Having waited a week after the raucous manhunt for the Boston marathon bombers, I had been planning to write about militias and gun-related laws in Massachusetts, based on some commentary I had seen flit across my Facebook feed. But it seems something much more important has cropped up to discuss at this particular moment in time: Zach Braff's Kickstarter campaign for a "tonal sequel" to his 2004 indie film Garden State. Here's the deets:

A recent post on the Goodreads Blog explored the question of whether stories in books are better than their adapted movies, noting that half of this year's Academy Award Best Picture nominees were based on books.

I just got back from watching The Avengers, and I have to say it was stellar.

I went into the theater trepidatiously exuberant. I mean, let's face it, I love pretty much everything Joss Whedon aims a neuron at. But I didn't want to get my hopes up too much. Everyone stumbles sometime, right? Maybe this would be where Joss finally falls flat on his face....

When I read The Hunger Games back in December, I enjoyed it. The fast-paced, action-driven plot narrated primarily from the constantly oscillating mind of sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen was exciting and emotional, and well worth the time it took to read. However, it didn't have the feel of a story that could ascend to the height of Timeless Tale.

Having seen the movie, I think that assessment is still true. But it sure holds up as a good tale for right now.

I saw The Hangover Part II a few nights ago and was pleasantly surprised. Other than perhaps taking too long to set up a storyline and attempt some tepid character development, the movie delivers on exactly what it promised: raunch and cheap laughs. I chuckled throughout and even managed a few louder bursts.