TMR: The Midwest Review

Practing Native American Hunting Techniques in Vernon

2010-03-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Look for the story coming soon on New Jersey Herald's Web site!

Siege #1 Review

2010-01-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Some Spoilers

Marvel Comics continues its domination of the comic book industry with Siege, an event that includes nearly their entire roster of heroes and villains.

I loved the issue's fast-paced action, and huge payoff for long-time Marvel readers.

There are so many details in here that can't possibly be fathomed by new readers (see my reader guide below) but it is great for all of us that have been following the Avengers for years. It's like watching a TV show religiously: Someone who has watched the past four seasons of The Wire is going to enjoy season 5 a lot more than someone who just turns on the TV and starts watching.

Ultra-bad guy Norman Osborn starts off the issue Civil War-style by blowing up Soldier Field in Chicago. Now, I appreciate Brian Michael Bendis' writing here, but it seems a bit lazy to start the event the exact same way as Civil War. Plus, we don't get any public reaction to a whole stadium of people dying. Does the world care at all? We at least need one panel showing that, I think.

Anyways, from Solider Field we get into Osborn completely breaking down and ignoring the President of the United States by planning a full-scale invasion of Asgard. I got goosebumps when Ares gives a speech to hundreds of super-heroes preparing for the battle.

Once the heroes land in Asgard, the Sentry starts destroying the castles and, in general, kicking ass. I couldn't help but feel like I was on Osborn's side here. It was a real "damn the gods" moment with all these humans going after these gods who showed up on their planet without asking them.

Then, Thor shows up. You get the impression that he is about to destroy Osborn, but the Sentry takes him out. The last time you see Thor, he is getting his royal ass handed to him by the Dark Avengers.

Of course, the real payoff for Marvel fans is shots of Captain America and Iron Man (well, Stark is in a coma...sort of) possibly preparing for battle. The idea of these three teaming up again is the real selling point of Siege.

The art in this issue is just brilliant. Olivier Coipel delivers some of his best stuff, and it is great to see him drawing characters from the series he just left, Thor.

Marvel is just dominating here. The other comic book companies can't seem to catch up with their events. DC Comics' Blackest Night is cool, but it is essentially Marvel Zombies all over again. Image Comics' Image United is surprisingly boring and hard to read with so many artists drawing.

Marvel Comics sure started 2010 off right and I can't wait to see where Siege goes.

Capitalism: A Love Story

2009-08-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

This new movie from director Michael Moore looks like his best yet. Capitalism: A Love Story comes out on October 2 and I can't wait. Check out this trailer...It's really funny.

Media Control by Chomsky

2009-08-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

The greatest thing about Noam Chomsky is that even when he talks about huge topics, like the history of propaganda, you understand everything and it flows as smoothly as a novel.

Chomsky, the political activist and professor of linguistics at MIT, is one of the greatest thinkers of the 21st century and this short book is an excellent introduction to his work.

In Media Control, Chomsky explains how a “spectator democracy” controls much of the media and influences the American people.

In a real democracy, according to most definitions, the public has the means to participate in some meaningful way in the management of their own affairs and the means of information are open and free.

The actual practiced form of democracy today says the public must be barred from managing of their own affairs and the means of information must be kept narrowly and rigidly controlled. In Chomsky’s view, a “specialized class” of “responsible men” that believe themselves capable of controlling the dumb mass of people is what we have in the Western world.

The specialized class make all the decisions and run all the political, economic, and ideological systems. They are a small portion of the population. The others, who are not a part of this group, are the big majority of the population.

His problem with the media is not that they are owned by the specialized class (which they are), it’s that they don’t challenge their ideas.

For example, when there was a big uproar in the 1960s as large segments of the population became organized and actively participated in the political arena. So, many newspapers called it a “crisis of democracy.” This is what he says about that:

“Here we comeback to these two conceptions of democracy. By the dictionary definition, that’s an ADVANCE in democracy. By the prevailing conception that’s a PROBLEM, a crisis that has to be overcome.”

I find Chomsky’s ideas refreshing and even though I don’t agree with everything he says, at least he has the guts to say what everyone else seems afraid to. His analysis of the success of the Red Scare propaganda is hilarious:

“The rest of the population ought to be deprived of any form of organization, because organization just causes trouble. They ought to be sitting alone in front of the TV and having drilled into their heads the message, which says, the only value in life is to have more commodities or live like that rich middle classs family you’re watching and to have nice values like harmony and Americanism.”

That passage is also a good example of why I like this book so much. Whereas most of his writings are carefully researched and can’t go two sentences without quoting some study or newspaper, in Media Control he just let’s go and goes on a rant.

If you have never read Chomsky, I recommend starting with either this book or his other short one, 9-11. Both are small paperbacks that you can fit in your pocket and don’t cost too much. Even if you don’t agree with his ideas at least you’ll get an idea of what the other side is thinking.

Adventure Comics #1 Review

2009-08-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Comic fans are different than most fans.

We don't care if a certain character isn't that great, or if their history is too hard to follow. Once we decide we like a character, we won't ever stop supporting them.

With me, that character is Superboy. That might be strange to people reading my reviews because nowadays I mostly read Marvel and Image comics. And when I'm not reading comics, I tend to read a lot of political stuff.

Superboy, or Conner Kent, is so far away from anything I like, but when I first got into comics, it was this character that hooked me. After Superman was killed by Doomsday, four other Supermen stepped in to take his place. The storyline, The Reign of the Supermen, made me insane for comics.

My favorite Superman, Superboy, was a 15-year-old clone of the last son of Krypton and was a smartass, punk kid. He had (*gasp*) an earing! And a cool leather jacket! This second grader was powerless...

Even after Reign ended, the adventures of Superboy continued. My mom even recalls me discussing plotlines over dinner about the Superboy comic. The series was written by Karl Kesel and drawn brilliantly by Tom Grummett. It was a playful introduction to comics.

Of course, not everyone felt the same way about the character. He was the opposite of Peter Parker - he actually seemed, even if he wasn't written that way, to be the guy that beat you up in high school.

About two years ago, DC Comics killed him off in one of their big crossover events. I was crushed. But, apparently, a lot of other people were too.

Imagine our collective excitement when one of the best writers in comics, Geoff Johns (sorry for dissing you a few posts back), has revived the character through the latest crossover, Final Crisis.

To make things even sweeter, Superboy now has a new series called Adventure Comics that is written by Johns. DC even managed to get an amazing new artist named Francis Manapul to draw it!

The first issue doesn't disappoint. Conner struggles with his dual-linage (a few years ago we found out he was also a clone of Lex Luther) and seems to have a new attitude: humility. Conner just spent the past 1,000 years in a machine to revive him after being killed. He doesn't know where he fits in the world - is he Clark Kent or Lex Luther?

I would support Conner either way the character developed. But, I am thrilled that he seems to be growing up with his fans.

My hopes for the new series:

Conner will still live in Smallville. The first issue seems to be channeling the TV show back when it was good (seasons 2-5).
He will go, at least a little bit, to the dark side. A surprise at the end of this first issue points to him trying to be like Lex.
New characters. Superboy has long suffered from a bad supporting cast. Aside from Lex, Clark, and Ma Kent, I say get rid of all of the others.

