Entertainment Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors Michael Giltz Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ Follow Drugs , Movies , Video , Don Winslow , Oliver Stone , Books , Savages , The Kings Of Cool , Entertainment NewsReact Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyCrime Thriller 'The Kings Of Cool' Is Bloody Good Fun THE KINGS OF COOL *** out of **** By Don Winslow $25.00 336 pages; Simon & Schuster With Savages , author Don Winslow transformed himself from an author into a franchise.</p><p> Critics and fellow writers had enjoyed his playfully funny and brutal crime novels like The Winter Of Frankie Machine for years.</p><p> But Savages pulled out all the stops.</p><p> Winslow rolled the dice on every level with sexy, smart characters; short, sharp, shocked chapters; dips into the screenplay form (because everyone thinks in terms ofmovies now); and even goofing around with punctuation and spacing, letting a thoughtslide down a pageuntil it hit the punchline.</p><p> Get it? Stephen King compared it to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (see, a movie!) and no wonder.</p><p> The story centered on two guys and a girl: Ben, Chon and Ophelia, aka O.</p><p> Ben is a super-smart liberal, Chon an ex-military conservative, O a child of privilege and they're all living the high life.</p><p> Literally.</p><p> Ben and Chon serve up primo marijuana in as many flavors as Ben & Jerry's, with Ben doing social work in Third World countries on the side for his karma and Chon always ready to dish out violence becauseturning the other cheek gets old fast in the drug trade.</p><p> In Savages , they found themselves facing off against a Mexican cartel that not only wanted their turf but insisted the lads come work for them.</p><p> Itskittered to a memorable finale, and if the Oliver Stone movie is half as jazzed up on their sexy fatalism,it could be a blast and bring Winslow even more fans.MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 Chipotle Busted For Cheating Customers Out Of Pennies Republican Attendees Thrown Out After Racist Attack On CNN Worker RPatz Agrees To Meet KStew But Is Selling Their Home PHOTO: The Queen Rolls In A Range Rover Wearing A Hoodie Deaf Boy Asked To Make Controversial Change (VIDEO) GOP Approves Abortion Ban FOLLOW USCelebrity TV Political Hollywood Features Hollywood Buzz Videos Help Us Write 'The Words' Quick Read | Comments (27) | 08.20.2012August 29, 2012 Edition: U.S.</p><p> FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA CELEBRITY TV COMEDY FOOD STYLE ARTS BOOKS LIVE ALL SECTIONS Bill Moyers Dean Baker John Hillcoat Bobby BowdenHOT ON THE BLOG HuffPost Social Reading Like 102 Posted: 06/19/2012 2:25 pm SHARE THIS STORY Submit this storySPONSOR GENERATED POST Like 1k Like 13k Like 90 Like 1k Like 4k Recommend 9kPolitical Hollywood Movie Trailers The Avengers Electronic Dance Music More Log in Create AccountThey would do well to start with this prequel, The Kings Of Cool, before reading Savages or seeing the movie.</p><p> It has all the snap and savvy of Savages but with even more ambition and heart.</p><p> Here we get the origin story of Ben and Chon and O, along with flashbacks to the '60s for the origin story of the drug trade in California.</p><p> As is only hinted at in Savages , this involves their parents to a surprising degree.</p><p> Surfers, free love, messed up parenting, communes, therapy and more all combine to propel first theparents and then the children into drug dealing.</p><p> Winslow also artfully shows how the game changes alongwith the drugs: the mellowness of pot slides into the trippy-ness of acid which burns into the stinging nastiness of cocaine.</p><p> The money gets bigger, the stakes get higher and the violence turns from an off- screen flirtation into a live-in lover.</p><p> Savages was fun but The Kings of Cool has more emotional weight.</p><p> Parents betray -- or, worse, simply fail -- their children.</p><p> Children must decide whether their loyalty lies with biology or those they've bonded with.</p><p> And the multi-generational arc of the story (we go back and forth in time throughout) showsWinslow's ambitions have risen along with his success.</p><p> From watching Ben seduce a federal agent intobecoming his paid informant to watching O literally seduce first one and then the other dude of herdreams, we are entranced.</p><p> Winslow even humanizes a beautiful gold-digger named Kim, showing the drive and determination it takes to leap from dismal trailer park to dissatisfied trophy wife.</p><p> Winslow himself has probably justpulled off the same trick: graduating from well-reviewed writer to a name brand author who delivers thegoods.</p><p> Let's hope they don't share the same fate because in Winslow's world, ambition -- even ambitionspiked with good intentions -- almost always proves fatal.</p><p> BOOKS I'VE READ SO FAR IN 2012 1.</p><p> The Underneath by Kathi Appelt *** 2.</p><p> Jack Holmes and His Friend by Edmund White ***3.</p><p> The Last Unicorn by Peter S.</p><p> Beagle **4.</p><p> Fun Home by Alison Bechdel ***5.</p><p> Death Walks In Eastrepp by Francis Beeding ***6.