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.)

The Center of Attention

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.

Now then, let's get to it.

FILM

A Night at the Opera
Everyone knows of the Marx Brothers. That's not the point. The point is most people will tell you Duck Soup is their best film, when it's actually this one. The trio tries to help a friend get the recognition he deserves as a singer, and get the girl, though like in any Marx Bros. flick the plot isn't the point. The point is... well, I've already told you the point. So point your remote at the TV and get to laughing.¹

TELEVISION

NewsRadio
If you've never seen this, it might surprise you anyone would recommend a show with either Andy Dick or Joe Rogan, let alone both of them. But when you've got (the amazing) Phil Hartman and (the insane) Stephen Root to balance things out, you may even find yourself starting to like Dick (and/or Rogan). A wonderful show. It would have lasted longer, but for Brynn Hartman robbing the world of her husband; Jon Lovitz can be quite good (*cough* The Critic *cough*), but he's no Phil Hartman.

GAME

Notre Dame
In the shadows of the Cathedral, you're vying for gold, prestige, and influence markers (to gain even more gold and prestige). Each turn, you get three action cards. Do you keep the one you want the most, or one you don't want your opponents to have? Oh, and don't forget about the rats. More arrive every turn, and if you don't keep those buggers at bay, they'll plague you. Literally. (For 2-5 players.)

MUSIC

Nehedar
The first time I heard Nehedar's music, it was through a stranger's headphones while on a bus to D.C. That stranger's name? Nehedar.² She was only working on her first album at the time, but now she's got five under her belt. Her songs have a great mix of styles that complement her beautiful voice, and you need to check out High Tide, just released last month. Fan. Tas. Tic.

LITERATURE

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
It was the best of books, it was the worst of books. I don't read a great deal of fantasy novels, since I can only take so much of characters named "Hrothgar, son of Prothisnar, Grand Vizier of the Council of Tiddlewazzle" fighting off thieves and then sitting around a fire eating stew. But this book isn't like that. Here, one character recounts his amazing life, from his childhood as a travelling performer through his transformation into a legendary (and notorious) magician. It truly is a riveting tale. But here's my problem: I knew this was the first of a series, but from the way it opened I assumed he'd tell his whole story and then the end of the book (as well as future books) would have him dealing with the current threat. Instead, it ends with him 1/3 of the way through his story. I'm not saying this to stop you from reading it. You should still read it. It's excellent. But now that you know what's what, you shouldn't reach the end with the same disappointment and frustration I did.

¹ Note: Pointing the remote might not be enough. Try clicking some buttons, too.
² Okay, technically her name is Emilia; she just records under Nehedar. But if I'd said, "That stranger's name? Emilia." you'd have all been like, "Who the hell is Emilia? Your wife? I thought your wife's name was Denise." and I'd have been like, "Whatever. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, since I didn't, seeing as how we're not actually talking right now. You're just reading my blog." and you'd have been like, "Well, I was reading your blog, but now we're just having an imaginary conversation in a footnote, and you're starting to piss me off." and I'd have been like, "La la la la la la la." So, it's good I said it the way I did.

A Kansas Auntie

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.

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Edition!
There are far too many great M's, and we get tomorrow off, so why not share an even dozen...

FILM

Miller's Crossing
If the Coen brothers have one film that's woefully underappreciated, this is it. During the prohibition era, two rival gangs vie for control of the city, with the Irish mob boss's right-hand man (Gabriel Byrne) caught in the middle. Ambushes, shifting loyalties, and powerful performances by a colorful array of characters make this one fantastic piece of noir.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
A Korean War vet (Frank Sinatra) investigates the cause of his recurring nightmares only to discover a war hero has been brainwashed to become a political assassin. Let me just say, when I first saw this film, two or three times I found myself thinking, "Holy crap! Did that just happen?! In a movie from the 60s?! Holy crap!" If you haven't seen it before, you need to watch this movie. You'll never look at Angela Lansbury the same way again.

Moon
After an accident near the end of his 3-year solo mission at a lunar station, Sam Bell makes an unexpected discovery, and begins to doubt first his sanity and then his true role at the station. Now, you may think a movie starring Sam Rockwell (and only Sam Rockwell) might not be that good, but you would be oh so very wrong.

M
The classic. Berlin police are having trouble catching a child murderer (the magnificent Peter Lorre, in one of his earliest roles), and since their search is disturbing the city's other criminals, the criminals decide to catch him for themselves. A cinematic masterpiece.

TELEVISION

Monty Python's Flying Circus
Of course, everyone's heard of Monty Python, but I suspect many of you only know the Holy Grail and a few of their most popular sketches. Let's take a poll. If you've never seen one of their episodes, raise your hand. Yeah, it's just as I thought: I can't see your hands through the monitor. Point is, the show is far better than any of their movies. So put your hands down and go watch some Flying Circus.

Murder One
One murder. The trial plays out over an entire season, with a young Hollywood actor known for his substance abuse accused of killing a teenage girl. The series featured excellent writing and a stellar cast (including Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci in supporting roles), with enough twists and misdirection to make it a gripping legal thriller. (Note: The second season, which I gave up on partway through, covered three cases instead of one.)

GAME

Mr. Jack in New York
Jack the Ripper is loose in Manhattan, his identity narrowed down to 8 suspects. You play as either Mr. Jack or the Detective, and every round you each control two of the suspects, maneuvering them around the board and using their special abilities to either try to unveil and catch Jack, or to make your escape. A clever strategy game for two players.

