Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!

Sunday, February 04, 2007
  You Suck


I had the pleasure of attending Chris Moore's signing at the Tattered Cover bookstore. Chris was in Denver to plug his newest book, You Suck: A Love Story, the sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends. The signing room was packed with two hundred plus attending. Chris worked the crowd with his clever anecdotes. One example: Chris explained why he moved from the paradise of Hawaii to San Francisco. His answer: Living in Hawaii is like sleeping with a super model. One day you wake up needing conversation.


This week I got around to watching the movie, The Man With The Golden Arm, starring Frank Sinatra. If you're certain that America in the 1950s was all poodle skirts and Happy Days, then take a look at this coarse tale about the dark side of mid-century society. Heroin addiction, alcoholism, gambling (not at all like the poker matches on cable TV), extortion, people desperate to make ends meet let alone get ahead. I enjoyed the gritty details of the movie: the seedy bars, the clothing, the neighborhood drunks, the cluttered neon landscape. The characters lived in cramped studio apartments with the sink and a tiny stove next to the bed. There's a great scene of Sinatra visiting Kim Novak who works the concessions in a strip club. So much for the lily white morality of the Eisenhower era. The movie doesn't flinch from the hard edges of life back then and can get tough to watch as you witness Sinatra's character slide to ruin despite his attempts to escape.

What movies or books do you enjoy that show the world in a different light than what people want to remember?
 
Comments:
Way cool on Chris Moore. I was swamped with deadlines and missed him here in Seattle a bit ago.

One show I'm particularly hot on right now is Rome on HBO. I studied the Roman Empire while getting my master's degree and am always quite cynical (or is it arrogant?) about how sanitized most Roman historical movies are. Rome doesn't pull any punches when it comes to sex, violence, and all around oppression. Horrible, yes, but a startling (and intriguing) window into the past.
 
I've heard interesting reviews about ROME. Since I don't have cable, I'll check out the series on DVD.
 
One of favorites is The Razor's Edge
 
Rome rocks. I love that show.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home
www.marioacevedo.com
jeanniestein.com

Biting Edge - Blogged


Marta Acosta
Vampiress.ca
Zombie Defense Tactics
L.A. Banks
Robin Brande
Douglas Clegg
Mary Janice Davidson
Midnight Moon Cafe
P.N. Elrod
Christine Feehan
Andrew Fox
Jasper Fforde
Neil Gaiman
Laurell K. Hamilton
Charlaine Harris
Charlie Huston
Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Midnight Hour
First Offenders
Christopher Moore
Susan Squires
Storytellers Unplugged
Carrie Vaughn
Lynn Viehl
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro


Agent Query
AOL Bookmaven
Bookmouth
Bookseller Chick
Bronze Word
GalleyCat
Guide to Literary Agents
Grumpy Old Bookman
Marcela Landres
Miss Snark
The Neglected Books Page
Preditors and Editors
Pub Rants
Publishers Lunch
Slushpile
Latino Stories


Alt Vampires
Love Vampires Reviews
Bite Me Magazine
Borderlands Bookstore
Dark Carnival Bookstore
Dark Hunter
Horror Writers Assoc.
Kaleighbug Books
Locus Magazine
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore
Paranormal Fiction
Paranormality Universe
Realm of the Vampires
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Net
Undead Update
Vampire Genre
Vampire HQ
The Vampire Library
Vampires Vault
Vampress
Vamprowler
Vampyres Online



ARCHIVES
March 2006 / April 2006 / May 2006 / June 2006 / July 2006 / August 2006 / September 2006 / October 2006 / November 2006 / December 2006 / January 2007 / February 2007 / March 2007 / April 2007 / May 2007 / June 2007 / July 2007 / August 2007 / September 2007 / October 2007 / November 2007 / December 2007 / January 2008 / February 2008 / March 2008 / April 2008 / May 2008 / June 2008 / July 2008 / August 2008 / September 2008 / October 2008 / November 2008 / December 2008 / January 2009 / February 2009 / March 2009 / April 2009 / May 2009 / June 2009 / July 2009 / August 2009 / September 2009 / October 2009 / November 2009 / December 2009 / January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / June 2010 / July 2010 / August 2010 / September 2010 / October 2010 / November 2010 / December 2010 / January 2011 / February 2011 / March 2011 / April 2011 / May 2011 / June 2011 / July 2011 / August 2011 / September 2011 / October 2011 / November 2011 / December 2011 / January 2012 / February 2012 / March 2012 / April 2012 / May 2012 / June 2012 / July 2012 / August 2012 / September 2012 / October 2012 / November 2012 / December 2012 / January 2013 / February 2013 / March 2013 / April 2013 / May 2013 / June 2013 / July 2013 /


Powered by Blogger