Big Sur

Big Sur to Big Basin: California's Dramatic Central Coast
$29.95
"From the dramatic cliffs of Big Sur to the colorful boardwalk and misty wooded mountains of Santa Cruz, BIG SUR TO BIG BASIN captures the stunning vistas and lively spectacles of the Monterey Bay region. Photographer Larry Ulrich celebrates this area's unique beauty with page after page of gorgeous images, taking us to wildflower-strewn meadows, silent peaks overlooking the sea, and bustling wharfs where fresh fish and crab are sold. Writer Pamela Verduin Cain covers everything from gray whales, redwoods and monarch butterflies to John Steinbeck's days, Henry Miller's legacy and the land that inspired such talents as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. BIG SUR TO BIG BASIN is a treasure for all who appreciate the rugged charm of the central California coast."

The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant
$40.00
A little bit of the Big Sur mystique comes through this delightful cookbook. It is written with flair and care, as are the recipes contained within. Nuff said!

Big Sur Inn: The Deetjen Legacy
$29.95
"Big Sur Inn" is a magnificent legacy book that will endure forever as a tribute to Deetjen and special treat to many who will never be blessed to travel to the Inn. The author not only did justice to Deetjen, but created an interesting collection of photographs certain to please even the most discerning of readers. This book should be in every library and bookstore, and on YOUR own coffee table at home. You will pick it up and look through it over and over. You won't be diappointed. Bravo!

One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur
$18.98
"One Fast Move Or I'm Gone" tells the story of Jack Kerouac's journey to Big Sur, California in an attempt to escape from the perils of fame and alcoholism. Kerouac laid down the whole scene himself in his novel "Big Sur". The film retraces his steps while reading passages from the novel, getting the straight poop from some of the folks who were there such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Carolyn Cassady and Michael McClure (his dependable pretentious self) and letting a number of artists (i.e. Tom Waits, Robert Hunter) and academic types chime in.

The film lays out many of the things that make Kerouac great and, unintentionally, makes clear the fan mindset that drove him to the edge and, eventually, over it. As for the first, Kerouac's need to write, even through the most traumatic and dreadful experiences, comes through very clearly. The location filming underscores the environment that this alcoholic poet was living in and does a great job of bringing out the beauty of Big Sur, but also the ominous qualities of nature there. In "Big Sur" Kerouac went to great lengths to note these opposing images and their impact on his fevered mind, and it is nothing short of amazing that a man could, first, function artistically under such circumstances and, second, have the desire to do so.

There are some insightful comments from Tom Waits, always clever and entertaining, not the least of which was if Kerouac were alive today and undergoing such an ordeal, we would just dope him up and he would have a decent chance of being blissfully ignorant of any existential quandries. Of course, he would never write another word and we would all be the less for it.

That is actually the thematic heart of the film and, in many ways, all things Kerouac. Kerouac was Kerouac, with all the baggage that came from the Catholic upbringing, the guilt that goes with that, the alcoholism, a child he basically deserted, the unhealthy relationshop with his mother, etc. Throw into that abyss the unmitigated joy he is so famous for. That's quiet a gumbo and it makes for a rather tragic story (certainly a tragic end). But would Kerouac have changed that story? Even if he knew the outcome (the last ten years of his life being hell, gruesome death at forty seven)? Would we change it for Jack if we could?

In the end, the art survives and long after the artist is gone it still lives in the hearts and minds of those it speaks to. Was it worth the trade off? A life sacrificed on the altar of art. Who knows, but the film does a solid job of underscoring that question and making it clear that it's at the core of Kerouac's Big Sur and Kerouac himself.

Now, as far as the fan mindset mentioned earlier, Kerouac went to Big Sur in large part to get away from overly enthusiastic fans. Fans that projected their own ideas onto Kerouac's art and expected him to be what they wanted him to be. With a few exceptions, it is very easy to imagine most of the commentators in this film being those obstrusive fans. In fairness, there is something about the Kerouac mystique that brings that out in people. Everyone seems to want to read a passage of Kerouac in that upbeat, back and forth be-bop rhythm...and they all sound damn awkward doing it. They are, however, awkward with enthusiam and that helps sell the bit even if the merits are somewhat inconclusive.

When it comes to Kerouac enthusiasts, genuine insightful commentary is rare and people tend to fall back on the cliches. The aforementioned Tom Waits and Patti Smith do a nice job of bucking that hackneyed trend. Coincidentally, their outward demeanor is of a laid back sort and they seem to feel no pressure to talk-fast-and-talk-about-how-jack-was-really-a-jazz-musician or that kind of thing. They seem to take a step back from Kerouac and see the situation somewhat objectively (Smith's comments about what it means to be a king are particularly spot-on).

Dar Williams is stunningly annoying. I'm not really sure who she is (a folk singer of some sort, I think), but she comes off like a college sophmore, straddling the line between giggly high school and oh-so-sophisticated poetry readings. The insights are banal and trite. When she breaks down while reading from the final passages of "Big Sur", it makes you want to throw your bongo drum at the television. Amber Tamblyn (an actor?) is almost as bad when she raises her head from silently reading "Big Sur" and says in her cutest exasperated motherly voice, "Oh, Jack!" Jesus, how did these scenes get past the editor?

This is a pretty darn good look at Kerouac. The reality is, though, as in all films about Kerouac, what makes it most interesting is Kerouac himself. They are reading his writing, you are seeing pictures and film of Kerouac, and you are visiting his old haunts. All films about Jack Kerouac have a lot in common with the Elvis Presley film "Girl Happy". The film has lots of flaws, but damn it, Elvis is in it.

NOTE: I was going to write this review in one long benzedrine induced paragraph-less-stream-of-consciousness spewing, but I fell asleep in my chair before I could get started...