Quicklet on Community Season 2 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK While the second season produced some of the best Community episodes to date, including the Emmy-winning Christmas episode, it also felt the most uneven season to date (which could explain the steep decline in ratings from first season). Whereas most shows put their best foot forward with the first few episodes of the season, Community repeated its mistake of having the best storytelling after the half point of the season - by which time the show had lost significant viewership. As a viewer, I wanted to fall in love deeper with every following episode and there were times when I had to remind myself that Community as a show is a living, breathing thing. Other times, the shows brilliance and epic, quotable moments, smacked me in the face and upside my head, making me feel guilty for ever having doubted the writers and shows creator. Did Community iron out the major problem it had with the first season? It really didnt. We learned new things about the characters but the information trickled out like water from a broken faucet. Was it a genuine situational comedy? Not really. Every episode revolved around something absurd happening, arguments that seemingly escalated over nothing, and yet the viewers could theoretically find themselves in similar circumstances without trying hard. One things for sure: Community is too clever even for the most devoted viewer. Just when you think they have lost track of the bigger picture, their social commentary is right on point. Which is really the reason why the show is more popular when it is in reruns - TV watchers have the option to analyze every joke and explore all the meta references. MEET THE AUTHOR Evelyn hails from a very tiny country of Estonia, so it's ironic that she chose to be a writer when English isn't her fist language! After a few years of working for newspapers and local TV news, she chose to forego any idea of a schedule and started a freelance writing and marketing business. Because it isn't the most stable of jobs, Evelyn would often supplement her income with random gigs, including being a singing telegram and an airline interpreter. She has an unnaturally close relationship with food and for a number of years worked as a chef. However, after crying too many times in the kitchen, Evelyn had to give up her professional culinary pursuits. Instead, you'll find her traveling, reading, participating in your general "debauchery", and making new friends. She has several degrees and some accolades but she'd much rather tell you about the time she smuggled a kitten on an airplane out of Russia. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The second season took a lot more risks stylistically and tackled more iconic film tropes, including the ever-popular zombie takeover, Pulp Fiction and flashback sequences. When the group returns for their second year at Greendale, everyone is excited to build on the friendships they developed during their freshman year. Problem is there is some awkwardness between Jeff and Annie, and Jeff and Britta after last seasons love triangle fiasco. Eventually, the group decides that it is better for the health of everyone if all members remain strictly platonic towards each other. During an unfortunate medical scare that causes delirium, Shirley and Chang have sex at the schools Halloween dance. Neither of them remember it until Shirley finds out shes pregnant. Chang looses out on his chance to join the study group since Shirley despises him. The worst of it is she doesnt know if the baby is Changs or her estranged husbands, Andres. After some struggling, Shirley decides to try to work it out with Andre, who has promised to raise the baby, regardless of who is the biological father. Shirley goes into labor at Greendale and it is revealed that Chang is not the father on the account of the baby being born without a tale. CHAPTER OUTLINE ...and much more




Quicklet on Community Season 1 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK "What is Community College? Well, you've heard all kinds of things. You've heard it's 'loser college' for remedial teens, twenty-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. That's what you heard; however, I wish you luck!" - Dean Pelton's Orientation Speech (Pilot) Community appeared on NBC's Thursday lineup for the first time on September 17th, 2009. The show centers around a group of misfit students studying at a four-year community college in the fictional town of Greendale, Colorado. The critics praised the show as extremely innovative. After generally positive reviews of the first season, NBC hoped that Community's audience would grow with summer reruns, picking up the show for a second season, which aired from September 23rd, 2010 to May 12th, 2011. However, after a promising start, it continued to struggle in the ratings, failing to establish itself with the audience of its lead-in, The Office. The third season premiered on September 22nd, 2011 but after only ten episodes was put on hiatus to become a midseason replacement show in January, later pushed back until spring. As of the date of this publication (February, 2012), Community is set to air the rest of its third season on NBC starting on March 15th, 2012, with the fate of a fourth season as yet undecided. MEET THE AUTHOR Evelyn hails from a very tiny country of Estonia, so it's ironic that she chose to be a writer when English isn't her fist language! After a few years of working for newspapers and local TV news, she chose to forego any idea of a schedule and started a freelance writing and marketing business. Because it isn't the most stable of jobs, Evelyn would often supplement her income with random gigs, including being a singing telegram and an airline interpreter. She has an unnaturally close relationship with food and for a number of years worked as a chef. However, after crying too many times in the kitchen, Evelyn had to give up her professional culinary pursuits. Instead, you'll find her traveling, reading, participating in your general 'debauchery' and making new friends. She has several degrees and some accolades but she'd much rather tell you about the time she smuggled a kitten on an airplane out of Russia. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Though the premise of the show originally introduced Jeff Winger, a lawyer with a shady past, as the lead, after the first few episodes the storylines of other students at Greendale's Community College grew to greater prominence. Community became a mishmash of messy, yet intriguing characters that contribute to the show's originality and plethora of comedic scenarios. The show famously uses other TV shows and films as the basis for individual episodes, and frequently exploits their cliches to present a further comedic twist. Community is both intelligently written and doesn't take itself too seriously. Because it relies heavily on other pop culture trivia, it is occasionally hard to follow if the references are unfamiliar to the viewer. The upside is that through the show, you can discover other shows and films you might have otherwise missed. For the conspiracy theorists, there is a rumor that an intentional 'O.J. Simpson is guilty' reference is made during the show's opening credits. For the Community enthusiast, it is just another example of how the show is layered with innuendos and clever between-the-lines dialogue, only obvious after multiple viewings. Therein lies the brilliance of this show.




