Books I Read in 2023, Vol. X

 

SPIRIT OF STEAMBOAT: A Walt Longmire Story
Craig Johnson

Spirit of Steamboat is an odd little book, in that it was supposed to be a short story, but within four days had spread its wingspan to over eighty pages. After a brief conference with [my publishers], we decided to bring it out as a hardback novella, not exactly a novel. [It's] about half the length of one of my Walt Longmire mystery books. As usual with my shorter pieces, it's not a mystery per se, but rather an adventure/thriller with mysterious elements; sometimes it's not so much about the suspense of killing characters off in a book, but rather, of trying to keep them alive.

This was next in the chronology of Longmire books I've got on my to-be-borrowed list with the library and the author's description (above) is apt. It's full of narrow scrapes and really should be adapted into a screenplay. I also enjoyed how it explained the origin of the image on Wyoming's license plates, which holds the record for the longest-running license plate graphic in the U.S.

First line: It was Tuesday, the day before Christmas, and I wasn't expecting visitors.

Page 56, 5th line: Allen True captured the spirit of the animal for the princely sum of seventy-five dollars when Secretary of State Lester C. Hunt commissioned him to depict the horse and rider as the design for the 1936 Wyoming license plate.

Last line: Slowly she opened it for my inspection, and there lay the tarnished beaded and belled trinket that had hung in the canopy of the B-25: Steamboat.

Movies I Watched at Home While Beloved Was in Mexico

 

A semi-perfect storm for movie-watching recently took place. Beloved was on a mission trip in Mexico and the Roth household was on the tail end of Amazon Prime membership trialing. Put those two things together and it means I was able to watch any movie I darn well pleased.

Behold:

Tom Hanks: The Nomad
This 2023 documentary didn't reveal any shocking revelations or throw light on any dark secrets, but it was a pleasant stroll through the life and career of Hollywood's latest "Everyman." It's no secret that I like Hanks...otherwise, why would I have watched this, right? One facet of his career the moviemakers failed to highlight was how he is practically the perfect talk show guest. He knows how to tell a story and how to sell a story. 5 stars for Mr. Hanks, but 3 stars for this movie.

Memory
Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce star in the story of a professional hitman (Neesan) trying to get out of the business as he slips into dementia. Our empathy for a ruthless killer is made possible because he refuses to hurt children...and the whole losing his short-term memory thing, of course. Some good action scenes, but I think I must have dozed off from time to time. I don't really remember how it ended. 3.5 stars

Wait for Your Laugh
People my age know Rose Marie for her role as comedy writer Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show. People slightly younger may remember her for her 14 years on Hollywood Squares. For a few years before her death in 2017, she gathered 83 thousand followers on Twitter. What I didn't realize was her national stardom as a little girl with a big voice: Baby Rose Marie had her own national radio show and recorded several hits before she turned 10! She died at the age of 94, just weeks after the release of this documentary. 5 stars

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
The way IMDB describes it makes it sound like a sappy tear-jerker: "A perpetually angry man is informed he has 90 minutes to live and promptly sets out to reconcile with his family and friends in the short time he has left." But with Robin Williams as the star, it couldn't help but be funny...but not in a roll on the floor, silly kind of way. Two things: 1) Peter Dinklage co-starred as Williams' brother and absolutely NOTHING in the movie even acknowledged his small stature. He was just the brother of the protagonist. I liked that. 2) Knowing that Robin Williams ended his own life, it was pretty rough watching the scene where Robin's character attempts suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. I wish he could have listened to his own narration: "It occurred to Henry that life didn't have to be a burden, that life is short and fragile and unique. And each hour, each minute, each second could have something to offer. Something beautiful and astounding." This movie was released in 2014, the same year Robin Williams killed himself. 4 stars

Safe House
When I saw "Starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds," I was in. And I was not disappointed. When a CIA safe house is compromised, house-sitter Reynolds needs to transport rogue agent Washington to a different location. As expected, because it involved the CIA, not everyone was who they appeared to be and Reynolds winds up not knowing who to trust. Lots of gritty, realistic fighting and fleeing. Also, it made me want to watch 16 Blocks, with Bruce Willis, again. 4 stars

Cry Macho
Was going to pass this one by, but then I saw that it was a Clint Eastwood film. Strip away the particular names, locations, occupations, etc., and it was a fairly standard old-guy-is-stuck-taking-care-of-a-younger-person-and-becomes-a-better-person-themselves tale. But at this time of his life, Clint Eastwood is the perfect crusty old guy in the need of a purpose. 3 stars

Hot Pursuit
I was in the need for some easy laughs and then along came Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara as a first-time-back-in-action-after-a-stupid-mistake cop and the Columbian-drug-cartel-trophy-wife she needs to protect. There are some twists and turns in the plot, but this is mainly about juxtaposing these two opposites. A lot of physical, slapstick humor at Witherspoon's expense, which surprised me. 3 stars

Ambulance
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, but the real attraction was that Michael Bay directed it. For a bank heist gone bad, resulting in a shot cop and the commandeering of the ambulance that came to save him, the body count is relatively low, but man oh man, I can't imagine the budget for all the wrecked cars and other vehicles. Mostly mindless mayhem, with a smidgen of everybody's-got-a-soft-spot-for-kids. 3 stars

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (The Title's Not the Only Thing that Just Won't Quit)

 

There's a small part of me that doesn't want to like any Tom Cruise movie. I mean, his insistence on having his way and the whole I-train-four-hours-a-day-to-do-my-stunts and that stupid center front tooth...

