Unknown Origins

tags: action, comedy, Netflix streaming, parody, Spanish movie, superheroes

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

from IMDB

Heroes do not exist. David, a young policeman who has recently moved to Madrid, is forced to collaborate with Jorge Elías - an endearing freak and owner of a comic book shop - in order to solve a series of atrocious murders that recreate the secret origins of the classic superheroes. Each grotesque murder is a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that has the streets of Madrid as a backdrop, but whose complete image they are unable to distinguish. Jorge's encyclopedic knowledge about the comic world and the unexpected discovery of David's dark past will be fundamental in helping them solve the enigma hidden behind the awful crimes. The clues will guide them through the Spanish capital, along a labyrinth designed by a disturbed criminal mind and the only person who knows how to find the exit. Will they be able to unravel the tangled mess of clues and win the game against the troubled criminal that tries to manipulate them? They say that, sometimes, it is necessary to put on a suit and get out ...

If you see it with very low expectations like I did, you'll probably enjoy this 96 minute action comedy from Spain, Origenes Secretos. It won't win any awards but it made me laugh a little. I got maybe almost all of the comic book, movie, and TV characters mentioned including some Japanese anime like Gantz:O and Berserk. It's easy to guess who the villain is.

This movie is not serious at all although not slapstick either. Watch it in the original European Spanish language with English subtitles.  

The Face Of A Stranger

tags: historical fiction, mystery, police procedural, reread 

⭐⭐

from GoodReads

His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. But the accident that felled him has left him with only half a life; his memory and his entire past have vanished. As he tries to hide the truth, Monk returns to work and is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a Crimean War hero and man about town. Which makes Monk's efforts doubly difficult, since he's forgotten his professional skills along with everything else...

I finished reading one of Anne Perry's new mystery series - the Daniel Pitt series - and I didn't like it one bit, I gave it 1 star. 

I've read several of her books including this first book in the British Victorian mystery series with Police Detective Monk and I remember liking it at the time. That was in the early 90s. I reread the first book, The Face Of A Stranger, and to my dismay, I thought it was tedious and meandering with Monk's frequent internal monologues because he's suffering from amnesia. Get on with the dang crime investigation instead of wondering what he did in the past and things, music, etc he liked. Sheesh! I also discovered my utter dislike for the nurse character, Hester Latterly who also has frequent internal monologues. Ugh! I'm wondering why I now have a different view of the characters and Anne Perry's writing style. 

I will tackle next time one of her stand alone novels, Tathea, which I read almost 20 years ago, I can't remember it anymore. A fantasy and if I recall has some religious themes. 

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Bit of trivia re Anne Perry

Anne Perry was born Juliet Marion Holme in England. She and her family moved to New Zealand when she was very young and there she committed a serious crime although it was her friend who did the deed. She was the subject of the 1994 Peter Jackson movie Heavenly Creatures starring Kate Winslett. I remember watching it but never knew the 15 year old murderess is one of my most read authors. The movie is based on the murder of the mother of Juliet's friend, Pauline Parker. The girls killed the woman, were both found guilty and "detained", whatever that means, then released to their parents after 5 years. She and her family moved back to England after her release. 

Stonehearst Asylum

tags: book adaptation, dark, insane asylum

⭐⭐ 

This 2014 movie, currently streaming on Amazon, is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe very short story, a dark comedy, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. This movie adaptation could have been good but the writer and director turned it into a predictable and unsatisfactory tale - a lost opportunity. Read the full EAP story here.

Ben Kingsley as always is good as Silas Lamb and he alone deserves the 2 stars. What I don't like is not the predictable twist in the ending. It's the 2 leads I couldn't stand, Kate Beckinsale and Jim Sturgess,  whose mouths are always open. Always. It seems the director was not able to tell these 2 actors to close their mouths whenever there are no dialog. Open mouth acting is a pet peeve of mine. But it's just me probably. This movie placed Kate at the top 5 of my list of untalented actors, Keira Knightley is currently at number 1. 

2 Classic Comedy Movies - PLAYTIME and THE PARTY

tags: comedy, Jacques Tati, Peter Sellers

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

These 2 movies have something in common - Tati's and Sellers's characters created hilarious chaos without any self awareness. Great actors, although IMHO, Jacques Tati is still the best.

PlayTime is currently streaming on Kanopy.

The Party is currently streaming on Amazon.

Highly recommended

.

Utopia Avenue

tags: fictional British band, the 60s

from GoodReads

Utopia Avenue is the strangest British band you’ve never heard of. Emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967 and fronted by folk singer Elf Holloway, guitar demigod Jasper de Zoet, and blues bassist Dean Moss, Utopia Avenue released only two LPs during its brief, blazing journey from the clubs of Soho and drafty ballrooms to Top of the Pops and the cusp of chart success, and on to glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome, and a fateful American fortnight in the autumn of 1968.

