Any Star Trek fan is well aware of the place Star Trek 5 has occupied in the film series. Most people avoid it and try not to look directly at it, for fear of turning into a pillar of salt. But is it really that bad?

Yes and no. If you watch some of the special features and watch the film, you'll see some of the aims were noble and even achieved. Shatner and Bennett mention trying to stay true to the original series by exploring the emotional core of Spock, Kirk and McCoy. They also try the tried-and-true formula of commenting on the human condition by asking a deeper question about humanity within the framework of science fiction.

That, of course, what makes this film so uneven. The moments focusing on Spock, Kirk & McCoy are the film's strongest -- informed with an easy sentimentality and nostalgia but underscoring the long-standing friendship of the characters and chemistry of the actors. McCoy's wit is at its sharpest in this film. These moments are worth the time.

But the larger question about God is where the movie stumbles. For many, the memory of this movie and plot is summed up in the line, "What does God need with a starship?" It's one of those cringe-inducing lines that even Laurence Olivier would have trouble lending any measure of credibility to. Shatner does the best he can within the constraints of character, time, budget, etc. and the result, unfortunately, doesn't work.

According to the special features, this movie was plagued by budget and time shortfalls as well as an effects house that might not have been up to the task. Shatner's commentary repeatedly mentions time and money shortfalls. Is it possible that this hurt the quality of the film? Most likely. The script called for so many new and huge sets that it seems to have put a crimp in the budget for the actual filming. Unfortunately for us, that's the part that we're going to notice.

If you're a die-hard Trek fan, you should pick this up. It is a better issue than the original, and the special features are fairly enlightening (the deleted "Rock Man" test footage and storyboards are interesting). However, for everyone else, this is a rental at most -- and if you're not a hardcore fan of the series, probably one to be avoided.

My major disappointment with this set was that it didn't probe deep enough into the question of "What went wrong?" It has the appearance of being a defense of the film while making some concessions, and not going deep enough. It's quite likely that asking these questions and pushing for answers would have burned bridges that the franchise can't afford to burn, which is understandable. However, it ends up suffering from the same syndrome as the movie itself: Well-intentioned but falling short in the execution.

When you first encounter The Limey, you may not think much of it. The edit is unconventional if you're primarily used to major studio films. It's got a loose feel to the cinematography, like most Soderbergh films. It's not a slick, modern, hyperkinetic production. It's an episode in the midlife crisis of people who thought they'd die before they got old.

However, these things that may make it somewhat less accessible at first heighten its appeal on future viewings. Characters are introduced with a brief montage -- almost like you'd see on a TV show title sequence. The edit weaves conversations together in ways that don't seem logical at first.

The Limey isn't a film about logic or cold, hard, objective fact. It's a highly subjective retelling of the events that make up the story -- apparently from the view of Terence Stamp's character on his way home. It exists in the memories of those involved -- memories of Stamp's visit to Los Angeles to sort out the death of his daughter; memories of his past. For Peter Fonda, memories of southern California in the '60s and past glory.

This reflective memory form influences the cinematography -- things take on a sun-drenched, yellow/orange hue that is not dissimilar to your childhood memories. The soundtrack, too, calls back to days past with its music mostly coming from the 60s. (It's one of the best soundtracks in a long time).

One of the most impressive scenes is a dialog between Stamp and Lesley Ann Warren. The scene plays in many different places -- a pier, an apartment, and so forth. The scene jumps between them, and were you to take it at face value, it would make no sense. But when you remember that the whole film is just a memory, it makes complete sense.

The Limey is an innovative movie, mostly because of its unconventional approach to what would have otherwise been a flat revenge picture. You'll either be turned off immediately or strangely curious. I hope it's the latter for you -- it's a very interesting movie with great performances by all involved. It's one of my absolute essential DVDs.