Quicklet on Portlandia Season 2 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK “I like to describe Portland as a city with a lot of self-esteem, filled with people with a lot of self-doubt. Portland is a really kind place, with all kinds of people who will go to tyrannical lengths to show you how kind they are, to the point that it actually feels kind of mean. I think a lot of our characters are trying to navigate that.” – Portlandia co-creator Carrie Brownstein, quoted in The Daily Beast “You remember the 90s, when everyone was pickling their own vegetables, and brewing their own beer? People were growing out their mutton chops and waxing their handlebar moustaches. Everyone was knitting and sewing clothes for their children. People were wearing glasses all the time, like contact lenses had never been invented.” “Wait, are we talking about the 1990s?” – Jason From LA and Melanie, Episode 5, “The Dream of the 1890s” If you haven’t heard the joke, then you haven’t been going to the right bars in the right cities with the right people. Hang around enough cool, plugged-in, young, urban progressives - “hipsters,” as they’ve been termed in the last few years - and you’re bound to eventually meet a couple of them who are self-aware enough to have latched on to it. The joke is dry, bitter, self-deprecating. It indicts the entire hipster scene for a sin, one which is simultaneously inconsequential and monumental, that has characterized American progressives - young and old, hip and square, urban and rural - for decades. “Hey, are you a hipster?” “No.” “OK, you’re a hipster.” Hipsters are becoming notorious for their self-loathing. The internet is lousy with Tumblrs, blogs, and entire websites dedicated to bashing the hipster phenomenon. But who are the people hanging out long enough to make all these observations in the Mission, in Williamsburg, in Silver Lake, in Wicker Park, in Capitol Hill? It generally takes one to know one, when it comes to hipsters, and the joke is that one of the first identifiers of a hipster is denial of membership in the group. It’s a social identity literally built around participants’ pretending to not be participants. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK “Hey, are you a hipster?” “No.” “OK, you’re a hipster.” Hipsters are becoming notorious for their self-loathing. The internet is lousy with Tumblrs, blogs, and entire websites dedicated to bashing the hipster phenomenon. But who are the people hanging out long enough to make all these observations in the Mission, in Williamsburg, in Silver Lake, in Wicker Park, in Capitol Hill? It generally takes one to know one, when it comes to hipsters, and the joke is that one of the first identifiers of a hipster is denial of membership in the group. It’s a social identity literally built around participants’ pretending to not be participants. It’s not new, this progressive self-hatred. Its roots run deep. Liberals have always seemed uneasy with their own ideals. Conservatives rarely engage in the same degree of public, brutal, hilarious, humiliating self-flagellation. Recent studies have confirmed that conservative politics are bolstered by what is termed “low-effort thinking.” Firmly attached to a relatively simple, black-and-white worldview, a conservative does not see enough complexity in the issues of the day to see the funny side of his or her own perspective. But philosophical self-mutilation is so deeply entrenched in the left that progressives even do it in their daily lives. They wryly adopt and self-apply the most insulting terms hurled at them from across the aisle. Bleeding heart. Flaming liberal. Treehugger. And so on and so forth.




Quicklet on Criminal Minds Season 6 (CliffNotes-like Summary, Analysis, and Review)


