audio Partners
Reviewed by Erick Mertz
The master-work of American writer Edgar Lee Masters the Spoon River Anthology was considered a ground breaking piece of poetry at the time of its anonymous 1915 release. Read as a series of headstones from the cemetery in a fictional Illinois town, The Spoon River Anthology ran contradictory to the pious and optimistic style of contemporary epitaphs. The town citizens are depicted with all of their flaws and misgivings out in the open as they communicate from beyond the grave. The town drunk comes off as belligerent, yet regretful; a woman passed between two men confesses she enjoyed the whole sordid affair; "Indignant Jones" lives up to his name with a punchy, bitter voice. Rather than run through repeated statements of God-fearing faith, Masters' town comes to life with vibrant and colorful insight.
Edgar Lee Masters was a born and bred mid westerner, from his Kansas home to his practice of law for 30 years in Chicago, Illinois. Breaking with fabled lawyer Clarence Darrow, Masters established his own practice while traveling Europe extensively and working with the so-called "Chicago-group" of poets. He was tightly associated with such luminaries as Carl Sandburg and Vachel Lindsey ("Congo") before he retired and devoted his entire energy to writing. The colorful Masters passed away in 1950 with 53 books to his credit and, through the Spoon River Anthology, a permanent place amidst the cannon of American literature.
As if reading the Spoon River Anthology weren't a pleasure enough, The Audio Partners has released a four CD set of the book as read by an impressive cast of actors, most recognizable being Edward Asner and Patrick Fraley. The contemptuous and humorous sentiments of the fictional residents are brought to life in gravelly voices or lilting flutters with a smattering of sound effects mixed in. It has all the shivering, dark feel of taking a hushed walk through a cemetery in fall. This is the Spoon River Anthology as Masters must have heard it: full of wraiths, alive from beyond, complete with the tone of life's tragedy and ecstasy. The Audio Partners edition is accessible to anyone, whether or not they're already familiar with this slice of American poetry.
(C) 2002 - Erick Mertz
DVD: Go Tigers!
Director: Ken Carlson
Docurama - 102 Min.
Reviewed by Erick Mertz
Hoop Dreams is viewed by most as the benchmark in sports documentaries so it isn't strange that Go Tigers!, a story of high school football in Ohio, comes billed as the best since. But this comparison only tells half of the story - Go Tigers! deserves further recognition as one of the most real and stirring films of any in recent memory.
Director Ken Carlson (America's Most Wanted) brings to the screen the story of a season in the life of the Massolin Tigers, a small town Ohio football program steeped in tradition. A blue-collar community obsessed with football, Massolin immediately eschews its role as an "every town" and elevates itself to something more. We watch in the opening scene as the booster club president delivers a football to a newborn boy in the maternity ward; as an usher who hasn't missed a game in 38 years digs into her ridiculous collection of Tiger paraphernalia; as the local mortician displays his Massolin Tigers themed coffins. The film follows the three team captains - quarterback Dave Irwin, defensive end Ellery Moore and linebacker Danny Studer - as they steer through a difficult year in their personal lives and the life of their high school. The prior season was a disappointing one at 4-6, a school levy is needed to save the district from going under and arch-rival McKinley has beaten them four seasons in a row. These problems are certainly familiar to many other programs throughout the country, except for one thing: this is Massolin. After all, what other high school team has a Las Vegas betting line on one of its games?
Go Tigers! is comprehensive, going beyond the field to expose the full body of its subject. Major match-ups are showcased - the McKinley tilt and another against cross town Perry High - but otherwise the focus falls yards beyond the game and onto the living community. Moore has a troubled past and a fractured relationship with his father as a result, not to mention his low ACT scores could keep him out of college. Studer and Irwin are both injured in the course of the season and must overcome family pressures before once stepping onto the field. Budget problems could decapitate the community and the books and paper versus athletic budget debate is bandied about constantly.
What is most unbelievable about Go Tigers! is how much of the language and drama are familiar from larger forums, like college or professional football. There are recruiting violations, stadium security concerns in rivalry games and overwhelming booster pressures. At moments throughout the film one has to wonder if they're watching a documentary about a program the size of Ohio State University instead of a high school.
Carlson's film stands up as tough and riveting throughout. He balances the necessary tension to maintain interest in his subject with the measure of exposé needed to create a real statement about society. In a town where the big game is equated with Christmas or your wedding day, it's hard not to question America's obsession with sports. On the other hand, looking at the kids, it's equally difficult not to root for them.
EXTRAS
The DVD for Go Tigers! is absolutely stacked. There is an insightful interview with ex-NFL player and Massolin alumni, Chris Spielman. His impressions are nothing new to those in the film, but it is interesting to see the lasting effect of Tiger fever on a man who has played for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the NFL's Detroit Lions. "Touchdown Town" is a 1951 newsreel shown in its entirety. It is humorous and an excellent piece of nostalgia for fans of that shiny era. There is a hall of honor reel showing all the former Tigers enshrined by the school and access to original songs by Katrina Carlson. And for those who can't deal without them, there are current updates on Irwin, Moore and Studer.
