reviews - books, movies, tv series

Cannon Fairy Tales

2006-06-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

I was ecstatic when I found out MGM had finally decided to release the Cannon series of fairy tales on DVD. For those not in the know, these are musical children's tales, and VERY sweet!

Making America: A History of the United States Since 1865 Volume B

2005-06-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Going back to school! Taking a class about American history. Hope it's good.

The Banker's Convenient Wife - Lynne Graham

2004-11-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Lynne Graham's latest book is the last in a three-book series on 3 friends whose parents died in a car crash. The friendship part is very loose (not a central part of the series). That's a major relief after her last trilogy attempt, about 3 separated sisters (same mother, different fathers) who were given up for adoption.

In this book, the last one, Hilary was 19 when she first met Roel Sabatino, a wealthy Swiss banker. They made a marriage of convenience to fulfil the terms of his grandfather's will, but had not seen each other for 4 years, ever since the wedding. Roel gets hurt in a car accident, and his aunt finds an old photo of Hilary, signed "From your wife" in Roel's wallet, so she decides to call Hilary and have her look after Roel (the aunt being too busy with her own vacation plans, and not seriously worried about Roel's injury). Hilary, having harbored a secret crush on Roel ever since they first met, rushes over, only to find that Roel has lost his memory. So she decides to play along, hoping to create a few memories with Roel before he remembers everything and sends her away again...

Jasper Fforde Literary Adventures

2004-08-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

I have a new author to worship - get chick lit meets serious dead old dudes. I've read the first few pages of Jasper Fforde's "The Eyre Affair". In Fforde's world, Britain is politically separated -- no United Kingdom, just the Republics/Kingdoms of Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales. Literature is the cool thing to do -- it's pop culture, and has cult status. You tour dead famous authors' houses like we would the White House. People buy knockoff first editions of famous prose on the street, then complain when they find out it's fake. There's a special police corps especially to police literature. Time is fluid. This is a COOL world! If you liked J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter schoolbooks, you'll find the turn of phrase and wit refreshingly familiar. For the literary fanatic, you'll get all the inside jokes. For the literarily unversed, get a crash course in Great Works.

Sleepover (Movie 2001)

2004-08-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie''s plot.

The trailer was actually better than the movie -- it captured the funnest parts, but the movie itself wasn't too bad. It was a nice B-grade preteen chick flick.

Premise: Julie invites 3 other girls over to her house for a sleepover after their junior high graduation: her best friend Hannah, who's moving away, and 2 other girls. Stacie, an ex-friend (from elementary school), who is in the popular crowd, challenges Julie and her friends to a scavenger hunt -- including, among various things, a guy's underwear (who Julie has a crush on). The winners get to eat their high school lunches by a coveted fountain. The losers have to eat by the dumpsters. Complicating matters is that Julie's parents have said they can't go out, so Julie enlists her brother to cover for them while they go on the hunt. The movie ends with a typical happy ending -- they win the scavenger hunt and 2 of the girls (Julie and another girl, who's shy and overweight) get their guy.

It's not very realistic in that you can't really expect the popular girls to keep their word. The dumpster spot is a VERY nasty place (smelly, gummy, etc). And there are no witnesses.

But I still thought it was okay; Probably the best line in the movie is Hannah telling Julie: "We're not talking about a lunch spot, we're talking about who you're gonna be." And Julie's crush was not a bad looking guy.

Recommended Yes

Movie: Day After Tomorrow (spoiler)

2004-08-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Even if I hadn't already known, I would have guessed by watching this movie that either the director or screenwriter, or both, had been heavily involved with Independence Day (the movie where Will Smith smacks some alien butt --- wait, there are two of those -- it's the one that happens on the 4th of July).

Premise:
It's ok for people who were really into Independence Day, and the weather was kind of cool. It had a LOT of holes :

Dennis Quaid, who plays the father, treks to New York from halfway between Washington DC and NYC? In snowshoes, and what is supposedly WAY sub-zero temperatures? Excusez moi?

His courageous doctor-wife who stays behind for a sick kid who can't be moved until the emergency services come (if they come at all). Heartwarming, but not if it seems pointless. There just doesn't seem to be a benefit in her staying. The kid's asleep and it's not as if they would normally have a 24-7 bedside watcher.

The superfast rate of freezing (within seconds)

The open chimney in the library -- the librarian said it hadn't been used for years, so the flume should have been shut off a long time ago, otherwise they would've had major dirt and wet problems whenever it rained or snow melted.

Jake Gyllenhal, who plays the kid, seems pretty blah here. And his budding romance with his teammate is not very electric.

What I liked: The vice-president; everyone says he's probably modeled on Dick Cheney, the real-life American VP, but he actually seems like a normal guy who realizes and admits when he's right (true, it took the entire U.S. getting frozen over to do this, but come on, would YOU believe a crazy meteorologist who says we're going to be in a new ice age in a few weeks?)