Book Description

Quicklets: Your Reading Sidekick! ABOUT THE SHOW Criminal Minds Season 6 aired on CBS, and ran from September 22, 2010 until May 18, 2011. The show follows an elite team of FBI criminal investigators, known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), as its members travel the country working to solve grisly murder mysteries and arrest the serial killers responsible for them. During its 2005 premier season, Criminal Minds was the newest iteration of crime scene investigation TV programs, competing with such shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Crossing, Law & Order: SUV,and Medium, many of which were also broadcast on CBS. Given this context, Criminal Minds has consistently focused on setting itself apart from the crowd. To accomplish this, the show has regularly relied on both its cast of actors and its focus on psychological profiling. In Season 6, Criminal Minds continues building upon and further solidifies its reputation as a leader in the crime scene investigation genre. Some of the most common critiques of Criminal Minds argue that the show relies too much on tired cliches and boring stereotypes. Television critic David Zurawik has summarized the show by writing simply: Big talent meets weak script and every TV crime cliche known to prime time (Metacritic, Criminal Minds). While there are certainly moments throughout Season 6 in which this critique may be true, Criminal Minds has managed to pull together a strong team of actors and actresses whose engaging and convincing performances successfully keep the show exciting. MEET THE AUTHOR Charles Limley is a native of Colorado. After earning bachelors degrees in both English Literature and Humanities from the University of ColoradoBoulder, he entered the world of professional writing. He began his work with Hyperink during the fall of 2011. In addition to writing, Limley is an avid reader. He also loves bicycles, and has completed several long-distance bicycle tours. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Season 6 of Criminal Minds begins with the gripping conclusion of Season 5s unresolved cliffhanger finale. Agent Morgan is trapped, after being tied to a bed and forced to witness the murder of a local Los Angeles detective and the abduction of the detectives young daughter. The BAU must work quickly to locate Morgan and rescue the missing girl before the prolific serial killer known as The Prince of Darkness inflicts any further violence. Eventually, the team successfully stops the killer and is able to move on to investigating other unsolved criminal cases. As Season 6 unfolds, the BAU copes with several personnel changes. Agent Jareau leaves the team after Episode 2, and only makes short appearances in two later episodes. Following JJs departure, the BAU is joined by FBI cadet Ashley Seaver. She helps the team with its investigation during Episode 10, and becomes a regular character for the second half of the season. Finally, Agent Prentiss leaves the team following a particularly personal and brutal investigation in Episode 18. Buy a copy to keep reading! CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on Criminal Minds Season 6 (TV Show) + Criminal Minds Season 6: Pulling Away From The Crowd + About The Directors & Producers + Character List + The Changing Faces Of Criminal Minds Season 6 Episode-by-Episode Commentary & Summary + Episode 1: “The Longest Night” + Episode 2: “JJ” + Episode 3: “Remembrance Of Things Past” + Episode 4: “Compromising Positions” + ...and much more




The Everlasting Rose


Book Description

Camille must save Orleans in this high-stakes sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller.




The Community Planning Handbook


Book Description

Community planning is a rapidly developing, increasingly important field. The Community Planning Handbook is a comprehensive, practical guide, with tips, checklists and sample documents to help the reader get started quickly.




Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965


Book Description

(Applause Books). For decades, Screen World has been the film professional's, as well as the film buff's, favorite and indispensable annual screen resource, full of all the necessary statistics and facts. Now Screen World editor Barry Monush has compiled another comprehensive work for every film lover's library. In the first of two volumes, this book chronicles the careers of every significant film actor, from the earliest silent screen stars Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks to the mid-1960s, when the old studio and star systems came crashing down. Each listing includes: a brief biography, photos from the famed Screen World archives, with many rare shots; vital statistics; a comprehensive filmography; and an informed, entertaining assessment of each actor's contributions good or bad! In addition to every major player, Monush includes the legions of unjustly neglected troupers of yesteryear. The result is a rarity: an invaluable reference tool that's as much fun to read as a scandal sheet. It pulsates with all the scandal, glamour, oddity and glory that was the lifeblood of its subjects. Contains over 1,000 photos!




Killing Lincoln


Book Description

Describes the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the hunt to track down John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices.




Age of Cage


Book Description

An NPR "Books We Love" 2022 “Age of Cage might be the closest we will get to understanding the singular beauty of each of Nic Cage’s always electric performances. You are holding the Rosetta Stone for Cage. Enjoy it.” —Paul Scheer, actor, writer and host of the How Did This Get Made? and Unspooled podcasts Icon. Celebrity. Artist. Madman. Genius. Nicolas Cage is many things, but love him, or laugh at him, there's no denying two things: you’ve seen one of his many films, and you certainly know his name. But who is he, really, and why has his career endured for over forty years, with more than a hundred films, and birthed a million memes? Age of Cage is a smart, beguiling book about the films of Nicolas Cage and the actor himself, as well as a sharp-eyed examination of the changes that have taken place in Hollywood over the course of his career. Critic and journalist Keith Phipps draws a portrait of the enigmatic icon by looking at—what else?—Cage’s expansive filmography. As Phipps delights in charting Cage’s films, Age of Cage also chronicles the transformation of film, as Cage’s journey takes him through the world of 1980s comedies (Valley Girl, Peggy Sue Got Married, Moonstruck), to the indie films and blockbuster juggernauts of the 1990s (Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Con Air), through the wild and unpredictable video-on-demand world of today. Sweeping in scope and intimate in its profile of a fiercely passionate artist, Age of Cage is, like the man himself, surprising, insightful, funny, and one of a kind. So, snap out of it, and enjoy this appreciation of Nicolas Cage, national treasure.




Rats Saw God


Book Description

Steve details his descent from bright star to burnout in this newly repackaged edition of the definitive, highly acclaimed novel from the creator of Veronica Mars and Party Down. Houston, sophomore year: Steve is on top of the world. He and his friends are the talk of the school. He’s in love with a terrific girl. He can even deal with “the astronaut”—a world-famous hero who happens to be his father. San Diego, senior year: Steve is bummed out, drugged out, flunking out. A no-nonsense counselor says he can graduate if he writes a 100-page paper. So Steve starts writing, and as the paper becomes more and more personal, he reveals how a National Merit Scholar has become an under-achieving stoner. And in telling how he got to where he is, Steve discovers how to get to where he wants to be.