TOP TEN FILMS OF 2014 (Commentary)

Sadly there’s a lot I have not seen yet but that’s life as a new father.

10. Captain America: The Winer Soldier

  9. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

  8. Nightcrawler

  7. The Lego Movie

  6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

  5. Gone Girl

  4. Edge of Tomorrow

  3. Boyhood

  2. Interstellar

  1. Birdman

Making a Murderer (Season 1)

This ten part series on Netflix is the true and completely unbelievable story of Steven Avery.  Here is a guy who is wrongfully accused of sexually assaulting a woman, is cleared because of DNA evidence and then is arrested for another crime, this time murder.   Is he innocent again or guilty?  I can go into all the evidence and stuff but I’d rather you watch this incredible frustrated sage of two men against a prejudiced system.   

Grade: A-

Spoilers: Okay now that you’ve seen it . . . there’s no way this guy should be in jail.  That’s not to say he didn’t do it, he could have done it, but I couldn’t have sent him there because the reasonable doubt is overwhelming.  That crooked police department set him up and there’s no way you can convince me otherwise. I'm sure there's some evidence the film makers might not have shown us but again, if I'm a jury, I send him home, for good or bad.  

Joy (2015)

Jennifer Lawrence is a superstar and you can see why director/writer David O. Russell would want to work with her again.  This role seemed to be tailor-fitted for her.  It’s the story of Miracle Mop inventor and Home Shopping Network queen Joy Mangano.  It’s a really inspiring, well-told story and Lawrence delivers, again, another Oscar worth performance.   I’m sure Russell took some liberties with the actual history but I’m fine with it because I enjoyed every minute of her story.   I highly recommend this one and assume we’ll see it in the hunt for some awards this year.  Grade: A-

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Easily the most anticipated film of the year, we return to a Galaxy Far Far Away.  Being a Star Wars Fan I could write about my experience and my opinion on the success and failure of this reboot/remake/sequel all night.  I’m sure the blog would be so long no one, including me, would want to read it.   Instead I’m going keep my feelings short and simply say this.  Good.  It’s a good film.   J.J. Abrams does what he was hired to do and that’s to stoke the flames of Star Wars back into a roaring blaze.  While watching the film I actually felt like a kid again.  Seeing the originals return and to see how easily they slipped back into their characters was awe inspiring.   I wish the script hadn’t felt like a Star Wars remake, reusing plots and devices from the original trilogy as if Abrams Kasdan didn’t want to even try.   The prequels for all their inferiority are actually way more creative and it feels like they were punished for it.   Instead of taking any risks J.J. Abrams delivers what we all want to see, unconcerned that we’ve already enjoyed this meal once, twice and three times.  The best parts of the film are those that felt different.  The new characters of Rey, Finn, Kylo Renn and Poe Dameron are all exciting new additions to this universe and I must say I can’t wait to see how director/writer Raine Johnson uses them in the next episode. This all leads me to wonder if this Disney driven franchise will ever be more than a fan service franchise.   Like Marvel Studios, is Lucasfilm going to play it safe and create entertaining but soulless entries to this once unique cinematic world?   Sure they aren’t afraid to kill off a character as seen in this one, but was it not expected?   Will they even try to wow us?   Hate on George Lucas all you want, but when he was around Star Wars had a voice.  Now I feel like it is lacking.   Not to be all doom and gloom, I could be wrong and I hope I am.  Now that Kathleen Kennedy brought the franchise back from the smoldering ashes of the prequels, maybe now they can distance themselves from the redundant and bring us films that reinvent what is  Star Wars while retaining the magic we all love.  I very challenging task as J.J. Abrams knows.  Grade: B+

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015)

At last the second part to the conclusion of the Hunger Games film series.   My biggest complaint with Lionsgate deciding to divide up this book is that they didn’t do enough to make the films stand on their own.  They could have diverted from the book a little bit with the first one and really got into Katniss proving she deserves to fight for the cause instead of just being their symbol.  Now that I’ve seen this second part, while I liked all that they did, I can’t help but feel a three hour version would have been way more satisfying.   If you’re read the book, I’m happy to see they followed the story as Suzanne Collins wrote it.  The action is solid and the characters’ arcs transition to film wonderfully.   If you didn’t like the book you’ll probably not care for the film.  I loved the book and liked the film.  I wish the ending had a stronger build and I think the epilogue was a tad long.  Still it’s a decent ending to a pretty terrific series. Grade: B+

Spectre (2015)

Daniel Craig is back as James Bond and we’re finally going to be introduced to his greatest nemesis Blofeld and his secret criminal organization set on taking over the world.   Sam Mendes returns to the director chair and all is in place for a great film.  Sadly I would not say this one is as successful as I had hoped.   While I didn’t particular enjoy Skyfall as much as everyone else did, it is superior to this sequel.  Christoph’s Blofeld is very underwhelming and the plot is less interesting or even coherent.   The one highlight is the casting of Lea Seydoux as Bond’s new love interest.   She pretty much saves the film from being a complete failure.  In the end I wouldn’t say it’s a bad Bond film, I did like it but it just didn’t feel as if they captured the spirit of Bond.  There’s really only one scene that felt like it came from a Bond film and that’s at the beginning.   After that every action scene felt like a retread of other famous Bond films.   And without a strong villain, and Blofeld should have been great, it's just pretty blah.   I really hope this isn’t Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007.  I want him to go out with a bang instead of a mild shrug like this.  Grade: B

The Leftovers (Season 2)

I’ll say it.  This is the best show on television.  The first season was a beautifully grim story of a family torn asunder but here Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta give us a rebirth of a family brought together.   How do I not write about this show without overselling it?   It’s not for everyone.  But those who will appreciate it will be so inspired and moved I doubt you’ll forget it.  The very first sequence of season two is so remarkable I’d award it a special Emmy for best opening ever.  Like the first season, each episode explores a character’s story arc and as the season unfolds the story builds to one of the best culminations I’ve seen.  Justin Theroux continues to marvel and give the performance of the year.  Seeing this man struggle with his sense of fate is soulful and heartbreaking.  Ann Dowd returns from the dead and her presence is instrumental and as innovated as you can get in television drama.  Then there’s Carrie Coons who I love. She’s amazing and to see how badly her character wants to make sense of her crisis is unforgettable.   To summarize this season is to state Kevin and Nora, along with Kevin’s daughter Jill, adopt Holy Wayne’s child and move to the one town in the world where no one disappeared after the Sudden Departure, Miracle Texas.  Matt and his paralyzed and catatonic wife have already moved there in hope the place might somehow bring Mary back.  Here we are introduced to a new family, the Murphy’s.  They live in Miracle and it’s their secrets that help give even more life to an already complex landscape.  What occurs in this show is as imaginative as anything I’ve seen.  Lindelof’s DNA is everywhere and his writers playfully take us to areas never explored in television.  To produce an even better second season of an already brilliant show is an incredible achievement.  Hopefully HBO realized what a prize it has here and gives it another season.  Although it doesn’t need one, I really want to come back to this world and continue to witness these characters’ journey.  Grade: A+

The Walk (2015)

If you’ve seen the Oscar winning documentary Man On Wire then you’ll know this tale but Robert Zemeckis does an excellent job bringing Philippe Petit’s story to life with a solid performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  In many ways this dramatization is a celebration of a dream realized and a sad farewell to a time of innocence.  You can’t help but think of 9/11 as you watch this film.  First it’s amazing how Robert Zemeckis recreates the Twin Towers.  It’s a marvel and the entire finale is breathtaking, especially in 3D.  Yet even as you cheer you find yourself solemnly aware that those buildings are no more and that hundreds of people perished in their destruction.  It makes you wonder why even tell such a story.  The truth is because of the hope imbued in this telling.  I fear that many people will stay away from this film and while it’s not perfect it is one worth seeing and praising on so many levels.  Grade: B+

The Martian (2015)

At last a Ridley Scott film I can get behind and praise.  I’m not the biggest fan of the director of such films as Gladiator, Alien and Blade Runner.  He’s certainly a very talented director but I feel his work is inconsistent.  But here he delivers a fantastic science fiction film that’s a blending of Gravity and Apollo 13.  You can give a lot of credit to his star (and co-producer) Matt Damon for making this adaption of Andy Weir’s novel so enthralling.   The premise is an astronaut is left stranded for dead on Mars.  Now he must survive long enough for those on Earth to bring him back home.  This is a fine film and I expect to see it around Oscar time.  Grade: A

Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan

Reading the last book that Mr. Jordan wrote is a sad but uplifting experience.  First, it’s very good.  It completes the story arcs from the last book and gives a satisfying set up for what will be a three-book conclusion written by Brandon Sanderson.  It’s sad because Mr. Jordan, himself, alone, was unable to take us to the end he foresaw but it's uplifting because his story is so inspiring that another writer wants to complete it.  And I’m excited to see how it all ends and you can feel this is the beginning of the end.   Rand is about the meet the Daughter of the Nine Moons, which of course we know she is not, because she’s with Mat and they’re about to come to head with her army.  Perrin finally is going to attack the Shaido and hopefully save his wife.  Egwene slowly takes control of the White Tower from the inside as a captive.  There are a lot of great scenes and the writing is strong.   It’ll be interesting to see if Sanderson can create the same kind of feeling and give us the ending I want so badly.  I guess I’m about to find out. A-

