Idiosyncratic ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ (2004) is still flippin’ sweet
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Jared and Jerusha Hess find laughs via presentation in this postmodern high school outsider comedy classic.
Teen Drama
Idiosyncratic ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ (2004) is still flippin’ sweet
‘Ghost World’ (2001) gets more substantial on repeat viewings
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): The best movie of the first year of the millennium works on additional levels as time goes by.
Rowling’s stark ‘Casual Vacancy’ (2012) bridges Potter and Strike
Throwback Thursday (Book review): The “Harry Potter” scribe doesn’t have answers for folks in a non-magical world, but she does show observant compassion.
So what I did was, I re-read ‘Catcher in the Rye’ (1951)
Throwback Thursday (Book review): I wish you could’ve been there when I read it, but I’ll analyze this Salinger classic like a madman.
Coming-of-age story exhilarates in tasty ‘Snack Shack’
Movie review: Director Adam Rehmeier’s personal connection to 1991 Nebraska City shines through in one of 2024’s best films so far.
Green and his prankish teens seek meaning in ‘Looking for Alaska’ (2005)
Throwback Thursday (Book review): Green’s debut novel pulls off the neat trick of making its title character both ephemeral and believable.
‘Trust Exercise’ (2019) a masterful triptych about broken adult-child trust
Book club book report: Via traumatized, reflective victims, Choi pens a sharp back-door analysis of how abusers maintain industry power.
‘What a Girl Wants’ (2003) gives viewers what they want: Firth and Bynes
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): This cute culture-clash comedy stands as Bynes’ best film, as a teenager tracks down her absent father.
Bynes’ ‘Lovewrecked’ (2005) is a cheaply made wreck
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): There are only so many Amanda Bynes movies out there, so fans will likely come across this one. Unfortunately.
‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ (2019) introduces young readers to the genre
Book club book report: Despite its basic nature, Holly Jackson’s debut novel is a page-turning whodunit for adults, too.