They should have talked about Kevin!

We need to talk about Kevin is the kind of movie that is not only highly controversial but likely to split viewers into the "love it" or " hate it" camp. Those who hate it are likely to find it beyond disturbing and actually loathsome. So which camp am I? Of course those who know me know I love a good sociopath story!

I will not forget this movie anytime soon. It is perhaps one of the best works I have seen lately. Not since "The girl with the dragon tattoo" have I found something so disturbing yet so powerful. In this day and age of CG (not that I don't like those type) movies for the most part have become redundant in my opinion. Not this movie, it tackles social issues that are rarely touched because they are taboo, such as the complexity of motherhood(what if you loathed your child, couldn't bond and nurture him)? That is literally unspeakable and inadmissible  in the age of the SuperMom/SoccerMom. This film explores the age old question of nature versus nurture and how that affects moral development.(Are people born bad? Or do we make them bad?) Kevin, whom the parents fail to talk about, represents the banality of evil.(Think "Bad Seed") Evil just because. A force that cannot be explained. (and that in itself is disturbing)

I consider this a horror movie, without the gore, just evil manifesting itself year after year...showing signs as it's developing...and then finally erupting.

I've always wondered what happens to the parents of evil people after they've been caught -- what are their lives like in the aftermath? The newspapers never tell you that. This movie sheds some light on it, and it's truly a nightmare straight out of Hell.

After watching "We need to talk about Kevin" I came to the conclusion that my teenage sons are not so bad. Thank God.

I Suck at Girls

 How many of us remember our youth and think to ourselves how did I ever survive the dating scene? Well Justin Halpern's new book holds nothing back. Halpern shares with us all his trials and tribulations with the opposite sex. Through his voice we hear everything from a childhood crush gone awry, to late night exploits with Hooter waitresses, and last but not least his engagement and marriage.

My significant other and I took turns reading it to each other while we laughed till our sides hurt!  It's a hilarious read and we loved it as much as Halpern's first book "Sh*t My Dad says." The humor is crude, though and riddled with profanity, so it probably isn't for everyone.  The funniest  moments in the book obviously come from Justin’s dad’s off-the-wall no-nonsense comments and advice(everyone should have a father like Sam)

The chapter on what a future wife will see(you'll understand when  you come to that part) had me laughing so hard I had to take a break and gain my composure! (It also reminded me of a story I like to share from time to time about my youngest son) 

I will leave you with my favorite wisdom that Sam gives to Justin after he finds out that Justin has stolen some girly magazines from a couple of homeless guys..."Son, you're never going to sleep with a girl who looks like that." Words to live by

I really hate self-help books but....

No  honestly, I really do! The paper they're printed on would be better used for bird-cage liners. (The psycho-babble "I'm OK, You're OK" -- good lord if we're all OK then why in the heck are we reading these?) However I absolutely love Augusten Burroughs so I thought I'd take a chance

I am certainly glad I did. This is not your typical feel good self help book-- no sugar-coating, no garbage no 10 steps, no goal listing, no mirror looking or soul searching just brutal honesty. From ending your life without committing suicide, to becoming "thin," to dealing with the death of a loved one -- you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel the sting of a wake-up slap across the face. Burroughs is not here to comfort you or tell you that you're ok(Chances are you're not) he's here to tell you like it is, to help you quit whining and build that bridge and get over it! You've got to face the truth, Because, as he says, truth is a force. And the truth of the matter is if your life sucks...you're probably the main reason it does. Not your mother, father, sister or that high school rival you wanted to slap, but YOU! Now get up, go get that book, change the way you think and behave and then change your life, Augusten is here to be your guide!