My fears for the new series:

Wonder Girl will be in it. Conner was dating this protege of Wonder Woman before dying. Sort of the same problem as Conner coming off as a jock. I don't think him dating a flying daughter of Zues is very appealing to readers. Plus, the few comics I have seen with her in it involve her crying a lot and being boring. In Adventure Comics #1 he seems to have his eye on a Smallville girl. I hope it sticks.
That he rejoins the Teen Titans. Back when Superboy got cancelled, the Teen Titans series gave the character a home. I'm not a huge fan of the greater DC universe, so hopefully now that he has his own title, we won't need to deal with all the lame Titans characters.

Overall, Adventure Comics is one of the most promising series to come out this summer. I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 Review

2009-08-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Mark Millar has done it again.

Millar, the writer of Civil War and Wanted, has returned to the Marvel Ultimate Universe and proven why he is one of the best.

This issue focuses almost entirely on Hawkeye and Captain America and it works beautifully. Normally anything with the name “Avengers” on it has so many characters you need to carry with you a Guide to the Marvel Universe to follow along.

Millar also is one of the best Captain America writers around. His version of Steve Rogers actually acts like an old man in a young person's body. The fact that Rogers was put on ice during WWII and only woke up in the past few years seems to be lost on most writers.

Watching Cap and Hawkeye take out a bunch of A.I.M. agents above the Chicago skyline was like getting to second shot at happiness.

See, a few years ago Millar and artist Brian Hitch put out two of the greatest comic series ever created (forget about Watchmen) called Ultimates 1 and Ultimates 2. Over the 25 issues they put out, the Avengers were re-envisioned as a block-ops squad for the U.S. government. It was beyond awesome.

Then, Jeph Loeb came in. The former actually good writer destroyed everything that Millar and Hitch had did. In Ultimates 3, Loeb’s version of the Avengers were boring, didn’t act anything like they did in 1 and 2, and seemed lamer than their 616 counterparts.

So, now Millar is back and instead of wasting time trying to reverse what Loeb did, he just accepts it and moves on. Hawkeye still has his new costume on, the world is still half destroyed by Magneto, and Nick Fury has just returned from a different universe.

But, things are off and running. This issue introduces the Ultimate Red Skull!

With Fury back, the team working with SHIELD again, and the new twist with the Red Skull, this publication is going to be one of my new favorites.

Blackest or Whitest Night

2009-07-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of the Black Lantern Corps. Couldn't help posting such an obvious post.....

Transformers 3 filming in San Francisco; Dreaming Celestial cast

2009-07-15T21:34:00.001-07:00

(Joke)

Not surprising given its tremendous box office success over the past few weeks, Michael Bay not only officially announced that he production of Transformers 3 will be begin shooting in San Francisco, but the “Space God” Dreaming Celestial has been cast in as yet unrevealed role.

A bold move on Bay’s part given the Dreaming Celestial’s crimes against life itself and his lack of acting experience. According to Bay having the Celestial on the project is a huge asset given his knowledge on giant transforming robots and the fact that he does he own stunts. Bay was tight lipped on what role he would play, but given his physical nature, there is much fan speculation that he will be portraying the planet-eating villain Unicron.

No comments yet as to whether or not the current H.A.M.M.E.R. occupation of San Francisco will halt production or an expected release date.

Like Looking into a

Mirror

Deadpool and G.I. Joe's Wild Weasel-Separated at Birth?

2009-07-01T14:41:00.001-07:00

Deadpool aka the Merc with a Mouth aka the Crimson Comedian aka the Regeneratin’ Degenerate. Seems like he’s everywhere these days in the world of comics from a hit ongoing title with a second released this week to an appearance in “Wolverine: Origins” courtesy of Ryan Reynolds with a spinoff in the works. Old Wade Wilson’s come a long way since first appearing in “New Mutants #98”. As Wade fans know, the character draws inspiration from Teen Titans villain Deathstroke (whose real name SLADE Wilson should be an obvious clue).

Like a lot of fans, I was a bit disappointed that Deadpool didn’t appear in his traditional red costume and only hope they plan on keeping it for the spinoff movie. The only question is if they can pull it off on screen or wind up with another Spidey Green Goblin costume fiasco. I’ve recently become aware of the G.I. Joe character Wild Weasel and thought I’d just share another possible visual inspiration. If the filmmakers can get something similar to this, I’d be satisfied enough.

Taimur's Thoughts on Cap's Return

2009-06-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

If by some phenomenon you haven’t already discovered that Steve Rogers is coming back (if you have to be told who that is, just stop reading this article right now!) first stop trade waiting and second, fear not, for I come not to praise Steve Rogers but to bury him. Whether or not you want him back, face it, get ready for the return of Steve and embrace change….again….for real….

Practically almost everything that can be said has already, but I’ll still give in my 2¢. Like a lot of fans, I’m not too big about companies killing off characters when they’ve pretty much run out of ideas for the character. Reign of the Supermen comes to mind, a nostalgic favorite of a certain Phil Molnar, or so I’ve heard. But unlike the death of Supermen, the death of Cap meant something for so many reasons. For one thing, if your hero is murdered, it has to be done by a villain with whom he has real history like a Red Skull or Lex Luthor as opposed to some walking Doomsday creation. Plus, killing an American icon as big as Captain America had real resonance with what was going on in the country at the time. The Bush Administration and two wars comes to mind. The long and short of it - reading Captain America #25 really meant something.

As Joe Quesada and other editors at Marvel have already stated, Steve Rogers was always coming back, it was only a matter of how long. It’s just unfortunate that the past few years have had their share of quite a few character resurrections (including Bucky) and this year in particular DC saw both the return of Barry Allen (the original Silver Age Flash) as well as a new Batman and Robin.

What’s been most surprising, since Rogers has been out of uniform, is how the new Bucky Cap has been almost universally embraced by fans. For readers who had been following Ed Brubaker’s run from the beginning, it just felt organic and the natural progression of the character. I think Mark Waid said it best in explaining why Wally West is his favorite Flash in that very few sidekicks actually fulfill the duty of taking over their mentor’s role, and now Bucky can finally be added to that list.

Of course, as some creators have already teased, just because Steve Rogers is coming back, let’s not assume he’s going to going put on the uniform again. I personally prefer Bucky because of the Mark Waid thing and because being Captain America means something as a path to redemption and gives him a purpose in the Marvel Universe. If Steve isn’t Cap, I have no idea what else he could be or do. Perhaps roam the earth like Cain in Kung Fu Nomad style, but it’s been done before. With so many different Captain America characters like the 50’s Cap, Bucky Cap, Rikki Barnes, Patriot, I just hope we don’t wind up with another Reign of the Captains or Battle for the Shield event.

Still, Marvel hasn’t let me down before so I’m eager to see what they have in store.

Cap #600 Sells Out, Going Back to Press

2009-06-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Captain America #600 has already sold out and will be going back to press for a second printing, according to Comic Book Resources.

The second printing will feature a cover by Butch Guice, a frequent artist on Captain America. The art will actually be taken from an interior shot from the issue (see left). The reprint will come out on July 15th.

Cap #600 was unique in being released on Monday, two days earlier than usual. This required retailers to place special orders, which annoyed Image Comics partner Robert Kirkman (see Image Comics Laughs at Cap #600).

In a press release from Marvel Comics, Vice-President of Sales and Circulation David Gabriel said, "First and foremost, I'd like to thank all those retailers who made this amazing event possible by participating in this special advance release on Monday."

