Mike Sirota's Blog – Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s so much more than that, hence the all-inclusive “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—Crimson Peak
In the 2015 Gothic thriller, CRIMSON PEAK, director Guillermo del Toro has crafted an atmospheric period piece designed to scare the living crap out of viewers. Young, aspiring novelist Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) likes to write ghost stories, but I doubt if she planned on living one.
“A Wizard Is Never Late”—Memorable Lines From THE LORD OF THE RINGS
I absolutely love THE LORD OF THE RINGS, both Tolkien’s classic novel and the sprawling epic film series of Peter Jackson. There are countless memorable lines from the latter, which makes the following merely a small sample.
Throwback Thursday: Two Decades And 3,242 Miles
I still keep in touch with old friend and multi-published author, Hank Garfield. This post first ran in 2016.
And This Week’s Guest Star Is…H.G. Wells?
My bride and I have gotten hooked on MURDOCH MYSTERIES, a popular, award-winning Canadian television series on Acorn that, to all intent and purpose, might as well be called “CSI: Nineteenth Century.” We’re into the fifth season as of this writing, and given that the program is in its thirteenth season (and counting), with over 200 episodes, we have a long way to go.
Throwback Thursday: A Taut Thriller From Down Under
I’m a sucker for “creature features” and I always keep an eye out (ouch!) for ones that I might’ve missed. When Netflix recommended ROGUE, a 2007 indy thriller from Australia with some familiar names in the cast and—amazingly, for this genre—a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I just had to see it. Glad I did.
20/20 In 2020: We Can Only Hope
The year is just about done, and like others before it, 2019 has been a challenging one. Challenging for Jacqueline and me, challenging for this country, challenging for the world.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Books—The Book Of Eli
It is not easy to watch this 2010 post-apocalyptic drama. Really, who wants to see the scorched earth of our own country? But given that the star of THE BOOK OF ELI is Denzel Washington, I’m there! As an actor he is, IMHO, simply the best.
Revisited: “Are There No Prisons? Are There No Workhouses?”
I first presented this Christmas post in December two years ago, and since then it has been viewed numerous times—in April, August, and just about every other month of the year. Here it is again, at the “right” time of year. 😊
Throwback Thursday: Native American Film Gems—Smoke Signals
SMOKE SIGNALS remains one of my all-time favorites. I first ran this post in 2016.
Guilty Pleasures: The Hurricane Heist
Negative reviews? Crummy box office? Oh yes, the 2018 action/disaster film, THE HURRICANE HEIST, is definitely a world-class Guilty Pleasure. Some critics even agreed that it was the “Best/Worst” movie of the year…
Recent Releases
