Review of A Good Day to Die Hard, Directed by John Moore By ALEXIS NEAL Where does our favorite modern-day cowboy go on vacation to get away from it all? Why, Mother Russia, of course, to track down his missing son—an apparent ne’er do well who’s been incarcerated (in Russia) for unknown reasons. McClane quickly discovers that his son Jack, far from being a shiftless punk criminal, is in fact a real live spy (albeit not a terribly bright one).... Read more
Both Ethan and Lena want to escape—Ethan wants to get out of his backwoods South Carolina town (I forget the name, but does it really matter?), while Lena wants to escape being forced to be a “Caster” for the side of either good or evil. Sounds like two completely different problems, right? Wrong. So very, very, wrong. In fact, the similarity between the two sets of circumstances draws Ethan and Lena together and gives them the strength to overcome the... Read more
Review of The Mummy, Directed by Karl Freund By ALEXIS NEAL You really should know better than to read aloud anything you find in an ancient tomb in Cairo. But when the long-lost Scroll of Thoth is discovered, a certain archaeologist’s assistant decides to do just that: read it aloud—and in the presence of the mummified remains of the priest Imhotep, no less. It is hardly surprising, then, when the archaeologist returns to find that his assistant, clearly already deeply... Read more
Review of Quiet by Susan Cain By COYLE NEAL Do you prefer your own company to that of others? Do you prefer a quiet evening at home to a drunken kegger? Do you wish that in addition to blocking sight the walls of your office blocked sound and other evidences of human existence? If so, you are an introvert, and probably also a sociopath on the way to becoming a full-fledged serial killer. Or at least, that’s what the culture... Read more
Review of Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment By KENDRICK KUO In commemoration of Warner Bros. 90th anniversary the studio has released a feature-length documentary about the grounds and the stories brought to the screen on its campus. The entire film takes place on site–in fact, it was a non-negotiable that all actors interviewed for the documentary had to be physically present on the Warner Bros. lot. In making a documentary about a geographically located... Read more
Review of Side Effects, Directed by Steven Soderbergh By KENDRICK KUO Rating: 7/10 Side Effects has generated a lot of buzz, partly because the director, Steve Soderbergh, has kept his lips sealed about what the movie is about, besides of course that it’s a pharmaceutical thriller; and pre-release viewers have also shown respect in not revealing the plot twists. The buzz is also due to the fact that this may be Soderbergh’s last film for a while (Liberace being released... Read more
Review of Follow Me by David Platt By COYLE NEAL David Platt will mess you up. Or at least, his books will. When they’re not convicting you of being a fat, lazy American who doesn’t have much faith but has far too much comfort and stuff, they’re challenging you to live as if you are actually a Christian. In a sense, Radical, Radical Together, and now Follow Me are all extended meditations on 1 John 1:6 If we say we... Read more
Review of Quartet, Directed by Dustin Hoffman, and Amour, Directed by Michael Haneke By CHRISTIAN HAMAKER After seven Oscar nominations and two wins as an actor, Dustin Hoffman moves behind the camera for Quartet, his official directorial debut. (The actor co-directed Straight Time in 1978, but went uncredited.) The results aren’t award-worthy, but they’re pleasant enough, and they stand in stark contrast to Amour, another film about the life of the elderly, but one that has generated five Oscar nominations.... Read more
Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Directed by Benh Zeitlin By KENDRICK KUO Beasts of the Southern Wild has taken top prizes at Sundance and Cannes and has now racked up nominations at the Oscars. The talk of the town is Quvenzhané Wallis. A six year old at the time of filming, and now eight, the young actress plays Hushpuppy, a girl who lives with her father, Wink, in a Louisiana bayou town. The town is dubbed The Bathtub... Read more
Review of Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan by Frank L. Holt By COYLE NEAL If you are not familiar with Frank Holt, I’m not terribly surprised. In one sense he is an obscure academic working in an obscure corner of academia. Specifically, he is an expert in Central Asian numismatics—the study of coins. (If you struggle with insomnia, pick up virtually any academic book on numismatics and try to read more than a few pages.)... Read more
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