With a dearth of creativity, Hollywood seems to be angling for movie ideas wherever it can get them.

Bobbing through the studio franchise vault, Dune Entertainment and director Joe Carnahan wrangled in a winner with The A-Team.

I’ll admit, I had my doubts before I entered the theater. Whose idea was it to make a multi-million dollar blockbuster based on a television series canceled over 20 years ago? Heck, I’ve never watched more than a few minutes from the original show on TV Land. I’m guessing many in the target demographic have never even heard of the show.

Recast and given a fresh coat of paint (not to mention special effects and action sequences beyond those any 80’s television writer could have dreamed up), 2010’s The A-Team offers a summer action/adventure romp well worth the cost of admission. It stands on its own for audiences completely uninitiated to the A-Team lore like myself.

I’ll try not to spoil too much of the plot, but the movie kicks off right in the center of the action. The film gives each of the four A-Team members a proper introduction as it tells the “origin” story of how the off-beat-but-kick-ass group of commandos joined forces. The story quickly jumps ahead eight years later, though, as our heroes are about to complete another mission for the military (their 81st). Unfortunately, things go wrong and the A-Team end up being framed for a crime they did not commit. Naturally (but very creatively), they bust out of prison to get revenge and clear their names.

The film has action and plenty of it. The filmmakers showed great creativity in the action sequences, including a very clever segment in which the characters “fly” a tank through the air. They avoided most cliches of action movies, making the film feel very fresh and new, despite being based on such an old property.

The quirky characters and the camaraderie and witty banter between them really set this movie apart from the typical summer action drivel. Pacing is also near-perfect as the film never seems to drag.

The filmmakers wisely kept the plot firmly tongue-in-cheek and it never takes itself seriously. It has a zest and fun to it reminiscent of many 80s action flicks.

Needless to say, I came away very impressed with The A-Team. Anyone looking for a fun – if not incredibly deep – summer action film will not be disappointed.

I pity the fool who doesn’t watch this movie! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Imagine walking into your game store of choice, strolling up the counter with sixty bucks in hand and promptly being informed that they are sold out of God of War III.

Dejectedly, you look around to see if anything else is available to wet your thirst for mythological slaughter. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch the cover are for Dante’s Inferno.

Excited by the concept of kicking the hell out of demons, you purchase it. If this story accurately describes you, then first let me apologize for not getting to you sooner.

Please, just wait for God of War III to become available.

Dante’s Inferno is a third person action beat ‘em up from Visceral Studios and was published by E.A. It stars a pumped up version of Dante Aligheri as he travels through the circles of hell in pursuit of his lover, Beatrice.

But the star of this game is no dandy Italian poet. No sir, he is a crusader who wages war on hell with his scythe in one hand and his holy blast firing cross in the other.

The reason I bring up God of War is that this game isn’t just an homage to it or a spiritual successor.

This game blatantly and completely rips off God of War with a thoroughness that borders on the bizarre.

Not only is the fighting system the same, but so are the move sets, the magical spells, even working up a rage meter. Dante even scales walls and shimmies across ropes like Kratos.

The major difference between the two games is that God of War was good, while Dante’s Inferno is mediocre at best. The controls are just bad.

Over half of my deaths were due to mistakenly leaping to my death when I wanted to climb up from a ledge.

A breadstick would do more damage than Dante’s scythe does to his enemies. I swear some fights take about ten minutes of mindlessly slamming buttons down trying to kill one or two guys.

Oh, and get used to fighting the same one or two guys copied over the nine circles. Each circle introduces maybe one new type of bad guy to the mix. This leads to a serious feeling of repetition as you slaughter the same people over and over again.

The game does have some merit. The art direction for the first half of the game is fantastic. Lust, Gluttony, and Greed all look fantastic and disturbing.

The voice acting in the first half of the game is also pretty good. However, the last few circles of hell all take on this muddy brown and black look that doesn’t lend itself to separating the levels very well.

Dante’s Inferno is a lot like pancakes. In the beginning, it may be great, but by the end of the game, you really wish you would have gotten something else. If you want to experience the best of Dante’s Inferno, go play a God of War game and watch the animated Dante’s Inferno companion movie.

You’ll get the best game play, with the smattering of plot elements and art style, but without the repetition, frustrating controls, and series of stupid falling deaths.

It is a little-known fact that tired, boring Valentine's music increases the risk of heart attacks.

Well, it’s Valentine’s Day again. And I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of the worn-out love songs put on EVERY mix on February 14th. I’m not saying Etta James and Journey don’t have their merits, but I’ve taken the time to put together a more independent playlist for those who want some real good music with real good lyrics. And for those who don’t have a schnookems this Valentine’s Day, I also compiled a break-up/single/I hate you mix. All in good taste, of course.

