Read the books before you judge the films – GoT and Florence Foster Jenkins
Game of Thrones has now ended, and amid the uproar about the storyline and perceived-as-unsatisfactory conclusion of the final season, despairingContinue Reading
Category: Discussion of film/TV series
The Genius of Genndy Tartakovsky – “Samurai Jack” returns one last time
I’m not an anime fan. I don’t do cosplay, and I generally like Hard Science Fiction more than novels aboutContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Reviews of short stories
The mystery of the misquoted quote from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”
Sometimes, a line from a book or a film just sounds to good to resist. It sticks in your headContinue Reading
Review in a compact video – Bloom County, by Berke Breathed
In my review of the return of the Bloom County comic strip, I had in my mind only the drawnContinue Reading
Backstories children’s book Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Trending
Oh dear, Mary Poppins Returns – here comes the spoonful of saccharine
The teaser trailer for the new film based on the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers was released to coincideContinue Reading
Backstories Cold Climate Novels for Summer Current events Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Trending
Classic crime fiction with a Canadian twist – The John Cardinal Series, by Giles Blunt
I watched the final episode of the second season of Cardinal, based on the books by Giles Blunt, on Feb. 8,Continue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of new book Trending
A portrait of stoicism and fortitude – Caroline, by Sarah Miller
What is the appeal of the old-fashioned stiff upper lip? Of a person with backbone, inner strength, dogged determination? Caroline,Continue Reading
Best of 2018 Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book Trending
It’s all about the blood…and how it drips! – The Thirst, by Jo Nesbo
The film adaptation of The Snowman by Jo Nesbø (Nesbo outside Norway) came out last year October. Directed by TomasContinue Reading
The Year in Books – Fancy yourself in a crowd?
Book blogs and book review aggregators exist because people like being part of a community that shares their interests. ThisContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction
Just way too wordy – The Hippopotamus, by Stephen Fry
I did not think that I would get tired of reading the heavily stylized and very British English of StephenContinue Reading
Art Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series List of similar books Review of historical fiction
It’s all in the timing – Film of Tulip Fever and exhibition of Vermeer’s paintings
With books, as with films, success depends a lot on the timing and the tie-ins. Whether it will resonate withContinue Reading
Backstories Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Literary analysis Mysteries and Thrillers
In the footsteps of fictional detectives – The rise of literary tourism
Popular TV shows that are based on series of books are often favourite sources for “literary tourism”, but when fansContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Reviews of Screenplays and Dramas
When the film is better than the book – A Man Called Ove
I think people fall into three categories: 1) those who read the book first, then go see the film ofContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of Autobiography Review of memoir
Goodbye, Sir Roger – My Word Is My Bond, by Roger Moore
You could be tempted to dismiss Roger Moore’s autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, as a bit of a joke,Continue Reading
Poor presentations detract from the messages at Worldcon 75
The first Academic Track session on the first day of Worldcon 75 (the 75th World Science Fiction Conference), on theContinue Reading
Why we think that fictional characters are real
The reboot of the TV series Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks: The Return premiered on the 21st of May, to a hugeContinue Reading
Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre Non-fiction Review of new book Review of new non-fiction
All the Best Lines, by George Tiffin
For New Year 2016 I engaged my brain to delve into some interesting new non-fiction. These are not obvious choicesContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of historical fiction Review of modern fiction Review of novel
The Big Business of Erotic Romances – Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
For the last in my series of festive season books, the theme is romance and erotica, and I have someContinue Reading
Corner Gas movie in production – Finally!
Since the Canadian sitcom series Corner Gas ended in 2009, people have been asking why it stopped and when itContinue Reading
The Comedy of Brent Butt and the Canadian Psyche – Corner Gas
In some countries, comedy is a serious business At the time that I relocated to Canada from South Africa, IContinue Reading
Milking a franchise – Let Me Off at the Top! by Ron Burgundy
“Ron Burgundy” is of course not the actual author of this book – it was penned by Will Ferrell andContinue Reading
