Reprise True Story: “What are we doing out here?”
[dictionary definition]
family|ˈfam(ə)lē|noun ( pl. -lies)
1 [treated as sing. or pl. ] a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.
• a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage : friends and family can provide support.
Memory, like family, is a strange thing. Each have the same capacity for both good and bad. You can cherish and/or dread what comes out of the pair. The Memorial Day holiday* and my relatives hold a particularly special impression on me. Let’s set the table, as it were, first. Through no fault of my own, my mother’s herd raised me — who are just this side of sane (although, they have been known to stray into the land of crazy from time to time). However, I still consider myself lucky I was stuck via blood and marriage with these people. My father’s clan, as luck would have it, reminded me of a smaller version of the familia that brought the bounty upon Alfredo Garcia’s head. But, that’s for another tale…
This particular memory centers upon this weekend’s holiday. Bear with me on this. For decades (until recently), my mother’s family always had a Fourth of July picnic. Besides Christmas Eve, it was the other traditional family event. We’d all gather the immediate broods of my aunts (did I mention most of this crowd consisted of women?) and rendezvous the collection at some city park. All sort of food fare was at this event — and it was the perfect excuse for one of my uncles to bring that ages old hibachi out of his garage. Along with ice chests and coolers (of varying colors and age), all sorts of picnic wares, plastic utensils, and sports equipment met up at this affair. This also included (among this competitive lot) the buddies and boy- or girl-friends (current or the soon to be ex- variety) of my cousins invited to the gathering. Got all of that?
Generally, it was all pretty fun… except for the pulled muscles, sunburns, and the after-effects of overeating. Not to mention the incidents when so-in-so did whatchamacallit to you-know-who that caused one of my aunts to deploy the mommy voice due to all that. Believe me, that voice will bring anyone into line (think the Jedi Mind Trick, but totally real). And on occasion (if the Fourth didn’t produce any lasting scars), we’d do this all over again come Labor Day. In all my recollection, we never, ever, tried this kind of familial rally on Memorial Day… except once. Sometime in the 80′s, I (being the brilliant imagineer I thought I was) noted that particular anomaly and brought that fact up with the ruling matriarchal council that were my aunts. Two weeks before that holiday, I suggested we do a family picnic on that date. Almost in unison, each of them said that “But, we’d never done that before.” I challenged that idea by saying it was “… exactly why we should do it.” I’ve since envisioned that Custer must have used those same words prior to the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Being I found it hard to take ‘no‘ for answer (my children now exhibit that same karmic trait), I eventually wore my relatives down. They agreed to this, and thus my fate was sealed.
Image by BluFlowr via FlickrMost of us (the ones that felt obligated to follow through with this), gathered at Furman Park in Downey, California on the appointed date. And oh, it was a beautifully clear day, alright… the strong gusts assured that. I’ve since estimated that we actually had a wind chill that Memorial Day Monday. I had unwittingly selected one of the coldest, most blustery days of May in recorded L.A. history. At least, the group that journeyed to that fabled picnic came layered (those that chose to stay home, have since labeled themselves “the smart ones” in family lore). I distinctly remember there were two places at this cookout where people gathered: at the park’s heavy-duty picnic table (holding down the food containers and what not in the gale) and the area immediately around my uncle’s hibachi (the only warm place in the park). If I had a dollar that day for every time I heard, “What are we doing out here?“, I could have bought stock in North Face® clothing. After about two hours of eating some of the food we brought (and shivering… no one touched any of the cold drinks), everyone thought they’d had enough of the cold Memorial Day cheer, packed up and left.
Now, here is where memory comes in. Everyone on my mother’s side of the family remembers this… and whose idea this was. No one — ever — forgets it. Of those that are left, many of the older generation have since joined my mother at that great family reunion in the sky, it’s become an annual duty to remind me of that incident around the last Monday in May. This is that good and bad thing I spoke of earlier. For better or for worst, I’ve had to grow a thicker skin because of the repeated chiding this event spawned (another thing families are known for). Still, I’ve grown to enjoy and laugh at the ridiculousness of that day, and its remembrance. Needless to say, we’ve not had another family picnic on that holiday since. Really, you can’t make things like this up. At least, it’s nice to be known for something… I guess. I hope you all have a safe holiday.
