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Movies for Grown-Ups: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead | May 14, 2008
Today's movie: The surprisingly great 2007 noir "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," by the 83-year-old Hollywood legend Sidney Lumet. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Lars and the Real Girl | May 13, 2008
Today's review: The quirky indie 2007 dramedy "Lars and the Real Girl," from "Six Feet Under" writer/producer Nancy Oliver. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Gravedigger's Daughter," by Joyce Carol Oates | May 12, 2008
Today's review: The supremely disappointing 2007 novel "The Gravedigger's Daughter," by revered academic author Joyce Carol Oates. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Heart-Shaped Box," by Joe Hill | May 8, 2008
Today's review: The surprise 2007 bestseller "Heart-Shaped Box," the debut novel of horror writer Joe Hill, not nearly as good a book as I thought it was going to be. Click through for the details. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Day of Empire," by Amy Chua | May 7, 2008
Today's book: The historical and political "Day of Empire" by futurist and law professor Amy Chua, which argues that all world-dominant societies throughout history share a freakishly small amount of traits, both during their ascendancies and their falls. Click through for more. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Somnambulist," by Jonathan Barnes | May 6, 2008
Today: The pretty good new steampunk novel "The Somnambulist," by British book critic Jonathan Barnes, along with some extended thoughts on what exactly steampunk is, and what the difference is between so-called genre fiction and mainstream. | Read entire entry
Photo of the day: "carly," by Drew Valenti | May 6, 2008
Today's photo: "carly," by North Carolinian Drew Valenti. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Bringing Home the Birkin," by Michael Tonello | May 5, 2008
Today's book: The dazzling 2008 memoir "Bringing Home the Birkin," detailing one witty young man's globetrotting adventures buying up the notoriously scarce handbags and then reselling them on eBay for an insane markup. What a great book; click through for the reasons why. | Read entire entry
CCLaP consolidates some of its master lists | May 4, 2008
Just a small programming note here on a quiet weekend; I wanted to let people know that I've gotten rid of the main backlist of mini-reviews, and have enfolded them instead into the main lists for longer book and movie reviews. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry
Your micro-review roundup: 3 May 2008 | May 3, 2008
A round-up of little tiny reviews for the last week or two, including four books and four movies. Click through for a lot more. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Island of Dr Moreau," by HG Wells | May 2, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly exciting and disgusting 1896 medical thriller "The Island of Dr Moreau," by science-fiction godfather HG Wells. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts on the subject. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Gathering," by Anne Enright | April 29, 2008
Today's book: Anne Enright's "The Gathering," winner of the 2007 Booker Prize. Did it deserve it? As the reader of six of last year's nominees, I definitely have some thoughts on the matter; click through for the details. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Mrs Dalloway," by Virginia Woolf | April 28, 2008
Today's book: The 1925 Modernist experimental masterpiece "Mrs Dalloway," by feminist icon Virginia Woolf. Is it a classic? Click through for my opinion and reasons. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Margot at the Wedding | April 24, 2008
Today's movie: Noah Baumbach's 2007 "Margo at the Wedding," the latest in a series of brilliant dark character dramas from this writer/director (including "Mr. Jealousy" and "The Squid and the Whale"). | Read entire entry
Book Versus Movie: "From Hell" | April 22, 2008
Today, the first in an irregular series of essays here at CCLaP -- a review of both the book and movie versions of the "Jack The Ripper" conspiracy tale "From Hell," the 1999 book by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, the 2001 movie by The Hughes Brothers. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Dracula," by Bram Stoker | April 19, 2008
Today's book: The 1897 Victorian horror novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, which single-handedly established the now overwhelmingly known vampire genre. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts and opinion. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Downfall / Der Untergang | April 14, 2008
Today's movie: The haunting, brilliant, absolutely riveting "Downfall," the 2004 German film regarding the last week of World War II from the viewpoint of the Nazis, as seen from Hitler's bunker in Berlin. | Read entire entry
Your micro-review roundup: 13 April 2008 | April 13, 2008
One-paragraph reviews of five movies and two novels, none of them interesting enough to warrant full critical reviews of their own. Includes "The Name of the Rose," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Closer," "Zeroville," "Beautiful Children," "The Illusionist" and "Funny Games." | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Gods Themselves," by Isaac Asimov | April 11, 2008
