Bukowski's Basement

DRAMA'S WET DREAM: A MODERN PULP (#fridayflash)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:18:00 PST

Press play for some mood music

I worked the door at Toyland, a titty bar on Fillmore, and when I tell you that this broad was drama's wet dream, believe it. This kid had a story for everything.

And the funny thing? Her name was Drama -- at least that was her stripper name. I know, dumb moniker for a dancer but then, most of them weren't too bright.

The way I saw it, there were four kinds of strippers. 'Snowflake' was usually the pretty dope fiend who was so spaced, she'd barely make money for her next fix. 'Madison' was usually the cute freckled college kid, paying her way through school, and hoping her dad or boyfriend wouldn't trot in at any given moment. Then there were the ones I called 'Ivy' -- normally the hot moms -- who turned to the pole to feed their toddlers. If you did enough trolling, you just may find these cougars on a porn site or two. Lastly? 'Porsche' was the out-of-place minority gal who, in most cases, raked in more dough than all the ladies combined. But that was usually on nights Drama wasn't working. And yeah, you can just imagine, the other chicks hated Drama. And for good reason.

I started to watch the girl as soon as Dino hired her. Normally, he had a thing for chicks built like brick shithouses but Drama wasn't curvy at all. In fact, she always struck me as needing an extra sandwich. But still way sexy. She had that thing. Guys'll know what I mean. Body aside, she had a way with the lappers and always got them to pay more for a sweaty crotch grind than the other gals. It was almost beautiful to watch. Drama had them so wrapped that these briefcase bums didn't know what hit 'em. To this day, I always wondered how they explained the stain on their pants to the misses.

* * *

After a few months, Dino started to get complaints about his top-rated dancer. It turns out that Little Miss Drama was a thief of the watch and wallet order. Small time, but still, try explaining to a pissed wife why your wedding ring is missing.

I was ordered to confront her about it and, one night just before last call, I cornered Drama in the Champagne Room where it was just the two of us. After locking the door, I turned to her and smiled.

"What's the deal with the money you've been stealing?" I asked.

Halfway expecting this little chickadee to cry, I was kinda shocked when she asked me if I wanted a cut.

Fuck it, I called her bluff and said sure. I told her that it would buy my silence. Drama took a swig of whatever top-shelf hooch that was left behind from the cum stain that had just left. She dug deep into her large purse. I was expecting some green but she pulled out a pistol. What was I gonna do? She had me.

I told the rest of the joint that the bullet hole to my leg was compliments of a bar fight between two wannabe wiseguys. No cops were going to be called.Was I really gonna admit that I was taken by a 98 pound stripper? One named Drama no less? Nope. I'm taking this one to the grave.

And while I'm at it, I'll add a fifth kind of stripper to my list --' Drama' -- a dancer so fucking sexy she'd pick your pocket and you'd probably let her.

Did I mention I'm not working the door anymore?

'THE WIRE': A 'F#@K' OF A SCENE (AND SHOW)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:52:00 PST

Wendell Pierce and Dominic West in 'The Wire.'

I missed "The Wire" on the first go-round. I know, I know... Dumb.

Initially, I tried it out and for whatever reason, didn't stick with the cerebral HBO drama past its initial sixty minutes of the HBO drama. I suspect there are many like myself who opted to watch the exploits of depressed gangster Tony Soprano in New Jersey than the bleak interactions of criminals and police within the crime-riddled streets of Baltimore Maryland. "The Wire" wasn't as watercooler but make no mistakes, is every bit the as great as "The Sopranos." Need proof? To this day, it's always one of those shows that wind up on every conceivable critic's 'BEST FREAKIN' SHOWS EVER' list. And even after all that, it somehow, still managed to pass me by.

Years passed. I had the entire series just waiting for me, shrink-wrapped, and beckoning. Me? I was planning to delve into the show if I had ever broken a leg and was couch-bound. Well, I never broke the leg, but recently, I caved and after plumetting through the initial set up, I was in. Hook, line and sinker...

