"We may never brush our teeth together again" is the axis about which this poem by Jim Daniels turns. Surely we all have moments like this. Jim Daniels’ recent books include Eight Mile High (Michigan State Univ. Press) and Birth Marks (BOA Editions). He lives in Pennsylvania.
Brushing Teeth with My Sister after the Wake
at my kitchen sink, the bathroom upstairs clogged with family from out of town spending the night after the wake and the after—wake—cold beverages have been consumed and comfort food, leftovers bulging both the fridge and the mini-fridge. In our fifties, both half-asleep half-awake, we face each other. My sister's smile foams white down her chin at the end of a day on which no one has smiled. We laugh. We may never brush our teeth together again. No mirror down here to see our haggard faces. We rinse, we spit. As we were taught.
This week’s article could have been a film review of “Our Brand is Crisis,” but with our own election season heating up, I had to wonder if the tale of American political hacks involved in a Bolivian presidential campaign would hold much interest.
On the one hand, a film starring Billy Bob Thornton and Sandra Bullock as rival political advisors seems to be intriguing, but the most interesting thing about Thornton is that his character looks a lot like Bill Clinton campaign operative James Carville.
But why waste your time in a darkened theater with a carton of stale popcorn when the Starz cable channel offers up a big helping of Bruce Campbell reviving his role of the blowhard monster fighter from Sam Raimi’s iconic “Evil Dead” franchise?
The new breed of horror began with Raimi, as writer and director, teamed with producer Rob Tapert and star Bruce Campbell, going back more than three decades to the first “Evil Dead” theatrical release, which was followed by sequels, including the awesome “Army of Darkness.”
To be sure, the “Evil Dead” phenomenon has achieved cult status, and as such, the appeal for the Starz 10-episode, half-hour series “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” which features such an excess of bloody gore that it would never be on network television, may be limited.
For reasons that have to do with his natural charisma and boundless sense of humor, Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams, a self-centered, aging lothario and lazy stock boy at the Value Stop discount store, is the glue holding this whole thing together.
The last “Evil Dead” movie starring Campbell happened more than two decades ago, and yet the fan base clamored for his return because he’s a seriously flawed hero, who wields a mean chainsaw and delivers a no-holds-barred sense of fun and sheer insanity in fighting zombies.
Starz is so certain that “Ash vs. Evil Dead” is a winner that it announced an early renewal for a second season even before the first episode hit the airwaves. Of course, and this is a good thing, Bruce Campbell has signed on for a second tour of duty.
The first episode finds Ash in a menial dead-end job, living in a squalid trailer park and still driving a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, the now classic car that has been used in one form or another in all of the “Evil Dead” films.
The mythology of the “Evil Dead” goes back to the first film in which Ash and some buddies discover an ancient book, “The Necronomicon Ex Mortis,” which unleashes demons to possess the living, becoming creatures known as the Deadites.
Ash may think the zombie-slaying business is behind him, but one night after too many drinks and trying to impress a young girl invited back to his trailer, he reads a passage from the book, and all hell breaks loose.
The friendly old lady next door that helps Ash tidy up his messy trailer turns into a Deadite, as does his annoying boss who figures his indolent box boy is only handy enough to move cartons of light bulbs.
Selfish and a bit of an idiot, Ash has no appreciable skills or special training, but his prosthetic hand is useful in wielding a chainsaw to lop off the heads of Deadites, the most effective killing tool.
In short order, Ash picks up two unlikely allies in his co-workers, Pablo (Ray Santiago), an illegal immigrant who desperately wants to be an American, and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), an impulsive wild child with a biting wit.
Tough, quick-witted and sarcastic, Kelly is the common-sense counterpart to Ash, except that she first has to deal with the mystery of her mother (Mimi Rogers) having disappeared without a trace about six months earlier.
Meanwhile, Ash, even though he acts stupidly at times and exercises cloudy judgment, is idolized by Pablo, who believes in him to lead the battle of good versus evil, even when Ash doubts himself.
Both disenfranchised by family circumstances, Pablo and Kelly wind up as sidekicks for Ash, an improbable de facto father figure who vacillates between acting as a mentor and a tormentor.
There is a parallel story of Michigan State Police detective Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones) finding her career on the line following the grisly murder of her partner by a Deadite.
Amanda is destined to be on a collision course with Ash, who may become a prime suspect. Lucy Lawless pops up as the seductive and reclusive Ruby, who also believes that Ash is the cause of the supernatural massacre that murdered her family over 30 years ago.
“Ash vs Evil Dead” is a horror thrill ride with plenty of action, laughs and buckets of blood. Oh yes, lots and lots of blood are splattered everywhere. Our heroes are literally drenched in blood on several occasions, and that’s just in the first two episodes.
No matter what, the battle against the Deadites is fraught with bloody mayhem and excessive violence. True to the B-movie pedigree of the film series, “Ash vs Evil Dead” is campy fun with its unique blend of comedy, gore and horror.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
During World War II the government endorsed the publication of inexpensive paperbacks for persons serving overseas.
Jehanne Dubrow, who lives and teaches in Maryland and whose husband is a naval officer, here shows us one of those pocket-sized volumes.
