Book and Movie Reports by Ed

Movie report: Limitless Eddie (I love movies with characters named Eddie, although they are usually losers) is a loser. His wife divorced him. He lives in a sty of an apartment. He drinks too much. He somehow got someone to give him an advance to write a book, but he’s pissed that money away and hasn’t written a word. Then he runs into [SPOILER ALERT: many spoilers ahead] his ex-brother-in-law, who slips him a pill without much explanation. Eddie, being that kind of guy, takes the pill. The effect of the pill is amazing. Eddie becomes hyper-observant of his surroundings, able to access any information in his mind (not just the 10-20% we supposedly do), and sharp enough to put things together to solve any and all problems. He helps his landlord’s wife write a paper for law school, cleans his apartment, and writes half of the book he’s supposed to be working on. The movie looks different during these parts: enhanced colors, sharper, more focused, more energized. Eddie’s ey...

Book report: Life Itself, by Roger Ebert Roger Ebert, the famous movie critic, can no longer eat, drink, or speak, because of successful surgery for cancer and unsuccessful surgery to reconstruct his face afterwards. His only voice now is his writing: reviews, essays, blogs, and, now, his autobiography. I’ve always enjoyed reading Ebert’s writing. He is often insightful and often funny. Some of his most entertaining reviews are of the most terrible movies. He has a colossal knowledge of science fiction, and is often impatient with the illogic of movie situations. His memoir starts with a description of his parents and his childhood that I found fascinating, even though his life was utterly ordinary. His unfortunate medical recoveries have given him plenty of time to recall the past, and the details he gives to his early days are impressive. Most of the book is like this: rich in detail and meaning. I did hit a few bumps. The chapters on some of his personal friends I...