Chris and Jesse charge into our next group of works, Ripley en Filmes, beginning with René Clement’s visually stunning 1960 film Plein Soleil, an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. Clement casts Alain Dumont as Tom Ripley, Maurice Ronet as Philippe (a renamed Dickie Greenleaf), and Marie Laforêt as Marge. Clement makes some major divergences from Highsmith’s plot in some places while hewing closely to it in others, leading to an interesting discussion about directors’ responsibility to their source material. The lads are both thirsty for Alain Dumont, but does the plot rise to the level of the film’s metaphorical weight?
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Episode 76: Philip Marlow in Space or James S.A. Corey’s Leviathan Wakes Part 1
Leviathan Wakes is cracking good solar system space opera, combined with very strong elements of noir. The lads think that at moments, the prose is reminiscent of Raymond Chandler’s lyrical voice, but wonder if there’s a little too much action for the noir themes to land. Show Notes We have a Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/upper_middle_brow And a… Continue reading Episode 76: Philip Marlow in Space or James S.A. Corey’s Leviathan Wakes Part 1
Episode 73: “Crosshatched,” or China Mieville’s The City and the City Part I
The City and the City has a wholly original premise, and the pleasure of the book comes from the dawning realization of exactly what is going on between the two adjacent cities, Besźel and Ul Quma. China Mieville dribbles out occasional hints and clues, raising the question of whether the book is a murder mystery, or whether, like the characters in the book, it operates in two places at the same time.
Episode 72: “Red Herringfest?” or Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest
The boys hop to it, chum, and talk about Dashiell Hammett’s 1929 debut novel Red Harvest. While the socialist connotations of the title never truly materialize (“Communism was a red herring”), leaving the lads scratching their heads, Hammett definitely crafted a new sound and a new genre. Jesse and Chris find the jaunty dialogue compelling, but both speculate as to why audiences of this period seemed to just love lots and lots and lots of plot.
New Pulp!
Fresh Results From the Live Draft Thanks to everybody who joined us for the live draft tonight. We taped the proceedings so if you missed, you’ll hear it in the podcast, soon. In the meantime, here are the NEXT FIVE SERIES for season three. The Listeners selected “OG Cinematic Universe” so it will be third… Continue reading New Pulp!
Live Draft Tonight at 5pmPDT 8pm EDT
HERE IS THE Zoom information: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 862 2159 2846Passcode: 242235 The waiting room will be in effect and guests will be muted and invisible by default. You are WELCOME to chat at us, though.
Episode 64: “A Cloud on a String,” or Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya
Anton Chekhov’s 1897 play is in many ways even more minimalistic and sad than The Cherry Orchard. Dukes once again struggles to imagine the three dimensions of the story, while recognizing the almost documentary realism of the drama. Bagg finds the pathos of characters struggling for transcendence in the wrong direction heartbreakingly real.
SAVE the DATE! Live Draft Oct 10th, 5pm PDT
Details to come!
Episode 61: “Mathematical” Courage or Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner Part II
After Dukes summarizes the plot of Beverly Hills Cop for Bagg, the UMBs get down to business. The second half of The Kite Runner fulfills its promises. Everything is excellent, but again, the lads feel that things are a bit too perfect, and still prefer the rare moments that upset the balance. https://chrt.fm/track/F72699/media.blubrry.com/1470605/content.blubrry.com/1470605/kite_runner_2_mix_v2.mp3Podcast: Play in… Continue reading Episode 61: “Mathematical” Courage or Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner Part II
Episode 60: “Zero Sum Narrative,” or Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.
Bagg and Dukes haven’t read this 2003 bestseller, and confess to a little snobbishness about a book that is ubiquitous at airport books stores. But…it’s really good! Despite being impressed by the novel’s depiction of a childhood event that impacts our protagonist’s entire life, the UMBs wonder if the novel’s narrative physics are a bit TOO perfect.
Episode 58: “The Deus is in the Details,” or Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Part II
The lads marvel at Margaret Atwood’s delicate prose and “lighter than air” narrative, in which sparse poetic writing conveys an alternative future vividly. But is the ending a bit of a deus ex machina, and if so, is that a problem? Or does that serve to reinforce the ideas at the heart of the book? Dukes and Bagg have a spirited but generally glowing read of Atwood’s 1985 masterwork.
Episode 57: “Highest Stakes Scrabble,” or Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Part I
The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a speculative near future that feels disturbingly familiar. The lads marvel at Atwood’s ability to vividly describe a speculative world without any obvious expository passages. Offred’s observations, musings, and memories effectively build the world, without ever taking the reader away from her point of view.
“The Curious Case of the Beard and the Mustache,” or our final Ripley coda
We spend a few final minutes with Steve Zaillian’s Ripley, wondering if the resemblance between Inspector Ravini and Peter Seller’s Inspector Clouseau is intentional, and considering what the overall effect of the luscious high-contrast black and white footage has for viewers. Dukes posits that this style is a new way of shooting, rather than a… Continue reading “The Curious Case of the Beard and the Mustache,” or our final Ripley coda
Episode 54: “A Brilliant Disguise,” or Steve Zaillian’s Ripley, Part II
Dukes and Bagg wonder if Tom Ripley’s “disguise” (as himself) is meant to be as clumsy as it appears and if the show is wandering too close to the (admittedly wonderful) Pink Panther series. Nonetheless, the omniscient desk clerks, grumpy dog walker, and appearance of a delightful fellow “art dealer” provide the second half of the Netflix series enough delightful moments to make it worth the time.
TEASER: Steve Zallian’s (and Netflix’s) Ripley
Dukes and Bagg are taking a break from books to talk about Netflix’s Ripley created by Steve Zailian. Having watched the first episode, it’s obvious the series is beautiful, and stark. It’s NOT a remake of the 1999 Anthony Minghella movie; Zailian is going back to the 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel as his source material. But can his adaption hold our attention for eight episodes?