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Spielberg’s latest is a solid spy drama about the true story of James Donovan who works to have a Russian Spy traded for an American pilot captured in USSR.   It’s not shocking to witness Spielberg obtain the best in the business to transport us back in time.  Not only does he get the great Joel and Ethan Coen to contribute to the script but the production team is amazing.  This film might not be among his best; it’s certainly not his worst film.  This is a good one that lacks tension only because this kind of story has been done before, maybe not as well done, but done regardless both on the big screen and the small one.  Tom Hanks is fantastic as usual and Mark Rylance is brilliant.  I’d love to see Rylance earn an Oscar nomination out of his performance as the Russian spy.  I’d be interested to read the original screenwriter’s script (Matt Charman) to see how much of an improvement (or not) the Coens brought to the project. If only I hadn’t seen these kind of Cold War dramas before than maybe I’d have been at the edge of my seat most of the time.   Grade: A-

Final Girls (2015)

For Halloween this year I don’t have a really good idea for a top ten list.   Instead I’m just recommending you check out this wonderful slasher comedy from Todd-Strauss-Schulson.  The daughter of a dead scream queen gets to go into the slasher film her mom starred in and try to save her mom’s character from a Jason-like murderer.  Very surreal and very enjoyable.  The entire cast is great especially the mother daughter duo of Malin Akerman and Taissa Farmiga.   I loved this movie and thought it was the perfect way to end my Halloween Horror Movie Month celebration.  It’s films like this that give me hope for the future of the genre.  Grade: A-

iZombie (Season 1)

From the guy who gave us Veronica Mars (Rob Thomas) along with Diane Ruggiero-Wright, comes this other television show about a petite blonde girl who solves crimes while dealing with love and friendship.   Except this time she’s not a high school student and the genre-bending isn’t film noir it’s zombie horror comedy.  The result is just as fantastic as it sounds.   Olivia was bitten by a zombie while attending a boat party.   Now in order to prevent becoming a full blown mindless zombie she must eat brains.  With this new food source she also finds herself with the memories (and personality traits) of the person’s brain she consumed and with that now a way to assist police detective Clive solve crimes.   Add zombie drug dealer named David as her main adversary and you have a really entertaining television show that is reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars.   The only gripe I have is the way the writers create “drama and tension” but having characters keep information to themselves when in reality if they just spoke up there would be no drama.  It’s an obvious and annoying tactic, typically of this kind of show.  Grade: B+

Back to the Future Day

We take this pause in our horror movie schedule to celebrate Back to the Future Day.  Yes, that’s right.  It’s 2015 and this is the date Marty McFly and Doc Brown go to the “Future”.  Okay, so there are no flying cars and the internet is completely missing from Zemeckis’ masterpiece but who cares.   I actually re-watched the entire trilogy over the course of the last few days and I can say without a doubt the films still hold up.   If you haven’t seen these films, do, like right now.   Not only are these films perfect time travel films, they define what a comedy adventure film should be like.  I can’t think of another film series or recent film that is this thoughtout and fun.   They certainly don’t make them like this anymore and that’s unfortunate.   I’m secretly hoping that future generations will visit this ‘80s classic and be inspired.   And no, let’s hope they never remake these films.  I highly doubt anyone, including Zemeckis himself could recreate or take this concept and make it work today.   And why when these three are so good already?   I can’t wait to watch these again when my son is older.  Grade: A

Pyscho by Robert Bloch

I’ve always wanted to read the book that inspired the famous Hitchcock film.  Robert Bloch is such a fun writer and you can see what attracted Hitchcock to this property.   The only big difference is that the book goes into Norman Bate’s point of view more and it’s enjoyable to see that side of things although for the world of cinema keeping that part mysterious was the best decision you could make.   While reading it I kept thinking of Gus Van Sant’s shot-for-shot remake and wondered why he didn’t just adapt the novel differently.  I’d say I’d love to see such a thing but there’s nothing really new to bring to the table, with the television show Bates Motel being the exception.  I do recommend the book mostly because it’s good pulp and enjoyable to read Bloch.  Grade: A-

Crimson Peak (2015)

Any film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro should be seen, period.  Here he takes us into the heart of a Gothic romance or to be more precise a Gothic romance triangle.   It is visually spectacular with a haunted mansion that must be seen to believe.   Unfortunately the film is flawed because supernatural terror is outweighed by the terror of the villain.   Also it’s hard to know what love story to root for which makes for a complex but unsatisfying conclusion.   I’m not saying this is a bad film; it’s wonderful on many levels.  I just wish Guillermo del Toro would have juggled his plot a bit better.   It felt like he was trying too hard to do too much for a plot that was pretty predictable.  You have to give credit to his cast though.  Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam are all very good in a film you wish was more deserving of their dedication.  Grade: B+

The Battery (2012)

You don’t get much low-budget than this terrific zombie film by Jeremy Gardner.  Two former baseball players traverse the New England backwoods surviving a zombie end times.   What I love about this film is that the zombies are what they should be, kind of boring.  The two guys wander around doing their best to stay motivated.  But things get tense when they decide to make contact with other survivors instead of making it on their own.   What helps make this very low-budget film shine is a fantastic sound track and a strong sense of character over story.  I highly recommend this one especially if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead but want to see something different from the sub-genre.  Grade: A-

BTW: Do watch the making of documentary that couples the DVD.  It’s really entertaining to see these cinema nobodies stumble and yet succeed at making a movie.  I’ll be curious to see if Jeremy Gardner does more or if this will be his one moment of cinema gold. 

Circle (2015)

While not a perfect film, this is an engaging one that tells the story of a group of stranger standing in a circle who are held captive by some mysterious alien ship.  The ship randomly, or so it might at first seem, kills people.  Soon its clear that there’s a game going on and the people are in control of it.  Will they work together to survive or will they make the necessary sacrifices to make sure the right ones live.  This one deals with sexism, racism, ageism, you name it.  I really enjoyed this experimental low-budget original from Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione.  I could have had a slightly better ending but it’s still a pretty decent story, kind of a Twelve Angry Men but with Aliens and death circles.  Grade: B+

Housebound (2014)

This is a really fun horror comedy from the land of New Zealand.  And it’s a film not directed by Peter Jackson, although I could imagine him doing it.  Gerard Johnson writes and directs.  Kylie must stay with her parents under house arrest in an old house she hates.  Mysteriously things start to happen and the question is how haunted is her house? B+

At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. Lovecraft’s novella, like all his work, reads like a journal entry or text book more than a work of fiction but that’s probably what makes it feel so genuine.   This work follows a science expedition to the center of the Antarctic where they discover a new world of demons and gods all of which are mentioned in the Necronomicon.  The book is a warning of this horrible place and a plea never to return.  It works on many levels because of the wild imaginary creations and the overall dread created throughout the narrative.  My only real issue is that it's sometimes repetitive.  They encounter one horrible thing and then another only to encounter something more horrible.  Obviously a classic, you should only chose to read this if you like Lovercraftian style and don't need a more traditional style for your stories. B+

Cigarette Burns (2005)

The great horror director John Carpenter directs this segment written by Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan from the Masters of Horror Series.   A film collector is hired by a rich guy (who happens to keep a captured angel in his house) to locate a rare lost film that is said to be magical.  Norman Reedus stars, that’s right the guy now famous for playing Daryl on The Walking Dead.   It’s a pretty trippy film and one of the best works in Carpenter’s later years.   It’s worth seeking out especially if you’re a fan of Carpenters.  B+

The Den (2014)

Using the webcam approach to tell a story has a lot of problems but somehow Zachary Donohue pulls it off and makes a really frightening experience.  Melanie Papalia portrays a grad student working on a thesis where she explores the world of social media.  How connected can she become with strangers and what does this new platform say about our society and the future.  Basically an innocent study that turns into a nightmare when she stumbles upon a murderer who begins to stalk her and all her loved ones.  This is a tense little movie and if you’re willing to stretch your disbelief a tad you’ll find yourself pulled in and very much entertained.  Papalia is fantastic as the heroin and that’s saying a lot since she’s on screen pretty much ninety-five percent of the time.   I also love what this film says about our voyeuristic society and the dangers of opening ourselves up to such a dark cyber world.  Grade: A-

All Cheerleaders Die (2013)

With Lucky McKee co-writing and co-directing (along with Chris Sivertson) I was really excited to see this horror comedy.  I have to say I was a tad underwhelmed with the result.  It’s not as entertaining as I had hoped.  The issue for me was there seemed to be two plots and both of them are underdeveloped, ending in an unsatisfying villain and a revenge plot that goes nowhere. I wouldn’t say the characters are really likable either which does hurt the film.   If maybe the lead character was more of the driving force the film would have been more successful but in the end it was just blah. B-

Trouble Every Day (2001)

