The Desert Spear (2010) – Peter V. Brett

The second book in Peter Brett’s Demon Cycle series finds its way to the Book Shelf this week, and it is as captivating as the first while continue to world build, pick up story threads, and throw now beloved characters into new scenarios and choices. A fast-paced read, Brett crafts Desert Spear with an eye…

A Star is Born (1937) – William A. Wellman & Jack Conway

The next film on the What Else To Watch list as I delve into the fascinating The Movie Book from DK Books is the very enjoyable, A Star is Born. While this one has been remade a few times, I had never seen any incarnation of it, so I was definitely pleased to start with…

American Graffiti (1973) – George Lucas

George Lucas’ nostalgic American Graffiti is the next stop on the list of recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Jailhouse Rock. While not a musical in the technical sense of breaking into song and dance, the music and the voice of deejay Wolfman Jack play an…

Doctor Who (David Tennant) – The Family of Blood, and Blink

The story started last week in Human Nature comes to a conclusion this week in The Family of Blood, and sees the Doctor (Tennant) making some difficult choices, and sacrificing a chance at love and a life of quiet happiness. Based on his novel, Human Nature, which featured the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), Paul Cornell…

Arrival (2016) – Denis Villeneuve

First contact. The interpretation of words. How we communicate both person to person, and mass media. The very perception of our existence. These are all at work in Canadian director Villeneuve’s latest film. A hard science fiction tale that eschews lasers and space battles for deeper concepts like the way we interact and understand one…

The Crowd (1928) – King Vidor

  The first recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of American Beauty, takes me all the way back to 1928, to this silent film, that follows the tale of Mary (Eleanor Boardman) and John Sims (James Murray), as they struggle to survive and thrive, pursuing their hopes, as…

At Middleton (2013) – Adam Rodgers

  Available now from Anchor Bay Canada, is this delightful film, At Middleton, starring Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga. It’s a tale of regrets, life, choices, love, second chances, and a perfect day. So of course it takes place at the symbolic crossroads of life… a university. Andy Garcia is George Hartman, Vera Farmiga is…