#finkel review

[wherekizzialives]

2024 in books: May

I don’t have any of my normal reviews for you all this month because I have not finished reading any of the new-to-me books I’ve started.  Instead, in the wake of C J Sansom’s death at the end of April, I have been re-reading his wonderful historical crime novels – The Shardlake Series – as a personal memorial to a man I never met but who enriched my reading life significantly.  The books are all…

[lilibetbombshell]

[unfavorableinstigation]

"I'm so pleased that book has given me irreparable brain damage."

Reviews are in via @this-is-a-lot-of-commitment on Dr. Irving Finkel's The First Ghosts

[frosty-the-killer-doll]

Caitlin snow headcannon list? /nf

oh autism

ACTIVATED

polyamorous biromantic sex-repulsed asexual! per my Arrowverse Polycule AU, Cait is currently in relationships with: Ronnie (married), Cisco (queerplatonically), Iris, Eddie, Felicity, Patty, Frost, Kara, Kate and E-2 Killer Frost. i may be forgetting some people

traumagenic mutahuman plurality, formally diagnosed with DID. does not see Frost as a sibling figure. Frost is her intra-system GIRLFRIEND thank you very much. khione is like a baby sister figure to her tho.

listen fuck canon with its body splitting shit, shut UPP, that never happened<3

still sees Dr. Finkel regularly

has depression and post-traumatic stress and occasional panic attacks

this is canon but said canon kinda sweeps it under the rug: post-Thomas pulling his bullshit, Caitlin was heavily neglected by Carla.

in a support groupchat with other Arrowverse systems like Frankie, Mona and Sam. this includes empty systems like Alice

freckles!!!!

thanks to Frost she is immune to the cold even when Frost isn't fronting AND before she was even aware of Frost's existence

she doesn't have a codename, which is fucking rude, but personally I headcanon that her codename is Crystal

her middle name is Louise

AUTISM!

on her own, she basically only watches horror movies, but only likes them if they're accurate anatomy-wise. she can and will write multiparagraph reviews on everything the death scenes got right vs everything the death scenes got wrong

former history of self-harm, med school was... very hard mentally

growing up, Carla always pressured and planned for Caitlin to pursue a career at Tannhauser Industries. eventually Caitlin stood up to her and they had a huge fight where a lot of childhood things were brought up, Caitlin said some stuff about Thomas, Carla hit her and Caitlin left. Rachel Rosso took Caitlin in and let her live with her and Ramsey for about four years after this. Ramsey was her brother figure and best friend before their fight over Rachel recommending Caitlin to STAR Labs instead of him. that's when Caitlin moved out into her current condo.

SHE was the one that asked Ronnie out, after pining away in awkward secrecy for so many moons. Ronnie moved in with her not long after and they lived in separate rooms bc they felt like it

(trigger warning for SA with this one) during the time she spent in captivity being held by Zoom, he repeatedly raped her and she didn't reveal it happened for a long time. thus she is also in a support groupchat for other Arrowverse survivors of SA

when she was arrested, Iris wrote a shitton of stories calling for her release

doesn't want kids

had a special interest in botany during her high school years. cough cough

likes Law And Order. cough cough

binging the Friday the 13th franchise is her guilty pleasure. cough cough

takes her coffee black with a blueberry flavor shot!!

she gets lipstick on her teef from her lip biting habit

TOTALLY had a crush on Bette Sans Souci and went on a date or two with Eliza Harmon

she canonically likes OITNB, and has a giant crush on Stella Carlin. she constantly tells Kate how much they look like her

still carries a blood collection kit in her purse, always

hates when her name gets misspelled. she will fight u

whereas her friends call her "Cait" and Frost calls her "Caity," Kate calls her "Lin"

grumpy that she doesn't have a Jitters drink named after her like EvErYoNe eLsE!!!! >:c

has a whole morning and nightly routine that must be followed that may or may not include complete pajama sets, sleepytime tea and fluffy slippers

kinda misses having a pet gorilla ngl

she never fucking DIED i'm PHYSICALLY FIGHTING CANON just like frost never DIED either okay. LISTEN KHIONE CAME TO EXISTENCE THROUGH DIFFERENT FUCKERY OKAY.

many more but again, this is so fucking long. if u want more headcanons abt the other members of the Snow System, just ask❤️

[ijustkindalikebooks]

Book Review: Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life Of Randy Savage by Jon Finkel.