Granted, the series takes a few episodes to introduce a multitude of characters but, if you can hang that long, the payoffs begin to swifty arrive.

There's nothing I can say here that will possibly do it any more justice than the plethora of of scribes that have already sang its praises so I'll just add: Apart from "Treme" (also created by "The Wire" showrunner Joe Simon), no other show I've ever watched is as multi-layered, complex, frustrating and powerful. It's a novel exploding into your television and shouldn't be dimissed as a mere "cop show." It's much more than that. Much more. In fact, many novelists provide the scripts including Richard Price, Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.

I'll leave you with a video of one of the first season's benchmark scenes. In the fourth episode entitled "Old Cases," Baltimore Detetctives Jimmy McNulty and Bunk Moreland (Dominic West and Wendell Pierce) search an empty apartment for any uncovered clues that may have been left behind in the unsolved murder of a young woman named Diedre Kresson.

Here's the deal, though -- they reframe the violet events of the crime using only one word: "Fuck" (and other colorful variations of the curse). It's a doozy and a testament to how great the actors are and how powerful the writing is. Even with just one word.

WARNING: NSFW

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDGAR ALLAN POE

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:50:00 PST

Edgar Allan Bro...

Big birthday week 'round these parts... It's Jan. 19 so let's give a hearty and happy 203rd birthday to the inventor of the detective novel (and uber horror master) Edgar Allan Poe.

Enjoy some tales below ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAMP!

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:16:00 PST

May 25, 1965 - Ali knocks out Sonny Liston in first minute of the first round.

Happy 70th birthday to the greatest boxer who ever lived - Muhammad Ali...

'MOONSHINERS': REAL OR FAKE?

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:19:00 PST

So I'm doing what people do on New Years Eve and Day -- watch marathons -- and I come across a show both awesome and odd at the same time. It's called 'Moonshiners' and it airs on The Discovery Channel.

It centers on those who brew their shine - often in the woods near their homes using camouflaged equipment — and the local authorities who try to keep them honest. According to the network, viewers will witness practices rarely seen on television including the sacred rite of passage for a moonshiner — firing up the still for the first time. This is where it gets tricky. "Moonshiners" includes actual western Virginia state ABC agents and while I thought that, in and of itself was quite odd, it turns out that the plot is thickening a bit.

The Associated Press reports that the program misleads viewers into thinking the state is tolerating illegal booze manufacturing and that it wouldn't have participated if they knew how the episodes would turn out. Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Kathleen Shaw told the AP that viewers have asked why the state is allowing a crime to take place?

MY POEM AND AUDIO READING: 'THE BOOTLEGGER'

Here's the rub: Shaw said the show is a dramatization, and no illegal liquor is actually being produced. "If illegal activity was actually taking place, the Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement would have taken action," Shaw wrote. But it certainly appears differently on the show. The department issued a statement saying it would not have participated in the filming had they known how the show would've turned out. "Virginia ABC agreed to participate in an informative piece that documents the history of moonshine and moonshine investigations in Virginia. Virginia ABC did not participate nor was aware of the false depiction of moonshine manufacturing, distribution and/or transportation in the filming, and would not have participated in the 'documentary' had it known of this portrayal," the statement said.

The origin of moonshining in the United States has been linked with the Whiskey Rebellion during the 1790's. Under President George Washington, a Federal tax was imposed on whiskey, which farmers strongly resented — leading to a backlash and rise in illegal distillers. Even the origins of NASCAR have been linked back to the skilled driving of moonshiners eluding law enforcement.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:29:00 PST

Here's wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy 2012

BOXING DAY: AN E-BOOK AND DOCUMENTARIES

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:21:00 PST

While it has nothing realllllly to do with what we now consider boxing, celebrate Boxing Day with these two stupendous ring documentaries and a link to "Felony Fists," a fabulous e-book by my friend and fellow scribe Paul Bishop (written under the pseudonym Jack Tunney).

