Book o' the Month: Doctor Zhivago

I remember renting a video cassette of Doctor Zhivago as a teen (the 1965 version, obviously).  It was long and I lost interest.  (It actually had an intermission in the middle.)  I didn't know anything about the history.  I watched it again on DVD (things change!) last May and thirty years older, I was captivated.  I also watched the 2002 miniseries, but I found the actors not as convincing as the dashing Omar Sharif (!) and mesmerizing Julie Christie.  

Then, naturally, I had to read the book by Boris Pasternak.  Wowza, I think I have mentioned somewhere on this blog that it is always a good idea to read the book before watching the film(s).  The 1965 film is quite different from the book, besides some key details.  The 2002 version is like a riff on the previous effort.  I still like the first movie, and frankly, why didn't they get it closer to the novel the second time around?  At least I had two beautiful people in mind as the main characters while I read.

And speaking of reading...I'm so glad I read this Nobel Prize winning book that the CIA helped spread around during the Cold War.  I so love classic literature.  The language!  (I bet it sounds even better in the native tongue.)  Just sink your teeth into these quotes:

Does anyone still write like this in our soundbite world?  Pasternak was also a poet and it shows, no?

I had to include that last one.  It seems oddly...contemporary.  (Looks like I cut off the last several words which are "and left nothing behind them.")

I'm thinking of reading Moby Dick next.  It doesn't have "Sea" in the title, but I think it counts for sticking to my traditional summer reading theme.  What are you reading this summer?

[Book image from Amazon]

Book o' the Month: The Enchanted April

This book was excellent! Imagine, I didn't even know it existed until I was telling a dear friend about the movie. She didn't know there was a movie! We have both been enlightened this April.

Book o' the Month: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

You have probably heard of Shirley Jackson.  You have probably read her writing, but you just don't realize it.

I, like many students, read her short story The Lottery in high school.  It was disturbing.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle is disturbing, too.  And delightful.  Just read it.  (And then watch for the film in 2017.)

A little while ago, I saw a post about this author on the wonderful (Inside a Black Apple) blog, and got curious.  Emily dedicated a whole year to the works of Ms. Jackson, and I am tempted to, as well.

Oh, were you wondering if I finally finished Anna Karenina?  I did!  It took ten months.  It was glorious!  Then I watched the most recent film version, which was visionary!  I highly recommend both.

Now I want to read War and Peace (originally titled "War, What is it Good For?").

Tolstoy!

Happy birthday, Mr. Tolstoy.  You would have been 188 years old today.  And that is how long it feels like I have been reading Anna Karenina (976 pages of tiny print!).

I have been busy with modern life.  But I love reading your words which take me to 19th century Russia.  I want to visit Levin's house in the countryside.  I want to attend a dinner party at the Oblonsky's.  I want to dance beside Anna and Vronsky at a ball.

I want to spend all day reading.  (So I can finish the book and watch the movie!)

(If you want to know what to read, check out Some of a Kind for EXCELLENT suggestions!)

How Many Days 'Til Christmas?

I saw the image above on Pinterest just now and was inspired to write a blog post.  So, I Googled "days until Christmas" and got this: http://www.xmasclock.com/.  There are thirty-seven.  

(I also found this, which seems way more exciting to me:  http://www.howmanydaysuntilstarwars.com/.)  

But back to the topic at hand.  

I am kinda sorta getting in the mood this year.  Fall hit about two weeks ago and it has been COLD (which, where I live, means days in the mid-50s to 60s and nights near freezing).  I actually walked into REI and bought myself a down parka right off the rack (I got the Urban Navy Blue and I like it just fine--four stars!).  I still feel guilty that it wasn't on sale.  And I told Hubby he doesn't have to get me a Christmas present because of it (he still will).  But now I am warm at Valerie's swim practice.  From 6-7pm.  In the dark.  Four nights a week.

Yeah, so it's been cold.  And we've had rain, which seems like a good thing, but:  http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/11/16/1450700/-El-Ni-o-Does-Something-It-s-Never-Done-Before-Watch-Out-California?

I'm kinda sorta getting scared and am always checking how many gallon bottles of water we have on hand, and thinking about flashlights and batteries and non-perishable food.  And wishing that we could use the fireplace without it just filling the house with smoke. 

