Something You Put Balls On

During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.

T for 2 Edition!

FILM

The Thin Man
Former detective Nick Charles gets pulled into a murder case by a friend and drinks and wisecracks his way through the investigation as the bodies and one-liners pile up. The suspects are an extremely eccentric cast of characters, and Charles unveils the murderer at a dinner party where all are present.¹ A classic.

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil
Two West Virginian hillbillies (Alan Tudyk & Tyler Labine) are enjoying time at their new fixer-upper cabin when a group of college kids mistake them for kidnappers and plot revenge. Soon the roles are reversed, and everything becomes a bloody mess. A hilarious send-up of horror films.²

TELEVISION

The Tick
The Tick is all brawn, no brain. His sidekick, Arthur, dresses as a moth and is afraid of combat. Together with fellow super-ish heroes (such as Die Fledermaus and American Maid), they help protect The City from evildoers (such as El Seed and The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight). And every episode ends on a poignant(-ish) note. An excellent superhero satire.

Twin Peaks
Everything David Lynch does is bizarre. And this is no different. An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the peculiar death of an odd girl in a town with strange characters (and queer secrets). If you love weird (and I mean love it), this offbeat series is for you.

GAME

Ticket to Ride
One of the best gateway games out there. Simple to learn, yet fun for players of all ages. Collect cards to claim train routes across North America, netting more points by completing longer segments or reaching further destinations. Or, just block your opponents' routes. That's fun, too. (For 2-5 players. Other versions and locations also available.)³

Tichu
I've been addicted to this game for six months.⁴ It's a rare breed: a partnered trick-taking game that doesn't use trump suits. Lead one card, and the highest card takes it. Lead a pair or straight or full house, the highest of that type wins the hand. You can vie for points, or bid you'll get rid of all your cards first and get a hefty bonus. Uses a standard deck plus four special cards, and although the basics aren't too hard to grasp, it's six months later, and I'm still figuring out better strategies. (Best with 4 players.)

MUSIC

They Might Be Giants
They've been putting out great (and slightly odd) music for nearly 30 years, but I'm highlighting them today for what they've done since 2005: kids' music. Most such music becomes grating by the second time through. As a new(-ish) parent, I'm grateful there are now at least three albums I'll be able to listen to without wanting to put my ears through a cheese grater: one each for ABCs, 123s, and Science!

The Tragically Hip
If you've never heard of The Hip, then I'm guessing you've never been Canadian, either.⁵ Nine of their albums have hit #1 there. And if you catch them live, lead singer Gordon Downie will rant or tell fictional stories in the middle of certain songs, unique to that show. Although they're the last band I saw in concert, I'm not that big a fan... but my wife is. This one's for her.

LITERATURE

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Pretend, for a moment, that I’m a guy. Guys don’t read 500+ page love stories. Yet, right from the opening scene (I don’t count the unnecessary prologue as the opening scene), I was hooked. With (unpredictable) time travel involved, Clare can first meet Henry when he’s 35, and he can first meet her 14 years later when he’s 28, and it all makes perfect sense. It’s a very clever premise, and Niffenegger handles it deftly. A fantastic book.

Timeline by Michael Crichton
My favorite Crichton novel. No, it's not great writing (I assume, based on other books of his I've read more recently), but it is fun. A group of researchers use a billionaire's time machine to go back to the Middle Ages and rescue their professor, who has inadvertently gotten trapped there. Then, they inadvertently get trapped there.

Thus ends the tally of too many T titles. Ta ta till tomorrow.


¹ And he/she would have gotten away with it, too, if not for Nick and Nora Charles and their dog.
² As is The Cabin in the Woods, in theaters now. Although they are completely different styles of movie.
³ After a while, you might discover the Space Ghost method (i.e. coast-to-coast) wins more often than not. To help combat this, plays using the 1910 expansion.
⁴ Specifically, its iPod app. I've yet to play a real human person. The AI — on medium difficulty — is such that even after 130+ games, I still only win about 60% of the time.
⁵ Nor did you grow up listening to Canadian radio from just over the border, like my wife did.

The Start of Something

During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.

Super-Sized Saturday Edition!

FILM

Slither
Slug-like aliens invade a small town. It's a bit gross, somewhat creepy, and fantastically funny, with great dialogue and Nathan Fillion as the sheriff. The ultimate in B-movie fun.

The Station Agent
When his only friend dies, Finbar (Peter Dinklage) moves into an abandoned train depot to enjoy a life of solitude, but it doesn't quite work out that way. Half hilarious comedy, half touching drama. 100% fantastic.

Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman's most original script (and that's saying something). A troubled theater director (Philip Seymour Hoffman) creates a replica of NYC and his life in a warehouse, including actors playing him and actors playing the actors playing him. Challenging and bizarre, but fascinating.

TELEVISION

Spy
Best true reality show ever. Led by ex-spies, 8 people go through standard espionage training and undertake increasingly tough assignments. Fail, and you go home. Sadly, only 1 season on BBC/PBS, and not on DVD.

Sports Night
From Aaron Sorkin, a brilliantly written and acted program following the drama of the people behind a third-rate evening sports show. And you don't need to know a lick of sports. With Robert Guillaume (a.k.a. Benson!), Felicity Huffman, and Peter Krause.

The State
Perhaps my favorite sketch comedy of all time. A bit more immature than Python, but I was in high school when I got hooked. Of course some sketches fail mightily, but at their best they're uproarious. (Sadly, the DVDs lack much of the original soundtrack for legal reasons, but it's still worth it.)

GAME

Settlers of Catan
The first German-style game to really hit it big in the U.S. Die rolls determine resources as you build settlements, cities, and roads. But the best part is the trading... in part because you get to say things like, "Does anyone have a sheep? I've got wood." (For 3-6 players. With a plethora of expansions.)

Small World
Choose a race/power combo and start taking over this over-crowded world. When you can expand no more, or your neighbors have begun killing you off, abandon them and choose a new race to do it all again. A wonderful strategy game for 2-5 players.

Scribblish
Like telephone, but with pencils. Only oh so much more fun. Illustrate a sentence; the next person sees just the drawing and provides a new caption; the next illustrates that; and so on. That's how we ended up with such things as "Jesus, crucified on a brontosaurus, crashes your wedding" and "I shall defeat dwarf Godzilla with my sword and eyebrows!" Absolutely hilarious.

MUSIC

Sufjan Stevens
It sometimes sounds like he's working with a high school orchestra, but that rawness is part of the charm. Whether reflecting personal explorations or aspects of a state's history, his songs will grab you. If nothing else, check out his finest album Illinois.

Sigur Rós
Their songs are light and ethereal, and I don't understand a single word. Which is exactly why this Icelandic band is ideal for when I'm writing: the lyrics will never interfere with my wordsmithing. Simply beautiful.

Shearwater
Formed by members of Okkervil River who wanted an outlet for softer stuff; their songs have a haunting, dreamlike quality to them, yet remain compelling and intense. Powerful stuff.

LITERATURE

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Bryson wanted to learn about the Earth and all manner of science, so he did, and he passes the knowledge onto us. With a great sense of humor, fun historical tangents, and a heap of intriguing information, this is a must read.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
What happens to people after they die? From grave robbing to scientific research to decomposition, Roach investigates all the (physical) possibilities, and her wry wit makes this an engaging and entertaining read.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
In a world where color perception determines your place in society, a young Red man tries to better his future, but instead falls in love, angers powerful enemies, and stumbles upon a terrible secret. With terrific characters and world-building, and a twist that, try as I might, I did not see coming.

So, that's it for today (and thankfully so). See ya!

The Call of the Pirate

During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.

Let's do this up right...

FILM

Rashômon
Did you ever see that X-Files episode where Mulder and Scully give similar but contradictory accounts of events before a third party finally reveals the truth? Well, this is kind of like that, but instead of would-be vampires and exsanguinated cows, it concerns the murder of a samurai. (Also, it's in Japanese, was made almost 50 years earlier, and contains a bonus fourth viewpoint.) My favorite film from acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa.

TELEVISION

Rocky & His Friends
If you know me at all, you know I'm prone to using bad puns.¹ And this show — which became The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle in its 2^nd season — had them in spades (and probably in a few other suits as well). Follow moose and squirrel as they outwit Boris, Natasha, and Fearless Leader. Learn (some version of) history when Peabody and his boy Sherman use the Wayback Machine. And watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat. (Nothing up my sleeve...)

GAME

The Resistance
Perhaps you've played Mafia or Werewolf, where one person secretly chooses a few others to be mob/wolves,² and then sits back as the townspeople and bad guys alternate killing someone off until only one side remains. This follows that principle, but is better in (at least) two ways: 1) no one has to sit out to oversee the game, and 2) no one is eliminated, so everyone gets to play the entire time. Confidential cards determine who the spies are, and then players try to choose the right people to go on missions to ensure they will be a success (or a failure, if they're the spies). A wonderful party game of mistrust and unprovoked allegations for 5-10 players.

MUSIC

Regina Spektor
Her last two releases, Begin to Hope and Far, are likely the albums I play the most. They certainly get the most play in my iTunes.³ They're my go-to songs whenever I want something catchy, quirky, melodic, beautiful, and fun. Simply amazing stuff. Check her out.