Claire Denis, the director of such films as Chocolat and Beau Travail, making a horror film is certainly something to watch.  It’s the story of an American in Paris, with his wife, setting out to find a scientist he admires.  Meanwhile the scientist’s wife has gone crazy and is locked away in a room to keep her from hurting anyone.  This is a weird film about obsession, love and vorarephilia (that’s right you read that correctly, look it up if you don’t know what it means, or better yet watch the film).  There are some really disturbing moments that I will never forget seeing. Vincent Gallo is solid.  I don’t know if Denis would want to make another horror film but I hope she does.   And may it be as horrific and well-made as this one. B+ 

Hell House by Richard Matheson

Now this is a haunted house story.  In the genre of horror the haunted house is an essential plot device and some succeed and some fail.   Here is one of the best.   Like most haunted house stories, a group of scientists or debunkers enter a famous haunted house with an evil history to disprove the supernatural.   Here Dr. Lionel Barrett attempts to explain the supernatural with a new scientific theory that he believes will change the game.   He brings with him his wife, Edith and two mediums, Benjamin and Florence. This is the second time Benjamin will stay in this famous Hell House where the last time he escaped as the only survivor in a previous study.  As you’d expect events do not go as planned and even as it become clear that Hell House is going to destroy them, Barrett’s obsessive personality endangers them all.   There’s a lot to love about this book.  The characters stand out and the tension is consistently scary throughout.  Grade: A

Preservation (2014)

Two brothers, Mike and Sean, decide to take Mike’s wife Wit on a camping trip.   There’s some sexual tension between Sean and Wit and it is clear the marriage isn’t doing so well.  All turns upside down when they realize they’re being stalked and the only way to survive is to fight back.  Yes, it’s a really basic premise, so basic it’s barely a film.  Except it works really well because the writer-director Christopher Denham keeps things real and the actors prove to be a cut above most actors in this kind of film.  It’s a very enjoyable thrill ride with some strong violent undertones.  I also like the reveal on who is stalking them. B+ 

The Babadook (2014)

Ding Ding Ding!  We have ourselves a winner.  This is the kind of horror film I’ve been wanting to see in a long time.  I really enjoyed this story about a boy and his mother dealing with an evil spirit in their house, an evil spirit with the coolest name.   It all starts with her troubled son making life really hard for her, a widow still dealing with the death of her husband.  Then a mysterious pop-up book arrives called Mister Babadook.   Is her son making things up?  Is she seeing things or going insane?  I loved it! If you love horror films then I highly recommend you watch this Australian wonder.   I know I’ll watch it again and I can’t wait to watch it with my son someday, and see him jump! A

The Nightmare (2015)

Can a documentary be scary?  This one is and it’s because it delves into sleep paralysis and crafts representations of the kind of experiences the interviewees have gone through.   My only complaint is that it gets a bit repetitive but still Rodney Ascher, the director, does an excellent job of capturing the terror that these many people face.   I won’t go so far as to say the film gave me nightmares but it did make me feel a bit uncomfortable as I tried to fall asleep.  You can’t ask for much more than that. B+

Plus One (2013)

College kids at a house party experience a bizarre phenomenon that will challenge their reality.   The heart of the story is David who badly wants to get back together with his ex-girlfriend Jill.  Then there’s his roommate who wants to badly to have sex with the most beautiful girl at the party. It’s more of a science fiction comedy than a horror film, but there is a dark spot at its core that shifts it into the macabre.   For what it is it’s pretty enjoyable, but it never leaps past anything other than a low-budget genre flick. B

The Shinning Girls by Lauren Beukes

I didn’t know if I’d like this when I started it.  It felt like it went all over the place.   But then it really grabbed me and before I knew it I couldn’t wait to see what would happen.  The premise is a good one.  A serial killer finds a magical house that allows him to become a time traveler making it virtually impossible for anyone to find him.   That is until one of his victims, Kirby Mazrachi, survives without his knowledge and she devotes her life to find the man responsible for almost killing her.  Along for the strange ride is an older sports writer who tries to get Kirby to give up her crazy pursuit.  Again I can’t stress enough how enjoyable of a book this is.  It’s scary concept with a hero you can really root for.   Lauren Beukes demonstrates real skill as a writer and I’m looking forward to read more of her work.  A-

Starry Eyes (2014)

A young actress played by Alex Essoe is struggling to make it in the business.  Her friends are all bohemian artists from actresses and film makers.  Yet she’s the less talented of them all.   Finally one of her auditions goes well, and it looks like she’ll be able to quite her waitressing job and start her career as an actress.   Except the production company that is interested in her has other ideas.   I really enjoyed this low-budget fable about the taint of wanting to become famous at the point of literally selling your soul.  It’s a simple story but it works. It’s both gruesome and poetic as only a horror film can be.  Directed and written by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. B+

Kill List (2011)

Director Ben Wheatley directs a film about two British soldiers, Jay and Gal, who return home and become hit men.  Jay has a family and Gal only a girlfriend.  At first the premise is more of a crime thriller than a horror film, but there’s this eerie satanic vibe that keeps chewing at the plot and building until a really terrifying end.  At first it took a good chunk of the film to get me hooked but it really succeeds at becoming a memorable and deranged goodie. B+ 

Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

What a great debut novel from John Darnielle.  It’s the story of Sean Phillips, a young man who designs a mail-in game where he sends out dungeon-dragon like game play instructions. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world.  Yet what is an innocent idea soon becomes tragic with a few players.  The story also tells his back story where it is learned he has a badly damaged face from an incident when he was in high school; it’s while recuperating that he dreams up this game.   Told out of order and in a voice that’s hauntingly memorable, this is a book to read and really embrace.   Some might find the main character a tad unlikable but he grew on me and I could relate to him, even if he was nothing like me. A-

Would You Rather (2012)

I start my annual Halloween Horror Movie Month with this little thriller from director David Grey Levy.   It stars Brittney Snow as a girl who attends a special dinner with the promise of $10,000.   When she arrives the host of the party, Mr. Lambrick (played by Jeffrey Combs) gathers his group of victims, I mean, dinner guests, and tells them they’re about to play a version of “Would You Rather” but with deadly consequences.   It never gets that clever as I had hoped it would.  It’s trying to shock you like a Saw movie but it’s only slightly disturbing.  I would have liked some more thoughtful wickedness.   It’s not all bad, it’s entertaining as much as a low-budget film like this should be.  Don’t expect anything really shocking or unexpected. B

The Affair (Season 1)

Showtime brings us a series about a New York Teacher and novelist named Noah who starts an affair with a waitress named Alison while vacationing with his family in a small town in Long Island.   It’s a sensual story well-told by first giving us Noah’s point of view and then at the half way point switching to Alison’s point of view, most of the time seeing the same series of events unfold but in a completely different way.  Underlining the story is a murder mystery that book ends each episode.   This is certainly a worthwhile series to watch with great acting from Dominic West and Ruth Wilson. A-

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

What a wicked little book.  If Zola had been alive in the 1930s’ this would have been written as a film noir directed by Billy Wilder or Howard Hawks.  Set in 1860s, Therese is married off to her first cousin, Camille, to the glee of her aunt, Madame Raquin.  All three live together and run a shop in Paris.  The problem is Therese is very unhappy.  Her husband is a lazy twerp and her aunt a tyrant.  But one day Camille brings home a friend named Laurent.  The two quickly start a passionate affair and there’s only one way they realize they can remain together.  Murder.  This is the kind of psychological madness that one would expect in a contemporary novel but that just proves how a head of his time Zola was.  I always try to take some time to read one of the classics and this is one of those times I’m very grateful I did.  A perfect prologue to October, the month I devote to tales of the dark.  Grade: A

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) [Revisited]

I had the great pleasure of seeing this masterwork from David Lean presented at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.  I’ve always wanted to see this film on the big screen in glorious 70mm but assumed I’d never see it that way.  The first time I watched this film was in college on a large square TV.  Thankfully it was at least in letterbox.  There really is nothing like this film.  It’s one of the greatest films ever, period.  Peter O’Toole is stunning.  He will forever be this complex and courageous figure for me.  Omar Shariff and Anthony Quinn also give excellent performances.  The story is about how T.E. Lawrence, the man and the legend he’d become as he unites the Arab tribes to fight World War I.  Lawrence’s emotional journey is the thread the pulls the audience forward.  The visuals are amazing and the music that goes with it remarkable.  If you live near a rival house, I suggest you wait to see it on the big screen.  But if you can’t wait don’t worry.  I have the film on Blu-Ray and it looks great.  Whatever you do, add this film to your bucket list now. Grade: A+

Homeland (Season 2)

I loved the first season of this modern take on the Manchurian Candidate and couldn’t wait to see if Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison would be able to prove to the world that she was right.  Damian Lewis returns as Brody and there are some really nail-biting set ups throughout this season.   But there is a point in the show where I had to figure the writers changed things up a bit too early for my taste.  I suspect they felt they had to because they didn’t want to keep repeating the same tactics.  I think it was a mistake and can’t see how they’re going to make the next season very believable (although the last scene was really cool).  The two shining stars of this show through are still Danes and Mandy Patinkin.  It’s their relationship that keeps me tuned in.  Grade: B+

