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 more to it than that, which is why I included “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.
Last Week I Just About Lost IT
I don’t know, maybe it’s an “age” thing. Out of the blue last week I felt compelled to read (re-read, actually) Stephen King’s 1986 humongous horror classic, IT. I had read the book 25-30 years ago, so why bother? Still, I put it on my Kindle and read all 1,174 pages…took me the better part of the week. And it didn’t end there.
Throwback Thursday: “I Ain’t ’Fraid-A No Ghosts”—Lines From A Great Film Series, Part Two
The GHOSTBUSTERS franchise is a veritable cornucopia of great lines. This post first ran in 2022.
Wait, What? More Dinosaurs?!
If you watched the Super Bowl, you saw the trailer for JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH, the seventh film in the ever-popular, money-making franchise. Though a stand-alone story, it is considered a sequel to JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION (2022). It has an all-new ensemble cast, headed by Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali.
Throwback Thursday: “Ghostbusters, Whaddya Want?”—Lines From A Great Film Series, Part One
Having just watched the fourth film in the forty-one-year-old franchise, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, I decided to feature these movies in my next three posts. This week: lines from the first two films. The following week, lines from the more recent entities.
SUPER 8 Is A Super Film
The 2011 science fiction/thriller/coming of age film, SUPER 8, has a great pedigree. It was written and directed by J.J. Abrams, and produced by Steven Spielberg. The winner of numerous awards, it did well at the box office and won the praise of many critics. Not bad for a movie starring a bunch of kids.
Throwback Thursday: More Dinosaurs? Yaay!!!
Well, the best thing I can say about JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION is that it merged the old crew with the new one. This post first ran in 2022.
Guilty Pleasures: VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED
If the underachieving 1995 sci-fi/horror flick, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, is remembered for one thing, it is the final appearance in a theatrical film for its star, CHRISTOPHER REEVE. Later that year he would suffer the equestrian accident that would paralyze him and ultimately lead to his death in 2004.
Throwback Thursday: A Novelist’s Challenge—“What Book Should I Write Next?”
When the pandemic drove us indoors in early 2020 (and wiped out the NCAA basketball tournament; I’m still not over that one…), I found a number of ways to keep busy. At that point I hadn’t written a new book in years, but circumstances being what they were, I decided the time had come to do just that.
R.I.P. Bob Uecker: “Mr. Baseball”
We lost a national treasure last week. Bob Uecker, former major league catcher, baseball announcer, comedian, and all-around great guy, passed away at the age of 90. To me, what better way to honor him than to present some of his best lines? I draw from his comedy routines and from two films, MAJOR LEAGUE and MAJOR LEAGUE II.
Throwback Thursday: The Mystery Of The Ghost Blimp
I’ve written about ghost ships and ghost trains, but a Ghost Blimp? This true story about an incident that took place during World War II ranks way up there on the Weird-O-Meter, I kid you not.