Kicking the Protagonist When He’s Down – Lessons from The Road and Slumdog Millionaire

I watched two movies this past week – one that I had been anticipating for months, The Road – and another that I felt I was obligated to get around to watching because of all the attention it received when it was released, Slumdog Millionaire.
I was introduced to the work of Cormack McCarthy via the [...]

The Twilight Saga: New Moon – Review

This weekend I took my wife to see a werewolf’s muscles … I mean … New Moon. I watched the first Twilight movie several months ago, and didn’t hate it. I wouldn’t watch it again, for the same reason I stopped watching Smallville – just too much teen angst mixed into the supernatural stew. I [...]

ABC’s V (Series Premiere) – Review

The network inbreeding has been particularly noticeable this season. I first noticed a number of bit roll Heroes vets have moved into leading positions in NBC’s new hit musical series (who’d’a thunk it?) Glee!. Then I saw Flash Forward, featuring an occasional Lostie as a supporting female, and, much to my great joy, Dominic Monaghan, [...]

Monsters Vs. Aliens – Review

I finally got around to seeing Monsters vs. Aliens. I wish I had taken the time to see it in 3D while it was in the theater. One character’s animation in particular, I imagine, would have been worth watching that way.  (I refer to B.O.B., the indestructible gelatinous mass.)
There are a few factors I consider [...]

The Caves of Steel – Review

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This hard-boiled foray into the future of detective work on Earth was likely the progenitor of the now defunct human/robot buddy-cop genre. Asimov’s style is unmistakable, and as always, what he lacks in convincing dialogue, he makes up for in remarkable insight into [...]

Robots of Dawn – Review

The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Elijah Bailey’s third and final documented stressful and career making/breaking romp with R. Daneel Olivaw.
In Asimov’s efforts to tie his robot stories together with his Foundation universe, some changes are made to the basic format of this book as opposed to the other [...]

The Wild Things Are Right Here

Last night I went on a solo excursion to the land of Nostalgia. The ship I sailed in was Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
I remember reading the book over and over when I was a child – it was a favorite. And why not? What little boy would [...]