James Patterson

"Other than my hundreds of arrests I really don't have that much experience with the law. While the majority of people aren't corrupt, there certainly is an awful lot of corruption in this country."

Hello again readers (if you're still out there).  I realized that it had been about six months since I posted anything on my Culture Corner blog, so I decided to revive my old idea and write about one of my recent discoveries, author James Patterson.  Mr. Patterson is mostly a writer of thriller/crime novels, which are some of my favorites to read.  He is best known for such titles as Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, both of which were adapted for the big screen.  He is also the author of the best selling young adult series Witch & Wizard.  He has a very direct writing style that is super easy to read and wonderful to get sucked into.  His characters are likeable, but there is a sense of grittiness about them at the same time that makes them believable as real human beings.  His books are usually fast reads, but it's pretty much as good as watching a good old crime drama on TV and they are easily found in most libraries and bookstores.  So if you're looking for some mystery, intrigue and books that will make the time fly by, check out some of his work.  Stay tuned and stay cultured!

Alfred Molina

"Every job is different. I don't think that I've ever had that wonderful feeling when you've finished a job or where you feel like you've mastered it or sort of nailed it... You can never be satisfied. If you're satisfied, it's time to retire." 

Welcome back at the Culture Corner, it's time to once again feature one of my favorite actors.  This time around we have an extremely talented gentleman named Alfred Molina.  His background and credits are very diverse, which is something that I absolutely love.  In my opinion, some of the best artists and actors are those that can branch out into many different kinds of roles and situations.  Some of this may come from his background, despite his ethnic last name (his dad is originally from Spain) he hails from England, and has an impressive educational background that explains his flawless performances.  He attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has an incredible presence on screen, no matter the role.  Check him out in some of my favorite movies, including Chocolat, The DaVinci Code, Maverick, The Tempest, and even some unexpected roles in Spider-Man 2 and the shortlived TV sitcom Ladies Man where he co-starred with the fabulous Betty White.  Stay tuned and stay cultured!

Robert Zemeckis

"Understand life's mysteries - as mysteries to be lived."

This week at the Culture Corner, we'll take a look at one of my favorite director/producers, the incredibly talented Robert Zemeckis.  He is obviously best known for his fantastic work as the director of Back to the Future, but this man has lots of great pictures on his resume.  He's incredibly versatile, mastering every genre from heartfelt love stories to chilling Hitchcockian thrillers.  If you're not familiar with his work you should be.  His films are particularly recognizable with usage of really cool special effects in most cases (think the family scene in Back to the Future Part 2 and 3, where Michael J. Fox plays three different roles in the same shot).  He believes that the usage of special effects in a movie is essential to making the story come to life but his effects never outweigh the actual storyline.  His movies are always entertaining and interesting.  Check him out, stay tuned and stay cultured!  Recommendations below, please visit my links to Amazon for more examples!


          

Ellen Raskin (1928-1984)

"Who were these people, these specially selected tenants? They were mothers and fathers and children. A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake. Barney Northrup had rented one of the apartments to the wrong person." 
-excerpt from chapter 1 of The Westing Game

This week at the Culture Corner, I'm featuring one of my favorite authors, little-known mystery writer Ellen Raskin.  For those of you who haven't been familiar with her work, you are in for quite the treat.  Her stories are exciting with lots of attention to minute details.  Now to understand my appreciation for her writing you have to know something about me.  I'm a sucker for pure entertainment.  I don't have much patience for extra complicated storylines and a vernacular that you need a dictionary for.  I like my books to be short, fun to read, and have characters that I actually care about.  Ellen Raskin definitely hits all three of these points for me.  Though her novels are meant for a Young Adult audience, all ages can definitely enjoy the twists and turns of her clever mysteries.  My all time favorite book that she has written is The Westing Game, written in 1978.  This extraordinary novel won the Newbery Medal award that year and I have read it at least 30 times if not more.  It never gets old.  I particularly enjoy the way that she gives all the information you need to solve the mystery at the beginning of the book, but you don't have enough parallel information about the characters or story yet to make any guesses about what the answers really are.  Her novels are a great choice for anyone just looking for an easy read that will keep you occupied for a few fun hours.  Great for traveling!  Below are links to The Westing Game on Amazon (with links to the novels on the Kindle Store) as well as a few other examples of her work that may peak your interest!  Stay tuned and stay cultured!  :)


    

Armik

"When people hear my music they say 'this is Armik,' because the sounds and the rhythms are different [from those of other musicians]. That's how I like it."

Hello again constant readers!  This week's featured "person of culture" is one of my favorite musicians, an extremely talented Iranian-Armenian guitarist named Armik.  I love music that allows me to reconnect with my Latino heritage and this artist is one who definitely captures everything I love about it.  He is a classically trained guitarist whose technique is flawless.  He also is very good at creating a complete sound in his songs that feature the guitar as solo instrument without giving the air that he's ever showing off his mad skills.  His music is really atmospheric, he transports you to wonderful places and situations.  I first discovered his sound when my mother bought one of his early albums: Gypsy Flame.  This album is still one of my favorites, though you really can't go wrong with any of his music.  His work is great for adding beauty to your home, just as you would hang a beautiful piece of art on the wall to enhance the ambience.  I love to play his albums in the background to relax and just let the colors of his music wash over me. For those of you who have yet to discover the work of this talented guitarist, I highly recommend taking a listen.  I've provided an example here from YouTube of one of my favorites of his songs, from the Gypsy Flame album entitled "Tear Drops".  Armik's music will transport you from your humdrum everyday routine to the glowing beaches of Spain.  I guarantee it.  Check him out! 

   

       

Madeline Kahn (1942-1999)

"It`s acceptable for men to act the fool. When women try, they`re considered aggressive and opinionated."

For my first post, I decided to highlight one of my favorite actresses:  the impeccable Madeline Kahn.  For those of you not familiar with this stunning example of an all-around performer, she is definitely someone to discover.  Her work is polished, fresh, and refreshingly quirky.  Her career on Broadway and film was unfortunately cut short by ovarian cancer, which caused her death at age 57.  She is definitely one of my favorite comedic actresses.  I've posted a video here of a scene from one of her movies, Blazing Saddles, in which she brilliantly plays the blond saloon bombshell Lily von Stupp.  For future reference, I will also be posting links to find other examples of my highlighted "person of culture"s work on Amazon.com.  Check her out as Mrs. White in Clue: The Movie, the neurotic and controlling Eunice Burns in the hilarious What's Up Doc?, and featured in the Carnegie Hall concert version of Stephen Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle. And you simply cannot pass up seeing her as Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein and as Victoria Brisbane in the Alfred Hitchcock parody High Anxiety.  She's always good for a laugh!


       
          

Welcome to the Culture Corner!

Greetings fellow bloggers.  I'm your host, Maximus the Magnificent.  Welcome to my Culture Corner, a place where you can peruse tidbits of literary, film, and music culture both old and new.  Each week I'll be featuring a new actor, director, musical artist, visual artist, composer, or author and a few examples of their best work.  It's my hope that this website will be your door to new discoveries.  Enjoy!