"Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler"

I realize I ahven't been writing about a lot of adult books here. I think it's because there are so few adult books on my shelf (excluding the fantastic number of David Eddings' books that I felt the urge to bring to Pittsburgh "just in case"), let alone adult books with plot. There are tons of non-fiction, list books, etc. So, I guess I'll throw some of those your way. Here's one for the grown-ups.

"Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler"
Joe Queenan
Hyperion, 2000
ISBN: 9-780786-884643

With unfailing sarcasm and snideness, Joe Queenan takes on Hollywood again, covering such important topics as Irish films that are pure blarney, why America likes to see good-looking actors pulverized, movies about nuns, and the mistreatment of ears.

Joe Queenan actually writes for Movieline magazine, and his articles are hilariously snarky. Even if you can only read one article in a sitting, it is worth it. Queenan takes on some of the biggest names and movies in history and really prings them down a peg. He's also great at doing "stunts" for articles. In a previous book, he impersonated Mickey Rourke's screen personas for a day. In this book, he attempts to watch all the Merchant & Ivory films released (this was in 2000), which is his own personal version of Hell, and masqueraded as the "Bad Movie Angel", who handed out refund to patrons who sat through dismal movies. And, in both books that I've read, he features a "Don't Try This At Home" article about stunts that appear in movies and how they translate in real life. For the record, Leonardo DiCaprio would not have been so chatty in real life whilst slowly drowning in the freezing Atlantic. Just the topics Queenan looks at are so off the wall, they're actually interesting. Queenan devotes an entire article on bad hair in movies, which seems like it wouldn't be that interesting, but it's actually hilarious. And this was before Tom Hanks' ridiculous hair in "The Da Vinci Code". Overall, I recommend Queenan's snark and antics. If anything, check out the indexes in his books. (Yes, I look at the indexes in books. Nerd.) Instead of just a straightforward list, entires include

Bridges, Jeff
Dead otter glued to side of head in The Vanishing, 144

Dancing, Dirty
Somehow never get mentioned in this otherwise thorough book

Luke, Saint
Only evangelist to notice Christ surgically reattaching ear lopped off Roman centurion, 48-9

Queenan, Bridget and Gordon
Light matches to father's feet in an effort to keep him awake during Merchant and Ivory's
Slave of New York, 91


His book "If You're Talking to Me, Your Career Must Be in Trouble" is also fantastic.