Wednesday, July 16, 2003
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Wednesday, July 16, 2003 |
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Mike's picks for summer By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Every summer a number of publications put together their "What's Hot This Summer" columns. I'd like to jump on that bandwagon, mainly because I'm a day away from going on vacation and I want this to be quick and easy.
Great reads I am an avid reader and I have read some great books this summer, aside from the new Harry Potter book, which was terrific. The first book that I would like to recommend is "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. It is a nonfiction book about a graduate from Emory University named Chris McCandless, who gave up all of his material possessions, traveled around the country like a hobo for a period of time and then moved to Alaska to live off the land. McCandless died in Alaska and Krakauer examines not only why he died but also why he did what he did. It was a fascinating and quick read and I'd like to thank Robert Burch for lending it to me. Other books I have enjoyed recently have been "A Thousand Country Roads," which is the sequel to "The Bridges of Madison County" by Robert James Waller; "Miss Wyoming" by Douglas Coupland, which deals with a former actress and a successful movie executive caught up in finding themselves; and "My Losing Season" by Pat Conroy, which focuses on the end of his basketball career and the beginning of his writing career. I also urge everyone to pick up Stephen King's "The Gunslinger" and get into The Dark Tower series. He is about to release the long-awaited fifth installment and the last two books of the series (and, supposedly, of his career) are close behind. They are not typical King books and are like a mix of fantasy, westerns and science fiction all rolled together. Fans of King will also realize that nearly every book and short story he has written ties into this series in one way or another.
Cool movies Summer movie season is one of the best things about the summer and there have been a lot of big movies to come out this summer. The best movie I have seen so far has been "Finding Nemo," which has a great sense of humor, incredible visuals and a wonderful story. "28 Days Later" was also a nice surprise. Low-budget horror movies rarely resonate on the level that this film did. I found myself clenching my knuckles during several intense scenes and I really enjoyed the way the zombie genre was reinvented by director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. Other funs films I've seen this summer include "The Matrix Reloaded," "X2:X-Men United," and "Pirates of the Caribbean." I'm still looking forward to these movies, which will be out soon: "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over," "American Wedding," "Envy," and "Jason vs. Freddy."
Tubein' Last summer I gave up television; this summer, not so much. I don't watch a lot of T.V. but I do watch a few summer shows religiously. Sabine and I are hooked on "Paradise Hotel," which has to be the smuttiest show full of the shallowest people on the face of the planet. I love it. I sit there twice a week and yell at how awful and stupid the people are. I also really like Dr. Phil, who tells it like it is and is quite entertaining; "The New Tom Green Show"; and "Crime and Punishment," the real "Law and Order." I am looking forward to "Reno 911," which debuts on Comedy Central next Wednesday and features a few people from the now defunct comedy troupe "The State."
Summer sounds I have been making a lot of mix CDs to listen to on the deck this summer. For the most part, they are all really mellow. I recommend Jack Johnson's new album "On and On," Evan Dando's "Baby, I'm Bored," and a relatively new artist, Gemma Hayes. For more upbeat music, I recommend Guster, 311 and The White Stripes. Also, keep your ears open for the new Outkast album, due out in August. It is a double CD and features a lot of cool guests and funky, funky sounds. So, there you go. If you were stuck for things to pick up and read, watch or listen to, I hope this helped. I'll holler at you when I get back from vacation. Peace. I'm outta here.
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