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N. Durham reviewed:
Masters of Horror - The Black Cat DVD ~ Jeffrey Combs
 Wonderful, November 30, 2008 |
| November 30, 2008 |
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N. Durham reviewed:
James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace by Activision Inc.
 Disappointing, November 30, 2008 Fun: There was a time when James Bond and a Nintendo console went hand in hand. Needless to say, those days are long over, as evidenced by the Wii version of Quantum of Solace, which takes a pretty decent game that appeared on other consoles, and just practically slaughters everything about it. On more powerful consoles, the game is noted for running on the powerful Call of Duty 4 engine. For the Wii, which as we all know isn't nearly as powerful, the game has been obviously scaled down, and boy does it ever feel it. The game's frame rate is horrid to say the least, and occasionally the game just looks downright ugly. Combined with some clunky enemy AI, Quantum of Solace on the Wii ends up being a pretty lame endeavor. However, there are a few good points of the game that stop it from being a complete dud, including the fact that it includes some excellent sound effects and music, as well as Daniel Craig's voicework to boot. Also, the online and local multiplayer modes are much more fun than the game's campaign, and the controls are actually pretty good for a Wii FPS. Still though, there isn't as much to admire here as there should be. All in all, even for Wii owning Bond fanatics, Quantum of Solace is worth a look, but leave it at that. |
| November 30, 2008 |
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N. Durham reviewed:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special Edition) DVD ~ Harrison Ford
 Not great, but not awful either, November 30, 2008 |
| November 30, 2008 |
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Gail Cooke reviewed:
Gathering of Friends Tapas Sampler by La Tienda
 THE BEST OF SPAIN IN AMERICA, November 30, 2008 Our choice was their Gathering of Friends Sampler - and, believe me, we forged some firm friendships with these treats! Arriving in a large round gift box the Sampler holds sliced Serrano ham (my favorite!), dry-cured Palacios chorizo, Marcona almonds, black olive pate`, anchovy stuffed olives, fire roasted piquillo peppers, piquillos stuffed with bonito tuna (my mate's favorite), `picos' bead sticks, Spanish style toothpicks and a 4"cazuela for serving. With these fine Spanish flavors we served a full bodied red wine (everybody's favorite). A little guitar music on the player and it was Spain all over again. We were especially pleased to receive the cazuela, which is a traditional Spanish terra cotta dish. The glazed dish is both oven and stovetop safe after an overnight soak in water. A thoughtful addition to the Sampler, and a permanent reminder of the good things that come from Spain. La Tienda offers many taste tempting items from cheeses to sweets to wines to vegetables, even beautiful ceramics. We look forward to trying more. - Gail Cooke |
| November 30, 2008 |
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Harriet Klausner reviewed:
The Sweet In Between: A Novel by Sheri Reynolds
| fascinating extended family drama , November 29, 2008 Kenny fears Glo will kick her out of her home once she becomes an adult, which is soon. The teen also struggles with identity issues especially hiding her feminine body. When their alcoholic neighbor Jarvis Stanley accidentally kills a college girl, Kenny obsesses over the deceased as her morbidity makes her believe Glo will kick her to the curb soon. Her plan is to soon become responsible and dependable; Glo will beg her to stay. Told by the frightened Kenny, THE SWEET IN BETWEEN is a fascinating family drama starring a frightened teen filled with anger, remorse and fear. The rest of Glo's extended family is fully developed characters who enhance the at times subtle and other moments in your face story line. However, this is Kenny' tale as she sadly expects the worse but hopes for the best, which in this case is not being kicked out of the only shelter, albeit a relatively poor one, she knows at a time she wonders why she feels different from girls her age. Harriet Klausner |
| November 29, 2008 |
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Donald Mitchell reviewed:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book by Jeff Kinney
| Be Sure You Know This Is Different from the First Two Books before Buying It, November 29, 2008 If you insist on buying this, you've been warned. It's not what you think it is . . . and it's not a very good value. When I was 9-12 years old, that was the last thing I would have wanted. As an adult, I'm always annoyed by "books" that mostly blank pages of lined paper (with little cartoons in one corner). I can buy lined paper much cheaper in other forms. With those warnings in mind, some youngsters will be glad if they answer some of these questions and later look back on what they wrote. I would warn those who think about doing that not to write anything that they wouldn't want parents, siblings, and friends to see at the moment. Some of the questions are ripe for creating vast embarrassment for a youngster. The book starts off in confusing fashion on a page entitled "What're you gonna do with this thing?" At the bottom, it says "Whatever you do, just make sure you don't write down your 'feelings' in here. Because one thing's for sure: This is NOT a diary." Contrary to that statement is the book's title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid. In