"Despite what might have been the largest overprint we've ever done for a book, copies sold out well before even the early on sale date," he said. "This is a great indicator for the excitement that we’re anticipating for Captain America Reborn. We’d also like to thank the fans and press for getting behind Captain America #600. Trust me, you’re in for a lot of fun and we’re glad to have you along for the ride!”

Blackest Night Preview

2009-06-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

This summer, for once, it is starting to look like DC Comics might actually edge out Marvel for the best crossover event.

In the upcoming "Blackest Night" characters long dead, and some not that long, will be coming back to life with the use of a Black power ring. Some of the big names are: Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Earth-2 Superman, Dr. Light, Blue Beetle, and Maxwell Lord.

Of course, they won't be their usual selves, but crazed villains trying to take over the universe.

The story comes out of the Green Lantern comics where many other colored rings have already appeared. The traditional Green power ring, which is powered by willpower, has been faced with an onslaught of new enemies, and allies, over the past two years in the form of different rings. They are:

Yellow (fear)
Violet (love)
Red (rage)
Orange (greed)
Blue (hope)
Indigo (compassion)
Black (death)

DC's most popular writer, Geoff Johns, came up with the concept of different color rings after bringing GL Hal Jordan back to life. His other concepts are currently reshaping the DCU: The New Krypton storyline brought 100,000 new Kryptonians to Earth. It is just, amazing, really. I'm really looking forward to his new Adventure Comics which will star Kon-El.

All of Johns' hard work in the GL universe will come to fruition this summer as Blackest Night spills over the whole universe.

Check out this preview posted yesterday on DC's official blog, The Source.

Image Comics Laughs at Cap #600

2009-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite comic book writers, Robert Kirkman (I reviewed one of his comics back in August), published this press release on Image Comics' webpage for Invincible #63. What can I say? Marvel sort of deserves it for freaking out over Cap #600 for months.

Invincible has been one of my favorite comics for a couple years now. Ryan Ottley, the artist on the series, is one of the best in comics (in my top 5, for sure).

Check it out:

NEW ISSUE OF INVINCIBLE TO BE SUPER POPULAR AND BELOVED FOR VAGUE, CRYPTIC REASONS!
Something might be happening in INVINCIBLE #63 and whatever it is will quite possibly be rather amazing!

In an unprecedented move, writer Robert Kirkman and illustrator Ryan Ottley have made a cryptic, semi-confident promise that INVINCIBLE #63 might be kind of a big deal for reasons they wouldn't say and plan to back it up with a special Wednesday shipment direct to comic shops!

"All I'm saying is INVINCIBLE #63 reorders should be double or triple over all retailer's orders combined plus fifty thousand," Kirkman stated. "I even heard President Barack Obama might call a press conference to discuss the contents of this very special issue, because there may be something of national interest in there. Also, every newspaper ever could possibly make it a front page story. Who knows?! All I can say for sure is every single human being on the planet, regardless of whether they read comics or even know what they are, will definitely be extremely interested in this issue, maybe even enough to buy a copy!"

INVINCIBLE #63 might even possibly be the biggest comic book event of all time, up there with The Death of Superman, The Death of Captain America, The Entirety of the Early Nineties and Action Comics #1! The only certainty is everyone must place a ridiculously massive order for a non-returnable product they may or may not make a profit on sometime in the near future. Or never. Don't ask - just buy it! You trust us, right?

Added Image Comics Publisher ericstephenson, "There's a chance this could very possibly be an event of undetermined importance, both for comics fans and people of all walks of life, with only the most passing familiarity with comic books, or even books, period. We can't really say what happens in this issue, but trust us, something does happen. And it might even be something interesting. Best not to jinx it, though, so let's just go with, 'Something happens.' It's somewhat likely a number of people we have yet to identify will want one. "

INVINCIBLE #63 (APR090384), a 32-page full color comic book easily worth around $500, but costing only $2.99, will be in stores June 17th, 2009.

Captain America #600 Review

2009-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Walking into St. Mark's Comics in East Village yesterday, there was only one thing on my mind: The monumental Captain America #600. In the front desk of the store, where the new issues from Wednesday usually go, 12 copies of Cap hung triumphantly. It was only 11:30 a.m. on a warm Manhattan Monday, and the copies of this issue on the shelf had already run out.

Marvel Comics had made the unique move of releasing #600 two days early, instead of the traditional New Comic Wednesday, and I patiently waited with a few other fans for an employee to grab more issues.

Marvel had been hyping this issue for months. Something big was going to happen to Captain America and no one should miss it.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (probably less than a minute), the employee brought two stacks of Cap. I had the choice between the Alex Ross or the Steve Epting cover. I immediately choose the magnificent Ross painted cover. Then, I thought about it for a while.

It was Epting, and writer Ed Brubaker, who had redefined the character for me and a whole generation of fans. I changed my mind and got the Epting cover; If something really big was going to happen, Epting deserved it.

Only two years ago, deep into Brubaker's run - which saw the return of Cap's partner Bucky and actually made Steve Rogers cool again - Cap was unexpectedly killed in issue 25. I was shocked, fans all over the world were shocked, and even the media had a field day with it.

As time went on, Bucky (also known as The Winter Soldier) would track down several of the people responsible for Roger's death, eventually become Captain America himself, and join the Avengers.

I didn't think it was possible, but Captain America without Rogers, the man who had been wearing the costume for half a century, was actually just as good. Brubaker gave Bucky a girlfriend, continued to grow the character (who for most purposes, he reinvented), and continued to weave the same type of spy-heavy stories that made the first 25 issues of the comic such a success.

Then, Marvel announced last month that #600 would change everything. It would be followed by a series called "Reborn" (see the trailer on TMR's homepage) and #600 would have "the most wicked plot twist since issue 25."

After buying the issue, I went to a coffee shop and read the much-hyped issue.

It was fantastic. Comics don't get much better than this.

The issue was $4.99, a bit high, but had 104 pages! This issue felt more than a trade paperback than a single issue. It had seven parts, which I will break down:

{Spoiler Warning}

Part One: Origin
Alex Ross and a few others give us a two page origin of Steve Rogers. It's beautifully drawn but doesn't offer much for long-time readers. Although, it would be good for new readers who are starting with this issue.

Part Two: One Year After
This is the real meat and bones of #600. Ed Brubaker starts with a recap about Cap's life and death. The rest focuses on individual characters in six parts:

In "Sharon Carter's Lament" Cap's former girlfriend does her usual I-regret-that-I-was-brainwashed-and-killed-Steve thing, but then comes the first big reveal: She starts to remember new things about shooting Rogers and she finds out that she shot him with some sort of special gun. She tracks down the SHIELD agent that she gave the gun to (while brainwashed) and finds out it is "not a normal gun." This part ends with Carter saying, "Oh, Thank God. Thank God..."

Next, in "The Other Steve Rogers", we catch up with Bad Cap - the guy that took over for Rogers while he was in ice. It basically is a narrative of his life and path to redemption. Pretty good stuff.