14 by Peter Clines

Something bizarre is going on in Nate’s new brownstone apartment building.  He has a black light in the kitchen.  Weird bugs pop up that seems to have come from another world.  And there’s the door across the hall that no one knows why it’s locked.  As he talks to his neighbors he discovers that they’ve all noticed something odd but have just let it go.  Why not?  At such a cheap rent, who wants to wreck a good thing?  But with nothing else going on with his life, Nate convinces his neighbors to investigate.  What they find is a really fun and scary adventure.  Cline’s book is a breezy read with slick plotting and likable characters.   Grade: A-

Area 51 (2015)

I only decided to watch this because it was made by the director of “Paranormal Activity” and I thought he might have a cool take on the alien abduction sub-genre.  I was wrong.  It starts off pretty good.  Sure it’s your typical “found footage” movie but I like the way the characters are introduced.  Then when they get out to the army base halfway through it goes off the rails into disbelief.  There are some cool moments, even at the end, but the entire ordeal feels very pointless and a waste of my time.  Watch a good episode of The X-files instead.  Grade: C

The Leftovers (Season 1)

Easily the best television show on right now.  Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta collaborate to adapt Perrotte’s novel and the result is television gold.  The concept sounds like a Left Behind copycat but it’s not; it’s a work of art that explodes with ideas on existence, guilt and the true reason we’re here.  1% of the people of the world have just disappeared without any answers.  Follow those that are trying to survive in such a world where such a thing could happen.  It’s not at all what you think.  First there’s the cultists known as the Guilty Remnant, who wear white, smoke packs of cigarettes, refuse to talk and instead write everything with Sharpie and pads of paper.  There’s the Sheriff who witnesses dogs going crazy just as it seems he might be losing his mind as well.  There’s a son who finds himself a follower of a new prophet named Holy Wayne, who takes your pain away with a simple hug.   And there’s the pastor who will do everything he can think of to save his church and his soul.   It’s not a happy series but it’s very satisfying and very good.  Writing this good need to be celebrated, it’s right up there with Breaking Bad or Lost.  This shouldn’t surprise me since Lindelof is involved. I can’t write enough good things about this excellent series.  Justin Theroux is brilliant.  Amy Brenneman proves she’s more than Judge Amy, Christopher Eccleston delivers one of the best performances in his career,  Ann Dowd creates probably the most fascinating and psychological complex villains I’ve ever seen on the small screen.  Then there’s Carrie Coon who stole my heart; I love this woman’s talent.  There’s not a bad performance in the bunch.  I know this show isn’t for everyone: it’s  grim and it’s a bit complex.  But if you’re willing to take a very strange but intellectually stimulating ride, then jump on board.  It really is a very impressive first season.  Grade: A

The Woods by Harlan Coben

I enjoyed this mystery thriller very much.  Coben weaves an engaging tale of a prosecutor trying to convict two rapists, who suddenly is thrust into a murder investigation linked to the murder of his sister and her friends decades earlier.   Add in an ex-lover who is getting disturbing messages and you have a wonderful complex novel that is difficult to predict.  It’s a fast-paced read that’s well-written and structured exquisitely.  I don’t have much more to say except this is why I read this author and why I’ll be returning to him in the future.  Grade: A-

Time Lapse (2014)

What a clever little movie.  Three roommates discover by accident that the apartment across the courtyard has a mysterious camera, a large monstrosity, pointed at their window.  Every day it takes a picture but the Polaroid shows what will happen one day in the future.   Hence begins the kind of film you really can’t stop watching.  It’s like Philip K. Dick wrote Rear Window.  Grade: A-

Side by Side (2012)

Keanu Reeves co-produces a documentary from Christopher Kenneally that examines the transition from film to digital.   Many directors and actors are interviewed, there’s an excellent understanding of the history of these formats and where we are today.  That said it’s only interesting if you like film making.  If you’re not a film maker, don’t care how films are made, then skip this talking heads, clip reel that ultimately celebrates the inevitable: digital’s domination and takeover.  Grade: B+

Game of Thrones (Season 5)

Another fantastic season for David Benioff and D. B. Weiss in a series that just keeps getting better and better.  There’s a lot to praise.  First let’s start with the finale; it’s the strongest finale to date.  Obviously the moment everyone is talking about (and thankfully wasn’t spoiled for me) is very shocking.  But the real reason to cheer is Daenerys’ storyline.  How cool was that?    Then there’s the episode “Hardhome” which is the best episode of the show.  What an amazingly crafted adventure for Jon Snow.  Sansa’s life is certainly worse, which is hard to believe considering her life at King’s Landing.  Tyrion has found his new mission.  Cersei finds herself a pariah.  The only character that doesn’t really get a very good storyline is Arya (it’s not bad it’s just ho-hum).  I don’t know what they’re going to do now, with George R.R. Martin still working on the next book, but from this point on, unless they delay production, the series will overtake the books.   That’s kind of strange.  Yet if there’s any team of writers and directors that can succeed at this is it's this one.  Grade: A

Winnebango Man (2009)

What happens when you become an internet sensation, but not for doing something admirable, but embarrassingly funny?   Well, that’s what this documentary from Ben Steinbauer attempts to find out when he searches out and finds Jack Rebney, aka the Winnebango Man.   Mr. Rebney shot an industrial sales video for Winnebango.  Unbeknownst to him the outtakes of this strenuous job became a favorite for home video collectors, his cursing and outbursts being traded across the country for big laughs.  And then to make things worse for him, the video gets released onto the internet.  The rest is internet history.   Yet that’s only half the story, because its Steinbauer’s journey to find the real Rebney and to help him find redemption that is truly inspirational.  Grade: A-

Game of Thrones (Season 4)

This might be so far the most satisfying season of this epic fantasy series from HBO.  Again it’s impossible to write about this kind of show without spoilers.  I’ll only say there are a lot of surprises and many changes.  Tyrion must suffer his new life, not as the Hand of the King, but as a pawn in family politics.  Ayra must learn to endure The Hound in order to survive.  Jon Snow must decide if he’s a Watcher or an ally of the Wildings. Daenerys learns her first lessons as a ruler of a city.  David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have really increased the stakes and pushed this television show into cinematic proportions.   The ninth episode is glorious in is scale and execution.  At this point it’s clear we’re watching a classic of the medium, the kind of show we’ll be talking about for a long time.  The interesting thing for me is that George R.R. Martin hasn’t finished his series yet.  Hopefully he’ll get the next book out soon or I don’t know what Benioff and Weiss are going to do.  Grade: A

An Honest Liar (2014)

This is a wonderful little documentary about James Randi, magician and scam debunker.  It had me enthralled from his days as a magician and escape artist to when he decided to go after faith healers and other mystics and prove them to be the frauds they are.  Then there’s the twist which completely surprised me, almost like a work of magic in its own right.   Grade: B+

Stories We Tell (2012)

Sarah Polly captures on film her own story of finding out she was the child from an affair.  This is a fascinating film that stuns in that it proves what love is.  Love isn’t knowing you’re “real” father.  Love is family accepting their history with open arms.  These are very complex people with real emotions.  I couldn’t take my eyes of this film.   Grade: A-

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014)

I love a good documentary about the making of a film.  What’s great about this one isn’t that the film turned out to be bad, but that it could have been really good.  We’ll never know if the film Richard Stanley wanted to make would have been any good.  All I do know is that if you want to kill a film’s chances at being good hire actors with monster-size egos.  This film does not color Marlon Brando and especially Val Kilmer in a good light.  Hearing the stories of what happened on set is very entertaining, from the parties to the changes to actors roles.   What’s sad is that Mr. Stanley didn’t try to reboot his career.   Yet he gave up and we’ll never know if he was a promising talent or a guy just too sincere to work for Hollywood.  Grade: B+

Game of Thrones (Season 3)

This is the first season where I hadn’t read the books first.   I almost wished I had because I then would have been prepared for what is the most shocking and bloody season so far.   I don’t know a more effective gut-punch in television show history; at least that I can remember in recent times.  A lot of things happen and most of it is not good, for our heroes that is.  To not give anything away, instead of giving a rundown, I’ll say just see it.  If you’ve watched the first two seasons then just go ahead and keep watching.  It’s a great television show and unless you’re squeamish and hate violence then do yourself a favor and watch.  True, it might piss you off a bit, and you might threaten to never watch another episode, but you will because you’ll recognize great storytelling when you see it.   The question I have is can the producers top themselves with season four?   I’m going to start watching the next season right away to find out.  Grade: A

Looking for Alaska by John Green

This is the second book of Mr. Green’s that I read and I enjoyed this book more than his last.  That said, I do have a big issue with this book and that it glorifies smoking.  I want to get that right out of the way.  I deplored this aspect of the book.  I don’t smoke and I don’t think we should ever craft an illusion that smoking is cool. I get it.  Kids smoke.  And that’s the story Green wanted to tell, and it is a genuine point of view.  But I hated it.  Smoking is not cool and to have a character start smoking to fit in is dumb.  Yes, it’s believable and true to life but it really rubbed me the wrong way.  Now that I’ve got that out of the way . . . what a memorable story about growing up and learning the importance of living in the moment and appreciating every aspect of it.  Miles Halter moves to a boarding school and quickly finds close friends and begins a series of pranks they hope will make them legends at their school.   His two closest friends are his roommate Chip Martin “the Colonel” and Alaska Young, a girl he quickly falls for. What makes this book work is that you really get to know these characters and really feel their joy and their pain.   The mystery that developed in the third act is not that mysterious in that it was obviously what happened, I still enjoyed the story.  Grade: B+