Today's book: the 1972 Hugo and Nebula winner "The Gods Themselves," by Golden-Age science-fiction author Isaac Asimov. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" | April 10, 2008
Today's review: The awkwardly-titled, fascinating but frustrating 2007 Oscar nominee "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," by obscure Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Black Hole," by Charles Burns | April 9, 2008
Today's review: The 2005 epic graphic-novel "Black Hole," by comics veteran and "Believer" cover artist Charles Burns. | Read entire entry
Tales From the Completist: "The Long Goodbye," by Raymond Chandler | April 8, 2008
Today's book: the brilliant 1953 detective novel "The Long Goodbye" by Raymond Chandler, which happens to be this spring's choice for the "One Book One Chicago" program. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Regarding the glorious trainwreck which is "Southland Tales." | April 7, 2008
Today, a sorta half-review and half-essay of sorts, examining in detail why Richard Kelly's latest film "Southland Tales" is such a creative trainwreck, and why I loved it anyway. Ahoy, pretention ahead! | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Republic," by Plato | April 4, 2008
Today's book: Plato's "The Republic" from approximately 360 BC, the book that single-handedly defined the way most of our modern Western governments currently work. Is it a classic still worth reading today? Click through for my thoughts. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Trip," by Mick MacO | April 3, 2008
Today's review: The self-published 2008 European confessional travelogue "Trip," by Irish graphic designer living in Germany "Mick MacO." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Now And Forever," by Ray Bradbury | April 2, 2008
Today's review: "Now And Forever," a collection of two brand-new (2007) novellas by genre legend Ray Bradbury. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Gum Thief," by Douglas Coupland | March 31, 2008
Today's book: 2007's dark and sad "The Gum Thief," the latest by legendary hipster novelist Douglas Coupland ("Generation X," "Microserfs"). | Read entire entry
Your movie micro-review roundup: 29 March 2008 | March 29, 2008
Today, the start of a new occasional weekend series, posting a collection of mere one-paragraph reviews of movies not worth saying that much more about. In today's collection: "Braveheart," "Chocolat," "Kill Bill," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," "The Darjeeling Limited," and "Superman Returns." | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Washington Square," by Henry James | March 28, 2008
Today's book: The slim 1880 "slice of life" story "Washington Square," by realist-fiction master Henry James. Is it a classic? Click through for my thoughts on the subject. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Boy Detective Fails," by Joe Meno | March 27, 2008
Today's book: The brilliantly unique 2006 modern fairytale "The Boy Detective Fails," by Chicago cult favorite Joe Meno. | Read entire entry
Obsession of the moment: "The Reprover/Le Réprobateur" | March 27, 2008
Today's obsession: The witty, experimental hyperfiction project "The Reprover/Le Réprobateur," by French artist and CCLaP reader François Coulon. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Via Dolorosa," by Ronald Malfi | March 26, 2008
Today's book: The minimalist, atmospheric horror story "Via Dolorosa," by experimental writer Ronald Malfi. | Read entire entry
Book review: "World War Z," by Max Brooks | March 25, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly brilliant fake oral history of a zombie apocalyptic war, "World War Z," by the surprisingly intelligent and serious Max Brooks (son of comedy veteran Mel Brooks). | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Catcher in the Rye," by JD Salinger | March 21, 2008
Today's book: 1951's "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger, which fans claim single-handedly kicked off the entire genre now known as "Confessional Young Adult." Is it a classic, though? Click through for my thoughts. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," by Jules Verne | March 14, 2008
Today's book: 1870's prototypical science-fiction tale "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne, inspiration behind a million young boys' adventuring fantasies for a century and a half. Classic? No? Click through for my opinion. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Shakespeare: The World as Stage," by Bill Bryson | March 13, 2008
Today's review: The delightful 2007 slim and accessible guide to William Shakespeare, travel writer Bill Bryson's "Shakespeare: The World as Stage." | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Name of the Rose," by Umberto Eco | March 11, 2008
Today's book: The brilliant 1980 Medieval murder mystery / deceptively complex meditation on semiotics "The Name of the Rose," by Italian history professor and postmodernist Umberto Eco. Is it a classic? Click through for my opinion, and the reasons why. | Read entire entry
Too awful to finish: "Engleby," by Sebastian Faulks | March 3, 2008