 The Life of Randy Savage is the sensational, definitive biography of the WrestleMania headlining, Spider-Man fighting, Slim Jim snapping, minor league baseball playing American Randy Savage. Savage, a WWE wrestling hall of famer, was an A-list celebrity who sat atop the entertainment universe for much of the ’80s and ’90s. His outfits were as flamboyant as anything worn by Liberace, Elton John, or Prince. His charisma surpassed Hulk Hogan’s and is rivaled only by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock.

The story of probably one of the most name-checked and legendary wrestlers of that age, Macho Man here delivers an incredibly well-researched and well written biography of someone who always seemed so much larger than life, it's amazing you can fit him in these pages.

Starting with a fantastic grounding on how he became the man he is and then working through his career, Macho Man delivers a fantastic history of a man who really is such a large part of the era. I was too young to be able to enjoy this man's heyday when he was at his peak but this book made me wish I did and look up so many clips see if I could find any of these legendary moments as it takes you to the heart of the highlights of this man's career.

The interview near the beginning of the book with Lanny, his brother discussing how it feels to hear a whole arena boo your dad was such an interesting perspective too and added another dimension to the life of this man and the man's work - I think it's fascinating to have that insight of how it feels to be related to someone who at that point it must feel for a kid the whole world hates.

An in depth look into a great man's life, Macho Man is iconic and this book certainly highlights the work and the time he put in to make it happen with real research and sincerity that highlights just how much this author delves into the subject matter. I'd recommend this to anyone who has a passion wrestling for sure and the passion for wrestling is highlighted on every page.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC for honest review).

[winedad16]

12. Consider This

Masterlist

Previous Post

Warning(s):

N/A

Translation(s):

Volksempfänger (noun): "People's Receiver" "A range of German radio receivers developed … at the request of Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda of the Nazi regime. The purpose of the Volksempfänger program was to make radio reception technology affordable to the general public." -Volksempfänger Wikipedia Page

March 2nd, 1945

62:00:00:00

        Klaus laughed when he saw Freddy. Exiting his office, he found the sub-officer subtly bopping to a record that he had put on earlier that morning while taking small mouthfuls of a dessert.

“Enjoying yourself, unteroffizier?”

        Freddy whipped around, his face flushed as he wiped his mouth.

“Ida brought in some strudel.”

        Klaus’ brows raised. 

“Strudel?”

“Ja!” Fraulein Rahm excitedly said from across the room. 

        Freddy hummed and nodded. 

“I got the last piece.”

        Klaus watched as his partner scraped another chunk up off the plate with his fork before his eyes trailed up to watch Freddy’s relaxed expression. He felt a warm feeling fill his heart as he observed the tiniest details. Freddy’s focused gaze, his loose posture, the new wrinkles by his eyes. He did his best to hide his fond smile.

        While being so wrapped up in his observations, Klaus didn’t notice Freddy holding the fork up to his mouth, offering him a piece.

“Want some?” Freddy quietly asked.

“Ah-” The captain glanced around the room, more specifically to Fraulein Rahm, who was failing at trying to look inconspicuous from behind her book- Obviously looking at the captain and waiting for his review. “Yes please.”

        A bit bashfully, he took the strudel in his mouth while Freddy pulled the fork back and finished what was on the fork. The pastry was delicious- And if Klaus were to be honest, it could have been incredibly subpar and he would have loved it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a treat as this, so he closed his eyes and let the flavors settle in his mouth. He hummed in satisfaction as he chewed, enjoying the pastry for as long as he could.

