BOOK REVIEW: Star Trek: Time Trap by David Dvorkin

 

*This review contains spoilers*

After receiving a distress call, the Enterprise attempts to assist a Klingon vessel that has become stranded in a strange storm in space. Upon beaming over to the ship, Captain Kirk finds himself suddenly thrust into what seems to be the future and under the control of the race that has been his mortal enemies for most of his career. Can he trust his senses and help these New Klingons achieve peace with the Federation?

In the original Star Trek universe, I would put this at a time between the movies Star Trek: The Voyage Home and Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. Though there is no mention of the original Enterprise’s destruction, there is a reference to Kirk’s memories of being relegated to a desk job and vowing that he would never go back. Though this was published in 1988 (before the sixth film in the franchise was released), it is also somewhat problematic in that it has Kirk having a close relationship with a Klingon woman, a member of a race that the sixth film had him absolutely detesting due to the death of his son. Even though it is later revealed that he is under the influence of some pretty powerful drugs at the time, this is still somewhat unbelievable knowing the character’s obtuseness in such matters.

However, this is a well written and entertaining read. The author is obviously a fan, shown by the references that he makes to episodes of the original series, and he weaves a complex and exciting story. Any Star Trek fan will like this, even with the continuum issues.

MOVIE REVIEW: X

 

In 1979, at the beginning of the home video era, a group of amateur filmmakers rent out a farmhouse on the property of an elderly couple to shoot a pornographic movie. Unfortunately, they fail to inform their erstwhile landlords what they are doing, and when the oldsters find out there is hell to pay.

This stars Mia Goth, a British actress known for her erotic movies, as both the heroine Maxine and the female half of the homicidal couple, Pearl. The storyline in this touches on such things as beauty, aging, and self-worth. However, for everything else it is basically the porno version of the slasher films that were the rage in the last century. In fact, if not for the horror aspects of it, this movie could very well have the same rating as its name. There are multiple scenes of nudity and/or sexual activity, and there is hardly a sentence in it that does not have strong language permeating it. Definitely only for adults, it does provide a certain amount of suspense and speculation as to what is going to happen next. But the moral of the entire thing seems to be that, even if their hair is gray, their eyesight may be failing, and they may have trouble moving around, never, ever underestimate the older generation.

BOOK REVIEW: Planet Z by Kristen Middleton

 

Alex, her parents, and her brother Jimmy all embark on an interstellar mission to find a planet where what is left of the human race can live after their native planet's resources are depleted. Alex is not thrilled about the prospect of going to another world, but she tries to be a sport and accept her fate. What she does not know is that the people around her are not to be trusted, not even the ones she loves the most, and the revelations she discovers on the voyage plunge her into a reality of intrigue and danger.

This is a book told from the perspective of a teenage girl and so obviously targeted at that audience. The chapters are short and some of the details are confusing, but no more so than they would normally be for a person of that age. The premise of the story is good and keeps the interest, with a happy if surprising ending. Good for younger readers who are just getting into the sci-fi genre and looking for a heroine they can relate to.

MOVIE REVIEW: Everything Everywhere All At Once

 

Evelyn Wang is not having a good day. Her business is being audited, her husband has filed for divorce, and she is trying to keep her aged father from finding out that her daughter has just declared herself lesbian. Then, she is approached by a man who looks just like her husband but claims to come from a different reality and tells her that she is the key to fighting off a great evil that is trying to destroy all the worlds in the multiverse of time. The only way Evelyn can fight this evil and save the multiverse, including herself and her family, is to visit the different realities and bring their experiences and talents back into her own. Can she succeed?

This movie swept the 2022 Academy Awards, including a Best Actress award for Michelle Yeoh who plays Evelyn, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan who plays her husband and the lookalike from the alternate reality, and Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis who, completely unrecognizable in wig and makeup, plays the IRS auditor who is in charge of overseeing the Wangs’ tax investigation. While this film was touted as a complete masterpiece by many, I have trouble seeing what makes it so wonderful. While the cast is completely enchanting (and let’s not forget Stephanie Hsu as Evelyn’s daughter Joy or James Hong has her father) I found the storyline extremely hard to follow. There were so many alternate realities coming and going for everyone that it was difficult to ascertain which one was which. (The Academy Award the editing team won for this was well deserved.) In addition, there were many moments of what was supposedly labeled as humor that were utterly profane (Joy beating up some men using giant penises as nunchucks comes to mind). Granted, I am not really a fan of comedy and only watched this to see Yeoh in her award-winning role, but the whole thing left me rather flat. If this is what is being labeled as high art now, I think I’ll be more than happy to continue watching movies from previous years. Do not let the kids see this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: God's Provision for Your Every Need by T.D. Jakes

 

For those of you who do not know this author, T.D. Jakes is an African-American preacher who is the founder of The Potter’s House, a non-denominational megachurch in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Charleston, West Virgina, he became a minister at the age of 25 and started a storefront church in 1982. After a few years and a continually growing congregation, he moved to Dallas, where he now resides and pastors an organization that boasts 30,000 members. His sermons are televised on such networks as Trinity Broadcasting Network and Black Entertainment Television as The Potter’s Touch. He also has a production company that publishes his many books and has produced several movies.