In fact, the whole Fight Card series (with one coming from me soon), is a fun throwback to the days of dimestore boxing pulps and noir. Check out Bishop's entry and then purchase the rest of the books in the line: "The Cutman" (Eric Beetner) and "Split Decision" (Mel Odom).

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:30:00 PST

... And happy holidays to everyone! Meet me under the mistletoe...

MEET THE NEW FACE OF JOHNNIE WALKER

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:18:00 PST

Brilliant ... Just brilliant. Is there a better reason now to drink the spirit. Admitted scotch drinker Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men") is the new face for Johnnie Walker. She revealed that it was her husband Geoffrey Arend who got her interested in the hooch. "I always thought it was sexy when he ordered scotch and I'd take little sips of his drink,' she told Men's Health in October. That interview (and photo spread) prompted the booze company to contact the actress to endorse their product.

WRITERS' ROUNDTABLE: HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (VIDEO)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:27:00 PST

Every awards season, The Hollywood Reporter gathers the screenwriters of the year’s best films for an informal roundtable.

For this year's chat, they assembled Moneyball‘s Steve Zaillan and Aaron Sorkin, The Skin I Live In‘s Pedro Almodovar, J. Edgar‘s Dustin Lance Black, Rampart‘s Oren Moverman and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close‘s Eric Roth to discuss their own, and each others’, scripts, all of which have a shot at multiple awards and nominations.

Grab some java and enjoy...

HAPPY 96TH FRANK...

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:46:00 PST

Always cool... Your legend lives on...

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP': DID JIMMY AND GILLIAN JUST DO THE NASTY?

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:10:00 PST

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE TEN
"UNDER GOD'S POWER SHE FLOURISHES"

This week: Written by Howard Korder and directed by Allen Coulter, "Under God's Power She Flourishes" wrapped up only a minor bit of business leftover from last week. Still, the last five-minutes made up for it. While the situation with Jimmy and the fallout from Angela being murdered wasn't emotionally explored to the fullest, a few key events at the end of the episode will surely have consequences and/or repercussions.

Some key events:

•With Margaret (Kelly Macdonald) pondering the consequences of sin, Nucky (Steve Buscemi) prepares her for a worst-case scenario as Esther Randolph (Julianne Nicholson) plays out her trump cards -- or at least what she THINKS are trump cards.

• In a stupor, Jimmy (Michael Pitt) revisits his college days when the lines of his wife-to-be Angela (Aleksa Palladino) and Gillian (Gretchen Mol) first became blurred.

• Ever the odd man out, a slightly toughened-up Mickey Doyle (Paul Sparks) chafes at sharing his liquor profits.

•Sheriff Eli Thompson (Shea Whigham) refuses to cop a plea. Or will he?

• Nelson Van Alden's (Michael Shannon) past comes back to haunt him and, lo and behold, tips the scale in Nuckyʼs favor.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com.

Ep. 23 - Inside the Episode

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP: ANGELA DARMODY, WE'LL MISS YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:17:00 PST

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE TEN
"GEORGIA PEACHES"

This week: Written by Dave Flebotte and directed by Jeremy Podeswa, "Georgia Peaches" was a doozy. After last week's transitional episode, this one not only moved the situations along but last us with the series' best cliffhanger.
Some key events:

• Dumbstruck by Nucky Thompson's new source for alcohol, Jimmy and his partners look to cultivate a new revenue stream in Atlantic City.

• With the peak tourist season in full flux, the Commodoreʼs crew faces a choice in dealing with the cityʼs striking workers: Negotiate or fight back.

• Fearing that her sins of temptation have led to her daughter's misfortune, Margaret approaches Father Brennan with an “act of devotion.”

• Nucky gets a new lawyer courtesy of Arnold Rothstein.

• Manny Horvitz takes exception to a debt payment and embarks on the ultimate act of revenge.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com.

Ep. 22: Inside the Episode

GOBBLE, GOBBLE...

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:20:00 PST

Here's wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving...