“It’s lovely, Ida,” He complimented with a smile. “Best damn thing I’ve eaten in a while.”

        Ida widely smiled back, almost goofily, but the captain could see that it was genuine. One of the most genuine ones he had seen from his colleague in a while. In a lack of professionalism, Klaus stuck a finger into the strudel and licked it off with a cheeky smile, meeting Freddy’s gaze for only a second before turning his attention to the rest of the room. He surveyed it for a moment, taking in the sight of the kids fumbling over meaningless tasks by the open windows, the ones that were letting in a cool but warming breeze that he just barely felt on his skin. He took it all in as he contemplated some ideas, passing them around in his mind as he chewed the inside of his mouth, blinking through the blurriness in his right eye.

“Alright!” He clapped his hands together and pivoted on his heel, startling some others in the near vicinity. “How about some music, hm?”

        Freddy eyed him with a raised brow and a smile.

“Are we celebrating the end of the week, Hauptmann?”

        Klaus shrugged with a nonchalant smile as he thumbed through the few records available on the shelf.

“I feel like we can afford it.”

        He slipped a record out of its dusty sleeve, not caring to wipe the thick layer of dust off of his fingers until needed, and rested it into the player before placing down the needle. Freddy smiled when he heard the tune that began to play. With a small bite of strudel, he began to bop around.

“Hauptmann, would you care to join me?”

        Klaus cocked a brow and crossed his arms with a teasing smile. 

“I believe that we have children to watch over, Finkel.”

        Freddy surveyed the room, his fork being pulled from his lips as he did so.

“There are less than twelve kids,” He dipped the fork back into the dessert. “The rest won’t be back for some time.”

“Well, they-”

“I can’t hear you,” Freddy goaded as he adjusted the volume of the gramophone. “Dance with me, Klaus.” 

        Freddy did his best to entice the captain with a playful smile without giving too much about their nature away. The captain couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at his partner’s movements. They were silly and loose– Something reminiscent of the earliest stages of their relationship. It made his heart feel warm.

“Give me the plate.”

***

        In the next couple of minutes, the captain and sub-officer found themselves dancing around while swapping bites of strudel, becoming more comfortable with the eccentricity when they realized that the children and Ida didn’t seem to care. Of course, this moment could only be a happy one for so long. Especially when the consequences of Klaus’ actions strutted through the office door.

        Freddy couldn’t help but avert his eyes when Rosie kneed Klaus in the balls. As discreetly as he could, he pulled the pair of headphones that Klaus had gifted him on and let himself drown in the music. He did his best to not stare at Jojo but he was eager to see the boy back in action. Klaus was doing his best to look at the young boy, too. As Rosie spoke, Klaus kept glancing down at Jojo, taking in the scars on his face and his hunched shoulders. A sickly feeling filled his gut the more he looked. After uttering a small promise to Rosie that they’d find Jojo a job, Klaus, Freddy, and Ida bid the two Betzlers goodbye. Once they were out of his line of sight, Klaus retreated into his office. Freddy let himself in a minute later after lightly knocking.

“Are you alright?” Freddy closed the door behind him.

        An incredulous look was shot across the office at Freddy.

“Oh,” Freddy pouted and leaned onto the desk. “Do you want me to kiss it better?”

        Klaus remained silent.

“As much as I feel for your pain,” Freddy propped himself up onto the edge of the desk. “Something was bound to happen. You couldn’t avoid them, especially Rosie, forever.”

        The captain clenched his jaw as he fiddled with a pen. A few moments of silence passed before he relinquished his hold on the pen and surrendered it to his desk. With a sigh, he placed his head in his hands and quietly cursed into his palms.

“I’ve got to do something about this.”

        Freddy cocked his head.

“I agree.”