Though claiming to be non-denominational, his teachings are actively conservative, and he has been targeted by LBGTQ+ activists as being hostile to transgender rights. This book, however, does not reflect that attitude. It is a book heavy on symbolism, most of which anyone who is not versed in the Christian lexicon will have trouble understanding. Basically, it talks about God putting water (help and encouragement) into our deserts (problems and circumstances). Though the sheer volume of this symbology can get monotonous, this is a relatively short book and so readable in spite of the repetitiveness of its theme. One thing that I did appreciate is the way that Jakes writes. He does not use large multisyllable words or theological arguments to get his point across. He writes as if he were simply sitting in front of the reader attempting to explain something, though, as previously stated, heavy in Christian terminology. This is a good book for a Christian who is going through tough times and looking for something to tell them it will get better. For anyone else, it may be something of a confusing read.

MOVIE REVIEW: Risen

 

This movie should not be confused with one of the same title that was released in 2016, and was a Christian based film. This one is a pure sci-fi flick from 2021 starring Nicole Schalmo as an astrobiologist named Lauren Stone who has hit rock bottom emotionally and has lost her job and reputation as a result. When a meteor hits outside a small town, turning the air toxic and killing everyone there, Stone is called upon to solve the mystery behind the phenomenon. A problem that only gets stranger when some of the dead residents rise and begin living again.

This is actually the first film that Schalmo has been known for. She was both the star and the assistant producer, and, in spite of her relatively unknown status, this has received nine awards from various film festivals and independent critics from around the world. The cinematography is excellent as well as the acting, though the script is rather slow and confusing in spots, with a lot of technical jargon about quantum physics thrown in. However, the end is so completely unexpected and astounding that it makes this totally worth watching. There is no erotica, very little violence, and an equally small amount of strong language, so this would be suitable for older children, provided they have the intellect to understand it. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks

 

Hawk, a young man imbued with magic more powerful than has ever been seen before, leads a ragtag group of orphans and their caretakers in search of a place where they will be safe from the last devastation that will annihilate what is left of the world. Joining them is a young Elf who carries the responsibility for the entirety of his race, and two Knights of the Word, people drawn from the race of men to protect the ones who will make a difference in the battle between light and darkness. Against them stands a demon so powerful that it will take all their combined abilities to defeat him and the army of monsters that he has amassed.

This is the last book in the trilogy of the Genesis of Shannara, the prelude to the world Terry Brooks first created in his sensational first novel, The Sword of Shannara. Now we learn how the world of Shannara came to be, the forces that shaped it, and the world that it was born from. This brings all the main characters from the first two books in this trilogy together for one last battle to see who will survive and who will be destroyed. A battle that will be decided, not by armies, but by the power of one boy who is not even sure what he is or is meant to be. One of Brooks’s best, this is a great read.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Black Demon

A man named Paul Sturges, who works for an oil company, takes his family on a weekend in Baja California where he has been assigned to inspect an oil rig. When they get there, they find that the oil rig has been leaking for months, polluting the waters offshore and devastating the town there that relied on the fishing industry. It has also apparently attracted a monster shark that the locals believe is a demon come to exact revenge on the humans who have destroyed the environment. Sturges soon finds himself and his family trapped on the oil rig itself where, along with the only two survivors of the crew, they enter a fight to get back to shore before the whole thing collapses or the shark can make them its prey.

This combines South American folklore with the current megalodon craze to create a movie about survival and the consequences of past choices. Due to its setting and plot, this is necessarily pro-environmentalism and anti-oil. Starring Josh Lucas as Sturges, Fernanda Urrejola as his wife Ines, and Julio Cesar Cedillo as one of the crew survivors, the acting in this is excellent. The script is sometimes a little choppy and the special effects are almost non-existent (the shark only has one out of the water appearance), but the performances keep it on track. Made by Amazon Studios for streaming on that platform, this was released before the writers’ and actors’ strikes that all but crippled the industry in 2023. As a result, it was never marketed to a wider audience than on the streaming service itself. However, it is worth seeing, if for nothing more than the effort that the actors put into it.  

 

BOOK REVIEW: Fairy Tale by Stephen King

 

Charlie Reade is a young man about to graduate high school. Though he is reasonably handsome and has been athletically successful most of his life, Charlie has been through some tough times. His mother was killed in a tragic accident when he was only a child and his father turned to alcohol to drown his own grief, which led Charlie down some dark paths and into some choices that he now regrets. But then he becomes the only friend of the hermit who lives in the big old house at the top of the hill and falls in love with the man’s equally old dog. When the man dies suddenly, he leaves Charlie his entire estate and, among all the other papers, a cassette tape on which the old guy tells a story that is clearly unbelievable. However, upon further investigation and to his utter astonishment, Charlie finds that the story is absolutely true. For the old man has left the boy not only a magical place, but the chance for a life changing experience, as well as an incredible responsibility to not only protect what he has been given but to also make sure that two entire worlds do not end up destroying each other.

