I’ve made no secret about my fondness for the Iron Man franchise. When I was a kid reading Marvel Comics, Iron Man was my favorite character (over on the DC side, it was The Flash). When Robert Downey, Jr. was picked to play Tony Stark, the genius but idiosyncratic inventor, I was thrilled. And, when Gwyneth Paltrow (“The World’s Most Beautiful (and Hated) Woman”) was cast as Pepper, my heart did a back-flip! Iron Man 3 is the darkest of the three movies. Tony Stark takes a lot of punishment. Gwyneth gets to wear an Iron Man suit and has an expanded role. The 3D special effects are mind boggling. Iron Man 3 should be one of the biggest grossing movies of the Summer of 2013. I enjoyed Iron Man 3 and you will too! GRADE: A

Our best wishes go out to Ed Gorman for a quick recovery as he continues to convalesce at home. In the March issue of Mystery Scene magazine, Ed wrote an article on “My 10 Favorite John D. MacDonald Standalone Novels.” And here’s the list:
1. Dead Low Tide
2. Soft Touch
3. Deadly Welcome
4. Murder in the Wind
5. The Executioners
6. Slam the Big Door
7. The End of the Night
8. A Key to the Suite
9. A Flash of Green
10. The Drowner

I’ve been reviewing Ed’s choices. This week we’re up to Number Six from 1960: Slam the Big Door. Part buddy novel, part suspense novel Slam the Big Door introduces us to two friends. Mike Rodenska and Troy Jamison meet during WWII. Mike was a war correspondent, Troy was a war hero. After the war, they drifted apart. Mike pursued a career in journalism while Troy married, started a career in advertising, and nearly drank himself into a nervous breakdown. When Troy recovered he then moved to Florida to start over as a builder.

Years later, Troy invites Mike to visit. Mike is getting over the death of his wife and the surprise inheritance from an uncle who left Mike valuable stocks. Mike learns Troy is in deep trouble again. Slam the Big Door is one of JDM’s darkest and most naturalistic novels. JDM seems to be saying we can’t avoid our Fates.

When Diane and I donated some money to our local National Public Radio station, we were offered a choice of gifts. Usually we just decline, but this time they were offering two tickets to the simulcast of Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Diane listens to Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me every week so this was a must-go-to event. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the program, a panel of rotating guests are asked questions about the week’s events. There’s plenty of humor and satire. Playwright and actor Peter Sagal is the current genial host. Tonight’s simulcast will come from the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York, N.Y. Fun, fun, fun!

Imagine Top Chef except instead of participants competing on food preparation, the participants are engineers competing on engineering projects. That’s the premise of this new Discovery Channel program, The Big Brain Theory. Ten very bright engineers are competing for $50,000 and a plum job. Every week, one of the young engineers will be sent home. I’ll support any program that encourages young people to study science and math. The Big Brain Theory premiers tonight at 10 P.M. EDT. Check your local listings for times in your area. Check out the trailer below.

“The Best of Both Worlds” is a new version of the classic STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 2-part episode from 1990. The first part (episode 74) was the June cliff-hanger and the second part (episode 75) was the season opener in September. This new Blu-ray version has been digitally restored, converted to high-definition quality, and enhanced with new special effects.

As you Trekkies might remember, these are the episodes where the Enterprise and the Federation have to take on the Borg. The stunner is the Borg assimilation of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). I remember wandering around all summer in 1990 wondering what was going to happen. September couldn’t have arrived fast enough! If you’re a fan of Star Trek, you’re going to love this restored classic. “The Best of Both Worlds” has also been broadcast in Regal Theaters as part of the promotion of the new Star Trek movie, Star Trek: Into the Darkness which opens May 17. Check out the trailer below.

Laura Bates is an English professor from Indiana State University. Bates has a PhD. from the University of Chicago where she specialized in Shakespearean studies. Laura Bates decided to establish a teaching program in a supermax prison. While there, Bates meets a convicted murderer named Larry Newton who was kept in solitary confinement. Their unlikely relationship while studying Shakespeare is both moving and extraordinary. If you’re in the mood for an unconventional inspirational story, I recommend Shakespeare Saved My Life. Check out the unusual trailer below.