        Klaus looked to a window with a forlorn sigh hanging at the back of his throat. The soft hum of the volksempfänger fizzled into the room next to the other radio, the sound of propaganda battling the sound of battlefront updates. The sub-officer sighed and turned the volksempfänger off, listening to the other radio for just a second more, before turning the volume down.

“Why don’t we think about Venice, hmm?” Finkel placed a gentle hand on the captain’s shoulder. “It’s a few months away from now.”

        Klaus ran his bottom lip between his teeth before putting down his pen. He leaned back in his chair with a soft sigh.

“Tell me about Italy.”

***

        After work, the two men took a quick trip to the market in the hopes of finding a loaf, or, half a loaf, of bread in an attempt of making dinner a little less miserable. Of course, at this time of the year, especially in the specific economic conditions that they were in, they didn’t get their hopes up. 

“I was thinking for the next few days we could be a bit more aware of what we have to eat for dinner?” Freddy began as he fiddled with the ration booklet in his pocket. “We could easily save enough for dinner with the Betzlers and-” 

        Freddy paused when he realized Klaus wasn’t listening to him. Instead of listening, Klaus was looking off with a glint of something in his eyes. Freddy followed the captain’s gaze to a man in a sling and a young child in his good arm. He watched as the man placed a gentle kiss on the child’s head as the boy giggled. Freddy glanced at Klaus, then at the man and boy, and then back to Klaus. Not being able to make a connection between them, he shrugged it off.

“Klaus? Are you still there?”

        The captain stirred from his thoughts. 

“Of course.” He sniffled. “You were saying?”

        Freddy looked over Klaus’ shoulder before starting over.

-

March 5th, 1945

59:00:00:00

        Klaus forgot how much he had despised the smell of chlorine. When he opened the door to the recreation pool, he gagged at the waft of chemicals that hit his nose. He had easily smelt worse smells in the past few years, but chlorine had a different effect on him.

“Ah, hell,” He muttered under his breath. 

        Closing the pool door behind him, he took a swig from his flask. Why did he think going into the pool early was a wise decision again? With a sigh, he took in his surroundings. The pool was currently in its physical therapy time block which was evidently clear by the sight of many males ranging from their teens into their golden years that were at different levels of physical disability. It made Klaus’ throat feel tight and dry. The older men reminded him of himself, while the young men reminded him of his nephews, Toni in particular. Klaus knew that the war had taken so much for too many. So many of them were young kids. Young kids like his nephews. Like Freddy’s nieces and nephews. Like Jojo. He knew that the young boy had a scheduled appointment, he had seen his name on the list outside the pool. It was relieving to know that he was getting help. It was important that he did and Klaus knew that. He just wondered how he could do more. Just how much in the grand scheme of things could he have done? He knew he could and could have done more, but what– The pool door swung open and the captain looked over his shoulder.

        It was Freddy who entered the pool. Freddy, who was donning a swimsuit identical to Klaus’. A swimsuit that the sub-officer looked incredibly handsome in. His curls were peeking out from beneath what Klaus thought was a ridiculous-looking swim cap, but the sub-officer made it look like one of the cutest things in the world.

“Freddy,” He exhaled in an attempt to compose himself.

        A small smirk formed on Freddy’s face. Klaus knew that Freddy knew that he looked good.

“Hauptmann Klenzendorf.”

        Klaus cleared his throat and ran a hand over his front, straightening his posture. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

        Klaus could tell that the sub-officer was playfully rolling his eyes on the inside just by the look on his face.

“You forgot this,” Freddy lifted a swim cap and then a pair of sunglasses. “And these.”

        The captain begrudgingly accepted the cap.

“These look ridiculous,” Klaus began as he pulled it onto his head. 

        Freddy held back a chuckle.

“They are a staple of the look. Sir.”

        Klaus skeptically looked at the sub-officer.

“These, on the other hand,” The glasses were plucked out of Freddy’s hands, bent on one side, and then placed on the captain’s face. “Suit me perfectly.”

        The sub-officer couldn’t help but smile.

“They do.”

