The Terminal Man

The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton 352 p Harper Publishing 1972 After going back for a second look at my favorite book from the seventh-grade, Sphere, I figured I would dip into the bucket of unread Crichton novels. I had not read a novel by Crichton in a decade, the last being Timeline. Shortly after

A Serious Man

2009 106 minutesMichael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred MelamedWritten and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen***.5 out of **** The Coen brothers unleash chaos on the unsuspecting title character of their latest film, A Serious Man. The people in Larry Gopnik’s quaint, 60’s suburban Jewish life push him around to the point of exhaustion, every hope

Cruel Shoes

Cruel Shoes by Steve Martin128 p Putnam Publishing In the spirit of this book, I will tell a story:The other day I was sitting on my front porch, and I was sitting on my front porch and I saw this duck.“Hey, I’m a duck,” he said, and I said “Hey, I’maduck.”“Your shoes are untied,” he

The Boys are Back

2009 104 minutesClive Owen, Laura Fraser, George McKayDirected by Scott Hicks, Adapted by Allan Cubitt from the Novel by Simon Carr*** out of **** We’ve seen the movie about a man suddenly thrust into single parenthood many times before. The Boys are Back does two key things differently: It is extraordinarily well-shot, taking full advantage

Sphere

Sphere by Michael Crichton 384 p Ballantine Books Michael Crichton was by no means an excellent composer of prose. His characters were for the most part, paper thin. Despite this, Crichton was a master storyteller and could make complex ideas easily understandable. Almost every book he wrote was a page turner, and Sphere is considered

Adam

2009 99 minutesHugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter GallagherWritten and Directed by Max Mayer***.5 out of **** Adam refuses to hold its subject matter with kid’s gloves. Adam revolves around the titular character’s attempt at a romantic relationship with a young schoolteacher, Beth. Adam has Asperger’s Syndrome, and in a lesser film he would prove to

The English Patient

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje320 p Vintage Publishing The English Patient is a beautifully written novel, using language as paint on an impressionistic canvas. Though the book’s title lends several preconceptions, the book actually centers around four quite different characters sheltering in an Italian villa at the apex of World War II, when the

Avatar

2009 162 minutesSam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney WeaverWritten and Directed by James Cameron*** out of **** Avatar is easily one of the most aesthetically appealing films ever made and should be seen for just that reason. As 3-D film experiences go, Avatar is easily the most immersive. Beyond the beauty, Avatar is not a great

From Hell

From Hell by Alan Moore (with art by Eddie Campbell)572 p Top Shelf Production Publishing Alan Moore takes the holistic approach in his dissection of the Jack the Ripper murders, From Hell. While Moore’s assertion that Jack the Ripper gave birth to the 20th Century is tenuous at best, he does an excellent job painting

World’s Greatest Dad

2009 99 minutesRobin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Alexie GilmoreWritten and Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait***.5 out of ****That crazy-voiced comedian from the 80s is back with a madcap comedy. I am of course talking about Bobcat Goldthwait, who in the last few years has quite skillfully transitioned from stand-up and acting to writing and directing. Here he