I got this game recently after having played it in a store display. It's really exciting to me as a gamer because it reduces games to the barest essentials. No instructions save for a single word, your wits and quick reactions. It's all about speed and problem-solving... and it's over in the blink of an eye.
But that doesn't mean you have to be a hardcore button-masher with reflexes that measure in the nanosecond range. My girlfriend, not a big videogame fan beyond Tetris, has become addicted to this game.
It's got simple games that ask you to perform a single task, and the simplicity is the draw. But for those who can figure it out, the games get faster (to a point where it's either physically impossible to complete them in a given time or you've got to have unbelievable reaction and control) and more challenging. And with over 200 games, there's plenty of variety.
Some have said the game is too short. Yes, it doesn't take long to unlock everything, but that's part of the fun. And even when everything's unlocked, you've got the unbelievably challenging "Thrilling" mode which throws level 2 & level 3 versions of the games (every game has three levels of difficulty) at you, and failing even once means game over. This has kept me coming back for more.
Plus you get Dr. Wario, a clone of Dr. Mario and every bit as fun as the original, and several unlockable mini-games. My only complaint is that the game you unlock for getting the high score in all other games is a bit too easy -- but hey, there's still Thrilling.
The game has a totally warped sense of humor, and you'll be scratching your head wondering where most stuff came from (bouncing melons off of people; picking noses; shaking dogs' hands; covering a big gut with a t-shirt, etc), but it's great fun.
And the best part? You can pick it up and quit with ease, assuming you're not addicted. If you just want a quick fix to relax your mind, it's perfect. But just be careful... one game will turn into two... which turns into three, and so on.

I love it. Worth every penny.

Air's album Talkie Walkie is their strongest effort yet. Not quite in the vein of earlier releases like Moon Safari, but not as strange as 10,000 Hz Legend, Talkie Walkie blends the old and new sounds of Air to produce a dazzling album.
Talkie Walkie continues in the more song-oriented direction started on 10,000 Hz Legend, but doesn't abandon the old Air sound. It's easily recognizable as them in seconds.
What's so great about this album is it's not trying to just blind you with artistic brilliance. It's there, but the songs do all the heavy lifting. From the quiet, contemplative "Alone in Kyoto" to the soaring, Tears for Fears-esque "Surfin' On A Rocket", this album has a mature, assured confidence.
The album's 40 minutes fly by and it keeps hitting you with better and better songs -- you're wowed by the drum machine/piano/string section arrangement of "Mike Mills" (a phenomenal track) and then sent into one of the best songs on the album. Or as you're thinking to yourself that "Another Day" wouldn't be too out of place on the Virgin Suicides soundtrack, you hear the next song start in with... a banjo?
Talkie Walkie has some surprises up its sleeve, but Air hasn't changed -- as I said, it's recognizably them. It's a great album, combining all of their earlier directions into a solid album. While it's obviously very early and such statements seem premature, Talkie Walkie definitely is a strong contender for this year's best album.

I bought this book looking to start trying some new Asian recipes. I had looked at a number of other books, but this was appealing for two major reasons:
1) Nothing required absurd amounts of prep time;
2) It has a variety of different recipes -- it's not just Chinese, Thai, etc.
It works on both fronts.

If you're totally new to Asian cooking or are looking to broaden your horizons, there's a lot of good information early in the book about types of ingredients you'll use (broken down into smaller categories such as sauces, spices, etc.) and a brief discussion of them. There's also information (short) on cooking techniques, equipment needed, etc.

If you're looking to do these recipes exactly, you may need to find an Asian market where you can get some things; many recipes call for Shaoxing rice wine and two types of soy sauce. The only place I was able to find these were at an Asian market - I tried every other grocery store around me before finding them there.

Finally, the recipes are great. My favorite so far is pineapple pork -- like most of the recipes, it takes only a couple minutes to prepare and tastes great.

The first thing you should know about Live 2003 is that it is not a conventional concert film. You don't have many wide shots or long shots where you can figure out exactly what a guitarist or drummer is doing. If you like how most concerts are filmed, this is probably not the disc for you.
Live 2003 is edited more like a feature-length music video. So many shots are just fleeting glimpses of hands, of instruments, of heads bobbing. Lights cut through the frame at odd angles and are broken up by heads, hands, and instruments. Several shots have effects put on them (frame shake, etc.) -- or at least look like it.
But if you take it more as an artistic complement to the music, it's great. If all you want is a "you are there" experience, you will not like this. But for me, the unconventionality of the approach really worked. It was entertaining and more visually interesting than the usual shots of four guys on stage with the occasional sweeping shot thrown in for variety.
The sound is OK -- not awful, not the best I've heard either. The performance is pretty solid. But the visuals really make this disc interesting.
Also fun is the road diary showing footage from all over, with a decent stretch in LA showing the Hollywood Bowl concert and the bassist poring through 45s at Amoeba.
The visual approach won't work for everyone, but I really like it. And if you like Coldplay's previous albums, you'll like this one -- there's no real surprises in terms of sound or performance.