MUSIC

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Behold! The ultimate punk rock cover band! Each album contains punk versions of a different type of music, from classic rock hits of the 60s and 70s to show tunes to R&B classics to country. In this fast-paced world, who has the time to listen to all those slower songs from decades past? Well, that's why God invented punk: you get twice the energy (and three times the fun) in half the time. Go ahead, check them out. And relive your old favorites.

Mountain Goats
I first came across this group when their song "Cotton" played at the end of an episode of Weeds. Singer John Darnielle combines fantastic lyrics with striking melodies to create some truly wonderful music. I especially enjoy the album The Sunset Tree, filled with autobiographical elements from his early childhood spent with an abusive stepfather.

The Mars Volta
Their debut, De-Loused at the Comatorium, is one of my favorite albums of all time. Now, there are several tried-and-true techniques — focusing on melody, rhythm, lyrics, etc. — which producers often employ to create hit songs. The Mars Volta ignore every single one of them, and the album's all the better for it. (Oh yeah, and their other albums are pretty good, too.)

LITERATURE

Mom's Marijuana by Dan Shapiro
The true story of how, when my cousin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, my aunt — a decidedly anti-drug woman — grew pot in the backyard of her suburban Connecticut home. A witty, emotional memoir of cancer-survival experiences that I still count among the best books I've ever read. (And yes, this was written by the same cousin who will be appearing in Great American Manhunt on the NatGeo channel starting 4/19.)

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy
In this debut mystery by mother-daughter writing team P.J. Tracy, a string of bizarre Minneapolis murders mirror those in a new online computer game, including ones on levels no player has yet reached. The software company's employees try to identify the next victims in order to stop the murders, but become suspects themselves as more and more secrets (and more and more bodies) are revealed. The characters are quirky, the plot twisted, and the wit wonderful. An excellent read.

My my my, that's a lot of recommendations. If you read them all, my hat's off to you. If you didn't, please notice my hat still sitting squarely on my head. (Yes, I have a square hat. What of it?)

Yet, even with all these M's, I'm sure I missed some. Enlighten me.

The Train in Chicago

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.

Double Hockey Stick Edition!
Why am I forcing myself to do twice as much work? Heck if I know.

FILM

Das Leben Der Anderen (The Lives of Others)
In East Berlin, before the fall of the Wall, a secret service agent conducts surveillance on individuals thought to have Western sentiments. But, just as his observations cause him to be increasingly drawn into their stories, you'll be increasingly drawn into his. A phenomenal film.

The Lookout
I had to get at least one Joseph Gordon-Levitt film in, and this might be my favorite role of his. Working as a night janitor at a bank after an accident leaves him with both physical ailments and a poor memory, he is recruited by a small gang to act as lookout as they rob the place. But when he tries to back out of the deal, the gang has other plans. A fantastic depiction of someone dealing with a traumatic brain injury,¹ with a great turn by Jeff Daniels as his blind roommate.

TELEVISION

Last Comic Standing
Not a great show, I admit, but how many season-long competition shows are?² Besides, I likes me some stand-up comedy.

Leverage
This one is so unfamiliar even I've never seen it. No, really. (In my defense, it is in my Netflix queue.) So, how does a show I've never seen make this list? Simple: My friend's wife is one of the writers. And with high-tech crooks attempting to steal from the wealthy and corrupt, it sounds like my type of show. You should watch it. (And so should I.)

GAME

Last Night On Earth
Surprisingly, my only zombie recommendation for the month. You choose your role: hero, or leader of the unending zombie horde. Heroes must coordinate to share supplies and fight for survival; the walking dead just get to keep going for the jugular.³ With various hero roles and end-game scenarios to choose from, a board with different possible layouts, and an array of cards to shift the balance, you can play these epic battles again and again long into the night. (Plays best with 2-5 players, and has multiple expansions.)

Lost Cities
By playing an expedition's cards in numeric order, you can make your way toward up to five different lost cities. But make your decisions wisely: Judicious play (and luck) can compound your success, but if an expedition fails to make much ground, you'll rack up negative points. A simple yet fun family game for 2 players.

MUSIC

The Levellers
A lively English band with both punk and traditional influences, the Levellers have always sounded somewhat Celtic to me, I suspect because of all the excellent fiddlin'. They may not be Celtic, but they are a blast. Have a listen.

Lenni Jabour
Frankly, I'll be astonished if even one of you has ever heard of her. I stumbled across a song of hers on some odd compilation 15 years ago, and sought out her first, self-titled album. It was just seven tracks of her and her piano, but it was brilliant. Her more recent stuff doesn't have quite the same feel, but I'll always be a fan.

LITERATURE

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore is easily one of the funniest authors working today, and this is his finest work. It chronicles what Jesus may have done in all that time he wasn't in the Bible. You know, the first 30 years of his life. No matter your beliefs, this is a must read.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Most people focus on the disturbing love affair between Humbert Humbert and young Lolita, but the real story here is Vladimir Nabokov's love affair with the English language. Hauntingly brilliant. No matter your level of squeamishness, a must read.

Lo and behold, we've reached the end at last. But if you have a suggestion for me, let 'er rip.


¹ He researched the role extensively to ensure he wouldn't be playing a caricature. You'll note he didn't show nearly the same dedication for G.I.Joe: Rise of the Cobra.
² My guess is two. And even that might be stretching it.
³ Or perhaps the cerebellum.