</p><p> Luminous Airplanes by Paul La Farge ***/7.</p><p> The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen ** 1/28.</p><p> Unterzakhn by Leela Corman **9.</p><p> The Child Who by Simon Lelic ***10.</p><p> Hinterland by Caroline Brothers ***11.</p><p> The Yard by Alex Grecian *** 1/212.</p><p> The Alienist by Caleb Carr ***13.</p><p> On The Wings Of Heroes by Richard Peck *** 1/2 14.</p><p> A Princess Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs * 15.</p><p> The Gods Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs ** 16.</p><p> The Warlord Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs ** 1/2 17.</p><p> Undefeated: America's Heroic Fight For Bataan and Corregidor by Bill Sloan ** 1/2 18.</p><p> Stoner by John Williams **** 19.</p><p> The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt *** 1/220.</p><p> The 500 by Matthew Quirk **21.</p><p> The Age Of Innocence by Edith Wharton ****22.</p><p> The Alienist by Caleb Carr ***\23.</p><p> Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi **24.</p><p> Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household ***25.</p><p> The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky **26.</p><p> Traitor's Gate by Avi ** 1/227.</p><p> Cogan's Trade by George V.</p><p> Higgins ***28. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson *** 1/229.</p><p> The Twelve Rooms Of The Nile by Enid Shomer ** 1/230.</p><p> Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel *** 1/231.</p><p> In One Person by John Irving ** MAP: Hurricane Isaac's Path Aims For Gulf Coast Isaac Balloons Into A Hurricane, New Orleans Threatened The Most Awkward Wedding Photobombs DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5 Bill Moyers WATCH: Both Parties Give Invisible Americans the Silent Treatment Dean Baker Poverty: The New Growth Industry in America TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 7 MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2 HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3Recommend 287 Recommend 697 Like 1k Small Town Jerk Kyra Sedgwick on "The Possession" Kim Kardashian Wants a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame What's Your Favorite Michael Jackson Memory? 13 Movies That Changed The Way We View Poverty Madonna's Message For Americans: 'Don't Get Fat And Lazy' WATCH: Raging Grannies Have Some Words For Todd Akin FOLLOW ENTERTAINMENT Guns N' Roses Slash Once Caught David...</p><p> Samuel L.</p><p> Jackson: 'Unfair' Hurricane Isaac Avoid... '2016: Obama's America' Fact- Check Rachel Weisz & Terrence Malick: 'To The...32.</p><p> A Million Heavens by John Brandon *** 33.</p><p> The Case Of The Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall *** 34.</p><p> Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man by Walter Stahr *** 1/2 35.</p><p> The Kings of Cool by Don Winslow *** 36.</p><p> The Case of The Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall *** 37.</p><p> Savages by Don Winslow ***38.</p><p> The Case Of The Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall ***39.</p><p> Alif The Unseen by G.</p><p> Willow Wilson ** 1/240.</p><p> I Am Spartacus: Making A Film, Breaking The Blacklist by Kirk Douglas ***41.</p><p> Showdown At Shepherd's Bush by David Davis ***42.</p><p> The Trillion Dollar Meltdown by Charles R.</p><p> Morris ***43.</p><p> The Age Of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker ** 1/244.</p><p> Mrs.</p><p> Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary Of A Victorian Lady by Kate Summerscale ** 1/2 Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It's available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.</p><p> Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free galleys and/or final copies of books to consider for review.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz Read more from Huffington Post bloggers: Marshall Fine: Interview: Author Don Winslow and The Kings of Cool The Kings of Cool picks up the story of the Savages trio -- the weed-dealing Ben, Chon and Ophelia -- afew years before Savages.P requel? Not exactly -- at least writer Don Winslow doesn't look at it thatway.</p><p> More in Entertainment... 06:02 PM on 06/20/2012 Winslow brings the Southern California surfing culture to vivid life & creates memorable characters who do not always behave in a predictable fashion-definitely a talent to watch.</p><p> HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2 HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Celebrity babies Arizona Politics Mitt Romney 2012 Engagements & Proposals Climate Change Television Pregnancy Ron Paul Fox News MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Recency | Popularity HUFFPOST SUPER USER themightyabealrd screw the real world-I'm an artist! Permalink | Share itLike 75k GET ALERTS Comments 3 Pending Comments 0 View FAQ Comments are closed for this entry View All 351 Fans ricky_martin RetweetMake Room for (the New) Daddy http://t.co/Q6eIDokm via @huffingtonpost feliciaday RetweetThink on it: Cambridge scientists say all mammals, birds, manyothers including octopi, havehuman-like consciousness. http://t.co/aF6W2ZQh01:47 AM on 06/20/2012 Have not read a good thriller book in a long time now.