Fall Guide 2018

All the signs are here: School is back in session. The Man has Burned. Children have started planning their Halloween costumes. There’s a nip of footballs in the air. Rednecks are lighting their shoes on fire. It must be fall.

Usually, when we RN&R types put together a seasonal guide, we focus primarily on outdoor recreation. Summer Guide is all about where to swim, and Winter Guide is all about where to ski. We don’t do a Spring Guide, because who cares? But Fall Guide is all about the indoors. Stay inside, warm beverage in hand, and take it all in. (Just don’t forget to leave the house to go vote on Nov. 6.)

And that’s not to say that there’s not fun outdoor recreation around the region during the fall. Check out our listings to learn about all the corn mazes, costume crawls and hayrides your heart desires.

But our main focus here is on what we enjoy indoors. In years past, we’ve had one writer recommend books, somebody else recommend music, and so forth. This year, we decided to do things a little differently. We rallied a gang of writers of differing ages with differing tastes, and we each recommended something in the following categories: Books, movies, music and “other media,” a catchall that includes video games, podcasts, TV shows and magazines.

Let’s introduce you to our cast of characters. Andrea Heerdt, in her early 20s, is one of the RN&R’s younger contributors and an enthusiastic music writer. Matt Bieker, our special projects editor and newest staffer, is a 20-something man-about-town. Jeri Chadwell, our associate editor, is a hard-working and intrepid reporter in her mid-30s. Brad Bynum, a late-30s dad, is the editor of the RN&R. Bob Grimm is the paper’s Gen X movie reviewer. Dennis Myers, our news editor, is a Baby Boomer and veteran reporter.

So, that’s us. Now, here’s what we’re looking forward to enjoying this fall.

Books

Andrea’s pick

In Hits and Misses, author Simon Rich, a former Saturday Night Live writer, dives into his experiences with Hollywood’s most obnoxious and over-the-top people through a series of short stories. They’re based on real-life encounters but are magnified through the lens of fictional characters to further showcase how absurd people can be in show business. Whether it’s a father who’s jealous of his infant, screenwriter son; Paul Revere’s horse, who’s upset Revere got all of the credit for warning people that “the British are coming;” or a monk who continually drinks his own urine to prove to other monks how holy he is, Hits and Misses highlights the failures of fame.

Dennis’ pick

Is it humanly possible to come up with a book title more yawn-worthy than History of Occupational Health and Safety? Nor is it much alleviated by the subhead—From 1905 to the Present. But the reader can have a little faith in this title and its author that the fight for worker’s rights is one worth telling, particularly in this era when politicians are telling us regulation has no value. Newly published by the University of Nevada Press, the book makes up-to-date use of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Las Vegas Sun series on the flagrantly high number of fatalities on Las Vegas Strip construction. It’s a worthy read.

Jeri’s pick

If you’re a history buff, My Memories of the Comstock: An Eye-witness Account of the Richest Place on Earth by Harry M. Gorham is for you. Originally published in 1939—but with reprinted editions available—the book contains a wealth of stories and anecdotes about life on the Comstock Lode during the late 19th century. Harry Gorham was just 18 years old when he moved to Virginia City to help his uncle, Samuel L. Jones, then the superintendent of the Crown Point Mine in Gold Hill. Gorham spent the next 26 years living and working on the Comstock. In this book, he uses beautifully written, poignant prose to recount what life was like at all levels of Comstock society, both above the ground and in the mines deep beneath it.

Brad’s pick

Every once in a while, here at the office, something will arrive unexpectedly, like a specter in the night, in a way that seems both serendipitous and spooky. Just as I was trying to decide what book to write about for this fall guide, a mysterious package showed up on my desk. Trembling with trepidation, I tore it open, and lo and behold! Like a pale, veiled, mysterious woman roaming the hills at night, Ghosts and Legends of Nevada’s Highway 50 appeared before me. A book that’s ghastly autumnal reading and perfectly suited to history-minded Northern Nevadans looking for a fun road trip? This can’t have been a coincidence. It was uncanny. Is my desk haunted? Or perhaps the mailman was some Stygian emissary, ferrying messages from the underworld? It’s inexplicable, indescribable and unspeakable. Janice Oberding’s new book from the Haunted America series is a fun read for Nevadans who know the “loneliest highway” isn’t really that lonely—because it’s full of ghosts! Just kidding. The ghosts might not be real, but the ghost towns definitely are.

