Review of Pain and Gain, Directed by Michael Bay “Don’t be a don’t-er, do be a doer.” Such is the motto of body-builders/gym-rats Danny Lugo, Paul Doyle, and Adrian Doorball (Marky Mark, the Rock, and Anthony Mackie). Okay, if we’re being all technical about it, it’s the motto of Johnny Wu—the hottest self-help guru to come along in the history of ever. But good advice is good advice, and Danny, Paul, and Adrian have decided to be doers instead of... Read more
A Review of Recipe for Joy, by Robin Davis By Jennilee Miller I like personal interest stories and I love to cook. And eat. So it wasn’t a tough sell for me to pick up “Recipe for Joy” when my husband encouraged me to check it out. “It’s a memoir about a woman’s journey of faith and it has recipes in it” he told me. I took the book with me to the salon for entertainment during my spring primping. ... Read more
Review of Casablanca, Directed by Michael Curtiz It’s December of 1941 in sunny, depressing Casablanca, where refugees flock in an attempt to flee the ravages of Nazi-infested Europe. They flock to Vichy-controlled Casablanca, and there they stay—unless Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) cares to bestow upon them the coveted exit visas that will allow them to catch the plane to Portugal and thence to freedom. These visas are a precious commodity, and Renault is careful only to trade them for... Read more
Review of The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World by Melissa B. Kruger By ALEXIS NEAL Covetousness is a mother sin. […I]t is a breach of all the ten commandments. ~Thomas Watson Have you ever considered that the Ten Commandments begin and end with virtually the same commandment—‘You shall have no other gods before me’ and ‘You shall not covet’? These are almost equivalent commands. Coveting is desiring anything other than God in a way that betrays a... Read more
Review of The Secret of NIMH, Directed by Don Bluth Mrs. Brisby has a serious problem. Her youngest son, Timmy, has a nasty fever. Which would be problem enough, but it’s getting to be plow season. This is bad news for field mice (like the Brisbys) and other such critters currently living in a field on the Fitzgibbons’ farm. Normally, the Brisbys would just relocate, but little Timmy can’t be moved, and Mrs. Brisby is at her wits’ end. The... Read more
Oblivion, directed by Joseph Kosinski, stars Tom Cruise and depicts a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world in which sentient AI conquers Earth. It blends action, mystery, and philosophy in a unique way that is worth experiencing, even in 2023. Plot Summary Oblivion tells the story of Jack Harper (played with action hero aplomb by Tom Cruise), a “drone technician” two weeks from retirement in March 2077. An extended voiceover at the beginning of the movie over scenes of decimated DC and New York... Read more
Review of Disconnect, Directed by Henry Alex Rubin Disconnect gives us four stories about people growing estranged from one another and how they reach a breaking point, only to find that reconnection is still possible. The narrative struggles with the growing disconnectedness in an American society awash in social media and communication technologies; and this flood inundates both young and old alike. The storyline is built around three families (Boyds, Dixons, and Hulls) and an odd couple. The Boyds are... Read more
Review of The Evangelical Heritage by Bernard Ramm Bernard Ramm’s short book The Evangelical Heritage, traces the development of evangelical thought from the origins of Christianity to the present day. He reviews major theological developments and arguments in the history of Christianity and discusses what relevance they have for the evangelical today, what positions evangelical theology typically has taken on the big questions, and what Christian thinkers and thoughts have come to form our heritage. Ramm’s writing is clear and to the... Read more
Review of More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity by Jeff Shinabarger Is your closet overflowing? Do the contents of your storage area threaten to overwhelm anyone unwise enough to peek inside? Does your junk drawer need a junk drawer? If so, Jeff Shinabarger’s More or Less might be the book for you. Shinabarger is a man on a mission—a mission to find out just how much is ‘enough.’ Through a series of creative experiences, he and his family/friends/acquaintances... Read more
Review of Swamplandia! by Karen Russell Although Swamplandia! somehow stole one of the three finalist positions for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, the book lacks the strength to compete at that level. It is a simple exile-and-return story of a family. The only element that might keep readers interested would be Karen Russell’s ingenuity in crafting fun sentences and a fantastical world where a child’s perspective and reality meld into one. Swamplandia! spins a tale about the Bigtree clan,... Read more
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