LITERATURE

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Putting this here makes me a liar with a capital L; one week ago, I said Last Night on Earth would be my only zombie recommendation for the month.⁴ Nevertheless, I thought this novel good enough to go back on my word.⁵ In a post-apocalyptic, zombie-filled world, Benny Imura gets stuck as a zombie-hunting apprentice to his coward of an older brother. But when he leaves the safety of the village and heads into the rot and ruin, he soon learns the undead aren't necessarily the worst thing out there. The villains are too focused on attack over self-preservation, but imbued with great characters and plot development and a surprising morality, this young adult books is definitely worth a read.

That's all, folks. Really. Run along now.


¹ Yet this footnote doesn't contain a single one. I know, I'm surprised, too.
² What an idea! Mobsters by day, wolves by night. The coppers will never catch on.
³ Not "most play" as in sexual terms. I mean they get the most love. No, that's not good either. Let's see... They're like a sweet caress on a warm—what the hell is wrong with me?
⁴ I knew that statement would rise up to bite me.
⁵ Or maybe I'm a zombie myself, and I'm trying to draw you in. Probably never thought of that, did you? Even with that big, delicious brain of yours.

A British Line

During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.

Queer thing—I picked two of the most familiar Q's today...

FILM

Quick Change
For Grimm (Bill Murray), robbing a bank dressed as a clown was the easy part.¹ It's when he and his fellow thieves (Geena Davis, Randy Quaid) try to get out of NYC with the money that everything seems to transpire against them. Not Murray's best, but a clever, witty, and underrated film.

TELEVISION

Quantum Leap
Just your average, everyday show about a guy who accidentally goes back in time into other people's bodies, doing what he can to right wrongs with the help of his holographic pal until he can find a way home. You know the type.

GAME

Quelf
During this game, you may end up wearing your belt as a headband or inserting the word bleep in every bleeping sentence. You may find yourself writing a short story about sausage and nail clippings, or hiding in a fort you built yourself with whatever was nearby. You may need to pantomime being stuck in a tree with five lobsters and an angry dwarf. I'm pretty sure the makers of the game just tried to come up with the wackiest things they thought people might actually do... but we do them. And laugh till it hurts. One of the most entertaining (and random) party games out there. (For 3-8 bleeping players.)

MUSIC

Queen
I know, I know, everyone has heard of Queen.² But I expect most of today's youth only know them for their rhapsodizing, rocking, championing, and possibly dust-biting. You poor, sheltered souls. There's so much more to Mercury & Co: bicycle riding, not stopping, looking for love, flashing, and so much more. It's (slightly) maddening, I tell you. Bow to their majesty.

LITERATURE

Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
I'm cheating; I never finished Quicksilver. Instead I'll use this space to hype Stephenson's fantastic earlier works. My favorite is Snow Crash (skip the dull chapters about 1s and 0s and focus on the samurai computer hacker and the 7-ft Aleutian with a nuclear warhead in his motorcycle sidecar), but I also highly recommend The Diamond Age (a young working-class girl gets lessons meant for the rich and powerful from a stolen book built with nanotechnology) and Cryptonomicon (a tale of code-making, code-breaking, and sunken treasure, split between WWII and a half-century later). Everything he's done since has been a bit dense (and long) for my taste, but the man sure knows how to write.

Is that all I've got for you today? Quite.


¹ Note: The bank wasn't dressed as a clown; Grimm was. But that should have been obvious. Everyone knows banks don't dress up as clowns anymore. (They've been blood-sucking vampires since 2008.)
² But who else could I have picked? I know at most one song from other Q groups, and I wasn't about to recommend a band based solely on "Stick 'Em Up," "Silent Lucidity," or whatever it is queens sung about in the stone age.

A Small Green Orb

During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.

P's in a Pod Edition
Pondering over a plethora of P programs, I couldn't pick. Perturbed, I put three in a pod.¹

FILM

Un Prophète (A Prophet)
Malik, a young French Arab, is in prison on an assault charge and just wants to serve his time in peace. But he's soon pulled into the middle of an ongoing conflict between the Corsican and Muslim gangs who basically run the joint. Doing his best to balance the mistrust of him on both sides, Malik slowly works his way up the mafia's hierarchy as he seeks his salvation.

TELEVISION

Police Squad!
Every guest star was dead before the opening credits ended. Each episode was chock-full of literal interpretations, sight gags, and non sequiturs. And the freeze frames at the close of each show were never completely frozen. Sounds fantastic, right? Yet it was cancelled after only six episodes. (Though, they did "revive" it for The Naked Gun trilogy.) At least you can watch the entire series in a matter of hours... unlike with my other three picks.²

GAME

Power Grid
Bid on the most powerful (or most efficient) power plants. Purchase supplies that get more expensive the later you buy. Then build out your grid and try to beat your competitors to the best cities. This is one of the best games out there for balance, because each turn, all the advantages go to the player in last place. As Spider-Man always says, "With great power come great disadvantages." (For 2-5 players. And addition skills definitely help.)

