Lost In Translation

The Looming Tower (Book)

I have been a fan of The New Yorker Magazine for some time so I was already acquainted with the writing of Lawrence Wright (and I believe I read some of his pieces about Al-Queda in the magazine as well), but I was watching the TV series based on his book, The Looming Tower (2006) when I decided to read it. I was under the impression that there would be more context in the book and of course there was. However, i surprised to find some of the details were taken form the book not made up for the series-John O'Neill's many lovers for one and Ali's retching after he found out that the CIA knew some of the members were in the US and did not share the information with the FBI. I always enjoy history books written by journalist, because they are well researched but the are also compelling narratives since they know how to weave a narrative rather than just put forth research as academics often do with history subjects. I particularity found the first section, "The Martyr" about Sayid Qutb and how the Egyptian jails were the birthplace of the modern jihadist terrorists due to t he torture they endured form FBI trained torturers. Wright makes informed observations throughout such as: "Radicalism usually prospers in the gap between rising expectations and declining opportunities. This is especially true where population is young, idle and bored; where entertainment -movies, theater, music-is policed or absent altogether; and where young men are set apart from the consoling and socializing presence of women." An impressive depiction and compelling narrative of the events that led to the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York on that fateful day, 9-11-2001.

Kameido

Kameido Shrine is having its annual wisteria festival and I wanted to see a new exhibit at the Tobacco & Salt Museum, which is nearby so I made it a day.

Samurai Wolf

I have been a fan of Hdeo Gosha and have enjoyed his two most well known samurai epics Goyoku and Hitokiri, so I was delighted to stumble across Samurai Wolf (1966), an early samurai film from Gosha. Already, Gosha is displaying virtuoso cinematography such as the revealing the reflection of the ronin in the blade of his halfway drawn sword and birds eye shots of samurai sword fights. It is a lean 75 minutes with plenty of action, and I am pleased to see that he also directed a sequel, Samurai Wolf II.

Pachinko

I was very impressed with Min Jin Lee's historical novel about Korean Japanese in Japan, Pachinko (2017). It is clear that Lee has done her homework in that she gets most of the details about the lives of postwar Koreans in Japan right. I learned from the interview included with the novel that Lee, a first generation Korean-American who immigrated with her family when she was 7-that she wanted to write about Korean Japanese ever since she first heard about them in college. As fate would have it, Lee had the chance to live in Japan when her husband was transferred to Tokyo which allowed Lee to interview and research Korean Japanese while living there. It is an accurate portrayal of people who often have never left Japan but are not considered citizens-they must get immigration cards and need Korean passports if they want to travel. I'm curious about some of the choices that she made with the more contemporary characters in the novel, but most of the events characterized in the novel seem accurate and true to life. I'm impressed enough to want to read her first novel, Free Food for Millionaires.

The Bad Batch

I was intrigued to see The Bad Batch (2016) without knowing much about it since it was directed by Ana Lily Amirpor (A Girl Walks Home Alone a Night). And indeed it was something of a wild ride-a dystopian fable set in the near future not unlike the landscape of  The Road Warrior, humans struggle for survival. Within 20 minutes the lead actor Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) has an unexpected meeting with some amoral people that will alter her life forever. However, she is not the kind of person to give up or sulk about her bad luck. There are several brief cameos from the likes of Diego Luna, Jim Carey, and Keanu Reeves. Not necessarily a must see film, but entertaining on several levels.

The Power Of Nightmares

Adam Curits's TV documentary series The Power Of Nightmares (2004) is a fascinating portrait of the rise of the Neoconservative movement in the US and radical Islamism in the middle east. Much like Lawrence Wright's seminal book, The Looming Towers, the series starts off Part One, "Baby It's Cold Outside", with a look at conservative Islamic thinker Sayyid Qurtb's experiences in America that led him to think that western culture made people more selfish and individualistic. Curtis then examines the seeds of the neoconservative movement by looking art influential University of Chicago professor Leo Strauss and the failure of Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society." Part Two, "The Phantom Victory" sees the defeat of the Russian in Afghanistan and failed revolutions in Egypt and Algeria. In America the neoconservatives try to turn people against Clinton but fail. In Part Three, "Shadows in the Cave", shows the rise of al-Queda and the "War in Terror". Curtis concludes the series by reassuring viewers that politicians will eventually have to concede that some threats are exaggerated and others have no foundation in reality. He says, "In an age when all the grand ideas have lost credibility, fear of a phantom enemy is all the politicians have left to maintain their power."

The Cabinet Of Dr. Calgiri

Robert Wiene's classic The Cabinet of Dr. Calgiri (1920) is a rime example of German Expressionism. It was filmed during the Wiemar period and is notable for the surrealistic pained sets as much as the color filters used throughout the film. It has most commonly noted for its pioneering use of German Expressionist lighting, set design, and its role as a forerunner to the modern horror film.

Strong Island

Yance Ford's documentary Strong Island (2017) is a Netflix documentary that investigates her brother shooting and the process that allowed his killer to walk free. She examines the the case from the prejudices and  racism inherent in the legal system-it is yet another American tragedy.

The Looming Tower

I really wanted to like The Looming Tower (2018) miniseries, but I cannot give it my full recommendation. It has a great premise-it follows the lives of CIA and FBI counter terrorism agents during the lead up to 9/11. however, instead of following the book by Lawrence Wright on which it was based, the creators deiced to spice up the personal lives of agents involved to make it more titillating-Jeff Daniels as John O'Neill, the FBI boss, has multiple lovers in the TV series, for example. The strongest parts of the series are those that mirror actual reality-interspersed documentary footage of terrorist attacks and Osama Bin Laden. I guess the best thing about the series is that inspired me to pick up Wright's book, which has the background details that the series created for me with it's lack of context.

Trattoria M's

Trattoria M's wasn't the first choice, but ended up being impressive nonetheless.

Smoked salmon was the starter.

Followed by a cheeze-potato dish not unlike tortilla from Spain.

Spicy pasta.

Italian style chicken.