The conventional wisdom seems to be that the second season of AMC’s Breaking Bad-Spinoff/prequel “Better Call Saul” was better than the first season. And, as usual, the conventional wisdom is wrong. The second season was actually worse than the first on almost every level. The first season had a couple of early missteps (like Tuco…
Category: Mindless Mondays
Movie Review: “Midnight Special” is One of the Best Movies This Year
I’ve been complaining for a while that movies are too beholden to the sci-fi/fantasy/comic-book tastes that seem to be overpowering films about real people. Well, “Cloverfield Lane” and especially “Midnight Special” show you can get around that problem by making a sci-fi film that would play just as well at the Toronto Film Festival as…
Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane
Yeah, yeah, better late than never. And in this case, it really is since this is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year along with the equally unpredictable sci-fi film “Midnight Special” which I’ll review tomorrow. What Works: Sadly, it feels like most of the people who were going to see this already have,…
Movie Review: Batman Vs. Superman
Sadly, this movie is as bad as you’ve heard. Even though my hopes weren’t high going in, it was a heart-rending experience to have them dashed completely as I sat through one of the worst DC-Comics movies ever made. And I really, really don’t enjoy saying that. What Works: Well, uhhh…ummm…well, there’s a pretty good sequence…
Movie Review: “Eye in the Sky”
“Eye in the Sky” is the drone’s eye military thriller playing in limited release that some people may vaguely remember from advertisements that make it look about as compelling as watching people play Halo in YouTube “reviews.” I feel conflicted about this movie as there’s many things that work about it even if the overall whole is…
Showtime Keeps Their Unlikable Character Streak Alive with “Billions”
Last night saw the season finale of Showtime’s newest original drama “Billions.” And I wish I could say the show was an unqualified success, although I do like parts of it and think about half the show is really worth watching. It’s become apparent that the biggest roadblock to fully enjoying any Showtime series is getting around their unlikable…
“People Vs. OJ” Still Relevant to Justice System Vs. Minorities
When the series “The People Vs. OJ Simpson” started, it took several weeks for me to even begin watching it. I just couldn’t find a way to get interested in an OJ Simpson trial that I thought I already knew a lot about and was already the most overly publicized trial in my lifetime. All in all,…
Defending Obama’s Foreign Policy
One of the things most often criticzed about the Obama presidency is his foreign policy. Even some of his strongest supporters offer up a vague mea culpa that mistakes were made and the half-hearted defense that Obama is “better than Bush.” Well I’d say that’s an understatement for the ages. Obama is not merely “better…
Book Reviews: The “Red Rising” Trilogy, “Golden Son,” and “Morning Star”
I’ve covered these books extensively before, but the final part of the trilogy came out recently, and it’s time to once again tell you about the best book series you’ve never heard of. I’m not sure why “Red Rising” hasn’t gotten the attention of “Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” “5th Wave,” “Legend,” or any of the other…
The Best Books of 2015…
What were the best books of 2015? Keep reading, and feel free to mention any you think I might’ve forgotten… Honorable Mentions: The Explorer’s Guild…I wouldn’t call it a particularly great book (I only gave it a “B” grade) but it is one of the most unusual and oddly old-fashioned books of last year, and…
Book Reviews: Under Tiberius, The Cartel, and The Winter Family
Three historical novels (well, kind-of in The Cartel’s case) that also happen to be among the very best novels of 2015. The periods depicted: the history of the drug war, the history of America’s war (Civil, Indian, and for Civilization itself), and the creation of the Jesus myth no less. Under Tiberius by Nick Tosches…Tosches…
Book Reviews: Badlands, Vanishing Games
Two great thrillers that might be dismissed because of their genre, but should be considered for any year end best lists… Badlands by C.J. Box…It’s technically a sequel to “The Highway” but deals only a little bit with the events of that book (and it’s still-at-large deadly serial killer) and I’m not sure why it…
Book Reviews: Explorer’s Guild, Zebulon Finch, Sword of Honor, Laurus, Man Who Spoke Snakish
I’ve got a certain soft spot for old-fashioned, epic adventure novels, although not all of them are created equal–as you’ll soon see… The Explorer’s Guild: Vol. 1 by John Baird and Kevin Costner…[Although who knows how much of it Costner actually wrote as this might be too long even for the director of notoriously overlong films.]…