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.
Films About Books: You’ve Got Mail
This 1998 romantic comedy stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, one of the most popular couples in that genre. But You’ve Got Mail offers another sobering reality from that era: the Big Box discount store pushing out the Ma and Pa shop of days gone by. In this story we’re talking about bookstores.
“I Play Hockey And I Fornicate…” – More Memorable Movie Lines
Wow, did I get too serious in some of my recent posts? Let’s remedy that with notable quotes from a few of my favorite flicks.
Films About Writers: The Words
Actually, I could have categorized the 2012 romantic drama, The Words, as a film about a writer writing about a writer—who’s writing about another writer. With a top-notch cast that includes Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, and Jeremy Irons, among others, I figured it was worth checking out.
The Ongoing History Of THE SHINING: Part Three
In 1977, when Stephen King hit the bestseller lists in hardcover for the first time with his classic, The Shining, it became evident that he was on his way. Still, he wasn’t about to call all the shots when his story was optioned for film by the renowned director, Stanley Kubrick. So the movie version, while a classic in its own right, differed in a number of significant ways from the novel, and King fumed over it for many years.
The Ongoing History Of THE SHINING: Part Two
In last week’s post I talked about Stephen King’s 1977 novel, The Shining. I have to believe that it initially thrilled the author to learn the film rights had been acquired by renowned director Stanley Kubrick. But ultimately, he did not like the end result.
The Ongoing History Of THE SHINING: Part One
A couple of months ago I wrote a post titled, “A Jack Nicholson Snow Globe?” Inside the globe Jack’s dead eyes stare out through the snow in a scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic, The Shining, based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King. It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen the film in a long time, so I easily rectified that. But in doing so I vaguely recalled that King did not care for Kubrick’s opus, which many consider one of the best horror films of all time. I decided to find out why.
The Village (2004): A Polarizing Film?
This psychological thriller had movie critics at one another’s throats and close to figurative blows. But why? The Village was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, fresh off a run of critical and box office successes that included Signs, Unbreakable, and his mega-hit, The Sixth Sense.
Films About Writers: The Raven
Okay, I’ll stay on my Edgar Allan Poe kick for one more week. The 2012 film, The Raven, is not about Poe’s classic poem, but about Poe himself—more specifically, about Poe’s last days of life in 1849 Baltimore. Despite much speculation the actual cause of Poe’s death is unknown to this day. This film, starring John Cusack as Poe, offers a compelling “what if?”
“A Midnight Dreary” In The Raven Room
During a recent trip back east I stopped by the Poe Museum in Richmond and caught up with my old friend Edgar. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to this fascinating tribute to a great writer and… Wait, what? Richmond, Virginia? Like many others I always associated Edgar Allan Poe with Baltimore, so why would a museum honoring him be located in a city more renowned for being the capital of the Confederacy?
Films About Books: The Princess Bride
Okay, who HASN’T seen the 1987 fairytale gem, The Princess Bride? Not ever seeing it would be INCONCEIVABLE! This film, an instant cult classic, is on countless Top Whatever lists in comedy and other genres.
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