* please remember Memorial Day commemorates the U.S. men and women who have died in military service on behalf of this country.
Technorati Tags: Memorial Day
Jurassic Park Film Review
For the longest time it seems, Memorial Day weekend has been the unofficial start of summer (solstice be damned)… barbecue season, too. Once, the summer movie season began on this holiday weekend, but no more. Nowadays, it’s the first of May for the blockbuster movie constant pitched for our diversion — just watch, the marketers will begin pushing it back toward April next. Action, thrills and special effects are the order of things during this time of year. But I don’t mind, to a point. I love escapist fair as much as the next guy or gal. As long as it treats me like I have a brain in my head, however. Michael Bay rarely need apply.
So once again, it’s time for the blogger otherwise known as the Scientist Gone Wordy and I to add another of our duo posts in the series we started last year. For this one, we took on a novel/film pairing that many fans, young and old, hold in mutual affection and memorable admiration. As usual, the wordy one will look at the text of a famed novel later adapted to film, which I will review. In this case, she’ll be looking at the 1990 source science-fiction novel from the famed (and late) author Michael Crichton for the 1993 film adaptation, Jurassic Park. Rachel’s book review can be found here:
A brief synopsis of the film: A billionaire has a problem, and one that could only happen to the very rich and eccentric variety. By way of scientific breakthroughs, John Hammond and his team of scientists have genetically engineered a way of cloning actual dinosaurs to populate an island off the coast of Costa Rica as a future, modern theme park. His issue is with his investors and a launch date. One of his park employees was attacked and killed by one of those ‘star’ attractions, and his financial backers have grown skittish to the idea. Said shareholders, naturally led by a lawyer, demand assurances that Jurassic Park will be safe for the paying public and therefore bring in their expert, a mathematician, to decide if it is. Hammond counters by bringing in his own set of experts (a paleontologist and paleobotanist) to balance out the upcoming evaluation. Their exploration of the island park, to decide what’s really going on, is the gist of the science and technology gone terribly wrong story.
[spoiler warning: some key elements of the film could be revealed in this review] Read more 
TMT: In Space No One Can See The Popcorn Fly
This is the next entry in a Theatre… a Movie… and a Time series that was begun here. It’s becoming a habit, or synchronicity… whatever, for these records to unexpectedly skip up the chain. [spouse: "you mean there's a plan?"] I say this because I read a blogger friend’s excellent and personal film retrospective. Thus, we have today’s post. So, a thank you and shout-out goes to christian and his Retro-View post of a genre-classic for inspiring just that.
Theatre
The AVCO Centre Cinemas:
Movie
Time
May 27, 1979: I’m going to dig myself a hole, for sure, if I reference who accompanied moi for this recollection. So, I won’t mention the girlfriend person I took to see Ridley Scott’s Alien. Unlike others in this series, the theatre complex itself was not some unique or beautiful (let alone iconic) edifice, either (though it does have a haunted history). Even so, it was in a part of town, Westwood Village near U.C.L.A’s campus, that fast became the place on the westside of L.A. to take a movie date to back then. For all that, the truly indelible part of this memory was the film itself.
Alien was massive hit upon its May 25th release that had audiences jumping out of their seats and screaming at the screen. We went to Sunday’s sold out late show (the one right before the sold out midnight screening) on the cusp of Memorial Day. Surely, I’m not the only one to recall when this picture made an impact on my movie-going psyche. Without question, those impressions commenced when this notorious scene arrived… and the amounts of popcorn that flew unexpectedly from their containers that night from the stunned and startled patrons is now legendary.
The entire series can be found here.
hAppy B-day, Cillian!
While I’m not what you’d call a complete Cillianiac, I did want to contribute something toward my book-worm, movie addict, and turtle-lover friend, Novroz, and her blog celebration of the Irish thespian, Cillian Murphy, on his birthday. I think this actor is one of the more interesting and talented of today’s younger performers. Criminy… he was born in 1976!!! Damn, that makes me… 76 minus… feeling way too old. While I’ve not seen all of his work, what I have, I like. Anyway, the following is my list of his roles that have grabbed my attention and kept me coming back for more.