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY GOES TO IRELAND

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:03:00 PST

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE NINE
"BATTLE OF THE CENTURY"

This week: Written by Steve Kornacki and directed by Brad Anderson, "Battle of the Century" is a slower paced and shorter episode than we've been getting. And it feels like a vacation of sorts. And that's not bad. The action and developments have been so fast and furious, it was good to sit back and let the cadence slow down a bit and watch Anderson's low-key direction. Definitely a transitional episode and a damn good one at that. Some key events:

• Arriving in Belfast, Nucky Thompson and right-hand man Owen Sleater meet with IRA leaders with a barter proposition.

• In Atlantic City, Jimmy Darmody and his partners broker a deal with George Remus for his medicinal alcohol before taking a break to take in the Dempsey-Carpentier fight.

• Margaret Schroeder frets when Emilyʼs sudden illness takes a turn for the worse.

• Former Chalky White cellmate Dunn Purnsley orchestrates a workerʼs strike at the Ritz-Carlton.

• Philly bootlegger Waxey Gordon takes action against Manny Horvitz in Philadelphia but the butcher turns out to be much tougher than expected.

• U.S. Attorney Esther Randolph and Agent Clifford Lathrop grill Deputy Halloran about Nuckyʼs past and Eli's involvement with the Hans Schroeder murder.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com.

Ep. 21: Inside the Episode

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY TAKES A STEP BACK; JIMMY RISES

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:18:00 PST

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE EIGHT
"TWO BOATS AND A LIFEGUARD"

THIS WEEK: Written by series creator Terence Winter and directed by 'Empire' and 'The Sopranos' vet Tim Van Patten, "Two Boats and a Lifeguard" explores the theme of the relationship between and father and son.
Some key moments:

• In the wake of a personal loss, Nucky Thompson seeks advice on his political and municipal trouble from Arnold Rothstein and Johnny Torrio.

• Eli -- being Eli -- remains suspicious of brother Nucky's actions and feels that Jimmy may be ill-equipped to take those reins.

• Nucky finds himself in the unfamiliar position of showing gratitude toward a federal agent.

• After eavesdropping on her husband's treachery, Jimmy's wife Angela meets a new 'friend' on the beach.

• G-Man Nelson Van Alden hires a live-in nanny to take care of his little girl Abigail.

• Nucky approaches his right-hand man Owen Sleater with an overseas proposition.

• Jimmy Darmody flexes his muscles at poor Mickey Doyle's expense.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com.

THE VAGRANT WRITER (GUEST POST)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:34:00 PST

This is a guest post by Caleb J Ross (also known as Caleb Ross, to people who hate Js) as part of his "Stranger Will Tour for Strange" blog tour. He will be guest-posting beginning with the release of his novel Stranger Will in March 2011 to the release of his second novel, "I Didn’t Mean to Be Kevin" and novella, "As a Machine and Parts," in November 2011.