addition, less than halfway through the book there's a section preceding all those pages of lined paper that says "What's Your Story?" which contains these directions: "Use the rest of the book to keep a daily journal, write a novel, draw comic strips, or tell your life story." Those directions immediately follow a page that says: "Diary of a _____" Is a diary by another name any less a diary? The fill-in-the-blank parts of the book contain lots of questions designed to elicit current likes and dislikes (video games, songs, books, movies, animals, colors, and houses), your predictions for the future, and potentially embarrassing facts. There is also a lot of emphasis on creating comic strips by providing unfinished panels to be completed and then followed by empty panels. You also have a chance to draw some maps as well. More fun is to describe things that you would like to do in the future (such as the first laws you would pass as president). |
| November 29, 2008 |
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N. Durham reviewed:
The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Three-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy) DVD ~ David Duchovny
| A worthwhile endeavor for fans of the show, November 29, 2008 |
| November 29, 2008 |
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E. A Solinas reviewed:
Pan's Labyrinth DVD ~ Doug Jones
| Into the labyrinth, November 29, 2008 "Pan's Labyrinth" ("El Laberinto del Fauno") is a sequel of sorts to "The Devil's Backbone," a magical realism film about the Spanish Civil War. But this movie takes us deeper into a world that is half real, half ominous fairy tale, with a unique and imaginative story and some really excellent acting -- in short, a triumph. Time and place: 1944, Spain. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her very pregnant mother travel to meet her new stepfather, the brutal and murderous Captain Vidal (Sergi López). Ofelia loathes her new stepfather, but is transfixed by the eerie forests around them -- and one night she is visited by a fairy, and encounters a giant faun who tells her that she is Princess Moanna of the netherworld, and must return there. To do so, he tells her that she must do three things, and gives her a strange book. Ofelia menages first task, but is frightened out of her wits by the second task, which involves a hideous monster with eyes in its hands. Even worse, her mother's pregnancy is getting more dangerous. As the guerillas and the fascists clash, Ofelia faces being trapped outside the netherworld forever... and being offered a terrible choice if she wants to get in. Fairy tales have become cleaned-up and cutesy over time, so that children can read them without nightmares. But del Toro knows that the best fairy tales are the eerie, bizarre ones for adults, that are connected somehow to the real world. That is what makes "Pan's Labyrinth" so brilliantly dark and heartfelt. Del Toro obviously crafted this with care, directing it in a dreamlike style and brilliant visuals. The eerie atmosphere of Ofelia's wanderings -- the delicate yet menacing faun, the chalk doors, the monuments, and the pasty nightmare with eyes in its palms -- is both a contrast and a parallel with the everyday world, which Ofelia hopes to escape. At first, it seems like the post-Civil War and fairy tale stories don't mesh, until you see that the "real world" story is Ofelia's motivation to escape from all the fear, pain and sorrow that her "real life" is full of. But Del Toro's biggest triumph is an ending that is beautifully bittersweet, and which turns out to hinge on Ofelia's newborn brother. But del Toro's biggest triumph is in the instant connection we feel to Ofelia, with her love of the fantastical and her desire to go somewhere "safe." Baquero is absolutely wonderful in this, as a girl who isn't entirely of this world -- in her heart, she belongs somewhere beyond. And López is the ideal villain -- you spend the whole movie wanting to see him gruesomely killed. Half "Mirrormask" and half gritty war story, "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of the best fantasy stories in years -- dark, passionate and beautifully made. Definitely a great movie. |
| November 29, 2008 |
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Gail Cooke reviewed:
The Private Patient (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries) by P.D. James
| 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: A MODULATED, PRECISE READING, November 28, 2008 What lover of mysteries has not read or at least heard of P.D. James? The author of 19 books she spent some 30 years in the British Civil Service and recently celebrated her 88th birthday. One of her many gifts to readers is the creation of Commander Adam Dalgliesh, a consummate investigator who is often given to Holmesian discussions as he presents his thoughts to various characters and suspects. With The Private Patient we visit an impressive old house, Cheverell Manor in Dorset. Once a family home it was sold of necessity to an eminent plastic surgeon, George H. Chandler-Powell, who now operates it as a clinic for the privileged. Rhoda Gradwyn comes to him for the removal of a disfiguring facial scar. She's an investigative journalist (her work is similar to that of a reporter for a supermarket tabloid in the USA). She's with us only briefly as she's soon dead of strangulation, a murder committed by an unknown person wearing latex gloves. While the crime most definitely has affected Rhoda, it also affects the good doctor as who would want to come to a clinic where a murder has just occurred? Commander Dalgliesh is summoned to investigate. He has a great deal to look into considering the clinic staff, the departed's boyfriend, and others who were a part of her life for good or ill. Once again James treats us to her vivid descriptions of setting and extensive vocabulary - the perfect word for every thought and situation. A pleasure to read - do so slowly and savor this author's unique style. - Gail Cooke |