When I first moved into my apartment in college, this book is one my Mom got for me. She bought it as a joke, but it was a good idea to get my confidence up in the kitchen.

Most of the recipes are fairly easy to do, although some can be a little more challenging. If you're looking to make something quick and don't want to slave over a stove all night, there are all kinds of great quick recipes in there.

However, one major complaint I have is that it seems like many recipes call for an unbelievable amount of oil if you follow the directions to the letter. In some cases, like pancakes, this isn't a problem. In other cases, though, it can really make things tricky, or just plain disgusting.

If you're just starting out in the kitchen, though, you can get a feel for some basics and build your confidence. Just keep your eyes open and you'll get a better feel of how to tweak these recipies for the better -- and before long you'll graduate to "regular" cookbooks.

The Way Of Tea is the flip side to a book like "The New Tea Book" -- it goes in depth on a number of subjects and has information tea connoisseurs may not have known. For those who are mainly familiar with information about tea presented from an Indian standpoint, this enhance your knowledge, as it's more about the teas of China.

One of the first things this book covers in great detail is the history and production of tea. Its history starts in 2700 BC and goes up through modern day -- but don't be afraid, it's not like reading a textbook. It's still light and quick read with a lot of great information.

Then there's a good section on the making of teas and varieties of teas. I learned a lot about the preparation of types of teas -- that is, how they're made before they get to you. There's also a lengthy discussion on the proper preparation of teas, and how to serve them. This includes a discussion and series of photos on the gongfu method of tea preparation and serving.

Additionally, there's a series of homeopathic style recipies for tea as various cures. While some of these may be effective due to the placebo effect, I have tried some of these preparations for my girlfriend when she's sick and she said she felt a little better soon afterwards (without me explaining what I was doing). While it's not to be taken as evidence of effectiveness, it may work a bit. Be aware that if you can't get to a place that specializes in Asian foods, though, you may not be able to do many of the recipes.

In any case, this is a great book and almost anyone can learn from it.

The New Tea Book is a nice, light read for those who want to learn a little more about tea. It's not the definitive treatise on the subject, but it's great to just pick up and flip through.

There are a number of subjects covered, mainly breaking down into information about the history and production of tea; varieties and types of tea; preparation and serving information; and a few recipes.

It's not the densest book around. If you're knowledgeable about the subject, you know everything that's contained in here already. True tea snobs will find a thing or two to turn their nose up at.

The recipes are interesting, and while I haven't had a chance to try any yet, they may be one of the best reasons to buy the book (snob or no). There are recipes for desserts, beverages, and a few sandwiches. Some of this stuff looks real good and pretty easy to pull off.

The photography is top-notch, and in some cases almost justifies the purchase of the price. But just be ready for light reading that you can flip through as opposed to deep, informative writing.

If you've been using previous versions of Virtual PC and upgraded to Panther to find that they weren't working, you will, unfortunately, need to upgrade to Virtual PC 6.
This is not an entirely bad thing. VPC6 has generally been more stable in my experience, and has added some great features. First and foremost, dock integration. VPC6 allows you to use a Start Menu in your dock, which can speed up the process of using the software -- just click, go to the program you want like you would in Windows, and then VPC will launch and start the program.
Also, it allows you to have currently running programs in your VPC session show up in the dock. You can retain these icons in the dock, or use them to force quit an app (although this doesn't work 100% of the time in my experience). Finally, running apps are now shown in the window that pops up when you do a command-option-escape. You can force quit them there if they hang, but again, I've had spotty results.
If you work in an environment such as web design, where you must see your site on all kinds of OS + browser combos, this is absolutely great. It beats having a PC around. However, for extremely processor-intensive tasks, you will need a PC. This is just an emulation, and when you get beyond casual use, you will find that it's underpowered for huge tasks. But for opening strange PC-specific files, tweaking the odd access database, or checking websites (especially if your bank refuses to work with Mac browsers), Virtual PC is great.
It will also easily grab your old VPC5 discs and import them into 6.