“You’re More Awesome Than Me” Songs

1. “Thirteen” – Ben Kweller

A love song from ole’ Ben to his wife, about when they first met and “had passionate make-outs with passionate freak-outs”. Lucky.

2. “Til’ Kingdom Come” – Coldplay

“Say you’ll come and set me free, say you’ll wait for me”. I’ll wait for you, Chris Martin. All day.

3. “Home” – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

This is a fairly straightforward song, which talks about home being wherever their love is. Plus, you’re privy to a conversation in which Alexander tells Jane how he fell in love with her. It’s very awkward.

4. “My Favorite Book” – Stars

One of the most simple, true songs I’ve ever heard about two people. “I can read you, you’re my favorite book.”

5. “Such Great Heights” – Postal Service

I can still believe that Ben Gibbard, who sadly is now engaged to Zooey Deschanel, is singing these words to me – “And I have to speculate that God himself did make us into corresponding shapes like puzzle pieces from the clay”

6. “Mushaboom” – Feist

Not only is this ridiculously catchy, but it’s a narrative of a young couple “collecting their moments one by one.”

7. “Summertime Clothes” – Animal Collective

Nothing more simple than “I wanna walk around with you.” Plus Animal Collective is amazing.

8. “From Debris” – Matt Pond PA

This is a hopeful love song, about taking your own life ruined by past relationships and using it to form a new one. “From debris, you and me could start something.”

9. “You’re the Good Things” – Modest Mouse

This song is sort of about the bittersweetness of a relationship—for example, icing on a cake, but the cake is at his funeral. Or, “you’re the flowers in my house when my allergies come out.” But even if they bug you, they’re still the good things.

10. “Dogs” – Page France

This song has lyrics about being made for each other and becoming inexplicably part of each other. “If you go blind just trust I was made out of your dust. You were made out of my dust, and the wind will carry us.”

11. “Eyes” – Rogue Wave

This song is kind of cheesy, so I won’t even type out the lyrics. But guess what, it’s cheesy enough for me to like it.

12. “I Love My B****” – Busta Rhymes

The title says it all.

“I’m Alone” Songs

1. “I Would Be Sad” – The Avett Brothers

Oh, the Avetts. A song about a girl leaving him, and them being the “predictable young couple changing moving on.”

2. “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” – Stars

“There’s nothing but time and a face that you lose. I chose to feel it and you couldn’t choose.” This song really is a big middle finger to whoever broke your heart.

3. “Where Does the Good Go?” – Tegan and Sara

Oh Tegan and Sara, the indie twin sisters. They wrote a song about love breaking the seal of always thinking you would be “real happy and healthy, calm and strong.”

4. “Skinny Love” – Bon Iver

Justin Vernon, the musical mastermind behind Bon Iver, writes “I’ll be holding all the tickets, and you’ll be owing all the fines.” Only he could have combined traffic violations and wasted love so well.

5. “Breakin’ Up” – Rilo Kiley

The resounding hook of this song yells “It feels good to be free.” Well a-m-e-n. Enjoy your singledom.

6. “Knife” – Grizzly Bear

Advice – don’t listen to this song if you’re actually sad. Because it’s ridiculously depressing, I mean come on. “With every blow comes another lie. Can you feel the knife?”

7. “Fight Song” – Appleseed Cast

A good song for someone that’s been in an untrusting, accusatory relationship. “We’re finding fault; You kissed her, you slept with him, you didn’t care.” Harsh.

8. “Hand on Your Heart” – Jose Gonzalez

“Well it’s one thing to fall in love, but another to make it last.” Ain’t that the truth?

9. “The Calculation” – Regina Spektor

This song is about a relationship that’s lasted but has hardened into meaninglessness. “We saw our hearts were little stones.” Plus this is quite the toe-tapper. Regina knows what’s up.

10. “Change is Hard” – She & Him

Well, I know I already bashed Zooey Deschanel for dating Ben Gibbard, but I won’t deny her side project with M. Ward has great music. We’ve all let go of someone we wish we hadn’t, but eventually we have to come to grips with it. “I know he’s yours, and he’ll never belong to me again.”

11. “How My Heart Behaves” – Feist

This one actually is sad. Leslie Feist wrote “a cold heart will burst if mistrusted first. A calm heart will break when given a shake.”

12. “Scrubs” – TLC

“I don’t want your number, no. I don’t wanna meet you nowhere. A scrub is a guy that can get no love from me.” Yes, TLC. Sing your hearts out.

