Film criticism originally published at the New Ledger. Includes articles on the unexpected brilliance of Michael Bay, Roman Polanski and the necessity of evil, the artistic collapse of Michael Mann, and others.

"The greatest tragedy of all is friendship." The legends of the great Jewish gangsters come to life in this unproduced screenplay that tells the epic tale of Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky, two friends who rose from the streets to rule American organized crime and found the city of Las Vegas. Intense, violent, moving, and tragic, "Bugsy and the Little Man" recounts one of modern America's darkest and most enduring legends.

Writer and journalist Benjamin Kerstein has lived in and written about Israel for over a decade. In this collection, he gives us his idiosyncratic take on such subjects as the Obama-Netanyahu rivalry, the status of Israel's Arab population, the UN's hostility to Israel, the evils of the Gaza flotilla and its supporters, and liberal Jews' hatred of Joe Lieberman.

Who is Josef6? A time traveler spreading his message across chat rooms and databases? A charlatan? A pious fraud? A messianic savior? A herald of the coming apocalypse? One man sets out to discover the truth, and discovers a secret more terrifying than he could ever imagine.

Nine weird tales from acclaimed Israeli-American author Benjamin Kerstein explore the terrifying, dark, and secret side of human nature. In "Confession," a chance meeting between two high school acquaintances leads to the revelation of a terrible secret. "Corridor Sickness" follows a scholar who tries to analyze the founding myths of his society, which may have been born in an unknown sin. "Folie a Deux" explores the perverse mysteries of an ordinary suburban family. In "Patient Zero," a radical psychologist posits that a psychotic killer may be the next step in human evolution. These and other tales present the reader with a world as mysterious and uncanny as our own.

In 13th century France, a remote village is seized by an ancient hatred. Once peacefully divided between Christians and Jews, a young convert to Christianity incites a wave of uncontrollable violence. The death of a young boy propels the community into the embrace of one of history's most evil and terrifying lies: The blood libel. Convinced that the Jews are committing hideous acts of human sacrifice, the villagers seem poised on the edge of riot and mass murder. Into this chaos enters a small delegation from Rome, summoned by the local priest who is desperate to prevent the coming slaughter. Together, they struggle against a hatred of terrible force and power, finally engaging in a dangerous game of wits against the author of the upheaval they face, who now holds the villagers firmly in his spell. With the future of the village and the lives of its Jews hanging in the balance, they press forward with a public disputation in which the village rabbi must come face to face with the young heretic - his own son.

Genius or monster? Defender of justice or totalitarian apologist? Activist for human rights or defender of mass murder? Compassionate humanist or venal antisemite? Writer Benjamin Kerstein spent three years delving into the work and legacy of Noam Chomsky, and returned with the answers. This book is a chronicle of his journey into one of the 20th century's most worshiped intellectual's heart of darkness. "This is some of the most intelligent, clearest, most honest writing I have read in a long time." - Jay Nordlinger, National Review