Working in a bookstore, you regularly come across books that make you raise a quizzical eyebrow. We’re not only talking about vague or flaky books here – like the dubious, but very successful conspiracy book about reptiles secretly taking over the earth – but also morally suspect material.… Read the rest
Roger Ebert is one of America’s best-known film-critics and you will spot his name at the top of the list of reviews for just about any movie on the Internet Movie Database.
He became a part of American pop-culture with the program Siskel & Ebert where he and fellow reviewer, Gene Siskel, argued with each other about the merits of movies and judged them the good old Caesarian way; by giving them a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’.… Read the rest
If you get bored in the summer and regular hobbies like reading, crochet, animal husbandry and churning butter fail to provide adequate relief, why not round up a group of people to make your very own porn movie?
As Victoria Coren and Charlie Skelton discovered – it can be quite an adventure.… Read the rest
It has been going on for quite some time now. Pay attention on the streets and you’ll notice the proliferation of distinctive white earplugs. The attached technology is hidden within the folds of coats. The owners resist the temptation to show off in order to protect it from the weather and from grabbing hands.… Read the rest
It can be quite a shock to finally see the face attached to a literary or actual voice. Sometimes, it suddenly becomes clear why a radio-personality chose to avoid a medium where he had to show himself or why that successful novelist spent more time behind his word processor than frolicking with cheerleaders.… Read the rest
Comics: quality and quantity on the cheap
The line between comics and graphic novels has started to become blurry. Now that the average age of comic readers has gone up, the themes have gotten more mature and the format has started to change.… Read the rest
Some science-fiction / fantasy writers treat the imaginary worlds they’ve created with such in-depth seriousness that the average reader is tempted to give them a shake and yell: ‘I don’t care about the extended family history of the irrelevant side character on page 569 or about the logistical intricacies of interplanetary Nerf-herding, just get on with the story!’Others try to avoid accusations of purple-prose seriousness by making fun of themselves and their tales of the extraordinary.… Read the rest
I am a man who loves too much – a pop culture junkie always in search of my next fix. This generally comes in the form of a book, a movie, a CD, a television series or a videogame. Though this endless chase already takes up most of my time, with attempts at a social life crammed in, I am still aware that I am missing out on concerts, sports, theater, musea and countless interesting hobbies.… Read the rest