I read a blog post written by one of my relatives, Nels Lindahl, in which he rated his favorite Star Trek iterations, including both television and movies.

As a Trekkie myself, I was surprised by his rankings of the various Star Trek endeavors, specifically how low DS9 and First Contact rated on his list and how high he placed Generations. Perhaps the readers can weigh in on their opinions and settle this debate.

Here are my rankings:

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

Although the first seasons are pretty good, watch the latter seasons after Worf arrives with the Dominion War and the Defiant. This is one of the few times Star Trek attempts a serial drama where plot lines run over multiple episodes and seasons. I also love the depth of the main characters, the complicated ethics they encounter (Sisko even conspires on a secret assassination, but knows it was right because it will ultimately save billions of lives). The show also boasts a plethora of recurring side characters and excellent villains. I’m not sure why, but this show never gets the credit it deserves.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

This is the show that got me hooked on Star Trek originally when I was a kid. It was just winding down as I started watching. It definitely features some excellent episodes, from the action of the Borg to moral choices involving life and death. The first couple seasons, though, quite frankly blow for the most part and this takes it down a notch, compared to DS9 which shined throughout its run. Still, overall this is a great series, although I wish they would have taken a more serial format instead of essentially hitting the reset button each time.

3. Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn (2nd Film, 1982)

This film is absolutely classic and still tops all other Star Trek films. Ricardo Montalban stands supreme as the ultimate villain and Spock’s sacrifice and Kirk’s eulogy are touching.

4. Star Trek: First Contact (8th Film, 1994)

This is the only Next Gen film really worth its weight. The Borg rank a close second to Khan on the Trek villain scale. While the action was great, I also enjoyed the crew’s interaction with Zephram Cochrane (inventor of warp drive). We do tend to create these false impressions of famous historical figures and create saints out of them. Picard’s vendetta against the Borg for hurting him also provided a great moral dilemma.

5. Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

This is what started it all. The triumvirate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy provided a moral compass for a western set in space. Some of the episodes are pretty corny by today’s standards and the effects are absolutely horrid; however, plenty of classics still stand out. If you compare this to other space shows of the time period (like Lost in Space), there is no comparison. There is a better tomorrow.

6. Star Trek: The Voyage Home (4th Film, 1986)

The one with the whales is just plain fun. The lighter tone provided a much-needed change of pace from the issues of death and resurrection in 2 and 3. I understand how this fish out of water story entertained mainstream as well as Trek-nerd audiences.

7. Star Trek: XI (11th Film, 2009)

This latest re-envisioning of Star Trek had blockbuster success appealing to main-stream audiences in a way not seen since The Voyage Home. Action packed and with probably the best effects the series has ever seen, it packed a punch on the screen. That said, the plot was fairly thin, the villain not particularly great, and moral dilemmas practically absent. Finally, though, after all Trek’s travels through time, history was actually changed for once. This film resurrected a franchise thought killed by the last TNG flick.

8. Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country (6th Film, 1991)

The final film featuring the original crew (and original actors) explored Kirk’s hatred of the Klingons. With a plot mirroring (the then recent) fall of the Soviet Union, it touched on many topical issues of the day. We get to see the classic crew in action saving the universe one last time. Heck, they even get to “ride off into the sunset.”

9. Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001)

This show was a mixed bag for me. Some episodes I really enjoyed, while others fell flat. After the interesting moral dilemmas and serial story lines of DS9, I felt going back to the format of TNG was a step backward. The setup for the show was perfect for the serial type of approach, as they were lost light years from home, trying to get back in one piece among alien species. However, they sadly never delved into many strong moral dilemmas, nor ever really had their ship even get banged up (except in episodes where things would reset back to perfect for the next show), and kind of just went along in a “business as normal” exploring the galaxy type of show.

10. Star Trek: The Search for Spock (3rd Film, 1984)

They planted the seed in Star Trek 2, so you knew if commercial success came, they would be going back for Spock in 3. I really enjoy the first half of the film, as they bring home the damaged Enterprise hoping to send her back to Genesis, only to learn their ship is to be scrapped and they are forbidden to save their friend. The plot to steal the Enterprise is a lot of fun, and each crew member gets a moment to shine. Self-destructing the Enterprise to take out the Klingons was a shocking development, although the rest of the movie was a disappointment. Christopher Lloyd just was not a great villain (especially compared to Khan in the preceding film). I really thought the death of Kirk’s son was done almost extraneously. The big fight on the surface of the Genesis planet between the captains was so fake, it was laughable. Still, the film fulfilled it’s purpose of bring Spock back to life.

