…six geese a-laying,

…five golden rings,

…four calling birds,

…three french hens,

…two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

About Twelve Days of Christmas

About Twelve Days of Christmas…

Se7en

To symbolize the gift on the seventh day of Christmas (seven swans a-swimming) we decided to focus on the number not the gift, and we selected the movie Se7en.

David Fincher’s first movie as a feature length director was Alien 3, which was a borderline disaster, but his breakout performance was his next movie Se7en. Every scene jumps off the screen. And the suspense builds throughout the movie as Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) discover each new crime scene, rake over the clues, and get closer the finding the killer. As they discover each new body, the unnamed city they are in is constantly rainy, dark, and depressing (this style is blatantly copied in the American version of The Killing).

As usual, Fincher gets the most out of his cast, which included Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The actor who played the killer, one of Hollywood’s best, was not billed in the movie posters, and did no promotion for the movie so that it would be a surprise to the audience, at least to those who saw it opening weekend. I will continue this tradition and encourage those of you who have not seen it, not to look it up, but instead to watch the movie to find out.

Se7en

David Fincher’s first movie as a feature length director was Alien 3, which was a borderline disaster, but his breakout performance was his next movie Se7en. Every scene jumps off the screen. And the suspense builds throughout the movie as Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) discover each new crime scene, rake over the clues, and get closer the finding the killer. As they discover each new body, the unnamed city they are in is constantly rainy, dark, and depressing (this style is blatantly copied in the recently released American version of The Killing). As usual, Fincher gets the most out of his cast, which included Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The actor who played the killer, one of Hollywood’s best, was not billed in the movie posters, and did no promotion for the movie so that it would be a surprise to the audience, at least to those who saw it opening weekend. I will continue this tradition and encourage those of you who have not seen it, not to look it up, but instead to watch the movie to find out.

Honorary Status

Of any American movie, I think Se7en deserves honorary status in the “Deckare” genre (“deckare” is the Swedish word for crime fiction). So I also think if anyone can pull off an American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it is David Fincher. He was robbed of an Oscar for The Social Network, so I think he was extremely motivated to go back to the crime genre and create a movie that will amaze.

I also encourage “Deckare” fans to check out Zodiac—it is not quite as good as Se7en, but it is another good Fincher crime movie about a serial killer.

Fincher is also teaming up again with the Oscar winning composer Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. While The Social Network was Reznor’s first official movie score, he actually remixed his hit Closer for the classic and creepy opening sequence which sets the stage for Se7en. So I will wait to judge the Dragon Tattoo remake until after I have seen it in the theaters, but I am confident it is in good hands.

John W. Arterberry

Storyline

The English Secret Service has a super-secret spy organization called CHERUB, and its agents are tough orphans.

The book is about twelve-year-old James, who lives in the slums of London until his mom dies, and then he ends up at an orphanage. He is mostly on the streets getting into trouble. Until CHERUB recruits him that is.

Now James has to attend spy school, which is difficult but he has fun and gets to know a lot of friends who are similar to him. The life at school is not just fun and games. James is a good student and it is time for his first assignment. Fighting terrorists!

Exciting Book

Can a twelve-year-old fight terrorism? The CHERUB organization thinks so. Because children can do things adults cannot. No one suspects a child. The story is pretty scary but very exciting. Sometimes it seems more like a book for adults than teenagers. The good thing is that the story is so exciting at all times. I wonder if there could be a spy organization like that in real life. Maybe. The Recruit is the first part of the CHERUB series and I will definitely read more!

Martin, 14 years old

Questions That I Am Asked Frequently*

By Jeff Shelby, Author of Liquid Smoke

I am asked many questions frequently. Or, at least in my head, I am asked questions frequently. Or maybe that is just the voices. Sometimes it’s hard to tell. The voices can be loud and kinda pushy. Anyway, here are some questions that I may or may not be asked frequently:

Q: Is your book, like, a REAL book?

A: Yes. It’s totally real. It has words and everything. It’s very real. As is the pink elephant standing next to you. Watch out. It’s about to pee on you.

Q: Is your book any good?

A: No. It’s GREAT. It’s so GREAT you’ll probably want to quit your job and travel the world, telling people about it. If you wanna go to Mongolia, I’ll probably go with you. I’ve never been there and I hear they have great BBQ. And I hear they love great books. Like mine.

Q: Are you rich?

A: No. I’m Jeff. Pay attention.

Q: I have an idea for your books. Can I send it to you?

A: No. I’m already full of ideas. Those voices again . . .

Q: What is LIQUID SMOKE?

A: It’s smoke that is made of liquid. Duh.

Q: Why do you have such awesome hair?

A: (Blushes) You think?

Q: Are you going to write more Noah books?

A: Yes. Unless I don’t. But I will. Maybe.

Q: I heard you wrote a book called STAY AT HOME DEAD but you’re using a different name. Jeffrey Allen. What’s that all about?

