Something from the referral bag: What's the relationship between Pulp Fiction and postmodernism?

According to reviewer John J. Puccio, "with its episodic, yet interconnected plot, its ambiguous, though largely antiheroic, characters, its nihilistic, contra-humanistic spirit, its disjointed time structure, and its quirky dialogue [Pulp Fiction] may seem like postmodernism in a frenzy, a kind of chaotic quantum physics of film..."

So, does this make Pulp Fiction postmodern? Let's consider John Barth's definition of postmodernism: "It's that which not only follows Modernism but follows from it. Postmodernism is tying your necktie while simultaneously explaining the step-by-step procedure of necktie-tying and chatting about the history of male neckwear — and managing a perfect full windsor anyhow."

Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Johnny. Oh, wait! Here's his explanation of how that applies to the art of the novel: "The postmodernist novel is aware of itself as words on paper, a made-up story; aware too of its predecession, what Umberto Eco calls 'the already said' — and yet able to say something new, or differently, and to satisfy our so-human pleasure in hearing a good story."

So, is Pulp Fiction self-aware of itself as a movie, "a made-up story?" I'd say, no. Spike Lee is more postmodern in that sense; just take a look at any of his movies.

No, Pulp Fiction may actually be a return to old fashioned modernism, "an avant-garde disengaged from bourgeois values... adopting complex and difficult new forms and styles." Modernism had already invented the "disjointed time structure" and challenged its audience "to reestablish a coherence of meaning from fragmentary forms." Quentin Tarantino made a clever, ironic movie, but it wasn't necessarily postmodern.

Driver 8, the blog that allows its readers to create the content. Remember, when it comes to waitresses, always tip. Preferably, once they've done their job right.

My sister always worked in food service, and she was the biggest nazi about how we should treat waitpeople. It was as if she thought patrons were there for the waitperson's convenience.

I never had much of a problem with not asking for another table, not changing my order, etc. But I do have a probelm with the mandatory 20% tip rule. That's bullshit. If your restaurnt doesn't pay enough, find one that pays a living wage. A tip ia a reward for good service; I don't feel the need to pay my waitperson's salary when I don't have the option of going back to the kitchen and getting my food myself.

That's just how I feel.

Kat Donohue • 10/14/02; 12:14:48 PM

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Hmm... I once had a teacher from Brooklyn. There was a class where the talk veered to restaurants and tipping. She mentioned the 15% rule and said that, as opposed to Mexico where you can withhold the tip from a bad waiter, you were meant to tip always, no exceptions. If the waiter wasn't doing his job correctly, you called the manager.

And still left a tip, I guess.

Charly Z • 10/14/02; 12:54:51 PM

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I once had service so bad that I didn't tip. But I never ever went back to the restaurant, in fear of retaliation.

Kat Donohue • 10/14/02; 7:06:37 PM

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"15%. . .is that being stingy?" Yes.

Dave • 10/15/02; 3:05:37 AM

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Uh oh. Now I get why some waitpeople act all moody around me.

Charly Z • 10/15/02; 6:01:59 AM

Filming Glass's ceiling
Hayden Christensen brings a disgraced writer to the screen
By Katrina Onstad
October 18, 2002

Here's a movie I'm looking forward to, Shattered Glass, the story of Stephen Glass. I first read about Glass on Salon, and it was a very interesting story. Imagine, a journalist so determined on reporting an exciting story that he went and built one out of whole cloth. Not ethical at all, but what a fabulist. The film stars Hayden Christensen as Glass; maybe this turn from the current Darth Vader may give the lad some recognition beyond Star Wars fans.

I only hope that as reporting on this movie increases, all other writers refrains from "pulling a Glass" like Katrina Onstad does.

Hayden Christensen is sucking back martini number double-digit; who can count at this hour? The pillow-lipped 21-year-old actor played young Darth Vader in the most recent Star Wars installation, and we are definitely on the dark side now, as he reaches a floppy hand across the table, places it on mine and says: "I hate being a movie star. Tell me about you. Tell me about ... journalism." Then he passes out.

Between "pillow-lipped" and "Star Wars" is truth; everything else in that paragraph is poorly written fantasy, the product of my pervy little mind ...

Something from the referral bag: What are "the staXXX?"

The StaXXX was, supposedly, an amateur porn film created by a group of students calling themselves the Porn 'n Chicken club, "Yale's oldest chicken eatin' club." You can find more resources on this curious college farce on The StaXXX: A Porn Story.

Driver 8, the blog that allows its readers to create the content. Scooby-Doo scholars, air your grievances here.

Don't even get me started on Scooby Doo.

I've had debates over when the series "jumped the shark": "guest stars" (The Marx Brothers, Tim Conway), or Scrappy Doo.

Both are completely seperate indicators of creative bankruptcy.

Kat Donohue • 10/14/02; 7:11:07 PM

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One point that should be mentioned here is that in the early episodes (the Essential Scooby), the slobbering mutt didn't talk. Oh, sure, he would make voice-like noises, e.g., "uruum?" "howeramm?" stuff like that. But he didn't talk. In the later episodes, maybe 15 years down the pike, Scooby has mastered the English language: "Look out for the ghost," "You need jumper cables for the Mystery Mobile," "A macrophage wouldn't show up on the electron microscope unless it had been prepped in accordance with NAAM standards," etc.

Regards, - R.

The Raven • 10/14/02; 7:15:46 PM

OK, now an opinion that is mine: Last night I went to see The Transporter and, much to my surprise, I found myself enjoying it. I think some of it could have been better, particularly the opening car chase scene, which suffers of the sushi-like editing and lack of middle-shots that's now common on action movies. (Why such affected filming? Do the directors think it transmits the confussion and excitement of being in the action? They succeed in the confussion, but that doesn't make it any more exciting.) But beyond that, the movie is a funny, trashy diversion.

Part of what makes the movie work is the bare-bones plot, courtesy of Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen: Frank (Jason Statham), a professional crime driver, is hired to transport a package from point A to B. The "package" turns out to be Lai (Qi Shu), a Chinese girl, apparently being kidnapped. Frank couldn't care less; he was paid to do the delivery, and he complies. But after dropping the girl at point B, his customers ask him to deliver another "package" which turns out to be a bomb destined to silence him. Frank survives the explosion and returns to kick their asses. As he leaves, Lai escapes with him. Eventually, the girl will involve Frank in stopping a slave smuggling operation ran by his unappreciative customers.

The movie hangs on this thin yarn a series of martial-arts fights that are a delight to look at. Better yet, they are worked with such gusto that they raise above its implausibility. For my money, the most mesmerizing (and outrageous) fight has Frank, covered in oil and in the middle of a puddle of the stuff, fending off dozens of attackers, wearing bicycle pedals on his feet to provide traction.

There's also a good-natured sense of humor that helps the proceedings avoid taking themselves too seriously. A movie that has its female lead delivering a clumsy line like "He was a bastard, but he was also my father" and makes it come across as heartfelt while obviously silly has charm to spare.

As it dawned on me that I was enjoying this movie, I was reminded of Samurai Jack, and truly, the things that make The Transporter work are the same things that make Jack work: A very simple plot that removes any extra baggage from the story and a focus on kinetic set-pieces. The Transporter is not a very adult, intelligent movie, but it's something as good: 94 minutes of exciting entertainment.