Roger Ebert famously claimed that video games could not be art. But how about an animated movie based on a video game that’s based on Dante Alighieri’s fourteenth-century epic poem. The Divine Comedy? Dante’s Inferno exploded on my HDTV screen with a riot of color. As Dante makes his way down the Nine Circles of Hell, with his guide Virgil, he confronts the mistakes of his life on his quest for his beloved Beatrice. Yes, there’s plenty of action as Dante keeps getting attacked by demons and fiends. But the story weaves itself around Dante’s father and mother. Secrets are revealed. I loved the surreal images of Hell. If you’re a fan of animated movies, you’ll really enjoy Dante’s Inferno. GRADE: A-

If you like Beth Orton, you’ll like Meg Hutchinson. Both artists share the same preference for smart lyrics, thoughtful songs, and distinctive voices. Meg Hutchinson’s latest CD, The Living Side, explores various moods. “Being Happy” and “At First It Was Fun” take ironic views of life. “See Me Now” presents an assessment of Meg’s life so far. This is a quiet, reflective CD that invites multiple playings. To sample Meg’s solo performance, just click on PLAY below. GRADE: B+

John Carter of Mars, a marvelous omnibus hardcover that includes A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars, can be had for $10! That’s right, for the cost of a single paperback, you can have this well-crafted volume. You can buy this book online at bn.com or just go to your local Barnes & Noble and pick it up in the BARGAIN section. Now, I confess I used my B&N Reader’s Advantage card and one of the 10% off coupons Barnes & Noble are always emailing me. Still, if you don’t have the card or the coupon, John Carter of Mars will cost you only $12.95. If you love these Mars books as much as I do, you’ll want them in this deluxe format for this incredible price.

The NFL Draft inspires hope. Every team in the NFL now has a flock of new players to fantasize about, players that may or may not have an impact next season. The Draft is a brilliant marketing device to keep fans’ interest while the first preseason game is still three months away. The dismal Buffalo Bills, with numerous needs to fill, surprised nearly everybody by drafting C. J. Spiller (pictured above) with the Ninth pick in the First Round. Reportedly, Spiller is the best running back in the Draft. The big question remains: do the Bills have an offensive line to block for Spiller? After missing the playoffs for the past 10 years, losing 13 straight games to divisional opponent New England, and generally sucking, could this be the first step in building a winning team? Stay tuned.

The Losers is basically The A-TEAM with sex. A group of military specialists find themselves double-crossed after a botched mission in Bolivia. They go underground only to be recruited by Zoe Saldana who seems to be everywhere (remember her in AVATAR and as Uhura in Star Trek). Zoe gets the team back into the U.S. and then massive explosions, plenty of gunplay, and mayhem result. If you’re in the mood for an above average action movie, check out The Losers. GRADE: B+

Fritz Leiber, legendary fantasy and science fiction writer, delighted readers for decades with his stories of swords & sorcery, magic, and cats. Now, in the 21st Century, most of Leiber’s works are out-of-print. Now, Night Shade Books has published The Selected Stories of Fritz Leiber makiing some of Leiber’s best stories available for a new generation of readers. Here’s the Table of Contents:
Introduction by Neil Gaiman
Smoke Ghost
The Girl with the Hungry Eyes
Coming Attraction
A Pail of Air
A Deskful of Girls
Space Time for Springers
Ill Met in Lankhmar
Four Ghosts in Hamlet
Gonna Roll the Bones
The Inner Circles (aka The Winter Flies)
America the Beautiful
Bazaar of the Bizarre
Midnight by the Morphy Watch
Belsen Express
Catch That Zeppelin!
Horrible Imaginings
The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars
Sure, I would have chosen some other stories for inclusion, but this bunch will do for now. If you haven’t read Fritz Leiber, this is a good place to start.

This completes the April part of Carl V.’s fantasy challenge. To learn more about the fantasy challenge, click here.

Joe Pug sounds like Bob Dylan-lite. Messenger reminds me of Free-Wheeling Bob Dylan at the start of Dylan’s career. Joe Pug sings some acoustic numbers, sings a couple songs that sound like they would fit in on CMT, and ends with the song that’s my favorite, “Speak Plainly, Diana.” Clearly, Joe Pug is searching for his musical style. Some of the songs are folky, protesting, and enigmatic. No matter. Joe Pug has talent and will find his style in an album or two. Thrn he’ll find his niche. For a sample, click on PLAY below. GRADE: B

AMAZON has this 4-DVD set for an amazing price of $6.99! That’s 20 episodes of “Dirty Harry-lite” with former NFL defensive end Fred Dryer as a rogue cop. But the main attraction is Hunter’s hot partner, Detective Dee Dee McCall (aka, The Brass Cupcake), played by the fetching Stepfanie Kramer. Hunter ran from 1984 to 1991 (although Stepfanie Kramer bailed out after Season Six). I consider Season One the best of the bunch. After the first season, the network suits insisted that the violence be “toned down” a few notches. The last couple seasons are pretty bland. But, the First Season is the Real Deal. And, for the price of a new paperback, you can have hours of viewing enjoyment! GRADE: B+

EAT THIS, NOT THAT publishes an update seemingly every six months, but you can check with their web site at EatThis.com to get the latest nutritional information. The premise behind this series of books is that you can lose weight and eat healthier if you know your options. The book’s format is basically showing you the “Good” foods on one side and the “Bad” foods on the other side. For example: the “Worst Breakfast in America” goes to the Bob Evans Stacked & Stuffed Carmel Banana Pecan Hotcakes. These artery-clogging babies weigh in at 1,543 calories, 77 grams of fat, and 198 grams of carbs! This has the sugar equivalent of 7 Twinkies! And the caloric equivalent of 8 Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnuts! EAT THIS, NOT THAT points out healthy alternatives. For example, the Best Popcorn is Orville Redenbacher’s Natural Buttery Salt & Cracked Pepper Popcorn and the Best Dessert is Breyers All Natural Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream. If you eat out a lot, this book is essential! If you want to eat healthier, this is a great place to start. GRADE: A

“The title of this book is borrowed from Dostoevsky’s weirdest novel, The Demons, formerly translated as The Possessed, which narrates the descent into madness of a circle of intellectuals in a remote Russian province: a situation analogous, in certain ways, to my own experiences in graduate school.” So begins The Possessed which tells the story of Elif Batuman’s graduate school years at Stanford University. Batuman narrates the perils of academic conferences, academic politics, and academic relationships. I wanted to like this book more than I did. Yes, there are some zany parts, but it should have been MORE zany. The book meanders too often. A good editor could have cut 50 pages and made this a better book. B-