So, I like that Target didn't put up the Christmas decorations the day after Halloween this year.  I have heard that Nordstrom is doing the same thing.  Also, REI is closing on Black Friday.  I like this let's not diss Turkey Day attitude.

Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday before my grandfather became ill with colon cancer and we stopped having it at his house.  I was twenty when he died, and the holiday has never been the same since.  It became a foster holiday shuttled around to various locations.  Poor Thanksgiving. 

But, Christmas.  What I have liked most about it in the past is giving handmade gifts.  But, I just don't have the time like I used to.  I also like the table linens.  And after, I like finding decorations on sale.  But Christmas morning present opening and disappointment and complaints and ungratefulness?  That just makes me want to stick my head in the oven with the prime rib.  

Except, I'd rather not go into the kitchen at all.  I'm all for going out to eat.  Or...a friend of mine said Whole Foods does a good meal:  https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop/MRY/2721.  Looks good to me!!  Maybe Hubby will go for it this year.  I can hope.  

Whatever happens, I will likely have my first glass of wine at about 12:30p.m.  Thus, the image above.  And, if I can find it, I will totally rock that wig/hairdo.

My Christmas, this year, will come on the day Hubby, the kids, and I go to see...http://www.starwars.com/the-force-awakens/.

(Disclaimer:  I am in kind of a mood today.  Yesterday I spent seven hours waiting around for Jury Duty.  Luckily, when I finally got called, the judge kept our group for a total of ten minutes before excusing all of us.  And today...I had to skip my run because Andrew is home sick.  But, we are learning all about the solar system, so that is a pretty awesome way to spend the day.  So, closing on a happy note, here!)

(Above image is at http://www.retrochristmascardcompany.com/funny-christmas-party-invitations/)

Books o' the Month: So Wide the Sky, The Stranger in Big Sur, Big Sur Women

How did I manage to read three books in one month?  Not sure, but I did.  All three are pioneer-type stories.  So Wide The Sky by Elizabeth Grayson was inspired by the true story of Olive Oatman.

The Stranger in Big Sur, published in 1942 by Lilian Bos Ross, is the fictional tail of a mail order bride who comes to live on a ranch in 19th century Big Sur.  There is a film based on the book called Zandy's Bride, which I am waiting on from the library, so details to come.  

Big Sur Women includes more information about Lilian Ross, who lived there, along with vignettes about other women who made/make that beautiful, rugged place their home.

Now, I'm heading over to Some of a Kind to see what Adrienne's been reading.  Come along!

Book o' the Month: Zorro

Oh, this one was fun!!  I have been a Zorro fan ever since this very un-PC George Hamilton film--yikes!  Then came Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones and wowza!  Now, thanks to Isabel Allende, we have an origin story for the Robin Hood of early California.

Zorro chronicles the formative years of Diego de la Vega, from Los Angeles to Barcelona to New Orleans and back, plus many points in between.  It was a thoroughly entertaining read.  But, I kept thinking, "I bet this or that line sounds really good in Spanish."  And now I have requested the Spanish version (the original language used by Allende) from the library--like I need another distraction!  (In addition to my plans for watching as many film/TV versions of Zorro as I can get my hands on...)  In either language, this is a good one to put on your list for summer.

And...I am right on time for Turn the Page ... Tuesday today!  I have read the first book in Adrienne's post, so--great minds, as they say!  Go check it out!

P.S.  This is my 400th post since starting this blog nearly six years ago!

Book o' the Month: Cloak of Deception

I told you!  This month's book, Cloak of Deception by James Luceno, is a departure from my usual picks.  But I am a Star Wars fan, so...

Hubby recommended this book to me a couple of years ago when the whole family was on a Star Wars kick.  If you want to know all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans that lead up to Episode I, you'll want to read it, too.  If you are a fan of Qui-Gon Jinn or Obi-Wan Kenobi (or--spoiler alert!--The Emperor/Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious) you will probably enjoy it.  Reading this book is like watching a Star Wars movie--quick, slick, and action-packed.  Plus you get cool sci-fi words to describe materials (i.e., "transparisteel") and machinery (i.e., "repulsorlift"), etc. in the Star Wars Universe.

