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E. A Solinas reviewed:
Nightmare Before Christmas (2pc) (Coll Digc)
 This year Christmas will be ours!, May 31, 2008 And in fact he did. Burton wrote and produced a charming stop-motion musical called "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which is as close as we'll ever get to a Burton Christmas film. And there's rarely a dull moment in this town called Halloween -- from start to finish, it's a quirky, macabre, vintage-flavoured ride through the darker side of everybody's favorite holidays. In Halloween Town, the undead Jack Skellington is king, and each Halloween the residents try to make their celebration even more horrible than the year before. But this year, something is missing for Jack, and he starts wondering if scaring people is all his life has. He ends up wandering into a sort of holiday junction, and finds a portal to Christmas Town -- it's full of snow, lights, presents and innocent fun. Jack is instantly enamoured of Christmas, and decides that for this year, the residents of Halloween Town are going to celebrate Christmas. He manages to convince the other Halloween residents -- except the sweet rag-doll Sally -- to go along with his plan. So Halloween Town is redecorated and filled with presents (in a suitably ghastly style) and "Sandy Claws" is abducted so Jack can take his place. But are the people of Halloween Town just not suited to innocent merriment, and can the Pumpkin King fill the capacious red suit when Christmas Eve rolls around? The idea of Halloween ghouls and spooks deciding to take over Christmas sounds terribly twee in concept, like a gimmicky children's book. Fortunately Tim Burton's darkly humorous sense of humor and delightfully gothic designs -- as well as Henry Selick's brilliant direction -- end up turning the movie into something that is more than just another kid's movie. Think a Burtonesque "Princess Bride." Much of its charm comes from the richness of Burton's visuals -- his Halloween Town is saturated in spiky iron fences, ghost dogs, insects, mad scientists, and a spooky cloudy night that never ends. And though the inhabitants of Halloween Town are devoted to being grotesque and spooky, there's a lighthearted benevolence in their actions at all times. It almost makes Christmas Town look... dull. But it's also an incredibly funny, sweet little movie, with plenty of heart. There's an adorable little love story between Jack and Sally ("My dearest friend, if you don't mind..."), despite Jack's total cluelessness. And Burton weaves in lots of solid musical numbers ("There's children throwing snowballs/instead of throwing heads/they're busy building toys/and absolutely no one's dead!"). But the crown jewel is Burton's macabre sense of humor. Hardly a scene goes by without a creepy gag (one child's present is a shrunken head) or clever dialogue ("Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here. I can't make decisions by myself!"). But the best humor comes from the Halloween-town's residents eagerly trying to be festive, and only making Christmas even creepier than Halloween ever could be. For a skeleton puppet, Jack Skellington is a pretty adorable hero -- he's earnest, generous, but suffers from a bit of ennui from the same old performance every year. His meditative songs about Halloween and his attempts at Christmas add an introspective note to him as well. And he's backed by a bunch of lovable characters, with Sally and the ghost dog Zero at the forefront. "Nightmare Before Christmas" is a macabre, wildly adorable little movie that reminds us why we love Halloween (besides the candy). Sometimes the dark and fun go hand in hand. |
| May 31, 2008 |
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E. A Solinas reviewed:
Yu Yu Hakusho, Vol. 1-14: First Battles DVD ~ Yu Yu Hakusho
 The new spirit detective, May 31, 2008 In fact, death is only the beginning of his troubles in "Yu Yu Hakusho: First Battles," which collects the first fourteen episodes of this classic anime. While it lags during the first few episodes (seriously, a whole episode about Kuwabara's schoolwork?), it picks up considerably once Yusuke starts spending his time working as a spirit detective. Despite a reputation as a hardened rebel, Yusuke was killed knocking a toddler from the path of a moving car. Turns out the afterlife, aka Spirit World, didn't expect such a selfless act -- so Spirit World's toddler ruler Koenma offers him a second chance at life, with the help of the sprightly Grim Reaper Botan, an oar-riding girl who tries to keep Yusuke on the straight and narrow. Initially, Yusuke refuses. But after seeing how the people around him are responding to his death -- including his rival Kuwabara and semi-girlfriend Keiko -- he agrees. But that's a lot easier said than done, and only another selfless act (and a necessary kiss) keeps Yusuke from being permanently dead. As in, all the way-dead, to quote Miracle Max. And his return is conditional -- now he's working for Koenma as Spirit Detective, a sort of supernatural gofer. And his first case is a nasty one: three powerful artifacts have been stolen from Koenma by a demon trio, including the mysterious youth Kurama and the ruthless three-eyed Hiei. But the case turns out to be more complex than Yusuke expected when he learns Kurama's complicated motives for stealing his artifact -- and that Hiei has a nasty fate in store for Keiko. Then on Koenma's orders, Yusuke signs up for an aging martial-artist's Pick-A-Student competition, to hunt down a lethal demon -- and his psychic rival Kuwabara may be in danger. And when rage-inducing insects start swarming his town, Yusuke and Kuwabara are sent to stop the malevolent demon band responsible for it. What's more they have some reluctant new allies -- the paroled Hiei and Kurama. "Yu Yu Hakusho: First Battles" is really all about introducing the characters, and