Bob’s pick

I tend not to read a lot. When I moved this last time, I left all of my physical books behind in my brother’s garage (sorry, dude!), and whatever literature I still possess rests in my cloud thing awaiting delivery to various, expensive devices for perusing. If I were to read, I would read the upcoming Stephen King book, Elevation, and perhaps even read his anthology released early in September, Flight or Fright. If you have a King hankering, it’s a safe bet he would have at least seven books coming out within three months of your cravings. That sumbitch is prolific, for sure.

Matt’s pick

In his biography Bruce Lee: a Life, Matthew Polly interviews over 100 of Bruce Lee’s family members and former associates, weaving a very human story of a man caught between a changing America and China—celebrated, and later mourned, by both. Complete with rare family photos, Polly explores elements of Lee’s life beyond his famous work ethic and physical prowess, like his father’s opium addiction, his childhood struggles in school and the lasting effect of Western imperialism and racism on his future prospects. Readers are left with the idea that Lee, the fighter, was only one of his many roles, and that to know his legacy means knowing the Lee as a father, an actor and an ambassador who made a lasting impact on how Asians were perceived in America.

Movies

Bob’s pick

First Man, starring Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong, has already gotten itself into trouble with real-life astronaut Buzz Aldrin because director Damien Chazelle (La La Land) decided to omit the planting of the American flag on the moon. I personally think that’s an odd omission, not because of my patriotic whatever, but because that planting was a pretty significant event. Doing a big-budget take on the first moon landing without a flag planting scene is like doing a Titanic movie without the damn ship sinking. Still, I think I will get over it just fine, because Gosling was born to play an astronaut. (He’s so dreamy!) Just don’t sit in front of Buzz Aldrin at a screening because you’ll probably get a Coke shower. Unless you like being showered with Coke in which case, have at it.

Andrea’s pick

Bohemian Rhapsody is a biographical film centered around the life of Freddie Mercury from the band Queen. From Queen’s rise to fame to Mercury’s life quickly spiraling out of control and his facing an AIDS diagnosis, the film explores the band’s illustrious sound and their musical endeavors, including one of the greatest live performances in rock history. The trailer features an epic scene of 70,000 people in Wembley Stadium for the Live Aid concert in 1985. The film is set to be released on Nov. 2 this year.

Matt’s pick

Venom follows the story of reporter Eddie Brock attempting to understand and control the sinister impulses of the symbiote, an alien parasite that has chosen him as his unwilling host. Brock and Venom are basically the anti-Spider-Man, whose comic universe they also inhabit, but with decidedly fewer moral hang-ups. The awesome Tom Hardy, who has proved that the camera doesn’t need to see his face for him to steal the scene, plays Brock. The film’s PG-13 rating has me and other fans worried about the potential cheesiness factor when it comes to the … carnage, but watching Venom snarl about eating a bad guy’s “eyes, lungs, pancreas” as snacks in the trailer pretty much ensured I’ll pay the ticket price on Oct. 5.

Dennis’ pick

This is a great year for documentaries. Some of them are still in theaters, others already on DVD. Bisbee ’17 brings back to light the nearly forgotten tale of the Bisbee Deportation, when a mob organized by Phelps Dodge hauled 2,000 striking copper miners from their beds, loaded 1,186 of them into a railroad car, shipped them across the border to New Mexico, and abandoned them in the desert—followed by the imposition of a fascist regime in Bisbee that you never heard about in high school history. Keep this in mind when you hear a commercial or Junior Achievement describing a powerful corporation as a teddy bear.

