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.
Sedona, The…Movie?
Sedona is a funky town in central Arizona, one of our favorite places to visit. SEDONA is also a 2011 indie film, a comedy-drama that, unfortunately, not a whole lot of people got to see. That’s a shame, because the movie more than capably reflects both the stunning beauty of the area and the quirkiness of its inhabitants through the telling of a couple of parallel stories. And it all begins with a kid’s balloon…
Guilty Pleasures: Ghosts Of Mars
Renowned director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) has had his share of hits and misses during a long career. Among the latter is GHOSTS OF MARS, a 2001 sci-fi/horror flick that bombed big-time, both critically and at the box office. A true Guilty Pleasure, don’cha know, one that I will watch every year or two until the Mother Ship arrives.
Touching The Magical Tower
“Dammit, I know this. I know what this is! This means something. This is important.”
When Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) uttered those words forty years ago in the classic Spielberg film, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, he was attempting to shape the Devils Tower out of mashed potatoes.
Myths And Legends: The Bear Lodge Of The Lakota
I am still processing last week’s awesome trip to the Devils Tower. That story will come in next Monday’s post. For now, here is the Lakota legend about the tower, also known as Matȟó Thípila—the Bear Lodge.
Films About Writers: 1408
Writers love to write about other writers, and Stephen King arguably leads the league in that category. Just to name a few: THE DARK HALF, MISERY, ’SALEM’S LOT, BAG OF BONES, and SECRET WINDOW, SECRET GARDEN. And his short story, 1408, from his collection, EVERYTHING’S EVENTUAL.
From Bedtime Story To Book: The Dark Corner
When my daughters were little I used to tell them stories that, for the most part, I made up on the fly. One such fantasy tale was about two teens, brother and sister, who enjoy a simple life in an idyllic land under the protection of Tutors (wizards). When a dark, festering Evil threatens to overrun their land the kids—Vall and Corrie—join an unlikely trio in a quest to destroy the Evil and save their people.
Native American Film Gems: Edge Of America
Outstanding director Chris Eyre (SMOKE SIGNALS, SKINS) took a true story and turned it into EDGE OF AMERICA, a 2003 made-for-cable film. On the surface it appears to be an inspirational sports movie, but that is only a small part of the big picture.
Guilty Pleasures: Virus
Jamie Lee Curtis once called VIRUS, a 1999 sci-fi/horror flick, a “piece of shit.” Why is that significant? Because the renowned scream queen was one of its stars—along with Donald Sutherland and William Baldwin.
A Grand (Canyon) Mystery
Did the newlywed couple drown in the river and get washed out to sea? Were they murdered? Or did aliens abduct them right out of their boat? Nearly ninety years after Bessie and Glen Hyde set off down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, their disappearance remains shrouded in mystery.
Remembering Bill Paxton
A fine actor—and, from all I’ve ever heard about him, and even better person—Bill Paxton passed away a little over a month ago at the all-too-young age of sixty-one. A personal favorite of mine, Paxton played in quite a few of the fifty or sixty films that I include in my Top Ten. My way of remembering him is to look back at some of those roles.
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