MUSIC

Propellerheads
My favorite electronica/big-beat group, but unfortunately they only put out one album. Possibly the best ever one-and-done band (for me, they edge out The Postal Service). You might recognize one song from the lobby scene of The Matrix, or maybe their hit "History Repeating." And their remix of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is also stunning. Actually, that goes for the entire album.

LITERATURE

The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby
The father of democracy is dead, fallen at the feet of young Nicolaos, who is then commissioned to find the murderer. Nico might be fictional, but the majority of his supporting cast are straight from the history books and ancient Greece (including his younger brother Socrates). Corby does a masterful job of weaving his own ideas with actual events — such as the murder itself — and imbues Greek history with far more life than my high school textbooks ever did. (Read my full review)

¹ The way I figure it, a monopod has one foot, a podiatrist is a foot doctor, and with my iPod I know when something's afoot. Therefore, this is pretty much a pod. (Technically, a notepod.)
² Pushing Daisies: If only every prematurely pulled program was given the option this one had. When this show — a fairy-tale-style story of a humble pie-maker (who helps solve murders by bringing the victims back to life for one minute) in love with a once-dead girl who he can't have because one more touch would re-kill her — learned the end had come, they were able to throw together one final pell-mell episode wrapping up all the storylines in one fell swoop.
  Party Down: A small catering company made up of Hollywood has-beens and wannabes works events ranging from funerals to reunions to adult award show afterparties to Steve Guttenberg's birthday. It's witty and bizarre and uncomfortable and I loved it. It's certainly not for everyone's tastes, but it might be yours.
  The Powers That Be: A short-lived show about a clueless Senator and his dysfunctional family and staff, including his chief of staff/mistress, his illegitimate daughter, political aide (Peter MacNicol), son-in-law (a pre-Frasier David Hyde Pierce) and grandson (a pre-3rd Rock Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Alas, this is another one that hasn't yet made it to DVD. Yet Jersey Shore's all over the goddamn place.

A Surprised Utterance

During this year's Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, I'm highlighting things more people should know about. For the most part, I'll be ignoring the most popular and widely known items (and sometimes my personal favorites) in order to promote the unfamiliar and underappreciated.

Open your mind to the possibilities...

FILM

Oldboy (Oldeuboi)
A man is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years without explanation. He's then given money, clothes, and a cell phone, and released without explanation. As he seeks out the people responsible to find answers and exact his revenge, it begins to become clear his tormentor's plan is very much still in motion. The second in Chan-wook Park's excellent vengeance trilogy.

TELEVISION

The Odd Couple
I tried to find a good obscure show to highlight today, but all the worthwhile ones were too well-known. Thus, I decided on a show everyone's heard of but which I suspect few have seen.¹ Two roommates: one neat and neurotic, the other a slob. Hilarity ensues.

GAME

Oh Hell!
Also known by dozens of other names, this is a game where the goal is to get the exact number of tricks you bid. It's played with a standard deck of cards, and for the first hand, you only get one card. You get two for the second, three for the third, and so on (and then the reverse). If you match your bid each hand, you get points; if not, you don't. Simple yet difficult. Crazy but fun.

MUSIC

Obadiah Parker
Musically, lyrically beautiful stuff. Especially his self-titled live album, which includes his phenomenal acoustic cover of OutKast's "Hey Ya!" His music isn't overly produced, so I'll take a page from his book liner notes and shut up so you can go listen to his talent and passion shine through.²

LITERATURE

One Shot by Lee Child
I'm cheating. Again. I haven't read this book. I have, however, read a half-dozen others by Lee Child and enjoyed every one, so I know what to expect here. Ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is thrust into some situation with murder and intrigue, and must use violence and crime-solving skills to see it through to the end. If it's beautifully written lyrical prose you seek, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for a taut action thriller with a kick-ass protagonist, reach for Reacher. Reach for Lee Child.

That's my opinion, anyway. But I bet there are other obscure ones I omitted. What have you got for me?


¹ Including me. Yeah, I know it's odd I haven't even seen a couple episodes, but that's just the way it is. My recommendation is based solely on popular sentiment, and on the wonderful Lemmon-Matthau film upon which the show was based.
² My one complaint is his albums are really only available through iTunes, with their proprietary audio format. Oh well, it's a small price to pay. (Plus the larger price for the albums themselves.)