easing Yusuke into his new role as Spirit Detective. It starts off rather slowly, since the first half is essentially all about Yusuke floating around yelling at people, occasionally possessing Kuwabara and helping the big friendly lug with his homework. For an action series, the non-comedic action is sparse. But things start picking up when Yusuke is made Spirit Detective. Then we're treated to grotesque demonic opponents, superpowers, nasty spells, and lots of action-packed sequences involving fists, tree trunks, swords and fingers that can fire energy blasts. Yusuke mainly gets lucky in these fights, but his training with Genki promises to make future fights more about skill than luck. It's not all action, though. There's some romantic stuff between the bickering Yusuke and Keiko. And there's a pretty hefty dose of humor as well -- the pacifier-sucking Koenma and his overworked office ogres, Kuwabara's kitten, or Genkai's torturous training. Fairly amusing dialogue too ("Well lucky me, I won," Kuwabara and Yusuke gripe in unison). Yusuke makes a solid anti-hero, with his alcoholic mother and a mile-wide rebellious streak. While he's a bit obnoxious at first, his increasing strength and responsibility make him more likable. And his thuggish-looking classmate Kuwabara makes an unexpected ally, since he turns out to be a lot more powerful and sweet-natured than you'd expect. The crabby, lethal Hiei doesn't really get to show much personality in this volume, and he seems pretty malevolent at first. But Kurama more than makes up for that -- he's graceful, elegant, and has a very peculiar past as a foxy thief. We've also got a number of interesting supporting characters, such as Botan the perky Grim Reaper, Genkai the crusty martial-artist, and the feisty Keiko who proves to be Yusuke's only weak spot. The first collection of "Yu Yu Hakusho" is there to warm up the storyline, and introduce the main characters. While the beginning is a bit slow, it's a solid beginning to a good anime. |
| May 31, 2008 |
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E. A Solinas reviewed:
Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon
| Gentlemen, gentlemen!, May 31, 2008 But he goes over a thousand years into the past for "Gentlemen of the Road," an old-fashioned adventure story with some gloriously offbeat heroes. It's a fun, quirky read (the original, fitting title was "Jews With Swords"), with lots of unique twists but the prose gets a bit purple at times. In caravans and on the road, the giant Abyssian Amram and gawky Frank Zelikman make money however they can -- even staging mock fights. After their ruse is found out by a weary mahout, he offers to take them on as bodyguards to a sullen young prince, Filaq. Then the mahout is murdered, and the two "Gentlemen of the Road" find themselves babysitting a snotty teen with a tendency to run away. Unfortunately, the fortress they're heading for has been destroyed, and a gang of hired thugs kidnap Filaq. For no reason they can explain, Amram and Zelikman find themselves racing to rescue the kid, and beginning a quest full of checkered pasts, civil wars, ancient elephants... and the discovery that Filaq isn't quite who he seems to be. There's something very classic about the flavour of "Gentlemen of the Road." Maybe it's because it was actually serialized in the New York Times Magazine, or maybe because Chabon apparently soaked up the works of Moorcock, Alexandre Dumas and Fritz Lieber. Think a Jewish version of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. "Gentlemen of the Road" does have one flaw -- Chabon's prose gets dense and purple at times, which sent me spinning right off the narrative. But it does a pretty good job of evoking the dusty, harsh life of people on the march, brothels, attempted executions, ancient elephants, and the occasional mercenary joining up with the "gentlemen." But Chabon doesn't let the story become leaden. He peppers it with wryly amusing dialogue ("Now, will you ride calmly behind me or do we need to bind you at the ankles, too?" "You had better bind my ankles") and the occasional running joke like Zelikman's mutilated hats. There's even a Norse axe humorously called "Defiler of All Mothers." As you'd expect, Zelikman and Amram are likably rough, with some dark pasts -- one has left his home and family behind, the other has been roaming in search of his daughter for twenty years. Chabon doesn't try to make either a likable person, and that makes them even more so -- the same with Filiq, the feisty princess in drag. "Gentlemen of the Road" is a solid adventure story, with a classic flavour and slightly overblown prose. Certainly a worthwhile read. |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas
| deep five tissue box tearjerker, May 31, 2008 It is not easy for Andie to move in with her biological mother and her two biological sisters, who are all strangers to her. The oldest sister Deja resents her and the younger sibling Winnie tries too hard to welcome her. Each misbehaves in their own way and Marty tries to cope with bringing her three daughters into a family unit. All of the major characters are feeling a lot of anguish and pain inside their hearts; how each copes lifts this memorable work from being an ordinary soap opera and overcomes the stigma of insuring no rivals for the parenting of Andie. She especially struggles with going to a stranger even if she shares DNA with that woman as she refuses to accept her grandparents are realistic as they know they are to old to care for her although they love her; this adds to her feeling of being alone even with two sisters and a mom who insists she is not a replacement for Ginger. This is a deep five tissue box tearjerker. Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
ABOVE THE HOUSES - STORIES by Susan Engberg
| poignant deep character driven collection, May 31, 2008 Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Gothic Heat (Black Lace) by Portia Da Costa
| heated paranormal romantic triangle, May 31, 2008 Paula is scared as a voice inside her head keeps taunting her and getting her to do sexual things that she would never have done before. She realizes she is fighting sorceress Isadora Katori for ownership of her body because the evil one no longer has one. At the Inner Light massage parlor she meets masseuse Rafe Halloway. However, Isadora takes control of their shared body and pins Rafe down before taking him. Later, Paula tells him about the sorcerer who haunts her; he says he will help her. Nearing forty and fearing he will die like his father did at forty-two, Rafe hides his agenda of seeking a long life span; he thinks these sorcerers will enable him to obtain that. However, he also finds he is torn between the two women in his life as he loves sex with both; opposites as one takes charge while the other has him take charge. This heated paranormal romance enables the reader and Rafe to believe that two minds occupy and battle to possess the body of the female lead. Fascinatingly Rafe loves both women as the aggressive sorcerer takes him in ways he never dreamed a woman could and the original hostess lets him take her anyway he desires. As the women compete for ownership of their shared body and his body (and soul), fans will appreciate Portia Da Costa's unique erotic triangle as the hero is torn between two lovers with one body affirming sex is as much psychological as physical. Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Gemini Heat (Black Lace) by Portia Da Costa
| starts torrid and turns equatorial, May 31, 2008 Jake proves an expert on the power of sex. He is the master and she is his obedient servant. He soon turns their S&M pleasures into a competing ménage a trois when Jake brings Delia into the game. Soon the siblings compete as rivals trying to out pleasure each other by winning Jake's special rewards especially vying for his undivided lower head attention. Erotic romance readers will enjoy this hot contemporary tale starring three full blooded in heat individuals who seemingly cannot get enough. The story line starts torrid and turns equatorial as Deana and Delia compete for the power of Jake who relishes controlling the twins in and out of the bedroom. This aptly named title showcases one of the sub-genre's best at writing XXX dramas. Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Severance Package by Duane Swierczynski
| action packed espionage thriller , May 31, 2008 There is no escape as David has locked vacuum sealed tight all exits with some containing saran gas if opened and others just shut. All seven are stunned, but the least of them, Molly "mousy" Lewis pulls out a gun and shoots Murphy in the head. Across the ocean in Scotland, two operatives keep in touch with their agent inside the finance firm Ania Kuczun. What the other six fail to realize as Ania begins her assignment is that she is Molly and the company they worked for was a top secret covert operations, but lost their usefulness so each employee must be eliminated. This modern day, action packed espionage thriller salutes Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE as the employees learn that their SEVERANCE PACKAGE is death. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that David informs his subordinate there is no escape as they must die and never slows down until the final death spin. Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
Mighty Old Bones (Thistle & Twigg Mysteries) by Mary Saums
| enjoyable small town regional cozy, May 31, 2008 While they toil together, a severe thunderstorm causes some damage including uprooting a tree on Jane's land. After the storm passes, the two women go outside to assess the damage to Jane's property only to find the remains of a human had been buried there. Based on information in the library, Jane and local law enforcement officials believe that corpse is probably part of an Indian burial site. Still experts are asked to confirm the prevalent theory while Jane joins the dig as she has archeological skills amongst her global travels. Meanwhile she and Phoebe discuss the vanishing of a popular senior. This enjoyable small town regional cozy is fun to follow due to the strong friendship that contrasts the extroverted and introverted BFs. The story line simmers down two paths that soon link as the amateur sleuths become embroiled with the mysteries of the corpse and the disappearance while also working on the bash. MIGHTY OLD BONES is a fine T&T tale. Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
The Hard Way by Julie Luongo
| wonderful character study, May 31, 2008 A few years later, Lucy graduates from college. She seeks contentment in her chosen writing career and her personal relationships. However Lucy finds little happiness in terms of deciding between becoming a big city crime beat reporter, working the Web where the future lies, or following the money into advertising. On her love front, she goes through men like potato chips Over time Lucy and Nancy, somewhat estranged due to their age difference and their reaction to their dad's death begin to reconcile and then there is another second chance with Ben. Lucy may have found that elusive butterfly of life in the normally tragic third act as she wisely understands that people support those they care about even if that means acting as a compassionate bridesmaid. In a way this is more a series of vignettes of a coming of age young woman whose choices at times hurt her, but she is the epitome of the Sinatra tune, That's Life: "Each time I find myself, flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race." Readers will appreciate this wonderful character study that is a deep chick lit tale in which Lucy finds her groove THE HARD WAY, but her way. Harriet Klausner |
| May 31, 2008 |