People either like Sarah Brightman and her singing or they don’t. I fall into the LIKE column. Sarah Brightman’s new CD, Dream Chaser includes plenty of dreamy, ethereal music. My favorite song is “Glosoli.” Many listeners would consider Sarah Brightman’s songs “background music.” In the case of Dream Chaser, they might be right. Check out the album trailer below and let me know what you think. GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
1. Angel 4:16
2. One Day Like This 5:57
3. Glosoli 6:50
4. Lento e Largo from Symphony No.3, op.36 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs) 5:38
5. B 612 4:50
6. Breathe Me 4:48 $1.29
7. Ave Maria 5:48
8. Eperdu 5:07
9. A Song of India 3:26
10. Venus and Mars 4:26
11. Closer 8:07
BONUS TRACKS:
12. In the Air
13. Hawaii ’78

The Buffalo Bills had the Number 8 pick in the First Round of the 2013 NFL Draft. They traded their pick to the St. Louis Rams in return for the Rams’ First Round pick (#16), Second Round pick (#48), and a Seventh Round pick (#222). With the Number 16 pick, the Bills choose Florida State quarterback E. J. Manual. In the Second Round, the Bills choose wide reciever Robert Woods from USC and linebacker Kiko Alonso from Oregon. So far, so good.

How did your favorite NFL Team do in this year’s Draft?

Ed Gorman continues to convalesce at home. Our best wishes go out to him for a quick recovery. In the March issue of Mystery Scene magazine, Ed wrote an article on “My 10 Favorite John D. MacDonald Standalone Novels.” And here’s the list:
1. Dead Low Tide
2. Soft Touch
3. Deadly Welcome
4. Murder in the Wind
5. The Executioners
6. Slam the Big Door
7. The End of the Night
8. A Key to the Suite
9. A Flash of Green
10. The Drowner

I’ve been reviewing Ed’s picks. This week we are up to Number Seven: The End of the Night from 1960. A group of sociopaths, dubbed the Wolf Pack–three young men and a young woman–go on a cross-country crime spree. John D. MacDonald cited The End of the Night one his favorite novels of his early works. It’s easy to see why JDM liked The End of the Night: the conclusion is revealed in the first five pages. But readers are compelled to read the rest of the book to find out why events transpired the way they did. And, of course, JDM throwns in a bit of ironic noir near the end of the book just as a plot twist. My only quibble about JDM’s work in the late 1950s and early 1960s is his tendency to throw in an occasional sociological analysis info dump. They detract from the momentum of the novels.

I’ve been a fan of Motown music since I was a teenager in the Sixties. My love of Motown music never faded. I always have a Supremes or Four Tops or Temptations CD in my car. It’s music that never gets old for me. During a random AMAZON search, Finders Keepers surprisingly popped up. I immediately ordered it. Finders Keepers is an import collection of rare and obscure Motown songs. Some of these songs I vaguely remembered, but most of them were new to me. Finders Keepers has been on heavy rotation on my stereo system. If you’re a fan of Motown music, check this out!
Track Listings
1. LET LOVE LIVE (A LITTLE BIT LONGER) – The Velvelettes
2. DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME – Brenda Holloway
3. WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU (YOU’RE NEVER ALONE) – Gladys Knight & The Pips
4. NO MORE TEARSTAINED MAKE UP – Martha & The Vandellas
5. FINDERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS – The Marvelettes
6. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ABOUT – LaBrenda Ben
7. WHAT’S EASY FOR TWO IS SO HARD FOR ONE – Mary Wells
8. DANCE YEAH DANCE – Thelma Brown
9. (LIKE A) NIGHTMARE – The Andantes
10. LONG GONE LOVER – The Supremes
11. LOVER BOY – Carolyn Crawford
12. TILL JOHNNY COMES – Brenda Holloway
13. CAMEL WALK – Saundra Mallet & The Vandellas
14. MY BLACK BELT – Hattie Littles
15. BUILD HIM UP – Martha & The Vandellas
16. I CAN’T HELP IT, I GOTTA DANCE – LaBrenda Ben
17. BUTTERED POPCORN – The Supremes
18. GRASS SEEMS GREENER (ON THE OTHER SIDE) – The Marvelettes (sic)
19. HE DON’T CARE ABOUT ME – The Miracles
20. YOU’LL NEVER CHERISH A LOVE SO TRUE (‘TIL YOU LOSE IT) – The Vells
21. IF WISHES CAME TRUE – Anita Knorl
22. SO LET THEM LAUGH AT ME – Linda Griner
23. I GOTTA RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES – Liz Lands
24. IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW – Kim Weston