In "The Youth of Today" a long standing plot thread is finally touched on: Rikki Barnes, a female Bucky from a different dimension, meets the Young Avengers' Patriot. Now, this will get a bit complicated. About 10 years ago, Marvel decided to hire a bunch of Image Comics writers and artists to redo some of their biggest characters. The result, "Heroes Reborn" was horrible. It was so bad that I even took a five-year break from reading comics after it. Probably one of my least favorite comic writers, Jeph Loeb, brought this awful concept back last year for "Onslaught Reborn." It was, as expected, complete garbage. But, at the end of the series the Bucky from that universe was stuck in the normal Marvel Universe.

I wanted to vomit when I heard Rikki Barnes would be joining the characters of Cap, but I actually like this short story. She has a cool costume, is kind of fun, and is an all right addition to the cast. We also get to see Patriot (the nephew of the black Captain America) again, which is cool. I'm a huge Young Avengers fan, so I hope she joins that team.

The next part, "Crossbones and Sin", follows the two characters that were in charge of killing Rogers a year ago. It is kind of boring, but you start to get more hints that Rogers isn't really dead. Sin says, "You know what day is is? It's the anniversary...Ha...The don't even know...the fools."

In "The Avengers Dilemma", Bucky works out with the Avengers. Pretty fun stuff. They discuss whether or not to go to a memorial for Cap in Central Park. The next part, "The Red Skull's Delirium", is Red Skull talking about how great he is.

The final part, "The Vigilant", is about the Avengers, and a large crowd, at the Park. Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers make an appearance. The end of this part has the biggest reveal of the whole issue. Sharon Carter runs up to the Avengers and says, "It's Steve...I think we can still save him."

Part Three: In Memorium
This is about a few of Steve's old friends mourning his death.

Part Four: The Persistence of Memorabilia
Probably the one of the best Cap writers of all time, Mark Waid (second only to Brubaker), has a story about people buying Cap memorabilia at an auction. It is a really solid piece that ends with Tony Stark buying Cap's Avengers membership card for two million dollars.

Part Five: My Bulletin Board
Joe Simon, the first editor of Timely Comics in the '40s, tells us the story of Cap's shield. I think, at this point, Marvel is just filling space.

Part Six: Red Skull's Deadly Revenge
Like most comic fans, I'll sit around talking about how great Stan Lee is but when it comes time to read one of his comics I can hardly stand it. This reprinted comic from 1942 is just hard to read - It is really stupid. A different time, a different way of story telling...I guess.

Part Seven: Cover Gallery
600 Cap covers are reprinted. It is really cool to see how the character has changed over the years.

* * *

Overall, it was an amazing issue. I wished Bucky would stay Cap for a little longer, but I understand where Marvel is coming from. The movie The First Avenger: Captain America is supposed to be coming out in 2011 so I guess you don't want people running into a comic store after the movie and not have Steve Rogers in the suit.

The comic series "Reborn" about Rogers coming back to life starts on July 1st. Check out the trailer:

Contact Us

2009-06-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Send Mail to:

The Midwest Review
543 E. 5th St., Apt.22
New York, NY 10009

Email: phillipmolnar@gmail.com

T2 is Best Terminator Movie, says TMR Poll

2009-06-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Terminator: Salvation coming out, TMR asked visitors what their favorite Terminator movie was and the results were overwhelmingly in favor of T2.

T2 got 71% of the vote, The Terminator got 28%, and Terminator 3 got no votes.

Thanks to everyone that voted and make sure to vote on our new Captain America poll!

Book Review: Girls of Riyadh

2009-06-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

'If only I had known how very dangerous love was, I wouldn't have loved / If only I had known how very deep the sea was, I wouldn't set sail / If only I had known my very own ending, I wouldn't have begun.’
- Nizar Qabbani

Rajaa Al Sanea's Girls of Riyadh follows four 'velvet class' (super rich) Saudi women in the post-secondary education phase of their lives. There is Michelle – the child of an American mother (converted to Islam) and Saudi father – who falls in love with Faisl, but is ultimately let go because of Faisl's mother's disapproval of her family's plain-sounding last name, Al-Albdulrahman; Lamees, a medical student who finds failures in friendships as a result of giving too much, but eventually secures a good husband by doing just the opposite; Gamrah, a non intellectual and her mother's puppet, whose husband cuckolds her in Chicago and leaves her for his Korean 'mistress' while Gamrah is pregnant with his child; and Sadeem, whose fiancé divorces her after they sleep together (before the marriage ceremony), a sign that she isn't really the type of girl a Saudi man would want to commit to. In this quartet clique, Michelle and Lamees are the bold, loud-mouthed ones while Gamrah and Sadeem are the more conservative two and, ironically enough, the ones who are divorced by their husbands/fiancés.

Al Sanea treads a fine line by illustrating the love lives of these four girls of Riyadh, Saudi's ultraconservative and capitol city. She comes just short of taking Saudi society to task as an incubator for dysfunctional relationships, its sins being: hypocrisy (Sadeem's loss of her fiancé), the social and mental crippling of women (Gamrah isn't allowed out of the house once she reaches the status of single-mother divorcee), and severe familial obligations (Faisl's willingness to bend to his family's wishes despite his love for Michelle).

It's difficult to label Girls of Riyadh as a conventional novel in the sense that it is essentially a collection of e-mails that are read over the course of a year by the general masse of Saudi citizens in their living rooms on Friday, the last day of the weekend in Saudi and a day that many people gather with their families to eat and spend time together after the compulsory صلاة الجمعة (Sallah al Jumah – Friday prayer). This unusual approach of Yahoo and Hotmail list-serve e-mails allows the author to bring a meta-fictional nature to the girls' stories that enables the girls' tales to speak for themselves and creates a venue for the author to communicate more concretely the critiques she has of Saudi's population, culture, and mindset. This choice of narration saves the novel from falling into the 'Dear Diary' trap.

The premise of the narration is that 'Al Sanea' has decided to tell the personal accounts of her four friends from Riyadh through the medium of e-mail, allowing for anonymity and a way for the public to respond and dialogue with the situations she shares. Midway through the novel, the author writes to her e-mail readers:

I am so tired of getting these boring responses that try to dissect my
personality after every e-mail. Is that really what matters most to you,
after everything I have written? Whether I am Gamrah or Michelle or Sadeem
or Lamees? Don't you get that it doesn't matter who I am? (p. 141)

And it's true – her identity doesn't matter. Perhaps she is one of the girls she depicts (which would secure her authority as narrator). Or maybe she is, as she says, a friend of all four of them, which explains how she knows intimate details about the girls. Or maybe she is neither of these – merely a keen observer of all of the relationships she has witnessed and has formulated her four protagonists from this hodgepodge. Or most provocatively, she is every Saudi woman who entrusts her heart in romantic love and is stepping up to the podium with the mic volume set at its maximum.

For readers that are not originally from Saudi or familiar with the Muslim or Arab world in general, Al Sanea's English translation contextualizes for the reader her subtle critques on relationships in Saudi by beginning each chapter with a quote from a hadith (saying) of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), lines from poetry by Nazir Qabbani (a Syrian, and one of the most respected and revered Arab poets of the twentieth century), Islamic prayers, and even Western thinkers and writers that either juxtaposes or illuminates the actions of the chapter. She quotes Mark Twain, before the chapter in which Sadeem struggles to come to terms with the abrupt break-up of her long-term boyfriend (he decides to marry a more 'pure' Muslim girl):'Don't wake up a woman in love. Let her dream, so that she does not weep when she returns to her bitter reality.' How true this sentiment is when paralleled with what a young Saudi male, divorced twice, shared with me, 'These [Saudi] girls grow up thinking that the man they will marry will be everything for them and save them from everything. They really believe this. You can imagine how they react when this isn't true!"