True Detective (Season 2)

Nic Pizzolatto attempts to repeat the success he had with the first season of this crime anthology but this time in the industrialized LA (and fictional city within).  He brings with him a new directing team, a new film noir storyline, a new top notch cast (including Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch) and new beginning intro.  Sadly the result is really underwhelming.  There is speckled throughout a good moment here or there but in the end it’s just a bad mixed bag, especially on how it ends.  The set up takes a while to get going.  The mystery is confusing.  The characters start out pretty awesome but then they meander their way into predictable archetypes.   The worse example is with the female characters.  PIzzolatto does his best to create some very strong three-dimensional women and then they take the back seat and become your typical moll or girlfriend character.  Taylor Kitsch’s CCP character is at first really interesting, a conflicted cop dealing with Mommy issues and sexual confusion.  But in the end none of this was important and it’s almost like his character didn’t even need to be in the show.  Then there are at times where the writing goes off the rails with some dialogue that’s almost too cheesy to believe.  I think he was trying for a film noir like film speak but that’s hard to pull off.  I’m convinced Pizzolatto is a fine writer and storyteller but he needs a directing partner that will help bolster him with their own creative energy.  Fukunaga was sorely missed.   Grade: C+

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

In many ways, as I read this, I felt I was experiencing the proper sequel to Danny Boyle’s zombie masterpiece 28 Days Later.   Told from various points of view, one of which is a child zombie, Carey takes us on an apocalyptic journey that is both exciting and emotionally engaging. Melanie is the child zombie that has the ability to still think and is through her eyes we see humanity for all its complexity.   We see the good in her teacher and mother figure Justineau, and the bad in the scientist that wants to dissect her, Dr. Caldwell.  This is an excellent addition to the zombie genre and proof that there is still a lot that can be done with these stories about the walking dead or infected as in this case.   Grade: A-

Games of Thrones (Season 2)

That was fast.  As soon as I completed reading the second book in A Song of Ice and Fire and binge watched through the second season of this wonderful fantasy program.  Some changes were made, as expected, but ultimately a very faithful adaption.   The performances, the direction of each episode and the production design are all first class.   I wish all great fantasy novels could have this kind of treatment.   I’m now going to start flying through this series, it’s too good to not watch and I’m petrified that someone will spoil something and this is one of those shows that you want to experience the many surprises that Martin has up his sleeves.  Grade: A

Hot Girls Wanted (2015)

This documentary produced by Rashida Jones takes us into the underworld of internet porn from the point of view of a group of teens caught up in its vile web. It’s a fascinating film in many ways while at the same time depressing as hell.  These girls basically all live in the same house in Florida with their manager who pimps them out to various shoots.  Or they perform on a webcam in their rooms.  It’s hard to watch at times, seeing these girls get seduced by money that disappears in a flash.  This is a real problem in our country but the only way we can really fight it is for films like this one to show us how bad it is.  And maybe then we can have an open discussion about sexuality instead of keeping it hidden.  Grade: B+

Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

The second book in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is just as good as the first.   The Baratheon brothers are fighting for the crown and completely underestimating the Lannister’s hold on the Iron Throne.  Tyrion is now the Hand of the King and is faced with dealing with an invading army and a cruel young nephew in Joeffry.  And the Starks continue to suffer, poor family.  Sansa is a hostage betrothed.  Arya is wandering the lands trying to get to her mother.  While her mother, Catelyn is with her oldest son, Robb, the King of the North, gathering their forces.   What I enjoy about these books is that a lot happens and there are many new characters that are really exciting to read.  I can’t wait to start watching the show.  I think at this point I’ll stop reading and watch.   I’ll return to reading the books after I catch up with the show.   I’ll be interesting to see what changes the show made.   I can’t wait to see the Battle at Blackwater Bay.  Grade: A

Ant-Man (2015)

The new Iron Man is Ant-Man in that I haven’t been this entertained watching a Marvel origin story since the 2008 film that started the Marvel super train of success.  This surprises me because I thought this film was doomed after Edger Wright left the project.   You have to give a lot of credit to Peyton Reed, Adam McKay and star Paul Rudd for turning a potential dud into a delight.   You can still see Wright and Joe Cornish’s stamp of excellence scattered throughout but Reed’s team delivered the goods.  The plot isn’t anything really new, an average guy with a heart of gold gains some super ability (in this case a techno-marvel suit) and must rise up and defeat a corrupt business man soon to become super villain baddy.   Basically Iron Man without the arrogant billionaire quips.  Regardless there is a freshness to this film, a playfulness to the out of this world ability of shrinking that is very satisfying.  Paul Rudd is fantastic (as always).  He’s funny (as you expect) and physically up to the superhero standards when it comes to action.  My one complaint overall, which is becoming a reoccurring theme with these superhero films, is the weakness of the villain.  Corey Stoll does a decent job playing Yellowjacket but the character is still very underdeveloped without any depth or motive  He’s just a bad guy doing bad things because he’s bad.  Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas are wonderful and Michael Pena steals the show with laughs.   What else is there to say, but thank you.  Marvel, you worry me sometimes with this ambitious cinematic experiment, in what I fear is going to become an over-long superhero soap opera, but here you really gave me the kind of film I wanted from your studio.  Bring me some more of this, please.  Grade: A

Neighbors (2014)

As raunchy college movies go, this one is quite entertaining with many laugh-out loud moments.  Seth Rogen and Rose Bryne are raising a newborn and suddenly learn the house next door has become vacated by a Frat house.  Zac Efron is the good looking stud that they go to war with to keep their sanity and protect their daughter.   I especially enjoyed Rogen and Bryne’s chemistry which surprised me, I didn’t know if they’d work on screen but they do.   I sense a sequel is in the works (I might have already read something about one) and I have to admit I’d like to see what they do.  Grade: A-

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

I actually had the honor of meeting Robert Jordan when this book came out.  He signed my copy and now finally years later I was able to read it.   Unfortunately out of all the books in this brilliant and yet over-long series this might be the lesser.   Nothing really happens.   I’m completely convinced that this was supposed to be half of a larger book and that the next book, Knife of Dreams, was the second half.  Yet, because he didn’t want to edit anything out and his publisher saw more dollar signs by adding an additional book to the series, they published it as is.  That’s not to say it’s a bad book.  The characters all have more adventures that are enjoyable to read.  But it’s like watching a month of a soap opera to realize everyone is exactly where they were months earlier.  Perrin is still trying to rescue his wife.  Mat is still stuck in Seanchan occupied lands with Tuon as his prisoner.  Ewgene is still trying to prove to the Whtie Tower that she’s deserving of the Armylyn Seat while working to unseat Elaida.  And Elayne is still doing the same with her right as the Queen of Andor.  It’s like the narrative is stuck in neutral or even going in circles.   I can understand why Mr. Jordan wanted to keep all of the events that are here intact.   It’s all character enriching material.   That said it really feels incomplete and because of that it’s a disappointment.  Still if you’ve come this far in the series, you’ll need to push through it.  Hopefully the events in Knife of dreams compliment this book.   Grade: B

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Before Gone Girl, there was this little novel, a grim book about a journalist named Camille Preaker who returns home on assignment to cover a series of murders.  It turns out her past will collide with the present and, while super coincidental as these kind of thrillers are, it’s also a dramatic read.   It’s Camille’s character flaws and her intriguing point of view that makes this book shine.  Unlike the last thriller I read (the Quiet Game) about a main character’s home coming crossing paths with a murder, this one is much more bleak.   That’s what I liked about it though.  It’s a good debut novel and demonstrates an emerging talent in the genre.  Grade: B+

The Quite Game by Greg Iles

Curious about these Penn Cage novels by Mr. Iles I decided to read the first book in the series.   It’s a pretty entertaining novel about a brilliant morally strong lawyer who returns home with his young daughter in tow after his wife dies only to get sucked into an old murder mystery.  There’s the evil racist judge, the ex- lover (who happens to be the evil racist judge’s daughter), the love interest and other decently crafted pawns.   Sure Penn Cage is a little too perfect at times (I mean he really does have it all); he is the hero lawyer we all want to be, so it works.   The love story is a bit annoying, the old guy getting the sexy smart young woman male fantasy made me gag.  Can’t male writers have their male heroes fall in love with women their own age?  Because it’s written in first person, the emotional road trip through memories of old can be a bit over the top at times.  But it’s a good read and there’s enough going on that I’d read another one if I happen to come across it.   To sum it up; this was a second-rate Grisham novel with a main character that is so likeable you might need to suspend your belief a little too much to believe he could exist.  Grade: B+

