Noiseless Chatter Archive

Let’s get this out of the way right now: I love Inherent Vice . The novel, I mean. I’ve read it at least six times at this point…possibly more. It’s by no means my favorite Pynchon, but when it was announced that for the first time ever the reclusive author allowed someone to adapt one of his works, I had to admit this was a good choice. Inherent Vice , the novel, has a clear beginning, a clear ending, and a relatively clear journey between those terminal points. That’s more than you could say for almost anything else the man’s ever written. The fact that it also has a relatively small roster of important characters (again…a Pynchon rarity) and relies heavily on overt comedy makes it seem like the perfect Pynchon to bring to the screen. I’ve now seen the film. In fact, I saw it with Paul Thomas Anderson in attendance, as he graced the humble Denver branch of the Alamo Drafthouse with his presence. I thought he might provide some insight into the film, or at leas...

  ALF Reviews: The ALFies! (Season 2) Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the season two edition of The ALFies! Or it was like 12 weeks ago but I sucked dick at keeping to a schedule for this batch of episodes. SUPER SOZ Anyway, I’m back to hand out awards to specific people and moments and things that played a part in making season two what it was, just to further cement my status as the only one who’s ever spent more than 22 minutes thinking about  ALF . So sit back and enjoy The ALFies, brought to you by Tool-Free Telescope Repair, Puppets By Post, and the Anne Ramsey Memorial Dog Shelter & Fuck Shack. As always, winners receive the pictured statuette and all associated nightmares. Without further ado… The ALFie for… BEST ACTOR THE MIDGET Sweeping the category two years in a row, it’s The Midget! For a long time I was afraid I wouldn’t catch so much as a glimpse of our costume-hobbled friend, but lo and behold, he came back to shuffle across a hallway in “ALF’s Special ...

Two years ago (because time does, indeed, fly) I put together A Wes Anderson Primer as a short resource for those who might be interested in Moonrise Kingdom , or weren’t sure if they’d be interested, because they hadn’t really seen much Anderson yet. This time around, I’m Primer-ing you on Thomas Pynchon…my favorite author. Inherent Vice comes out in December…the film, that is. The first film he’s ever allowed to be adapted from his writings. Perhaps you’ve seen the trailer . Perhaps you haven’t. Either way, if you’re not already a fan of Pynchon’s, the odds are good that you don’t know what the hubbub is about. Sure, it looks like a cool, funny movie. But why is it important ? You won’t know — or won’t understand, anyway — unless you read some Pynchon for yourself. That’s an intimidating task, though. Pynchon’s a notoriously and deliberately opaque figure, and while I wholeheartedly feel there’s something in his books for everyone, finding that something can be i...