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Most of the Best (S.J. Perelman)
Among the allergens being released this June is a remake of "Around the World in 80 Days," the Jules Verne novel that launched a thousand travel articles. Perhaps Jackie Chan will inhabit the role of Passepartout in a fashion that surpasses the achievements of Cantinflas, "the world’s greatest comedian," according to Charlie Chaplin, a person of no small ego or talent himself. That remains to be seen — or not seen, as the case may be. Although this remake gives… -
Breaking the Mold (Eric Lax's book on the discovery of penicillin)
Earlier this month I attended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation research benefit for stem-cell research. Although James Taylor’s five-song set and Nancy Reagan’s acceptance speech were each memorable and moving, what I found myself thinking about most that evening was Eric Lax’s new book "The Mold in Dr. Florey’s Coat" (Henry Holt & Company, $25), about the story of penicillin. In the 60 years since it was first made available, penicillin has gone from miracle drug, to cure-all, to over-prescribed.… -
The End of 'Friends'
The last episode of "Friends" airs May 6, and while we may all express a collective sigh of relief at the end of more than a year of shameless hype and exploitation, it doesn’t mean that we can’t stop to reflect on this moment in American cultural history. Or that we don’t care about whether Ross and Rachel will get together. One may debate whether Marta Kauffman and David Crane’s "Friends" will join the ranks of comedy classics, but it… -
The Escapist (MIchael Chabon's "The Escapist" as metaphor)
Jewish history has tradition of escaping and escapism It’s Sunday and I’m rushing over to my local comic book store, Hi De Ho, in Santa Monica to buy issue No. 1 of “The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist.†If the name is familiar, it’s not because you used to collect “The Escapist†in your youth, as many people have told Mike Hennessy, the owner of Hi De Ho. Rather “The Escapist†is a fictional invention — I know that seems… -
Second Government (Bernard-Henri Levy)
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about French philosopher, journalist and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Levy (only in France can philosopher hyphenate with filmmaker). We had lunch about six months ago. At the time, Levy’s English-language edition of "Who Killed Daniel Pearl?"(Melville House), had just been published. The book had received a mixed response for its controversial thesis that Daniel Pearl was murdered because he was on the trail of a larger story, of connections between Pakistani security forces, Pakistan’s nuclear establishment… -
Sleep, Interrupted
I remember, as a child, trying in vain to stay up to see the ball fall on New Year’s Eve. In later years, high school brought concerts that went past midnight and college introduced all-nighters of the studying and partying kind. In the midnight hour came inspiration and revelation and dreams of new worlds to conquer. Back then, sleep was not an issue. Then sometime in my 20s, I suffered a bout of insomnia. For several weeks, I could not,… -
A Sunny Hungarian Rhapsody
As winter chill gives way to spring sun, it’s not too early to start planning a summer trip to Budapest. Budapest, Hungary’s capital, straddles the Danube, with historic old Buda on the hill, and Pest with its atmospheric 19th century and Art Nouveau architecture. In recent years, many of the Budapest’s historic sites have been restored, such as the Parliament building and St. Stephen’s Church, and their interiors are breathtaking. Part of Budapest’s appeal is that it is very much… -
Schindler's Impact (The 10th Anniversary of "Schindler's List")
In May 1995, I found myself in Lviv, Ukraine. My father died two years before, and I was there on a roots trip. I wanted to see the city where he grew up and perhaps unearth some of the information that he could never bring himself to share, such as the names and birthdates of his brothers and sisters, all murdered. I discovered his own real birthday to be a completely different day, month and year than we had always… -
Conal's the Poster Boy for 'Art Attack' (Guerrilla Poster Artist Robbie Conal)
You’ve seen them around town: a poster of a grinning, gnarly Arnold Schwarzenegger with red eyes and the words, "Achtung, Baby," scrawled in German Gothic type across his forehead. It may have made you smile; you may have felt it was in bad taste. Perhaps a bit of both. In any event, you probably thought: There goes the poster guy again. By now, even if you can’t name the artist, Robbie Conal, the style has become familiar: a black-and-white head-and-shoulders… -
Newman Cares (Randy Newman)
Are we the luckiest people in the world to live in Los Angeles, leading the lives others only dream about? Or is this the most unfair city in the nation, where the few are insulated from the harsh realities of the many? And what, you may wonder, does any of this have to do with Randy Newman? Those are among the many questions that came to mind while attending "Shock and Awe: The Songs of Randy Newman," a recent UCLA… -
The Living Desert (Palm Springs, The Desert and Deanne Stillman's "29 Palms")
As I write this, it’s 64 degrees in Santa Monica and Sub-Zero is just a brand of refrigerator I covet. On the East Coast, there is a record cold spell and everyone is paying rapt attention to the wind-chill factor. The climatic difference can best be explained not merely by boasting or gloating — but by the fact that Los Angeles is a desert. For most Angelenos, heading out to the desert means driving on Interstate 10 for about two… -
When Television Challenged America (Rod Serling)
Around this time of year, I’m often prone to recall Rod Serling, who was born on Christmas Day. I’m helped along by the fact that PBS ran their "American Masters" portrait of Serling over the New Year’s weekend even as the Sci Fi Channel ran a "Twilight Zone" marathon. It makes me wonder: Where is Serling — or today’s Serling — when you really need him? My interest in Serling is professional as well as personal: For the last several…