Bestseller?

Now-deceased Swedish author Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, was adapted into award-winning Swedish films, and is about to be brought to the English-speaking world by waycool director David Fincher, fresh off of his smash hit about teh Facebook. I was drawn to these novels for several reasons: 1. They seemed to appeal to the masses in a new and edgy way. 2. There is much intrigue surrounding Larsson's death. 3. They're from Sweden, and nothing bad ever comes out of Sweden. I just finished the second book, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and I'm surprised at how un-amazing they are. It's not that they're bad books-I just can't see why I can find them in a cardboard display at CVS near the Blistex. These stories are brutally violent, excruciatingly detailed, and too long for their own good. They lack effective cliffhangers, and there have only been a handful of "Oh shit!" moments. A handful is not enough for 1200+ pages. Larsson's style isn't terribly engaging either. I realize that these are crime novels, but c'mon man. Dude made what could have been a rad fistfight seem like a shuffleboard match. And the fight scenes aren't the only things that are boring. How about the stance he takes? It pretty much boils down to this: Guys who rape gals are bad. Duuuuuh. We're aware, m'man. That's like making an argument in favor of organ donation or that Kim Jong-Il is an idiot. It's a safe statement to make, one that millions of readers would agree with.

Hmmmm.....maybe this is why 30 million copies have been sold.....

3:10 to Yuma

Playing Red Dead Redemption has made me appreciate Westerns in a new way. Seems like it shouldn't have taken a video game to make me warm up to the genre, but whatever. I've been watching lots of 'em recently, and 3:10 to Yuma is without a doubt the raddest one I've seen so far. Heck, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen, period. It had me on the edge of my couch from its fast beginning to its shocking conclusion, a rare feat for a movie to accomplish. It sort of had an "I'm gonna stand up and fight when everyone else is a coward" vibe to it, similar to High Noon. Russell Crowe and Ben Foster killed it as outlaws, and Christian Bale was, uh, well he was better than he usually is and didn't talk in the silly Batman voice. The score sounded like it was composed by a more modern Morricone, and the scenery was breathtaking. I've already put Bisbee, AZ on my list of places to visit.

Definitely add this to your Netflix queue if you've never seen it.

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption is one of the raddest video games I've ever played. There's so much to do, and the world in which the game takes place is pretty astounding. Seriously, look at this:

Undoubtedly the best graphics I've ever seen in a game. The story is stellar as well, and it's no surprise that a movie is in the works. John Marston is a Clint Eastwood-esque hero, and characters like Nigel West Dickens add some humor to the proceedings.

"Fraud! This man is a f*****g charlatan!" Some other great vocab words appear in the game as well.

I've only completed about 1/3 of the game, but so far my favorite weapon is the lasso. Not only do you use it to break horses, you also can whip it out to catch criminals:

Chasing down someone and hogtying them is like the most fun thing ever. Almost as fun as this:

Throwing 'shoes for dollars. That's making a living. Speaking of making a living, I wish I could get paid to play this game all day. *Sigh* Back to work tomorrow...