A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

I really wanted to like this classic of Science Fiction.   It takes place in a post-apocalyptic American desert where a Catholic monastery preserves past technology.   It’s one of those great premises that works as a premise but not necessarily as a story.  The characters never really stood out for me and the reading experience felt like homework.   There’s some great themes embedded in this book and I understand why so many hold this book up in reverence but I just found it to be long and emotionally flat.   The plotting didn’t hold my interest and when I finished I felt relief that it was over.  Grade: C

Zootopia (2016)

Disney Animation brings us a modern world populated with animals and it’s fantastic.  Judy is a bunny that wants to be a police officer not a meter maid.  No one takes her seriously especially a con artist fox named Nick.  Yet together they must uncover a conspiracy that threatens the very foundations that keep Zootopia society a great place to co-exist.   The message of this film is so important and very timely.  It’s hilarious and clever and the kind of family-friendly crowd pleaser that will become a classic over time I guarantee.  Grade: A

Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan

I started reading this series in 1999.   What a feeling of accomplishment!  15 huge books.   So many years wondering if I would ever get to complete it, especially when the author dies, and now I can say I’ve done it.  Was it worth it?  Would I tell someone that’s considering to read The Wheel of Time to do so?   Mostly yes, because it is an entertaining read.  Some of the books in this series I’d put up there as the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.  My hesitation is it is a huge commitment (especially if you’re a slow reader like myself) and the ending (while mostly excellent) isn’t as satisfying as I had hoped.  But let’s be honest.  Endings are really hard.  Most writers would fail trying to tie up all the loose ends and have events conclude with a ring of believably.   Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal are heroes for giving us fans an end to a series that would have never seen an end if not for their passion.   I feel silly to nick pick and find fault in any decision that was made, but I will because that’s my right.  I get to have an opinion just like every other reader. 

Tarmon Gai'don has begun.  At the Field of Merrilor team Rand al’Thor plan for the onslaught.   Egwene and Elayne will lead the charge while Rand goes to fight the Dark One at Shayol Ghul.  Perrin will have to join the fight in Tel'aran'rhiod.  Will Mat be able to convince Tuon and her Seanchan army to join the last battle?  Everyone is on hand in a book jammed packed with battles and carnage and victories and defeats.   It’s almost too much at times but when you’re talking about the end of the world and with dozens of character arcs to explore, of course it’s going to be a lot.  It’s all very exciting and well-paced and makes for a solid conclusion.   If you’ve made it this far and don’t keep reading you’d be a fool.   Grade: A-

Spoilers:  I had a bad feeling there wouldn’t be many great deaths when in the opening prologue Sanderson sets up what would have been a fantastic and heroic end to the character of Talmanes as he fights to save the Dragons from Caemlyn’s destruction but alas, just before he dies, an Aes Sadai heals him.  In the end there were some great deaths, Egwene being the best.   Siuan Sanche and Gareth Bryne both getting killed helped make for a believable story.   But of the three Ta'veren, Rand, Perrin and Mat, they all live.  I can see why keeping Perrin alive is a good idea.  I even like Mat living, but Rand should have perished at the end.   I can see how Jordan and Sanderson probably were trying to avoid the whole “messiah” concept but for Rand to fake his death and be able to wander the world free of responsibility (remember he’s a father now) and let his wives take care of the mess he left behind, it’s just some kind of cruel male fantasy.   Yeah, I saved the world and now I get to retire.   I’m not saying more people needed to die (many do of course) but when only one of the main characters perishes (Egwene) it’s just feels too easy.  It was the end of the world, the last battle, people sacrificed their lives so others would live . . . just make sure none of our favorite characters die?   It was a bit of a cope out.  I was hoping for a more inventive end where Rand surrenders himself and becomes the new Dark One, or Perrin loses his wife and vows to never marry.   Maybe the Aes Sadai are tricked by Tuon and have to fight two battles at once.   Maybe have it that Rand fails and Perrin and Mat have to join him to kill the Dark one. Anything to make the end of this story stand out and be different.   In the end we have a satisfying conclusion with no real guts.   It’s the happy ending we were expecting but not really needing.   What starts off as one of the most memorable fantasy epics ever ends as a long drawn out bang that will be forgotten over the next few years. 

