Death Match, Sans Claymation

The Guardian has an article up about the recent literary death match held in the UK. Opium magazine holds these all over the country and now in Europe. Pairs of writers read their work back to back and are judged by a panel. The final round has winners from previous rounds performing non-literary feats and playing games for the final victory. The next death match will be here in NYC on Thursday, July 30 at the Bowery Poetry Club. Who wants to go with me?

Bumblebee!

I saw the new Transformers movie when I was in DC for the 4th. Yes, in exchange for two non-action-or-shoot-’em-up-movie credits from the boyfriend, I agreed to see the movie based on action figures I have never played with, starring actors I can’t stand, directed by none other than Michael Bay. Recipe for disaster much?

Here’s the shocker: It was actually highly entertaining. And what’s more, it was absolutely culturally fascinating.

The first thing that occurred to me is that this is very much an Obama-era action film. Don’t stop reading. Please. The movie was very grandiose, in the style of Bay’s other work and in the style of typical American pomp. It indulges in an insane amount of what I can only describe as military porn: so much parachuting, rail-gun blasting, high-tech, fuck-yeah Airforce, Naval, and Marine imagery that it’s almost comical. What is the only thing more powerful and badass than the United States Military? The United States Military working in conjunction with a team of gargantuan space robots. I really don’t think you can slather any more American on that if you tried. But what sets all this bluster apart is that there are no ridiculous, throwaway shots of American flags or heart-swelling stabs at botched “Patriotism” a là Spiderman 3.

There isn't any of this garbage in T:RotF

Instead we have something entirely different, but just as recovery-plan, stimulus-package, new-era-of-diplomacy American: