Gone South by Robert McCammon

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Book Review *** (out of ****)
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Interesting Southern gothic/freak show tale about ordinary man who ends up on the run from the law and finds all kinds of deep south (Louisiana) strangeness on the way. It's a good read with a satisfying ending.

In America (movie review)

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*** (out of ****) "In America" is a worthwhile movie about an Irish immigrant family in the 1980s in New York, not only the problems they have surviving in this new land, but a deep hurt that they bring with them and have to come to terms with. Although the script is a little rough around the edges, the core of the movie is solid and a series of vignettes about the family and the people they encounter knits together nicely into a coherent whole.
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Photo by Jim

"Broken Angels"

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Book Review. "Broken Angels" by Richard K. Morgan.

This is a science fiction book set several hundred years in the future, a time when humans have traveled to several nearby stars thanks to the discovery of artifacts and technology from an ancient civilization that once occupied Mars.

That much said, I can't recommend this book to everyone because it is a difficult read, and chock full of violence. There is much that is fascinating in Morgan's vision of the future, but also much that is obscure. It might help to read the first book by this author, "Altered Carbon," before reading this one. I have not.

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Elephant

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Movie review (DVD) ** (out of ****)

This movie was quite a disappointment. I rented it because the critics were so divided on it -- some giving it an A, some giving it an F. My curiosity is now satisfied, but otherwise I feel like I wasted my time.

The story follows a day in the life of a school which is clearly supposed to be a stand-in for Columbine. Although the subject is compelling, the movie is just boring. The ending was not particularly shocking, because we know how it ends.

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The Cooler

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Movie Review ***.5 (out of ****)

Excellent drama starring William H. Macy as the poor schlub whose "talent" is to bring bad luck to gamblers who are winning too much at a Las Vegas casino. His performance is nicely balanced by Alec Baldwin as the evil boss of the casino, who still likes to do things the old-fashioned way, including breaking the legs of gamblers who cheat and take too much of the casino's money. A fascinating look at Las Vegas and some of the characters who might inhabit the landscape there.

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Peter Pan

Movie Review *** (out of ****)

This 2003 live-action version of the Pan tale is a charming fantasy, mostly for children, but still amusing for adults and with lots of action and some good performances from the cast.

Girl With a Pearl Earring

Movie Review *** 1/2 (out of ****)

This movie, just out on DVD, is most notable for the nuanced performance of Scarlett Johansson in the role of Griet, the servant girl who is chosen to be painted by her master, Vermeer.

The film makes excellent use of period settings and costumes to re-create the feeling of what it might have been like to live in Holland in 1665.

It also elicits in the viewer an appreciation for the fine art of painting, particularly as practiced by Jan Vermeer.

There is little dialog, and here Johansson shines with her ability to express a range of emotions with just facial expressions.

This is not an action film or romantic comedy, nor does it have a "happy" ending. But it is highly recommended for the discerning movie-goer, or in this case video viewer.

First Post

This is my first post, and this is my first blog. I'll be feeling my way at first, but i hope to make frequent entries and find my way into the blogger community.