Recommended: Yes

Horatio Hornblower series (C.S. Forester)

2004-08-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Category: Military Adventures These books were written a long time ago, but they still have plenty of magic in them. They're about a (fictional) famous sea captain, Horatio Hornblower, and traces his adventures from his start as a midshipman to a British Lord and navy Admiral. Hornblower is a really cool character because he's multidimensional -- with flaws and weaknesses, he can be moody, irritable, shy, but he is always human, and with a warmth that makes you care for him. The books were written out of order, and should be read in this order:

	Mr. Midshipman Hornblower: The early career of Horatio Hornblower of the British Royal Navy is traced in a series of adventurous episodes. They illustrate the quick thinking, brilliant intuition, and decisiveness characteristic of our hero and leave him with the rank of lieutenant. 1950
	Hornblower during the Crisis: There are three stories in this novel. Read the "Hornblower's Temptation," which takes place before the events in Lieutenant Hornblower, an Irishman condemned to die wants Hornblower to undertake an apparently innocuous assignment. 1967
	Lieutenant Hornblower: Hornblower emerges from his apprenticeship as midshipman to assume the responsibilities forced upon him by the war between Napoleon and Spain, and his career on board the HMS Renown up to his promotion to commodore is followed. Peace with France prevents his obtaining a command, and he is forced to earn a living playing whist in a club. 1952
	Hornblower and the Hotspur: Commander Hornblower marries Maria in England and soon afterward sails for duty off the French coast. War breaks out with France, involving Hornblower in a land raid and in several sea battles. 1962
	Hornblower during the Crisis: Read "Hornblower during the Crisis" (but not the other 2 stories). This was C.S. Forester's last Hornblower novel, and he died before he could finish writing it. Hornblower receives a promotion to captain and is relieved of his command of the Hotspur. When the new captain is court-martialed, Horatio is asked to testify. It continues on with Hornblower's idea of forging a letter from Napoleon and slipping it into a French captain's hand, leading the captain to come out and fight. 1967
	Hornblower and the Atropos: The captain's adventures include organizing the water part of Admiral Nelson's funeral procession, the recovery of treasure from a sunken ship, and two sea battles. 1953
	Beat to Quarters: Hornblower commands a frigate and is sent to Nicaragua to assist an uprising against the Spanish. He works first with and then against the mad El Supremo and warily agrees to give Lady Barbara transport to England. This was C.S. Forester's first novel, and I actually didn't like it as much as the others (esp. disliked Lady Barbara). 1937
	A Ship of the Line: Captain Hornblower and HMS Sutherland join forces blockading the Spanish coast in the Napoleonic conflict. In a battle with the French (4 against 1), the Sutherland is severely damaged, with 2/3 of the crew wounded or killed, and Hornblower is taken captive. The Sutherland's actions enable the British navy to win the Battle of Rosas. 1938 For more detailed geographic info, read Jetse C. Reijenga's essay.
	Flying Colours: Napoleon charges Hornblower with piracy, and the prisoner, his first mate Bush, and his servant (coxswain Brown) are escorted toward Paris. Brilliant escapes (especially handicapped with Bush, who's lost his foot and is still recovering), shelter by a French royalist, and a recapture of a British ship allow them to reach England, where Hornblower learns of the death of his wife, and faces a courtmartial for the loss of his ship in the previous book "A Ship of the Line". His escape comes at a fortuitous time for the British government, which had sorely needed a heroic figure for the public. 1939
	Commodore Hornblower: Hornblower is now married to Lady Barbara, but just as he's feeling restless in his new role as a squire, orders come from the Admiralty about a delicate mission to Russia and works with Colonel von Clausewitz in the Baltic. He is to convince Russia and Sweden not to join Bonaparte, with the threat of Napoleon's armies hovering on Russia's borders. 1945
	Lord Hornblower: Hornblower quells a mutiny, becomes governor of a French seaport, and helps defeat Napoleon. He becomes a peer of the realm, but declines to go to the Council of Vienna with his wife and his brother-in-law, the Duke of Wellington. 1946
	Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies: It is peacetime, but Hornblower works to prevent Bonapartists from rescuing Napoleon from St. Helena, suffers capture by pirates, and observes the triumph of Simon Bolivar. Returning home to England with Lady Barbara, Hornblower saves her and the crew from death in a hurricane. 1958
	Hornblower during the Crisis, and Two Stories: "Hornblower's Temptation" and "The Last Encounter": "The Last Encounter," concerns a meeting with Napoleon in 1848. 1967
	Hornblower Companion: A really cool illustrated guide to Hornblower's universe. For the Horny fanatic. =) Other relevant links: Technical Innovations in the Hornblower Series - Jetse C. Reijenga

MiniSeries BBC even produced a really cool miniseries.

	Horatio Hornblower: The Complete Adventures: The first 4 Horny movies were based on "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower"; the next 2 movies were based on "Lieutenant Hornblower."
	Horatio Hornblower: The New Adventures (Loyalty/Duty): I haven't seen the latest 2 movies yet.