Side Effects initially lulls you into thinking that the movie is about abuses in the pharmaceutical industry (which it is indirectly), but director Steven Soderbergh has bigger fish to fry. With the help of Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum, and Jude Law Soderbergh creates a twisty-turny psychological thrill-ride where nothing is what it seems. Side Effects reminds me of another Steven Soderbergh film, Out of Sight (which started George Cooney and Jennifer Lopez). Side Effects surprised me several times. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the movie plot morphed again. If you’re up for a complex movie with solid performances, try Side Effects. GRADE: A-

Quartet (based on the play of the same title by Ronald Harwood) is set in a British retirement home for aging musicians. But the retirement home is running out of money so the musicians decide to put on a show to make enough money to keep the home open for another year. As the rehearsals take place, Maggie Smith shows up. She’s a diva with an international reputation. And, just by chance, three of the performers who joined Maggie Smith in a historic performance of the quartet in Verdi’s Rigoletto just happen to be residents of this retirement home. There are no surprises here, but Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, and Pauline Collins deliver entertaining performances. Dustin Hoffman makes his directorial debut with this film. GRADE: B+

I’m a big fan of Armchair Fiction’s faux-ACE Doubles and other vintage reprints. Armchair Fiction’s latest releases included Masters of Science Fiction, Volume 4: Mack Reynolds, Part 1 (I’m hoping the “Part 1” means another volume of Mack Reynolds’ short stories is in the works). Mack Reynolds was a prolific science fiction writer who specialized in writing about economics and social sciences. This new collection of Mack Reynold’s short fiction includes several stories that were new to me. If you’re a Mack Reynolds fan, or a fan of SF with an economic bent, this collection is well worth reading. You can find more cool books from Armchair Fiction here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Man in the Moon
Please to Remember
Tourists to Terra
The Hatchetman
Mercy Flight
One of Our Planets is Missing
Final Appraisal
Six-Legged Svengali
Troubador
Word From the Void
Your Soul Comes C.O.D.
Desperate Remedy
After Some Tomorrow
Off Course
United We Stand
Optical Illusion
I.Q.
Stowaway
Halftripper
Ask Me No Questions
D.P. From Tomorrow

Rumours made Fleetwood Mac one of the most iconic bands of the 1970s. The original album won the Grammy® for “Album of the Year.” Rumours has sold 40 million copies worldwide since its 1977 debut. I bought the original LP and played it until the grooves wore out. Fleetwood Mac never produced anything close to this in their long career. This new box set features alternative versions of the songs. And there’s a CD full of music from their 1977 tour that’s well worth listening to. And, of course, this new re-mastered edition sounds superb! Highly recommended!
TRACK LISTING:
Disc: 1
1. Second Hand News
2. Dreams
3. Never Going Back Again
4. Don’t Stop
5. Go Your Own Way
6. Songbird
7. Silver Springs
8. The Chain
9. You Make Loving Fun
10. I Don’t Want to Know
11. Oh Daddy
12. Gold Dust Woman
Disc 2
1 Intro (0:48)
2 Monday Morning (2:38)
3 Dreams (4:07)
4 Don’t Stop (3:51)
5 The Chain (5:40)
6 Oh Daddy (4:47)
7 Rhiannon (7:55)
8 Never Going Back Again (2:19)
9 Gold Dust Woman (7:03)
10 World Turning (7:31)
11 Go Your Own Way (4:54)
12 Songbird (4:00)
Disc 3
1 World Turning
2 Rhiannon
3 Say You Love Me
4 Go Your Own Way
5 You Make Loving Fun
6 I’m So Afraid
Disc 4
1 Second Hand News (2:26)
2 Dreams (5:35)
3 Never Going Back Again (2:19)
4 Go Your Own Way (4:04)
5 Songbird (4:33)
6 Songbird (4:23)
7 I Don’t Want to Know (3:42)
8 Keep Me There (5:14)
9 The Chain (5:29)
10 Keep Me There (4:18)
11 Gold Dust Woman (5:25)
12 Oh Daddy (3:48)
13 Silver Springs (5:31)
14 Planets of the Universe (4:27)
15 Doesn’t Anything Last (1:03)
16 Never Going Back Again (2:36)
Disc 5
1 Second Hand News (2:47)
2 Dreams (4:21)
3 Brushes (Never Going Back Again) (2:50)
4 Don’t Stop (3:33)
5 Go Your Own Way (3:05)
6 Songbird (3:11)
7 Silver Springs (6:07)
8 You Make Loving Fun (4:56)
9 God Dust Woman #1 (5:02)
10 Oh Daddy (3:58)
11 Think About It (2:55)
12 Never Going Back Again (1:56)
13 Planets of the Universe (3:18)
14 Butter Cookie (Keep Me There) (2:11)
15 Gold Dust Woman (5:01)
16 Doesn’t Anything Last (1:10)
17 Mic the Screecher (0:59)
18 For Duster (The Blues) (4:26)
Disc 6
1 Second Hand News
2 Dreams
3 Never Going Back Again
4 Don’t Stop
5 Go Your Own Way
6 Songbird
7 The Chain
8 You Make Loving Fun
9 I Don’t Want to Know
10 Oh Daddy
11 Gold Dust Woman

Generous Beth Fedyn sent me this wonderful CD last week and it’s been in heavy rotation on my various CD players. I’ve been a Pink fan since “Let’s Get This Party Started” and recent radio airplay of Pink’s new single, “Try,” had me on the verge of buying this CD when the U.S. Postal Service delivered this goody. There’s plenty of bouncy music to enjoy listening to The Truth About Love.” Check out the video below. Thanks Beth!
TRACK LIST:
1 Are We All We Are (3:37)
2 Blow Me (One Last Kiss) (4:16)
3 Try (4:07)
4 Just Give Me A Reason (4:02)
5 True Love (3:50)
6 How Come You’re Not Here (3:12)
7 Slut Like You (3:41)
8 The Truth About Love (3:50)
9 Beam Me Up (4:27)
10 Walk of Shame (2:43)
11 Here Comes The Weekend (4:25)
12 Where Did The Beat Go? (4:18)
13 The Great Escape (4:24)