24 Frames on 89.1FM: Summer Movies & Books

I’m Paul Hunton and this is 24 Frames on 89.1 FM. Last week I discussed some great events and performances to check out this summer. Another one of my favorite summer activities is reading books, watching movies, and catching up on good television. First on my summer reading list is Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. Yes, this book is several years old but after reading Flynn’s Gone Girl last summer I thought it was time to go back and read some of her past work. So far the book is fantastic mixing mystery and suspense with a strong character in the lead. Also on my summer list is Khaled Housainni’s newest novel, And the Mountains Echoed. His past two books, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are both excellent and his newest should not disappoint. Another favorite summer activity is hiding from the summer sun in an air conditioned Cineplex. So far I’ve seen some great movies;  “Star Trek: Into Darkness” the newest installment in the rebooted franchise and helmed by JJ Abrams picks up and runs wild with action and adventure and while the story has some obvious clichés it still manages to be very entertaining. Benedict Cumberbatch who will return to PBS for the next season of Sherlock plays the villain in Star Trek and does an outstanding job as a menacing former star fleet agent hell bent on bringing down the enterprise and anyone who gets in his way. Another movie I’ve seen recently is “The Great Gatsby”. This iteration of the Fitzgerald novel takes things in a more ambitious direction than the last four film versions but like its predecessors it too falls flat. There must be something in the text that just can’t translate well to film, and while the party scenes have all the wild flares of director Baz Luhrman There’s just a lack of connection between the audience and the glitz and glamour on the screen.  Coming out tomorrow is Will and Jaden Smith’s new father/son science fiction film “After Earth”, and the mystery action film “Now You see Me” about a group of magicians who are stealing millions. If you have small children you may check out the animated adventure “Epic”. Nothing says summer like a good movie, or at least a decent one. Remember “24 frames” has moved to Saturday nights at 9pm after Austin city limits on channel 5. And don’t forget to check out our podcast as well as past stories on kttz.org. For 24 Frames on 89.1 FM I’m Paul Hunton.