I’ve been kinda enjoying Castle. Early days yet, only two episodes, but fun and waaay pretty. Then it was revealed in last night’s episode that Mal’s, I mean Rick’s, new series character, inspired by the delectable Detective Beckett, is named Nikki Heat. Now, even in a made-up universe of banter and poker games with Steve Cannell, I gotta believe a bestselling novelist who is taken semiseriously by not unintelligent readers such as the aforementioned Detective Beckett would not be so lame to as give that name to a character based on someone he seemingly admires. Stripper? Check. Videogame vixen? Check. Contestant on “Rock of Love?” Double check. Detective in a series of dark novels? Bit wrong-footed, I think, unless it’s a deliberate move to rile Beckett. But boy, is everyone pretty! So, fun overall.
On another note, Loins of Punjab Presents opens this week at our local art- and cult-film palace. Described as Monsoon Wedding meets Best of Show, it’s a spoof of an American Idol clone for aspiring South Asian American singers, who perform Bollywood-style extravaganzas and engage in backstage intrigue. Could be terrific.
Finally, check out this hilariously eviscerating restaurant review from London’s Sunday Times, in which A.A. Gill channels the righteous scorn of Swift and the masterly invective of Mencken to indict an entire culture of empty chic consumerism: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/f