This novel is just what its name indicates, a fairy tale. Over three decades ago, Stephen King wrote a book called The Eyes of the Dragon which was similar. In it, a good, honorable prince fought to save his kingdom from a demonic sorcerer.  However, in this, the prince is a young man from our world, and the danger is from the desires of members of a corrupt royal family that have made a deal with the very essence of evil. This is a dark fairy tale, in that there is a great deal of bloodshed and body parts, and most of the people involved, even the good ones, are well equipped for killing when they must. King has an uncanny way of weaving a web of events that keep coming back to the old bedtime stories that he was told as a child (one in particular), thus becoming the theme of the narrative and still having the ability to work their own form of magic. There are many who have not and will not like this, mainly because it is not in King’s usual vein of horrible beings and nightmarish happenings, but it is a fairy tale worth the telling. And worth the reading as well.

 

MOVIE REVIEW: Knock at the Cabin

 

While vacationing at a remote cabin, a gay couple named Eric and Andrew and their adopted daughter, Wen, find themselves at the mercy of four unexpected visitors who tell them that they will have to make an impossible choice to stop a worldwide catastrophe. Though they want to put their captors’ words down to nothing more than an elaborate delusion, as the things that are predicted slowly begin to unfold, the two men find themselves beginning to believe that what they are told may be the truth. But can they do what is being asked of them? Could you bring yourself to kill someone you loved if it meant saving the world?

Based on a book titled The Cabin at the End of the World, this is a film by M. Night Shyamalan, who is known for his unique and unusual movies that have strange plot twists. This is mainly a character study of several different personalities being brought together under extremely difficult circumstances, with a unique perspective of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse for a backdrop. Starring ex-WWE champ Dave Bautista as the leader of the home invaders, and Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as the gay couple, this also has a young child actor, Kristen Cui, who is outstanding as Wen, and a surprise guest appearance by Rupert Grint as one of the intruders. This has several scenes of murder and suicide in it, so it is not recommended for children. However, like all Shyamalan’s films, this one will keep you thinking about it long after it is over. A little disturbing but excellently done, it is worth the watch.

BOOK REVIEW: The Method by James Patterson and Zachary Quinto

 

This was more of a listen than a read. An audio drama from one of the most prolific authors today and one of the best performers to grace both film and stage, it follows a struggling actor who, after being a child star on a hit series, is trying to find the right part to once again launch him into the limelight. Along the way, a friend introduces him to an online teaching series called The Method, which is a completely immersive technique of leading an actor into the mind of a character. However, when the character happens to be a serial killer, getting into a mind like that may cost everyone their futures.

The production of this reminds me of the old radio dramas that were the rage in the early 20th century. As with any form of entertainment, there were the cheesy, corny ones, and then there were the ones that won awards and became entertainment legends. This is definitely one of the latter. The listener is drawn into the world of a young man who is attempting to bring a psychopath to life and ends up losing his own identity in the process. Quinto's ability to use only his voice to make you see through the eyes of a murderer is incredible, and paired with Patterson's writing the story takes on a life of its own. I definitely recommend this for anyone who is interested in discovering what audio drama is, but be prepared to be creeped out by one of the most endearing monsters to come along on a long time.

MOVIE REVIEW: Riding the Bullet

 

In 1969 a young artist named Alan Parker, who has visions of his own death, attempts to hitchhike home to see his mother when she is hospitalized by a stroke. On the way he meets an old farmer, an army deserter, and what is apparently the ghost of a man who died two years before and is now gathering souls for the Grim Reaper. This spirit gives Alan the choice of dying himself or choosing someone else to die instead, all of this being instigated by his refusing to ride a roller coaster called The Bullet when he was young, and where he first began seeing premonitions. To be able to get to his sick mother's side Alan must outwit the Angel of Death.

Inspired by a novella by Stephen King, this falls down the rabbit hole of being just a little too faithful to the work of that author. King has a gift of writing the mindscapes of his characters that can be very disturbing, but in a book there is always a hint whether or not what is being read is happening in reality or in the vastly layered mind. However, in film only audible or visual markers can let the viewer know when those periods stop or start, and here there are no such markers. Episodes of the mind are literally indistinguishable from reality, and this makes this movie really choppy and confusing to follow. It is so convoluted, in fact, that it literally wears the audience out and makes them lose interest about halfway through. I would not recommend this for anyone who has trouble telling fantasy from fact, and definitely not for imaginative children that it might excessively frighten. The only bright spot in the entire thing comes early on with the appearance of veteran actor Cliff Robertson as the old farmer that picks Alan up for one of his early rides, and who is mourning the death of his wife while also suffering from health issues. But the majority of this is a mess in film context. There are better things you can do with your time.