Persepolis

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4.5/5} “It’s fear that makes us lose our self-awareness.” Marjane is a young girl in Iran when the Shah is overthrown. Everyone is hopeful that the new government will be much better — unfortunately it turns out to be much worse. With the heavy restrictions on what you can say and do, and the war […]

Jurassic Park

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4.5/5} “We spared no expense.” Alan, Ellie, and Ian are three scientists who are invited to give their expert opinions on a new theme park that’s getting ready to open. To their surprise, the theme park has real live dinosaurs in it — made from dinosaur DNA found in amber mixed with modern amphibian DNA. […]

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4/5} “You’d think they’d never seen a girl and a cat on a broom before.” Kiki is a young witch in training — that means, at age 13, she leaves home to live somewhere else for a year. She finds a town where the people initially seem unfriendly but she eventually finds some friendlier residents. […]

City of Illusions

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of books

{4.5/5} “We hide from the Shing. Also we hide from what we were. Do you see that, Falk? We live well in the houses — well enough. But we are ruled utterly by fear. There was a time we sailed in ships between the stars, and now we dare not go a hundred miles from […]

Sound of My Voice

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4/5} “No sudden movements. And no questions for tonight. The first night is always the most difficult.” Peter and Lorna decide to infiltrate a cult in order to expose it — Maggie, the woman the cult was formed around, claims to be from the future. Every time they go see her they have to go […]

Transfer

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4/5} “You can experience nature’s contrasts as struggle and dissent, or as unity and harmony.” Elderly married couple Hermann and Anna don’t want to live without each other. When Anna gets sick, they decide to transfer their minds into younger bodies. The young people, Apolain and Sarah, have supposedly consented to this act — their […]

Planet of Exile

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of books

{4.5/5} “They looked at her. She had heard that farborns would meet one’s eyes straight on, but did not put the story to test. At least none of them stopped her; her clothing was not unlike theirs, and some of them, she saw in her quick flicking glances, were not very much darker-skinned than men. […]

The Bourne Legacy

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4.5/5} “Still trying to figure out if you’re supposed to kill me or give me a pep talk.” Like Jason Bourne, Aaron is part of a top-secret program run by the CIA. Unfortunately that program is being shut down — which means all operatives are killed. Like Bourne, Aaron is smart, fast — and he […]

Chronicle

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of movies

{4.5/5} “I am the apex predator.” Andrew’s mother is ill, his father is a drunk, and he’s not particularly well liked at school. While at a party he explores a cave with Matt, his cousin, and Steve, another classmate. There’s something otherworldly in the cave, which fills in after they leave so they can’t go […]

How to Live with Your Parents (premiere)

Posted by Dave Switzer under Reviews of TV shows

{4/5} “Why don’t you just tell her there’s no Santa?” Polly breaks up with her husband and shows up unannounced at her parents’ doorstep with her daughter. Her mom and stepdad are happy to have them until they can get back on their feet. Her mom speaks her mind at all times, and her stepdad […]