Movies
I like movies, a whole lot. I like to go to movies early in their run, and then talk about them with people whose opinions about movies I value. I am also willing to share my opinions, so this page will list the last few films I have seen and my ratings of them.
How the rating system works:
1 - I wouldn't even rent this film.
2 - I would only go see this film when it hits the dollar theatre.
3 - I would only see this film as a matinee.
4 - I would not mind paying full price for this film.
5 - I am going to see this film again.
9 August - Signs
(4)
6 September - The Good Girl
(4)
25 October - The Rules of Attraction (1) - It's so bad, I'm not even
showing you the link to its site.
28 October - Punch-Drunk Love
(4)
15 November - Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets (4)
14 December - Solaris (5)
15 December - Star Trek: Nemesis
(3)
21 December - Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers (5)
15 March - Chicago (4)
10 April - Spirited
Away (5)
12 April - Phone Booth
(3)
22 May - Matrix Reloaded
(3)
30 May - The Italian
Job (3)
6 June - Finding
Nemo (3)
20 June - Hulk
(3)
5 July - Charlie's
Angels 2 (3)
11 July - The
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2)
Books
I like books, perhaps more than movies. I'm currently involved with a speculative fiction discussion group. I can usually be found with book in hand when it's not food in hand. And I am getting through a lot of books of late, so I thought I would keep track of the books of this past year also. Here's how they are ranked.
1 - Avoid this book like the plague.
2 - Had something to recommend it, though not enough.
3 - Check it out from the library.
4 - Buy this book.
5 - Buy this book. Read it. Read it again. Tell other people to read it.
8 August - Otherland: Sea of Silver
Light by Tad Williams - Don't read this unless you read the first three
books in the series. Try to avoid that too. (2)
11 August -The Second Avon Fantasy Reader edited by Donald A. Wollheim
and George Ernsberger - If you can find it, grab it. (5)
13 August - The Metal Monster by A. Merritt - A classic, but a real bugger
to read. (3)
18 August - The Ship of Ishtar by A. Merritt - Expanded Burroughs.(3)
22 August - What Mad Universe by Fredric Brown - Quaint, and interesting
in some places. I wonder if Heinlein had read this. (3)
1 September - Earth Abides by George R. Stewart - An introspective end-of-the
world novel. (3)
8 September - The Other Side of the Sky and The Wind from the Sun
by Arthur C. Clarke - Anyone interested in the best short speculative fiction
should own these. (4)
11 September - Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp - Interesting
early time travel/alternative history novel. (3)
15 September - The Lovers by Philip Jose Farmer - Typical Farmer, though
not as much exploration of taboo as cultural indoctrination. (3)
18 September - Dare by Philip Jose Farmer - Interesting fare through
the majority, but falls apart via deus ex machina at the end (3)
20 September - Inside Outside by Philip Jose Farmer - Interesting premise,
not well handled. (2)
21 September - Pashazade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood - An heir to George
Alec Effinger, hurrah! (5)
22 September - The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson - Interesting
time travel story. (3)
28 September - Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein - A classic for
many reasons. (5)
11 October - The Avon Fantasy Reader edited by Donald Wollheim and George
Ernsberger - Not as good as The Second Reader above. (3)
21 October - The Best of Cordwainer Smith - Original writer and stylist,
difficult to begin but worth finishing. (4)
24 October - The Separation by Christopher Priest (3)
6 November - First Contacts: The Essential Murray Leinster (3)
5 December - Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith - Smith's only novel (3)
6 December - Myth-ion Improbable by Robert Asprin - A good starting point
for a large series, but in the middle of events. (3)
6 December - Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. by Robert Asprin - Nice conclusion
(?) to the series but not a place for beginners. (4)
3 January - Crashlander by Larry Niven - Good introduction to the Known
Space stories and a good set of short stories. (4)
4 January - Paths of the Dead by Steven Brust - The long-awaited third
of five...or first third of the last...(4)
27 January - To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer - The
first Riverworld book, not as good as I remembered. (3)
4 February - reMix by John Courtenay Grimwood - Hard-hitting, action-filled
cyberpunk with some interesting twists.(4)
17 February - redRobe by John Courtenay Grimwood - Set in the same world
as reMix; not quite as good, but still good cyberpunk. (3)
10 March - Effendi by John Courtenay Grimwood - Sequel to Pashazade;
still quite good, but you must read Pashazade first.(3)
14 March - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Eerie in its cultural predictions,
but a stylistic nightmare. Much prefer A Canticle for Leibowitz. (3)
16 March - Gullivar of Mars by Edwin Arnold - Forerunner for Barsoom
series by Burroughs? (2)
4 April - Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - Impressive first novel
in the model of Kay. (5)
14 April - Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey - Big disappointment
after the first novel. (2)
5 May - Redshift edited by Al Sarantonio - An attempt to be Dangerous
Visions for the new millennium, this jus2 totally fails. (2)
12 May - Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - Still one of the
best SF books to be written in the last 20 years. (5)
27 May - Persistence of Vision by John Varley - Awesome collection of
short stories. (5)
6 June - Conan of Cimmeria, Volume 1 by Robert E. Howard - New compilation
of the original stories; a beautiful book, but unless you collect, wait for
the paperback. (5)
20 June - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne - Not Walt Disney's
version, but still a classic. (3)
27 June - The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley - Interesting premise,
fairly well played out; weak conclusion. (3)
11 July - Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson - Excellent sequel to Gardens
of the Moon. (5)
12 July - The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin - Average pulp-age science
fiction, but includes "the Cold Equations".(4)
20 July - Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - Good British
fun, lots of laughs. (3)
21 July - A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum - Classic pulp short
stories from the 30s. (3)
22 July - The Marching Morons by C. M. Kornbluth - More great stories
including the classic title story. (3)
2 August - The Ultimate Triumph by Robert E. Howard - A mix of mostly
Howard's barbarian stories, illustrated by Frazetta. (3)
15 August - The Count of Castle Black by Stephen Brust - Fourth of five? Second of third? (5)
Back to Currencies