Friday B-Movie Pick: John Wick 2
Keanu Reeves is back John Wick in another cautionary tale. When you force an assassin known for his focus and strength of will, even among other assassins, to kill your sister, don’t then put a contract on him for killing your sister. This may tend to make him cranky, and when John Wick gets cranky, people die! Seriously, a lot of people. Mostly other assassins trying to collect the bounty on Wick’s head, but a ridiculous amount of henchmen of the guy who put the contract out. He even kills two guys in a bar with a pencil. In a fun bit of uber-violence mixed with with bits of dialog by some really good actors (like Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne, but not Ruby Rose, who plays a mute assassin). Fire up the popcorn and enjoy.
Monday Book Pick: Some Buried Caesar
Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
We’re setting the Way Back Machine to 1938 for this Nero Wolfe novel. If you like murder mysteries, any of Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels is worth the read. What makes this interesting is that none of the story takes place in the familiar brownstone which Wolfe so rarely leaves. He and Archie have ventured into the wilds of upstate New York so Wolfe can display some of his Orchids at a county fair. Wolfe and Goodwin become involved the local scandal of a champion Guernsey bull named Hickory Caesar Grindon being sold to a owner of a chain of restaurants. The scandal is that the new owner plans of cooking Caesar and feeding him at a large barbecue as an advertising event. Hot tempers, long standing family feuds, and shady characters lead to multiple murders. One of the nice twists is the local cop who tosses Archie in jail. Archie passes the time by forming a prisoners union, complete with presenting a list of demands to his jailers. This novel also introduces the reoccurring character of Lily Rowan.
Monday Book Pick: What is Self-Defense: Kenpo Jui-Jitsu
What is Self-Defense: Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu by James Mitose
This classic is back in print. My copy was printed in the early 1980s. The original was printed back in 1953. Most of the Keno/Kempo taught in the United States traces directly back to James Mitose, and the most famous of his students, William Chow.