Saw an interesting film yesterday, Kaddisch für einen Freund, a german language film. Now, I was told before going there would be subtitle in English and Lithuanian so I wasn’t concerned. It was also cool because the screening, part of a German film festival, was being held in Romuva, Kaunas’ version of an art house cinema. I’d been there before, about a year and a half ago I was asked to be part of a steering committee to try and rejuvenate the place into a hipper, more popular venue. That plan eventually fell apart but I’d never gotten the chance to see a film there, so this was exciting. The film itself was interesting, being shown from house center from a laptop and a wall projector. Continue reading “Review: Kaddisch für einen Freund”
Category: Reviews
Review: Here, There Be Dragons
Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
There’s a quote by C.S. Lewis which says “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” I like this quote. I like this quote a lot. What it says to me is that just because you’re writing for a child doesn’t mean you have to “dumb” the story down or condescend to your readers. Continue reading “Review: Here, There Be Dragons”
Review: The Monuments Men
I liked The Monuments Men. I’m gonna come right out and say it. No, it’ not perfect, it’s probably not going to win any awards, but I liked it. Of course, now the obvious question is why did I like it? It could have something to do with the brilliant cast, it could have something to do with the subject matter and it could be because I was tired of heavy handed dramas and I just saw it at the right time. I think it’s a combination of all of that.
Review: Winter’s Tale
Despite winning an Academy Award for A Beautiful Mind
Review: Screenwriting 101 by Film Crit Hulk!
Screenwriting 101 by Film Crit Hulk! by FILM CRIT HULK
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
While there’s some interesting stuff in Screenwriting 101
Like all screenwriting books, there are nuggets of useful information and certainly some ideas to ponder but when the FADE OUT comes, it’s merely OK.
That all said, the eBook does get bonus points for having a “Bruce Banner” version which is not in the headache inducing ALL CAPS which is FILM CRIT HULK’S trademark.
Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The more I think about it, the more I have a problem with the Ben Stiller remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Forget that it misses the point of Thurber’s original short story and isn’t as whimsical as the 1947 Danny Kaye/Virginia Mayo version, that’s not really what matters here. Instead, what matters is the overall message, and for me, that message sucks.
To back up a second…the plot centers around Walter Mitty, a middle aged, milquetoast of a man who escapes into an incredibly rich fantasy life, often causing him to lose contact for a brief period with whatever reality had inspired the fantastic hallucination to begin with. In various incarnations, what Mitty does and how he does it changes, but the basic premise remains the same. Continue reading “Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
Review: The Bible Repairman and Other Stories
The Bible Repairman and Other Stories by Tim Powers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There’s something wonderfully unique and strange about the imagination of Tim Powers
Review: Ex-Heroes
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It would be great if this book was written with the least bit of irony… with some notion that Peter Clines
Review: The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons
The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons by Lawrence Block
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There are times during The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons
And yet… Lawrence Block manages to address both issues at the same time and does it brilliantly. Continue reading “Review: The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons”
Review: Death from a Top Hat
Death from a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As someone involved in both the world of magic and the world of literature, I’m surprised it took me this long to come around to Clayton Rawson’s “Merlini” books. These are widely considered classics of the “locked room” mystery genre and with Death from a Top Hat
Continue reading “Review: Death from a Top Hat”
Review: Divine Misfortune
Divine Misfortune by A. Lee Martinez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The idea of the gods interacting directly with mortals is not a new one for modern fiction. Neil Gaiman tackled it in American Gods and now A. Lee Martinez does it in Divine Misfortune
Review: Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster
Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster by Terrance Dicks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I will freely admit that while I’d heard of Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor and I could identify the scarf a mile off, I hadn’t ever seen an episode of his. I came to the Doctor during the Russell T. Davies reboot era and I certainly love me some David Tennant. But this past summer, when I was in Scotland, there was a few book stores and one of them was having a sale and I came across a slim paperback of Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster
Review: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of the nice things my Audible subscription is doing is giving me the opportunity to catch up on a lot of the classics I never actually read. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Review: Her Royal Spyness
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m on a roll, reading the first book in a series, again. At some point, I’ll read the rest of them, maybe. This one is fun and cute and well written – it may be the first in a series but it’s not a first novel, not by a long shot. Continue reading “Review: Her Royal Spyness”
Review: Killing Floor
Killing Floor by Lee Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There’s a rule in writing having to do with coincidences. If you get too many of them, the audience will stop believing what you’re writing. This is the case with Killing Floor
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 