Jurassic World (2015)

This is the sequel to Jurassic Park we’ve been waiting for.  I enjoyed the last two but in many ways this is the real sequel.  First and foremost it’s really fun and exciting.  On top of that it reboots the story without it feeling like a remake.   Sure you have some of the same story points but it’s forgivable because of the amount of time that has passed since the first one and also because it’s really entertaining.  Then there are the new elements that seem to justify this film’s existence.  Here is a world where seeing a living dinosaur is no longer amazing but just a ho-hum experience.  Here is a world where using dinosaurs as a weapon might sound like a good idea.  What can I say, I didn’t know I’d enjoy this film as much as I did.  Congrats to  Colin Trevorrow and crew for delivering.  A-

Inside Out (2015)

I’m going to keep this short because you just need to see it.  This is one of the most inventive and playful looks at human development ever put on film.  Watching Riley and the Emotions in her head learn and grow is magical to behold.  It speaks truths everyone will be able to relate to while at the same time being funny, heartwarming and exciting.  This film goes to places emotionally that most animated film just can’t go.  This is not a “Herman’s Head” clone(yes, I remember that sitcom). This is a beautiful story told beautifully.  I loved it and cannot think of any other word but masterpiece to describe it.  Best film of the year so far.  A+

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

The concept of this novel is wonderful.  I’ve seen it done before but never with such commitment.  What if you could experience the many alternate lives of an individual over the course of a life time.   See every life decision they made or did not make.  See their countless deaths based on where they were or what they did.  That’s what you get to do with Ursula Todd, a British woman born in 1910.  What makes this book work isn’t just that Kate Atkinson crafts a webbing of wonderful characters but that you get to see how characters change or don’t depending on the actions or inactions of the central character.   I adored this book and its writing which is superb.  A-

The Americans (Season 2)

The continuing saga of secret Soviet spy family the Jennings is one of my favorites right now.  I love this cold war drama set during the ‘80s so much.   There are no cellphones or hi-tech Mission impossible kind of gadgets.   It’s just two spies working with their contacts to steal as much info they can to help their country, which happens to be the Soviet Union.  Like Walt in Breaking Bad, Elizabeth and Philip are hiding the truth from their loved ones, as well as in many ways going against their own hearts.  It’s thrilling to see two people do such vile things only to turn out to be fairly complicated and passionate parents.  As well as the Jennings, there is FBI agent Stan Beeman and his double-triple agent Nina Sergeevna to seem to be setting up the show for even more drama in later seasons.   And then there’s poor Martha, oh so naïve and yet so committed.   I have no idea how her story will end but I’m assuming it will not be good.  I can’t wait to see the newest season.   A-

The Wind Rises (2013)

Hayao Miyazaki’s last film from Studio Ghibli is a treasure of the art form.  A love story set before WWII between a young aviation engineer and a young woman suffering from Tuberculosis.  Looking into the making of this film I’ve learned this is a fictionalized telling of the life of Jiro Horikoshi.   Miyazaki had adapted this story earlier as a Manga.  In many ways it’s also a love story between Miyazaki and flight, for you can see through Jiro’s eyes the joy and excitement of designing airplanes for the future.   This adult film is a must see for anyone who loves animation.  A

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

George Miller is back, directing and co-writing a return to the franchise he started decades ago, a film series that pretty much defined post-apocalyptic film making and of which all post-apocalyptic films are compared. Tom Hardy plays the title role (replacing Mel Gibson) as Max and Charlize Theron his female counterpart. Simply said, this is the best film I’ve seen so far this year, a bombastic, adrenalin ride through a nightmarish wasteland of mutants, road pirates and runaway breeders. It’s the kind of film action fans have wanted to see for some time. It’s violent, it’s well-crafted, it’s fun and surprisingly emotionally rewarding. There really is not a dull moment through the entire race across the desert. Miller doesn’t copy himself, he re-invents his world, making it bolder and giving us even more strange and disturbing images. This is the world after we nuke it, it’s the world we deserve after we wasted what was so precious. Unless someone didn’t care for the originals, I really can’t see how anyone would dislike this film. The art direction is superb and the acting is perfect. The only complain I have is that it ended at all. Bring me more Mad Max, please, and don’t make me wait another thirty years. Grade: A

Daredevil (Season 1)

This is how you adapt a comic book superhero.  As a fan of Daredevil, I am dancing with glee.   Drew Goddard nails it, giving us the dark crime fighter we all want to see and the complex villain in Kingpin we’ve always yearned for.  I’m so excited by this television series and the future of this Marvel television world.  For one, it’s not meant for younger viewers.  Which is great; this is for us adults who read the comics and want something dark and exciting.  It’s violent and gritty and doesn’t glaze over the fact that fighting criminals is dangerous.   My only disappointment is that DC didn’t choose this same outlet for Batman; this kind of treatment would be perfect for the Dark Knight.  In fact there are times I felt like I was watching a blind Bruce Wayne learn to become a hero.   That said, Marvel did it first, and I hope this show is the beginning of the end to cinematic superheroes.   Superheroes deserve this kind depth and attention to detail.   Cinema isn’t for serialized properties; this is where comics should go.  Save the movie screen for stories that actually have endings.  A

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

One of the most highly anticipated films of the year lands with a loud mostly satisfying bang. The biggest problem with this sequel to the 2012 film also written and directed by Joss Wheadon is it’s trying to service so many objectives at once making it feel like a compression bomb. One, it must be an entertaining film in its own right. Two, it must somehow take numerous main characters and give them each their own hero’s journey. Three, it must satisfy the egos of all involved including many A-list actors. And four, most importantly it seems, it must continue to develop the Marvel Cinematic Universe like one long promo for future franchises. While doing this the product must be light and comically and full of action because that’s the Marvel way. I actually have to give Wheadon and company a big round of applause for a job well done and in mostly succeeding at accomplishing three of their four goals. Still this is a lot to take in and I left the theater feeling letdown and a lot less entertained then I was the last time the Avengers Assembled. It might not be fair to compare a sequel to its presiding adventure but with Marvel films it’s impossible not to. The last film had all the same objectives but Wheadon did a much more seamless job blending it all together.

I’m in a quandary because there is a lot to cheer. There are many funny jokes and great action sequences. The acting is on par with each actor doing what is needed to service the story. The story is never confusing and builds to a decent climax that is fun to watch. Why do I complain? Because in the end this film is emotionally flat. There are way too many moments where I felt exposition and development was rushed as if not important. Example: Thor’s search for the Infinity stones. New characters seem less interesting and almost there for no other reason but to allow characters we love to someday retire. Are we really going to want to follow Scarlet Witch after Iron Man or Thor leaves the Avengers? The villain, Ultron, starts off as a great and scary robot but once he fails at one of his endeavors his bite is gone and so with it my suspense that he can defeated the Avengers. The villain should seem unstoppable all the way to the bitter end but in this film it’s clear he’s going to lose and that the Avengers are just there at the end of the film to rescue innocent bystanders. I wasn’t bored necessarily but the element of danger was pretty much gone. It’s also hard to have that element of danger when its clear Marvel doesn’t like to kill any of their main heroes. How can they when we know six years in advance which Marvel films are coming out?

Who is the main character in the film? There isn’t one. Sure the first Avengers didn’t really have one either but I’d argue Tony Stark was the centerpiece, he was the guy the story revolved around with everyone else being subplots. Not here, Tony Stark or Steve Rogers could have acted as the axle to the story’s wheel but atlas that’s not the case. Tony Stark is the mad man that creates Ultron but then his story is done. Steve Rogers is the group’s leader but he doesn’t really change much from that role. Thor isn’t the main character, he’s just the guy that disappears and returns with important facts that really aren’t that important (until the next Avengers that is). Banner is just moody and easily convinced to build whatever Tony Stark wants. The emotional rise and fall just isn’t there to keep the narrative going. The first Avengers had Agent Coulson’s death be the moment to pull everyone together. Here they’re already together and there’s never a feeling that they’re going to be pulled apart. That’s not to say it lacked emotional moments, it did have some good ones. I loved Hawkeye’s story line and the development of his personal life and Black Widow’s flashbacks prove again that Marvel is making a big mistake not giving their one popular female hero her own standalone film. I even liked Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s journey, even if it felt forced at the end (oh now they’re good guys). Really what Marvel is doing is changing how films are structured. They’re more like television shows with twelve hours of story being compressed into two hours and twenty minutes of film time. While it’s perfect for the comic book film genre, it lessens the cinematic experience as an actual film. It doesn’t have to be this way. The Dark Knight was a great standalone (and it’s part of a trilogy). X-Men Days of Future Past succeeded with having a lot of characters and various story threads without feeling rushed and cluttered. Look no further than the last two Marvel films on how to do it right. I’m not really certain what would have made this film better. I suspect making Tony Stark’s redemption more clear would have helped. Maybe if Ultron’s objective was stronger and his actions more diabolical I’d have loved it more. Even the romance between Banner and Black Widow could have been better if they had resolved it in some way. Regardless this film is going to make over a billion dollars and make Disney very happy, but I for one would have enjoyed it more if they had thought less about Avengers: Infinity and more about Avengers: Age of Ultron. Grade: B+

Spoilers:

One of the parts of the film that I enjoyed but left me kind of cold was the introduction of Vision. Paul Bettany is great as the newly born A.I. superhero and I like the promise of what his character might bring to this world in the future but as soon as he appears and is able to lift Thor’s hammer any of Ultron’s strength as a villain is gone. I question the need for Vision to fight in the last battle. What if they had made him and yet he was still developing and only showed up at the very end. Or what if Ultron took control of him and made the battle more interesting? What I would have loved to have seen is Ultron’s wish to create Vision be more of a diversion to preoccupy the Avengers as he preps for the destruction of Earth. This would make Ultron more intelligent than he ended up being.   Also I must add, upon reflection, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver really didn't need to be in this film.  If you take them out everything they do could have been accomplished just as easily with other options.  Of course, Marvel needs Scarlet Witch to be in the next film (another female) so stick her in there and put Quicksilver in too so his death will be her motivation to join up.  When you see that's why they're there you begin to see how manipulative this money machine is.  And like the rest of the world I'm a sucker.  

