The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is the third movie (and novel) of Stieg Larsson’s MILLENNIUM series. I thought the novel was the weakest book in the trilogy. The first book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, although deeply flawed, was the best book. The Girl Who Played With Fire was a so-so middle book in the series. Part of the problem with The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is that goth hacker Lisbeth Salander spends half the movie in a hospital bed and most of the second half sitting in a court room. That makes for a very static movie (and novel). But I loved Noomi Rapace’s performance in all three movies playing Salander. Although she looks like one of Drongo’s Bad Girls, Salander captures a spirit of independence and strength that seldom shows itself in Hollywood movies or conventional novels. She’s a character I wish Stieg Larsson had lived to write his planned 10 book series about. Unfortunately, we only have these three books and three movies. Let’s enjoy them. GRADE: B

If you’re a fan of Sixties music, you’ll enjoy Mayer Hawthorne’s A Strange Arrangment. Mayer Hawthorne has created a faux-Motown CD with songs that are clever imitations of his favorite song-writers: Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry, Barry White, Smokey Robinson and Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Edward Holland, Jr. It’s a fun CD to listen to. GRADE: A-
SET LIST
1. Prelude 0:26
2. A Strange Arrangement 4:16
3. Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out 2:30
4. Maybe So, Maybe No 2:58
5. Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’ 3:03
6. I Wish It Would Rain 3:57
7. Make Her Mine 2:41
8. One Track Mind 2:06
9. The Ills 2:49
10. Shiny & New 3:00
11. Let Me Know 3:03
12. Green Eyed Love

Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS was praised by both critics and audiences when it debuted in 1927 Berlin, but when it was edited for distribution by Channing Pollock (who hated the film) great chunks of the movie were removed which substantially changed the storyline. That version of METROPOLIS had visual style, but the film proved a critical and box office disappointment in the United States. With the introduction of sound, METROPOLIS was nearly forgotten and surviving prints of the film began to corrode and decay. When METROPOLIS showed up on VHS and DVD the results were disappointing. A great portion of METROPOLIS, as much a quarter of the film or more, has been lost forever, but this Kino Blu-ray release is the best version of the film available. The previously cut footage that still exists has been restored, gaps in the film have been bridged by stills and explanatory title cards, the film has been digitally restored, and the soundtrack is the Gottfried Huppertz original created for the film’s 1927 Berlin debut played by the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra of Berlin. You shouldn’t miss seeing this legendary movie! GRADE: A

More pulp fiction artwork! This time it’s not on a DVD but in a nifty hardcover that you can buy for around $10! Gary Lovisi has assembled some fabulous pulp covers. I’ve seen the classic Sin Street, but the eye-popping Atomic Blonde was new to me. Plenty of Midwood and Monarch artwork is displayed in grand style. Who could fail to be stunned by the cover on Satan Was My Pimp? This book would make a great stocking stuffer for some avid pulp fans! Thanks go to James Reasoner who first blogged about Bad Girls Need Love Too on http://jamesreasoner.blogspot.com/

I’ve just finished correcting over 100 research papers. In the past, my hand would be cramped from all the writing (some student papers have tons of mistakes!). However, this time my hand has been spared the normal pain and stiffness of repetitive writing by the Avery eGEL red pen I used. In the past, I’ve used BIC ball point pens and Sharpies. But this year, I discovered the Avery eGEL pen. What a difference! The gel ink is formulated to produce an ultra smooth writing experience, so your hand glides easily across the page. The transparent barrel lets you monitor the ink level, and a contoured grip rests comfortably against your fingers. The Avery eGEL enhances the writing experience with its intelligent design. This is the best ball point pen I’ve ever used! Try one out. You’ll love it!

Pulp Fiction Art won the 2006 “Best Documentary” award at both the Dragon*Con Film Festival and The Internation Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival. Jamie McDonald based his film on the pulp art collection of Robert Lesser. I’m sure many of you have already seen this documentary, but it was new to me. My only quibble is that it’s only 57 minutes long. I could have easily been entertained by another hour of great pulp fiction artwork! GRADE: B+

In an age of texting and Tweets, letters are completely archaic. Yet, in these pages, letters to John Cheever, Philip Roth, Martin Amis, Ralph Ellison, Cynthia Ozick, William Faulkner, his five wives, his sons, and his friends is where you’ll find plenty of the unguarded Saul Bellow that you won’t see in his novels, stories, or essays. Just read Bellow’s letter to a dying John Cheever. If your eyes don’t get misty, you have a heart of stone. Even in his letters to his editors, the Bellow eloquence and wit shine through. Bellow, inexplicably, isn’t taught at most colleges or universities any more. Despite his three National Book Awards, despite winning the Nobel Prize, Bellow is on his way to being forgotten. If you love wonderful writing, you’ll find it in these 700 letters!

Thanks to Drongo for recommending Cee Lo Green! The Lady Killer captures the essence of 1960s soul music. Cee Lo Green even throws in some James Bond music riffs in the John Barry tradition. You might remember Cee Lo Green as one of the duo in Gnarls Barkley who scored with the hit, “Crazy.” If you’re a fan of soul music, you have to listen to Cee Lo Green’s unique style. I’m going to wear this CD out! GRADE: A-
SET LIST
1 The Lady Killer Theme (Intro) 1:37
2 Bright Lights Bigger City 3:38
3 F**k You 3:42
4 Wildflower 4:03
5 Bodies 3:43
6 Love Gun 3:20
7 Satisfied 3:26
8 I Want You 3:36
9 Cry Baby 3:27
10 Fool For You 3:40
11 It’s OK 3:46
12 Old Fashioned 3:24
13 No One’s Gonne Love You 3:29
14 The Lady Killer Theme (Outro)

I’m a huge fan of Harold McGee’s classic On Food and Cooking : The Science and Lore of the Kitchen so I was excited when I heard Harold McGee was bringing out a new book. Keys to Good Cooking presents modern scientific understanding of cooking. McGee takes you step-by-step from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare asparagus: peel, don’t snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables; and how to present it: coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface. Rather than just a collection of recipes, Keys to Good Cooking shows you how to be a better cook and how to prepare more delicious meals. If you know someone who loves to cook, give them this book for the holidays and they’ll thank you year after year! GRADE: A