A: Where did you hear that? Did you tap my phone? Because it’s true. Look for it in January. And stay off my phone.

Q: What’s the hardest part about being a writer?

A: Counting all of the money we make. (BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER) Kidding. Um, probably writing the very first word of the story.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

A: No. I always wanted to be a baseball player. But the Padres got a restraining order and it’s all awkward now.

Q: If you could give me one piece of advice about writing, what would it be?

A: Write. And don’t let pink elephants pee on you. Ever.

*It’s quite possible that I’ve never been asked any of these questions frequently and that’s why I answered them so poorly.

The Kindle Format

Kindle has its own unique format, so the principal way to read e-books is to purchase and download them from the Kindle store. The standard format, however, for most other e-books, especially internationally, is the EPUB format. So if most of the books you read are in a language other than English, it might be worth looking at the other models that work with the EPUB format, such as the Sony models. But the format problem is not a deal breaker because there is a work around. You can download free software that converts books from the EPUB format to the Kindle format. You just have to download the book to some sort of computer first, convert it, and then transfer it to your Kindle via USB, so it adds a few extra steps to the book buying process.

Bonus Features

There are also many bonus features of the Kindle, besides just reading e-books. For example, many magazines and newspapers have Kindle formatted versions that you can buy at their store, and subscriptions can also be automatically delivered wirelessly. There is also an experimental web browser included, and so with the 3Gversion, you have free access to the Internet. The browser is fairly limited in what it can do, but it is fine for sites that are mainly just text, such as Wikipedia.

Better than the Competition

But the two features of the Kindle that really differentiate it from the competitors are the battery life and Whispersync. Because the screen is black and white and e-ink (as opposed to back lit), the battery lasts a really long time–up to a month if you remember to turn off the wireless connection. You can also read very easily in direct sunlight. And Whispersync adds a cloud based feature to the Kindle experience. Your e-books are stored on your devices and also in the cloud; your current location is also stored. So you can buy a book on your Kindle, read a few chapters at home, and then pick up where you left off on your Kindle app on your smartphone. I use this feature all the time and it confirms my decision to have purchased a Kindle.

John W. Arterberry

Shutter Island is a suspense/thriller that takes place on said Alcatraz-like island, which houses an institution for the criminally insane, complete with intimidating cliffs, rocky beaches, and chilly water preventing escape. Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) arrive via ferry as US Marshals investigating a recent escape. They become increasingly suspicious when they realize that the witnesses have been coached, and that the doctors are hiding something. All hell breaks loose (pun intended) when a hurricane hits this small Massachusetts island, further complicating their investigation as prisoners/patients escape from the damaged buildings.

There are several hurdles to get past when deciding whether to see this movie. First, there is the suspicious timing. A February release puts it after all the last minute Oscar contenders, and also before both the March Oscar show and the start of the real box office season in May. The timing might be because of another hurdle, its genre—a mystery/suspense/thriller involving a (borderline cliché) insane asylum. Despite these hurdles, I saw this movie opening weekend and highly recommend it.

The horrible movie Righteous Kill had the tagline, “De Niro…Pacino…Need I say more?” Unfortunately, these legendary actors have become notorious for mailing in performances to these dime-a-dozen thrillers and thus just listing the names of these past-their-prime actors no longer carries any credibility as a tagline, so for me it fell on deaf ears. But if I were to come up with a cheesy tagline to try to get you to watch this movie, it would be, “Scorsese…DiCaprio…Need I say more?” Even at 67, Martin Scorsese still hits home runs, with an Oscar win only about four years ago with Departed. Like his other movies, this movie is violent and disturbing at times, but he uses the violent imagery to masterfully narrate a complex story and weave in mesmerizing dream sequences and flashbacks. And the once teen-heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, now 35, is in his prime as a leading actor. He finally won an Oscar with Blood Diamond, but had strong performances in Departed, Aviator, and Gangs of New York–three movies also directed by Scorsese. I would argue that they have teamed up successfully a fourth time with Shutter Island, and that Leo gives a powerful performance as the tormented lead character.

To complement DiCaprio, Scorsese and the producers assembled a stellar supporting cast, which includes Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, and Michelle Williams among others. Fans of Swedish cinema will recognize Max von Sydow who brings gravitas to his role as Dr. Naehring, whose “German” accent rubs Leo’s character the wrong way (we learn through flashbacks that he is a WWII veteran and liberator of a concentration camp). And I may be biased (I am fan of Bill Simmons’ columns/podcasts and Bill Hader’s SNL sketches), but I thought Ted Levine had a great, small performance as the warden—you may recognize him as Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs or more recently from the show Monk.

With these arguments and observations about its cast and direction, I hope I have given you enough reasons to go see this movie and form your own opinion without my giving too much away about the plot.

John W. Arterberry