The Book Club

Four old friends get together every month to discuss a book they have all read. They’ve been doing this for thirty years. This month it is that awful piece of trash (I admit, I haven’t read it, and I can’t imagine why I would) 50 Shades of Grey. It’s sexier than their usual fare. The book leads them to confront problems in their real lives. I wish I could say I ... Read more »

The Book Thief

First, let’s get to the one thing I really didn’t like about this film. It is narrated by Death. Yeah, you know the dude, dressed all in black with a big scythe over his shoulder (though I’ve heard he has recently been seen operating a combine harvester). We were about halfway through before I was sure that’s who it was; before that I was wondering when we would see the character of the ... Read more »

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

So, is it as funny as all the hype made it out to be? Audiences love it, except those who hate it. Critics love it (89% positive at Metacritic, 92% at Rotten Tomatoes). We had to see, despite severe misgivings on both our parts. And I have to say, I didn’t find it funny at all …
… NOT!!! I laughed my ass off. I would Read more »

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids

Best Documentary Feature Oscar, 2004. The director, Zana Briski, went into the red light district of Calcutta to photograph the women of the streets. Lee and I felt that, at first, she was sort of slumming, hoping for some really cool shots of degradation and misery. But the adults (surprise!) didn’t want to be photographed much. And as time went by, she was moved by the plight of the ... Read more »

Born on the Fourth of July

Yeah, Tom Cruise is a total dingbat, and I really hate his proselytizing for those hucksters known as the “Church” (what a laugh) of Scientology … but I have to admit the dude can act. This is the true story of Ron Kovic, a gung-ho soldier from a gung-ho family, who got his spine broken by a bullet in Vietnam and never walked again. It is a truly harrowing story, not fun to look at, but no ... Read more »

Born to Dance

A showcase for Eleanor Powell’s dancing, and it has some glorious numbers. Jimmy Stewart is unfortunately cast as a sailor who gets in the usual romantic misunderstandings with her until it all works out well in the end. I say unfortunate because he is called on to sing, and his voice is thin, reedy, and high. He sings “Easy To Love,” by Cole Porter, as are all the songs. Buddy Ebsen ... Read more »

Born to Kill

Born to Kill (1947) Yet another noir film, and a good one, for a while. Directed by Robert Wise when he was still laboring in the B-movie factory, before he became a big name, from a novel by James Gunn (not the SF writer). It stars Claire Trevor and Audrey Long as half-sisters, one rich, one not rich. Walter Slezak is a sleazy private eye. Good old Elisha Cook, Jr., a reliable character ... Read more »

Born Yesterday

I’ve said before that Judy Holliday died far too young. This was her first starring role (she only had seven) and she won the Oscar, beating out Anne Baxter and Bette Davis in All About Eve and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. (A strong year for actresses!) She is the mistress of blowhard junkyard brutish millionaire Broderick ... Read more »

Bosch

I didn’t even know that Amazon was producing content now. One thing they’re doing is making seven or eight pilots every year and then letting the people who watch them vote on whether the series should continue. This one is based on the books by one of my favorite mystery writers, Michael Connelly, starring LAPD detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch. It is very, very faithful to the books. ... Read more »

Bosch

This will be a follow-up to my review of the pilot, which was shown on Amazon in 2014. It was voted in by Amazon Prime members, and a ten-episode series was made, and shown starting in early 2015.

We are big fans of the Michael Connelly books about Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller, though I like Harry a lot better. This series is quite faithful, combining three novels into one long ... Read more »