Mrs. Frisby And The Secret Of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Stories about animals that talk and act like humans can be really fun and this is one of the classics.  Mrs. Frisby is a widow mouse who is trying to protect her family and save her youngest, Timothy, from a sickness.  For help she seeks out a society of super smart rats and learns the truth about how her husband died.  I love the characters in this book.   I read this one aloud to my son and the characters have very distinctive voices.  I highly recommend this one.  A

Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin Translated by Ken Liu (Novel)

This is one of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in a long time. It’s filled with smart sciencific  theory, historical details of China and some visual concepts that I still can’t get out of my mind. China sends out a signal to the stars in an attempt to find intelligent life. Except when a lone scientist receives a message basically begging her not to respond, what is she to do, a woman who watched her family be torn apart by revolution, a woman who believes with all her heart Earth needs to be challenged? She joins the enemy. The first part of a trilogy, I can’t wait for the other translated parts to come out. It’s so nice to be able to read science fiction from another culture’s point of view. There are so many parts to this book that I found inspiring and made me want to look for other countries best of the genre. So do yourself a favor and read this book, embrace your puny existence and challenge the idea that science fiction is only an American craft. Grade: A

Ex Machina (2015)

Alex Garland write and directs a nice contained science fiction thriller about a billionaire who flies in a young programmer to his isolated resort lab to test his newest creation, a female android to see if it has artificial intelligence. Oscar Isaac plays the billionaire and Domhnall Gleeson is the programmer. What I loved about this film was the dialogue from these two extreme intellects. The psychological tension builds with great skill. Alicia Vikander, the android, is also quite good. While I recommend this film for its dramatic work and the gorgeous art design I don’t wish to overpraise it. The ending is good but I wanted it to be so much better, especially when everything up to that point was so great. Also there were some twists and turns that I saw coming. Still this is the kind of “smart” science fiction that I miss seeing in cinema so if you want to celebrate that kind of work, you must see this wonderful almost-masterpiece. Grade: A-

House of Cards (Season 3)

Unlike Season 2 where the story picks up right where the last season left off, this one opens up months later. Doug is in the hospital, not dead. President Underwood isn’t the badass we thought he was and Claire is stuck being the first lady when she has higher ambitions. I wouldn’t say this one starts off with a bang and it feels different, probably because Underwood is in a different role. Still it’s a very smartly written drama that gives an insider’s view of the White House. What’s cool is even though there are plenty of shows that take place in the Oval Office, this one feels so genuine. I don’t know if it really is, of course, but it feels that way. The entire production team deserves an Emmy in this regard. The drama here isn’t to show how Frank gets to the top, here it’s how he’s going to stay on top. It’s also the point in the narrative where events transpire to test Claire and Frank’s marriage to the brink. But Frank isn’t as likeable in this season, a strange thing to say considering all the bad things he did in the first two seasons. For me the acting highlights have to point to Robin Wright and her struggle to find importance as the President’s wife. The end result is a season that builds us for what could be a great finally season (if the next one is the last). While not as consistent as the other two seasons before it, it’s a must-see continuation for what I hope is a great television (streaming) event. Grade: B+

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright (Non-Fiction)

After seeing Alex Gibney’sdocumentary, I decided I had to read the book his film was based on. If you watched the documentary on HBO (and you should) and you want to know the whole story, you need to read Mr. Wright’s book as well. Here you really get to learn how crazy and ultimately rotten of a person L. Ron Hubbard was. He really was a manipulative, pathological lying con artist, the perfect storm in a suit for becoming a powerful cult leader.  How the church can declare this mediocre science-fiction writer a champion for spiritual improvement is an insult to anyone with a brain.  The facts in this book, and there are a lot of them, are well-researched and you can tell are accurate.  Here you really get to see why someone would fall in with such an organization in Paul Haggis and others. I found that even I could relate to their search for something different, something to help them find community and purpose.  Sadly this is how cults work, they prey on receptive peoples’ “ruin” or the thing that they want fixed.  Here you get to really meet David Miscaviage and see a man-child with a furious temper and an intense demand for power. Here you get to meet the “real” Tom Cruise, a guy I still love to see on the big screen but a guy who has abandoned any sense of reality over celebrity and spiritual worship. There is so much crammed into this book you almost wonder why Gibney didn’t make a four hour version of his film. I usually read fiction but a good non-fiction book can be even more rewarding and this is the case here; a fascinating and detailed look into an enslaving, self-help scamming business that will do anything it can to remain vague and celebrated, including harassment and psychological torture. I think the most shocking aspect of the book wasn’t necessarily all the weird thetan theology but how accommodating Mr. Wright is, giving Scientology every chance to comment on his findings.  Scattered throughout the book are footnotes saying basically, the church doesn’t agree.  It’s like Mr. Wright is trying to be fair and balanced but in the end can only come to one conclusion and that is the entire thing is a fraud.  I came away feeling bad for all the people (famous people included) who’ve become bamboozled by this fake science. I believe for many people the techniques tricked themselves into a better place, a sort of placebo for the soul.  And if L. Ron Hubbard spread his theories with the goal of helping people versus making a lot of tax-free money I wouldn’t care. I don’t even care that these people believe in thetans or giant aliens from along ago.  Many traditional religions have stories that are just as preposterous.  Yet this organization controls its people and feeds off their financial bloodline like a leech.  If I had any wish is that this church crumbles and people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta turn on David Miscaviage, suddenly seeing him for the scumbag he is.  Is it fair to call him that while not having met him and judging him on a book written by a Pulitzer Prizing winning writer? Maybe not, but you have to remember Miscaviage doesn’t commit to interviews anymore ever since his last one went so poorly.   In conclusion I think this is an important book to read.  Everyone should read it to help educate them not just on Scientology but as an example how misinformation, organized pseudoscience and sensationalism can warp anyone’s perspective of life and condemn that once individual to a controlling corporation of lies.  I believe without a doubt I’ll see the end of Scientology as it is now in my lifetime.  Sadly something like it will only rise from the ashes.  Why?  Because of man’s search for truth in the impossible answerless void of the universe is just too cold and frightening for most to accept.  Grade: A

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Teaser)

I usually wait to see teasers for future films in an actual theater but I couldn’t help myself and I watched this one online. I think it’s because I assumed the teaser for this DC comics superhero launch would suck. I was so wrong. This was an outstanding teaser. I still can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. It pumped up my expectations a lot that is certain. The opening shot of a statue of Superman with voice-overs from various people talking about him was a great way to get you interested. The idea that Superman is seen by some as a God and others worry about him being too powerful is realistic and helps open up Bruce Wayne’s concerns. Ben Affleck looks great as Batman. He’s a beast out to dominate Superman and make sure he’s not a threat. The last line, “Do you bleed? You will.” is so menacing that it frightened me. In any other film the line might have come across as a bit cheesy but it works perfectly here. Zack Snyder might actually get this one right. It’s looking to be a great and exciting film. If Gal Gadot impresses us as Wonder Woman than I think we’ll have a great series of comic book films from the WB. This is the film to watch so far for 2016. Grade: A

River's Edge (1987)

Thank you Amazon Prime for getting the rights to stream this film. I’ve been waiting a while for this film to become available somewhere and now it has arrived. The wait was certainly worth it. What a surprising and unique film. Tim Hunter directs a script by Neal Jimenez about a group of teenagers who find out one of their friends, John (played by Daniel Roebuck), strangled his girlfriend to death. Layne (played by Crispin Glover with over-the-top swagger that is typical of the actor) wants to protect his friend and help him get away with it. His mission is to make sure all of his friends are on the same page but Matt (in one of Keanu Reeves first roles) is conflicted and wants to do the right thing. Yet this isn’t a coming of age flick, it’s more of a weird noir about teenage detachment. Two great characters are Matt’s younger brother Tim (played by Joshua John Miller) who is the definition of youthful rage and Feck (played by the always watchable Dennis Hopper) an ex-motorcycle gang rider who deals pot and has a love affair with a blow-up doll. But back to Crispin’s performance: it’s easy to declare it as being bad and writing it off as a young actor over-acting. He points while he’s talking and makes exaggerated body motions. Yet I’d argue his passion and pure connection to his character is so impressive that it is his character that resonates the most. That’s one of the things I loved about this film, it could have been a deep drama and mistakenly turned into something typical but instead it’s kind of funny and horrific at the same time. It says more about teenage angst and death than most teenage-themed films. I’d say if you want to see a Rebel without a Cause but where all the kids are Rebels (if more indifferent than angry) this is the film for you. Grade: A-

