Diane chose Isn’t It Romantic as our Valentine’s Day movie. Rebel Wilson (best known for her roles in the Perfect Pitch movies) stars as Natalie, a low-level architect (she designs parking garages). One of Natalie’s co-workers, Josh (Adam Devine) has a crush on her. But Natalie is oblivious. Natalie also thinks romantic comedies are stupid. Then, during a mugging on the subway, Natalie runs into a pole and goes into a coma. In her coma, Natalie finds herself in a Perfect World where she’s successful and men are all interested in her romantically. Her best friend and assistant, Whitney (Betty Gilpin) suddenly follows the Romantic Comedy script and becomes her enemy at work. Wealthy real estate investor, Blake (Liam Hemsworth, THOR’s little brother), falls in love with Natalie.

Direct Todd Strauss-Schulson spares us none of the Romantic Comedy tropes: The Kiss, The Bollywood-like Musical Dance Number, The Slow-Motion Run to Stop a Wedding, and a painful Karaoke Sing-a-long. I did like Isabella (Priyanka Chopra), a gorgeous model and Yoga Ambassador. I could have done without Natalie’s grouchy neighbor Donny (Brandon Scott Jones) who becomes her gay best friend and fashion consultant. Sure, Isn’t It Romantic spoofs the whole Romantic Comedy genre, but I wish it was funnier. GRADE: B-

Julien Courtois, a womanizer and struggling businessman, borrows money from a loan shark. And, of course, the money is due and Julien can’t pay. What to do? Julien comes up with the perfect crime. And, it almost works. Unfortunately, Julien inadvertently leaves some critical evidence behind. Realizing his mistake, Julien reenters the empty building…and gets stuck in a powerless elevator! While Julien is stuck, two juvenile delinquents steal his car. That theft leads to a death. Meanwhile, Julien’s wife suspects Julien is having an affair when he doesn’t come home from work. Noel Calef’s Frantic juggles several cunning plots that culminate in a noirish ending filled with irony and dark comedy. Frantic was filmed by Louis Malle as Elevator to the Gallows (1961). This is one of the best novels in STARK HOUSE’s Black Gat Books series. GRADE: A-

Steve Bannon, once Trump’s Chief Strategist, announced, “We are witnessing the birth of a new political order.” (p. 122) Ronald Beiner, a professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, claims that the rise of the Far Right in the United States and Europe result from the ideas of Frederick Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. Victor Hugo once wrote, “There is nothing more powerful that an idea whose time has come.” Both Nietzsche and Heidegger admired “Strong Leaders”–Nietzsche even labeled these individuals “Supermen” or “Overmen.” Both men didn’t believe in democracy. Both men had contempt for the Masses. Heidegger joined the Nazi Party. Beiner shows how the Far Right uses the ideas of Nietzsche and Heidegger to justify their actions in America and Europe against immigrants and groups who are “different.” This slim little book explains a lot of what’s going on. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction. Nietzschean Ideologies in the Twenty-First Century 1
Chapter 1. Reading Nietzsche in an Age of Resurgent Fascism 15
Chapter 2. Reading Heidegger in an Age of Resurgent Fascism 65
Conclusion. How to Do Theory in Politically Treacherous Times 121
Notes 135
Acknowledgments 167

During the last couple of weeks, I watched and enjoyed the DETECTIVE DEE movies (you can read my reviews here and here). Still in the mood for some action, I dug out House of Flying Daggers (2006), a Robin Hood-type story where outlaws in the forest fight against a corrupt government…sound familiar? And instead of bows and arrows, there are daggers. Many, many daggers. Zhang Ziyi plays a gorgeous rebel whose traits in both marshal arts and ballet-like dancing are stunning. The twisty plot will keep you guessing right until the end of the movie. The photography and colors are eye-popping! House of Flying Daggers bursts with action and surprises. Pure fun! GRADE: A

The audience for Mary Pipher’s Women Rowing North is obviously women. But the review I read in The Wall Street Journal suggested male readers would profit from reading this helpful guide to aging, too.

My favorite chapter in Women Rowing North is “Building a Good Day.” Pipher shows how our choices each day affect our happiness and health. Too many older people get stressed out because they over-schedule their days trying to jam in too much stuff. Pipher is definitely in the “Less is More” camp.

Friends and family become more important as we age. Dealing with increasing health problems and infirmities that come along with the aging process can be eased with a little help from our friends and family. I know my visits to the Alzheimer’s wing of the nursing home my mother resided in the last 8 years of her life lifted her spirits and resulted in better treatment by the staff. Yet I saw some residents who NEVER had a visitor. Their treatment was much different.

