Ghetto Klown by John Leguizamo

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Title: Ghetto Klown by John Leguizamo

Premise:

This is an autobiographical graphic novel about John Leguizamo’s life–from his childhood through the present day.  It includes episodes from his stormy childhood days, through his varied and colorful acting career, to his marriage and family.

My thoughts:

My favorite role of John’s was as Chi-Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!  So when I saw that the library had this graphic novel about his life, I had to get it.  I was totally unprepared for what I found when I cracked it open!  It’s not for the faint of heart or those who don’t like painful honesty and plenty of potty-mouth language.

Objectionable parts aside, I really enjoyed the book.  It took me a little while to come to that conclusion, though.  After I got to the last page and closed it, I felt like I had gone through some sort of traumatic life experience and needed some time to recover and process what I had just read.  John’s life was pretty intense (often not in a good way), yet in this story he shares his heart and motivation with us.  I’m sure this was a cathartic endeavor for him–a chance to examine his life, come to terms with all of its stages, and accept it for what it is.  Without his past he wouldn’t be who he is today.  As someone who likes getting inside other peoples’ heads, this was a satisfying read for me.  It makes me thankful for my relatively uneventful (and peaceful) life.

I recommend Ghetto Klown to adults who enjoy autobiographies told in a unique way.  Just be prepared for a lot of crudeness and bad language.

Possible Objections:

• Lots of bad language
• Cartoon nudity
• Sexual references & language
• Drug use
• Some violence
• A few racial slurs

Rating: 4 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

December 19, 2017 by Categories: Graphic Novels - AdultTags: acting, actor, adult, autobiographical, autobiography, biographical, biography, comedy, graphic novel, humor, inner city, mature, movies, new york, tv Leave a comment

Confessions of Shopaholic – Movie 2009

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Last night I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic, the movie adaptation of the book by the same name.  I hadn’t even known that they had made it into a movie, until quite recently.

As a very quick synopsis, the story is about a young lady named Rebecca Bloomwood who absolutely loves to shop and would like nothing better than to write for the well-known fashion magazine, Alette.  She tries to climb the corporate ladder by starting at a magazine entitled Successful Saving, but runs into many hurdles brought on by her own reckless spending habits.  If you want to know more about what I thought of the book, check out my book review.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed the book, but it’s been almost a year since I’ve read it, so many of the details have slipped away.  That’s probably a good thing when watching the film adaptation of the book, because I didn’t get caught up in comparing every little thing to the book.  I had a general gist of what was going to happen, but the story was just there for my enjoyment.

Even though it’s been a year since I read the book, I could tell that they had taken some liberties with the original story.  However, I don’t think that the changes adversely affected the story, so much as created their own alternative story.  There is still the love interest, Becky’s awful spending habits, the extremely awkward situations, and a day when she must reckon with the mess that she has made.  However, most of the heavy and serious stuff is taken out of the story.  Maybe that’s why they changed some major plot elements–so it would be more of a fluff story.

I think that I liked the movie version of Becky better than the book version.  It probably has to do with the fact that Isla Fisher is completely likeable and charm seems to ooze from her pores.  I’m not sure how I feel about the changes made to Becky and Luke’s relationship in the movie.  I suppose they wanted to simplify and condense it, instead of making it develop over a period of time, as it did in the book.

I have to say something about the animated mannequins here.  At first they kind of creeped me out, but as the film progressed they started to make sense.  Since shopping is such an integral part of who Becky is and since it is a magical experience for her, I think that the “living” mannequins were a good choice.

The film is fairly tame.  There’s one instance of the b-word, at least one instance of the a-word, lots of leg and cleavage exposure, and a drinking session with her friend while they go through credit card bills.

I recommend this movie to teens and women who want to watch a feel-good romantic comedy.  While it’s not the best I’ve ever seen, it is one that I wouldn’t hesitate to watch with friends.  If you’re hoping for it to accurately reflect the book, you will be disappointed.  Look at it as a cousin of the book.

Possible Objections:

• a handful of bad language
• some ladies show lots of skin
• a drinking scene
• a cat fight

Rated: PG

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

OTHER CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC POSTS:

• Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

August 6, 2017 by Categories: Movies from Books - Adult FictionTags: book, chick flick, comedy, fashion, funny, girls, movie, new york, review, romance, romantic, shopping, sophie kinsella, teen, women Leave a comment

Azazel by Isaac Asimov

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My husband is a fan of Isaac Asimov.  I was a bit dubious, especially considering there’s a demon on the front cover.  I don’t like horror-type anything, so I was fearful that this book would be scary.  (I guess watching horror movies as a child left some kind of permanent damage on my psyche.)  My fears could not have been further from the truth.  Azazel is not at all scary.  Not even a wee little bit.

The way the book is written is quite interesting.  The reader is essentially sitting in Asimov’s seat, hearing a series of short stories related by a friend of Mr. Asimov himself.  I use the term ‘friend’ loosely.  The friend in question is George, a man who has the ability to call forward a two-centimeter tall demon.  This demon, Azazel, lends assistance, not for George himself, but for those around him whom he sees fit to assist.  Unfortunately, George’s assistance is more like a curse, but it’s not for lack of good intentions.  It’s sort of a series of be-careful-what-you-wish-for cautionary tales.  Each chapter contains its own mini story, so it’s very good for light reading.  Or lite, if you prefer fewer calories.

Azazel is fairly brimming over with wit and dry humor.  The good-humored jabs that George and Asimov direct at one another are some of the best parts of the book.  Here’s one of my favorite lines, from page 60, “What kind of a harebrained, idiotic, malapropistic, omniklutzistic rear end of a diseased Bactrian camel are you?”

Conclusion: I’ll be reading more Asimov.  His writing is witty, entertaining, and it challenges me to go find a dictionary and expand my vocabulary.  It’s appropriate for adults, not so much kids.

Rating: 5 Stars

 

Until next time…

Lori

February 10, 2016December 13, 2016 by bookbuffoonery Categories: Novels - AdultTags: book, comedy, demon, funny, humor, isaac asimov, novel, review, short stories Leave a comment