</p><p> This seems like a good one, will get it. 01:23 PM on 06/20/2012 Great.</p><p> Hope you enjoy it; definitely a quick, violent, stylistically accessible but playful summer read.</p><p> Advertise | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | About Our Ads | Contact Us Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.</p><p> All rights reserved.</p><p> Part of AOL-HuffPost Entertainmentagape1104 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST BLOGGER Michael Giltz freelance writer Permalink | Share it53 Fans 127 Fans New York Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors Michael Giltz Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ Follow Theatre , Video , Broadway , Musicals , New York Music , Off-Broadway , The Last Smoker In America , Westside Theatre , New York NewsReact Amazing Inspiring Funny Scary Hot Crazy Important WeirdTheater: Last Smoker In America Huffs & Puffs But No Nicotine Fix THE LAST SMOKER IN AMERICA ** out of **** WESTSIDE THEATRE A very game cast cannot overcome the inert nature of this musical satire about a society obsessed with denyingdrinking and smoking and playing video games and eating (and eating and eating) and all the other fun indulgences that may not be good for you but sure make life fun.</p><p> The show begins with an AA meeting of sorts where a husband (Ernie) admits his wife is still struggling with addiction to nicotine, quite the problem since even possessing a cigarette can get you tossed in the slammer.</p><p> We hear an ode to the "last smoker in America." In the middle of the show, that woman, Pam (Farah Alvin) is still the defiant lastsmoker in America.</p><p> And at the end of the show, some not so shocking revelations have been revealed andthe plot has been twisted but Pam is still the last smoker in America.</p><p> Similarly, Ernie (the likable John Bolton) begins the show as an unemployed man who is a frustrated rock star penning awful songs in the basement of their home.</p><p> And in the middle he's dishing out nutty tunes like "Straight White Man." At the end? He's still rocking out.</p><p> Their neighbor? She's an over- zealous Christian named Phyllis (Natalie Venetia Belcon) so no points for guessing she'll turn out to be ahypocrite.</p><p> And Pam and Ernie's son is consistently inconsistent since the book by Bill Russell changes its mind every five minutes about what that kid, Jimmy (Jake Boyd) should be.</p><p> It's only 90 minutes but the show feels padded since the very slight idea powering it goes nowhere and the songs (lyrics by Russell and music by Peter Melnick) can only muster up so many ways to sing the praises of tobacco.MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 Fox News: Paul Ryan's Speech Was Full Of 'Blatant Lies' Paul Ryan Speech Built On Demonstrably Misleading Assertions Friar Suggests Teens Seduce Priests In A Lot Of Sex Abuse Cases Republican Attendees Thrown Out After Racist Attack On CNN Worker Anti-Obama Signs Create Controversy Isaac Continues To Present Life-Threatening Weather WATCH: Why Michael Moore Thinks Romney Will Win Chipotle Busted For Cheating Customers Out Of Pennies 9 Other Individuals, Companies And Organizations Besides Chick- Fil-A That Have Funded Anti- LGBT Politics DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5FOLLOW USAround Town Restaurants Real Estate NY Impact Best of New York NYPD Scandals Parties MTA WTC August 31, 2012 Edition: U.S.</p><p> FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA STYLE FOOD TECH ARTS GAY VOICES LIVE ALL SECTIONS D.L.</p><p> Hughley Dr.</p><p> Dean Ornish Cheech Marin Bill MoyersHOT ON THE BLOG HuffPost Social Reading Like 107 Posted: 08/03/2012 3:15 am SHARE THIS STORY Submit this storyRecommend 22k Like 15k Recommend 8k Like 18k Recommend 1k Recommend 89 Like 2k Like 1k Like 1kCelebrity Weddings iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app Log in Create AccountThe set is anonymously suburban without being quite sitcom-ish or retro enough to get across any satirical ideas.</p><p> But it gets the job done, though the talking smoke alarm is very tiresome as written anddesigned.</p><p> Ditto the costumes by Michael McDonald, which have a little fun with an Osmonds sequence and Jimmy's rapper phase.</p><p> Director Andy Sandberg wisely moves things along as quickly as possible, hoping the more plates he tosses in the air the less likely we'll notice there's not much on the menu.</p><p> A few songs linger in the mind, especially "You're The Only Friend I've Got," which does a nice job of illustrating all the desires of the four characters and how they're sublimated and another tune with a nice'50s pop song arrangement that -- like the opener -- shows off the cast's strong voices.</p><p> But mostly it's the actors you'll remember since they make the most of the rather thin proceedings and even in a way triumph.</p><p> Alvin has a certain Frances McDormand quality that's very appealing while Bolton has an everyman charm and a wailing rock star squeal that's probably half the reason he got the part.