11. Star Trek: Generations (7th Film, 1991)

I remember taking a bunch of friends to see this film for my birthday as a kid. Sadly, it didn’t live up to it’s lofty expectations. As the bridge film between the original crew and the Next Generation, it’s promise to bring Picard and Kirk together onscreen raised many possibilities. Instead of a confrontation between them in space (or maybe a team-up), we instead get them horseback riding together. Somehow, I doubt this is how most people hoped the legendary captains would meet up. It was cool to see the Next Gen ship and crew on the big screen, but the weak plot and the less-than-fulfilling death of Kirk put this film firmly in mediocrity. I really wish they would have made the finale of Next Generation into a movie instead of this, as that final episode was far superior.

12. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1st Film, 1979)

Star Trek returned after a dormant decade and upped itself to the big screen. While this was before my time, I can imagine the excitement Trekkie’s felt over this film. The heavy sci-fi plot really took a grand view of the universe and the staging of this plot also had a grandiose feel. I wouldn’t say this movie was bad as much as it was just kind of boring. I actually like the idea behind the plot of this movie. It just really drags in spots. Beyond that, the characters seem to lack much of the life and fun that popularized the original series. Still, even today the special effects (mainly shots of the Enterprise itself) are elegant. The model work done for this film was outstanding.

13. Star Trek: Nemesis (10th Film, 2002)

In what turned out to be the final voyage of the Next Generation crew, we get what feels like a crappy rip off of The Wrath of Khan. While not horrible, it was obvious from this film that the franchise needed retooling.

14. Star Trek: Insurrection (9th Film, 1998)

This film gets a bad rap, although I don’t know if it deserves it that much. The problem with this film is that it feels just like a regular episode of the series. The plot dealt with some difficult moral dilemmas involving relocating the colonists for the greater good, although the scale needed for a motion picture was just not there. I would say the title also is a bit overstated, as when they do decide to commit insurrection against the admiral, it is quite obvious they are in the right and they would not be court martialed back home for what they did.

15. Star Trek: The Final Frontier (5th Film, 1989)

William Shatner directed this disaster, originally intended as the final entry in the series. The plot is awful, and the effects are worse. Trying to duplicate the levity in the previous Leonard Nimoy directed film, the jokes are ham-handed and just plain dumb.

16. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001 – 2005)

I honestly did not watch a lot of this show. The episodes I did watch failed to impress me. At this point in the franchise, it seemed they had run out of new ideas. Mercifully, they canceled it after only 4 seasons. Strangely, they set the finale of the show as a subplot to a mediocre episode of Next Generation, bringing back Counselor Troi and Commander Riker to star in this episode. An odd end to a ill-conceived prequel series (shouldn’t they have known better after seeing the lackluster Star Wars prequels).

Bad movies are upsetting. After being disappointed with Jodi Picoult’s book My Sister’s Keeper, I had high hopes for the movie. Not since The Shawshank Redemption has a film outdone the book (or novella in Stephen King’s case). The streak continues.

Before going further, this review is filled with spoilers, both of the book and of the movie.

One problem with debate in America is the injection of emotion. Without a doubt, emotion is the reason for bloated ratings for My Sister’s Keeper. Even I bawled like a baby throughout the film. Having a friend die recently of cancer, seeing a young girl and her family struggle did evoke plenty of emotion. Those tears, however, were more a result of real life tragedy, and less the result of a poorly made movie.

To begin with, the movie seems to take some of the worst parts of the book and leave out some of the more interesting stuff. The book and the movie both jump around between the characters. Or at least the movie begins that way. Not long into, it as if the writer’s got tired and just decided to drop that particular gimmick. Why they even tried it escapes me.

Then there are the character flaws. Naturally, the book examined this a little more thoroughly, but even it used cliché to narrowly define key characters. The movie takes this a step further, barely giving the viewer a glimpse of the actual characters. The only hints we get are a series of very specific actions. The mother in both manages to be despicable in both the book and the movie, but with limited development in the film, is even less likeable.

There are major components of the book left out of the film. Most noticeable is the changed ending. I gave Picoult, as did many others, grief on her manufactured and implausible ending in the book. Credit to Nick Cassavetes for changing the ending for the movie, but it seems wrong to take a book and make such a dramatic change for the silver screen.

In both the book and the movie, one cannot help but fall in love with the sick Kate. The book provides some catharsis and an accident ends up leading to her rescue. Expecting this same ending in the movie, I was surprised when she died. Oddly enough, the movie leaves an empty feeling once she dies. Maybe that is because of the expectation created by reading the book.