Brad’s pick

There are two kinds of movies that usually get released in the fall: prestigious awards-bait and horror flicks. Suspiria looks like it might be the rare movie that’s both. It’s very loosely based on Dario Argento’s 1977 film of the same name, a classic of surreal ’70s Italian horror. But the new movie is directed by Luca Guadagnino, a director associated with prestigious awards-bait, like last year’s Oscar-winning Call Me by Your Name. It stars Dakota Johnson, best known for her role in the Fifty Shades movies and for having famous parents—so, who the hell knows what to make of that? But it also stars Tilda Swinton, which is always a good thing. The plot is about an American dancer who attends a German dance academy that might be infested with witches. Another confusing, intriguing thing: the score is the feature film debut of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. He’s released one song from the score, and it’s excellent. The trailers look good, too. Suspiria hits theaters on Oct. 26.

Jeri’s pick

It took director Wes Anderson nine years to put out his second animated film after 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Isle of Dogs, released in theaters earlier this year and now available for home viewing, is done in beautiful stop-motion animation, plus it features all of the beautiful symmetry and acting talent that fans expect from the director. Regular Anderson collaborators like Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban and Jeff Goldblum contribute their voices to the story’s main characters, a group of dogs in Japan who—along with all of the other canines of Megasaki City—have been banished to Trash Island, a literal garbage dump on an island off the mainland. The story follows young hero Atari Kobayashi as he journeys to the island to rescue his beloved dog Spots, voiced by Liev Schreiber.

Music

Brad’s pick

For whatever reason—maybe the inescapable back-to-school vibes or how winter looms ahead like inevitable death—fall is a time for somber contemplation. This means I gravitate less toward the upbeat hip-hop and classic rock playlists that I crank during the summer, and more toward dour singer-songwriters, like Leonard Cohen, and introspective jazz musicians, like John Coltrane. Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album is a collection of studio recordings from March of 1963, but not released until June of this year. The album features Coltrane with his “classic quartet”—drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Jimmy Garrison. Nothing on this record is as strong as that quartet’s most celebrated recordings—like the classic-by-any-standards A Love Supreme—but there’s still a lot worth hearing. To my ears, the highlight is “Impressions,” an original tune Coltrane often performed live, getting its first-ever studio release. It’s just a treat to hear new music from one of the greatest jazz groups ever—55 years later.

Andrea’s pick

The Ramones’ second album, Leave Home, was released 41 years ago in January, 1977. This classic embodies everything that ’70s punk was about, including songs about shock treatment, punk rock girls and, of course, sniffing the cleaning product Carbona. The album has all the fixings you’d expect from the Ramones. The boys from Queens packed 14 tracks into the album by playing chords extremely fast. (Most of the songs are only about two minutes long.) My favorite song from the album, “Pinhead,” features pounding drums in the intro, Johnny Ramone’s aggressive guitar strumming, and the lyrics “D-U-M-B / Everyone’s accusing me” to make it the perfect punk rock track.

Jeri’s pick

Fans of Irish musician Van Morrison have yet another album from the artist to add to their collections. You’re Driving Me Crazy is Morrison’s 39th studio album. If you’re keeping track, yes, in fact, it is the third album he’s released since this time last year. It features American jazz organist and trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco, who helps Morrison reinvent jazz and blues standards as well as some deep cuts from Van the Man’s previous albums. A swinging rendition of Morrison’s original “Have I Told You Lately” is a particular treat.

Bob’s pick

While ex-Pavement leader Stephen Malkmus has released plenty of good solo albums since the band broke up what feels like a billion years ago, Sparkle Hard is his best. That’s because it plays a lot like a great Pavement album. From the alternating piano softness to guitar cacophony of the opening track “Cast Off” to the spiraling brilliance of “Kite,” this is Malkmus at his most tuneful and playful. It’s Pavement 2.0!

Matt’s pick

On Aug. 31, the Maltese-Australian songstress, Tash Sultana, released the first full-length album, Flow State, in her sometimes breezy, sometimes raucous catalog. Flow State is more polished than her previous EPs, but the easy reggae rhythms on tracks like “Cigarettes” and “Mellow Marmalade” will come across as authentic Tash to her fans. “Murder to the Mind” and “Salvation” lean more into the hip-hop feel, with an emphasis on the backing drum kit and groovy hooks, but Tash’s power has always been her voice. At times, it’s delicate as she gently warbles over dreamy falsettos, and then it’s powerful and smooth as she delves into her complicated lyrical patterns. Flow State is an experiment in ultimate chill to keep us Americans warm through the Australian summer.

