A View to a Kill
{2.5/5} “No one ever leaves the KGB.” A View to a Kill, released in 1985 The Russians have stolen a secret microchip technology, and James Bond is sent to investigate. The chip is made by Zorin Industries. When he arrives at Max Zorin’s estate to see what he is up to, he finds something suspicious […]
Whose Line is it Anyway? (season 12)
{4.5/5} “Let’s make some stuff up.” Whose Line is it Anyway? season 12, aired in 2016 Somewhere along the way, this show became slightly less funny than it used to be. It’s still great, but a couple of games — Living Scenery and Helping Hands — are less funny than the others. Those games are […]
Angel & Faith (season 10)
{4.5/5} “Angel does what he wants, right? But if somebody else wants to do the same thing, he slams the door. Probably doesn’t seem fair. So I’ve thought about it. And I’ve decided… I can live with that.” Angel & Faith season 10 (5 volumes) by Victor Gischler, Will Conrad & others, published in 2014-16 […]
DaCapo Chamber Choir’s “Threshold of Night”
I went to DaCapo Chamber Choir’s concert titled “Threshold of Night.” The choir is debuting their new slogan — “giving ideas voice.” The choir was joined by Lottie Enns-Braun on organ and Allen Harrington on saxophone, both from Winnipeg. Here are the choir pieces (I’ll indicate organ with * and saxophone with +): Michael McGlynn […]
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
{5/5} “There are no heroes, Tian Haoli. Grand Secretary Shi was both courageous and cowardly, capable and foolish. Wang Xiuchu was both an opportunistic survivor and a man of greatness of spirit. I’m mostly selfish and vain, but sometimes even I surprise myself. We’re all just ordinary men — well, I’m an ordinary demon — […]
Elements
{4.5/5} “Alone, she fled Boston, making her way from culverts to abandoned sheds, hiding from the world while building her own place in it. Living off the grid meant no formal education, no military training, no family, no friends. She had constructed a hole in the world and waited for me to join her.” Elements […]
KW Symphony’s “Edwin’s Final Beethoven”
I attended the KW Symphony’s performance titled “Edwin’s Final Beethoven.” Edwin Outwater, the symphony’s director, has conducted all 9 Beethoven symphonies over the last 10 years. Here’s the program: Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 36 Erich Wolfgang Korngold — Concerto in D major for Violin & Orchestra, op. 35 […]
The Lorax
{4.5/5} “You do know that you are talking in rhyme, don’t you?” The Lorax, released in 2012 The Once-ler cut down a tree to make a thneed. People loved the thneed and they wanted more. The Lorax spoke for the trees — after speaking with him, the Once-ler promised he wouldn’t cut down any more […]
Kubo and the Two Strings
{5/5} “‘Don’t you ever say anything encouraging?’ ‘I encourage you not to die.’” Kubo and the Two Strings, released in 2016 Kubo tells stories. One day he forgets that he’s not supposed to be out after dark, and his evil aunts come looking for him. Then he finds himself in a story with a talking […]
Thunderbird
{4.5/5} “When it was over, and he was still trying to catch his breath, the chairman knew that his perceptions had changed again. He’d acquired an appreciation for the power and beauty of the universe that could never be acquired through a mere telephoto lens or a slice of poetry.” Thunderbird by Jack McDevitt, published […]