Also absent is the love interest between the attorney and  a former lover involved in the case. I thought it cheesy that Picoult would insert such a side-story into a novel about a family dealing with cancer, but we all know love stories sell. The female half was not included in the movie, which still managed to stretch for nearly two hours. I am actually thankful she was not carried over to the film, or I might have wasted an extra hour watching that part of the story.

The brother in the book is a cookie-cutter juvenile delinquent. Not getting the attention he needs, he turns to drugs and arson. This is even more dramatic given that his father is a fire fighter. The film downplays the level of delinquency, and the arson story is completely dropped.

Finally, the attorney is given much more character in the book. The movie does feature his service dog named Judge, but missing are all the false reasons he gives for having a service dog. When it is finally revealed why he has the dog, the scene lacks impact since it is not played up throughout. Again, they had no real reason to put it in the movie if they could not give it full justice.

The movie making itself also fails. Not since Passion of the Christ have I seen a film that so obviously tries to manipulate my feelings. Gilded lighting, long, action-less, sweeping scenes on top of piano-driven sob songs, and focus on Kate’s face are attempts to evoke emotion. It might have worked if the movie were to take on an epic quality, but with choppy scenes and mediocre acting, they merely make all involved look a little silly.

The book is not written in chronological order. It skips around between characters and across time. They try this in the film, and it is sometimes hard to distinguish when they do so. They also do it frequently enough that it is impossible to get a real feel for the characters, and often difficult to weigh the gravity of a situation.

In the end, the viewer gets a movie that can generate tears. It is not a complete failure. There are some touching scenes, some decent observations about illness, and everything starts with a great premise: one young girl wants to die with dignity and her sister does not want to give up a kidney. It is, though, poorly constructed, often poorly acted, and completely manipulative when it comes to eliciting that emotional response.

You will see high ratings for this film: the average viewer will cry, and though those tears are probably more about someone they knew, they will credit the movie. As a movie watcher, I was able to distinguish between the two, and give My Sister’s Keeper two out of ten stars.

Every so often, I find a book that absolutely moves me. Unfortunately, Jodi Picoult’s “My Sister’s Keeper” failed to do that. Still, I read the 430 or so pages in four days, so surely that means something.

Of course, this book was made into a major motion picture. Another book of this sort comes to mind: I have read/listened to most of the Nicholas Sparks books. While the puffy non-reality of said books is bothersome, it is fun to drive deserted roads and act out the scenes with more realistic dialogue. Anyway, I did finish “The Notebook” in one sitting, the only book that make that claim, but the movie was terribly disappointing.

I am no book critic, but Picoult’s book starts with a great premise: a young girl wants to take control of her body at the cost of denying her sick sister a chance at a healthy kidney.

As I am not a book critic, I will stay mostly away from critic-type thoughts. Briefly, though, I hated all the little quips. Just coming off Maugham’s “Of Human Bondage,” I like long, thoughtful paragraphs. So many contemporary authors put in little quips of this and that to draw out the characters or make something relevant. It seems like weak writing to me, and it’s made all the worse when a 13-year old is the one having these profound thoughts.

Most of the characters seem pretty cliché: the attractive, self-centered attorney; his overly attractive love interest; a brother who lashes out criminally to garner attention. The book changes viewpoints frequently, yet the writing styles do not change much from a 13-year girl to a high-level attorney.

Then there is the ending. Honestly, I did not see it coming. I will not be a spoiler, but I thought the last few pieces of story really brought down the entire book. There are about three things that all seem better fit for filling pages with twist ending than for the rest of the story.

Regardless, I do like the book for one reason: it makes us think about death. I cannot give too many details regarding the book without being a spoiler, so I will use generalities.

A few weeks ago, Newsweek’s cover story was about killing granny. It was a poor choice of words, but got your attention. The article was a response to the idea of death panels and health care rationing.

In college, I learned of the Nancy Cruzan case and subsequently read the book “Long Goodbye: The Deaths of Nancy Cruzan.” Already a believer in right-to-die, this book cemented my ideals. Years after she finally died, Terri Schiavo’s case was put into the spotlight in a similar set of circumstances. She died in 2005, after being declared brain-dead in 1990.

Picoult’s book reraises these issues though not in the same manner. A young girl has had many bouts of life-threatening illnesses by the age of 16, and a battle ensues to determine how far her family can go to attempt to save her life. All the while, I am thinking maybe death is the best answer.

I consider myself a thoughtful humanitarian, but it seems like this is a late-20^th century problem. Prior to that, a child plagued with these illnesses would have died early on. Obviously there are cons with that, but I think there are pros as well. For one, that child’s suffering would be limited. The child would not have to battle years of terrible illness just so the parents could avoid death. She could die in relative peace, and the family could move on as well.