        Klaus and Freddy shared an endearing look before the sub-officer crinkled his nose.

“It smells odd in here, doesn’t it?”

        Klaus nodded and took a sip from his flask.

“It’s chlorine.”

        Freddy cocked a brow.

“Chlorine?”

“Ja,” He sighed and handed Freddy his flask.

        The sub-officer took a small sip as the captain stood up from his seat.

“It’s a chemical that they put into pools to keep the water clean,” Klaus knelt at the edge of the pool and put his hand in. “I hate the smell.” 

“It isn’t entirely pleasant.”

        Klaus chuckled and shook his hand dry. 

“It reminds me of Berlin, though. My friends and I would frequent a pool when it got too hot. Of course, the pool was always packed, but we didn’t mind.”

“Well,” Freddy checked the clock on the wall. “It’s about to be packed full of eleven-year-olds in an hour, so why don’t we sit and relax for a bit?”

        Klaus surveyed the room around him, observing the men in the pool once more.

“Alright.”

***

“Don’t you think that conversation at the pool was odd?” Freddy asked from behind the shower curtain.

“Every conversation with Ida is odd, Freddy,” Klaus laughed from behind his toothbrush.

“No, I meant— Hang on.”

        The chatter of shower water came to a stop and the curtain was pulled open.

“The one with Jojo, specifically,” The sub-officer clarified while he wrapped a towel around himself.

        Klaus hummed and nodded.

“I’m not surprised. He’s bound to be curious about these things,” The captain sighed. “Between school, the office, and everything else, things are eventually going to contradict one another and he’ll want explanations and answers.”

“I know. It just seems so,” Freddy quickly ran the towel over his hair. “It seems too random of a moment for it to come up. What has occurred outside of the office that has made him ponder something?”

        The captain spat into the sink.

“Do you think Rosie could have said something?”

        Freddy bit his cheek and shook his head.

“No.” He paused. “No, I don’t think so.”

        Klaus made a noncommittal noise before shelving his toothbrush. Freddy sighed.

“Well, if anything–” The sound of something falling in another room interrupted the sub-officer, which was followed by the sound of Martin barking.

        Without a word, Klaus leaned over and kissed Freddy on the forehead before proceeding to walk out of the bathroom with a hurried gait.

“Where’s my boy?”

        The sub-officer sighed again before stepping out of the shower. He ran the towel over his head an additional time before continuing to pat himself dry. After he wrapped the towel around his waist, he leaned onto the sink and began to ponder in the mirror.

Next Part

[ckell55]

Book Review: The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit

8/10 Lara Finkel wants to be a detective, so she starts a detective agency, FIASCCO. Her sister Caroline wants to join, but Lara refuses… until Caroline brings her a mystery to be solved. Lara jumps wholeheartedly into the mystery, but as she looks into the case, more questions arise. Lara is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery no matter what, but can she pay the price. Caroline is…

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Funeral Daze by Dorian Box

Danny Teakwell #2

Easily stands alone and a great story though I missed reading Psycho Tropics and the introduction to the series.

What I liked:

* Danny Teakwell: widow, grieving, surf shop owner, talented surfboard maker, good friend, helpful, kind, generous, there for those in need and Jessica is definitely in need

* Jessica Jewell: preteen, grew up in the funeral business, a bit quirky, strong, outspoken, big-hearted, good friend, stands out from the crowd, truthful, good salesperson, has a lot to deal with

* The trust that develops between Danny and Jessica as the story progresses

* The way Danny “sees” Jessica and communicates with her openly and honestly

* That I had fun reading it even though there were some heavy issues discussed

* The way Jessica and Danny helped one another

* The influence of Sari, the deceased wife of Danny, even after she is gone

* Bennie “Fink” Finkel: law school graduate, a wildcard, good friend, has quite a few issues but a major part of the story

* Erin Delonia: female surf winner who lives in California and comes by the surf shop to tell Danny she rode one of his boards to win a contest – potential love interest

