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mondo culture-o
Thrills, Chills, Pills by Gillian G. Gaar 
Whale Monster with giant lice. The most important book I've read so far this year is a must-read for anyone who takes medication: Our Daily Meds by Melody Petersen (Sarah Chrichton Books). The subject is detailed in the subtitle: 
"How the pharmaceutical companies transformed themselves into slick marketing machines and hooked the nation on prescription drugs."
Yes, it's something I knew in theory (as I suspect many of you do), but it was still shocking to see example after example given of how drugs are pushed into the marketplace through the testimony of countless "experts" who actually were paid to pass said drug with flying colors, and the sad results that follow on far too many occasions. Such as the folks taking Detrol mistakenly later diagnosed with Alzheimer's (and given yet another drug for that) before it was realized they were simply experiencing a side effect of the Detrol. You owe it to yourself, and your family and friends, to read this book. Now!
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On to SIFF! We go to press before opening night, so I can't give you my views on Battle in Seattle (check out siffblog.com for that). But there's lots of interesting stuff running for the next 15 days. I think it's especially worthwhile going to the special events, which this year include three silent films with live accompaniment. In the Land of the Headhunters first played the Moore in December 1914; the June 10 screening at the same venue will feature a performance by descendants of the original cast. F.W. Murnau's classic Sunrise will screen June 13 at the Triple Door, with a new score by Sub Pop artists The Album Leaf. And there are four screenings of Alexander Nevsky June 12-15 at Benaroya Hall with live accompaniment by the Seattle Symphony. John Waters also returns for a chat along with a screening of Cecil B. Demented, June 3 at the Egyptian. It may be a sellout by now, but it's worth checking; he's great fun.
When I first began attending SIFF in the '80s, the only things I could afford to attend were the free screenings. Well, those went by the wayside, but they've returned this year, in a sense; now the action's online. Set up an account at http://myfestival.siff.net, and through June 8 you can stream select films and vote on your favorites. At siff.net, you can sign up for podcasts, see the "short film of the day," and watch other SIFF coverage. And you'll find SIFF Channel at babelgum.com, streaming shorts and SIFF's Fly Films.
More suggestions: Derek, about British filmmaker Derek Jarman (June 5 and 7, Harvard Exit); Song Sung Blue, a Neil Diamond impersonator seeks fame (June 2, Egyptian); In Search Of Kennedy, about RFK (June 13, Egyptian; June 14, SIFF Cinema); Female Agents, gals with guns in WWII (June 13, 15, Cinerama).
But hey, I've got nothing against big, splashy, Hollywood features. In fact I was happy to catch an early screening of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was more a Star Wars than an Indiana Jones fan, but I'd definitely say the new Indy is better than the recent Star Wars flicks. On this outing, Indy's older and slower, but they drag in a youngster (the oddly-named Shia LaBeouf) for that "youth appeal" thing. Indy finds himself heading to Peru, where, unlike Klaus Kinski in Aguirre: The Wrath of God, he's able to punch his way out of trouble (a bit too much punching for me, actually). I leaned toward the "lesser" characters; Cate Blanchett as a Russian officer (great accent) and John Hurt as a whacked-out professor. Lotsa nifty special effects and an unexpected climax. Stock up on popcorn.
And I finally got to check out Cloverfield (Paramount) now on DVD, a better-than-average horror flick that got some good critical notices on its release earlier this year. All kinds of havoc is wreaked on New York City by a nasty monster. In the coolest special effect, the Statue of Liberty's head is knocked off her body and sent soaring down the streets. You never really get a good look at the monster either, which cleverly heightens the suspense. But it's one of those pseudo-documentaries, ostensibly shot by some 20-somethings having a party, meaning the camera's swooping around far more than is necessary. And the main nerd with the camera is so obnoxious, you'll actually be rooting for his death. There are numerous bonus features that take the story in unexpected directions.
Had a fine time at the opening of "Hollywood Pulpcore," a series of paintings by David Russell Talbott of such personages as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and other celeb icons at Vermillion (1508 11th Ave, vermillionseattle.com). Talbott was on hand, and we had a nice little confab, discovering, among other things, that we have very similar record collections. The show's up till June 30, so check it out.
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Thanks to our print edition advertisers this month: Moira Holley, Hawaii Express, Desert Sun Tanning Salons, Leone and Vaughn Orthodontics,
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