This is precisely what the Newsweek article was about. We don’t want anyone to die, especially when we have the means to keep them alive. But think about that: with today’s technology, we could virtually keep someone “alive” infinitely. Schiavo had no brain waves for 15 years. Her body was kept “alive” by a breathing machine and nurses who probably could have helped someone else. This could have continued for decades longer. Who among us really wants to exist and cause so much difficulty for others? A paraplegic can still communicate and such. In other words, he can still offer a reward for his existence. A brain dead body offers nothing. To be kept alive by machine merely means those who make that decision do not have to deal with death.

All this life may be killing the world. This planet was not made to sustain so many billions of people and their wants, needs, and byproducts. That a fundamentally destructive gene mutation or illness can live long enough to reproduce goes against millions of years of evolution. It is not a pleasant thought, but the greater reality is this: people die. Perhaps it is not in our best interest to live beyond life expectancies, suffering through illness but remaining alive because of technology. Likewise, it is sad, but maybe some babies should not be strung along by science for years. Who benefits from this other than the families who cannot handle death?

This is not to say I am entirely pro-death. What about the 30-year old in a car accident. Sure, save him (assuming he’s not brain dead). At all costs if necessary. An accident is not the same as an illness. An accident victim can recuperate and get better. A terminally ill patient merely struggles.

Obviously, this is a tough topic. I’ve had family and friends with serious illnesses (cancer, leukemia, etc). One person had leukemia as a child and fully recovered. A friend from college had cancer and battled for a couple years before dying recently. In both these cases, I cannot argue against treatment. The leukemia was beat. A rational adult made the decision to fight his cancer, and he was able to live a great life while doing so. But what if the leukemia came back, in a rare form (I am no doctor, but in Picoult’s book, this is the case, and the medical problems are never ending…use that example)? The child in this book never did lead a normal life. And what if my friend had been reduced to endless pain and immobility from the beginning? What if he’d wanted to give up? What if it were a child who did not have control over his own care in that same situation?

I’ve long believed there should be a certain dignity in death. If a person wants to fight it, so be it. But that same right should exist to those who don’t want to fight. The problem arises when the young or old are the sick ones, and decisions are being made for them. Like society, it seems Picoult, despite hundreds of pages of medical jargon and emotional scenes, wasn’t quite ready to face the realities of this heavy topic.

In a world of fake reality television, the truth is still easy to find. With has-been and no-brain celebrities taking up most of the spots, Biography Channel’s I Survived…, with its real people and candor, leads the way of compelling reality television.

Like any good story, I Survived… does not mess around with complicated gimmicks. The show is mostly comprised of just the survivor, set against a black background, retelling his or her story. There is the occasional vague piece of scenery to help establish the setting, and the stories are set up using plain white narrative text, but mostly the show is an hour of raw humanity.

The stories are incredible, topped only by the survivors themselves. There is the woman who, while driving down the highway, was shot by a stranger. After watching the man shoot and kill her younger cousin, the woman gets the man to believe he actually helped her from the shooter and gets him to call an ambulance.

There is the elderly couple, attacked my a mountain lion while out for a walk. While the cat has the man’s head in its jaws, he pokes at its eyes and she beats it with large branches. Despite losing a large piece of scalp, the man survives.

There are the two young men who get lost at sea without food or water for seven days. After contemplating eating their own fingers and using a fishing tool to carve farewells into the boat, the boys are rescued.

Those are just a few of the stories. The program, with originals airing each Sunday, usually features some kind of accident and some form of crime. The accidents would be boring if not for the extreme conditions endured by the survivors. The crimes offer both the best and the worst sides of humanity.

Unlike many so-called reality shows that feature washed-up celebrities, or regular people trying to become washed-up celebrities, in scripted dramas that in no way model reality, I Survived… is as real as it gets. These are normal people that never asked for trouble but, once it found them, managed to get away and share their stories.

Watch it for inspiration, but beware: in the real world, not everyone survives. Several stories involve the deaths of those less fortunate than the storyteller.

I Survived… is a unique kind of show in that people do die, and details are not held back for the sake of the viewer. It also sets itself apart from other reality shows for another reason: it’s actually worth watching.

Marley & Me could have been junk. Most of us have lost a pet at some point in our lives. Why did John Grogan’s book experience so much success, and did they really have to make it into a movie just because the book made money?

I was skeptical about the book, so listened to it rather than reading it. Driving along the lonely roads of north-central Kansas, I listened to Grogan, seemingly nearing tears, tell about this dog. I got it.