Well, that was fun.

Next up, I am re-reading Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone (book 7 in the Outlander series) in preparation for the June 10th release of book 8, Written in My Own Heart's Blood.  Then, I'll be totally off the grid for a number of days, just so you know!

Watch This! : The Quiet Man

I watched this on DVD in March, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, but I am just getting to posting about it today.  The Quiet Man is a John Ford film from 1952 starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.  I was interested in seeing a film with John Wayne which was not a western or a war movie.  Plus, this one was filmed in Ireland!  (Image above is from this site.)

Sometimes when watching classic films you have to step out of your own time, into the time the film was made.  The Quiet Man is one such film.  It is an interesting story, to be sure, but there is whole lot more to take in.  I took a film studies class at university and it completely changed the movie-watching experience for me.  I look at everything now--cinematography, lighting, framing, sound, etc.  I appreciate different aspects of a film for different reasons.

Maybe I am being vague.  I don't like to put up spoilers (a funny concept with classic films) and I wouldn't want to influence too greatly another's experience of a work of art.  Let me just say, there are some un-politically correct things that happen in The Quiet Man, yet I still enjoyed the film.  It doesn't mean I want to go back and live in 1952 (or 1933 which is when the short story this movie is based on was published) or that I condone the behavior of some of the characters.  Honestly, there are aspects of the heroine's point of view that might still resonate with women today (and some decidedly not!).  The same goes for the hero.  While I might not agree with his every course of action, I can surely see his point of view in some cases, and even agree with him.  Also, it is interesting to ponder what was considered "romantic" back in 1952--passionate kisses are filmed much differently today than they were back then!

Oh, yes.  I am being quite vague.

The gist of this post is, if you like to watch classic films and have yet to see The Quiet Man, it is worth taking a look at.  Barry Fitzgerald's performance as Michaleen Oge Flynn is a highlight, and if you have the chance to watch the documentary on the making of the film (it was included on the DVD from Netflix), definitely do that, too.

Watch This! : Persuasion (2007), Persuasion (1995), Mansfield Park (2007), Austenland

I've been on a Jane Austen bender, I'll admit.

After reading Persuasion last month, I watched the two most recent film versions beginning with the 2007.  I thought it could have been better, though Rupert Penry-Jones, made a pretty good Captain Wentworth.  I decided to give the 1995 version a try, and it was much better!  Both leads (Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds) gave very good performances.  I haven't ventured into any of the earlier versions as the hair and makeup often seem too tinged by the fashion of the day, know what I mean?  But I would definitely take recommendations...

Mansfield Park (2007) popped up on Netflix and I don't know how I had missed it!  It was much more true to the text than the 1999 version.  In fact, it was delightful!  There were some liberties taken, but I feel the adaptation was quite true to the spirit of the story, so I have no complaints.  Plus, I can't get Edmund's (Blake Ritson) eyes out of my head!

And...Austenland.  Fun, fun, fun!  A few minutes in and I thought, this could be cheesy.  Moments later, I revised, ok, cheese on cheese!  But as the film went on it just became more and more fun.  It helps to be a Jane Austen fan to really get this movie, but my hubby thought it was pretty cute, and he has never read Austen (though he has kindly sat through several film adaptations with me).  The cast was great.  A darling little movie--at 97 minutes, it is watchable on a school night!

Watch This: Northanger Abbey

Above is not a photo of a Northanger Abbey DVD, obviously, but I'll get to that.

I recently read the Jane Austen classic, then requested the movie from Netflix.  I got this one and it was...not what I had expected.  The novel definitely has a touch of the melodramatic--by design--but this film was somewhat over the top.  So.  I requested this 2007 Masterpiece Classic version, and yes.  Yes, yes.  Very good.  I even found that while I typically dislike changes made when adapting novels to screenplays, the liberties taken in this particular film may have even enhanced the story.  For the screen.  I would highly recommend it.

Austen wrote Northanger Abbey as a comment on Gothic novels of the time.  One particular novel, Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho is referenced in Abbey.  I was curious, so searched my library for it and came up with the book above.  It is a graphic novel with a number of tales including Udolpho, and Northanger Abbey! I enjoyed reading a work Austen had been inspired by.  Someone ought to make a movie of it--if you know of one please comment.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will no doubt enjoy the 2007 version of Northanger Abbey.  The performances are very good.  Felicity Jones is a perfect Catherine Morland, and JJ Feild is an excellent Henry Tilney.