This poet's latest book is The Arranged Marriage, (University of New Mexico Press, 2015).
Armed Services Editions
My copy of The Fireside Book of Verse is as the seller promised—the stapled spine, the paper aged to Army tan—no worse for wear, given the cost of its design, six cents to make and printed on a press once used for magazines and pulp. This book was never meant to last a war much less three quarters of a century. I look for evidence of all the men who scanned these lines, crouched down in holes or lying in their racks. I read the poems secondhand. Someone has creased the page. Did he begin then stop to sleep? to clean his gun perhaps? to listen to the bugler playing taps?
The James Bond films have been around more than fifty years, and yet the latest entry in the field, the aptly-named “Spectre,” representing shades of the early glory days of the franchise, is fresh, vital and stimulating even if its roots could be considered dated in a modern world.
As any self-respecting Bond aficionado would tell you, the titular international crime syndicate trades heavily on such wicked ploys as terrorism and extortion, considering its name is Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.
SPECTRE, identified symbolically by its menacing octopus logo, turned out to be the strategically nefarious organization that Bond had to confront head-on during the Cold War era, most memorably in the truly great Sean Connery films “From Russia With Love,” “Thunderball,” and “You Only Live Twice.”
Daniel Craig returns for the fourth time as James Bond, infusing the role with even more gravitas and commanding physical presence than before.
Unlike the more sentimental approach in “Skyfall,” this time around Craig’s Agent 007 is playing the hardcore old-school spy legend.
This hard-nosed method is absolutely essential for Bond in the eye-popping opening scene taking place in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead festivities, where the secret agent is on a rogue mission to eliminate an assassin named Marco Sciarra.
Doing his reconnaissance in a skeleton costume with a pretty girl in tow, Bond mingles with the festival celebrants, and then faster than Superman in a phone booth, he’s changed clothes into a crisply tailored suit for an exquisite foot chase that ends up in a helicopter ride.
With Sam Mendes at the helm directing the action, Bond fights his prey inside a helicopter flying perilously close to the festivities in the main square, and it proves to be the adrenaline rush that jump starts the dazzling action right from the get-go.
Meanwhile, back in London, an officious bureaucrat named Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), codename C, has been appointed head of the Centre for National Security and immediately challenges the relevance of MI6 in a contemporary world becoming all too dependent on surveillance and drone warfare.
Since Bond left in his wake very extensive destruction in Mexico City, Denbigh seizes an opportunity to question the utility as well as probity of good old-fashioned field work, thereby putting at risk the entire Double-O section.
Bond’s superior is M (now played by Ralph Fiennes), who’s put in a tough spot to justify the venerable and true methods of MI6, and as a result, vainly attempts to put constraints on Agent 007’s free-wheeling ways.
Not surprisingly, Bond does not countenance the interference of bureaucrats who have no idea of the value of a boots-on-the-ground skirmish. Enlisting help from tech wizard Q (Ben Whishaw) and the faithful Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Bond ignores orders to stand down.
Instead, after appropriating a $3 million customized Aston Martin DB10, Bond takes off for Rome to attend the funeral of Marco Sciarra, taking time after the services to become better acquainted, shall we say, with not-so-grieving widow Lucia (Monica Bellucci).
The inevitable liaison with the Italian beauty allows Bond to ascertain the whereabouts of a secret SPECTRE board meeting, presided over by Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a really nasty bit of business who does not countenance failure or incompetence.
A wild street chase through the streets of Rome finds Bond pursued in a tricked-out Jaguar by SPECTRE henchman Hinx (former wrestler Dave Bautista). Then it’s off to snowy Austria in search of Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), an old foe from “Casino Royale.”
The brief reunion with Mr. White puts Bond on the trail of Dr. Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), practicing at a mountain top retreat that recalls another Bond film.
In the hunt for clues, Madeleine and Bond end up in Tangier, before embarking on a desert train ride rudely interrupted by a violent confrontation with Hinx.
Winding up in the middle of the Moroccan desert, Bond and Madeleine are drawn to a fortified hideaway where the secret agent’s life is greatly imperiled. Without saying too much, there’s a scene of intense torture that is disturbing to witness.
Should Daniel Craig decide that “Spectre” is his swansong for playing the role of the world’s most famous secret agent, then both he and the franchise shall benefit from the fact that the rather mediocre “Quantum of Solace” is likely to disappear from the public memory.
The spectacular strength of “Spectre,” as the vessel carrying the most essential fragments of Bond lore, is that it comes across as true to the literary roots of Ian Fleming’s novels while carving new ground consistent with 21st century sensibilities.
The most fervent James Bond fans may most certainly argue about the merits of “Spectre” and its ranking against the twenty-three other official films.
An argument is to be made that “Spectre” is even better than “Skyfall,” and this is particularly relevant for the traditionalists.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Lake County residents and visitors have been seeing themselves differently these last few weeks, so how better to add to the conversation than showcasing ourselves to ourselves through portraiture.
Portraits can be more than rendered attributes. A portrait can provide insight into the subject, the artist, or something within us all.
