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.
“A Wizard Is Never Late”—Memorable Lines From THE LORD OF THE RINGS
I absolutely love THE LORD OF THE RINGS, both Tolkien’s classic novel and the sprawling epic film series of Peter Jackson. There are countless memorable lines from the latter, which makes the following merely a small sample.
And This Week’s Guest Star Is…H.G. Wells?
My bride and I have gotten hooked on MURDOCH MYSTERIES, a popular, award-winning Canadian television series on Acorn that, to all intent and purpose, might as well be called “CSI: Nineteenth Century.” We’re into the fifth season as of this writing, and given that the program is in its thirteenth season (and counting), with over 200 episodes, we have a long way to go.
20/20 In 2020: We Can Only Hope
The year is just about done, and like others before it, 2019 has been a challenging one. Challenging for Jacqueline and me, challenging for this country, challenging for the world.
Guilty Pleasures: The Hurricane Heist
Negative reviews? Crummy box office? Oh yes, the 2018 action/disaster film, THE HURRICANE HEIST, is definitely a world-class Guilty Pleasure. Some critics even agreed that it was the “Best/Worst” movie of the year…
Blowing Shit Up: The “Fallen” Films
As I’ve said before, we guys have it in our DNA to enjoy movies where they’re blowing shit up, whether it’s Mother Nature doing the blowing, or via the good old American way with lots of bombs and other ordnance. The three “Fallen” films, all starring Gerard Butler, definitely fall into the latter category.
A GUILTY Pleasure? I Think Not…
By my own set parameters the 2004 film, THE ALAMO, should be a Guilty Pleasure of the highest order. Its reviews were negative, and it is considered one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time. But I have always felt it is an excellent film that offers a fair, informative account of what occurred at the famous battle in San Antonio, Texas over 180 years ago.
The Warrior Princess: A Middle-Aged Aussie Detective?
New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless is best known for her iconic, kick-butt role as “Xena: Warrior Princess,” in a syndicated television series that ran for 134 episodes from the late 1990s through 2001. She has hardly lacked for work since then, with numerous film and TV roles.
Conjuring Up A Scary Universe: Part Three
There is a legend, true or otherwise, of a woman who lived in seventeenth century Mexico with her husband and two children. When she caught hubby cheating on her, she went mad and drowned the kids. Ultimately, realizing what she had done, she killed herself.
My 2019 Halloween Playlist
I thought it would be fun to revisit my first Halloween playlist from a number of years past. And yes, I am going to watch these films once again. What’s not to like!
Conjuring Up A Scary Universe: Part Two
With the financial success of the first two films in the Conjuring Universe, sequels were inevitable. This time around the filmmakers doubled down on the links that they inserted in THE CONJURING 2, a clear indication that this franchise had a lot more to offer in the future.
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