* Grady Banyon, Shannon-the waitress, Detective Rodrigues, and other supporting characters

* That not all the bad guys were horrible and that not all the good guys were necessarily good

* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about addiction and how it changes people

* Yago – a loose cannon and a merciless killer that enjoyed his job a bit too much

Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to the NetGalley, the author, and Friction Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

"[A] novel that takes both light and dark elements to present a fantastically engaging, emotionally resonant story in a deeply humorous and satirical fashion. Unmissable reading." — 2023 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal for Humor Fiction From the author of the multi-award-winning Emily Calby Series SUMMER 2000. When down-and-out surfer and former lottery winner Danny Teakwell was framed for a grisly murder, he got help from a family of wacky morticians that included seven-year-old embalming expert Jessica Jewell (Psycho-Tropics ). Five years later the tables are turned when Jessica shows up, alone and desperate, seeking shelter. Her parents suddenly sold their family funeral home and vanished. Danny’s not in a good place. Grieving the recent death of his wife, he’s let life crumble. He reluctantly agrees to take the girl in for one night, but the willful twelve-year-old convinces him to join her investigation to find her parents and get back their funeral home. The trail leads into a ghastly criminal enterprise of corpses, caskets, and killers. As the bond between the unlikely pair grows, it becomes unclear who’s saving who and which one is really running the show. Hilarious and heartwarming mystery and suspense with a walloping conclusion, Dorian Box brings his unique blend of darkness and light to life in this zany joyride through the Sunshine State. PRAISE AND ACCOLADES FOR FUNERAL DAZE "FUNERAL DAZE manages to be laugh-out-loud funny, heartwarmingly tender, and full of lively action and suspense, all at once – a thoroughly entertaining and engaging read." — IndieReader (5 Stars, IR Seal of Approval) “The story unfolds at a crisp and steady pace, with plenty of thought-provoking moments once 12-year-old Jessica enters the scene, offering Danny surprisingly mature reflections on tragedy and a knockout mystery to occupy his time. … Funeral Daze delivers an appealing spin on the mystery genre through rich characterization and an abundance of insight throughout.” — 2023 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Semifinalist in Mysteries/Thrillers “[A]n exceptional read. … Box balances some incredibly heavy themes, such as loss, grief, child displacement, and physical and emotional trauma with moments of genuine levity that come in the form of intelligent humor. The writing is more often brilliant than not …” — Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite (5-Star Seal) “A hilarious page-turner that effortlessly blends crime, humor and South Florida beach culture. … Award-winning author Dorian Box (Psycho Tropics, The Hiding Girl) has always employed brilliant doses of well-timed levity in crime fiction, but he pulls out all the stops for this laugh-out-loud caper. — BestThrillers “A perfect beach read, this zany mystery has the thrills, quirky characters, juicy plot twists, and gripping conclusion you're looking for!” — Reedsy Discovery “Time and again, Box has proven he can write a tense thriller that is funny, dark, and completely endearing. It’s the perfect combination of a smart storyline and characters that keep you reading well after bedtime. Fantastic!” — NetGalley “Funeral Daze is a macabre and hilarious novel that intersects the lives of several bizarre and oddly compelling characters. … Dorian Box masterfully directs the story into a series of unpredictable and uproarious events that are deliciously ironic, unexpectedly thought-provoking, and always edgy and dark.” — D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

AUTHOR BIO

Dorian Box is the pen name for A.J. McClurg, a former law professor. He likes to blend dark themes with heart, hope and humor with a goal of evoking tears and laughs over the same book. His novels have received awards and honors such as: Writer's Digest Award for Genre Fiction; Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Semifinalist (twice); IndieReader Discovery Award for Fiction; Feathered Quill Medal for Mystery/Suspense; Best Psychological Thriller of the Year and Finalist, Best Legal Thriller of the Year (BestThrillers); National Indie Excellence Award Finalist; and Readers’ Favorite medals in three different categories (Suspense, Humor, and New Adult Fiction). His nonfiction books include an Amazon Editors’ Favorite Book of the Year. As an academic, he's been interviewed as a legal expert by National Public Radio, the PBS Newshour, and many other sources. McClurg (or maybe it's Box) lives out his childhood rockstar fantasies singing and playing in Memphis cover bands.