If you have connections to a lit blog of any type, professional journal or personal site, please contact him. To be a groupie and follow this tour, subscribe to the Caleb J Ross blog RSS feed. Follow him on Twitter: @calebjross.com. Friend him on Facebook: Facebook.com/rosscaleb

~~~

Am I the only one who sees construction sites and bridge embankments not as evidenc

e of urban sprawl but as potential office space? I often romanticize writing not just in terms of capital-A Art, but in terms of environment, too. Writing, to me, means dank bars, an unfinished basement corner, a notebook on a park bench, and every time I pass them, construction sites and bridge embankments. They aren’t just for homeless people.

I have this idea for a novella series. Each book would be written in a different setting. I’d spend a week on a Florida beach and crank out a draft of a novella, possibly set at that beach, possibly only subconsciously influenced by the beach. The title of the novella would contain a reference to the setting. Maybe simply The Ocean. Then, I’d spend a week in fleabag motels, doing the same. Then a week at a hostel in Chicago. Then a week under a highway bridge. A week at the same stool in the same bar. Literary tourism, but on a much more focused scale.

Who’s done this? Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises (Madrid and Pamplona, Spain). John Kennedy Toole in A Confederacy of Dunces (New Orleans, Louisiana). But these examples explore real cities on a macro level. I want to explore the micro. Hemingway describes much of Madrid and Pamplona. I want an entire novella in Botin’s restaurant in Madrid. Toole uses food carts throughout his book. I want an entire novella about a single, specific food cart.

A vintage hotel just down the street from my house, The White Haven, was recently torn down. The lot is empty. Maybe, The White Haven would be a great name for a book about the old getting obliterated for the sake of the new. One underpass in particular, just a few miles north, shelters an unusually large number of homeless people. Maybe 670 & Truman would be a good name for a book about a group of homeless trying to survive in Kansas City.

The trick would be to keep these novellas free of gimmickry. These would be legitimate stories, not dependent on the setting, but instead leveraging the setting to inform the story. Is it possible? Would anyone care to read these things?

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrism70/

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: TROUBLE IN BABETTE'S; MARGARET SOUL SEARCHES

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:12:00 PST

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE SEVEN
"PEG OF OLD"

THIS WEEK: Directed by Allen Coulter and written by Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki and Bathsheba Doran, "Peg of Old" delved in the concept of family, isolation and secrecy.

Some key moments:

• Nucky enlists heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey to promote the wireless broadcast of his upcoming Jersey City bout.

• Receiving pressure from his mini-syndicate, Jimmy Darmody faces a decision that could shape the future of Atlantic City. But is it the right one?

• Margaret Schroeder travels to Brooklyn for a bittersweet reunion with the family she left behind in Ireland. In the process, she soul searches with the help of someone very unlikely.

• Irked by the arrival of Attorney General Harry Daughertyʼs new federal prosecutor, Esther Randolph, Nelson Van Alden weighs his options as his personal and professional problems converge.

• Badly in need of financial support, Lucy visits old flame Nucky.

• Owen Sleater settles an old score, sets his sights on a new conquest and drops the ball on a major responsibility.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.com

Ep. 19 - Inside the Episode

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: 'BOYTSHIK' GIVES ADVICE TO MANNY HORVITZ

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:11:00 PDT

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE SIX
"THE AGE OF REASON"

THIS WEEK: Written by Bathsheba Doran and directed by Jeremy Podeswa, "The Age of Reason," explores the notion of forgiveness as well as confession. Some key moments:

• After getting ships seized by the Coast Guard a few weeks back, Nucky orchestrates a risky liquor delivery in Philadelphia via bootleggers Waxey Gordon and Arnold Rothstein.

• Attorney General Harry Daugherty faces a political quandary and throws a monkey wrench into Nucky's election fraud case.

• Jimmy Darmody finds a new mentor in the mutton-chopped Leander Whitlock, the Commodore's longtime lawyer.

• Margaret Schroeder digs deep into her soul and confesses her sins - especially one she'd been hiding.

• Lucy Danziger struggles with her solitude while Treasury Agent Nelson Van Alden wrestles with his conscience.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.COM

Ep. 18 - Preview

LITTLE DEMON GIRL (#fridayflash)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:56:00 PDT

Press play for some mood music

Not sure how else to put this but I think Sadie loved being possessed.

You might think that's a harsh thing to write but it's true. I remember hearing about her around town when she was around a year old. People called it a freak accident but the story always stuck with me.

