18 July 2010

New Book Review: Matterhorn: a novel of the Vietnam War

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I have just posted a new book review on my Zenwind blog. It reviews Karl Marlantes book, Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War (2010). One of the best war novels I’ve ever read.
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13 July 2010

The Runaways: Joan Jett before The Blackhearts

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Movie Review: Fearing that this film’s limited showing will soon end in Bangkok theaters, I took an early boat downriver to the city just to see The Runaways. It’s a film about the late-‘70s all-girl band that Joan Jett was in before she hit it big with The Blackhearts. The long boat and rail trip there and back knocked the hell out of me, and I’ll be incapacitated and in pain for several days, but it was worth it.
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I was never familiar with the music of this band, The Runaways, because in those days I was on the go, climbing in all my spare time, and I was oriented to rock radio rather than albums. And The Runaways’ brief fame was more overseas than in America, and they were especially popular in Japan. But I do remember Joan Jett and The Blackhearts later hitting the radio waves in the early ‘80s. Wow!
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“I love rock and roll!
Put another dime in the jukebox, Baby!”
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This film isn't really a classic, and it doesn’t make my list of my favorite reviews, but it does present the raw and rude nature of the ‘70s. Kristen Stewart plays Joan Jett quite well, and Dakota Fanning plays The Runaways’ teen singer Cherie. The downward spiral of substance abuse was a basic part of that infamous decade. If you want a sample of the ‘70s, and/or if you like these young actresses, you might be interested in catching this film on DVD.
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