It’s been 30 years since The Breakfast Club first appeared on the movie screens of America. That surprise hit movie lead to Sixteen Candles (my favorite John Hughes movie) and then to Weird Science. Hughes used Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy in these films to great effect. If you’re in the mood for a walk down Memory Lane, this collection captures the essence of the Eighties. What’s your favorite John Hughes movie? GRADE: A

Here’s my Bargain of the Week: Fantastic 4, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Electra, and Daredevil. BJ’s Warehouse had this set priced at $7.99. That’s $2 per movie. Okay, I admit Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a clunker. But the other three movies are worth watching. Daredevil is returning as a Netflix series next month. There’s a new Fantastic 4 movie scheduled for release August 7, 2015. I wish MARVEL would reboot Electra. If you’re looking for a value-priced package, this is it.

Kage Baker died tragically of uterine cancer in 2010. She’s best known for her science fiction series about The Company, a time-traveling business from the future. I decided to read the first book in The Company series, In the Garden of Iden published in 1997. A child in Spain in the 16th Century is saved from torture by the Inquisition by a member of The Company. The child, who doesn’t know her name is given one: Mendoza. The Company trains Mendoza as a botanist and makes her immortal with their advanced medical technology. Then Mendoza and a team of Company agents are sent back to Renaissance England to recover what will become extinct plants. This is Kage Baker’s first novel so she makes several mistakes. The novel is too chatty: too much talk and not enough action. The love affair between Mendoza and a mortal is…well..boring. For a 300+ page novel, not much happens. Kage Baker would go on to write much better books and stories. But In the Garden of Iden is a clunker. GRADE: C

With March Madness in full swing, I thought I’d celebrate today’s FFB with a quirky mystery collection: Murder at the Foul Line. Mixing basketball and murder, these stories deliver a variety of thrills. I liked Lawrence Block’s “Keller’s Double Dribble,” a story about Block’s lethal hit-man. George Pelecanos’ “String Music” captures the essence of the sport. If you’re a basketball fan who likes mysteries or a mystery fan who likes basketball, Murder at the Foul Line has a line-up that can’t be beat.
Table of Contents:
Introduction / Otto Penzler
Keller’s double dribble / Lawrence Block
Nothing but net / Jeffery Deaver
Bank shots / Sue DeNymme
The taste of silver / Brendan DuBois
Fear of failure / Parnell Hall
Cat’s paw / Laurie B. King
Mrs. Cash / Mike Lupica
White trash noir / Michael Malone
Galahad, inc. / Joan H. Parker and Robert B. Parker
String music / George Pelecanos
Mamzer / R. D. Rosen
Shots / S.J. Rozen
In the zone / Justin Scott
Bubba / Stephen Solomita.

I picked up this animated video because I saw Neil Gaiman’s name on it. Gaiman wrote the scripts, John Romita, Jr. provides the artwork. The premise is that Earth was visited by super-aliens. They left the Eternals to protect their planet. However, the Eternals find themselves hunted by their ancient enemies. Fans of the Marvel Universe will enjoy this. And, of course, Neil Gaiman fans will want to see this. I’m hoping for a sequel. GRADE: B+

Believe it or not, the Wall Street Journal has a Book Club (who doesn’t? Oprah has a lot to answer for). Next month’s WSJ Book Club book is Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon. I immediately reread The Maltese Falcon. Plenty of smoking and drinking. Plenty of double-dealing. I came away with a strange urge to reread Raymond Chandler. If you want to see the WSJ Book Club in action, just click here.

I’ve read all of Joseph Epstein’s essay collections over the years. I consider Epstein one of the best essayists alive. Since March Madness begins this week, I thought this would be the perfect time to celebrate Masters of the Games, Joseph Epstein’s new collection of his sports essays. Cast your eye on the range of subjects below. Not all of them deal with basketball, but that sport is well represented (and I like the cover). If you need an intelligent sports fix, I highly recommend Masters of the Games. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduciton: Obsessed with Sport
ESSAYS:
A Boy’s Favorite Author
This Sporting Life
Confession of a Low Roller
Balls-Up
Ep, the Bills Are Six-Pont Dogs
The Thrill of Defeat
Open Another Can of Quarterback
The Old Ball Game
Wrigley Field
Red Smith
JOCKS
Joe DiMaggio: Where’d He Go?
Michael Jordan: He Flies Through the Air
Hank Greenberg: Designated Mensch
Bob Love: The Unknown Superstar
STORIES
The Goldin Boys
Danny Montoya
Out of Action
SHORT TAKES
Hats Off
A Sartorial Double fault
The Running of the Bulls

I ordered Meghan Trainor’s Title CD after reading a story about doo wop in the Wall Street Journal. You can read that doo wop article here. I listened to Meghan Trainor’s album and enjoyed the Fifties feel to it. Yes, some of the songs have doo wop elements. If you’re looking for an entertaining retro album, I recommend Meghan Trainor’s Title. Take a listen below. GRADE: A
SET LIST:
1 The Best Part (Interlude) (0:24)
2 All About That Bass (3:11)
3 Dear Future Husband (3:04)
4 Close Your Eyes (3:41)
5 3 A.M. (3:06)
6 Like I’m Gonna Lose You (3:45)
7 Bang Dem Sticks (3:00)
8 Walkashame (2:59)
9 Title (2:55)
10 What If I (3:20)
11 Lips Are Movin’ (3:01)
12 No Good For You (3:36)
13 Mr. Almost (3:16)
14 My Selfish Heart (3:47)
15 Credit (2:51)

I’ve read all of Gertrude Himmelfarb’s books and am in awe of her range. Take The Moral Imagination as an example. Himmelfarb’s essays span Edmund Burke, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Disraeli, Winston Churchill, Dickens, Fielding, John Stuart Mill, Walter Bagehot, Michael Oakeshott, and Lionel Trilling. Clarity sparkles in Himmelfarb’s essays. That which was once obscure becomes understandable. She has a wonderful sense of history. If you’re in the mood for some insightful essays on political writing, The Moral Imagination will reward your efforts. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Edmund Burke : apologist for Judaism? —
George Eliot : the wisdom of Dorothea —
Jane Austen : the education of Emma —
Charles Dickens : “a low writer” —
Benjamin Disraeli : the Tory imagination —
John Stuart Mill : the other Mill —
Walter Bagehot : “a divided nature” —
John Buchan : an untimely appreciation —
The Knoxes : a God-haunted family —
Michael Oakeshott : the conservative disposition —
Winston Churchill : “quite simply, a great man” —
Lionel Trilling : the moral imagination