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: Harry Potter In The Bolivian Rainforest?
In 1981 a young Israeli man, Yossi Ghinsberg, went backpacking around the globe in search of adventure. During a trek through a minimally explored jungle in Bolivia, he found more adventure than he ever bargained for—and it nearly cost him his life.
My 2021 Halloween Playlist
I mentioned before that as an old guy living in a gated 55+ community, I no longer have to hand out Halloween candy at the front door, since no one does trick-or-treating. These days I spend Halloween enjoying a horror movie marathon…at least three or four shockers.
Throwback Thursday: BONE TOMAHAWK—Odd Title, Compelling Film
I checked out the 2015 western/horror flick, BONE TOMAHAWK, for two reasons. First, I like those genres, and second, the film stars Kurt Russell, one of my favorites. I had not even heard of it until recently, and it is not hard to understand why.
Myths And Legends: The Friendliest Ghost In San Francisco
The Queen Anne Hotel in the City by the Bay probably didn’t ask for the notoriety of being haunted. But then, it didn’t count on housing the spirit of a woman named Mary Lake.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
In 1996 Frances Mayes, a writer, book reviewer, teacher, and foodie extraordinaire, published a memoir—replete with recipes—called UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. The book spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list, a remarkable achievement. A romantic comedy-drama “loosely based” on the book was inevitable, and that came about in 2003, with Diane Lane giving an excellent performance in the lead role.
Too Many Giants Spoil The Brew
The 2013 fantasy-adventure film, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, is based on a nearly 300-year-old British fairytale titled, THE STORY OF JACK SPRIGGINS AND THE ENCHANTED BEAN. We all know it better as JACK AND THE BEANSTALK.
Throwback Thursday: Native American Film Gems—DREAMKEEPER
The excellent, Emmy Award-winning 2003 film, DREAMKEEPER, began life as a two-part Hallmark mini-series, which accounts for its three-hour length. But the time flies as you watch this spellbinding tale about a Lakota storyteller and his quest to see the oral tradition of his people carried on.
Guilty Pleasures: THE MEG
Okay, just to clarify, THE MEG is a borderline Guilty Pleasure by virtue of its so-so reviews (one reviewer said, “…neither good enough, or bad enough”), though it did do well at the box office, and a sequel is planned. Whatever; I would’ve enjoyed this creature feature no matter what.
Throwback Thursday: Oy! Jack Miller Rides Again
As one who loves to write, I enjoyed creating all my many published novels. But my comedy/sci-fi trilogy (BICYCLING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, THE ULTIMATE BIKE PATH, and THE 22ND GEAR, all from Ace/Berkley) provided me with the most fun I ever had—and ultimately, sad to say, some heartache.
Graboids Never Say Die
That title is a double entendre, don’t you know? In the first place, the giant worm-things known as graboids are back on the small screen in TREMORS: SHRIEKER ISLAND (2020), the seventh film in the long-running Tremors franchise. And second, when a graboid dies a really gross creature called a shrieker emerges from its carcass to carry on the lineage.
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