Has anyone else seen "Little Children," with Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley? They are both nominated for Oscars for their performances in this film. For you guys who are Kate Winslet fans, you'll see a lot of her in this movie.... a lot.

I had no idea what the movie was about, except that it had to do with the families in the 'burbs. YIKES! Some families! I didn't know that "Little Children" was so dark. It's very good and worth seeing.

I liked it but found it very disturbing, which is the point. I don't think Winslet's performance was Oscar worthy, but it's good. Jackie Earle Haley just LOOKS so profoundly creepy that all he has to do is stand there and he fits the bill. He's good, too, but he won't take the Oscar home.

"Little Children" unfolds slowly as it lays down multiple story lines while allowing you to connect the dots. Throughout the film the sense of dread increases. With so many deeply flawed characters, it seemed to me they all were going to come to no good. I didn't see the end coming as it did.

Unlike "Letters from Iwo Jima," which also unfolds slowly, I was involved with these characters and the story and even though the pace is slow, at no time did my mind wander, as it did throughout "Iwo Jima." "Little Children" is an example of a slow moving film that captures you and won't let you go until the final scene when you hear the eerie creak of an empty playground swing.


P.S. Oooh! Oooh! There's a scene that involves a book club. On the sofa are three women, older than Kate Winslet, who are discussing "Madame Bovary." I was in a show off-off Broadway with 2 of the 3 ladies on the sofa, Crystal Field and Lola Pashalinski! I really haven't done much professional acting, so it was really neat to see those ladies together on the screen and to turn to my friends and say that I'd acted with them.

I am seeking a copy of "The Haunted Air" in the Numbered limited Edition for myself to read and complete the series . I have all the other RJ novels and "Bloodline" is on order but I am missing at one. so, If you have a copy to sell or know where I may find one please get back to me.

Thanks
P.B

I just got back to FT Gordon, GA this past weekend and I took a trip out to the local Barnes and Nobles. So, I decided to look for the next RMJ novels that I would need to continue the series and as I looked through the shelves I found ATR and The Haunted Air, which are the 2 I just finished, but not the next 2 that I would need. Well, for some reason I decided to look behind the books on the shelves and there I found even more RMJ novels, including the next 2 that I needed (can't remember the titles...sorry FPW).

If I hadn't of looked behind the other books, I would have never found what I was looking for. I know they must do this because of overstock, but wouldn't it be smarter to bookend and least 1 copy of each title, instead of numeorus coppies of the same title? Anyone else notice this trend in bookstores?

Since I haven't been to a real bookstore in 3 1/2 years I was somewhat perplexed by this practice.

Well, I have them now, but I just started Dean Koontz's The Husband, so I will have to wait on the RMJ stuff.

Hey Paul, not to make light of your recent surgery! How ya doin.........Hope your feeling better......

I watched this Korean comedy/thriller-a thrimedy-last night. While it has several flaws, they had to be the most inept band of high-tech assassins ever, I still found it quite fun. If you don't have anything better to do, you might consider it.

Seeing Metllicamilitia's signature quote ("Go then! There are other worlds than these!") made me realize no one here has posted about the discussed Dark Tower movie. If you didn't know, J.J. Abrams (LOST creator) is in talks with Stephen King to bring his epic series to either television or cinemas. I'd prefer a seven year arch on television, 12 episodes a season/book, on Showtime or HBO much like they're planning with the Fire and Ice series Dave mentioned earlier.

I for one would love to see DT come alive in some format. Has anyone checked out the first issue of The Gunslinger Born comic released last week? I've never been able to imagine what Gilead looked like and it was great to finally see a visual representation.

Two big thumbs up for Pedro Almodovar's "Volver." I don't know of any man who gets inside the head of women better than Almovodar. He loves women, unabashedly and joyously and with respect. And what I love most about Almodovar's films is that women can get away with killing bad men who've done bad things to women.

Almodovar also gives great credit to fantasy and superstition and the hold they can have over entire towns. His point of view is just so different and colorful, full of life and full of questions. He always takes me places I've never been and never would have a chance to go.

Penelope Cruz is nominated for Best Actress for "Volver." She's very good, as are all the remarkable women in this wonderful ensemble. But, she still won't beat "The Queen."

I doubt many people here will see "Volver," but it is another Almodovar gem.

Over the weekend I watched a couple of movies that are definitely worth checking out: The Science Of Sleep and Catch A Fire.

The Science Of Sleep stars Gael Garcia Bernal in a whimsical tale of love. While the theme of unrequited love is old, the approach here is wholly unique-you've never seen this movie before and Bernal is a fascinating actor. The movie does use three languages so if you decide to watch it, be prepared for some subtitles.

Catch A Fire stars Derek Luke as Patrick Chamusso and Tim Robbins as Nik Vos. The film is based on actual events that took place in South Africa during the 80's. Patrick is a decent, hard-working, soccer-coaching man who runs afoul of the law, Nik, when his refinery is blown up. This leads Patrick to pursue a life as a rebel. This superb political thriller somehow manged to stay under the radar in the theaters, but don't miss it on DVD. The commentary features the real life Patrick Chamusso and is worth a listen as well.

...should be available in a couple of weeks.

My hommage to pulp fiction - a fun Yellow Peril story with the most lurid title I could think of - will soon be now available from the acclaimed audio series, DARK VOICES. It's read by yours truly and features wonderful background music and f/x by Robert Schaller. The CD comes with a signed chapbook of the story.

I inserted a number of cameo appearances by famous characters; if you can’t identify them you are banned for life from reading anything else I write.

Order here: http://www.borderlandspress.com/dv5.html

or here: http://shocklines.stores.yahoo.net/davobfpawibc.html

It's just about ready to go.

In the mid 1990s I wrote a novel about the discovery of the body of the Virgin Mary. As I did with vampire lore in MIDNIGHT MASS, I began with the premise that all the Catholic lore about Mary is true except for one thing: She wasn’t assumed body and soul into heaven; instead, her body was hidden away in Israel’s Negev Desert. The guardian of her remains gets careless over the millennia and, while he’s busy elsewhere, the body is discovered and spirited away. This sets in motion a chain of cataclysmic events that reverberates around the world. I had a ball with it, putting all my Catholic background (even though I'm a recovering Catholic, you never forget) into play. I sent it out under my wife's maiden name (Mary Elizabeth Murphy) and gave it a blurb under my own. Even dedicated it to myself: "To my husband, without whom this book would not have been possible."

This is the first hardcover edition and the first publication under my own byline. It should start shipping mid-February. Order here: http://www.borderlandspress.com/virgin.html

or, if you want a copy inscribed to you, order here: http://shocklines.stores.yahoo.net/vibyfpawibha.html