Doubt

Official Site: "John Patrick Shanley brings his play Doubt to the screen, in a story about the blind quest for truth, the forces of change, and the devastating consequences of blind justice in an age defined by moral conviction."

Out this on your must-see list for the Oscar race. Streep and Hoffman play powerfully well of each other . . . of THAT there is no doubt.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Jacket: "In a world where people born with an extreme skill - called a Grace - are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises; the Grace of killing.  She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn  new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone."

This is a remarkable debut novel for Kristin Cashore. Once I picked it up I was transported to the world of the seven kingdoms and did not want to leave. 

This is a novel for young adults. If you read to middle-schoolers you may want to jump over the few sex bits - just a warning. Then again, "Gossip Girl" is far, far worse.

Priceless (Hors de Prix) on DVD

Jacket: "On the French Riviera nothing comes cheap. And when it comes to men, Irene(Audrey Tatou) has very rich taste. One very confusing night, she is duped at her own game. Her knight in shining armour turns out to have no shine at all. Irene, however, is the woman of Jean's dreams. The only way to win her heart back is to turn the tables on her."

This is a cute and quirky film. Tatou fans should not be disappointed. 

The Best Way to Store Books

from Real Simple:

Q. What’s the best way to store books?

A.The ideal place to store books is pest-free, like an attic or a garage, as long as those spaces aren’t subject to big temperatures changes and are well ventilated. Never keep books in a humid spot; the mold that grows in damp places will damage them, along with any other paper-based objects. And don’t wrap books in plastic bags, plastic wrap, or foil, which encourage mold.

Click link for full article.

CJ7

Yahoo! Movies: "Ti is a poor father who works all day, everyday at a construction site to make sure his son Dicky Chow can attend an elite private school. Despite his father's good intentions to give his son the opportunities he never had, Dicky, with his dirty and tattered clothes and none of the "cool" toys, stands out from his schoolmates like a sore thumb. Ti can't afford to buy Dicky any expensive toys and goes to the best place he knows to get new stuff for Dicky--the junk yard! While out "shopping" for a new toy for his son, Ti finds a mysterious orb and brings it home for Dicky to play with. To his surprise and disbelief, the orb reveals itself to Dicky as a bizarre "pet" with extraordinary powers. Armed with his "CJ7" Dicky seizes this chance to overcome his poor background and shabby clothes and impress his fellow schoolmates for the first time in his life. But CJ7 has other ideas and when Dicky brings it to class, chaos ensues."

This was very, very cute.

Journey to the Center of the Earth on DVD

Jacket: "Brendan Fraser stars in this action-packed adventure based on the Jules Verne classic ... On a hunch to find the center of the earth, Trevor Anderson (Fraser), his nephew and their tour guide make a breakthrough discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey into the unknown. On a scramble to find their way back, the group travels through a never-before-seen world, encountering creatures and objects never imagined."

This is pretty much your typical Fraser film. The kids will get a kick out of it and maybe you too.

Horton Hears a Who on DVD

Wikipedia: "In the Jungle of Nool on May 15, a caring, imaginative elephant named Horton (Jim Carrey), the jungle's nature teacher, takes a dip in the pool. A dust speck floats past him in the air, and he hears a tiny yelp coming from it. Believing that an entire family of microscopic creatures are living on that speck, he places it on top of a clover that he holds in his trunk."

This is entertaining for the whole family. I had to watch it due to an internal joke with the Oceanic 6.

Smart People

Jacket: "... get to know a lovable yet dysfunctional family everyone can relate to in this lighthearted comedy ... When Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) - a widowed and self-absorbed professor - falls for his attractive former student (sarah Jessica Parker), his all-too-predictable life suddenly turns sunny-side up. That is, until his freeloading brother (Thomas Haden Church) and his sharp-tongued overachieving daughter speak up, making "chaos" the word of the day."

Tropic Thunder on DVD

Jacket: "When three of Hollywood's biggest stars head into the jungles of Vietnam to shoot a war movie, they have no idea how real things can get. Starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder is the most unexpected and controversial movie of the year."

This is so stupid it's funny. I was very surprised I liked it.

Wanted on DVD

Wikipedia: "Wanted is a 2008 action film which is very loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann and Terence Stamp.

... Comic book author Mark Millar described the first half of the film as being close to the graphic novel. Millar also said that the film's ending was similar, though it was relocated elsewhere from the setting in the graphic novel. The superhero costumes in the series were also removed, with the exception of the leather attire worn by Wesley Gibson and Fox. Ironically, this had been Millar's intent when writing the graphic novel, although he and artist J. G. Jones had forgotten to. "I wanted them to have those powers and then just wear those costumes for the initiation, but just for one panel." he said. "And then I forgot. I’d have liked [the filmmakers] to keep the supervillain mythos. That’s one thing I’m kind of sad they didn’t keep, ’cause I really liked that, the idea that supervillains and heroes did exist at one point and they’re all gone now."^[13] The story arc of the Fates issuing death orders in line with the series' original theme of predestination was a new element to the film, an addition to which Millar was amicable.<sup>[17]

