Page 2 December 7, 2017 TORRANCE TRIBUNE
Reviewed by Jeff Huttinger, Library
Assistant, El Segundo Public Library
Stephen King. Full House. Synth pop. Make no
mistake, the 1980s are alive and well and nowhere
is this more evident than in author Jason
Rekulak’s debut novel The Impossible Fortress,
a charming and confident coming-of-age story.
Set amidst the carefree days of 1987 in small
town America, 14-year-old Billy Marvin and two
best buddies spend endless hours hanging out,
joking around and plotting just how they can
get their hormone-crazed mitts on the latest
issue of Playboy featuring none other than
Miss Vanna White herself! After accepting a
seemingly harmless dare in order to secure his
very own copy, Billy is quickly introduced to
computer nerd Mary Zelinsky, her stern father
and a host of new experiences including hard
Entertainment
Check It Out Film Review
Rekulak’s The Impossible Fortress
Captures the Magic of the 1980s
work, first crush and real danger. Soon, Billy
finds himself evaluating everything he ever
thought was important and learning a very harsh
lesson in return: that no action is consequencefree.
In fact, our decisions can last a lifetime.
Although based in a retro world of late ‘80s
icons, the themes of true love, shattered innocence
and ultimate forgiveness are absolutely timeless.
What I loved most about The Impossible
Fortress is author Rekulak’s talent for creating
such unique yet familiar characters that I found
myself truly invested in and rooting for every
step of the way. It’s this combination of mature
subject matter, adolescent protagonists and a
cherished era of popular culture that makes this
book a perfect selection for both adults and teens.
The power of nostalgia may be what first
draws you to The Impossible Fortress, but the
affection for such beautifully-written personalities
and well-crafted story will keep you
turning the pages.
To check out The Impossible Fortress, also
available in eBook format, or browse any of
our other fiction titles, please visit the library
to apply for your free library card. •
Jeff Huttinger.
The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak.
“You cannot open a book
without learning something.”
– Confucius
The Conjuring of Andy Kaufman:
Or Jim Carrey’s Psychic Slip
By Ryan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com
Jim Carrey has played a lot of out-of-thisworld
characters in his lifetime, but devoted
audiences are likely unaware of the one role
that Carrey committed so deeply to playing
that he remained in character for the entirety
of the film’s shoot (even when the cameras
stopped rolling). Such a thing would be nearly
impossible to imagine. Right?
Audiences will now be able to witness
this feat in the new documentary, Jim &
Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very
Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of
Tony Clifton. Jim & Andy captures the period
of time after the newly minted A-list movie
star wrapped three iconic films that would
define his career: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,
The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. He
then followed those hits by transforming into
Andy Kaufman in the 1999 biopic, Man on
The Moon.
The film reveals that Carrey simply let Andy
“take over” to make Man on the Moon and
that he was merely “the vessel” channeling
the spirit of Kaufman. It’s amazing to see
the accompanying footage of Carrey uncut,
as he upends the production at every turn as
the antic-prone Kaufman, torturing the crew
to our gleeful delight. It’s more than a treat
to see every shade of Kaufman that Carrey
conjures up: there’s bashful and anxious
Andy, there’s tantrum-throwing Andy who
bemoans studio executives--and of course, his
most taxing persona, the repugnant lounge
act and drunkard Tony Clifton, who stirs the
most agitation of all much to the audience’s
delight and Kaufman’s giddy.
Accompanying the on-set footage is a
long-form interview with present-day Carrey.
Wearing a leather jacket and Burning Man
beard, he recounts this chapter of his past with
enough distance to provide worthy insight.
The juxtaposition of seeing the Carrey of
now recount the antics of the Carrey of then
proves an interesting mind shift. The new
Carrey is seemingly content with his place
in the universe and attempts to rationalize
the weight of human depression and ego.
This makes for a profound meditation on
celebrity and ego perception--a fitting study
for this Internet age.
Perhaps just as amazing is the accompanying
behind-the-scenes footage and that so
much of it exists. We learn that Universal
(the film’s studio company) commissioned
the footage for press kit use, but ended up
shelving it after deeming that people seeing
Carrey wreak havoc on set would make him
look like a jerk. Ultimately the footage was
found in Carrey’s private Los Angeles office
by filmmaker Spike Jonze (a producer on
the film), who recognized that there was a
movie to be made in this mad peek behind
the curtain.
Much like the actor, the role the actor
played and the means the actor took to play
the role, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is
either an indulgent, self-satisfying work, or
it gets exactly at the heart of how we construct
our identities and who we believe we
are. Ultimately, Jim & Andy is part satiating
behind-the-scenes movie, part psychological
study of the ego, and an endlessly fascinating
watch.
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring
a Very Special, Contractually Obligated
Mention of Tony Clifton is not rated. 94
minutes. Now streaming on Netflix. •
Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. Courtesy of Netflix.
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