Today's book under trial: The virtually plotless 2007 novel "Engleby," by Sebastian Faulks. Ugh, this book drove me crazy; click through for the reasons why. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," by Mark Twain | February 29, 2008
Today's book: the 1876 "American Pastoral" novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," a fictionalized small-town childhood memoir by political satirist Mark Twain. Is it a classic? Click through for my opinion and comments. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Great Expectations (1999) | February 28, 2008
Today's review: The 1999 television adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1861 "Great Expectations," made in this case for the BBC in the UK and "Masterpiece Theatre" in the US. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Sunshine | February 26, 2008
Today's movie: The visually thrilling 2007 science-fiction actioner "Sunshine," by visually thrilling veteran director Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and a whole lot more). | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Matala," by Craig Holden | February 26, 2008
Today's review: The slim and problem-filled 2007 noir thriller "Matala," by genre serf Craig Holden, picked up completely randomly at my neighborhood library a few weeks ago. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: The Ripley Trilogy, by Patricia Highsmith | February 25, 2008
Today's review: The crime-fiction trilogy revolving around Tom Ripley (1955-1972), by Patricia Highsmith. Smartly-done genre pieces that helped defined the industry, or true classics that you should read before you die? Click through for my opinion. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Zodiac | February 19, 2008
Today's review: David Fincher's latest, the surprisingly good 2007 historical drama/true-crime thriller "Zodiac." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Apocalypto | February 18, 2008
Today's review: The surprisingly great 2006 Mel Gibson Mayan Empire epic "Apocalypto." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Clown Girl," by Monica Drake | February 15, 2008
Today's review: The cultishly popular 2006 novel "Clown Girl," an inventive metaphor about corporate life and the debut novel of Monica Drake, which sadly enough I just didn't care for. | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "The Solitudes," by John Crowley | February 13, 2008
Today's book: The cultishly loved trippy academic 1987 fantasy novel "The Solitudes" by John Crowley, part 1 of the massively complicated saga "AEgypt." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Horatio Hornblower: Loyalty | February 12, 2008
Today's review: The 2003 television film "Horatio Hornblower: Loyalty," based on the highly popular series of Napoleonic naval adventure novels by CS Forester. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: THX 1138 | February 11, 2008
Today's movie: The surprisingly crappy 1971 dystopian sci-fi thriller "THX 1138," the first film of George Lucas' career, which makes clear why he delved afterwards so fast into the world of "Star Wars" style space opera. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Man Who Was Thursday," by GK Chesterton | February 8, 2008
Today's book: The 1908 detective tale/absurdist comedy "The Man Who Was Thursday," by quirky ahead-of-his-time genre master and Modernism precursor GK Chesterton. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Abstinence Teacher," by Tom Perrotta | February 7, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly disappointing 2007 novel "The Abstinence Teacher" by Tom Perrotta, a fuzzy and unfocused copy of his much better "Little Children." | Read entire entry
Ten Movies About...Charming A--holes | February 6, 2008
Today, a rare new edition of the "Ten Movies About..." series; in this case, ten great movies all featuring charming a--holes. Click through for the choices as well as the reasons I picked them. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Bridge of Sighs," by Richard Russo | February 4, 2008
Today's book: The slow-moving 2007 small-town epic "Bridge of Sighs," by former Pulitzer winner Richard Russo ("Empire Falls"). | Read entire entry
Mini-review: The Simpsons Movie | February 4, 2008
Today's review: 2007's "The Simpsons Movie," which is exactly and precisely what you expect it to be. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Eastern Promises | February 1, 2008
Today's movie: David Cronenberg's latest, 2007's Russian expat crime thriller "Eastern Promises," proving again just how on top of his game this talented director is these days. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: The Man Who Fell to Earth | January 31, 2008
Today's movie: The so-so trippy 1976 science-fiction film "The Man Who Fell to Earth," which in its rush to employ as many '70s cinematic effects as possible forgets along the way to tell a decent story. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Helvetica | January 30, 2008
Today's movie: The sharp, smart, fascinating 2007 documentary "Helvetica," a two-hour movie about a typeface that has become the biggest money-maker in the history of Chicago's Gene Siskel Film Center. Click through to find out why. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Hot Fuzz | January 30, 2008
