Slices of Fried Gold (Getting Caught Up Edition)

While out of town, I somewhat predictably inhaled two books. That frequently happens while being forced to spend a lot of time in grand places such as airports or airplanes. Additionally, I went to go see a movie that I would have otherwise seen by myself with a group of people because it turns out in bigger cities, people actually like Miyazaki (crazy talk!). As per usual, I must write up reviews on everything, so check out them out. All three are recommended by yours truly.

Ponyo (written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki)

From the beginning of this review, I must admit I'm an unabashed Miyazaki fanboy. Pretty much everything he produces ends up being one of my favorite animated films, somewhat akin to Pixar. In fact, he ranks right up there with Pixar as being one of the most consistent names in movies today. The fact that his average film is loaded with beautiful animation, wonderful voice acting, pitch perfect music, and magical stories is often lost on American audiences, but not this guy. So somewhat predictably, his new film Ponyo is superb at creating a magical storyline filled with very unique characters, not to mention almost preposterously beautiful hand drawn animation. However, it is definitely a lower tier Miyazaki film, belonging to the group that includes Kiki's Delivery Service and Nausicaa in my mind.

While the animation is once again lush and filled with unparalleled creativity, the story is what really brings this film down. It's the first Miyazaki film that I've ever left and thought "wow...that kind of felt undercooked." It was as if there was an entire act of the film missing, even though everything wraps up nice and tidy. While you have the obligatory Miyazaki moves, including (but not limited to!) the (in this case almost obscenely) young pair in love, the "save the environment!" driven story, and the wizened older characters, it felt like everything this film was rushed. Perhaps that was because it was shorter than usual for Miyazaki, but it seemed like the 20 minutes he chopped off made everything in the film resonate far less. Plus, no one was ever really established as evil. Even the primary villain (as voiced most excellently by Liam Neeson) was really just a parent watching out for his intensely youthful (and unique) child.

It's a hard thing to express really, but if you're a Miyazaki fan and you see this you will notice immediately. This is Miyazaki Lite if you will.

Of course, Miyazaki Lite is still very good, as we're given stunning vistas to observe, wonderful characters (such as Neeson's "villain" and Frankie Jonas' Sosuke), and an occasionally wildly imaginative storyline. Plus, you know it's going to be massively entertaining. Miyazaki's unique brand of bizarre entertainment is on full display once again here.

However, the issue of how rushed it feels combined with some poor voice acting (Ponyo's voice is grating and Tina Fey just doesn't fit) downgrades this film a good amount. While it's always splendid to get new Miyazaki, I prefer my Miyazaki not rushed and fully realized, thank you very much.

Ponyo: B-

Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman

This is Chuck Klosterman's debut fiction novel, and like in his non-fiction work it is a piece that is driven by his time spent in North Dakota as a pop culture obsessed youth who understood the human condition very well. Of course, this is more obviously driven as it is about the town of Owl, North Dakota and in particular three highly disparate individuals who live there. You could make the argument that this story is Klosterman proving he can do mundane as well as anyone, but if this is mundane then I can't wait for more of it from Klosterman.

One of the best thing Klosterman does within this story is really create the sense of community and environment, as he makes us fully realize what it's like to live in a horrifically small town in North Dakota. Giving the entire story to us in (mostly) three individuals perspectives who belong to three greatly different archetypes (the outcast high schooler, the fish out of water young schoolteacher, and the wizened life time citizen) was a strong decision, as it lets each reader get a different perspective as to what makes this city tick. Within these pages, Klosterman loads the reader up with every nook and cranny detail of the city and its denizens. Every person in Owl knows everything about person in Owl, except when you get down to it no one really knows anyone. It's a very unique perspective, but one that strangely never seems to be leading anywhere plotwise.

Until it does, in truly cruel and unusual fashion.

Besides what effectively amounts to an entire absence of a traditional plot, this book is excellent as Klosterman is spectacular at creating well rounded characters without subjecting any of them to the singular voice of Chuck Klosterman himself. Each of these characters sound like Klosterman and sound like every person you've ever met. His ability to do this with small snippets about every character allows the town of Owl to really come to life in a truly amazing fashion, and in a lot of ways reminds me of another recent read of mine: David Mitchell's Black Swan Green. While even Klosterman can't turn a phrase like Mr. Mitchell, he has similar aptitude in creating realistic and tragic characters with the greatest of ease (namely my favorite character in the book - Cubby Candy - who is remarkably interesting but only really gets a chapter).

