"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
Unsolicited opinions on books, movies, TV shows, consumer products
In honor of the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week 2010, which starts today, here is a special roundup of banned book news, and a comment on Wilbur Smith’s The Dark of the Sun. Wondering which ten books drew the most fire over the past year? Here’s your answer. Corrected entry (see comment below post): […]
“Over the city lies the sweet, rotting odor of yesterday’s unrecollected sins.” – Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall Boomsday, by Christopher Buckley I read Christopher Buckley’s editorials and essays with interest, but cannot endorse his fiction. Since I found my copy of Boomsday on the remainder shelf at Barnes & Noble, I suspect other readers have […]
“Never get behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love ’em. ” — George Clooney as Ryan Bingham Up in the Air (2009). […]
“Time to nut up or shut up!” — Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee in Zombieland (2009). If you think I’ve been posting a lot of DVD reviews lately, you’re right. I’m doubling the frequency of DVD review posts in an effort to catch up with movies I’ve watched, cataloged, and previously reviewed on Facebook. Trouble is, […]
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost […]
“It was wrong of you to lock me up. I had to hurt myself to get out. And I know you’re in here, because I can smell your brains.” — Thom Matthews as Freddy in The Return of the Living Dead (1985). If you think you’ve seen a lot of DVD reviews here lately, you […]
“The ghost was her father’s parting gift, presented by a black-clad secretary in a departure lounge at Narita.” – William Gibson, Mona Lisa Overdrive Mona Lisa Overdrive, by William Gibson When I started reading William Gibson’s novels and short stories, I did not realize that they were component parts of larger stories. When I read […]
“Happy endings are for stories that haven’t ended yet.” — Angelina Jolie as Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). As promised last month, I’m doubling the frequency of DVD review posts in an effort to catch up with movies I’ve watched and reviewed. Although I review movies right after watching them, sometimes two […]