I went out to the movies last week, and I have a rec for you...stay tuned!

Come Run With Me

I'm still running.  I run for an hour twice a week, sometimes thrice.  If I'm on the trail, I can go five miles.  If I'm on the beach, four and a half.  The sand slows me down a bit.  At about ten minutes in, any laziness I had about maybe "not feeling like running today" goes away.  At about three miles...euphoria.

I do run happy.  I'm the one out there smiling at everyone I see.  I'm still trying to figure out my high sign, though.  The point (hey, baby), the peace (or victory?), the wave, the nod.  I think a thumbs up would be my style, but might look like just making fist or trying to hitch a ride.  Plus it's kinda dorky.  As am I.  Especially when I sing out loud.  I try to do it when I'm not too close to anyone.  Sometimes I can't help it.

I wish I could record my stream of consciousness while running.  Today, I began composing at least six profound blog posts, and came up with at least four phrases which seemed brilliant.  To me.  I think a lot about art, about being an artist.  About being a mother.  About my hubby.  And I think about...other things.  People, bodies, attraction, the meaning of life.  Science as my religion.  I believe in physics, chemistry, hormones, continuation of the species.  Life for life's sake.  The universe, the Big Bang, what came before...I don't have the answer to that.

All the while, I've got Pandora streaming into my eardrums.  Mostly my Snow Patrol station, lately.  Some really great songs pop up and I am just transported.  The sky and the sea are infinitely lovely.  "Beauty!" I call it out (mentally), every time--after my favorite scene from my favorite film, A Room with a View.  Step, step, step, step.  My running rhythm is slow.  A jog, really.  But I just go and go.  I am inspired.  The transcendental nature of art.

The hour is up, I am back at the car.  Moving in the direction of to do lists and responsibilities.  I try to keep the feeling going by streaming music through the stereo.  But so much is lost already.  Ideas, impressions, inspiration.

Alas.  I wish you could come running with me.  I'd have so many interesting things to say.

Watch This! Winter 2013

Whoa, I totally did not do my Watch This! series this year.  I spent too much time reading the Outlander novels.  Not a lot has gotten done since October.  Not that a lot used to get done anyway.  When Andrew was two and a half, I kind of hit the wall, housekeeping-wise.  I was never a terrific housekeeper, and I decided to just accept it.  Then I kind of stopped caring if I didn't quite get around to those extra chores.  It was hard enough to keep up with dishes, laundry, and all the little parenting/housekeeping things that have to get done.  You know, like paying bills, and bathing the children.

Now Andrew is five.  I have finished the bulk of Diana Gabaldon's work (only five more books to read!).  It is spring.  I should clear off the horizontal surfaces that have collected years' worth of detritus.  I should declutter the guest room so the grandparents can have some space when they come to stay.  It's only right.

Oh, and knitting.  This die-hard crocheter has picked up the needles. It's been ten years since I knitted myself a scarf and hat.  Before that, I had only knitted a scarf in high school.  I am giving it a go.  I'm having fun.  It's a challenge!  But don't worry, crochet is my first love.  (Kind of like how I am discovering Guster, Pete Yorn, Snow Patrol, and Of Monsters and Men...but I will always be loyal to Mr. Finn.)

Oh, and running.  I am up to five miles in an hour.  I try to do it three times a week.  I love it.  And I listen to Pandora while running, so I hear all this wonderful new-to-me music (see list above)!

Where was I?  Oh yeah.  The house is a disaster and it has been for some time.  Hubby is kind.  He mostly turns a blind eye.  And we would all rather go have fun on the weekend than work around the house.  But enough is enough.

Oh, and art.  I went to a lecture at our local art museum this morning.  I was the youngest person in the room by about fifteen years.  Which told me something, and made me feel a little better.  (Where are the other artists my age?  Working and taking care of the kids, I'm sure.)  The friendly woman next to me (the next youngest, I'm guessing) said she spent twenty-five years raising a family and then another five years figuring out that she was ready to go back to art.  So, being there, in the room full of artists, talking shop (stuttering through it, rather--it's been so long!), it felt familiar.  It felt right.  Time to go back to art.  Hard to do when you don't have much space for it physically or mentally.