Paper Towns by John Green (Novel)

I’ve wanted to read something by Mr. Green for a while now since he’s become so popular among young adult readership. This book intrigued me right from the first chapter so it’s the one I picked out. It’s certainly an entertaining book and I liked the main character, Quentin or Q to his friends. His friends are also quite a group of zany youths, reminding me of those days hanging out with my high school friends during my senior year. I can see the appeal to Mr. Green. As a mystery, for this is a mystery, it’s well-crafted. Quentin has been in love with the girl next door ever since he was in grade school. Margo Roth Spiegelman is the kind of girl anyone would find fascinating. She’s rebellious, popular and a complete mystery. Then after a night of revengeful pranks with Quentin as her escort she disappears and Quentin spends the rest of his senior year trying to find how where she went. The plot’s pretty good, with some clever clues and historical quirks, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the end result is as satisfying as I had hoped. I’d still recommend it, especially if you like these kind of young adult storylines. For me I just wanted those last few chapters to really uplift me and take me somewhere. Quentin’s coming-of-age journey is rewarding to him; I just wish Green could have transported me to the same emotional awareness his main character seemed to reach. Grade: B+

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Novel)

Nominated for the National Book Award and others, this is one of those apocalyptic science fiction stories that takes a premise we’ve experienced before and turns it on its head. From various points of view we experience the collapse of our world as we know it when a deadly flu wipes out 90% of the populace. Think Stephen King’s The Stand without the supernatural angle. A better comparison might be George R. Stewart’s Earth Abides with a flavor that reminded me of Margaret Atwood. Bouncing around the timeline, from before the modern world ends and after when the survivors are scattered across Old Canada and Old America in independent townships, where life is like the old west except that the future already happened, we see how various story threads crisscross and influence each other. Mandel’s weaving of these various points of view is pretty magical, although some might say too coincidental. You know you’ve read a good book when the last passage gives you goose bumps, when all the events seem to come to an apex of idea and character evolution. I really enjoyed this thoughtful and strangely hopeful book. Yes, it’s terrifying too, the thought that all we take for granted being suddenly taken from us. But we will still survive. In all the chaos even Shakespeare will keep marching on. Grade: A

It Follows (2015)

With all the praise this film is getting I had to see it. First let me say, this is not a masterpiece and while a good film it’s getting a bit hyped-up by critics. Yet the reason the critics love it, beside it being a well-made independent film, is that it’s deep in metaphor and director David Robert Mitchel uses tension instead of gore and the typical horror tactics most horror films use now a days. You have to praise that kind of intelligence. And as stated, it is a good film. A girl named Jay goes out on a date with her new boyfriend, Hugh. Only after having sex for the first time he chloroforms her. When she awakes he tells her that he passed on a curse to her. An apparition that only she (and others with this curse) can see will out of the blue follow her until it claims her life. This apparition can look like anyone and she will need to have sex with another person to pass the curse on. As long as this curse keeps getting passed on without “it” killing someone, then it will not come back to her. This is a fantastic premise and the scenes of strangers walking toward her, intend on some evil purpose are great. And a star is born in Maika Monroe, who exudes terror and emotional charisma. I also thought Keir Gilchrist was great too, as the younger friend who loves Jay and would do anything to help her. The sound design is also quite unique with its electronica and high pitched squeals. The problem with the film is the premise only holds up for about an hour. Then it starts to feel repetitive. And the climax, which is excellently shot, feels pointless because there is no ground work set up to make you believe this cursed apparition can be killed. What bolsters the quality of this film though isn’t the concept, but the group of Jay’s friends who come across as enduring characters in their own right. Their quirky loyalty and teenage awkwardness makes what could have been a flat film be something wonderful. The metaphor is obviously about sex and the dangers it imposes. It’s a clever way to play off the classic virgin victim cliché. Certainly see this film if you like horror but don’t go in thinking this is the next classic. It’s a good film with some great moments. Grade: B+

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (Miniseries)

The strange case of Robert Durst: a billionaire that was once young and in love and detached from his real estate mogul father. Then he was pulled back in and things went wrong, really wrong. Has there ever been a story of life being stranger than fiction more than this? From director and writer, Andrew Jareck with Marc Smerling and Zachary Stuart-Pontier assisting, comes this six-part documentary from HBO that will have you mind-boggled that such a person could exist and more importantly could survive all possible investigations. While I don’t know if it needed to be six episodes long (some of the same shots were used) it does build to a great ending, an epic scene of revelation that will have you gasping. If you haven’t read the headlines recently, do check this out. If you have read all the headlines and know what’s currently going on in Dursts’ life, do still check this out. Grade: A

House of Cards (Season 2)

I liked the first season of this political drama but it’s this second season that I love. It starts off right where the last season ended and only gets better with each episode. The first episode alone is jaw-dropping how good it is. Kevin Spacey is in top-form, playing a man with a mission and it’s clear what it is and that’s what makes this series so good. Robin Wright continues to impress playing a woman of complex contradictions. You never know quite what she’s going to do, except be loyal to her husband (maybe). Every episode is great with the last one fulfilling a promise right from the beginning of this saga. The last image left me smiling. What do the producers and writers have in store with the Underwoods? I’m so excited I think I’ll start watching now instead of moving on to a different show. Grade: A

Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan (Novel) [Revisited]

The story is starting to get back on track. What’s interesting about this ninth book in the Wheel of Time is it feels like a different kind of book. Rand al’Thor is on the hunt, trying to track down rogue Asha’man that tried to kill him in book eight. Nynaeve al’Meara leaves with him on a mission where in the end he hopes to cure the Male half of the Source of the Dark Ones’ taint. Mat Cauthon is back, stuck in Seanchan-seized Ebou Dar. His quest to escape and with captured Aes Sedai is a thrilling adventure, reminding me of a WWII French Underground plot. While a somewhat brief novel, or it felt brief to me (it does only have 35 chapters), it’s a solid collection of adventure and a return to Jordan’s skilled powers. What was especially satisfying was to finally have Rand meet with all three women in his life. That scene alone was worth the entire book and was a real game changer. Now it’s time to find out what Perrin is going to do about his wife, who along with QueenMorgase is captured by the Shaido. Then there’s the wild card; the Prophet who you can just tell is going to make things difficult for Rand and company. Cadsuane is also the kind of character you love to not trust. What lesson is she going to teach Rand? It’s a little sad though. There are only three more books left whiich Robert Jordan wrote (books 10 and 11 and the prequel). I’m sure Brandon Sanderson does a terrific job finishing it up (I can’t wait) but we’ll always wonder “what if”. Now I’m at the spot I last stopped reading so long ago. When I read Crossroads of Twilight it will be completely fresh. Bring it on. Grade: A-

Deep Space Nine (Season 1)

As a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I was really excited to see this spin-off. when it first came out. But during that time life was becoming hectic for me and I couldn’t keep up. I saw most of the first season and liked it but I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I did with Next Generation. Only years later did I hear how great this show was and always felt I missed out. So now that I completed re-watching Next Generation I’ve begun my new journey. Boy, what was I thinking back then? These characters are great. Avery Brooks is a wonderful captain, different than any we’ve seen before but still engaging with a blend of authority and coolness that makes him an inviting character. Nana Visitor is a tad hyper but still a strong character with a worthy journey. Rene Auberjonois is perfect as the shape-changing alien, Otto (the one of a kind alien that mimics Data’s purpose). I also love that Colm Meaney came over from Next Generation as Miles O’Brien. The best character is by far the Ferengi bar owner Quark played by Armin Shimerman; I love this guy. He has a good heart but his greedy business practices makes him very untrustworthy. The weakest link is Julian Bashir played by Alexander Siddig. He’s a horny doctor that I find more ignoring than humorous; let’s hope they do more with him or kill him off. Yes, with all first seasons of a show, there are some rough edges but ultimately all the episodes are good. “Q-Less” might be my least favorite (why do we need Q to crossover?) and perhaps “If Wishes Were Horses” was kind of weak as well where everyone’s thoughts come true. The best episodes (and there are a lot) are the pilot “Emissary” where we set everything up, “Captive Pursuit” where an alien finds honor being hunted by others from the Gamma Quandrant, “Dax” where Jadzia Dax is tried for murder, “The Passenger” where Bashir becomes possessed by a criminal mastermind, “Vortex” where Otto tries to meet up with others of his kind, “Duet” where a war criminal is taken on board, and “In The Hands of the Prophets” where religion versus science is debated in a political showdown. From this point on I’ll be literally going where I haven’t gone before. I’m looking forward to continuing this show. Grade: A-