If you cannot stand a book that is a pinch on the aimless side (you have to call a spade a spade...it's pretty much plotless), this is not for you. But if you want a very well written piece of small town Americana with well drawn characters and an all in all stellar example of the English language, look no further.

Downtown Owl: B+

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

Generally speaking, I don't pick up books until well after they're released. However, I read a review for Jonathan Tropper's This is Where I Leave You and instantly had to pick it up. It 100% absolutely seemed like it would be my cup of tea, and sure enough it was. Tropper has crafted some kind of masterpiece here as he created one of the single greatest representations of modern American families I've ever seen (regardless of medium). Imagine the Bluth family but if you actually gave them a heart and then locked them in the same room together for seven days. I'm unsure if I could compliment something more oddly or better, but it happened all the same.

The story follows Judd Foxman, a recently cuckolded middle child of a family whose patriarch has just died. Evidently the deceased father had a last wish, and that wish was for his entire family to sit Shiva for him. That means Judd and his three siblings (Wendy, Paul and Phillip) will have to live together with their mother (a best selling author on parenting who raised four messed up kids) and everyone else for an entire week, without killing each other (ideally).

That's the central premise of this story, but Judd also takes us on journeys into his memory including what I will eternally refer to as page 23, which is a breakdown of what he does when he discovers his wife cheating on him with his boss. Also known as the single funniest thing I've ever read. I nearly fell over while reading it.

Really, this story is one of an awakening for a devestated man, at times seeming like he's quite possibly the saddest man on the world but always ready for sharp observations and ones of stunning emotional depth. It's about how you not only survive being in a dysfunctional family (as every family says they are but none actually when in comparison to the Foxman clan), but eventually thrive. It's about the differences between being in your 20's and 30's and being an adult.

Every aspect of this novel is almost impossibly well done, as the characters are rich and textured (particularly Phillip, the impetuous youth of the family), every conversation is a loaded one, every moment a monumental one. Not only that, but the way Tropper presents the story is in such a fashion that you can almost read each section as a novella, all little portions that are much more than the sum of their parts.

It's really difficult to write anything about this book, as every aspect of it is so damn good. My friend Jason said that if he ever got a hole in one in golf, he'd quit forever, and if you want to put that into terms of writing, Tropper has a hole in one on his hands. I have no idea how he could ever top it. Tropper really should retire now.

I could not recommend this book enough. It's one of the most funny, touching and real books I've ever read. I had read twenty pages of it and immediately went back and purchased this for a friend as a present. It's that good. Pick it up now or fear my wrath!

This is Where I Leave You: A (for absurdly good)

Chuck Klosterman in Alaska

So this past evening, Amy, Hannah and I went to writer Chuck Klosterman's speaking engagement at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at UAA here in Anchorage. Predicting that it would be ridiculously full within seconds of opening up, I got there at about 6:25, a full hour and five minutes ahead of time. Of course, even during the presentation it never reached capacity, making me feel a little stupid. Due to the fact that's how I regularly feel, I was okay with it.

Of course, this early arrival time allowed me to do a few things. Most interestingly, it let me talk to Zac Clark, the guy who was putting this show together for UAA and an events coordinator for the school. From him I found out comedian Brian Posehn was coming up (yes!) while I am in Europe (no!), that they're looking to keep getting bigger and better artists (he asked who I would love to see, and I suggested Sigur Ros - cross your fingers!), and that UAA Events coordinators have very, very little interest in you once they find out you don't go to school there. Whoops!

No less, the main event came and Klosterman was predictably an incredibly entertaining speaker. From Bill Simmons' podcasts with Klosterman, I knew before hand that his voice was bit odd, but when seeing him in person it's even odder. Such a tall guy, such a strangely nasally voice. Combined with his mannerisms, I turned to Hannah in the midst of it and suggested that he's like a 6'2" muppet come to life. It was really entertaining to watch.

While the engagement was called "Life Through the Prism of Pop Culture," Klosterman quickly shared with the audience that this was something his literary agent (or something of that sort) had created for him. Really, what he spoke about was his life and how he got his start in the industry, and some entertaining anecdotes along the way.

My personal favorite anecdote from him was probably the one where he revealed that in his first book (Fargo Rock City, a book about growing up listening to hair metal in North Dakota) he included his home phone number at the end of the introduction and encouraged people to call. While he stated that most of people who called were "drunk people who were listening to Motley Crue albums," one of the people who called was David Byrne from the Talking Heads. Apparently he was sitting in an airport reading Klosterman's book and loved it, and wanted him to speak at this engagement for McSweeney's in New York City before he went on. So in a way, Klosterman was opening for the Talking Heads, which was really freaking cool.

