I’ll admit it. Yes, I can certainly write a lot of big words, but when it comes to actually doing [...]

NEW YORK –– In a 2001 incident that rail enthusiasts call the "Crazy Eights," an unmanned train carrying, along with other cargo, thousands of gallons of a highly toxic compound called molten phenol hurtled through the Ohio countryside for two hours before finally being brought to a halt. That episode provides the factual basis for "Unstoppable" (Fox), a gripping suspense tale that transcends simple entertainment by showcasing altruism in the pursuit of public safety.

Though a boxcar load of salty language indicates this is not a ride for the kids, adult viewers will find the proceedings kept on track by positive underlying values and by the engaging human dynamic that develops among the main characters.

The fictional emergency unfolds across the Rust Belt areas of southern and central Pennsylvania after inept railroad employee Dewey (Ethan Suplee) makes a series of corner-cutting mistakes that leave a 39-car freight train rolling along at full speed with no one onboard.

NEW YORK –– There's a single fascinating moment in "Skyline" (Universal), an otherwise forgettable (but with sequels to come!) apocalyptic yarn about aliens who invade Los Angeles with the munchies for humans.

A giant insectlike spaceship sucks thousands of computer-generated sticklike people into the sky like a giant vacuum. This being a low-budget production, it's a brief special effect. But it's one of those rare New Testament moments in a horror film.

Fundamentalist Christians, especially, as well as Catholics, will instantly recognize it as looking like the rapture described in Chapter 4, Verses 14-17 of the First Letter to the Thessalonians, in which the dead in Christ will rise.

"In the Name of God: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Ethics and Violence" by John Teehan. Wiley-Blackwell (Hoboken, N.J., 2010). 272 pp., $24.95.

How anyone anywhere could undertake devastating violence in religion's name remains a huge mystery to countless believers and nonbelievers alike. Isn't religion supposed to be a force of peace and goodness?

How can a group claim divine support for large-scale killing and destruction? When they assert a religious identity, 21st-century terrorists serve to keep this question alive.

Political leaders and theologians answer that violence conducted in a religion's name represents a perversion of the religion. But John Teehan's "In the Name of God" judges this answer wide of the mark.

Teehan, a religion professor at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., specializes in studies of evolution and morality. Thus, his new book's apt subtitle is "The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Ethics and Violence."

"Portrait of a Holocaust Child: Memories and Reflections" by Rita Kasimow Brown. Gefen Publishing (Jerusalem and New York, 2010). 79 pp., $14.95.

Rita Kasimow Brown describes herself as a psychologist, art therapist and artist. All three of these skills are used to great effect in "Portrait of a Holocaust Child: Memories and Reflections."

Kasimow Brown tells her story both in words and in the dozen or so paintings and an equal number of family photographs included in the book. It is the narrative of a 10-year-old girl who hid with her family for 20 months on a farm in Poland, in a pit that they called "the Grub," hidden by a Catholic farmer who fed them meagerly.

The story is told from the point of view of the mature woman playing with her grandchildren in a sunny apartment in Tel Aviv, Israel, writing in her diary, remembering the past, enjoying the beauty of the world around her, analyzing her dreams and exchanging letters with a dream friend. She utilizes the method of active imagination developed by Carl Jung, a powerful method of coping with profound personal trauma.

Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford star in a scene from the movie "Morning Glory." The Catholic News Service classification is A-III - adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 - parents strongly cautioned. Some mate rial may be inappropriate for children under 13.(CNS photo/Paramount)NEW YORK - It's no surprise that the newsroom comedy "Morning Glory" (Paramount) brings to mind the classic sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and the 1987 feature film "Broadcast News." Both were created by James L. Brooks, who wasn't involved in this project but whose influence is keenly felt.

While "Morning Glory" lacks the sharp wit of "Broadcast News," the modest success of this screwball, working-girl comedy can be attributed to the portrayal of the central character, Becky Fuller, by Canadian actress Rachel McAdams. Miss Fuller sparkles as a worthy big-screen successor to that iconic Twin Cities' newswoman, Ms. Mary Richards.