Bad Fame - Book Review

Published June 2015

Bad Fame - Martin McGovern A-

These poems snuck up on me, surprised me, and set up camp in my imagination. McGovern's humble debut collection is carefully plotted, artfully humanistic, and quietly resilient. I also love the book's cover image (courtesy of Joslyn Winters). My favorite poems include:

Blue
All Hallows Eve / Anniversary
Tonight Mars is over by the Moon, Look
For Charles and Mary Lamb
Hospital Corner
I Feel Guilty Watch You Sleep

Gone Girl - Book Review

Published June 2012

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn A

So far-fetched; yet, so well-written. At times, Gone Girl felt so real it hurt... the mark of a great novel.

Check out the trailer for the film adaptation starring Ben Affleck & Rosamund Pike courtesy of YouTube (both the book and film are highly recommended). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-_-1nJf8Vg

Obscenely Yours - Book Review

Published April 2013

Obscenely Yours - Angelo Nikolopoulos B

These poems will seduce you with body, but you will love them for their (filthy) mind. Smart lyrical poems that are more self-conscious than sexy. More Grindr than glam. My favs include;

Take the Body Out
Obscenely Yours: Scene One
Obscenely Yours: Scene Two and Three
Obscenely Yours: Deleted Scene
Yours
Self Suck
Obscenely Yours: Scene Eight

Ghostbusters - Movie Review

Ghostbusters (PG-13) 116 mins D
Busted!

Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones,

Ghostbusters is back... and it's sorta terrible. Directed by Paul Feig, I was initially optimistic upon hearing about the all-female ghostbusting crew. But, not even this talented and funny quartet of actresses can save this campy, corny and totally forgettable reboot.

The trailer courtesy of YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ugHP-yZXw

Girl on the Train - Book Review

Published January 2015 

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins A

This novel has plenty of suspenseful misdirection, longing, and compelling characters. There's a lot going on here, but it's all a part of the psychological thrill ride. Buckle up, pay attention and enjoy! 

For more on Paula Hawkins and book take a look at the following link via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoXg_jadu5E

Someone Please Have Sex With Me - Book Review

Published May 2016

Someone Please Have Sex With Me - Gina Wynbrandt C

The cover and the title alone was enough to make me pick up Gina Wynbrandt's debut, Someone Please Have Sex With Me. Not to mention the good reviews I read beforehand. I wanted to like this book, but I knew It wasn't for me when I realized the heroine's object of desire was Justin Bieber. I appreciate her humor, her style, her softly colored panels that nicely perpetuated the whimsy and lust. However, neither Biebz nor the stories resonated as much as I hoped they might.

The Night of the Gun - Book Review

Published August 2008

The Night of the Gun - David Carr  C+

Some addiction memoirs read like fiction. This one, not so much. David Carr's life was certainly tumultuous and slightly blurred. The Night of the Gun unabashedly recounts his life story via his own investigative reporting. Carr interviewed friends, family, colleagues and drug buddies. The book includes photographs, legal documents and police reports, all in an effort to get the story straight. The Night of the Gun is an admirable effort; but, it got old fast. There were interesting and revealing moments (Tom Arnold selling info to the National Enquirer), and moments that made me want to know more (Jayson Blair's plagiarism). But, first and foremost this is a story about addiction. I was hoping for more insight on his journalistic career and journalism in general.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie - Movie Review

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (R) 91 mins D-
Unfortunately Awful

Starring: Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, Jon Hamm, Kate Moss, Chris Colfer, Jane Horrocks, Joan Collins, Lulu, Emma Bunton

Full disclosure, I never watched Absolutely Fabulous the television show. However, I saw he trailer for the film and thought it looked kooky and fun. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie was like an inside joke I didn't get. I don't know how much the film differs from the television show, but the film was dreadful. I kept waiting and hoping it would get better. It didn't, and it's too bad because Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley seem like very likable talents. Too silly for me.

For more, check out this trailer via YouTube ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj3ZWhlmexw

Don't Think Twice- Movie Review

Don't Think Twice (R) 92 mins B+
Hope and Change and Comedy

Starring: Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Maggie Kemper, Mike Birbiglia, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Gethard, Tami Sagher, Richard Masur, Seth Barrish and Adam Pally

Don't Think Twice was not as funny as I hoped. But, it is a well-crafted humanistic film that is both entertaining and affecting. The film follows six members of a New York improvisational troupe. A tight knit group of friends honing their skills and striving toward the same goal- to earn a spot on the popular comedy show Weekend Live (a fictional Saturday Night Live). However, when one member gets his lucky break it changes the group dynamic. It motivates the remaining five members in various ways. The triangle of success, jealousy and friendship is well-charted territory in film. Nevertheless, writer-director Mike Birbiglia makes this film stand out because his characters are believable. They are characters you'll care about, laugh with and maybe even shed a tear for.

Watch the trailer via YouTube----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RFTpObS95U

Cafe Society - Movie Review

Café Society (PG-13) 96 mins B+
You can't always get what you want

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Parker Posey, Steve Carell, Blake Lively, Corey Stoll, Sari Lennick

In his 47th film, Woody Allen proves once again why he is my favorite filmmaker. At the rip old age of 80, Allen is still making films that move me. He is still venturing into new cinematic territory. Café Society is the writer-director's first film using digital cameras, and his first with multiple Oscar winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

In this nostalgic love story, fresh-faced Bobby Dorfman (Eisenberg) leaves his working class roots of Bronx, New York for the glitz and glamour Tinseltown. Bobby hopes to land a job with his highfalutin uncle (Carell), a name-dropping Hollywood talent agent. Bobby gets the job, meets a girl (Stewart), and cultivates network of friends. Yet, the film is a reminder that you can't always get what you want, even when you seemingly have it all. Café Society is a bittersweet delight, convincingly played by Eisenberg and surprisingly charmed because of Stewart.

Watch the trailer via YouTube---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2c1y1HT0yo