The testimonies Al Sanea shares in this novel are testimonies not alien to cultures outside of Saudi: deceitful partners, unrequited love, the sacrifice of love in the name of family circumstance, etc. However, in placing these girls' situations under the microscope of the scrutiny of Saudi, a conservative Islamic state that has cultivated a culture in oppositions to the Qur'an and hadiths of the Prophet Mohammed (peace by upon him), a keen sense of empathy and injustice develops between the reader and the novel's protagonists. The reader quietly asks him- or herself, 'So where exactly do Saudi women get their legs to stand on in this society?' The answer is the same as it is everywhere else in the world, as idealistic as it sounds – with patience and faith in love. Even though love can be dangerous in Saudi society, its citizens, both male and female, continue to love, continue to set sail, and begin even though there are inklings that the ending may not be perfect. Despite the challenges and relational failures met by these girls of Riyadh, each girl is able to achieve a modicum of success, just not the way she had fantastically dreamed.

By Monique Yoder

Batman and Robin #1 Review

2009-06-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

I love the creative team of Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely - their All-Star Superman series has to be one of the greatest comics of all time - but they are the wrong team to restart the Batman comic book franchise.

Batman and Robin #1 is just as weird and wacky as all their other stuff, but there is one big problem: There are five other Bat titles the new team of Dick Grayson (Batman) and Damian Wayne (Robin) have to be in.

In this issue, the new dynamic duo fight a character called Mr. Toad, have an aquatic-looking flying batmobile, and eventually get on the trail of a psycho plastic surgeon -who reminds me a lot of the Joker - named Pig. This would be a really fun alternate universe tale, but I'm going to be horrified if all the new Bat titles are like this ultra-violent Adam West-style issue.

Bat continuity aside, Quitely's art has never looked better. His work on The Authority and All-Star was great, but he takes it to a new level here. He does this really cool thing where he writes word bubbles into explosions (see below).

Morrison is another story. Sometimes he is brilliant. Other times he is just horrible (Check out this article from Comic Book Resources about it). Although most of the issue falls flat, there is one really great scene with Alfred, Dick, and Damian in the basement of the Wayne Enterprises building (in what appears to be a new Batcave). Damian works on the batmobile and proves to be an even better mechanic than his dad, Bruce Wayne.

As usual, Damian is a bit of a jerk to Alfred, but actually says, "thank you," for a meal Alfred makes for him. I'd like it if the character gets a bit nicer - it's so hard to like him when he acts like he usually does. Still, Damian totally steels the show. His interactions with Dick are so great because they are totally different people. Dick is a simple do-gooder type and Damian is a spoiled young assassin.

The moral compass of the dynamic duo is now at opposite ends and that makes for a compelling read.

Overall, the new Bruce Wayne-less Batman idea is fun for old readers and intriguing for new ones, but the new Batman and Robin title is inappropriate for this new concept.

Terminator Salvation Review

2009-06-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

In an explosive summer action season with such hits as Wolverine and Star Trek, the fourth installment of Terminator blasts its way to the top of the heap with a new film from unlikely director McG.

After the disappointing Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Salvation gets back to the franchise's roots with clunky T-800 and T-600 robots; The skeleton-looking villains are a lot more interesting and fearsome than the lame T-X (from Terminator 3) and even the T-1000 (from T2). The key to Terminator's success in the science fiction genre is an image of the future that doesn't seem very futuristic.

T2 was awesome - don't get me wrong - but I think they missed the point a little with the T-1000. And Terminator 3 missed the point horribly with the T-X. Both of these versions of the terminators seem dated now; Only the robotic skeleton has staying power.

In Salvation, we catch up with John Connor after Skynet has already conquered much of the world and terminators patrol and destroy what little resistance is left. Connor is not yet the leader of the resistance and must fight his superiors to get his point across. I thought that was an interesting idea; it would be too predictable to have Connor already calling the shots.

The movie is non-stop action right after the first scene (in which Helena Bonham Carter makes a brilliant cameo). Connor blows up terminators, resistance fighters battle T-600s in the ruins of L.A., and a new character, Marcus Wright, ends up kicking more ass than anybody in a bloody journey through the West coast.

Salvation doesn't just have more action than its bad predecessor, it also has a fantastic story. We get to see the evolution of Connor's character: From the punk kid in T2, to the weasel in Terminator 3, to the tough-as-nails resistance fighter in this film.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I will say there is a cool twist with the Marcus Wright character, the resistance pays for all its bureaucratic problems, and the end battle is excellent.

This movie isn't worth passing up.

Ghostbusters 3-TO THE EXTREME!

2009-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hi! Taimur Dar here, known to those at NYU's Comic Book League as Taimur the Sub-Mariner (just in case you were having trouble prounouncing my name). My partner in crime, Phil Molnar, brought this site to my attention (for me to grace it with the presence of some articles). I haven't done any kind of journalism work since my old High School newspaper, so I'm ready to get back in the game! Plus with graduation looming ahead for me, it's something else I can put on a resume. So here it goes. My first article for this site!

Maybe it's the upcoming release of the Ghostbusters videogame, whatever the case, I've somehow fallen back in love wit the GB franchise. So like many Ghostbusters fans, I too got quite a nerdgasm after Dan Aykroyd recently teased a 3rd film.

Dan Aykroyd says 'Ghostbusters 3' may start filming in winter

Ok, let's face it, two decades since the last film, even though Harrison Ford was barely able to pull it off as Indy, there's no way the original cast can still fit in their original suits. A new generation of 'busters is inevitable, but I just hope they don't try anything too EXTREME! Who else remembers the late 90's? Come on raise your hands.

Ok that's it for me. Expect more from the Sub-Mariner soon enough.

Phil on Batman's Future

2009-05-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

At the end of the Battle for the Cowl miniseries:

Dick Grayson will become Batman
Robin (Tim Drake) will become Red Robin
Batman's son, Damian, will become Robin
It will turn out the Evil Batman is not Jason Todd, and Todd will kill the Evil version.
I don't have any idea who the Evil Batman is, but I would guess it is an old Bat-Villian. My guesses are Two-Face, Hush, Ra's al Ghul, or Joe Chill

Update (5/20):

Ok, it turns out I had 3 out of 5 right. Battle for the Cowl #3 came out today and it was amazing. Seriously, one of the best comics I've read in a while.

Director Spotlight: Spike Lee

2009-05-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

A Trip to the Subway Station: The Filmography of Spike Lee

“All directors are storytellers, so the motivation was to tell the story I wanted to tell. That's what I love.” –Spike Lee

It is an incredibly sensational experience: the lights are dimmed down low, the audience is silent, there is feeling of electricity and emotion in the air as you prepare yourself for the show, a nervous hush comes over the crowd…then the film begins. Perhaps there is a distinct musical score and credits to mark the official beginning of the film and the story unfolds itself slowly: characters are introduced and developed, conflicts are established and play themselves out according to the events of the plot, and then it’s over…the credits roll, the music plays again, the lights come up, the audience around you hopefully applauds before getting up to stretch, grab their belongings, and head out the theater exit. I’m usually the last one out, the guy who hangs around his seat for a few extra minutes during the credits, thinking about the film, recollecting and analyzing the contents of 80 to 120 minutes worth of (hopefully) great visual storytelling.