https://dorianbox.com/

[badarchitectrecords]

Listen to this new track by Basic Comfort! Here’s a short message from the artist!  Basic Comfort is Kalamazoo, Michigan's Alternative Pop band.With the upcoming release of their self-produced sophomore album, Dimensions, Basic Comfort has explored and distilled the many dimensions of connection to the self and others.While the lyrics are sure to leave you in a state of contemplation, touching on feelings of love, letting go, and the confusion of internal needs, the rhythms and melodies will simultaneously leave you dancing and singing along for days.The group takes inspiration from artists like Parcels, Gil Scott Heron, Daft Punk, and Men I Trust.They have been featured in publications such as The AU Review, A&R Factory, Revue Magazine, Local Spins, and Come Here Floyd. Basic Comfort was awarded a grant from the Kalamazoo Arts Council to help fund the production and promotion of their album "Dimensions."BC is also known for their work on season 10 of the “Something Was Wrong” Podcast, in which the group reworked the show’s theme song "U Think U," initially written by Glad Rags. You can additionally hear their work with the band, Finkel, on their remix for Finkel’s 2020 song, "Sense of Humor".Release date:28 November 2023

[fearsmagazine]

EXORCISTIC: THE ROCK MUSICAL - Review

DATES: October 8th thru October 23rd, 2023 COMPANY: HRS Productions and Orgasmico Theatre THEATER: The Box, 189 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002 ACTORS: Emma Hunton, Brian Logan Dales, Leigh Wolf, Jesse Merlin, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Nick Bredosky, Kim Dalton, Mitchell Gerrard Johnson, Gabby Sanalitro, Tyler Olshanksky and Lindsay Heather Pearce. CREW: Book, Lyrics, & Music - Michael Shaw Fisher; Directors - Chadd McMillan & Alli Miller-Fisher; Musical Director/Arrangements - Michael Teoli; Choreographer - Camal Pugh; Costume Designer/Lighting Designer - Chadd McMillan; Prop Designer - Kelly Stavert; Sound Designer - Thomas Queyja

SYNOPSIS: EXORCISTIC: The Rock Musical is a parody within a parody. Inspired by the 1973 movie, it is the story of a movie star whose daughter becomes possessed and is helped by priests who try to save her. The audience watches a struggling theater company at work as they develop the production on its way to Broadway. By the second act their lead, Emma Hunton, has taken “method acting” a step too far and is replaced with a Broadway star. However, things go awry as Emma returns and everything goes to hell.The production is packed with nineteen musical numbers, offering a rock take on show tunes, as the cast runs amok through the venue like the Marx Brothers meets the Animaniacs.

REVIEW: The unauthorized parody of The Exorcist was “Best Musical Winner” of the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2013 and returns ten years later to celebrate the 50th Anniversary. It comes to New York fresh from their sold-out run at The Three Clubs in Los Angeles.

This wickedly delightful parody spews its wit over a variety of themes and a period that ranges from the 70’s to present day. They don’t simply break down the fourth wall, they take over the entire performance space, in some instances on the audience’s tables and into their laps. To say it is intimate and in your face would be putting it mildly. The production is a hybrid of theater, cabarete, sketch comedy and slapstick that felt like Frank Oz’s cinematic adaptation of “Little Shop of Horrors” on acid. The jokes fly fast and furious, there is something for everyone, leaving the audience little time to recover in between. It is no wonder that there is an intermission, permitting the performers and audience time to catch their breath.