</p><p> But because they have to carry the burden of the plot, they can't have quite as much fun as thesupporting actors.</p><p> Belcon has the most fun here as the nosy neighbor Phyllis.</p><p> She sings in a smoothed out upper register when in cheery mode but drops down to a lower register to signal disapproval or desire and gets a laugh most every time.</p><p> She's also the character with the clearest motivation: she's in love with Ernie and jealous of the life Pam has and literally wants to move in and take over.</p><p> That gives her the most to work with as acharacter and Belcon scores as much as possible, though Phyllis's hypocrisy is so pat it's kind of a bore.</p><p> The creators probably want to pretend the teen Jimmy is trying to find himself like most teens.</p><p> But in fact their book just flips through identities with an annoying randomness.</p><p> In the first scene, Jimmy is awhiny kid on serious medication.</p><p> In his second scene, he struts around like a rapper and insists he'sblack.</p><p> In the third he's addicted to video games and somewhat back to his old self with the rapper thang vaguely referenced to every once in a while when it might get a cheap laugh.</p><p> Later he's a zoned out medication zombie and then a transvestite because that's always good for a transgressive vibe.</p><p> It's a small miracle that the very appealing Boyd makes any sense of the role at all, much less squeezes out laughs with his sharp timing (though that Osmond outfit helps).</p><p> He also vocally bounces around with ease fromthe faux rap of "Gangsta" to the more traditional Broadway belting. (I don't know why he was on thekitchen table licking the puppy dog-shaped cookie jar at one point but it sure made me laugh.) A flat, would-be outrageous ending doesn't help matters in the least, but that shouldn't obscure the fact that while the musical isn't worthy of them (where there's smoke, there's not always fire) they are a talented quartet.</p><p> THE THEATER SEASON 2012-2013 (on a four star scale) As You Like it (Shakespeare In The Park w Lily Rabe) **** Chimichangas And Zoloft * Closer Than Ever *** Cock ** 1/2 Harvey with Jim Parsons * My Children! My Africa! *** Once On This Island *** Potted Potter * Storefront Church ** 1/2 Title And Deed *** Picture Incomplete (NYMF) ** Flambe Dreams (NYMF) ** Rio (NYMF) ** The Two Month Rule (NYMF) * Trouble (NYMF) ** 1/2 Stealing Time (NYMF) ** Requiem For A Lost Girl (NYMF) ** 1/2 Re-Animator The Musical (NYMF) *** Baby Case (NYMF) ** 1/2 How Deep Is The Ocean (NYMF) ** 1/2 Central Avenue Breakdown (NYMF) *** Foreverman (NYMF) * 1/2 Swing State (NYMF) * 1/2 Stand Tall: A Rock Musical (NYMF) * 1/2 Living With Henry (NYMF) * A Letter To Harvey Milk (NYMF) ** 1/2 D.L.</p><p> Hughley A Question of Legitimacy Dr.</p><p> Dean Ornish A Radical Alternative For Democrats And Republicans TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 9 MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2 HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3 HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2 HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Video Celebrity Kanye WestGeorgina Bloomberg Partners With Ariat Aron Sentenced to 40 Years Isabella and Jayden Top NYC Baby Names NYPD Bullets Wounded All Nine In Empire State Building Shooting Candidate Makes Racist 'Typo' And NYC's Most Popular Baby Names Are...</p><p> WATCH: Alleged Cop Ignores Brutal Union Square Fight ricky_martin RetweetMake Room for (the New) Daddy http://t.co/Q6eIDokm via @huffingtonpost aol RetweetJoin the conversation! @huffpostlivestarts now: http://t.co/uuxI5ICgFOLLOW NEW YORK Levi Aron Sentenced: 40 Years To Life...</p><p> Ben Akselrod: 'Negrohood' Mailer Was An Error NYC Baby Names: Isabella, Jayden Most Popular... 3 World Trade Center Accident: Construction Worker...The Last Smoker In America ** Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It's available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.</p><p> Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free tickets to shows with the understanding that he will be writing a review.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz More in New York... 06:56 AM on 08/03/2012 Smoking stinks.</p><p> On the other hand, butt out (no pun intended).Smoking isn't illegal, so all of you "holier than thou" types need to find someone else to bother.babies Elections 2012 Mitt Romney AP Virginia NFL Tennis MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Advertise | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | About Our Ads | Contact Us Recency | Popularity Clotus Jones speaks out Permalink | Share it Like 24k GET ALERTS Comments 1 Pending Comments 0 View FAQ Post Comment Preview Comment Post to Facebook.</p><p> Post to Blogger.</p><p> Post to Twitter.</p><p> Post to WordPress.</p><p> Post to TypePad.</p><p> Post to Tumblr.To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directlyunderneath the comment you replied to.</p><p> Share your Comment: View All 20 Fans Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.</p><p> All rights reserved.</p><p> Part of HuffPost Local
