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.
What Is The Wilhelm Scream?
The Wilhelm Scream is a stock sound effect in Hollywood and has been used in numerous movies and TV series. Its introduction came about in the 1951 western, “Distant Drums,” starring Gary Cooper. The scream was voiced by actor/singer Sheb Wooley, who had a small role in the film. You may remember Wooley for his popular hit song about a “one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater.”
Throwback Thursday: Jurassic Rankings—Part One
Since presenting this post in 2019 the sixth film in the franchise, JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION, hit the big screen and came out on Blu-Ray. This alters my rankings a bit, as you’ll see.
Myths And Legends: The House Of Death
Haunted houses. They are usually thought of as huge, brooding Victorian edifices sitting isolated amid an expansive tract of gated, weed-infested land, or on a remote hillside far from the nearest town. They aren’t old, nondescript brownstone buildings standing in the heart of a teeming city.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Books—THE BOOKSHOP
Book lovers are special people. (Yes, I’m biased, but what the heck.) The theme is especially prevalent in the 2017 drama, THE BOOKSHOP. The film, a period piece set in England, has an impressive cast that includes Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy, and Patricia Clarkson. It is based on a novel by Penelope Fitzgerald.
Hear A Parishioner’s Confession, Then Solve A Murder
Despite our affection for British mysteries, my bride and I had passed on FATHER BROWN for quite some time. I mean, a Catholic priest who acts as an amateur sleuth, solving all manner of crimes, mostly murders? It just didn’t sound like our cup of Earl Grey. Wow, were we wrong!
Throwback Thursday: Ghostbusters…Whaddya Want?
This post first ran in 2019, before the latest film in the GHOSTBUSTERS universe was released—with much success—in 2021. I do hope that a sequel is in the works.
Revisited: So Glad Shoeless Joe Jackson—And I—Came To Iowa
Since FIELD OF DREAMS is my favorite movie ever, and since I’m married to an Iowan, a trip to the movie site was inevitable. I accomplished this a couple of decades ago, and I wrote about it in a 2012 post, which follows.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—SEA BEAST
When it comes to “B” horror movies there’s bad cheesiness, and there’s good cheesiness. SEA BEAST slots among the latter, as I pointed out in this 2019 post.
Nice Folks…So What If They’re All Dead?
My second Sword & Planet spoof, THE HORRORS OF HARRMEL, continues the misadventures of erstwhile earthling Bernie Smith and his bride, Thanna Dora, “the most amazing woman on two worlds.” Bernie got zapped out of an Iowa cornfield by a shaft of light and deposited on a deadly, primitive planet called Persus. Did he adapt? Well, “When in Rome” and all that.
Revisited: The Bill Russell Syndrome
Bill Russell, a great basketball player and an even better human being, passed away last week at the age of 88. Russell had an, uh, “interesting” quirk that I’ve written about in the past. Here is that article.
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