Recommended reading - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (novel & book of the movie):

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

By Vonda N. McIntyre, Jack B. Sowards, Harve Bennett.

Filmed as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), directed by Nicholas Meyer.

Published by Pocket Books.

Published 1982.

ISBN-10: 0671456105

ISBN-13: 9780671456108

Description:

Prepare yourself for warp-10 excitement! The Galaxy's ultimate future is in the hands of James Kirk, Mr. Spock and the indomitable crew of the Enterperprise. The Galaxy's ultimate weapon is in the hands of the evil Khan and his followers. A battle that will shake the universe cannot be avoided ... And the ultimate adventure is about to begin!

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film

By John Tenuto, Maria Jose Tenuto.

Published by Titan Books.

Published 2023.

ISBN-10: 1789099757

ISBN-13: 9781789099751

Description:

An in-depth look at the making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, featuring rare and previously unseen production art and new and exclusive interviews.

Forty years ago, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan saw Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew face one of the greatest foes in Star Trek history, Khan Noonien Singh, as well as the death of Spock. Celebrate this landmark anniversary by taking a deep dive into the stories behind this iconic science fiction classic. This beautiful coffee-table book is full to the brim with rare and previously unpublished archival material, behind-the-scenes photography, production art, cut scenes, script extracts, and much more, alongside new and exclusive interviews with the creatives, including director Nicholas Meyer.

On this day in movie history - The Zone of Interest (2023):

The Zone of Interest

directed by Jonathan Glazer,

written by Jonathan Glazer and Martin Amis,

based on the novel by Martin Amis,

was released at the Cannes Film Festival in France on May 19, 2023.
Music by Mica Levi.

Based on the true story, written in novel form by the author, of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp.

He, along with his wife, Hedwig, and their children, lived in a house on the other side of the boundary wall, with the camp watch tower and top floors of the buildings always visible.
The family enjoyed their artificial oasis, spending their time mostly at leisure: sunbathing, swimming, gardening … all with the sounds from the camp constantly in the background.
Yet, the Höss family coldly went about their lives, ignoring it all, pretending it wasn’t happening.
Their daily routine shown at a slow pace, a study of the banality of evil.
As Rudolf Höss oversaw the slaughter within the camp, Hedwig plundered the belongings stolen from the prisoners, the spoils of war, kept what she wanted and used the place as her own personal thrift store.
We, the viewers, never see the war crimes committed by the Nazis, the horror, the atrocities, the sadistic cruelty inflicted on the camp prisoners, but we hear it: the screaming of pain and torment, guards shouting, dogs barking, gunshots, flames from the crematorium.
This cacophony of background noise forces our imagination to conjure the hellish images.
What we see is the smoke from the train bringing new prisoners to be put to work or murdered.
The smoke from the chimney stack, from bodies being cremated, always there in the sky.
At night, the orange glow from the chimney stack flames illuminates the rooms.
The Zone of Interest is a must-see movie you will never forget.
It’s a movie as powerful and important as Schindler's List (1993), directed by Steven Spielberg; The Pawnbroker (1964), directed by Sidney Lumet; Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001), directed by Robert Dornhelm; The Survivor (2021), directed by Barry Levinson; Conspiracy (2001), directed by Frank Pierson; Anthropoid (2016), directed by Sean Ellis; The Captain (2017), directed by Robert Schwentke; Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), directed by Stanley Kramer; Nuremberg (2000), directed by Yves Simoneau; and many others.
The Zone of Interest concludes with Rudolf Höss pausing to stare into the darkness of corridors, before walking down a flight of stairs, again into darkness, a man without God, without a soul, descending into the abyss, damned to Hell.
Intercut are scenes from modern day: the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, cleaned by a team of janitors.
On permanent display, behind protective screens, are photographs, piles of clothes, shoes, suitcases and belongings, stolen from the prisoners.
The remains of the camp are preserved, to inform and teach future generations about a horrific period in history.
A period that should be studied, learned from, and never forgotten, so it will never be repeated.

