Category: Stu’s Reviews

Stu’s Reviews- #309- Novel “Trace”- Archer Mayor

Genre: Novel

Grade: A

Notable People: Archer Mayor

Title: Trace

Review: the 26th or 27th in Mayor’s long running Joe Gunther series- and one of the best yet. Archer has taken a dramatic turn in style, with three coinciding and gripping mysteries- each involving one of Joe s fictional VBI squad. The book alternates between the chapters on the three of them, which I found quite different and captivating. In the meantime our fearless leader, Joe, is off in the West tending to his elderly and ill mother for much of the book (though providing his usual soulful guidance and tidbits of wisdom)…..which may be Archers foreshadowing of less Joe and more of the others (more Willie, yes!) in the future installments. this makes some sense, as by our calculations, Joe, who is a Korean war veteran , must be approaching ninety at this point. An awfully good read- these books never disappoint….and Archer seems to be getting better in his advancing age.

Stu’s Reviews- #308- Film- “Molly’s Game”

Genre: Film

Grade: A

Notable People: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin
Costner, Micheal Cera, Directed by: Aaron Sorkin

Title: Molly’s Game

Review: this film caught me off guard. Did not expect much, and got an awful lot. This is Sorkin’s directorial debut- after years as a screen writer and playwright (“A Few Good Men”, “The West Wing”). It is an absolutely brilliant first effort- with a dialog that never quits- keeping you on your toes for the entire film. Chastain is marvelous-playing totally against type, and meets her match in Elba- her reluctant lawyer fighting the Justice Department . The story itself is fascinating (Chastain plays the woman who runs giant high stakes poker games for years in LA and then New York). The sets and scenes seem ultra-dead-on and the characters, though limited portraits, are fascinating. Best Costner performance in years and Cera is his usual droll, excellent self. This movie was a real surprise……..really, really liked it.

Stu’s Reviews- #307- Album- Neil Young- “The Visitor”

Genre: Album

Grade: A-

Notable People: Neil Young and The Promise of the Real

Title: The Visitor

Review: “Earth is like a church without a preacher”…..chant this 30 times…so ends the most recent Neil Young epiphany. An album that starts with “Already Great” ( as in, we don’t need to “make America great again”)- and includes his ode to the “Liar in Chief”. Fifty years on ,and Neil is still making statements about the Earth, love and when bad got good. He seems to have found his new Crazy Horse in the form of this band which features two of Willie Nelson’s boys and look like they could be his grand kids. But, that has never deterred Neil. Widely acknowledged as the grandfather of grunge and punk….he remains a force in both angry political statements and sweeter than hell love songs. This one e combines both. If you listen to the first two bars of the first song, you know it’s Neil- is there a more distinctive sound in modern music? This is not his best album, but even Monet’s bad water lilies were worth studying. Long live the grunge master.

Stu’s Reviews- #306- Album- Van Morrison- “Roll With the Punches”

Genre: Album

Grade: A-

Notable People: Van The Man with Jeff Beck and Georgie Fame

Title: Roll With the Punches

Review: Van the Man is back….again and endlessly. Nothing really new here- just his consistently fine R&B and Jazzy takes on his own and classic material. If you are a fan of the Van, you will want to hear this. Van remains one of the great singers of the modern era and having Jeff Beck on guitar and Georgie Fame on the keys is a big added bonus. If you are more pop music driven, go out get a copy of Moondance or Astral Weeks and hear the Man in his other earlier manifestations. A good winter listen.

Stu’s Reviews- #305- Film- “The Disaster Artist”

Genre: Film

Grade: A

Notable People: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth
Rogan, Directed by: James Franco

Title: The Disaster Artist

Review: I LOVED this film. Truly eccentric –truly bizarre. This is the story of the making of what is generally regarded as the worst film ever made- “The Room”. The original was made in the late 90s at the unbelievably high production cost (at the time) of six million dollars and shown for one night in one theater. It has now become a cult favorite- having midnight showings where everyone knows every word of the inane dialog (like Rocky Horror). The two main participants have never made another film- but are alive and infamous. This rendering is subtly funny beyond belief and Franco is unbelievably spot on as the extraordinarily weird Tommy Wiseau. Half way through the movie I began to really like it and found it riveting from there on. This is one strange film.