The Good
As in hero, that is…
This was my initial exposure to the guy. His haunting and gaunt features certainly stood out well in Danny Boyle’s apocalyptic zombie tale. That he could hold his own against another Irish player who happens to be one of the best character actors on the planet, Brendan Gleeson, told me Cillian was an up-and-comer.
If anything, director Danny Boyle sure knows how to deploy our man Cillian on film. He’s not you’d call classically handsome (though Novroz may disagree with me). However, he certainly doesn’t have the look of an everyday man, either. And those eyes… they seem to the carry the weight of humanity in this picture, don’t they? [btw, I recommend my friend J.D.'s recent look at this film and Will & Troy's wonderful movie commentary on it]
The Bad
As only a villain can be…
I think this one remains one of the underrated villains of late. Filmmaker Wes Craven unquestionably knows his way around film rogues and miscreants. While his Jackson Rippner (one of the more unfortunate and obvious bad guy names some screenwriter ever thought up) isn’t Krug-like (Last House on the Left), he has an appeal and charisma that works extraordinarily well in this entertaining thriller.
Batman Begins (and The Dark Knight cameo)
This secondary villain role had the potential of being run over in the re-boot of the Batman franchise. I mean, Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane), though a part of the comic book hero’s rogue’s gallery, isn’t in my opinion as interesting as others in Marvel’s bad guy pantheon. Still, Cillian made him compelling — enough that he attracts a smile from the audience in his brief cameo in the larger sequel.
and The Just Plain Interesting
As in this guy is incapable of being someone boring…
Being a ‘character’ in what many wrote-off as a plot- or effects-driven film (they were mistaken, I might add), surely could have been a thankless chore. Nevertheless, Mr. Murphy went beyond that, though, here. While he’s, again, a secondary figure in the cast, his moments as Robert Fischer (and especially when he’s together with his on-screen father, the late Peter Postlethwaite) make you feel for the person (whether he’s dreaming or not).
Okay, in a contest between Olivia Wilde and Cillian Murphy, the camera (and I) is going to go with the beautiful woman. Every single time, boyo. But, I daresay in this, another of his cameos (this time uncredited), you can’t help but spot and go to him in the scene — even if he’s morphed into a totally different personality. And you just can’t teach that. It’s as simple as ABC, folks. You either have it, or you don’t… and Cillian does.
Like this:
Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: The First Rule
Last year’s release of the 13th book in the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novels by Robert Crais inspired a series at my old blog. It examined each novel (to that point) and the audiobook versions that came out of them. My thirteenth and end review in the arc (last year in April), was only partially complete, however. This piece updates the entry.
Years ago, television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood and began his migration to novelist. He originated a quirky but distinctive private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole, and his memorable laconic partner, Joe Pike. That first book’s success, The Monkey’s Raincoat, brought the P.I. genre something extraordinary byway of the author’s writing style and remarkable characterizations. The humor that epitomizes Robert Crais’ work, along with the rich relationships and poignancy of his stories, brought the soon-to-be-popular books to the fore of the mystery crime class. While the series is on its third decade with publishers and admirers, Elvis and Joe still continue to earn new fans with each new book release.
The First Rule
The First Rule was print published January 2010 in hardcover for the U.S. market and is pictured above. The paperback (which debuted months later in December of that year) uses the same artwork — and is in sharp contrast of the U.K. release. This cover art reaches back to previously established L.A. cityscape views of earlier books and returns fan favorite Joe Pike to the forefront with his second book. I could attempt my synopsis of this novel, but I’ll highlight the one done by Corey Wilde in November 2009, instead:
“When Frank Meyers, ex-mercenary turned husband-father-businessman-upstanding citizen, is murdered along with his wife and children in a home invasion, Joe Pike takes strong exception. The dead man had been one of Pike’s men during his professional soldier days. And Meyer wasn’t just another soldier; he was the one man all the other soldiers thought had a real chance at a normal life. And Frank was succeeding – or was he? Pike will do whatever he must to find and bring down the killers, and learn the truth about his friend.”