Cast:

Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Johann Karthaus, Luis Noah Witte, Nele Ahrensmeier, Lilli Falk, Anastazja Drobniak, Cecylia Pekala, Kalman Wilson, Medusa Knopf, Max Beck, Slava the Dog, Andrey Isaev, Julia Babiarz, Stephanie Petrowitz, Martyna Poznanski, Zuzanna Kobiela, Benjamin Utzerath, Thomas Neumann, Klaudiusz Kaufmann, Justyna Szklarska, Kacper Piwko, Marie Rosa Tietjen, Antje Falk, Jakub Sierenberg, Joerg Sierenberg, Joerg Giessler, Heiko Lange, Marek Lukasik, Bernhard Schirmer, Julia Polaczek, Shenja Lacher, Imogen Kogge, Wiktoria Wisniewska, Paulina Burzyk, Anna Marciniszyn, Agnieszka Wierny, Patryk Mika, Tomasz Piwko, Carsten Koch, Heinz Nielow, Christine Schröder, Marnius Fislage, Ralph Herforth, Daniel Holzberg, Rainer Haustein, Daniel Hoffman, Wolfgang Lampl, Oscar Lebeck, Christian Willy, Freya Kreutzkam, Leo Meier, Barbara Koszatka, Izabela Bara, Anna Kuwik, Mariola Karczewska, Halina Drzymota, Dominika Matonóg, Ewelina Kaczor, Matgorzata Zurek, Barbara Jakubowska, Etzbieta Bronka, Zuzanna Janusik, Sascha Maaz, Ralf Zillmann.

On this day in television history - Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss (2023):

Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss

documentary directed by Niharika Desai,

written by Eric Weiner,

based on the book by Eric Weiner,

was released in the United States on May 18, 2023.

Cast:

Rainn Wilson, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ari Meyers, Jón Gnarr, Georgi Gospodinov, Ivo Dimchev, Hreimur Örn Heimisson, Margaret Liefsdóttir, Tinna Thorlacius, Jewells Chambers.

On this day in movie history - The Jane Mysteries: Inheritance Lost (2023):

The Jane Mysteries: Inheritance Lost

directed by Marco Deufemia,

written by Neale Kimmel,

based on the Jane da Silva series of novels by K. K. Beck,

was released in the United States on May 12, 2023.
Music by Steph Copeland.

Cast:

Jodie Sweetin, Stephen Huszar, Paris Jefferson, Rob Stewart, Martin Roach, Danielle Smith, Rebecca Lamarche, Brian Cook, Jas Dhanda, Tonjha Richardson, Angelo Grey, Bebsabe Duque, Patrick Dussault, Michael Morrone, Kari Wong, Laiko Foroughi.

On this day in music history - To The Wind…, by Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel (2023):

To The Wind…

Album by Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel,

released April 28, 2023.

Track list:

Celtic Contemplation; Blue Dream; The Void; Light in the Darkness; My Hands Were Busy; Necessity for the Mundane; Rain On My Coat; Reverie.

On this day in music history - The Undercurrent, by Sherry Finzer (2023):

The Undercurrent

Album by Sherry Finzer,
released April 21, 2023.

Track list:

Introspective; Hidden Emotions; Undercurrent; A Whole New World.

On this day in movie history - Lee Unkrich Presents The Shining (2023)

Lee Unkrich Presents The Shining

A presentation by Lee Unkrich, of his book Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
The venue was the David Geffen Theater, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, in the United States, on March 17, 2023.
Part of the Spotlights series.
Lee Unkrich is the Director, Animator and Editor of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
Presentation introduced by Bernardo Rondeau, Senior Director, Film Programs.
After the presentation, a screening of The Shining (1980) was shown to the audience.

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
Written by Lee Unkrich and J. W. Rinzler.
Published by Taschen.