Aging tests us all. This wise and witty book can help us prepare for what’s ahead of us. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction 1
I Challenges of the Journey
1 A New Stretch of the River 14
2 The Lay of the Land 26
3 The Worn Body 37
4 Intensity and Poignancy 53
5 Caregiving 60
6 Swept Away 69
7 Loneliness and Solitude 83
II Travel Skills
8 Understanding Ourselves 98
9 Making Intentional Choices 109
10 Building a Good Day 122
11 Creating Community 135
12 Crafting Resplendent Narratives 147
13 Anchoring in Gratitude 160
III The People on the Boat
14 Travel Companions 174
15 Co-Captains 184
16 The Lifeboat of Family 195
17 Grandchildren 206
IV The Northern Lights
18 Moon River: Authenticity and Self-Acceptance 220
19 The Long View 231
20 Everything Is Illuminated 241
Acknowledgments 252
Index 253

On Friday, February 15, 2019 Netflix will release episodes of The Umbrella Academy. The Umbrella Academy, based on a graphic novel created and written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá and published by Dark Horse Comics. The Apocalypse Suite‎ introduces a strange group who have “powers.” Thirty-seven single women give birth to babies with powers. Most of the babies are abandoned.

The Umbrella Academy is established by Sir Reginald Hargreeves (aka, “The Monocle” and Colm Feore), a mysterious alien disguised as a wealthy entrepreneur and world-renowned scientist. Hargreeves adopts the seven members of The Umbrella Academy at birth including Spaceboy (Tom Hopper), The Kraken (David Castañeda), The Rumor (Emmy Raver-Lampman), The Séance (Robert Sheehan), Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), The Horror (Ethan Hwang), and The White Violin (Ellen Page). Number Five, who has the power to time-travel, goes to the near future and finds the world is destroyed. It takes Number Five 50 years to figure out how to travel back in time. When he does, he finds he’s back in his 10-year-old body. Number Five and the other members of the Umbrella Academy try to stop the forces that threaten to bring the Apocalypse. I enjoyed this quirky graphic novel and now I want to check out the Netflix series. GRADE B

Trouble comes to LEGOLAND and our hero Emmitt (Chris Pratt) and his love interest Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) try to save the day. But Lucy gets kidnapped by “aliens” and Emmitt has to take a trip to Systar to rescue her. On the way, Emmitt meets Rex Dangervest (also voiced by Pratt) and his spaceship run by raptors. Things get silly when the Evil Queen (Tiffany Haddish) wants to marry “Man of Bats” (Will Arnett). If you’re in the mood for some laughs and silliness, watch The LEGO Movie 2. GRADE: B+

In this latest STARK HOUSE volume, long-time FFB participant, J. F. Norris (Pretty Sinister Books), provides an informative and lively essay “Jean Potts,” an introduction to very canny writer. The first novel in this wonderful STARK HOUSE omnibus, Go, Lovely Rose (1954), won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The novel begins with the death of Mrs. Henshaw, a woman universally disliked. Mrs. Henshaw’s body is found dead at the bottom of some stairs. The late Mrs. Henshaw had been a “housekeeper” to Doctor Buckmaster, his daughter Rachel, and son, Hartley. After Mrs. Henshaw’s death, which may or may not be accidental, Rachel returns home to look after her brother…who may be a suspect. Jean Potts captures the anxieties and suspicions of the 1950s in this chilling psychological thriller.

The Evil Wish (1962) deals with an innovative situation: two sisters, Marcia and Lucy Knapp, plot to murder their father. Dr. Knapp plans to marry his much younger nursing assistant and then disinherit his daughters. But, ironically, on the very day Marcia and Lucy plan to kill their father, Dr. Knapp and Pam the nurse die in a car accident. End of story, right?…not quite. Jean Potts allows the guilty conscience of each of the sisters to breed doubt, deceit, and treachery. The Evil Wish will keep you up late at night long after you finish reading it. The Evil Wish was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. I hope STARK HOUSE reprints more of Jean Potts’s unique novels. GRADE: B+ (for both)

Alastair Reynolds’ SHADOW CAPTAIN runs aground about a third of the way through its 426 pages. One of the crew of the Revenger–a former pirate space ship–is injured while performing some maintenance on the hull of the ship. Sisters Adrana and Arafura Ness and their crew decide to take their injured crew member to Wheel Strizzardy, a nearby space station for doctor’s assistance and provisions. What they find on Wheel Strizzardy is a society dominated by criminal elements and a leader, Glimmery, who holds power through torture and violence.

The story slows to a crawl as Adrana and Arafura attempt to deal with aliens called the Crawlies and escape Glimmery’s web of deception alive. Not enough action for my taste. My review of the first, and much better book in this series, REVENGER, can be found here. I have a very strong feeling there’s at least one more book planned featuring the Ness sisters. Perhaps SHADOW CAPTAIN suffers from the dreaded “middle book of a trilogy letdown.” GRADE: B-