(C) 2002 - Erick Mertz
DVD: Crypt Of The Living Dead
Rhino Home Video - 1973 - 75 minutes
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
It could have been titled "Village Of The Mildly Scary Looking Autistic Fishermen." It also could have been 40 minutes shorter and still gotten the same chill value, which is about 2 on a 1-10 scale. Hannah, wife of Louis VII, has been entombed on a strange island for about 700 years and is said to be a vampire, which explains the 4-ton lid on her crypt. Hey, vampires are strong but even with today's steroids there are limits. Some asshole with feathered hair that screams 70s comes to move the crypt a little to the left to get something out from underneath it. (I'll leave that part for anyone who wants to plunk down 10 bucks for this thing.) Of course, the weight of the thing makes it necessary to remove the lid and move the crypt in two pieces. Lo and behold and pass the popcorn, Hannah hasn't rotted and she's a freakin' fox! Wow! For just a second I felt my heart beating a little fast, because you know what's coming next, right? Hannah's eyes open and blood begins to spill. Except her eyes don't open. Nothing happens. Nothing happens right after that, too. More nothing happens in several places, lightly sprinkled with somethings, none of which have that much to do with Hannah. Hair boy overacts a few times, though. That was scary. Hannah's alarm does finally go off, but damned if she doesn't hit the snooze bar. Meanwhile, above the crypt, so much nothing is happening it's dizzying. The alarm goes off again, and apparently Hannah decides it's time to eat. Good thing, because the movie's almost over. This was one of four DVDs Rhino put out just in time for Halloween. The Harryhausen Chronicles: A+. Carnival Of Souls: A+. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: C+. This one: Save your 10 spot and buy a second copy of Carnival of Souls for a friend. This one has an odor.
(C) 2002 - DJ Johnson
DVD: Sound and Fury
Director: Josh Aronson
Docudrama - 80 Min. Plus extras
Reviewed by Erick Mertz
What is the nature of disability? At what point does culture depend on language to retain its identity?
These questions are at the center point of the complicated and intense documentary Sound and Fury by director Josh Aronson. Two brothers, both with deaf children, wrestle with an implant process that will restore some of that sense and allow the child to enter a "hearing world." Peter Artinian is deaf and proud of it; he feels it is a gift and one he'd never relinquish. He is a successful computer professional and sees no reason why his daughter Heather, a charismatic and curious child, should depart from deaf culture - her culture - to enter a realm unfamiliar to her. Peter's brother is the opposite, and in a decision with his wife, gives the gift of hearing to their son.
Sound and Fury deals with questions of isolation and abandonment at every turn. Is Heather being neglected or even abused by her parent's decision to settle in a deaf community? Perhaps. Will the implanted child ever understand the world of the deaf, a place into which he was born? The film narrates the signed portions of bitter extended family arguments and after 80 minutes, none of these issues have been adequately "solved." With two joyful parents - one with a hearing child in arms and another having moved to Frederick, MD to be close to a deaf community - the question must be asked: Is there ever a solution to the lifelong, collaborative process of raising a child?
Sound and Fury makes a powerful statement on these and other questions of identity. Retaining indigenous language and cultures is a major issue in a world, growing more homogenized everyday. Presenting both family members and what they undertake to give their children the best life has to offer lifts the debate from the remote clinical sphere to the tender and familial. The Artinians are an extended family where the matter of culture and child rearing is complicated and cuts deeper into their collective fabric than any you'll likely ever see.
EXTRAS
The extras on Sound and Fury are adequate. There are an additional twenty minutes of interviews and scenes, which work well in conjunction with the film. Director and producer bios are present as are an impressive collection of trailers for this and other Docudrama films. A glaring omission however is any substantive material regarding the cochlear implant process that lies at the center of the film's debate. Specialists gloss over the procedure in the film, but it's never explored to any real depth, which would be a major asset in understanding what is tearing the Artinians apart.
(C) 2002 - Erick Mertz
BOOK: Adios Muchachos
Author: Daniel Chavarria
Publisher: Akashic Books
Reviewed by Erick Mertz
Daniel Chavarria's novel Adios Muchachos is full of salacious sex, scandal, murder plots and double crosses galore, wrapped neatly within a glorious sense of humor about the Cuban people. Originally from Uruguay, undyingly amused with Havana and a frequent traveler to the Italian Medierranean, Chavarria is recognized as one of Latin America's top literary voices. With an effort like Adios Muchachos there's little question of who should at the forefront when the long process of demystifying Cuba begins.
Adios Muchachos details the exploits of Alicia, the most seductive and meticulous bicycle hooker in all of Havana. With a foolproof scheme to lure men into her grasp then take them for their fortunes she appears to have everything in her life comfortably under control. Tutored by her mother on how to ply her curves and batting eyes into big bucks, Alicia eventually slips up and finds herself tangled amid a lucrative love triangle. She and employer Victor, a spineless deep sea diving enthusiast, stumble into a bigger scheme to defraud his ex-partner's family for 4 million dollars. Better lovers than conspirators, Victor and Alicia eventually manage to bungle their attempts at riches and no surprise, do so at the last, unimaginable moment.
For people who love stories about clueless, misguided criminals, Adios Muchachos is a wonderful read. The protagonist is the ultimate user and her prey is hopelessly whipped. Chavarria falls short of attaining a really hard boiled pulp fiction style. All of his criminals bumble where they should strut; those who foil the grand scheme only make out because Victor and Alicia simply fail to cover their tracks. No one really outsmarts anyone else in Adios Muchachos, they simply let them unravel on their own accord.
The language reads simply and crackles with humorous and erotic appeal. Chiavarria gives details with stirring descriptions and a bold sense of the physical magnetism in his characters. In places the dialogue comes off stilted and almost clinical, but this doesn't hamper Adios Muchachos where the players are defined more by how they play than what they know.
(C) 2002 - Erick Mertz