When we got to the Q&A section, amazingly enough the whole thing kind of slowed down a bit. I'm not sure if it was because of the questions asked or because Klosterman works better as a speaker rather than an interpreter of ideas, but either way, the event took a bit of a downturn. Actually, I know it's a bit of both, but I did want to share - one person at this event asked the single most monumentally terrible question I've ever heard at any sort of event like this. It was an impenetrable question about someone named "Rushkoff," things called Disinfocons, and the synthesis of media.

Klosterman, quickly trying to gather his thoughts to not embarrass the guy for asking what may be the worst question in the history of questions, effectively destroyed the guy by eventually admitting he wasn't even sure what the question was. Chuck, I hate to say it, but no one in the audience did. It was seriously so painfully awkward, I could hardly do anything but look absently away from everything to forget what was happening in my presence. Of course, I turned to Hannah afterwards and said "I called that," as this was the same guy who came across as the prototypical hipster type, even going so far to deny knowing who Michael Jordan was before the show as he discussed things with the people near him (yes, I am an eavesdropper).

Anyways, while that was a bit disappointing and the book signing afterwards was a little wham, bam, thank you Chuck Klosterman for me, it was still a really entertaining event and something I was very glad to see. Alaska has been getting better at providing quality pop culture events to its denizens, and this one was most appreciated. Now let's start working on improving our concert output, mmmk.

Mt. Redoubt can go to hell

I hate you large mountain of disappointment

Because our big bastard of ash and lava Mt. Redoubt decided to blow its top, Brand New and the Get Up Kids cancelled (or possibly postponed) their show that was this Saturday. I hate that stupid, stupid mountain, but I'm okay with it because I've seen Brand New already.

However!

If Chuck Klosterman cancels, that mountain will know my wrath. Here is a hint of your fate Redoubt - me, you, strategically placed dynamite, the villain from Cliffhanger, your demise.

Do not mess with me. You may be a force of nature, but you haven't seen me pissed.

That is all.

Sex, Drugs, and Chuck Klosterman

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman

I think because every part of my life is influenced by pop culture, I feel like it's necessary that the things I love to read are deeply influenced by pop culture as well. Whether it's Reverend Jesse Custer meeting Bill Hicks in Preacher, Yorick Brown talking with one of the billions of abandoned women about how one of the things they'll miss the most are the male musicians who perished in Y the Last Man, or Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay crafting legendary comic book characters in the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, they're all directly infused with pop culture and heavily influenced by it as well.

Of my favorite written works though, nothing is more directly influenced by pop culture than Bill Simmons' columns for ESPN.com. The guy analyzes sports through the microcosm of movies, music, television, and everything else. Whether he's breaking down the Red Sox season by comparing it to a multitude of Godfather quotes, analyzing the Wrestler, or comparing anything and everything to Teen Wolf, Karate Kid, and Rocky, it makes the writing more hilarious and easier to relate to.

While using pop culture in such a fashion is not exactly innovative, Simmons does it better than anyone else and the fact he uses it to write about sports makes it all the better. I really didn't think I'd find another writer that makes me laugh like that and does it about something I really care about.

Enter Chuck Klosterman. I'd heard a lot about him, kept seeing his name everywhere, etc. etc. Then last Friday, I read that he was coming up to speak at UAA (University of Alaska Anchorage for the uninitiated) in late March, and I decided it was time to check out his writing. Sure enough, he was exactly like Bill Simmons, which is unsurprising given the fact that Simmons and he have a bit of a mutual admiration thing going on.

No less, Klosterman does the same thing as Simmons, except he uses pop culture to look at life, love, and rock and roll. His book Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is a collection of essays about any number of things, from understanding modern day love and how it is influenced by Lloyd Dobler and When Harry Met Sally, to the Real World and the way it has created archetypes for the current generation of young people to fit in to. It's hilarious, it's occasionally quite insightful, and really odd (to read a study on America's modern sexual identity by talking about the Pamela Anderson/Tommy Lee sex tape, well, you just never expect things like that).

The guy has the potential to join Simmons as one of my favorite writers, and I just can't recommend him enough. He writes like I dream to write, and has a conversational tone that is superb at conveying a point without making the reader feel like it's being hammered home (to put it simply, it's like you're hanging out with a really well spoken and hilarious friend who has a great point of view on life). Sure, he may look like an extra nerdy version of Corey Feldman, but that's okay. He's still absolutely hilarious, and highly recommended by yours truly.