Films are a unique form of storytelling that combines the essential components of music, timing, literature, drama, and art. Each scene or frame has to contain a conflict or develop a character or move the plot along. The director, in most cases, is the complete storyteller and in the above quote, director and screenwriter Spike Lee establishes this fact, and by writing screenplays and directing them, essentially doing what he loves to do, Lee hopes to share his stories with the world –stories which contain certain elements and moral themes. While the exact story and context may change from film to film, Lee, like each director, covers the same subject matters and makes directorial choices that become synonymous with his work.

1989’s “Do the Right Thing” tells the story of a Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn neighborhood block during an incredibly intense summer heat wave. To put it succinctly, Mister Senor Love Daddy, the local d-jay, describes the day’s forecast as “HOT!”(screen play 3). The story primarily focuses on the course of events that occur on this Bed-Stuy block through the conflict of the various characters: Mookie, the semi-irresponsible pizza delivery boy; Sal, the Italian-American owner of Sal’s Famous; Buggin’ Out, a confrontational customers; and Radio Raheem, a larger than life behemoth wielding a massive boom box. “The size of his box is tremendous and one has to think, how does he carry something that big around with him?” (screen play 9). The main conflict is one of race, the methodical building up of anger and finally hatred of the black minority (the majority on this block) under the white majority (the actual minority on this block), but it goes deeper than this, dealing with morality –love, hate, and to “Always try do the right thing” (screen play 16). The plot deals with the demands made by Buggin’ Out to Sal to “Put some brothers on this Wall of Fame” (screen play 15), which because of his abrasive nature in making the demand, coupled along with Sal’s stubbornness, eventually builds until the chaotic standoff between the Italian-Americans and the neighborhood, resulting in the death of Radio Raheem and the destruction of Sal’s Famous.

Lee’s 1995 film “Clockers” tells the story of the murder of the night manager of a fast food restaurant in a Brooklyn hood as seen through the lives of Strike, a small-time drug dealer, and Detective Rocco Klein. “Clockers” are 24 hour drug dealers and Strike is implicated in the shooting murder, but his clean cut brother, Victor, turns himself in for the crime, causing Rocco, and his partner, Mazilli, to delve further into this murder case. Once again, similar to “Do the Right Thing”, this is a character study that deals with a number of conflicting personalities: Strike, the young drug dealer; Rocco, a grizzled detective; Rodney, the neighborhood drug kingpin; Victor, Strike’s law abiding, hard working older brother. The film deals with identifying the murderer of the night manager and discovering the ultimate fate of the killer, but it delves into the symbolic life of the urban youth, constantly surrounded by violence, abuse, drugs, and little or no chance for advancement. “Lee’s film more fully and sympathetically acknowledges the effects of Strike’s and his crew’s presence on the surrounding community: in particular, his family and neighbors” (Massood 2).

There is conflict between the effects of the hood drug dealers on the youths and between the police detectives and the criminals; there is a sense that this conflict goes far beyond the roles of the police and the criminals, into the realm of race relations –a motif covered by Lee in “Do the Right Thing”. The white detectives, once again Italian-American or Jewish, spend their lives busting black criminals, venturing out of their police stations and into the housing projects to cover another series of crimes. However, despite their indifferent behavior, choosing to find the easiest possible solution to solving the crime, one cop, Rocco, decides to sort through the facts to find the real murderer, but this is more out of personal pride and anger, stating “That these yo’s have the balls to think that they can pull something over on me!” (Paraphrased).

The 1999 release of “Summer of Sam” tells the story of Bronx neighborhood (much like “Do the Right Thing”) during the Summer of 1977, the summer in which the Yankees won their historic World Series title with the amazing 3 homeruns of Reggie Jackson, the ’77 blackout and subsequent massive looting riots, and the “Son of Sam” murders. The presence of serial killer David Berkowitz, roaming the streets of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, looking for innocent victims to blow away with his .44 caliber gun, provides the background of yet another character study. The audience is introduced to Vinny, an unfaithful husband, Dionna, his faithful, but confused wife, and Ritchie, Vinny’s best friend and punk rocker. According to Macnab, “It is an ensemble piece full of flamboyant minor characters, all of them played beautifully but none developed in any great depth”. There are minor characters as there are in “Do the Right Thing” and “Clockers”, but they are as just stated, they are not as developed or given the right amount of development necessary to their roles –they become Italian-American neighborhood tough-guys or another set of police officers.

“Lee’s real interest is in the relationships between members of a close-knit neighborhood in the Bronx…Lee captures brilliantly the creeping sense of paranoia that affected the city and the strange, macabre thrill of having its own serial killer” (Macnab 57).

Lee deals with the themes of family, loyalty, friendship, and xenophobia –the misfit Ritchie is continually shunned because of his choice in clothing and lifestyle, causing him to become even more “punk” in his decisions, eventually resulting in the ludicrous assumption of the neighborhood guys that Ritchie must be the “Son of Sam” and his beating at the film’s conclusion.

At the core of his work, Lee is a master of conflict between opposing characters or mentalities, whether it is white versus black, the police versus criminals, or the different versus the supposed standard normality. He has an obvious love for the city of New York, specifically Brooklyn, so much so that he changed the setting of “Clockers” from New Jersey in the original Richard Price novel to Brooklyn. “With tensions aggravated by the sweaty weather and the fear of a serial killer in their midst, it’s a community which is close to a boiling point –similar to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in “Do the Right Thing”” (Macnab 57). This is also true of “Clockers” in the sense that there is a tight-knit community amongst Rodney and his “children”, various young men, teenagers, and kids he supports and has serve as drug mules and dealers. Eventually, paranoia seeps into the mind of Rodney and tensions build as Rocco tries to cast Strike as a snitch amongst the ranks of Rodney’s drug ring. There is always a sense of morality and loyalty, between doing what is right and what is expected on one based on occupation, race, or social status. Mookie is presented with the choice of siding with Sal and his sons or the neighborhood; Rocco and Strike are presented with living the stereotypical lives of their environments and delivering justice; Vinny is presented with being the faithful husband and good friend he wants to be or being swept up into mob hysterics. It is clearly presented in Lee’s later work that he prefers to return to neighborhood setting in an urban environment.

It is interesting to see how each of these stories comes to their conclusions and if there is any closure to be had. Mookie joins the mob and throws a garbage can through the window of Sal’s Famous, inciting the riot and destruction –whether this was the right thing to do or not is to be decided by the members of the viewing audience. Rocco eventually finds out the killer –according to the film, it is Victor after all –and during the aftermath of his and Strike’s actions, the lives of Tyrone and Victor are ruined and Strike is given new start in life far from the stress of the Brooklyn hood. By the end of “Summer of Sam”, Vinny’s wife, Dionna, has left him once and for all, but in his lonely, desperate, drug and alcohol induced stupor, he is pressured into joining the mob, luring Ritchie out of his apartment and into the streets where he is brutally beaten as he is believed to be the “Son of Sam”. Ironically and tragically, the real killer, David Berkowitz is arrested and the televised coverage plays simultaneously as the gang beats Ritchie. It is only when Ritchie’s stepfather steps in with a gun that the violence ends and it is revealed that the real killer has just been arrested; a bloodied Ritchie asks, “Vinny, what the f___ are you doing?”.