On this day in movie history - Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023):

Being Mary Tyler Moore

documentary directed by James Adolphus,

written by James L. Brooks, Allan Burns, Susan Silver and Treva Silverman,

was released at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the United States on March 13, 2023.
Music by Theodosia Roussos.

Cast:

Mary Tyler Moore, James L. Brooks, Rob Reiner, Treva Silverman, Beverly Sanders, Ronda Rich, John Tinker, Edward Asner, James Burrows, Bill Persky, Debra Martin Chase, Katie Couric, Joel Grey, Norman Lear, Robert Levine, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Lena Waithe, Betty White, Reese Witherspoon.

On this day in movie history - Confessions of a Good Samaritan (2023):

Confessions of a Good Samaritan

documentary directed and written by Penny Lane,

was released at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the United States on March 10, 2023.
Music by Carolina Eyck.

Cast:

Penny Lane.

Recommended reading - The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 (2023):

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023

By Lisa Unger and Steph Cha.

Published by Mariner Books.

Published 2023.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0063315815

ISBN-13: 978-0063315815

Description:

"In this selection of tales exploring crime-sparking marginalization and thwarted desires, guest editor Alafair Burke and debut series editor Steph Cha have created a powerful vehicle for processing 2020’s volatility...Cha and Burke have curated a magical collection that serves as a master class in suspense writing." – Booklist.

"To Cha’s great credit, along with her guest editor, novelist Alafair Burke, this year’s edition...not only features many women and writers of color, but also pairs household names like Alex Segura, Lisa Unger and Laura Lippman...with top up-and-comers to paint a clear picture of the genre in 2021." – USA Today.

A collection of the year’s best mystery and suspense short fiction selected by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger and series editor Steph Cha.

“This form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy,” writes guest editor Lisa Unger in her introduction. The transporting stories in this year’s The Best American Mystery and Suspense are populated by those who exist on the fringe of our society and want more than what life has dealt them: A haunted veteran turned career criminal is on the run. An injured fighter turned bouncer seeks vengeance for his lost love. An assassin on his last job finds himself questioning his life choices and breaks all the rules to understand his final victim. By turns thrilling and enlightening, each story, according to Unger, “will have you holding your breath, flipping the pages, will leave you thinking about people and why they do the dark, dangerous, frightening things that they do.”

Recommended reading - Silent Film's Last Hurrah (2023):

Silent Film's Last Hurrah

The Remarkable Movies of the Long 1928

By David Meuel.

Published by McFarland.

Published 2023.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1476668957

ISBN-13: 978-1476668956

Description:

Meuel’s latest book marks a specific, prolific time in silent-film history that signaled the end of an era as Hollywood transitioned to sound. This title covers films from the end of 1927 to early 1929. Each chapter details a silent-film star or director and a renowned film of theirs from that period.... Meuel analyzes what made these films special and provides details about the stars’ personal lives and their other notable works.... Film-history fans will enjoy Meuel’s contextualization of some of the greatest silent films and biggest actors.... Great for libraries with lots of movie buffs, especially fans of silent films and classics, and for institutions with film studies programs.” – Library Journal.

This is a history and critical appreciation of an unusually fertile period for the production of great or near-great silent films: late 1927 through early 1929, in the midst of the tumult and upheaval of Hollywood's transition from silent to sound. The book offers in-depth looks at several of the best of these films and discusses the gifted artists such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Lillian Gish who helped bring them to life, even as the art they had taken to remarkable heights was about to be obliterated. It depicts some of the silent medium's most talented filmmakers and their efforts – in the face of inescapable technological change – to give their dying art a rousing last hurrah.

On this day in movie history - Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023):

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim,

written by Michael J. Fox,

was released at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States on January 20, 2023.
Music by John Powell.

