Throwback Thursday: The Karate Kid

For today's Throwback Thursday, we're firing up the Flux Capacitor and revisiting the mid-80s, when you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing Madonna or Michael Jackson, when neon and BIG hair were the height of fashion, and when you could not go a day without hearing the phrase, "Wax-On/Wax-Off".

And speaking of Wax-On, Wax-Off...

Yep, I'm talking about The Karate Kid. Not the failed remake attempt, but the original. The one with Danielsan and Johnny and Ali-with-an-I, and, of course, the Great Mr. Miyagi. After binging all three seasons of Cobra Kai (twice!), I was inspired to revisit the movie (and its sequels) that was probably a bigger part of my childhood than Star Wars and The Goonies combined. And I've gotta say, having watched (and loved) Cobra Kai, I enjoyed the source material even more!

The story, of course, begins when Daniel, a scrawny teen with more pent-up angst than is probably considered healthy, moves across the country so his mom can start a new job. Daniel pretty much instantly angers Johnny, the ringleader of a karate-obsessed gang of bullies, when he moves in on Johnny's girlfriend, Ali. The two rivals go back and fourth, each trying to one-up the other, until the rivalry comes to a head the night of the Halloween dance. Fortunately for Daniel, a mysterious fighter comes to his rescue...and is later revealed to be Mr. Miyagi, the elderly handyman for his apartment complex. Following a confrontation at Cobra Kai, the karate dojo where Johnny and Co train under the diabolical Sensei Kreese, an arrangement is made: If Daniel somehow beats Cobra Kai's students in the upcoming tournament, he will be left in peace. If not... Well, it's Open Season on both him and Miyagi.

Karate Kid II picks up after the tournament and follows Daniel and Mr. Miyagi to Okinawa, where Miyagi pays respects to his dying father and must settle a decades-old score with an old friend-turned-enemy. Daniel's attitude gets him in trouble when he "dishonors" the nephew of Miyagi's nemesis. Of course, these fights are not refereed. And in these situations, it's life or death.

Karate Kid III brings back Kreese. After the tournament, he lost everything...and is now single-mindedly bent on getting revenge on Daniel and Miyagi, who he believes are responsible for ruining his life. This film introduces two new (and scary) villains, both of whom make Kreese seem not so bad (and that's saying something!). And now Daniel is forced back into the ring where he must defend his title, or else...

You can find all three Karate Kid movies in our DVD area. All are fun to watch and all contain characters and references that appear in the current Netflix series inspired by the films (Go on an Easter Egg hunt! It's fun!). 

--AJB

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik, by David Arnold

Do you ever take stock of your life and wish it were... I don't know, different somehow? You can't pinpoint exactly how you want it to be different (if you could, you'd work on making it so). You just know that if you remain on your current trajectory, you're in for a dull ride. Or so you believe. David Arnold's novel The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik explores this...and how far one would go to change that.

High school junior Noah Oakman's boredom with life has reached a critical stage. From this point, he believes he can see exactly where his life is headed and, although the direction isn't terrible, Noah hates it. The only things he takes pleasure in is watching The Fading Girl on YouTube, daily sightings of the mysterious Old Man Goiter, and re-reading (and over-analyzing) an obscure book by a long-dead author. But everything changes when, after several too many wine coolers, he confesses all this to a classmate at a party. The classmate then hypnotizes Noah, promising he will feel differently when he wakes up.

And Noah DOES feel different. In fact EVERYTHING about Noah's world is different. Well... Almost everything. Noah's life has become a twisted mystery, but now all he wants is for things to go back to normal. And maybe the key to finding a way out of this new world is not looking at what's different, but what has stayed the same.

Strange Fascinations is one of the best books I've read so far in 2021. It's of those books that makes you think.  One of those books where you start out with all these random pieces that slowly come together, but you're not exactly sure of the direction until the Big Reveal knocks you over the head. And I do mean all that in the best possible way.

To say any more would give too much away. You'll just have to check it out for yourself.

--AJB

My Last Summer With Cass, by Mark Crilley

One of my favorite graphic novels of all time is This One Summer (Mariko Tamaki). So when My Last Summer With Cass, by Mark Crilley, popped up on my radar as a read-alike, of course I had to check it out! 

It's true that Last Summer deals with many of the same themes (friendship, growing up), it stands on its own as well. And although I didn't like it as much as One Summer, it was still a fantastic read, and I definitely recommend it. 

Shy, sheltered Megan and bold, outgoing Cass have been best friends since childhood. The girls spend each summer together and share everything, including a love of art. But then Cass's parents divorce and she and her mom move to New York City, putting an end to the traditional summer get-togethers. The next time Megan sees her, Cass is a different person...and she wants Megan to be different too. So she attempts to push Megan to do something she's not comfortable doing, and Megan pushes back... with disastrous consequences that nearly end the girls' friendship. 

My Last Summer With Cass can currently be found on our New Bookshelf. 

--AJB

The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children's Books, by Adam Perry

Imagine, if you will, if The Neverending Story were penned by Lemony Snicket. This is the often dark and exceptionally cheeky vibe of Adam Perry's wonderfully creative novel, The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children's Books, which details what it really means to Get Lost In A Book.