David Mitchell’s captivating new novel tells the unexpurgated story of Utopia Avenue; of riots in the streets and revolutions in the head; of drugs, thugs, madness, love, sex, death, art; of the families we choose and the ones we don’t; of fame’s Faustian pact and stardom’s wobbly ladder. Can we change the world in turbulent times, or does the world change us?

I'm a bit uncertain if I like or love David Mitchell's latest novel. The characters are not very likable and their back stories, except Jasper de Zoet's, are rather boring. There are plenty of cameos from real people from the music and arts scenes but they seem contrived and tedious. Mitchell again incorporates a few characters and places from his previous novels - Marinus and Enomoto and the town of Gravesend where Dean is originally from. Jasper's great great great grandfather is Jacob de Zoet from a previous novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Jasper's story is the more interesting of the 4 band members. He is schizophrenic, actually someone is living in his head since he was 16 years old. He spent 2 years in an asylum until he was given a classical Spanish guitar as a therapy. The only notable part that made me smile is the short conversation under a dining table between Jasper and John Lennon.

Utopia Avenue band is a mix of progressive rock, jazz, folk, and blues. 1968/69 Deep Purple music comes to mind right away. Although Pink Floyd is mentioned in the book as one of the progressive rock bands at the time, DP [before they changed the lead singer and became a generic screecher band] in my imagination closely resembles the sound of Utopia Avenue if it was a real band. Jasper de Zoet, described as a guitar god, has a German girlfriend who lived with him for a while, just like DP guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had a German girlfriend living with him in London. BTW, I love eclectic music specially when merged together. Example: jazz with a bit of classical, pop, electronica, and heavy metal elements. Yes, to me it's not weird at all.

Deep Purple 

 

Jasper's practice guitar music - Andres Segovia, RECUERDOS DE LA ALHAMBRA

Update 09/4/20: after rereading the novel, I have added another star. I'm still not liking the Elf character and her story. She is just not an interesting person IMHO.

The Woman In The Moonlight

 

tags: Amazon First Reads, Beethoven, Giulietta Guicciardi, historical fiction, "Moonlight" sonata

from GoodReads

A stirring and romantic historical novel about nineteenth-century Vienna and the tragedy and dynamic passion that inspired Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

Vienna, 1800. Countess Julie Guicciardi’s life is about to change forever. The spirited eighteen-year-old is taking piano lessons with Ludwig van Beethoven, the most talented piano virtuoso in the musical capital of Europe. She is captivated by his volatile genius, while he is drawn to her curiosity and disarming candor. Between them, a unique romance. But Beethoven has a secret he’s yet to share, and Julie is harboring a secret of her own, one so scandalous it could destroy their perfect love story.

When Beethoven discovers the truth, he sets his emotions to music, composing a mournful opus that will become the Moonlight Sonata. The haunting refrain will follow Julie for the rest of her life.

Set against the rich backdrop of nineteenth-century Vienna, The Woman in the Moonlight is an exhilarating ode to eternal passion. An epic tale of love, loss, rivalry, and political intrigue. A stirring portrait of a titan who wrestled with the gods and a woman who defied convention to inspire him.

Ugh! What did Beethoven ever do to deserve disgusting fictionalized stories about him and his ladies.  First, the hokey movie, Immortal Beloved, which is tolerable because Gary Oldman was good as Beethoven and I like the soundtrack. 

I cannot say the same for this new historical fiction novel featuring the Hungarian Countess Giulietta Guicciardi who was supposed to be the dedicatee to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, or what is known as "Moonlight" sonata. I can understand fictionalization for romantic novel purposes but this book made me cringe so much. The book reads like a Wikipedia entry with emotionless main character narrating in the first person, Julie/Giulietta. The language IMHO is too modern for the 1800s. Julie describes Beethoven as a short man at 5 feet 4 inches tall and she 5 feet 8 inches tall. What young woman in the 1800s contemplates on stature? Nothing to do or think about? Geez. There is so much "telling" instead of showing events and their relationship. The author did a lot of research but she also trivialized Beethoven and his fictional lady love. I also hated the stupid maid of Julia, Lucy, who is so annoying and does not know her place. She's written as if she's an equal to the countess. SMH. Stupid author. I bet Beethoven will be needing very sturdy straps to prevent him from turning over and over in his grave. *Julie in real life did not fall in love with Beethoven, nor did he with her although he dedicated Piano Sonata No. 14 to her.*

This novel is one of the choices for September 2020 Amazon First Reads. Avoid it if you love Beethoven and his music and/or if you want to keep your IQ points.