At the time I listened, my dog was alive. Well, not really my dog. My sister originally bought Lily, the Welsh Corgi-Australian Shepherd mix that probably defied the odds of biology just to exist. The dog was such a mess, my parents had to adopt it to prevent her from going to the pound.

I see my parents on a nearly daily basis, and I was always greeted at the door by this hyper fox-looking dog that always had a smile on her face. We have always been cat people. My first pet was already four years-old when I was born, and the cat lived another 15 years before dying my freshman year of high school.

Except a few guinea pigs and fish, that was my first experience with the loss of a pet, and it was devastating. We had another cat that died several years later, and I remember being particularly troubled when I saw her food bowl in the trash can. What else my mom was supposed to do with it I cannot say, but it seemed cruel to just throw away such a vital piece of the cat’s life.

Dogs are a different story. Though I presently have a cat that redefines the word misfit, and though we seem to get along with each other but often struggle outside the safety of our house, even we are prone to hour long periods without seeing one another. Dogs are the constant companion. They can go outside and go for car rides. They seem pleased to sit and watch everything.

When something injects itself into your life so often, its absence is all that much greater. Unfortunately, Lily lived only a few short years. For a dog with so much energy, my parents knew something was wrong when she stopped bouncing around. I’m not sure we ever found a definitive cause, but kidney failure was the unavoidable death trap. Early on, I visited Lily in the vet’s office, thinking she would be home within a week. A few days later, while at a football game, we got a promising call that things were improving and she could go for a walk that weekend.

The hope turned out to be a false one, and she had to be put down just a few days later. Never one to handle death well, I avoided my parent’s house for a few days, knowing I could not stomach going through the door without being greeted.

Later on, I took a friend over to eat, and while we waited, I jumped on the computer. Minimizing the open window, I found a photo of Lily playing in the snow as the wallpaper. This, along with the empty food bowl still sitting on the kitchen floor, was just too much.

While my friend and parents thought I was avoiding the food, I simply needed to be alone for a minute. The “grown men don’t cry” society we live in did not apply to me at that moment.

Recently, I watched Marley & Me. After losing a dog myself, Grogan’s genius is revealed. There have been other dog stories, but few capture the essence of the imperfections of a pet and the relationships we build with them. Other than David Sedaris’s short story The Youth In Asia, a poignant story that uses a series of dogs in his life to parallel the loss of his mother, Grogan’s book may be the best example of just how powerful the pet relationship is.

A friend recently asked me how sad I will be when my cat dies. I think about that a lot. I sometimes regret that I ever took her in, knowing an end will someday come. Sometimes I wonder if I should get rid of her now, knowing the bond will only grow in the years to come. But that is no way to live. With great love comes great pain. There are too many good moments before we have to deal with the bad.

So why did they publish Grogan’s book, and why did they make it a movie? Because it offers a catharsis for anyone who’s ever lost a pet, but didn’t get the grief out of his system when he should have. Its success merely proves what we’ve all experienced.

Who would have thought that a screen adaptation of a television series over four decades old would feel this fresh, new and exciting?

Director J.J. Abram’s simply-titled Star Trek takes us back to the 23rd century, the days of Kirk, Spock, Bones and the rest of the crew of Gene Roddenberry’s famous U.S.S. Enterprise.

But here, we see how these famous characters come together as young cadets and form a lasting bond of friendship. The special effects and action are strong  in this new chapter in the Trek saga, but it is the character interaction that drives this film and gives it a necessary sense of light-hearted adventurous fun.

As an admitted die-hard Trekkie, I had my doubts about this film. How could new actors hope to fill the shoes of characters that were almost ubiquitous with the people who originally portrayed them? Thankfully, the cast took the roles in their own direction, while still capturing the essence of what made these characters so memorable. The film focuses on the origin of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto). Early scenes of animosity between young cadet Kirk and Spock are some of the highlights of the film, as are subsequent events as they slowly learn to trust one another.

Star Trek had started to grow stale and convoluted over the course of five television series and 10 feature films, bogging down good storytelling with the need to maintain the massive plot continuity of over 100 years of back story.

With a plot involving time-travel, Abrams effectively wipes out the original Trek time-line (without simply acting like it didn’t exist), opening up some interesting scenarios for future films with old characters and cultures from the Star Trek universe. (I’d like to see Kirk go toe to toe with Khan again, or maybe we could see an early appearance by the Borg? What if Khan was assimilated by the Borg? Oh, the possibilities!)

With virtually unknown young actors at the helm (much like in the original series), the new cast brings a sense of vigor and fun to a film that could have been a simple money-grubbing rehash of an aging, but still popular franchise.