...</sup> In the comics press, Erik Amaya of Comic Book Resources said, "The film's biggest faults lie in how far it strays from the source", and that, "If you've ever seen any movie about leather-clad assassins, you already know how this film plays out. The speed and skill of the movie-making balance out those faults, however".^[33] Tom McLean of Newsarama noted that while the story deviated strongly from the source, the movie "stands out as a highly entertaining action film that preserves the comic's core premise and cheeky attitude while taking the story into very different but still satisfying territory."<sup>[34]

This film has a weak story, but it is almost balanced out by the action scenes.</sup>

The X Files: I Want to Believe on DVD

Official Site: "David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson re-team to unravel a bizarre case right out of the X-Files. In the blink of an eye, amidst a bone-chilling cold and an eerily deceptive calm, FBI agent Monica Bannan is mysteriously abducted. But this is no ordinary kidnapping. And not only does the search for the missing woman ignite sparks between partners Scully and Mulder, it defies the boundries of science, the supernatural and the spaces in between!"

As mentioned above, this was like one of the TV show episodes ... only much longer.

The Dark Knight on DVD

Jacket: "... With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective. But soon the three find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante."

Heath Ledger gives a mind-blowing performance as the Joker. This is a must see and own this year. Look for special DVD collector editions!

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian on DVD

Jacket: "The magical world of C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy comes to life once again in Prince Caspian, the second installment of The Chronicles of Narnia series. Join Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, the mighty and majestic Aslan, friendly new Narnian creatures and Prince Caspian as they lead the Narnians on a remarkable journey to restore peace and glory to their enchanted land."

Wikipedia:

"In Narnia, 1,300 years after the Pevensie siblings left, Caspian, a Telmarine prince, is awoken by his mentor Doctor Cornelius, who informs him that his aunt has just given birth to a son and that his life is now in grave danger. Cornelius gives him Queen Susan's ancient magical horn and instructs him to use it if he is in dire need of help. Knowing that his Uncle Miraz would kill him in order to be king, Caspian flees. Chased by several Telmarine soldiers, Caspian falls off his horse and encounters two Narnian dwarfs and a talking badger in the woods. One of the dwarfs, Trumpkin, is captured by the soldiers after sacrificing himself to save Caspian, while the other dwarf, Nikabrik, and the badger Trufflehunter, save Caspian. Not knowing that they are trying to save him, Caspian blows the magical horn, trying to summon help.

In England it's now 1941 and the four Pevensie children wait at the Strand tube station for their train which will take them to boarding school. One year has passed in their world after they left Narnia. Just as the train pulls into the station, the walls start sucking in, and the whole station tears apart which transports the Pevensies back to Narnia."

This was an entertaining sequel (book 4 of the series) to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." There is hint of another sequel which may be based on "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

Seth MacFarlane Named the Smartest Person in TV

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 3, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) -- Who says cartoons are for kids? ''Family Guy'' and ''American Dad'' creator Seth MacFarlane tops Entertainment Weekly's list of the 25 smartest people in television.

The magazine says ''Family Guy'' DVDs and merchandise have earned a reported $1 billion. MacFarlane is the highest-paid writer on TV, with a ''Family Guy'' spinoff called ''The Cleveland Show'' in the works.

Says Entertainment Weekly: ''That frat-boy persona is only a cover.''

''30 Rock'' creator and Sarah Palin imitator Tina Fey is second on the magazine's list. CBS Paramount Network Entertainment chief Nancy Tellem is third. Oprah Winfrey came in sixth.

The Longshots

Yahoo Movies:
"Curtis Plummer -- a down-on-his-luck former high school football star -- turns his niece, Jasmine, into the quarterback of the local team, the Minden Browns, and gets his stride back when he becomes the team coach. With Curtis as their new leader and their pigtail-wearing star player, this team of misfits wins its way to the Pop Warner Super Bowl and the small city of Minden, Illinois, is ignited with team spirit, town pride and the glory it once knew."

A formulaic, family flick you won't mind watching with the kids.

OSS 117: Nest of Spies on DVD

Yahoo! Movies: "It is 1955 and OSS 117 is sent to the Egyptian capital to execute a whole shopping list of items for the French Secret Service, including investigating the death of his friend and erstwhile Cairo-based spy, controlling the Suez Canal and establishing peace in the Middle East. OSS 177 is just the man for these missions: he does not have a clue but is very lucky in getting what he wants."

I couldn't get into this and fell asleep watching it.

Hancock on DVD

Jacket: "... Will Smith ... [is] Hancock, a sarcastic, hard-living and misunderstood superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public.

When Hancock grudgingly agrees to an extreme makeover from idealistic publicist Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), his life and reputation rise from the ashes and all seems right again - until he meets a woman (Charlize Theron) with similar powers to his and the key to his secret past."

The concept of the wayward and disgruntled superhero is far more exciting than was actually executed here. Although hard-drinking and foul-mouthed I didn't believe Will Smith as that character. He was still a 'lil too smooth, too well-groomed for someone supposedly living on the streets.

It had its expected funny moments, so it's worth the rental.