This is a fabulous ensemble cast. They move through the material and dance numbers with surgical precision of wittiness, moving about the space with a fluidity that feels like a classic Warner Bros. cartoon. Their voices belt out showtune rock ballads with clarity and mastery that transcends the cast recording, which I would recommend giving a listen to before seeing the performance - HERE, music and lyrics sounding like “Twisted Sister” meets “Monty Python,” with a big “Parental Advisory” needing to be slapped on something here. Emma Hunton’s performance is a tour de force, and I believe she has the most physical role in the show. She goes through numerous vocal changes that must wreak havoc on her voice by the end of the night, she belts out several power rock songs, and does a variety of gymnastic maneuvers, including one in the second act that is a la “Cirque du Soleil.” Actress Gabby Sanalitro is an utter delight as she seems to be possessed by the ghost of the neighborhood as she simultaneously channels the spirits of Fyvush Finkel/Zero Mostel and Lenny Bruce. The entire cast maintains an infectious high level of energy that leaves one wondering if it is wrong to feel this good by the end of the show.

The production designs and props are perfect for the jokes, sublime, yet minimalistic. The lighting was perfect in enhancing the performances and accentuating the jokes. There were times I wondered how they might achieve a certain scene and loved the execution with simple and clever props and designs. The costume designs were suited to the controlled chaos of the performance, clearly not Broadway costumes, but delightful touches to the tone and atmosphere of the moment.

EXORCISTIC: THE ROCK MUSICAL is a wickedly delightful treat perfect for the Halloween season. Having recently come away disappointed by the new Exorcist film, this take on the bawdy irreverent send up of the material left made for an excellent evening of theater. This big blasphemous, bodacious rowdy rock musical parody is not for the faint of heart, so be prepared to get your demon exorcized and your evening rocked.

Each night there will be a different special guest performer who will be played by: Marissa Rosen (For the Girls, Water for Elephants, Modern Love) Nick Cearly (The Skivvies, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown) Jillian Schiralli (CATS, now that’s what i call 90s) Gerard Canonico (Almost Famous, The Dude Ranch) Jordan Donica (Camelot, RENT, Hamilton) Jamie Cepero (SMASH, The Function) and more!

The Box, located at 189 Chrystie St (look for the velvet rope and the gentleman in the tux or you’ll miss it), with the doors opening at 6:30 pm (full bar on site to get you into the spirit of the evening) and the show starting promptly at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Review By: Joseph B Mauceri

[nochargebookbunch]

The Art Thief

Michael Finkel’s story of the greatest art thief reads like a fictional tale mixing hubris with art appreciation. After I read the review in The New Yorker, I bought the book, but had to stop after the first fifty pages to fact check. Wasn’t this well written fiction, like Barbara Shapiro’s The Art Forger? No, this is nonfiction. The article in GQ convinced me and gave me a picture fitting…

[jeroldloree]

Book Review: 'The Art Thief,' by Michael Finkel - The New York Times

http://dlvr.it/SrBHzQ

[thebooklook]

The Stranger in the Woods: the Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel 191 pages For over 25 years the quiet cottage community of North Pond, Maine, was terrorized by constant break-ins. Very few things of value were ever taken, mostly food, books, and batteries, but it was enough to begin several local legends. Some said it was a hermit, a war veteran who just wanted to be left alone, others that it was the initiation for a local group of teens. Most expected they would never receive concrete answers, until on April 4th, 2013 a man was caught breaking into the Pine Tree campground. Grudgingly, unused to speaking, Christopher Knight explained how he had lived in a nearby camp for 27 years, never lighting a fire, touching another human being, and only speaking to a single hiker in that entire time. The tales of a local hermit were true, and now it was the justice system's job to determine the appropriate punishment for such a social outlier. One who admitted to over 1000 break-ins, but who only robbed out of necessity. The Stranger in the Woods is an incredible biography of an interesting man. One who voluntarily chose to leave society behind and unwillingly merged back into it. Finkel and Knight make us consider the importance of solitude in everyday life, the difference between solitude and isolation, and what exactly leading a good life means.