During the progression of Spike Lee’s film career over a ten year period, there is a change in the style of films and the stories he has decided to tell. He has gone from covering complete urban struggles and social-racial relations in Brooklyn and slowly moved to uptown to the Bronx, to a general sense of morality and conflict; not only from deciding what is the right thing to do in terms of race, but between what is good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate. As I’ve already revealed, I am the proverbial last guy off of or out of anything anywhere, mostly because I like to stop and think about what is going on around my and well, take it in for experience and scrutiny’s sake. I’ve gone through a couple different Spike Lee movies and I believe that a good storyteller is able to convey conflict in the story’s central power struggles; to present to the audience two opposing sides or choices and through the context of the film, allow the audience to come to terms with what has transpired.

“Our duty as storytellers is to bring people to the station. There each person will choose his or her own train...But we must at least take them to the station…to a point of departure” –Federico Fellini

I think that this a truth that some directors hold dear –each of these Spike Lee films leaves the audience with an ambiguous feeling, that not every plot line and character is tied up neatly for complete closure; instead, we are asked by Lee to choose what we each believe to be the true outcome and rationality behind the choices made by the characters. As for Detective Klein and Strike, in choosing the paths that they did, Strike is able to free himself from the Brooklyn hood and Rocco can at least satisfy himself in knowing that at least there is one more drug dealer off the streets, no longer corrupting the community he has sworn to protect as a police officer. The ending of “Summer of Sam” is less so ambiguous, but it leaves the viewer to wonder what truly became of Vinny and Ritchie –how did they each recover from the traumatic incidents suffered in the Summer of ’77.

I believe that Mookie threw the garbage can through Sal’s window as a way of establishing himself as a member of the neighborhood black community, releasing the his frustration as being a person who traveled freely between the white and minority groups, and to make some kind of non-violent stand; yes, I suppose that turning one’s anger away from harming another human being towards property is non-violent in some sense. Even though Sal laments over the loss of a business he “built with his own two hands” while Mookie “stood there like a fuck”, he should be happy that the streets could just as easily be stained with the blood of him and his sons as it is littered with torn pizza boxes and shards of storefront glass. Yet, the ending doesn’t happen when the riot breaks out –it comes when Mookie returns to the wreckage of Sal’s Famous Pizzeria to claim his payment because “I gots to get paid.”(Lee…).

“…Sal gives Mookie the $250 and $250 more, a kind of ironic severance pay. Rather than hand the bills over, however, he wads them up and fires them one by one into Mookie’s face. It is a Signifyin(g) action, duplex in both execution and implication, at once both an insult and gift, an indictment of perceived hypocrisy and a reward for loyal service.” (McKelly 12).

Mookie responds by throwing two of the bills back at Sal, stating that he owes him fifty bucks. The awkward pause and silence as both Mookie and Sal stare at the money on the sidewalk is broken when Mookie decides to pick it up and take it; an indication of a temporary truce and a return to love at the beginning of the film; Mookie is both gracious at receiving the extra money from Sal, but at the same time, he is only interested in making his money, not at what the extra $250 actually means.

The theater attendant comes in to clean up the remnants of assorted popcorn kernels and spilled sodas. I get up and stroll out of the theater and onto a train platform, walking casually over to the ticket booth to purchase my tickets and choose my own destinations. As I sit on a bench, two trains pull up on either side of the platform and it is my responsibility to choose which interpretation, which choice, which one is the true outcome.

Quick Review: Star Trek

2009-05-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

{Spoiler Warning}

My phaser set to "excitement" as I beamed through this action-packed science fiction remake.

Star Trek boldly goes where none of the modern Trek movies have been before by adding Star Wars-like space battles, having amazing special effects from ILM, and a time travel twist.

Instead of just retelling the classic Star Trek story, aliens time travel to the past, which completely changes the future of the franchise as we know it. That is just brilliant, because it made the viewer actually think these characters would not live long and prosper.

I've never been a huge fan of Star Trek, but I actually enjoyed this movie. I think anyone could like this movie, not just graduates of Starfleet Academy.

Quick Review: X-Men Origins Wolverine

2009-05-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

{Minor Spoilers}

If you thought the X-Men franchise was over with X-Men: The Last Stand, then X-Men Origins: Wolverine should leave no question it will continue for many years.

The prequel, starring Hugh Jackman, is thick in X-Men mythology, stands strong as its own film, and is a simple summer movie.

Wolverine takes place, for the most part, 15 years before the first movie. Before the opening credits even start, you get to see the story of Wolverine growing up which follows the Origin comic book from a couple years ago. It was really cool to see them stick so closely to the comic, and to see Wolverine's bone claws on screen.

Sabretooth, who is actually Wolverine's step-brother in the movie (which I'm fine with. The fact they aren't related in the comics always annoyed me), is brilliantly played by Leiv Schreiber. You actually feel like this guy is a total bastard that could kill at any moment - unlike the brute moron from the films.

Also, there are a host of other really cool mutants: the Blob, Professor X, Gambit, Cyclops, Emma Frost, and, best of all, Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds. I'm really excited that Reynolds will be getting his own Deadpool movie, because he was hilarious.

I've heard some critics complain that there are too many characters for a "Wolverine movie" but I loved it. I say throw a few more mutants in there, the more the better!

The plot is pretty thin, and there isn't very many surprising plot points, but it was an entertaining summer action flick. And after my NYU finals, it was exactly what I needed. I'd recommend it to any comic or science fiction fan.

Book Review: Covering Islam

2009-05-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

There is simply no way in which societies thousands of miles away from the Atlantic world in both space and identity can be made to conform to what we want of them. – Edward Said.

Even before al-Qaeda was a household name, reporters were calling Edward Said to pin the Oklahoma City bombing on Muslims. The reporters assumed it was an Islamic terrorist attack and were ready to write about the "dangers" of Islam. "The media had assaulted me, in short, and Islam," wrote Said.

According to Said, a famous Palestinian writer, activist, and scholar, Islam is characterized in the media as a highly exaggerated and belligerent hostility. He criticizes so-called experts on Islam that routinely appear on talk shows and give newspaper interviews as fanatics that don't truly understand the Islamic world.

Said characterizes Islam as "the last acceptable form of denigration of foreign culture in the West." He believes the media unfairly targets Muslims as a source of the world's problems.

He concedes the reasons for this perception: Terror attacks in Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan, Palestine, and others have made an impression on the West. People are afraid and associated Islamic fundamentalism as the religion's only form. The Palestinian Hamas are one of the most extreme groups, but it is also the most reported on, further skewing the West's view of Islam. This book was written before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

In March 1996, many of the world's leaders, including Bill Clinton, gathered in Egypt to discuss terrorism. The conclusion, as Said saw it, was that Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran were to blame. Even today, Iran has been accused of funding terrorist groups in Iraq - to which there is little evidence.

It is this intense pressure from the media to unfairly criticize Islam that, according to Said, has postponed the chance for dialog between East and West.

It is fundamentalism, on both sides, that Said fears most. "Fundamentalism equals Islam equals everything-we-must-now-fight-against, as we did with communism during the Cold War," he wrote. He uses a New York Times article, "The Red Menace is Gone. But Here's Islam", to illustrate his point. The West now views this peaceful religion as a threat, and that is bad news for everybody.

