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‘Teenage Slasher’ Brings the Gore, Needs More
Feel a bit uneasy about your love for slasher movies? J.A. Kerswell hears you. The author’s new book, “The Teenage Slasher Movie Book, 2nd Revised and Expanded Edition,” offers a compendium of more...
View Article‘Maze Runner’ Latest Y.A. Movie to Smash Statism
It’s the basic storyline behind “The Hunger Games” franchise and “The Giver,” and shadings of it can be seen in the recent hit “Divergent.” “The Maze Runner,” based on the young adult novel by James...
View ArticleComic Con Exclusives Trump Celebrity, Scoops
Any show that’s worth attending has them. Those supposedly one-of-a-kind collectibles available only to the brave heroes willing to give up their weekends – and a substantial amount of cash – to...
View Article‘Spider-Man’ Spins Synergy Web, Will Burnout Follow?
Over the next several months, the extra-dimensional villain Morlun and his family are hunting down Spider-Men – and Spider-Women – from across the multiverse. Writer Dan Slott promises that every...
View ArticleBill O’Reilly’s ‘Killing Patton’ Peddles Warmed Over Facts
“Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General” landed in bookstores in late September and instantly climbed to the top of the bestseller lists. No doubt O’Reilly fans will...
View ArticleVariants Toy with Comic Book Fans’ Emotions, Wallets
Take this week, for example. At first glance, it appears Marvel is releasing seven different “Captain America” comics and four for its new “Superior Iron Man” title. DC isn’t far behind with three...
View ArticleBadder Santa? ‘Red XMas’ Offers Nasty St. Nick
The actor behind “Bad Santa,” a sour Christmas film featuring one very disreputable toy giver, never behaved like St. Nick does in the new Fried Comics story. “Red XMas” No. 1 currently in the waning...
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Is Mad Magazine Tougher on Obama Than Today’s Comics?
Mad Magazine’s newest edition, hitting newsstands Dec. 16 but available now via digital distribution on iPads, is dubbed “The 20 Dumbest People, Events and Things of 2014.” The humor magazine takes...
View Article7 Reasons 2014 Was a Lousy Year for Free Speech
Yes, everyone is talking about Sony’s decision to pull “The Interview” after hackers threatened theaters showing the Seth Rogen comedy. The debacle became just one of seven sour moments when free...
View ArticleThe Best Comic Books of 2014*
Let’s face it. With the number of comics coming out each week, there’s no way anyone could compile a true “best of” list. Instead, I’ve pulled together some representative titles that – at least for me...
View ArticleDon’t Miss These Comic Books in 2015
Of course, with the secrecy surrounding these “events,” it’s hard to get visibility beyond a few months’ time. So consider this a quick preview into what to look forward to in the first several months...
View Article5 Pop Culture Books to Read in 2015
There’s the first new “Star Wars” film in a decade along with a slew of franchise reboots like “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Terminator Genisys.” However, 2015 may be the year to add something extra to...
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HiT Book Review: ‘The Last American Vampire’
After “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” Grahame-Smith found a way to mash his distinct genre tastes with what is normally respected historical literature. If he...
View ArticleHiT Audiobook Review: ‘Full Metal Jacket Diary’
Modine starred as Private Joker in the 1987 classic, showing a soldier’s journey from boot camp to the battlefield. An audio version of the 2005 book has finally been released with Modine reading and...
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Do Costume Tweaks Offer Super Perks for Heroes?
DC tempted fate this week when it again tweaked Superman’s look this week by giving him fingerless gloves. (Why an invulnerable character needs gloves – fingered or not is beyond me, but I’ve never...
View ArticleNew Book Spotlights Other ‘American Sniper’ Hero
The author of an upcoming book about Navy SEAL Ryan “Biggles” Job, whose story is a small part of the film, offers another profile in courage. Only Robert Vera isn’t clamoring for Job to get his own...
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HiT Book Review: Andrew Klavan’s ‘Werewolf Cop’
No, it’s strange because Klavan is one hell of a writer. The bulk of the story is easy to digest. Klavan writes in simple prose, smartly keeping the action very visual, almost cinematic. However, there...
View ArticleHiT Book Review: ‘Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born’
He’s a more silent and edgy hero, different from the smooth and suave spy played by Piece Brosnan or even original screen Bond Sean Connery. What about the first true Bond? The one that wasn’t on the...
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Flanery’s ‘Jane Two’ Will Make Grown Men Cry
You can tell a lot about a man when he thinks no one is watching him. I was there on the set of “The Boondock Saints” years ago, watching Flanery work, casually noticing how disciplined he was in his...
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How One Hell-Raising ‘Biker’ Found Faith
The Honda S90. Cost four hundred bucks. Oh, the power of that mighty machine! It topped out at fifty-five going downhill. Out on the eastern flats of South Dakota a motorcycle meant freedom. It’s...
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Klavan’s ‘Great Good Thing’ Offers Divine Second Act
Klavan’s “The Great Good Thing” ostensibly charts the author’s embrace of a religion that clashed with his familial roots. As with previous Klavan books, that only scratches the thematic surface. “The...
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Flashback: Powerhouse Southern Writers from the ’80s
Matt Stone and Trey Parker of “South Park” fame came up with the term “member berries” to lampoon our need for nostalgia, I’d like to serve up a warm slice of member berry pie and revisit the essential...
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Don’t Miss 2016’s Best Comic Books, Graphic Novels
As much of the country hunkers down for what could be a long winter, it’s a good time to start a reading list for the cold nights. The last 12 months saw its fair share of quality comic books and...
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How ‘Church of Cowards’ Skewers Pop Culture Hypocrites
Never has the “don’t judge a book by its cover” mantra been more true than with Matt Walsh’s “Church of Cowards.” When I opened Jeff Bezos’ box and pulled it out my first thought was, ‘This belongs in...
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‘Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother’ Is a Neurotic, Revelatory Treat
We didn’t need a memoir to tell us filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld looks at life differently than most auteurs. Just peek at his IMDB.com page. Movies like “Raising Arizona,” “Men in Black,” “Blood Simple”...
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Why ‘Wanderers’ Is a Must-Read Novel for Our Challenging Times
It’s hard for conservatives like us to find decent entertainment that doesn’t, almost invariably, hit us with the Left Wing Sucker Punch. Take “The Blind Side,” for example. In an otherwise...
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Woody Allen, Unexpected Culture Warrior
Woody Allen is the perfect modern warrior against Cancel Culture The Oscar winner has become a soldier in the most Woody Allen way possible: with a shrug of the shoulders and an almost inexplicable...
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Read Dave Rubin’s ‘Don’t Burn This Book’ Before It’s Too Late
In a perfect world Dave Rubin wouldn’t have to write “Don’t Burn This Book.” The “Rubin Report” host wants his fellow Americans to agree to disagree and maybe share a craft beer later. Sounds like ye...
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Review: Wes Anderson Tome Tries Too Hard to Mimic the Man Himself
The moment I realized Wes Anderson had become a major figure in American film was when I met a partygoer in 2005 who told me “Rushmore” (1998) was his favorite film. It wasn’t what he said but how he...
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