Movies, TV and books we're into this week

I don't always love Spike Lee's movies, but I always watch them. He's one of the most thought-provoking directors making films today. And what I particularly appreciate about Lee's work is that it always skillfully blends storytelling, style, cinematography and strong, timely societal messaging.BlacKKKlansman is the (supposedly) true (at least somewhat) story of a police detective in Colorado who makes it his personal mission to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. It's violent and disturbing, but oddly funny and endearing at the same time. The subject matter can be offensive, but it's told in a way that can also be somewhat disarming, especially for Lee, who doesn't usually do 'disarming.'The film has some tense moments that stick with you, particularly the closing scene. And it might not be for thin-skinned folks. But it's one of Lee's better films in a long time, and it's well worth a watch if you're up for it. The cast is also great, featuring John David Washington (from Ballers), Adam Driver (from countless hipster flicks) and Topher Grace (That 70s Show).

It uspets me when I remember just how good Tron: Legacy was (and still remains to be this day). Packing all the visuals you'd expect from a movie in the series, as well as call-backs and great humor mixed with action. If you've ever wondered what a world would be like if we somehow managed to merge the living world with a digital plane, this movie would almost be it.Jeff Bridges makes a return and is excellent, Garrett Hedlund sold his part as the game engineer sibling, and Olivia Wilde brought a digital companion to life. Tron: Legacy may be eight years old, but it still looks great to this day.

'The Trespasser' is the sixth novel in French's Dublin Murder Squad series, so it's probably not the best book to read if you haven't already taste-tested any of the earlier books. But it's great, and I strongly recommend picking up the first novel in the series, 'Into the Woods,' so you can check this one (and all the others) out with all the necessary backstory.The series is a set of mysteries that take place in and around Dublin, Ireland, and they feature many of the same characters, but the main character and protagonist in each one is different. So while you recognize many of the folks, you get to know more people in different ways with each book. It's a cool and effective way to make the series remain fresh.'The Trespasser' is a twisty tale that starts with a young woman found murdered in her apartment. When the police begin to investigate, they find that one (or more) of their own may be involved. French's writing and pacing are superb, and the book is packed with Irish flavor that makes it even more unique and memorable. 'The Trespasser' is probably my favorite book in the series, too.

I think Dracula is a book that's usually read in high school or college, but it missed me on both accounts. It's been on my shelf for awhile — can't pass up 10-cent classics when I find them — and I pulled it off a couple of days ago during a gloomy late-afternoon snowstorm that seemed to fit the book's mood.Vampire themes and tropes have been so overplayed since the book's release that the first ten or twenty pages seemed cheesy and predictable, and indeed it's hard not to see where the story is going. But I'm loving the way the tale is told through correspondence and diary entries, and now that I'm about halfway through, a certain unease settles over me each time I pick up the book. It's creepy, it's well written, and I can see why there have been so many copycats since the book was released in 1897.

H.P. Lovecraft is a landmark horror writer that inspired many of today's otherworldly horror-tropes. His short stories created an entire mythos that remains celebrated today across all forms of media.The Necronomicon collects some of his best and most celebrated works into a single title, available on premium hardback or much cheaper on Amazon Kindle. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. (Read the book ... )