But what would a Trek film be without a good villain? Nero (Eric Bana) is a conniving Romulan bent on avenging the destruction of his home world, which he blames on a (future) Ambassador Spock. While Nero doesn’t rank up there with the best villains of Trek, the character more than adequately plays foil to Kirk and the Enterprise.

But not everything is new here. The Enterprise (NCC 1701, with no bloody A, B, C, or D) is back and looks remarkably similar to how we last saw it, a classic design that the filmmakers were wise to leave intact. Called into action on its maiden voyage, the awe factor is back as Kirk is shuttled aboard the magnificent ship, an homage to a similar scene in the franchise’s first feature film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

While this film effectively re-invents the franchise (for a broader audience), it doesn’t do so at the expense of the rest of the previous four decades of Trek. Little homages (the death of a red shirt), choice dialogue (set phasers to stun), a simulated training voyage to save the ill-fated Kobayashi Maru, and a role for a time-traveling Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy), along with some well-timed classic musical interludes, tie this film to the overall franchise and brought a smile to this long-time fan’s face.

While I wouldn’t say this film is the best feature in the franchise (The Wrath of Khan still holds that banner), it definitely ranks among the best and opens itself up for a promising series of sequels. I highly recommend it.

Grade: A+

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a film at odds with itself. It almost seems as if they wrote part of an offbeat romance comedy, then decided they’d rather make a comedic version of Die Hard. The first part works, but the second half just falls flat.

The first half of the movie details the life of awkward, shy, dorky and overweight single parent Paul Blart (Kevin James). His profession; Mall Cop. Yeah, he is one of those wannabe police officers who ride through the mall on Segways (a major star of this film). He tried to get on the police force, but failed the test because his hypoglycemia causes him to pass out at inopportune times if he doesn’t get enough sugar (they go to this well for comic relief frequently). But Blart takes his job as a mall security guard very seriously, even if his co-workers do not.

The man lives with his mother, who helps take care of his daughter. His ex-wife married him for a green card and then took off, leaving Blart with their daughter. He’s lonely and looking for companionship.

And then, cruising with his Segway through the mall (after getting beat up by an angry fat woman at Victoria’s Secret), he meets the mall’s hair extension vendor, Amy (Jayma Mays), also a very odd and off-beat person. It seems to be love at first site.

It is fun to see how Blart tries to woo Amy. We get to watch as he escorts Amy to her car on his Segway (it could get him fired), as he cites completely random facts, as he gets into an eating contest with another fat guy, and as he accidentally gets drunk, makes a fool of himself and ends up falling through a window, ruining their first date.

The set up was there for an entertaining second half of the film as the two fall in love and live happily ever after. It would have made for a quirky, sugary romantic comedy, with a bit of slapstick thrown in for good measure.

But then the Mall Terrorists come into play and the film takes an entirely different turn. These are not just regular crooks, they are like the coolest villains you’ll ever see. Instead of like, you know, walking down flights of stairs, these guys (and gals) would rather do backflips down the bannister for no apparent reason. These villains ride bikes and skateboards through the mall and know karate. They are just so totally cool.

The diabolical leader of this evil gang is none other than (SPOILER ALERT!!) Veck Sims (Keir O’Donnell), trainee security guard that Blart tried to take under his wing. Their plan is to steal some secret number from the mall credit card machines in each of the stores, somehow making them rich (I didn’t get it, either). O’Donnell puts in one of the worst acting performances this side of Hulk Hogan in Mr. Nanny. Let’s put it this way; he ain’t no Hans Gruber. The horrible dialogue, swiss cheese script, and overacting make the second half of this movie almost painful to watch.

Well, anyway, of course Amy gets captured, as do other friends of Blart and, eventually, his daughter (somehow she walks into the back door of the mall even as the swat and police teams have the building surrounded, just in time to get captured).

Our John McClane in this movie is, obviously, Paul Blart, the only man left on the inside. Watch as he waltzes his fat butt around on the Segway and fights off bad guy after bad guy. Listen as Blart farts in air duct and gives away his position to the baddies. Gross out as Blart must eat a sucker off the floor that is covered in dirt to avoiding passing out from hypoglycemia. Laugh at the product placement as Blart dukes it out in several famous mall establishments (most notably, The Sharper Image). Try not to question why the police do nothing to save the civilians (motion sensing lasers are a big deterrent, apparently).

The second half of the film is just a total mess and ruins what could have been a decent movie. A parody of Die Hard might be a good idea for a film, but this attempt botches it badly.

Just like real mall cops, this film is a wannabe.

Rating: D+