Holy shit this is a long first post.

I've decided to go with two books and three movies a week. That's 104 books and 156 movies in a year - not sure if I am even aware of 156 movies but I'm sure all of your lists will help me out.

1. War (Phillip G. Atwell)
FBI agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) is out for revenge when his partner is killed and all clues point to the mysterious assassin Rogue (Jet Li). But when Rogue turns up years later to take care of some unfinished business, he triggers a violent clash of rival gangs. Will the truth come out before it's too late? When the dust settles, who will remain standing? Directed by Philip G. Atwell, this taut action thriller also stars John Lone.

At the beginning of the film, when Statham says, "you never know who is working for who in this business", I right away realized I was in for more than an action movie and they were going to try and taint what could be an entertaining couple of hours with an actual plot. I was right, but pleasantly surprised. The "twists" were not rushed or forced, and believable. As always, some great martial arts on Jet Li's part. Statham carries this movie though, and it was nice to see him in a movie again where he acts more than he does kill people, (though this doesn't mean I am not looking forward to Crank 2.)

7/10

2. 300 (Zach Snyder)
Zack Snyder directs this faithful adaptation of Frank Miller's (Sin City) graphic novel about the storied Battle of Thermopylae, a conflict that pitted the ancient Greeks against the Persians in 480 B.C. The film, which blends live-action shots with virtual backgrounds to capture Miller's original vision, co-stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro and Dominic West.

I really never had any interest in this movie until my co-worker would never shut the fuck up about it, so I finally borrowed it from her. (It wasn't until I gave it back to her that I learned she only loved because of all the hot guys in it.) Anyway, definitely wish I would have seen this in the theater, because I'm sure that is what it was meant for. The entire time I felt like I was looking at this movie rather than watching it. . .if that makes any sense at all. The action was decent and the acting believable. Being a LOTR nerd I was happy to see David Wenham, (Faramir from LOTR, Dilios in 300.) Other than seeing him, the only other part that excited me was when Queen Gorgo, (Lena Headey), was out in town playing with her son while wearing this incredibly sexy dress, and Andrea said that is what she wants her wedding dress to look like - so the movie right away earns extra points there. (Though I'm sure it will lose lots of points when she dumps me and marries someone else in that dress.)

So if none of you have seen this yet, which I doubt, I would really only recommend it to Chris because of all the ripped, sweaty, eight-pack men in it.

6/10

3. The Jacket (John Maybury)
John Maybury's masterful thriller stars Adrien Brody as Jack Starks, a Persian Gulf War veteran who has lost his memories to amnesia. When Jack is accused of a heinous killing, he realizes he must find a way to prove his innocence. Desperate to unearth clues about his past, he seeks a controversial treatment that allows him to go back in time -- which turns out to be a heart-wrenching decision when he realizes he's destined for tragedy.

Time travel and Keira Knightley are two of many things that are constantly floating around in my head, and this movie has both. I don't really know what else to say about this movie other than I was very moved, and that is what I want out of films. I will be buying this movie soon and watching it a lot I am sure. Side note - a very aged-looking Daniel Craig is in this movie, and I didn't even recognize him right away. I don't know if it was incredibly good acting on his part, or make-up making him seem insane and a bit haggard, or if this is pre-botax/Bond Craig. It was weird though.

9/10

movie count
3 of 156

1. Who's Been Sleeping in Your Head: The Secret World of Sexual Fantasy (Brett Kahr)

A renowned psychoanalyst offers a sneak peek into our sexual fantasies--and surprising revelations about the impact they have on our lives. Based on the largest-ever survey of sexual fantasies, and drawing on the author's twenty-five years of clinical practice, this "anatomy of secret desire" does for sexual fantasy what Kinsey did for sexual behavior. However, unlike Kinsey's books, which were almost unreadably dense and data-driven, Who's Been Sleeping in Your Head? features narrative accounts of sexual fantasies and the author's own insightful interpretations of how those fantasies affect our lives. Kahr reveals the astonishing truth behind secrecy, shame and taboo, and demonstrates how sex fantasies exert a more powerful influence on our emotions, behavior, and relationships than we ever imagined.

Kahr surveyed about 23,000 men and women aged 18-90 from Great Britain and America. Some through anonymous online surveying, face to face interviews, or a few who were his actual patients. No actual names are given of course and identity is hidden. The majority of the book is set up where each chapter is dedicated to a particular type of fantasy - be it incest, teens/children, shame humility, general couples, etc. You get the picture. The chapters describes the "whys" of these particular types of fantasies, and the positive/negative effects they may have. Then the remainder of the chapter is samples from the surveyors, which are honestly the most interesting part of the book. For example, a page from the book may look EXACTLY like this:

George -
I do not feel comfortable answering this question.

Mark -
I go to my mother-in-laws house and when she answers the door, I take her out to the garden and make her bend over. I lift up her skirt and continue to fuck her until I turn her around and she takes my cock into her mouth and I blast a giant load of warm cum down her throat. Then my wife shows up and we do it all again in front of her.

Jim -
My girlfriend and I in a public place.

Alice -
The only reason I took this survey was for the money and to remind you sick freaks that we're not all perverts! Get a life.

A lot of the examples are very vague, and then sometimes they will read like penthouse forum. It's a good book for anyone interested in sex and consciousness, but not for anyone who is easily 'grossed out' because it is very explicit at times. For me, the only disturbing part of the book was the overwhelming amount of people, of both sexes and all ages, and of both fucked up and normal backgrounds, who fantasize about family members.

What I got most out of this book was how most people expressed how healthy and positive it was for the relationship when they shared their fantasies with their partner, and how, though it may get them off in and out of bed, it usually is not something they would act on in real life. That is an aspect, (how something that turns a person on and gives him or her a mind blowing orgasm, but they would never act on in real life), I wish would have been explored more.

Overall, what I got from Kahr is: "Hey, men and women of all ages fantasize, and very rarely will it have negative consequences."

7/10

book count
1 of 104