Sometimes, okay, usually, I only have enough physical and mental space to plop onto the couch  after the kids are asleep (if I'm not asleep with them) and read...or watch something.  Which brings us to Watch This!  Here's what I watched since last year's installment.  Enjoy!

In the theater:
The Artist (Oscar-winning awesomeness!)
Salmon Fishing on the Yemen (Ewan McGregor!)
To Rome With Love (Woody Allen...)
Liberal Arts (really, really good!)
The Hobbit (much fun plus Richard Armitage!)

At home on the couch:
The Twilight Saga--all except the last one (go Team Jacob--can't I get those hours of my life back?)
Masterpiece Classic:  Sense and Sensibility (Jane! plus Downton's Dan Stevens)
Downton Abbey (soap opera/costume drama, what's not to love?!)
old episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs (I am making myself watch these before I watch the new episode)

I did more reading than watching last year, for sure.  What did I miss?  What do you recommend?

Books o' the Month: Pippi Longstocking, Voyager, Drums of Autumn

Do you remember the Pippi Longstocking movies filmed in Swedish, dubbed in English, that were such a treat to watch on TV when we were kids?  They were based on books by Astrid Lindgren:  Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, Pippi in the South Seas.  These stories are outrageous, hilarious, and sweet, with just a touch of politically incorrectness that you may want to edit out as you read them to your youngsters.  Highly enjoyable!

And...continuing on with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.  I finished Voyager and have about 150 pages left in Drums of Autumn, which I will probably finish this evening (who really needs their laundry folded, anyway?).  I have read about four thousand pages of Gabaldon books thus far since the first of October.  And I still want to know what will happen next?!  Seriously entertaining escapist reading, my dears.

Check out what the other dearies are reading over at Some of a Kind for Turn the Page ... Tuesday, today!

Books o' the Month: A Room With a View, Emma

I read two books last month.  I'm not sure how, but there it is.

The first was E.M. Forster's A Room With a View.  The film version is my favorite movie of all time, and I loved Howards End, so it was high time.  Room did not disappoint.  Even though I had seen the movie first, the adaptation was so close to the novel that it was a positive thing, giving me wonderful actors as the faces of all the characters in my mind.  I delight in Forster's writing.  He is incredibly perceptive, and funny.  I am eager to read the rest of his novels. 

Next, I finally got into Jane Austen's Emma.  It was my third or fourth start.  For some reason, it took me a bit of effort to get past the first few chapters.  Probably not Austen's fault!  Once into the novel, I really hated to put it down.  Yet it seems I had to read it a chapter at a time, sometimes just one a day.  I liked it so much!  I liked the heroine quite a bit, loved her inner dialogue, her flaws, her self-rationalization.  Such wonderful writing!

I've got Northinger Abby and Persuasion ahead of me, then I will have been through all of Austen's novels.  A thoroughly enjoyable experience.  Last summer I was so into it, I had planned to dress as Miss Austen for Halloween.  But I didn't get my costume sewn (busy as I was sewing a puppy suit, ears, gloves, and shoes covers for a certain daughter of mine!).  Better start now.  Oh yeah, I have another sewing project I need to get done first.  Before tomorrow.  Stay tuned...

P.S.  Check out Turn the Page ... Tuesday to see what the other gals have been reading!

Spring-a-ling-a-ling

I have so many thoughtful blog posts winging around in my head and, it seems, no time to actually write them out.  So, rather than continue along in overwhelmed inaction, I will share with you one of those lists us bloggers like to post now and again.  Here goes!

