Page 2 April 4, 2019 Entertainment Check It Out Film Review Native Son Review: A Classic Gets a Modern Punk Adaptation By Ryan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com Native Son is the story of a young African American from low-income circumstances, who, after securing employment in the world of a wealthy white family, finds himself at the center of an accidental death that puts him directly in the crosshairs of cultural tensions. Adapted from the classic 1940 novel, first-time feature film director Rashid Johnson (along with Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks) has made this updated version entirely his own: by highlighting the story’s underlying social issues and wrapping them up in a polished punk aesthetic. Visual contemporary artist Rashid Johnson’s previous work is diverse in mediums such as painting and sculpting. With Native Son, he brings an experienced visual eye to the project, which is the film’s most seductive and impactful quality. Where Johnson most noticeably swerves from the source novel is in the depiction of our protagonist, Bigger (Ashton Sanders), or “Big,” as the neighborhood calls him. With his cropped green buzz cut and decorated leather jacket, Big is the epitome of visual identity exploded. He challenges both personal and racial expectations of what “blackness” should be by listening to such diverse and non-hip-hop music as Bad Brains and Beethoven. You’ll remember Ashton Sanders as teenage Chiron from last year’s Best Picture winner Moonlight, and here again, Sanders plays a cryptically reserved character. But as he slinks his way around the streets of North Chicago, he brings a new level of magnetism and menace to his acting range. KiKi Lane, who most recently gained name recognition by starring in the acclaimed If Beale Street Could Talk, plays Big’s girlfriend Bessie. Nick Robinson plays Jan, an impoverished young activist; and the captivating Margaret Qualley plays Mary Dalton, the alluring daughter of Big’s new employer, Mr. Dalton (an always impressive Bill Camp). They, along with the rest of the actors, are so perfectly cast together that – to put it in art terms – it feels like the right mixture of harmonious colors in Johnson’s artistic palette. It’s undeniable that Rashid Johnson is a flourishing artist and one whom we should all be watching to see what he does next. The biggest obstacle holding Native Son back from being even more impactful is in the tonal shift jumps, which happen when the story continues to play on and the stakes are raised. The story’s pivotal and climactic plot point is surprising, but this hard crank of the wheel feels a bit disorienting. The fallout of this moment leads the movie to make a statement that we didn’t know it would have to make. Yet for this slight distraction, it would be wrong to not also acknowledge the number of complex ideas, all stylized through Johnson’s artistic formats. Native Son is well worth the 104 minute investment. It’s no wonder why HBO bought the film from A24 just hours before making its world premiere at the Sundance festival. Native Son will be available to stream on HBO on Saturday April 6. • Native Son, Courtesy of HBO. The Lucifer Chord by F.G. Cottam Reviewed by Roz Templin, Library Assistant, El Segundo Public Library I have always been intrigued by the unknown. I have grown up watching “scary” movies, both theatrically and on television. But, one of the ways to truly experience terror is to read about it as written by a talented and subtle author. The images in your mind can be much more frightening than those on the screen. F.G. Cottam is one of the few writers who understands the ghost story. He also understands character, dialogue and mood. He doesn’t condescend to his audience. Instead, he invites them in quietly. Before you know it, you’re hooked and you find yourself looking over your shoulder! I discovered him through his book The House of Lost Souls, which is a great introduction into his work. In The Lucifer Chord. he finds a new twist in the mixing of the supernatural with rock music. Ruthie Gillespie is hired to write the liner notes to the upcoming remastered special edition recordings of ‘70s legends Ghost Legion, led by the late guitarist Martin Mear, who died mysteriously. In fact, members of the group are all dead, and questions keep popping up about them and a strange cult-like group called the Jericho Society. Is there a connection? Was Martin Mear involved in a Faustian deal -- fame that came with a deadly price? Cottam has a light touch when chronicling Ruthie’s meetings with Carter Melville, Ghost Legion’s former manager and the Big Man orchestrating the resurrection of Martin Mear and his bandmates. He puts her in touch with several people who knew Martin, including his lover and his daughter. There’s even a psychic medium who foretells eerie circumstances that will cause Ruthie’s research to turn into dangerous territory. There’s more to the story of Martin Mears and company: His diehard fans are convinced they can bring him back by means of a ritual they will perform, known as “The Clamouring,” which is an experience Ruthie wishes she could forget. Cottam reveals on his website that The Lucifer Chord “…provided me with the most enjoyable writing experience of my entire life.” I think that translates into the enjoyment one feels in the reading of his story. Horror tales don’t necessarily have to drip with gore for one to get the message. A reader can still imagine a cold draft or a shadow in the hall of a decrepit mansion and feel a frisson of terror. The description of a tune from the 1920s coming from an unused (and perhaps broken) gramophone in the rotting Fischer House was lodged in my mind for a while -- as well as the accompanying disembodied voice addressing Ruthie as she explores the ruins. F.G. Cottam favorably compares with another favorite author, Phil Rickman. Both are based in the UK and Rickman was known for a series of ghostly novels that told of ley lines and Celtic legend that blooms into dread and fear. In fact, Rickman wrote a “rock & roll horror story” of his own called December, which is an unforgettable book. I wonder if Cottam was influenced by Phil Rickman. Read The Lucifer Chord and if you like that, you might want to try December. We offer interlibrary loan services for books owned by other libraries so you can explore more otherworldly tales. • Ryan Rojas. The Lucifer Chord by F.G. Cottam. 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