| November 28, 2008 |
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Donald Mitchell reviewed:
Annie Leibovitz at Work by Annie Leibovitz
| Biographical Notes, Technical Insights, and Inspiration . . . Portrayed on a Too Small Page, November 28, 2008 Annie Leibovitz's photography has surrounded and informed us for so long that it has become part of the landscape, perspectives that we employ and too often take for granted. In Annie Leibovitz at Work, she takes us behind the camera a little to understand her motivations, her family, her career, her assignments, her purposes, and how those iconic images were constructed. I enjoyed the book very much but I found that it had two flaws that bothered me: She is a usually little too coy in holding back details that her disclosures make enticing. The page sizes are too small to properly display the images. The print quality is excellent, but you can only do so much when images intended for full magazine pages or portraits are displayed in 3 inch by 5 inch formats. A minor weakness is that some of the images she talks about aren't portrayed (presumably either a space or a permissions problem, but it is disappointing whenever it happens). Here are some of the poignant stories in the book: 1. Taking the last portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono before John was murdered. 2. Photographing the Rolling Stones on tour while trying to keep a nervous independence from the parties and the crush of fans at the end of a concert. 3. John Cleese nearly suffocating to get the picture of pretending to be a bat hanging from a tree. 4. Capturing Al Sharpton at the beauty parlor. 5. Arnold Schwarzenegger changing his image through her photographs. 6. The story behind the pregnant cover of Demi Moore. 7. Cindy Sherman wanting to disappear in her portrait. 8. Capturing the war in Sarajevo. 9. The slaughter in Rwanda. 10. Posing OJ during his LA trial. 11. The arrogant photograph of the new White House team in town (December 2001). 12. Philip Johnson and his glass house. 13. Agnes Martin 14. Queen Elizabeth Of the technical details, I was most interested in her descriptions of how she put together multiple shots to appear as one image. Here are some of the many iconic images in the book: Richard Nixon leaving the White House, Washington, D.C., 1974 Hunter S. Thompson and George McGovern, San Francisco, 1972 Tom Wolfe, Florida, 1972 Apollo 17, the last moon shot, Cape Kennedy, Florida, 1972 The Rolling Stones, Philadelphia, 1975 Keith Richards, Toronto, 1977 Mick Jagger, Chicago, 1975 Mick Jagger, Buffalo, New York, 1975 John Lennon, New York City, 1970 John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, December 8, 1980 Tess Gallagher, Syracuse, New York, 1980 Robert Penn Warren, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1980 Bette Midler, New York City, 1979 Meryl Streep, New York City, 1981 The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi), Hollywood, 1979 Steve Martin, Beverly Hills, 1981 Whoopi Goldberg, Berkeley, California 1984 Keith Haring, New York City, 1986 John Cleese, London, 1980 Andrée Putnam, New York City, 1989 William Wegman and Fay Ray, New York City, 1988 Evander Holyfield, New York City, 1992 Willie Shoemaker and Wilt Chamberlain, Malibu, California, 1987 The Reverend Al Sharpton, PrimaDonna Beauty Care Center, Brooklyn, New York, 1988 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Malibu, California, 1988 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sun Valley, Idaho, 1997 Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rob Besserer, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990 Mark Morris, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990 Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Paducah, Kentucky, 1988 Demi Moore, Culver City, California 1991 Cindy Sherman, New York City, 1992 Carl Lewis, Pearland, Texas, 1996 Sarajevo, 1993 Soccer Field, Sarajevo, 1993 Blood on a mission-school wall, Rwanda, 1994 Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, Los Angeles, 1995 Patti Smith, New Orleans, 1978 Patti Smith, New York City, 1996 Puff Daddy and Kate Moss, Paris, 1999 Ben Stiller, Paris, 2001 Natalia Vodianova, Stephen Jones, and Christian Lacrois, Paris, 2003 Keira Knightley and Jeff Koons, Goshen, New York, 2005 Kirsten Dunst, Versailles, 2006 Cabinet Room, The White House, Washington, D.C. December 2001 Nicole Kidman, Charleston, East Sussex, England, 1997 Johnny Depp, New York City, 1994 Cate Blanchett, Los Angeles, 2004 Philip Johnson, Glass House, New Canaan, Connecticut, 2000 William S. Burroughs, Lawrence, Kansas, 1995 Agnes Martin, Taos, New Mexico, 1999 Marilyn Leibovitz, Clifton Point, New York, 1997 Sarah Cameron Leibovitz, New York City, 2002 Susan Sontag, Paris, 2003 Sharon Stone, Angelica Huston, and Diane Lane, Los Angeles, 2006 Kirsten Dunst, Bruce Willis, and James McAvoy, Los Angeles, 2006 Judi Dench and Helen Mirren, Los Angeles, 2006 Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet, New York City, 2006 Jack Nicholson, Los Angeles, 2006 Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, London, 2007 (4) Hillary Clinton, New York City, 2003 Take a close look and enjoy! |
| November 28, 2008 |
