In 1992, Kathryn Schleich began her study of how Catholic women are represented in Hollywood with her Master’s thesis which was titled, Madonna, Tramps, and Redeemers: The Portrayal of Catholic Women in Hollywood Films. In 2003, Schleich published a follow-up to this study which was titled, “Hollywood and Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers and other Images.” This 2012, 2nd edition of Hollywood and Catholic Women is a continuation of her research to see if there have been any positive changes....more

Given the success of The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo trilogy, it is not all that strange that publishers would be plumbing the Swedish literary trough for the next Steig Larsson. And while Jan Wallentin is a journalist and his debut thriller includes a skinny young girl, who rides a motorcycle and can whip her weight in large economy size men, his Strindberg's Star doesn't quite measure up to Larsson expectations, great or otherwise....more

Living Without Reservations is a thoroughly enjoyable, highly readable book. It is a travel memoir that also just happens to be inspirational, as Barbara Singer learns to live her own authentic life. Born into a large family on a farm in Pennsylvania, Singer spent years trying to achieve success in her marriage, her career as a gifted salesperson, and even in Ironman competitions. She appeared to have it all: the house, the husband, the career, the social connections, designer clothes, and money. But then she tore it all apart, had an affair, left her marriage and her successful career. Then, tragedy strikes and Singer must remake her life completely in her 40s....more

The 1995 comedy Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone, is now available on Blu-ray. Amy Heckerling, director of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, helms the film. Like Fast Times, Clueless is a film about teenagers. It has a much more comedic tone than Fast Times, but in its own way takes a realistic look at the teenage mind. Instead of sex and drugs, time is spent exploring the more innocent world of puppy love, dating, learning to drive, and getting good grades. Despite being nearly 20 years old, Clueless remains fresh and funny due to its clever writing and good performances....more

I will freely admit that I have been guilty of denigrated the romantic comedy genre.  But, that is only the case because I know how great a romantic comedy can be and see all too often where they end up.  If you want to see a brilliant example of the genre, look no further than the new Blu-ray release of the 1959 classic, Pillow Talk. Directed by Michael Gordon, Pillow Talk stars the fantastic on screen duo of Rock Hudson and Doris Day.  Here, the two play strangers who are brought together by their hatred for one another as they share a "party line."  It is funny and charming and they make for a perfect pair....more

The two-DVD set Live at Montreux 2004 actually contains two very different Phil Collins concerts. As the release’s title suggests, the main attraction is his Montreux Jazz Festival performance from 2004, during his “First Final Farewell Tour.” This show runs two hours and 17 minutes and includes two dozen songs spanning Collins’ solo career. While most of the show features Collins front and center on vocals, the opening “Drums, Drums & More Drums” finds him behind the kit for a percussive workout. He kicks off with a solo, soon joined by the show’s primary drummer, Chester Thompson. Percussionist Luis Conte also joins in, topping off an exciting instrumental performance....more

Diana Pavlac Glyer’s thesis is simple: creativity happens in community. The idea, she claims, that genius rises out of individualism is false. Nothing great comes out of the lone individual locked away in a closet somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. In order to prove this thesis true, Glyer dissects the literary group known as The Inklings, a group of scholars and writers who met between the early 1930s and late 1949. The Inklings were comprised of (to name a few): C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, J.A.W. Bennett, David Cecil, Charles Williams, H.V.D. Dyson, Nevill Coghill, and Adam Fox....more

“The sun always shone brighter when our grandmother was beside us.” ”I wish we could live it all over again.” “I realize now that father knows best.” These are the typical sentiments voiced in Dear Photograph, a collection of photographs in which a vintage print is held up and aligned to a view of the present day. If Hallmark-commodified emotions are your bag, then this is the book for you. But does anybody really want a 250-page greeting card?...more

In 2010, Garry Marshall directed the surprise hit Valentine’s Day, a romantic comedy boasting an all-star cast that focused on everyone’s favorite romantic holiday. Critics loathed it, but audiences seemed to lap it up–at least during Valentine’s Day weekend, during which it earned just over half its total box office gross. In 2011, Marshall attempted a similar crowd pleaser with New Year’s Eve, another ensemble piece about a holiday seldom focused on in movies. There are lots of Christmas movies of course, but few have so specifically centered on the last day of the year....more

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor by Mark Seal is a non-fiction book tracking one of the biggest con artists of our time (that has been caught). Assuming a series of names, one man fooled successful business people and high society for decades spreading huge lies, so preposterous they were believed....more