FRIDAY [19] film • AFS presents a new 35mm print of The Rules of the Game at Dobie Theatre film • Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival 2007 at Alamo Downtown (7pm, 9:30pm, 11:58pm) Most events are probably back on schedule, but call ahead just to be sure. music • The Weird Weeds, W-S Burn, Brian Sookram, Jonathan Horne at The Peacock ($3, 9pm) art • Two Mongolian Artists From Two Generations: D.... more ›

Much like the author of Lunar Park, we’re prefacing this review with a brief introduction: we knew next to nil about Bret Easton Ellis or his previous works, the most famous of which include American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction, and Less Than Zero.  We had, on several occasions, tried watching the film adaptation of American Psycho, but never seemed to get far past that part towards the beginning where Christian Bale’s deranged Patrick Bateman brutally defiles that girl while admiring his (admittedly) taut physique, reflected in his bedroom mirror.  We were all but repulsed by such disgusting narcissism - at the time - and completely missed the whole murder mayhem that ensued. But, as we discovered upon reading the first dozen pages of Lunar Park, any prior cursory knowledge of Ellis’ accomplishments was altogether unnecessary: the author, here manifested as the protagonist, is all too eager to expound on his fruitful, sordid past.  In self-indulgent yet captivating prose, Ellis narrates the tale of his seedy life: from the near-overnight skyrocket to literary acclaim, the mind-numbing coke habit, the drunken orgies, the shopping list of celebrity trysts, the international book tours spent only minimally cognizant, to the vehement lambasting by fundamentalist public interest groups, Ellis spews forth an entire introduction of vile, visceral excess, leading the reader to a singular conclusion: Bret Easton Ellis is an egomaniacal asshole. more ›