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.
Throwback Thursday: “Try The Local Sewer!”—Lines From The Indiana Jones Films, Part One
The Indiana Jones films provide a plethora of great lines. This post first appeared in 2022.
Another Ghostly Encounter?
Well, it happened again, and I said that I’d keep you posted. Barely a month after my other two ghostly encounters—which I wrote about earlier this month—I experienced yet another one. And in a church parking lot, no less!
Throwback Thursday: Native American Film Gems—SPIRIT RIDER
To be accurate, SPIRIT RIDER (1993) could also fall under the heading of “First Nations Film Gems.” The territory of the Ojibwa people—also known as the Chippewa—spans portions of Southern Canada and the Northern Plains states. But we’re just quibbling here. It has nothing to do with this delightful family story.
Yeah, I’d Stand In Line For This, But…
Over the past couple of weeks I watched (yet again) the five films featuring superspy/assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in four of them, and superspy/assassin Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) in one. I absolutely love this series, and since the door was left open at the end of the fifth film, JASON BOURNE (2016), I decided to check into the possibility of a sequel, something that I also did last year.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—RAMPAGE
A gorilla, a wolf, and an alligator walk into a bar. Wait, let me rephrase that. A giant gorilla, a giant wolf, and a giant alligator walk (actually, run and swim) into Chicago. Sounds weird, but if you know what it means, you probably saw the Dwayne Johnson-fueled sci-fi/action/monster film, RAMPAGE.
Ghostly Sightings—Or Ghastly Aging?
I partake of my morning walk at least 5-6 times a week, covering 2-3 miles each time. I’ve done this for many years, and I cannot recall encountering anything of a “paranormal” nature. Until recently, that is.
Throwback Thursday: What Is The Wilhelm Scream?
One of my favorite movies is the 1954 sci-fi/monster thriller, THEM! One thing about it that always struck me as funny was that the scream uttered by the sailor being mauled by a giant ant aboard a ship sounded exactly like the scream uttered by co-star James Whitmore as he is being mauled by a giant ant in a storm drain, which sounded exactly like the scream uttered by a soldier when a wooden beam falls on him in the same storm drain. Well, guess what, they were all the same. Let me tell you about the Wilhelm Scream.
““It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over”—Memorable Yogi-isms
Sure, I’ve been a San Diego Padres fanatic even before moving to SoCal in 1973. But I grew up in The Bronx, and as a kid I lived and died with the Yankees. My heroes were Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, Roger Maris—and the great Yogi Berra, a catcher with a non-athletic body who was capable of some amazing athletic feats.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The House Of Death
I grew up in the Big Apple and I didn’t even know about this! I first presented this post in 2022.
JAWS: Half A Century, And Still Scary
Last Friday, in addition to it being the Summer Solstice, Steven Spielberg’s classic thriller, JAWS, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1975 release. Naturally, I had to watch the awesome movie for the…let’s see, 783rd time, give or take. I never get tired of what is considered to be the first summer blockbuster.
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