One night, as a babysitter dry humped her boyfriends downstairs, Sadie crawled out of her crib and suffocated her big sister while she was sleeping.

My boy eventually went to preschool with her and at the time, I just figured that she was just a little snot of a kid. A few head butts and bloody noses later, I warned my wife to keep our son away from her.

Then again, maybe I should have warned my wife. I told her not to go to that Halloween party at school because she wasn't feeling well. But who was I to tell a fun mom what to do, right? She would dress up each year with the kid and that year it was some sort of female wizard made popular in some children's novel. Instead of buying an off-the-rack costume-in-a bag you see at Halloween superstores, she wanted to make her own and went into the attic for the materials. The costume was an elaborate success - save for the fact that it was impossible to get out of easily.

That day, when she went outside for a smoke, Sadie was slightly above lighting a Jack-o-Lantern in her classroom window. She threw the match and it ignited my wife and she was burnt to a crisp in that horrid costume. Sadie saw the whole thing and was the first to alert the teacher.

As I got drunk night after night, I couldn't help but hold that little girl responsible somehow. Was that wrong of me?

I muddled through the grief with my son and a few years later, we adjusted. When he was around 12 or so, the school held a graduation party during the day. As usual, there were all sorts of pot luck goodies that the parents brought in. I didn't cook but I did manage to pick up incredible pastries from an old Italian bakery a few towns over. I heard they went over quite well.

Ethan, my boy, complained that night of belly pain. I fluffed it off at first but it intensified in the middle of the night. The E.R. was packed but we managed to get in on the pediatric side but it didn't look good for him.

He died of peritonitis. That's an infection for those in the cheap seats. Apparently, fragments of a shoddy wooden toothpick managed to impale his little abdomen.

At this point, should I have been shocked to learn that Sadie brought in a certain treat that used toothpicks?

Digging deep in myself, I yearned for the will to press on. In the middle of the night, a lightbulb went off and I lived for only one thing...

I write this from a jail cell. It seems as though I tried to choke Sadie tonight but a bunch of dads on soccer coach duty managed to yank me off of her small frame.

That evil smile she shot me is burned in my brain and that's all I think about now. I look at the concrete cinder-blocks around me. My lawyer says I might be here a while... But I can wait.

It will be easier when she's older...

MUSIC: SMPC Children's Chime Choir - Holy Manna. Click HERE.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP: RICHARD HARROW LOST IN THE WOODS

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:48:00 PDT

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE FIVE
"GIMCRACK & BUNKUM"

THIS WEEK: Written by Howard Korder and directed by series vet Tim Van Patten, 'Gimcrack and Bunkum' elevated the 'Empire' game. While we've been building on character nuances from the get-go, elements are starting to fall into place and the action is amping up -- in a big way. The result? Chatter for the water cooler.

Some key moments:

• With his opposition imploding, Nucky's election-fraud case is about to fall into federal jurisdiction. But is that a good thing after all?

• Richard Harrow embarks on a bit of soul-searching deep in the heart of the woods and meets a couple of down-home moonshining squirrel trappers

• With The Commodore ailing, Jimmy Darmody clashes with Atlantic City's ruling class and is taught a painful lesson.

• Eli lets his anger get the best of him and lands himself in a more-than-desperate situation.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.COM

Ep. 17 - Preview

VALKA (#fridayflash)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:43:00 PDT

Press play for some mood music

We all have shitty neighbors from time to time. They may play music too loud, leave their barking dogs outside or merely leave trashcans on the curb for far too long. It's all part of being a member of any given community. And we usually deal.

And sure, I have my own bad habits. Frequently, I'd leave my car parked on the street overnight, my newspapers would flood the unkempt lawn and my porch was sort of an eyesore.

That said, I often look the other way. It was hard, though, when the noises started roughly a month ago from the rectory next door.

Because the damn novel doesn't seem to formulate in my head during the waking hours, I often find myself backwards when it comes to sleep. And if it's one thing I know is that the mind can play tricks during the hush of night.

I'm going on record and telling you that I always thought Father Valka was different. He rarely said hello and when he did, it seemed forced. But in the pulpit, he was dynamic and engaging. He was a paradox.

When the noises started, I crept up to the window and peered out. Valka was carrying a bunch of stuff in a crate from an old station wagon the priests used. He walked into the rectory and slammed the door. And that was pretty much that.

