Whether we are trying to impress a date after an art-house film screening or discussing Oscar nominations with friends, we all need ways to watch and talk about movies. But with so much variety between an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and a Nora Ephron romantic comedy, how can everyday viewers determine what makes a good movie? In Talking Pictures, veteran film critic Ann Hornaday walks us through the production of a typical movie-from writing the script and casting to the final sound edit-and explains how to evaluate each piece of the process. How do we know if a film is well-written, above and beyond snappy dialogue? What constitutes a great screen performance? What goes into praiseworthy cinematography, editing, and sound design? And what does a director really do? Full of engaging anecdotes and interviews with actors and filmmakers, Talking Pictures will help us see movies in a whole new light-not just as fans, but as film critics in our own right.

Lucas Jackson is a man who refuses to be nailed down, conform to rules and regulations, or fit into society, and now, he's on a chain gang. He's a likable enough guy, always smiling, always ready for a little fun. He eats 50 hard-boiled eggs on a bet and collects all the money in the camp. He's more or less like the people he hangs around with, except he won't be pushed. He knows his own mind. This makes him the only prisoner with guts enough to talk back to the bosses and the only one with nerve enough to escape.

On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.

Five electrical appliances find that their young owner has disappeared. The toaster takes charge, rounding up the vacuum cleaner, the electric blanket, bedside lamp and radio. Together they take off for the big city in search of their master. Based on the book by Thom Demijohn.