“Portraits,” a new exhibit, opens Friday, Oct. 30, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m., and will be on view until Dec. 6 at the Middletown Art Center, or MAC, 21456 State Highway 175 in Middletown.
A wide array of artists will showcase works in many mediums from oil to pastel to wood to plaster.
Openings at MAC are well attended and highlight an evening of art, music and community. MAC also showcases other vibrant cultural events.
Slowly recovering normalcy, MAC has been offering free or subsidized art classes to express and release the fire experience and engage with community.
During these trying times, the MAC has proven itself to be a considerable asset, hosting important meetings and providing support during this time of crisis.
Donations are needed to help support artists who lost their homes and studios and continue subsidizing MAC’s nonprofit work, which includes the underserved members of our community.
Donations of funds and art, ceramics, jewelry, tools and other related supplies are graciously accepted.
Middletown Art Center offers an array of memberships and art making opportunities, and can accept donations, memberships and class registrations online at www.MiddletownArtCenter.org .
Located at the junction of Highways 29 and 175 in Middletown, the old Middletown Gymnasium welcomes residents and visitors inside once again.
The building has been transformed into a beautiful space for contemporary art and performance events.
The back portion of the building serves as a studio where classes in drawing, painting, ceramics, and more, are offered for children, teens and adults.
When it comes to handling computers, I am so incapable at times in dealing with technical problems that even the Geek Squad will no longer return my calls. But, at least, articles such as this one flow from the relative ease of using Microsoft Word.
On the whole, it would seem not within my realm of comprehension or even desire to be writing a critique of “Steve Jobs,” the story of the acclaimed pioneer of Apple who made the computer accessible even to the most unskilled users.
This assignment is approached with some trepidation, but with the knowledge that Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay based upon Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography of the Apple founder, it appears the proper roadmap has been drawn.
In a canned interview stuck inside the film’s press notes, director Danny Boyle, who does a tremendous job here, notes that the “film is an abstraction,” taking events – some of them real, some of them imagined – and pushing them into three acts.
With an almost minimalist style, “Steve Jobs” focuses on the backstage drama attendant to the launch of three new computer products over the course of a fourteen-year period beginning with Apple’s formative years.
First, it’s the launch of Macintosh in 1984, where Michael Fassbender’s Steve Jobs unveils his work in front of a fawning audience that would seemingly fuel the computer genius’ tendency to arrogantly believe that his brilliance was undeniable.
Like many brainy masterminds, Jobs is relentless in badgering and hectoring those around him instrumental in facilitating his dream. His most immediate foil is Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg), who is roundly berated for not being able to get the Macintosh to say “Hello.”
Gal Friday Joanna Hoffman (a nearly unrecognizable Kate Winslet) fares little better in her treatment from Jobs, whose neverending grievances and demands would be demoralizing to someone with much less tolerance and inexhaustible endurance.
Over the course of what is essentially a three-act play, Jobs’ oldest friend and collaborator, Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen, playing it straight), endures the humiliation of vainly trying to get the Apple genius to publicly recognize the achievements of the Apple II team.
The personal failings of Jobs are found in his troubled relationship with former live-in girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) and his insensitive unwillingness to accept paternity for their young daughter Lisa (played by different young actors over time).
Arriving backstage on the launch day, Chrisann scratches at the hard exterior shell of the aloof Jobs, making a strong case that his child support payments are woefully inadequate as she and Lisa suffer the hardship of living on welfare.
Even though he doesn’t want Lisa to know him as a father, Jobs takes tentative steps to form a tenuous bond with his offspring, and his interest in her becomes more pronounced when she makes a computer drawing. Only in the third segment would he admit naming a computer after her.
Another constant person in the picture is Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels), the man who ironically fired Jobs from Apple in the early going, but keeps surfacing at the pivotal points in Jobs career up to the end of the third-act launch of the iMac in 1998.
Sculley’s presence also punctuates the tension of Apple boardroom squabbling where Jobs confronts his employers with the same tortured, angry responses that inform even his everyday interaction with other business associates.
The backstage drama of the second act comes in 1988 when Jobs, having been ousted from his position at Apple, pushes the NeXT cube computer, which proves to be anything but the next big thing in the digital world.
The third act wraps it all up with the 1998 launch of the iMac, and the crowds in the auditorium for the event have grown larger and even more sycophantic for the elusive mad genius behind the curtain.
In patented fashion, Aaron Sorkin delivers fast-paced, sharp dialogue in scenes where Jobs walks and talks with such speed that one is in awe of how his pithy one-liners are so clever and worthy of emulation.
Indeed, in situations where Jobs’ arrogance matches his intelligence with ferocious impact on anyone and everything within his path, it’s possible to see him as a Shakespearean creation of hugely melodramatic proportions, maybe like King Richard III but without the hunchback and murderous soul.
Though he may not look very much like his subject matter, Michael Fassbender’s role is a tour de force performance that could easily be remembered when Academy voters are thinking about an Oscar nomination next year.
Above all, “Steve Jobs” is a psychological portrait of a brilliant man consumed by internal conflicts and personal demons. The result is a fascinating character study which ends so abruptly in 1998 that one may hope for a sequel to finish the rest of the story.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