A few days later, the clanking started. But it was a muffled kind of clatter. Still, in my attic, if you tried to hear it, you usually could. I shook my head and went back to the book that didn't want to end.

At Sunday mass, I noticed Valka was absent and thought it was odd since I was almost positive the clanks I heard during the witching hour the night before were certainly his.

By Wednesday of the next week, instead of ruckus there were now wails. They were agonizing. Like a dying cat. I opened the window and let in the crisp Autumn air. And those moans... Funny enough, the damn feline helped the writing.

It was the annual pilgrimage to Padre Pio in Pennsylvania where all the kooks go to pray to a statue and yellow school buses clogged the street. I was kind of happy the rectory would be empty for a few days because quite frankly, the noises were not only starting to get creepy but now I began to question most of them.

Typing. I went back to typing.

But it started again. Wails turned into a steady level of crying. Haunting. Enough was enough. I went into my backyard, hopped the fence and tiptoed around the perimeter. When I made it to the rectory backyard, the cries were evident. It was no cat. How did I know? Because cats don't speak.
"Jesus, please save me..." was all I kept hearing in a drone. That was it. I kicked in the screen door that led to the back hallway and crept down a dark, dank staircase to the cellar. The cries were louder now but I couldn't tell where they were coming from.

I picked up a large hammer on a workbench and crept around in the dark -- my hands as my guide. They led me to a makeshift room, padlocked.

She cried when I told her that I was there to help. My adrenaline kicked in and I began to hammer at the lock furiously. Eventually I was able to kick in the door enough to see a prisoner.

It was Sister Mary Marie. She was chained and tied up. The blindfold was so tight, it barely came off. Scribbled in blood on the wall was one message:

THIS IS HELL

She was young nun who arrived at the convent about a month ago, fresh faced and just way too good looking to be in a habit. Looking at her it dawned on me what the public still doesn't get about these men of the faith is that -- they're men. And men will be men.

All half dozen of the priests were questioned by detectives the next day and it was pretty easy to surmise that Valka was their man. He told them that he never intended to hurt Mary Marie but simply wanted to see who would come to her aid first -- God or Satan.

It's some months later and Mary Marie is bouncing back with the help of generous amounts of prayer and head shrinking. She teaches third grade at the Catholic School up the street where my daughter attends.

Me? I was back in the attic typing away, questioning the nature of our demons, their challenges and the people we become as a result. And Valka? Funny enough, Satan got the best of him in a damp jail cell in Marion County, Georgia. The guards found him strangled.

The weird part? Legend has it the videotape went black at the time of his death.

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY GETS HIS MOJO BACK

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:51:00 PDT

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE FOUR
"WHAT DOES THE BEE DO?"

It's getting hot in the kitchen... Written by Steve Kornacki and directed by Ed Bianchi, "What Does the Bee Do?" has Nucky's tide turning. Or so we're led to believe... Some key moments:

• Nucky's attorney has a legal brainstorm that just may have his election-rigging case squashed;

• Facing a local liquor surplus, Jimmy Darmody and Mickey Doyle head to Philadelphia in search of buyers -- meeting up with gangster Manny Hurvitz;

• Nucky calls an old enemy and strikes an unlikely deal to get his booze flowing back into Atlantic City;

• As the The Commodore suffers a horrific ailment, Eli questions his ability to lead;

• Bootlegger Chalky White feels stifled in his work and at his home;

• Irish revolutionary Owen Sleater puts his munitions expertise to work;

• Gillian Darmody recalls her "first time" with the Commodore

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.COM

Ep. 16 - Preview

THE VANISHING CLOWN (#fridayflash)

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:19:00 PDT

Press play for some mood music

We went to see the clowns right around the time I started having the dreams -- the horrid ones where the teeth crumbled out of my mouth.

As I remember them, they'd be no stronger than a Corn Flake and would inexplicably loosen and flick right off of my gums until the innards of my mouth were a bloody, brittle mess.

Because my dad never made it home from the war, mom tried to overcompensate with every guy that winked in her direction. And when they were out on their benders, Uncle Andy would usually foot the bill.

He was only about five years older than me so he sort of lacked in that Uncle department. I didn't even call him Uncle because it just seemed silly. The uncles I saw on TV usually tassled hair, bragged about their new Caddie and drank Whiskey Sours till the sun came up. Andy give incessant wedgies, bragged about his driver's license and drank RC.