Today's review: The 2007 buddy-cop-action-thriller parody "Hot Fuzz," by the British comedy team that made "Shaun of the Dead," much better than its insipid American marketing campaign would have you believe. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Almost Moon," by Alice Sebold | January 24, 2008
Today's book: The delightfully twisted thriller about senile monsters and insane daughters, Alice Sebold's "The Almost Moon." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Clockers | January 24, 2008
Today: The surprisingly disappointing 1995 Spike Lee crime thriller "Clockers," based on the vastly superior novel by Richard Price. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Ratatouille | January 23, 2008
Today: The absolutely perfect family film "Ratatouille," the latest by Brad Bird and the newly Disneyfied Pixar Animation. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: The Maltese Falcon | January 22, 2008
Today's movie: The seminal detective movie and film noir, 1941's "The Maltese Falcon," which not only established the career of John Huston but also made Humphrey Bogart a star for the first time. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Casablanca | January 22, 2008
Today's review: The surprisingly disappointing 1942 so-called classic "Casablanca," which somehow manages to mix jaded film noir with rah-rah wartime patriotism, not to great effect. | Read entire entry
Book review: "by George," by Wesley Stace | January 21, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly epic tale of a British family of stage performers, the brilliant "by George" by Wesley Stace (aka musician John Wesley Harding). | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Day Watch | January 21, 2008
Today's review: The 2006 Russian big-budget science-fiction actioner "Day Watch," a sequel to the 2004 Russian big-budget science-fiction actioner "Night Watch." | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Zardoz | January 18, 2008
Today's movie: 1974's science-fiction "masterpiece" (read: cult favorite) "Zardoz," a perfect example of everything both great and awful about '70s cinema. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "The Great Gatsby," by F Scott Fitzgerald | January 18, 2008
Today's book: The 1925 stunning look at the Jazz Age, "The Great Gatsby" by F Scott Fitzgerald, the book that inspired the term "Great American Novel" in the first place. Is it a classic? Click through for my own opinion, now that I've finally read it myself. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Night Climbers," by Ivo Stourton | January 17, 2008
Today's book: The surprisingly smart intellectual/airport thriller "The Night Climbers," by first-time British novelist Ivo Stourton. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Halting State," by Charles Stross | January 15, 2008
Today's book: The unexpectedly disappointing MMO thriller "Halting State," by the usually-great science-fiction author Charles Stross. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "House of the Seven Gables," by Nathaniel Hawthorne | January 14, 2008
Today's book: The 1851 horror-story prototype "House of the Seven Gables," by American Romantic master Nathaniel Hawthorne ("The Scarlet Letter"). Does it deserve the "classic" label? Click through for my opinion, now that I've finally read it myself. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow | January 10, 2008
Today's review: The 2004 "retro future" cutting-edge computer-animation experiment "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," which deserves a better reputation than it currently has. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Like a planet full of people getting back from the drugstore. | January 9, 2008
Today: A recent evening looking through my Flickr feeds via the application 1001 reminded me of something: of how much doing such a thing is like flipping through photos in my youth that were just back from the drugstore, and what this says about globalism and international art. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Match Point | January 9, 2008
Today's review: The surprisingly thrilling 2005 Woody Allen British crime noir, "Match Point." | Read entire entry
Book review: "Petropolis," by Anya Ulinich | January 8, 2008
Today's book: The delightfully black, blackly delightful Russian immigrant tale Petropolis, by Russian-American snarky intellectual Anya Ulinich. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Brokeback Mountain | January 8, 2008
Today's review: The 2005 f--king gay cowboy movie, "Brokeback Mountain." | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: "2001: A Space Odyssey" | January 7, 2008
Today's movie: The 1968 masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey," considered by many to be the greatest science-fiction film ever made. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: King Kong (2005) | January 7, 2008
Today's review: The mostly disappointing 2005 Peter Jackson remake of "King Kong." | Read entire entry
Book review: "Vacation," by Jeremy Shipp | January 4, 2008
Today's book: The delightfully strange "Vacation" by Jeremy Shipp, about as great as "weird literature" gets. | Read entire entry
The CCLaP 100: "Great Expectations," by Charles Dickens | January 4, 2008
