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.
King Kong Had A Kid?!
With rare exceptions, a sequel to a popular movie seldom lives up to the original. There is one main reason why sequels are even made: money. It is true these days, and it was true back in 1933, when SON OF KONG was released barely nine months after the insanely popular KING KONG.
A Mighty Good Movie
In my misspent youth, when I wasn’t outside playing with the dinosaurs, I would watch these newfangled things called movies. One of my absolute favorites was the 1949 fantasy-adventure, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, a story about a ginormous gorilla taken from its habitat to be displayed in America for the edification of the masses. Wait, does that sound familiar? Well, it should.
Go Climb A Rock…Or Not
I finally figured it out. I finally understood why, given my fear of heights and an even greater phobia about falling, I watched just about every mountain-climbing movie out there. It was because—from the safety of my couch or the theater seat—I wanted to understand the mindset of people who risked their lives to reach a summit.
Guilty Pleasures: INFESTATION
At this stage of my life it’s nice to discover a new Guilty Pleasure, and the 2009 comedy/horror movie, INFESTATION, fits the bill. My usual parameters—box office and reviews—don’t actually apply here, because I’m not even sure it had a box office, and the only reviews I found were on IMDB—and they were pretty good.
From Concentration Camp To Film Stardom
The late actress, Ingrid Pitt, gained a great deal of notoriety while starring in a number of 1970s horror films from Britain’s Hammer Film Productions and other studios. But no fictional movie could match the unthinkable, real-life horror she experienced as a child.
“Ode To Joy”—Exercising To The Oldies
A question: does Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” which is the fourth movement of his Symphony #9, qualify as an oldie? Well, he wrote it between 1823 and 1824. Old enough for you?
Who Was Moses Fleetwood Walker?
Sixty-three years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier during MLB’s so-called modern era, a professional baseball catcher was credited with being the first black man to play in the major leagues. His name was Moses Fleetwood Walker.
Did Sexism And Ageism Doom An Excellent Series?
The BritBox original series, McDONALD AND DODDS—a British crime drama whose setting is the historic city of Bath—ran for four seasons. There will not be a fifth. And that’s a bummer.
It Must Be About The Paycheck
If you’re an aficionado of old movies and TV shows, you’ll likely recognize most or all of the following names. Jack Palance; Martin Landau; Cameron Mitchell; Neville Brand; Sue Ann Langdon; Ralph Meeker; Larry Storch; David Caruso. What is the link? All eight of them played in the 1980 “B” sci-fi/horror film, WITHOUT WARNING.
Val Kilmer: Gone Too Soon
We lost an acting icon—and a personal favorite—last week. Val Kilmer passed away at age 65 after a courageous battle with insidious throat cancer. His last appearance on the big screen—an amazing effort—was a cameo in TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022), where he reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky from the first movie. At that point he could barely speak.
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