~~~

It was just before Halloween and Andy snagged free tickets for the graduation show over at the at Peoria Clown College. The ceremony was more or less a showcase for the graduates and it was usually a packed event. Mom gave me a dollar, kissed my cheek and whooshed me into Uncle Andy's car. It must have been date night.

I remember staring at them. They were colorful and grand. Dumb as it sounded, these chaps chucked it all and gathered enough scratch to put themselves through a fucking clown college during the Great Depression.

Some would stowaway to Europe and practice their craft in an elegant manner while others would stay in the States, hopping onto carnies in the Dust Bowl that migrated towards California and the movies.

The rugged types, though, usually headed towards either the big rodeos of the Southwest or The Steel Pier in Atlantic City (the latter needing brutish men for that inhumane diving horses act).

Some would merely disappear after the ceremony, never to be heard of again. Those were the ones that scared me.

Whatever the case, the audience bought their act while some made jokes. At the end of the day, though, they now had a craft. A trade. And taking it in the nuts during a vaudeville show certainly beat standing on the bread line in the rain.

Throughout the ceremony, I couldn't help but notice one of the clowns. He didn't move from his wooden stool. In fact, it's almost as if he wasn't really there. Yet I saw him plain as day. He smiled at me and I quickly grabbed Andy's arm and pointed him out but my uncle couldn't place him. The clown had vanished.

When the graduation ended, it had turned cold and dark and I remember the drive home seemed different. There was fog on the road and it felt like we were lost.

I asked Uncle Andy if he knew where we were. He said he missed a turn somewhere back and the road was now getting darker. I told him to turn around. He insisted the highway was up ahead and as I fussed with the radio, I shrieked.

It was that vanishing clown.

He was now on on the side of the road, waving at us.

Uncle Andy told me that he no longer had control of the car and the clown kept reappearing along the edge of the thoroughfare for about a mile.

The last thing I remember was a screech.

~~~

I've asked my mother repeatedly through the years about what happened that night but she always maintained the car accident was the primary reason I lost all my teeth. Imagine -- dentures at twelve years-old.

I knew better, though. I didn't get a scratch anywhere else. As for Uncle Andy? He died that night. The papers said that he burned in the wreckage, but mom let it slip once under the influence of some cheap screwtop vino that they never found his body. I'd say I got off cheap. I just want to know why he needed my goddamn teeth.

It's well over a decade later and I don't go within fifty miles of a circus and as my daughter cries for the clowns and elephants, I usually make up a lie.

Do you blame me? Especially because the dreams are starting up once again...

'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY AND JIMMY CLASH AT BABETTE'S

noreply@blogger.com (Anthony Venutolo) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:53:00 PDT

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP
SEASON TWO, EPISODE THREE
"A DANGEROUS MAID"

The third episode of this season, the conflict continues to come fast and furious with a slick script by Itamar Moses and taut direction provided by Susanna White. “A Dangerous Maid” moved the series along nicely. Some key events:

• The Commodore uses his Coast Guard connections to put the squeeze on Atlantic City's liquor shipments.

• Nucky reaches out to Washington's new Attorney General, Harry Daugherty to return a political favor but finds up he may be out of luck.

• In an effort to prove his worth, Owen Sleater intervenes on a delivery intended for struggling casino operator Lolly Steinman .

• Margaret sheds her pretense with maid Katie and the rest of her household staff only to think that it may have been a mistake.

• Lucy Danziger wallows in her pregnant loneliness at the hands on Treasury Agent Nelson Van Alden.

• Nucky clashes with The Commodore, Jimmy and Governor Edwards at Babette’s Supper Club.

For my full scene-by-scene annotated recap, historical footnotes, episode videos, tunes from the era and other thoughts, visit NJ.COM

Ep. 15 - Preview