Today's book: The 1861 Victorian social drama "Great Expectations," by Charles Dickens. Is it truly a classic? Click through for my opinion, now that I've read it myself. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Little Children" | January 3, 2008
Today's review: The 2006 Oscar-nominated movie adaptation of Tom Perrotta's "Little Children," which believe it or not may actually be better than the book version (which I loved too). | Read entire entry
Book review: "Crooked Little Vein," by Warren Ellis | January 2, 2008
Today's book: The darkly hilarious look at America's very real fringe underbelly, "Crooked Little Vein," the first novel by transgressive comics veteran Warren Ellis. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Bird is a Raven," by Benjamin Lebert | January 2, 2008
Today's review: The mostly disappointing 2005 "The Bird is a Raven," the latest "novel" (read: barely a novella) from German literary wunderkind Benjamin Lebert ("Crazy"). | Read entire entry
Personal essay: The Year in Books, 2007 | December 31, 2007
Today, CCLaP's look at the year in books for 2007; not a look at the entire industry, of course, but rather the 50 or so books I personally got to read and review this year, including new synopses of the ones I found the best. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Three Fallen Women," by Amy Güth | December 27, 2007
Today's book: The black-as-coal look at three middle-agers recovering from breakdowns, Chicago author Amy Güth's frustrating but rewarding "Three Fallen Women." | Read entire entry
Book review: "Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen," by Lesley Hazleton | December 20, 2007
Today's book: The fascinating but instantly controversial "Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen," by Hebrew scholar and Middle East journalist Lesley Hazleton. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Cube 2: Hypercube" | December 20, 2007
Today's review: The maddeningly disappointing 2003 movie "Hypercube," a sequel to the far superior low-budget science-fiction classic "Cube." | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Time Bandits | December 19, 2007
Today's movie: The wickedly funny "Time Bandits" from 1981, the first solo film by former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, as well as an examination of Gilliam's career as a filmmaker since. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Reservation Road," by John Burnham Schwartz | December 19, 2007
Today's review: The 1999 revenge tale "Reservation Road" by John Burnham Schwartz, which was recently made into a high-profile Hollywood movie. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: Lonesome Dove | December 18, 2007
Today's review: The eight-hour revisionist Western freaking saga "Lonesome Dove," based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by Larry McMurtry. | Read entire entry
The Ridiculously Long Guide to CCLaP's 10-Point Scoring System | December 17, 2007
I'm putting together CCLaP first-ever top-ten list of the year right now, and realized something important recently -- that I've never really explained how the 10-point scoring system here works. Today, the ridiculously long and overwritten guide. | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "Hairstyles of the Damned," by Joe Meno | December 17, 2007
Today's book: "Hairstyles of the Damned," the 2004 fictionalized memoir of growing up punk on Chicago's southwest side in the 1980s and '90s, by Columbia College professor Joe Meno. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "X2: X-Men United" | December 17, 2007
Today's review: The truly awful superhero film "X2: X-Men United." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "LOL" | December 11, 2007
Today's review: The masterful 2006 look at technology and relationships, "LOL," a so-called "mumblecore" film by Chicagoan Joe Swanberg. | Read entire entry
Book review: "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers," by Xiaolu Guo | December 11, 2007
Today's book: The delightfully romantic "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers," a look at an Asian immigrant's first year in the West, by Orange Prize nominee Xiaolu Guo. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Whole," by John Reed | December 7, 2007
Today's book: The trippy, experimental, definitely-not-for-everyone "The Whole," by John Reed. | Read entire entry
Book review: "No one belongs here more than you.," by Miranda July | December 6, 2007
Today's book: The story collection "No one belongs here more than you.," by multi-faceted independent artist Miranda July. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Tree of Smoke," by Denis Johnson | December 5, 2007
Today's book: The Vietnam saga "Tree of Smoke" by Denis Johnson, winner of this year's National Book Award. | Read entire entry
Personal essay: Announcing the CCLaP 100 | December 3, 2007
Announcing a new project: A list of 100 so-called "classic" books, all of which I'll be hopefully reading and writing essays about over the next two years. Here today, the master list, as well as the reasons why I decided to put it together. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Lucky Man," by Ben Tanzer | November 30, 2007
Today's book: The great although relentlessly dark coming-of-age tale "Lucky Man," the debut novel of Chicago writer Ben Tanzer. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" | November 30, 2007