Dennis’ pick

Ru-Jac Records was a singles-only R&B label that operated in Baltimore from 1963 to 1980. Founded by two African-American businessmen, its 45s have been gathered by collectors ever since, with many of them unavailable. Finally Omnivore Recordings bought the rights to the entire inventory and began issuing a “Ru-Jac Records Story” series. Volume three, Finally Together, was released in February and includes 25 pieces by Kitty Lane, The Caressors, Sir Joe, Winfield Parker, The Shyndells, Leon Gibson, Gene and Eddie, Rita Dorsey (supported by both the Shyndells and the Bob Craig Combo), and some tracks by “unknown artist.” A few were never previously released.

Other media

Matt’s pick

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been saving America’s butt since he boarded the Red October in 1984, but his incarnation in Amazon Prime’s new series finds him squaring off against a decidedly modern threat. John Krasinski plays our titular hero Ryan, an ex-marine turned CIA financial analyst on the trail of a mysterious high-level terrorist named Suleiman. As his knowledge of Suleiman’s financial workings translates to a real-world terrorist plot, Ryan must traverse the globe with a bevy of other operatives, soldiers and assassins to foil his enemy’s nefarious plans. Krasinski is utterly believable as the humble, yet capable Dr. Ryan, and a supporting cast that give it their all—especially in the Middle Eastern story lines—make for a thrilling ride.

Jeri’s pick

Back in June, the NPR business radio news program Marketplace launched its first Amazon Alexa skill, “Make Me Smart from Marketplace.” People in range of an Amazon Echo device can say, “Alexa, make me smart” to hear Marketplace’s Make Me Smart podcast hosts Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood explain issues concerning the economy, technology, current events, pop culture and more. Learn about things ranging from inflation rates, to how 5G works and even what happened to the $1,000 bill. There’s a new explainer from Ryssdal and Wood every weekday.

Brad’s pick

New this month, and exclusively for Playstation 4, Marvel’s Spider-Man offers up escapist long-pajamas pleasures. Players get to web-swing around New York, battle bad guys, and balance fighting crime with the life of beleaguered 23-year-old alter-ego Peter Parker. Spidey takes on Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, the Vulture and more—Spider-Man has the second-best rogues’ gallery in comics. (Batman, of course, has the best. And this new game cribs some cues from the fun and popular Batman: Arkham game series.) One funny twist: in the world of the game, J. Jonah Jameson, formerly Parker’s boss at newspaper the Daily Bugle, is now a bloviating right-wing podcaster. Jameson spins spiteful commentary about whatever Spider-Man does in the game, and that never-ending criticism is the perfect antidote to the false sense of accomplishment that often accompanies playing video games.

Bob’s pick

There are a lot of cool TV events on the way, but none look cooler than Maniac, a mini-series starring Jonah Hill and Emma Stone as two people in a trial test for a drug that is supposed to make all their troubles disappear. It’s a remake of a Norwegian series (that there, alone, makes it sound cool), it’s directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Beasts of No Nation, True Detective) and reunites Seth and Jules from Superbad.

Andrea’s pick

New Girl aired its seventh and final season this April on Fox. Although this season only had eight episodes, all hilarious, it still managed to answer a lot of questions about the future of the show’s character—especially the romantic conundrum between Jessica “Jess” Day (Zoey Deschanel) and Nick Miller (Jake Johnson). The show jumps from Jess and her three male roommates trying to navigate life choices in their early 30s to marriage, children and moving out of the Los Angeles loft they’ve called home for the past seven seasons. Hulu subscribers can binge watch season seven now.

Dennis’ pick

There are times we know we are getting screwed without being able to put our fingers on how. A little-known magazine, Dollars and Sense, does it for us. The current issue has pieces on how big tech corporations that opposed repeal of net neutrality deserted the public, the screams over the newly required release of the pay of top corporate officers, a cartoon on fast food worker ordeals, the impact of the Fed’s higher interest rates on workers, Trump’s daft tariffs, the Wall Street Journal’s “solution” to them and a dozen other pieces. Better yet, it’s still available in print. Send $19.95 for a year’s subscription to 89 South St. LL02, Boston 02111.