what Dave thinks about movies, books and everything
Here’s an updated version of this list, including soundtracks I discovered in 2017. The big winner for 2017 so far is John Williams for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I didn’t spent quite as much time listening to soundtracks in 2017 as I had in the previous few years. Year Winner Runner Ups Honourable Mentions […]
{5/5} “The only thing that would make our lives better is if we had our own comedy special.” Garfunkel and Oates: Trying to Be Special, aired in 2016 Garfunkel and Oates would like to have a TV special. They decide to put on a show that will function as a fundraiser — if they make […]
{3.5/5} “I’ll always be around, Scully, offering bulletproof theories of genius that you fail to assail with your inadequate rationality.” The X-Files season 11, aired in 2018 Scully has a seizure. She has visions of the Cigarette Smoking Man and his plan to use a plague to wipe out most of humanity, including Mulder. She […]
{5/5} “Not everything’s a puzzle, Murdoch. Sometimes people are just crackers.” — Inspector Brackenreid Murdoch Mysteries season 11, aired in 2017-18 William has been framed for murder, Julia has been kidnapped. and Inspector Brackenreid is missing. George, Henry, and Jackson have all been shot. The ones who are left must work together in secret to […]
In this article from Scientific American, Michael Shermer points out that war was outlawed in 1928. I was pretty surprised — I’d never heard of this. But it’s true — it’s called the General Pact for the Renunciation of War, also known as the Kellogg–Briand Pact, and was originally signed by France, Germany, and the […]
{4.5/5} “What I do believe is that Earth protects itself. Remember that all reference to earth in the Library on Trantor has been removed. Remember that Gaia’s marvelous memory, in which all the planet takes part down to the rock strata of the surface and the molten metal at the core, stops short of penetrating […]
{4.5/5} “‘They’re having auditions for the fall musical.’ ‘Do we have that here? … How am I a senior and not know we have that?’” Lady Bird, released in 2017 Christine is in her last year of high school in California and decides to call herself “Lady Bird.” She’s hoping to go to college on […]
{4/5} “Stories are wild creatures, Conor O’Malley. If you let them loose, who knows what havoc they may wreak.” A Monster Calls, released in 2016 Conor is visited, possibly in his dreams, by a tree monster who demands that he listen to 3 stories — and then tell him one. The monster’s stories are true […]
I read 3 or 4 of the Dune books many years ago, and I read 8 of them more recently. They’re worth reading — even if you feel you’re missing a few things here and there, as I did. Brian Herbert (Frank’s son) and Kevin J. Anderson also wrote a bunch of Dune prequels, which […]
{4.5/5} “He will surely attract the attention of the Second Foundationers — always assuming they exist and are indeed concerning themselves with us. And while they are attracted to him, they will, perchance, ignore us.” Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov, published in 1982 It’s been 500 years of the Seldon Plan and the people of […]