Today's films: The infinitely smart 2002 action thriller "The Bourne Identity," and the infinitely disappointing 2004 action thriller sequel "The Bourne Supremacy." | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Donnie Darko | November 29, 2007
Today's movie: The head-scratchingly brilliant (or is that brilliantly head-scratching) 2001 cult classic "Donnie Darko," by "Southland Tales" writer and director Richard Kelly. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Hollywoodland" | November 21, 2007
Today's review: The Los Angeles film noir "Hollywoodland," which takes a look at the real-life bizarre death of actor George Reeves. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Alphaville" | November 20, 2007
Today's review: The artfully messy, messily artful 1965 science-fiction experiment "Alphaville," by French New Wave pioneer Jean-Luc Godard. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Ocean's Twelve" | November 19, 2007
Today's review: The only so-so "Ocean's Twelve," directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on his much better "Ocean's Eleven." | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy | November 16, 2007
Today's book: The Pulitzer-winning "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, only the second book of 2007 to receive a perfect score here at CCLaP. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Oldboy" | November 16, 2007
Today's review: The highly experimental, ultra-violent South Korean 2003 action film "Oldboy." | Read entire entry
Book review: "Shining at the Bottom of the Sea," by Stephen Marche | November 15, 2007
Today's review: The brilliant "Shining at the Bottom of the Sea" by Stephen Marche, a comprehensive literary history of a country in the British Commonwealth that doesn't actually exist. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Clerks" and "Clerks II" | November 15, 2007
Today's review: The classic slacker two-film series "Clerks" and "Clerks II," both written and directed by Kevin Smith a decade apart. | Read entire entry
Too awful to finish: "New Bedlam," by Bill Flanagan | November 14, 2007
Today, the borderline-offensive novel about annoying television executives, "New Bedlam," by real-life MTV executive Bill Flanagan. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Black Sun," by James Twining | November 14, 2007
Today, the 2007 hidden secret Nazi gold action adventure potboiler "Black Sun," by James Twining. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "V for Vendetta" | November 9, 2007
Today's mini-review: The truly awful 2005 movie "V for Vendetta," by the "Matrix" trilogy's Wachowski Brothers and based on the '80s comic from Alan Moore. | Read entire entry
Book review: "After Dark," by Haruki Murakami | November 5, 2007
Today's book: The surprisingly accessible "After Dark," the latest novel by the amazing Haruki Murakami. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Grand Avenues," by Scott Berg | November 2, 2007
Today's book: The excellent and intelligent look at the founding of Washington DC, historian Scott Berg's "Grand Avenues." | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "The Eyre Affair," by Jasper Fforde | October 19, 2007
Today's book: The delightful and outlandishly inventive speculative novel "The Eyre Affair," by witty British author Jasper Fforde. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Brick | October 18, 2007
Today's film: The brilliant teenage noir experiment that could've been an absolute disaster, Rian Johnson's 2005 masterpiece "Brick." | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Chess Machine," by Robert Lohr | October 12, 2007
Today's book: The delightful steampunk/historial-fiction action-adventure hybrid "The Chess Machine," by German author Robert Lohr, unbelievably enough based on a true story on top of everything else. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Growing Up Moffett," by Sarah Moffett | October 9, 2007
Today's book: The Christian-heavy cancer-coping personal memoir "Growing Up Moffett," by Washington DC attorney Sarah Moffett. | Read entire entry
Tales from the Completist: "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom," by Cory Doctorow | October 5, 2007
Today's book: The brilliant first novel by science-fiction author and political activist Cory Doctorow, 2003's gonzo sci-fi tale "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom." | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Kitchen," by Banana Yoshimoto | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The delightful contemporary Japanese tale "Kitchen," by postmodernist author Banana Yoshimoto. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Interview with the Vampire," by Anne Rice | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The Southern Gothic dark erotic vampire tale that started them all, 1976's "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Lolita," by Vladimir Nabokov | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The classic 1955 tale of forbidden lust and American strip malls, "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," by Arthur Conan Doyle | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The classic beginning example of detective fiction, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in book form in 1892. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Atlas Shrugged," by Ayn Rand | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1957 Objectivist classic "Atlas Shrugged," by Ayn Rand. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Something Wicked This Way Comes," by Ray Bradbury | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The creepy 1962 dark fantasy tale "Something Wicked This Way Comes," by Ray Bradbury, which in our modern times doubles as a great story about a lost bucolic rural time in American history as well. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Foundation," by Isaac Asimov | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1951 science-fiction novel "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov, the start of what many consider the greatest SF series in the history of the genre. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Dune," by Frank Herbert | October 1, 2007
Today's review: The groundbreaking 1965 science-fiction classic "Dune," by Frank Herbert. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Kissing On the Mouth | September 28, 2007
Today, part 2 of CCLaP's mini-feature on Chicago filmmaker Joe Swanberg; specifically, a review of his 2005 sexually-explicit human-interest drama, "Kissing On the Mouth." | Read entire entry
Book review: "On Chesil Beach," by Ian McEwan | September 26, 2007
Today's book: The delicate "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan, considered by many to be the favorite among this year's Booker Prize nominees. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Consolation," by Michael Redhill | September 25, 2007
Today's book: The Toronto-based family drama / historical tale "Consolation," by Michael Redhill, also a nominee for the 2007 Booker Prize. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Welsh Girl," by Peter Ho Davies | September 24, 2007
Today's book: The World War II British love story (and 2007 Booker nominee) "The Welsh Girl," by Peter Ho Davies. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Reluctant Fundamentalist," by Mohsin Hamid | September 12, 2007
Today's book: The terrorist black comedy and 2007 Booker Prize nominee "The Reluctant Fundamantalist," by Mohsin Hamid. | Read entire entry
Book review: "Mister Pip," by Lloyd Jones | September 11, 2007
Today's book: The 2007 Booker Prize nominee "Mister Pip," by New Zealander Lloyd Jones. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: The Short Films of David Lynch | September 7, 2007
Today's movie: The compilation DVD "The Short Films of David Lynch," collecting up six of the celebrated Surrealist filmmaker's experiments over a 30-year period. | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Exception," by Christian Jungersen | August 30, 2007
Today: The controversial look at fascist behavior within a Danish ultra-liberal office, Christian Jungersen's "The Exception." | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Rope | August 23, 2007
Today: The classic yet experimental 1948 Alfred Hitchcock gay-subtext murder mystery "Rope." | Read entire entry
Ten Movies About...Creepy-Ass Robots | August 21, 2007
Today: Ten great movies that all feature a creepy-ass robot. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Equilibrium | August 20, 2007
Today's movie: The truly awful 2002 science-fiction action thriller "Equilibrium." | Read entire entry
Book review: "Right Livelihoods," by Rick Moody | August 17, 2007
Today's book: The novella collection "Right Livelihoods," by indie-press sex symbol Rick Moody. | Read entire entry
Book review: "dermaphoria," by Craig Clevenger | August 16, 2007
Today's book: The trippy, cutting-edge experiment in fantastical literature, Craig Clevenger's "dermaphoria." | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Night Watch | August 15, 2007
Today's movie: The 2004 big-budget Russian science-fiction epic "Night Watch." | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Uses of Enchantment," by Heidi Julavits | August 9, 2007
Today: The delightfully twisted and surprisingly complex tale of a repressed New England teenage girl in the 1980s, Heidi Julavits' "The Uses of Enchantment." | Read entire entry
Too awful to finish: "The Traveler," by John Twelve Hawks | August 7, 2007
Today's book: The truly excruciating science-fiction thriller and "Matrix" ripoff "The Traveler," by the anonymous author who goes by the moniker "John Twelve Hawks" in public. Yeah, I'd hide my name too, if I were the one to write this stinker. | Read entire entry
Movies for Grown-Ups: Pan's Labyrinth | August 3, 2007
Today's movie: The breathtakingly expectation-defying adult fairytale and multiple Oscar winner "Pan's Labyrinth," by horror master Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Blade II). | Read entire entry
Book review: "The Dissident," by Nell Freudenberger | August 2, 2007
Today's book: The unfortunately awful cross-cultural comedy of manners "The Dissident," the first novel by award-winning short-story writer Nell Freudenberger. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "The Giant's House," by Elizabeth McCracken | August 1, 2007
Today's review: The 1996 novel "The Giant's House," by Elizabeth McCracken. | Read entire entry
Mini-review: "Me and Kev," by Simon Black | August 1, 2007