Oliver lives in a world where everyone is plugged into their virtual reality devices at all times. But Oliver prefers small, rectangular objects called books, which require a little effort on his part and make no beep-beep-beeps (Forgive me, but I've been waiting ages to use that quote! And finally, opportunity arose so I went with it). Besides, Oliver, who lives with his out-of-work single father (his mom is dead), is dirt poor and he couldn't afford a device even if he wanted one. Which he doesn't. Let me make that clear. Kiddo has no interest in the latest technology. Which means he alone hasn't been turned into a zombie by far too much screen time.

So let's recap: Poor hero with a dead parent who loves books and is considered a misfit and a weirdo even by the town librarian... Sounds like the setup for a Disney film. And it could be too, if not for all the... Nevermind. I really shouldn't give too much away. Spoiling everything about an awesome book isn't cool.

Anyway, Oliver doesn't care what people think of him. He's happy to live in his world of stories, reading and re-reading. And stealing his favorites, of course. Wait... I didn't mention that earlier? Sorry. But I'll say it now, because it's worth knowing: Oliver is a total kleptomaniac. But only when it coms to books he likes. And only if he truly believes no one will miss the stolen books.

And no one HAS missed them... YET!

Oliver's luck runs out when he is kidnapped by some truly diabolical people who wish to steal the only existing copy of Oliver's favorite book right out of Oliver's head! And you can be sure these villains have some truly awful ulterior motives for wanting this story. So now Oliver must experience the story and all its terrible dangers in virtual reality format. If he makes it to the end alive, he will be (mostly) free to go. If not... well, it's probably best we don't go there.

The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children's Books is a truly epic story with lots of twists and turns. It's got action, adventure, humor, great characters, and exceptional world-building. Basically everything you want out of a book that's not a "kissing book". It was a lot of fun to read and I highly recommend it.

--AJB

A Perfect Planet (dvd)

I've been a fan of the Planet Earth and Blue Planet series (BBC) for years. These shows are fantastic and like nothing I'd seen previous. Plus, the narrator has a very soothing vibe. I've re-watched these episodes often and they are one of my go-tos when I want to unwind from the day or just need something playing in the background that doesn't demand my full attention.

Which is why I was so excited about A Perfect Planet, the latest nature venture by BBC. 

Although the videography is just as gorgeous as that in Planet Earth and Blue Planet, I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in A Perfect Planet. As a whole, it's a much shorter series that its companions. Five brief episodes that don't do much more than rehash what's covered in other series. So really not a lot of new stuff new to see for this veteran of BBC Nature Shows. Which was a bummer.

A Perfect Planet is still a fantastic series, though. And something I recommend if you haven't yet seen the other series and want to start off with something more basic. But if you really want the best of what BBC has to offer, check out Planet Earth instead. You won't be disappointed.

--AJB  

Fangs, by Sarah Anderson

A Vampire and a Werewolf walk into a club... and fall in love.

No, it's not the setup for a joke nor is it the plot of the latest Twilight-inspired fan fiction. It's the plot of Sarah Anderson's newest graphic novel, Fangs.

Elise is a 300-year-old vampire in the body of a 26-year-old Goth Girl. 

Jimmy is a young man who shapeshifts into a white wolf every Full Moon.

Based on other paranormal romance novels I've read, one wouldn't think this matchup should work out. At all. But somehow, despite their many differences (sleeping schedules, food preferences, spiritual beliefs, and otherwise), Elise and Jimmy are perfect for each other. Fangs is a peek into their life together, which, taking away all the paranormal stuff, really isn't much different than that of a normal couple.

Typically, I'd scoff at a paranormal romance. I mean, it's soooo 2009, right? But Fangs put a cheeky spin on the genre. It pokes fun at all the vampire and werewolf clichés and weaves them into an opposites-attract romantic comedy that totally appeals to the dark side of my humor. And that I can truly appreciate!

Fangs can currently be found on the New shelf. IF it's not checked out, that is. 

--AJB

(Not Quite) Throwback Thursday

Growing up in the 80s & 90s, The Karate Kid saga was one of my jams, second only to The Goonies, which is still one of my Top Favorites of All Time. "Wax On, Wax Off" was part of my vocabulary. And I have a distinct memory of practicing the Crane Kick with my cousins in their basement after one of many repeat viewings of the movie (Side Note: We did not kick at each other, only attempted the iconic technique itself. However, we still wound up bruised and battered, as we landed on our behinds more than we did our feet).  And, as destiny would have it, my husband is a fan of the films too.

Which is why we've recently been enjoying watching Cobra Kai, a long-awaited continuation of the saga. A saga which never seemed finished in my eyes. At its simplest, the show tells what happens years after the credits rolled on Karate Kid 3 and gives more depth to both Johnny's and Daniel's characters (and also their continuing rivalry). But really, it's so much more. There's drama, there's romance, there's humor, there's Good Guys to root for and Villains to hate, and, of course, there are truly EPIC karate duels. All the while, the show attempts to stay true to the tone of the films. Plus, each episode is absolutely filled with Easter Eggs! Fans of the movies will have fun trying to spot them all.

True, I was somewhat concerned Cobra Kai would fall prey to the same Epilogue Curse that plagued both Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, thus diminishing my enjoyment of the original movies. I shouldn't have worried. Cobra Kai is Bad A--!! And I'm 100% happy I gave it a go. The only downside is the torture of waiting to watch the next season.

(Side Note: For more fun, check out the 2007 song and video that inspired the show)