Stu’s Reviews- #304- Album- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band- 50th Anniversary Edition- Who Else?????

Genre: Album

Grade: A++

Notable People: The Fab Four- Produced by: Gilles
Martin

Title: Sgt. Pepper at 50

Review: Wow…Wow…Wow…and let me introduce to you, the one and only Billy Shears…how could the most musically defining work of the last half of the 20th century be better? You get Paula and Ringo’s blessing and set out to make a real stereo album from the original mono four track tapes with the son of the original producer (Sir George Martin) at the helm. This is amazing stuff. Hear the whole dam thing in perfect stereo, listen to Ringo drum…(he may be the best of all time) and then all the original studio outtakes of the beginnings of these incredible performances. SPLHCB ws the most riveting audio experience that had ever come about when it appeared 50 years ago…so far beyond anything to that date…and now it is redone in a glory that was not possible at that time. Run! Get it! Play it LOUD and OFTEN.

Stu’s Reviews- #303- Novel- “The Hunting Wind”- Steve Hamilton

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-

Notable People: Steve Hamilton

Title: The Hunting Wind

Review: this is the second one I’ve read in this series featuring Alex McKnight- former Detroit cop living in the middle of nowhere along the Canadian Border of Michigan’s UP (Upper Peninsula for the uneducated). It’s an intriguing place and McKnight is an intriguing character; trying to resist a new life as a reluctant private investigator. This story is pretty complex a (and a bit farfetched) but it’s a humdinger and very quick engaging read. I like this guy….and he loves Michigan and really knows Detroit for the select few that might have interest in that.

Stu’s Reviews- #302- Book- “Jewish Noir”

Genre: Novel

Grade: A+

Notable People: Various Authors; Edited and Compiled by: Kenneth Wishnia

Title: Jewish Noir

Review: the art of Noir- as in “Film Noir” connotes dark and disturbing stories with typically unresolved and not happy endings- which probably fits as well for the Jewish Experience as it does for any other métier. Here in one masterful volume are forty or so short stories by a dizzying collection of talented writers that are all centered on Jewish experience “Noir” stories. They range from the early part of the 20th century (a never before Yiddish to English translation from 1912 of a story by Yente Serdatsky), to mid century Israel to very recent politically oriented stories of Jewish life and struggle in America (see the two ending stories by the brilliant short story writer, Harlan Ellison). They take place in New York, LA, Montreal, the Midwest, Jerusalem, London and points around the globe…and are as varied and complex as the Jewish people themselves. This book floored me…absolutely loved it. A don’t miss opportunity to read the best of this genre of writing.

Stu’s Reviews- #302- Film- “The Shape of Water”

Genre: Film

Grade: A-/B+

Notable People: Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Micheal Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Title: The Shape of Water

Review: A beautifully done film- clever, creative, heartwarming an brave. Hawkins is a discovery, Jenkins in another masterful role and Shannon is his usual personification of evil (see his mobster psychopath in Boardwalk Empire). Del Toro is masterful at putting scenes together and getting inside character’s heads. I like this film quite well (and the messages and metaphors are pretty powerful)..…though not as much as the hype for it might have prescribed.

Stu’s Reviews- #302- Novel- ” The Night Detectives”- Jon Talton

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+

Notable People: Jon Talton

Title: The Night Detectives

Review: Talton has been writing this Phoenix based detective series since the early 90s- featuring David Mapstone- a PhD. historian who becomes the “cold case” expert as a detective foe the Maricopa County Sheriffs’ department…..and then a private detective with his former boss. Mike Peralta- who has been un-elected as the longtime sheriff of the county. Definitely a film noir quality to the books and the stories are engaging. Talton’s’ extreme love fest with all things Phoenix is quite endearing- probably more info than you ever dreamed of about the old western city that became a sun drenched haven from the snow and cold. This book has a bit of far-fetchedness in it, but who’s judging……decent writer, not great. I may try a couple more of the series, but not hooked.