And yet, it all comes together to create a breathtaking joyride of thrills and laughs and tension.

Pretty much in that order, too.

THRILL to the excitement of vehicle chases so involving you'll forget to breathe, fights so intense you'll be bruised, and daring near-disasters so heart-stopping you'll need to check yourself for a pulse.

LAUGH as Ethan Hunt's sidekicks express exasperation, Ethan and the obligatory female try to outrun EVERYBODY ("Is there anyone who ISN'T chasing us?") in a tiny yellow Fiat, and the literal cliffhangers get increasingly impossible to believe.

TENSION...uh...tension isn't a verb, but the director does a pretty good job of making the stakes high and the anticipation of failure riveting.

Oh yeah, there's an actual plot, too, about how a powerful artificial intelligence program has pulled an Ethan Hunt and gone rogue, becoming self-aware, self-protective, and all-knowing. That part is kind of like TV's Person of Interest on steroids. Very strong steroids.

Right now, I'm dreading having to wait until next year for Part Two, but I know that real life will insist on being dealt with and that by the time it hits the theaters, I will have settled down and realized that this wasn't an Important Film by any means and I'll think, "Do I really want to see a Tom Cruise movie?"

Books I Read in 2023, Vol. IX

 

HOLY SEXUALITY AND THE GOSPEL: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story
Christopher Yuan

How do we apply the essence of the gospel to a gay loved one? In what ways can we better walk with truth and grace alongside a fellow Christian with same-sex attractions? [This book] offers theological and practical insights that lead us to find our identity in Christ  -  not in our sexuality. Whether you want to share Christ with a loved one who identifies as gay or you're wrestling with questions of identity yourself, this book will help you better understand sexuality in light of God's grand story and realize that holy sexuality is actually good news for all.

In addition to the normal activities like praying and caring for members of the congregation and assuring we're teaching Truth and loving our neighbors, the elders at my church are currently focusing their monthly topical discussions on matters of sexual and gender identity. Holy Sexuality is the first resource we are reading/discussing together. It is Scripturally sound, full of grace, and written by a man who is attracted to men. I especially appreciate the author's emphasis on getting away from identifying ourselves according to our sexuality and remembering that the goal is to become more and more like Jesus. By the way, Yuan's simple definition of Holy Sexuality is "Chastity in singleness and faithfulness in marriage."

First line: "I am gay" is a simple statement with a complex and multifaceted meaning.

Page 56 / Sentence 5: Satan wants us to think that no one else can understand our struggles.

Last line: And it is for this reality I wrote this book.

Indy 5: A Review and a Ranking

 

Much has been said about the use of A.I. in de-aging a decidedly aged Harrison Ford for some flashback scenes in the 5th (and final, according to Ford) Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. My two cents' worth: It was well-executed (even though there was just a bit of a noticeable "there's something not quite right here" about it) and perfectly served the story...in other words, it wasn't just a gimmick to put butts in the seats.

Now...with that out of the way, let me express my opinion that this is a good-if-not-great movie. It had plenty of beats that were reminiscent of earlier films in the series...some were even quotes. (When you see it, I dare you not to think of a particular blond Nazi saying, "Go between zem? Are you crazy?")

I had read part of somebody's review before going to see it. They said that they thought Dial of Destiny was slow and way too long. I say everybody has a right to be wrong. I found this Indy installment to be well-paced with plenty of action and just the right amount of times to catch your breath and get reminded what it was all about.

It was fun catching all the Easter-egg-type visuals that related to Dr. Jones' life as an adventurer before growing old in academia. It was also fun seeing him deny the effect of all those years and still mix it up with his bone-crunching punches and daring jumps to safety.

So, Dewey, where do you rate this one compared to the other four?

In terms of my personal fondness for each Indiana Jones movie, here's the low-down:

1.  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The father/son relationship between Ford and Connery make this especially satisfying, but the real reason this tops my list is how the plot forces Indy to ponder his spirituality. "My soul is prepared, Dr. Jones! How is yours?"

2.  Raiders of the Lost Ark: Everyone's introduction to our favorite archeologist. And all the stunts were real. No phony-baloney CGI. "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"

3.  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: What a satisfying closing chapter of a great adventure story. I loved the final image of Indy's hat being hung out to dry and then...well, you should see it for yourself. "I don't believe in magic. But a few times in my life, I've seen things. Things I can't explain."

4.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Very dark, but you gotta love Short Round. "I'm very little! You cheat very big!"

5.  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Only included on this list because it IS an Indiana Jones movie after all. Otherwise, the CGI ants and monkeys can all go take a hike. I remember leaving the theater saying "Steven Spielberg could make a movie like that in his sleep. In fact, I think he did."