Jackie K. Cooper

John Grisham's novels have always been praised for their plots but sometimes have taken heat for their lack of compelling characters. This is certainly not the case in Grisham's latest novel Calico Joe. In this book two characters dominate the story. One is Warren Tracey, a semi-successful pitcher in the...

We were first exposed to the Men In Black franchise in 1997, and the first sequel arrived in 2002. Now ten years later, we get the second sequel Men In Black III. Perhaps the movie makers thought it had been long enough to pull out some of the same special...

The History Channel puts itself on the great entertainment section of the cable map with the production of Hatfields & McCoys, a three part mini-series. Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton head the cast and both men give very balanced and nuanced portrayals. Directed by Kevin Reynolds, this mini-series is the...

Steve Berry's latest novel The Columbus Affair begs the question: where is Cotton Malone when you need him? In most of his previous novels government operative Cotton Malone has been front and center. This time out he is not. The focus is now on Tom Sagan, a disgraced journalist. As...

Sometimes you have a pretty strong feeling about a movie before you see it; my flop radar was going off like mad when I watched the trailers for Dark Shadows. This is the latest Johnny Depp/Tim Burton collaboration, which reimagines the 1960's TV gothic soap opera.

The movie just...

It is rare when you pick up a first novel by an unknown writer and find yourself immediately transported into a world which is inhabited by fascinating people. This is what happens when you read The River Witch by Kimberly Brock. She is so good with her words that you...

Common Law is the new USA Network series that replaces In Plain Sight on Friday Nights at 10. The show deals with two robbery/homicide detectives who have such difficulty getting along as partners that their boss refers them to "couples therapy." This therapy requirement is the hook of the show....

David Baldacci is still at the top of his game. Whether he is writing about "The Camel Club" guys, or a whole new set of characters, which is what he does in his latest novel The Innocent, Baldacci continues to impress. He is a meticulous writer who blasts his plot...

Watching the unique story of a complex relationship in the new romantic comedy The Five Year Engagement is a purely pleasurable experience. Jason Segel and Emily Blunt lift the words from Segel and Nicholas Stoller's screenplay and make this a story come to life on the screen. Some might carp...

Each time the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presents a new movie I marvel at their choices. For each time they select a story that is uplifting to the audience and wonderfully entertaining as well. Their latest presentation is Firelight and it is another solid and uplifting movie. It is time...

Charles Martin has been steadily building a devoted audience for his books. With each new novel that is published he adds new fans, and the number of his followers is at an all time high. His new novel, Thunder and Rain, should add even more readers to the Martin fan...

The Cabin In the Woods is the kind of movie that is determined to be different from all the other slasher/horror movies of the past. But in trying to be different it just borrows from one movie here and another movie there. There are generous doses of blood, gore, drug...

Lisa Scottoline has a history of writing engrossing thrillers that also contain a high emotional content. Some of her past novels include Daddy's Girl and Save Me. Her latest is titled Come Home and it deals with a woman who can't let go of the past even when it threatens...

Three years ago Nurse Jackie premiered on Showtime. It was Edie Falco's first series since her role as "Carmelo Soprano" in the massive hit show The Sopranos. The question was could Falco best or at least equal her popularity in that show. That question was quickly answered as Falco delivered...

One of Showtime's most unique series is The Big C, a comedy/drama about a woman with terminal cancer. Most shows with this type of theme would be doomed not to succeed with audiences, but this show has a secret weapon and her name is Laura Linney. Linney manages to infuse...

It is hard to pin down a description of Harlan Coben's writing. In some ways he is Runyonesque, while at other times he has a dash of Michael Connelly mixed with Stephen King. But in all of his writing he brings a unique voice to stories that entertain and enthrall...

The much anticipated film The Hunger Games has finally arrived in theaters. The movie based on Suzanne Collin's first novel of a trilogy has fascinated readers and created much excitement as to who would play the lead characters and how would the story be presented on film. As one who...

Karen Spears Zacharias has an eye for the truth and she does her best writing when highlighting certain stories where the truth is the key. She did this in her book about her own life, After the Flag Has Been Folded (Hero Mama), and she does it again in

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make a hilarious crime fighting duo in 21 Jump Street, the movie based on the Johnny Depp TV series of the 1980's. Both actors show why they are rising stars in Hollywood with their deft portrayals of two policemen who go undercover at a local...

Nicole Seitz is never afraid of a challenge in the stories she writes. She meets each storyline she develops head on and without a thought of pulling her punches. In her latest novel, Beyond Molasses Creek, she deals with an interracial romance in the South of the '50s and '60s,...