Neon Demon (2016)

Nicolas Winding Refn is a brutal filmmaker and here he makes a sardonic statement on the modeling world's obsession with perfection and the youthful ideas of beauty.   Reminiscent of Argento’s Suspiria, Refn spins a horror film that is stylistically techno and vibrant with dread.  It demands to be seen and remembered.  Unfortunately for me it’s also flawed by the weight of its own shocking goofiness.  I can’t tell if you’re supposed to find it over the top funny (which it’s not) or if you’re supposed to be grossed out (which I was).   Elle Fanning is radiant and the perfect victim at hand.  If only the audience was rewarded for following her doomed story.  I do recommend it though for fans of risky film making and applaud Refn for jumping outside the box of normal.   Grade: B+

Spoiler:  That end is just stupid.  I mean, eating the eyeball is cartoony.  What could have been a shocking ending lost its luster with a moment of slapstick gore.  It does kind of resonate with the rest of the film but for the last moment to be so outlandish, I just felt betrayed.  Also couldn’t Fanning’s character have found some victory against her attackers?  I hate it when the villains win without any consequence.  If she could have killed one of them before dying I would have been way more pleased.

Game of Thrones (Season 6)

Television shows are hard to write about without revealing tons of spoilers.  Let’s just state right now, if you haven’t watched or read any of this fantasy saga, don’t read anything below.  Just watch it already.   Okay, first off, this is one of the most satisfying seasons of this HBO series.  This is comforting considering this is the first time David Benioff & D. B. Weiss have gone off script or off book that is.  All of George R.R. Martin’s books have been adapted.  From here on (with George’s input I’m sure) they’re going to give us an end that’s not been written yet, so drawing a line in the sand for devoted fans—which end of this story will be better, the show’s or the as-yet-written (if ever completed) novels.   After six seasons, it’s clear the players are making their way back.  Jon Snow has returned to Winterfell (no one really believed he’d be dead for long) and reunited with a more mature Sansa.  Ayra has completed her training with the Faceless.  Cersei has found her revenge while at the same time losing the last of her children.  And Daenery’s on a ship for home to final take the Iron Throne.  I’m so excited I can’t really contain myself.  This is one of those shows that I’ve always loved but I’ve been nervous to get too attached to because of all the bad that has happened in the past.   A lot of bad can still happen but I have hope after this season that we’ll see more victories than defeats.   The two best episodes this season were “The Door” and “Battle of the Bastards”.   Hopefully the producers bring back the directors of these two fantastic episodes, Jack Bender and Miguel Sapochnik.   Really there was no bad episode, every episode seemed perfectly executed.   If they can continue to stay this consistent this series will go down in history as one of the great television shows of all-time.  Grade: A

Penny Dreadful (Season 2)

This sophomore edition to Showtime’s Victorian Horror series is even better than the first season.  Eva Green anchors this show with her talent and charisma and this time around they have a real villain in Helen McCrory, a witch set to seduce and destroy Sir Malcolm Murray.   There are many great episodes but my favorite is Vanessa Ives back story.  My only complaint is with the development of Lily played by Billie Piper, I just am not sure what they’re doing with her and it makes me nervous for season 3.   Grade: A-

X:Men Apocalypse (2016)

Superhero redundancy continues with the third addition to the latest X-Men incarnation.  While not as thrilling or as skillfully crafted as Days of Future Past, I was entertained seeing Professor Xavier, Magneto and Mystique join forces with the younger versions of Cyclops and Jane Grey to battle the most powerful mutant they have ever faced.  Sophie Turner is a wonderful choice for Jane and I’m hoping we get to see more of her and her younger counterparts later on.  (Maybe they’ll give us a proper Dark Phoenix film, here’s hoping.)  The entire film is just fun and I have to say it’s the most satisfying superhero entry this year (sorry Marvel, but it is.)   That’s not to say it doesn’t have its bad moments but it’s a solid summer blockbuster.   Grade: A-

Spoiler:

I don’t know if this is a spoiler but I decided I’d devote a bit of my rage on the costume designer (monster suit creator) for this film.  Apocalypse might be one of the dumbest looking villains I’ve seen in a big A-quality film.   There’s even a meme out there comparing him to Ivan Ooze from the Mutant Morphing Power Rangers film.  That’s bad.  What’s worse is Oscar Isaac is awesome as Apocalypse.  His voice and his eyes are so intense and foreboding it’s no wonder they cast him.  But the best they could do was to paint him purple and put him in a big suit.  I get it, he’s not a big actor, but there’s no reason Apocalypse had to be big.  It doesn’t ruin the movie but it is hard to take seriously sometimes.