Cast:

Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan, Sam Fox, Aquinnah Fox, Schuyler Fox, Esmé Fox, Susan Bressman, Ryan Orser, Siobhan Murphy, Danny Irizarry, Hannah Galway, Miles Meacham, Kai Kreinman, Sherry Klassen, Darren Zimmer, David Diamond, Mike Kus, Shayn Walker, Jason Calder, Angela Galanopoulos, Donna Lysell, Zachary Coumont, Michael McDonald, Paul Killeen, Bradley Reid, Bradley Peters, Chad Sayn, Ivan Pecuh, Rick Pearce, Liam Raymond Dib, Andrew Barber, Allison Klause, Brandon Mindel.

On this day in music history - Clouds Below, by 2002 (2023):

Clouds Below

Album by 2002,

released January 7, 2023.

Track list:

Soulmate; Glimmering Hope; Landing; City Blue; First Light of Dawn; The Flight Home; Clouds Below; Air and Light; Riding the Current; Everyday Miracles.

On this day in music history - Classical Reimagined, Vol. 1, by Jennifer Thomas (2023):

The album Classical Reimagined, Vol. 1,
by Jennifer Thomas,

was released on December 1, 2023.

On this day in movie history - Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023):

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life

documentary directed by Rob Reiner,

was released at the AFI Fest in the United States on October 26, 2023.
Music by Marc Shaiman.

Cast:

Albert Brooks, Judd Apatow, James L. Brooks, Larry David, Nikki Glaser, Alana Haim, Jonah Hill, Conan O'Brien, Rob Reiner, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Steven Spielberg, Ben Stiller, Sharon Stone, Wanda Sykes, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

On this day in television history - The Fall of the House of Usher (2023):

The Fall of the House of Usher

8-part mini-series directed by Mike Flanagan and Michael Fimognari,

written by Dani Parker, Emmy Grinwis, Jamie Flanagan, Justina Ireland, Kiele Sanchez, Mat Johnson, Mike Flanagan, Rebecca Klingel,

based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe,

was released on Netflix in the United States on October 12, 2023.

Music by The Newton Brothers.

Episode titles: A Midnight Dreary; The Masque of the Red Death; Murder in the Rue Morgue; The Black Cat; The Tell-Tale Heart; Goldbug; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Raven.

Cast:

Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan, T'Nia Miller, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Michael Trucco, Katie Parker, Matt Biedel, Crystal Balint, Ruth Codd, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Paola Núñez, Malcolm Goodwin, Daniel Jun, Nicholas Lea, Igby Rigney, Aya Furukawa, William Kosovic, Mark Redfield, Jason Tremblay, Paul Jarrett, Felicity Anne, Selma Heyman, Annabeth Gish, Robert Longstreet, Kevin Miller, David Santana, Kate Gajdosik, Molly C. Quinn, Toby Poser, Eileen Cruz, Kyle Mitchell, Edwin Perez, Ava Johnson, Monique Durian, Lulu Wilson, JayR Tinaco, Ryan Mah, Camille Atebe, Bill Lawrie, Graham Verchere, Jason Simpson, Daylin Willis, Aidan Wright, Chelsea Hamill, Thomas Strumpski, Gerry Durand, Danielle Klaudt, Kate Whiddington, Ian Ronningen, Leo Chiang, Arianna Bent, Alexandra Essoe, Logan Tarasoff, Lincoln Russo, Jaren Moore, Sarah-Jane Redmond, Ruth Bidner, Ali Karr, Baldeep Singh, Vincent Gale, Sabrina Miniaci, Ambika Vas, Tracey Power, Aaron McCallum, Alex Weed, Niki Wipf, Elan Gale, Marco Walker-Ng, Gus Tayari, Britney Katelyn Miller, Elyse Maloway, Kelly McCabe, Jaiden Brown, Fox Brewster, Milena Brewster, Jason Cecchini, Jazmine Campanale, Robbie Segulam, Jennifer Clarke, Irma Leong, Janene Carleton, Jimmy Clarke, Jason Bell, Dustin Pederson, Carolyn Adair, Natasha Prasad, Peter Brown, Stewart Prince.