Said doesn’t just point out problems in the media, but provides an analysis of common Western attitudes towards Islam. “The Islamic world by its very adjacency evoked memories of its encroachments on Europe,” said Said about a long held fear of the Muslim world throughout out Europe’s most powerful countries. He even points a finger at the Western entertainment industry by criticizing Western movies that “exaggerate and inflate” Muslim extremism. He criticizes scholars and intellectuals for ignoring Palestine and writing anything that might be useful for the Middle East.

He believes the focal point of this Western fear is Iran. “Iran…and along with it Islam, has come to represent America’s major foreign devil,” wrote Said. Ayatollah Khomeini’s photo was constantly used whenever a newspaper wrote a story about extremism, foreign oil, or, in-general, anti-American sentiment.

A New York Post reporter, George Carpozi jr., once wrote, “Like Adolph Hitler in another time, Ayatollah Khomeini is a tyrant, a hater, a baiter, a threat to world order and peace. The principal difference between the author of Mein Kampf and the compiler of the vapid Islamic Government is that one was an atheist while the other pretends to be a man of God.” It is hard to imagine the article published about Khomeini that led to the killings in Qom being much worse.

It is this fear and bias in the media that has led journalists to equate the Oklahoma bombing and almost any plane jacking as Islamic as a knee-jerk reaction. “What is it about Islam that provokes so quick and unrestrained a response?” wrote Said.

In addition, he spends a great deal of time criticizing journalists and professors, like Bernard Lewis (Atlantic Monthly, Foreign Affairs) and Judith Miller (The New York Times).

Said has expertise in Middle Eastern and Islamic governments, but he lacks a fundamental understanding of the media he criticizes. He mercilessly attacks Miller for pages because of a book she wrote called “God Has Ninety-Nine Names: A Reporter’s Journey Through a Militant Middle East”, which he calls “five hundred pages too long for what it ends up saying.”

It is true the “disgraced former journalist”(as my Professor Bill Serrin likes to call her) makes broad generalizations of the countries she visits without any interviews from the population, and does a really horrible job reporting what is actually happening, but Said does the same thing throughout the book. Here is one example:

“I would say most Arab Muslims today are too discouraged and humiliated, and also too anesthetized by uncertainty and their incompetent and crude dictatorships, to support anything like a vast Islamic campaign against the West.”

This is, most likely, completely true but Said gives no facts, no interviews, and no examples to back his claim up.

Another example from him, this one from the Iran Hostage crises, does more of the same:
“Thus, when Iranians seized the United States Embassy in Tehran they were responding, not just to the former shah’s entry into the United States, but to what they perceived as a long history of humiliation inflicted on them by superior American power.”

Once again, he fails to back up this statement. There are no interviews with the students that led the Hostage Crisis. There are no other experts quoted other than him. The best he gives the reader is the alleged meeting of a French lawyer who told Carter why Iranians hate Americans. Still, even he says he doesn’t know if the conversation actually took place.

Said is an academic, who only relies on other academics to edit his work, fails to beat journalists at their own game. He makes a very valid, and strong argument, against the medias villinization of Islam for the average reader. But, for an actual member of the media, it sometimes comes off as a ranting professor.

Further examples of his lack of understanding of real journalism are in his editorializing. People that, albeit unfairly, misrepresent Muslims are called “anti-human.” But, people Said likes are editorialized to seem like heroes. An example is listed below:

“As the perceptive scholar As’ad Abu Khalil notes…”

When Said actually stops criticizing sizing the media, and provides many of his own analyses, he really shines. His impression of the hatred directed towards Iran was like nothing I had ever heard, or thought, and left me with a strong impression. He says the Iranian revolution was proof that Muslim societies could not fall into traditional categories:

“The Iranian Revolution [was] neither procommunist nor promodernization, the people who overthrew the shah were simply not explainable according to the canons of behavior presupposed by modernization theory.”

Said not only describes the Iranians’ hatred of Americans, but the Americans’ hatred of them. Said says the “deeply insulting and unlawful seizure of the Teheran embassy” was what drove many Americans to hate Iran. He estimates that 90 percent (a journalist would wonder how he came to that exact number) of what Americans know about Iran has come through radio, television, and newspapers.

The students in the embassy knew the power of the media, but also failed to see the way they would be perceived by the American public. They frequently would schedule “events” to meet satellite deadlines and nightly news broadcasts in the United States.

The frantically written articles by American newspapers about the Hostage Crisis during the rush to meet deadline were inaccurate, and at times, comical. They followed a similar formula: Prove Islam was an unchanging thing that could be grasped across all history, cultures, geography, and culture. “It did not seem to matter that the normal rules had been suspended,” Said wrote.

The initial understanding to the Crisis was horribly inaccurate:

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Nov. 8 said the Palestine Liberation Organization was behind the embassy takeover.

• The Washington Post on Dec. 9 said, “There is some basis to believe that the whole operation is being orchestrated by well-trained Marxists.”

• CBS Nightly News on Dec. 12 said “diplomatic and intelligence sources” had affirmed that the PLO, Islamic fundamentalists, and the Soviet Union had worked together to take the embassy.

Said takes pains to list the horrible pronunciations by journalists, like Walter Cronkite, of many Iranian names. I will hopefully avoid pronunciations because I want to only be a print journalist, but for my own well being, will work hard to learn the correct way to say them.

Said is incorrect in one aspect of The New York Times. He wrote the Times was influenced by “its Catholicity.” After reading the extremely long biography of the Times, “The Kingdom and the Power”, I can say with confidence the majority of writers and editors were Jewish. Besides that, he is correct in pointing out their failings. The highest paper in the U.S. routinely portrayed Khomeini as a fanatic and routinely offended Muslim people. Compared to other papers, they were much better, trying to actually interview Muslims and Iranians.

The Chicago Tribune wrote this on Nov. 25:

“People who consider dying to be an honor are, by definition, fanatics.”

I wish an editor at the Tribune had said, “So you are saying that Husayn, one of the holist figures in Islam, is a fanatic?”

I believe the way mainstream media has portrayed Islam is wrong. They tend to lump Muslims and terrorists together, lack a historical knowledge of the area they are covering, and are too quick to blame all forms of terrorism on Muslims. I hoped this book would give me a clearer picture of that, and in the specific examples Said uses from Iran, it actually tended to do that. But, for the most part, Said’s lack of understanding of the industry he criticizes makes the book a hard one to finish.

As a working journalist, I will think twice before what I write about any Muslim or Arab country. Said has only reinforced my mission, but I would only recommend this book to people who feel Islam has been fairly written on. If you already are aware of the media’s bias in Middle Eastern reporting than leave the book on the shelf. It won’t tell you anything you don’t already know.

For the average reader, I would suggest skipping the two introductions and the final chapter, “Knowledge and Power.” The two introductions, which are more than 50 pages, are Said going on a rant about why certain newspapers and journalists are wrong. It might be good to read the first few pages, but after that, he tends to constantly repeat himself and loose track of his point. The “Knowledge and Power” chapter is too abstract; It is about why humans interpret certain events the way they do and how experiences of writers shape their understanding.

The first chapter, “Islam as News”, and the second, “The Iran Story”, are where Said really shines. His brilliant analysis of Islam, the Middle East, and Iran are what made him such a celebrated academic.