“Last Words” by George Carlin with Tony Hendra- A
“I do this real moron thing, it's called thinking, and I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions.”
-George Carlin
It’s not all movies and television folks! I have been a fan of the late George Carlin for as long as I can remember (Thanks Mom and Dad!) and I was even lucky enough to see him perform live before his death in 2008. His morbid and irreverent sense of humor has influenced many comedians over the years, and his infamous “Seven Words You Can Never say On Television” even influenced broadcast law in our country.
Last Words is the story of George Carlin’s life, compiled and arranged by his friend Tony Hendra. It details his entire life from growing up in New York in the 40s through his stint in rehab in 2004. I was shocked at how humble this legendary comedian was in describing his high points and the gritty detail he put into his mistakes.
The most interesting vein throughout the book is how he develops his art and political views throughout his life. Carlin’s early work in radio consisted mainly of impressions of people he knew from his old neighborhood, and the progression from those skits to his much more poignant routines on politics and religion is a fascinating road to follow. One choice quote is “Why is it, by the way, that the right-wing guys assassins have tried to shoot have survived?…Don’t we have any marksmen on our side?” Not to say that Carlin didn’t have any barbs for liberals, he was bipartisan in calling people on their bullshit.
George Carlin led an amazing life filled with both victories and hardship. In that time he made a lot of people laugh, and hopefully made just as many people think. We owe it to the man to give him a few more laughs now that he is gone.
“Last Words” was published in 2009 by Free Press
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity- A
I feel the need to say at the outset of this review that I am a horror movie freak. I eat up the goriest slasher flicks and most disturbing psychological thrillers with great enthusiasm, sometimes even laughing out loud at the fate of the main characters. That being said, this film gave me chills that I haven’t experienced since I was 11 years old seeing the theatrical re-release of “The Exorcist.” The film revolves around a young couple, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat), as they attempt to document strange happenings in their home.
Watching this film brings back the fear one feels as a child, staring into the dark waiting for some horrible nameless thing which you cannot see, but know to your core is there. It moves slowly, interspersing the mundane with unsettling sounds and images which build suspense for the viewer until the horrifying conclusion. By far the most chilling are the changes you see in Katie as the film progresses. As you watch the movie you feel as if you are right there with the characters, experiencing the strange phenomena as they do. The characters’ gradual progression into terror and despair drags you right down with them.
For all I have said about what you do see in this movie, it has re-captured what has long been missing in big-budget horror films over the years: What truly frightens a person the most is what they don’t see.
The writer/director Oren Peli has hit a home run with this film. I was shocked to hear it was his debut, and I have high hopes for his next project, “Area 51.” Glad to hear you quit your day job Oren, don’t let us down!
I’m going to go crawl under the covers with all the lights on now.
I feel the need to say at the outset of this review that I am a horror movie freak. I eat up the goriest slasher flicks and most disturbing psychological thrillers with great enthusiasm, sometimes even laughing out loud at the fate of the main characters. That being said, this film gave me chills that I haven’t experienced since I was 11 years old seeing the theatrical re-release of “The Exorcist.” The film revolves around a young couple, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat), as they attempt to document strange happenings in their home.
Watching this film brings back the fear one feels as a child, staring into the dark waiting for some horrible nameless thing which you cannot see, but know to your core is there. It moves slowly, interspersing the mundane with unsettling sounds and images which build suspense for the viewer until the horrifying conclusion. By far the most chilling are the changes you see in Katie as the film progresses. As you watch the movie you feel as if you are right there with the characters, experiencing the strange phenomena as they do. The characters’ gradual progression into terror and despair drags you right down with them.
For all I have said about what you do see in this movie, it has re-captured what has long been missing in big-budget horror films over the years: What truly frightens a person the most is what they don’t see.
The writer/director Oren Peli has hit a home run with this film. I was shocked to hear it was his debut, and I have high hopes for his next project, “Area 51.” Glad to hear you quit your day job Oren, don’t let us down!
I’m going to go crawl under the covers with all the lights on now.
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