Epinions Recent Reviews for solleks

Damaged Care, Damaged Movie

Sun, 17 Apr 2005 11:32:21 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - A few years ago when I worked in an emergency room, we had a patient come in as a code blue--for the three people out there that don't watch medical dramas on television, that means no heartbeat, no pulse. The person was with an HMO. Even though we did...

The Gentle Art of Dragon Taming

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 22:16:47 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - As a young child living happily on an Altan farm, young Vetch was forced to watch in horror as his land was invaded and his father slain by Tian raiders. A casualty of the long, bloody war between Tia and Alta, Vetch becomes a serf--a position even lower...

I Will Have Him if I Die for It

Wed, 6 Apr 2005 21:41:32 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - The Persian Boy is the second book in Mary Renault's trilogy about Alexander the Great. Fire From Heaven details Alexander's tumultuous childhood, and Funeral Games describes the political maneuverings after his death. The Persian...

Make-up and Mastectomies

Mon, 4 Apr 2005 20:56:18 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Those of you who were kind enough to read my work on Epinions several years ago, probably remember I stopped writing shortly after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Every woman dreads hearing the words, "You have breast cancer," spoken to her...

Dungeon Keeper: Thank You for Being a Fiend

Tue, 23 Oct 2001 23:17:51 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Do you ever get tired of playing the good guy? C’mon, admit it.

Half the time when you’re sitting at the computer battling the dragon to rescue the lady fair, you’re really wishing you were the dragon, aren’t you?

At least,...

Sleepaway Camp Doesn't Even Have Camp Value

Mon, 15 Oct 2001 19:06:58 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - I did the traditional camp thing once when I was a kid. Disney movies and my vast collection of books had convinced me that my weeks at camp would be full of ghost legends, good natured competitions, fascinating hikes through the wilderness, at least one...

Maybe Your Kid Isn't as Bad as You Thought...

Fri, 12 Oct 2001 23:06:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - There’s something strange going on in Midwich, USA (population 2000). First the black out, which renders the entire town unconscious—bad luck for anyone barbecuing or driving a truck at the time.

Then the pregnancies. Suddenly, every woman in...

You Only THOUGHT Friday the 13th was Unlucky!

Mon, 8 Oct 2001 13:43:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - After the rather grim horror movie I watched a few days ago, and after sitting glued to CNN for the better part of this weekend, I was in the mood for somewhat lighter fare.

A light-hearted horror movie? Why not? I went to my video rental...

Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick...

Thu, 4 Oct 2001 23:28:12 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - It’s October. Almost Halloween. This is the month when even grownups can believe in ghosts, goblins, vampires, werewolves, the living dead, and all the other scary monsters our parents kept telling us were not hiding under our beds.

In...

A Heartbeat Away from World War III

Tue, 2 Oct 2001 20:05:21 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - In my high school history classes, we never made it to the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were lucky to get as far as the American Civil War.

In college, I found myself drawn to the classes dealing with ancient history.

So I grew to...

Can Someone Please Teach These Old Dinos Some New Tricks?

Sun, 30 Sep 2001 21:51:34 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - All I can say is, I should have known better. Sequels are notoriously bad, and I had read nothing about Jurassic Park III to make me think it was an exception to the rule.

But I was in the mood for something undemanding in the...

"Evil Bores Me. It's One-Note."

Mon, 17 Sep 2001 01:45:17 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - When two of my friends encouraged me to go see this “AIDS comedy,” I have to admit I was skeptical.

“AIDS comedy?” I asked. “AIDS comedy?” I wondered how on earth anyone could write a comedy about a disease that had decimated...

This Time She Flinches

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 23:30:05 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - A publicity blurb attributed to Stephen R. Donaldson on the front of Hour of Judgment reads, “Susan R. Matthews simply doesn’t flinch.” In the previous two novels I’ve read by this author (An Exchange of Hostages and Prisoner of...

Soulless First Effort from Son of Vampire Queen Anne Rice

Fri, 7 Sep 2001 21:51:03 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - “Look! Anne Rice’s son has a book out,” a friend of mine remarked to me as we browsed through the new releases at Borders. “Looks interesting.”

“I’d have to be a heck of a lot more interested than I am to pay $23.95 for it,” I said, and we...

Deep? Not Really. Dumb? Beyond Doubt!

Wed, 5 Sep 2001 22:56:04 GMT
rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - A “smart murder mystery with a gay subplot,” is how one local critic described The Deep End.

What more could I ask for? Prepared to be thrilled and chilled, I shelled out my five dollars at the local fine arts theater. And was roundly...

Secret Diary of an Adolescent Batterer!

Mon, 3 Sep 2001 14:09:22 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Sixteen-year-old Nick Andreas looks like a kid who has it all together: awesome car, great grades, cool friends, and a beautiful girlfriend who thinks he makes the sun rise and set.

Only Nick knows that his life is far from perfect. His...

Teen Angst With a Body Count

Sun, 2 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Veronica (Winona Ryder) was a pretty average high-schooler until she was adopted into the world of “Heathers.” The Heathers (Kim Walker, Lisanne Falk, and Shannen Doherty) are the three most popular girls in the school—all impeccably...

Once Upon a Time There Lived a Heroin Addict...

Thu, 30 Aug 2001 20:08:51 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Have you ever come across an author you knew was brilliant, but who never quite clicked with your tastes in reading?

That’s how I’ve always felt about young adult author Francesca Lia Block. I recognize her work is technically beyond reproach...

The Prince and the Pauper Meets the Titanic

Tue, 28 Aug 2001 09:56:17 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - I am a Titanic buff. I’ll read any book or watch any movie even vaguely connected to the ill-fated ocean liner. It’s not unusual for me to check out a book from the library just because I happen to see a picture of the Titanic on its cover...

Oregon Trail 3rd Edition: Go West, Young Woman, Go West!

Sun, 26 Aug 2001 14:44:25 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - The year is 1848, and you’re in Independence, Missouri. Your name is Jackknife Johnson. Or maybe Catfish Clark. You’re a lawyer. Or a doctor. Or a gunsmith. Or a teacher.

Whoever you are, whatever your trade, one thing is clear. Your job is to...

A Good Effort, But Doesn't Cut Quite Deep Enough

Fri, 24 Aug 2001 13:16:55 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Fifteen-year old Callie has discovered a special way to deal with her problems. She doesn’t turn to her teachers or friends. She doesn’t confide in her neurotic mother or alcoholic father—they’re already at the breaking point from the stress of dealing...

Music Videos by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber? You Bet!

Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:43:17 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - In 1986, I discovered Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. I’d heard some of his other music, but it had never really registered with me for some reason.

The first time I heard Phantom, though, it slapped me full in the...

Not Exactly a "Night to Remember."

Mon, 20 Aug 2001 11:16:31 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - My mother had a simple, sadistic solution when I wanted to watch a movie she disapproved of. She wouldn’t forbid me to see it—she realized that would only glamorize what was probably a lousy picture, and she figured I’d only find a way to watch it...

This Barney Isn't Just for Children

Sat, 18 Aug 2001 22:11:27 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - My cat Barney died last Friday…

When I was seven years old, and one of my older sisters tried to read me this story, I wouldn’t let her get beyond this first sentence of Judith Viorst’s classic children’s book, The Tenth Good Thing...

This Bird Almost Lays an Egg

Thu, 16 Aug 2001 09:28:57 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author solleks - Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert (Nathan Lane) are just an ordinary couple. They adore their adult son, Val (Dan Futterman). They bicker about Armand’s wandering eye. They putter about their spacious phallic-themed apartment.

When night...