• I have figured out it is not actually the arrival of spring that seems to get me down.  I think it may actually be the abrupt transition from winter to spring brought on by the beginning of Daylight Savings Time.  I truly have been loving spring these past few weeks!
• Would it be motivating or depressing to go from room to room making a list of all the little projects around the house that need tackling?
• How can I tackle anything extra when I can't even keep up with dishes and laundry?
• Enough whining already!  My new mantra:  We just have a messy house.
• "Orderliness is the sign of an untidy mind."
• I just remembered that from a plaque I read as a kid.  What?!
• I suddenly realized today why my childhood home always seemed cluttered.  Many of my friends' parents had housekeepers!  Plus that one who was an obsessive neat freak...
• We (And I mean that loosely.  It was mostly Hubby and the kids.  I was doing dishes.  Which is fine with me.) finally made the most delicious lemon bars with a recipe shared with me by a friend.  This is not an intentional plug for the recipe's author, but geez, these are the best lemon bars ever!
• We are so lucky to have this huge mutant lemon tree in the front yard.  The landlord's gardeners never prune it.  I know nothing about this kind of stuff, should it be pruned?
• Why doesn't Andrew just fess up when it is so obvious he has to go potty?  WHY?!
• I'm SO enjoying running.  I'm still at the walk/run/walk/run/walk phase.  But I run for longer periods all the time.  My goal is to go five miles in an hour and fifteen minutes, walk/run/walk.  That should help me drop the last twenty pounds and fit back into all the cute clothes I bought after being on "the nursing diet," right?  Oh, and I'm getting healthier and stronger, too.  I plan on being a runner into my old age. 
• We have been getting a bit of rain and it has been positively lovely.
• Hubby and I have been watching MI-5 lately, starting with the first season in 2002.  We're getting to what looks like will be one of the last episodes with Matthew Macfadyen.  I am going to miss him.
• Mad Men.  Been watching?  Also, The Big Bang Theory.  Extra funny because Hubby is an engineer.
• I still need to watch my April films this year.
• The kitties (whose names are now "Belly" and "Get Down!").  We are getting on quite well these days.  We all love our cats.  After we install doors to the kitchen and successfully go on vacation for two weeks, kitties in tow, everything should be truly peachy. 
• Crochet.  I'm always working on something.  Right now it is a baby blanket, a bit overdue, for a dear friend.  I started it a few months ago.  Only a few more rounds to go!

Boy, what a list.  Man, it feels good to get that all out.  Though, I could probably, no, definitely write an entire post about each point.  Please feel free to provide answers to any of the above questions in the comments section.

Thank you.

Book o' the Month: A Little Princess

I first read this book as a child. So, when I picked it up so many decades later, I wondered if it would still be as magical for me as a grown-up.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is about wealthy daughter turned orphan, Sara Crewe. For sure, I was first drawn to this book because the protagonist and I share the same first name. I don't know if I would have picked it up otherwise. But I'm so glad I did...as a kid, and as an adult.

I am still so touched by the story of this kind-hearted, imaginative, and strong girl. I am still so inspired by her. I remember why I wanted to be her. And I can't wait for Valerie to read this book. I hope she loves it just as much.

Then, we can watch the 1939 Shirley Temple film together. (Did you see it on the Saturday morning Family Film Festival, too, back in the day?)

(Sorry no posts last week. A nasty virus has run through our household. We are not even all over it yet.)

Please stop by Turn the Page ... Tuesday today!!

Happy St. Paddy's!

I love this vintage clip art (thanks, Microsoft) reminding you to wear green tomorrow. I'm nearly half Irish, so I'll be wearing my green for sure!

Watch This! : Bridesmaids

This is the last post of my yearly film and television suggestions, and also my offering for St. Patrick's Day.

What? Bridesmaids? This movie does not even take place in Ireland, but in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So why am I recommending it for St. Patty's? Two reasons: One, it is so very very funny (and the Irish are well known for having a good time, right?). Two, the adorable Chris O'Dowd, who is Irish.

I love that this hilarious film (with so many funny-awesome actors!) also has a sweet subplot. Here is one of my favorite scenes (spoiler alert--kind of!). So, girls especially, if you have not seen this movie, you must. And if you can see it from the front row of a packed theater, with a bunch of gal friends, while nibbling on See's truffles, all the better.

Watch This! : Outsourced

Oh, this is a cute one! (And a short one, so also good for a school night--but not for school kids.)

Outsourced is a movie about an American mail order business manager sent to India to work with the company's new call center employees. This movie was so funny and so sweet. I also loved the Indian scenery.

The TV show of the same name was inspired by it. I remember only catching a couple of episodes, but might have to add that one to the Netflix queue.