Last Call: The Rock, Eggs, And Red Rain

Of all the many movies I saw with the kids over break, there was one that was just a perfect popcorn movie: not about to win any awards, but wholly entertaining. Yes, I really can't recommend Jumanji 2: Welcome To The Jungle highly enough if you are looking for escapist adventure fare this season and The Last Jedi is sold out. The concept is inspired and hilarious: Four kids playing the game get transported into it as their avatars, so the guy behind The Rock's Dr. Bravestone is a nerd, and Jack Black's pith-helmet-wearing scientist is a selfie-obsessed mean girl in real life. And I loved seeing Selfie's Karen Gillan as a straight-up action hero. But truth be told, I'll see just about anything with The Rock in it (that isn't Baywatch); for example, my son and I are already psyched for Rampage, in which he takes on a giant gorilla, wolf, and a crocodile terrorizing our fair Chicago. I didn't even know it was based on a video game. We'll probably see it first weekend, to be honest. [Gwen Ihnat]

While reading this excerpt from Nigerian author Yemisi Aribisala's forthcoming book, I found myself holding my breath. It's not due to nerves, but because I subconsciously didn't want to break the spell of her writing. The except begins as a love letter to eggs (before turning its attention to a more intimate topic), and her descriptions are, like eggs themselves, delicate and familiar and mysterious: She writes of the eggs' "coffee-and-milk complexions, recycled-manila-envelope pores." An egg enthusiast myself, I am captivated. [Kate Bernot]

Listening to this live version of "Red Rain" from Peter Gabriel's So, one is struck by how intricate the production and composition of the track must have been. It really speaks to the genius of the pairing of Gabriel and producer Daniel Lanois. Side note: Look up what Funk Fingers are sometime. [Kevin Pang]