The Shining Girls
Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audio
Written by Lauren Beukes
Mulholland Books
Release Date: June 4, 2013

I’m not much of a reader, as my moniker may have indicated to you. Still, I’ve always enjoyed a good book and felt it was time to try my hand at reviewing some, which brings us to my first go of it, The Shining Girls. The book comes from author Lauren Beukes, who previously wrote Moxyland and Zoo City, and delves into the world of time-traveling serial killers. You read that right: time traveling serial killers.

The book opens with a chilling first encounter between Harper and Kirby in July of 1974 when Kirby is just a child. At first read it’s an unsettling encounter, but as the story unfolds and we learn more about the characters and story, this first encounter continues to flash within your brain and grow increasingly disturbing.

Did I Do That?
The Best (and Worst) Of The ’90s
Paperback
Written by Amber Humphrey
Abrams Image
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Cover Price: $19.95

This was an interesting read, make no mistake about it. There were things in Did I Do That? The Best (And Worst) Of The ’90s that I do not remember at all…thereby answering the question posed in the title. But many of them I do recollect having committed. But venture forth and let me explain in more detail, my friend…

Chapter one is dedicated to Super Soakers. You remember them, right? Squirt guns on steroids…or maybe Super Soldier Serum, whatever. However you want to describe them, they changed the way we have water fights forevermore. A few pages later we get reminded of how awesome the nineties were for Bart Simpson and how Bartmania swept the nation. Then we move on to how Batman changed the way we perceive superheroes on the silver screen, Tim Burton gave us a darker and more enigmatic version of the Caped Crusader (and I would like to thank him for Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman). Luckily Joel  Schumacher later came along and gave us Bat-nipples, ruining the whole franchise for almost a decade. Busy as always, Tim Burton had Beetlejuice and several other films that kept his name in the limelight, so to speak. These are discussed in the book, too!

Man of Steel, which opened in theaters on June 14, 2013, has had a polarizing effect on fans, moviegoers, and critics alike. Though the film opened with a resounding $116 million at the box office, it’s near 70 percent drop in its second week pretty much speaks for itself. Is it the Superman film we have all been waiting for? Based on its second week numbers, maybe not, but WB is already getting ready for Justice League and other superhero tentpoles. They have already signed David Goyer to pen the sequel.

Many writers have already responded to Zack Snyder‘s portrayal of the character, even producer Christopher Nolan reportedly didn’t like the film’s ending. Now, another filmmaker is making his voice heard about Superman and the subject matter that is superheroes. In a video posted on YouTube, Chronicle scribe, Max Landis, speaks his mind on how Man of Steel fails to live up to the legacy of the Superman name, and even compares Snyder’s vision of the iconic hero to other heroes like Spider-Man (who he calls a narcissist), Batman (who he calls a cold sociopath), and Mr. Fanastic (who he calls an egomaniac).

Beware, spoilers follow here below after the jump.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
DEVELOPER: Techland
PUBLISHER: Ubisoft
RELEASE DATE: May 22, 2013

As a fan of all things old west, I crave video games set in those times, and there haven’t been a whole lot of them to enjoy. The best so far has been Red Dead Redemption, but the ultimate would be a first-person open-world RPG western, kind of like Fallout: New Vegas but in the late 19th century and without all the apocalypse stuff.

It was this wish for more first-person western games that first drew me to the Call of Juarez series. The first game was a little rough around the edges, but because it was a western FPS it gained a special place in my heart. The sequel, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, was actually a prequel, and also an improvement over the first game. Then came Call of Juarez: The Cartel, which has no place in this conversation because it jumped to modern day Los Angeles and made me very sad.

I wasn’t the only one saddened by this attempted escape from the old west, and developer Techland and publisher Ubisoft took notice, returning to the franchise’s roots for the fourth game in the series, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. But is it worth your time?

Roland Emmerich has been talking about an Independence Day sequel for sometime now, which happens to coincide with the release of his upcoming film White House Down. We’ve learned that the sequel will be broken up into two parts – with the first installment being titled ID Forever, Part I, will take place 20-25 years after the events of the first film, and will feature the return of some characters. Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum are reportedly returning to duty, and that some of the younger characters from the first film will be back as well. But the one person who isn’t coming back is Will Smith, due to the fact that he is just too expensive.

But Emmerich also says that Smith is just too much of a marquee name and that his stardom will get in the way of the film.