Recommended reading - The Fall of the House of Usher (2023):

The Fall of the House of Usher

And Other Stories That Inspired the Netflix Series

By Edgar Allan Poe.

Foreword by Mike Flanagan.

Published by Random House Worlds.

Media TV tie-in edition.

Published 2023.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 0593725255

ISBN-13: 978-0593725252

Description:

A deluxe anthology of works by Edgar Allan Poe that inspired Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher, curated by series creator Mike Flanagan.

There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart – an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was it – I paused to think – what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher?

Slip behind the bleak walls and vacant windows of Netflix’s reimagining of the mansion of doom in this anthology of works by Edgar Allan Poe that inspired the limited series The Fall of the House of Usher. From well-loved classics like The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart to lesser-known gems such as Tamerlane and The Murders in the Rue Morgue, these collected tales have withstood the test of time, haunting readers for nearly two hundred years.

With a foreword by series creator and horror maverick Mike Flanagan, this anthology is the perfect viewer’s companion to Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher.

Recommended reading - The Fall of the House of Usher and the Other Major Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe (2023):

The Fall of the House of Usher and the Other Major Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe

By Edgar Allan Poe.

Published by Reader's Library Classics.

Published 2023.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1954839480

ISBN-13: 978-1954839489

Description:

I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.

At the request of his good friend Roderick Usher, a visitor travels to the House of Usher where Roderick and his sister Madeline live. From the time the traveler first steps foot onto the Usher property, a mysterious and foreboding presence fills the air. Almost as if the house itself is alive.

Born in 1809, Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and poet best known for his tales of mystery and macabre. His short stories have long been entrenched in American pop culture, and he is regarded as one of the greatest inspirations to the modern horror and mystery genres. His fictional C. Auguste Dupin stories, all included in this collection, are widely considered the first modern detective story, and these stories would become a foundational influence to Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Poe's notable works include The Fall of the House of Usher (1839), The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), The Black Cat (1843), and The Raven (1845), among many others. He died in 1849.

The following 13 tales and 13 poems are included:

Tales: The Fall of the House of Usher; The Tell-Tale Heart; the Black Cat; The Cask of Amontillado; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Masque of the Red Death; The Oval Portrait; The Premature Burial; A Descent into the Maelström; Ligeia.

The C. Auguste Dupin Mysteries: The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Mystery of Marie Rogêt; The Purloined Letter.

Poems: The Raven; Annabel Lee; Alone; Dream-Land; Eldorado; The Sleeper; Lenore; The City and the Sea; To Helen; The Bells; The Valley of Unrest; To One in Paradise; A Dream within a Dream.

On this day in movie history - Heist 88 (2023):

Heist 88

directed by Menhaj Huda,

written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran,

based on the true 1988 case,

and the book The Heist That Shook A Nation: One In 70 Million by Armand D. Moore,

was released in the United States on September 29, 2023.
Music by The Angel.

Cast:

Courtney B. Vance, Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Bentley Green, Akili Ni Mali, Bryan Kelly, Xavier Clyde, Precious Way, Nican Robinson, Mariah Gordon, Jillian-Giselle, Charlette Speigner, Rebecca Spence, Jayson Lee, Cat Christmas, Lovely Rayford, TayLar, Yaasmeen Brown, Charles Andrew Gardner, Keith David, Keesha Sharp, Derrick Gilliam, Phil Tyler, Tiffany Bedwell, Michael Christopher Collins, Scott Westerman, Patrick Clear, Dan Sauer, Tonray Ho, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Paul Turner, Brian Baker, Vincent Teninty, Andy McDermott, James Farruggio, Samantha Chatman, Charles Alex, Bradford Foote, Alisa Inez, Susan Kries, Kimberly LaChelle, Michael Oilar, Hans Dieter Wolff.

On this day in music history - Our Songs, by Anastacia (2023):

The album Our Songs,

by Anastacia,

was released on September 22, 2023.