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: Myths And Legends—The Mad Gasser Of Mattoon
This is one weird story…and I do mean weird. It occurred a long time ago, and to this day the “explanations” are no more than guesswork and speculation. Some even say that the incidents didn’t happen, that they were the result of mass hysteria.
Myths And Legends: The Jersey Devil
Did a woman named Deborah Leeds give birth to a spawn of Satan in 1735? According to the folklore of the forested Pine Barrens region in the southern part of what is now New Jersey, she sure as heck did.
Throwback Thursday: Bestselling Authors Make Great Film Directors—Not!
The bestselling author in question here is none other than Stephen King. His directorial effort, singular, is the 1986 “science fiction action horror comedy” film, MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, based (loosely) on his short story, TRUCKS. The movie was a disaster both critically and at the box office…
One More Inspirational Baseball Movie That You Probably Missed
The 2019 drama, BOTTOM OF THE 9th, initially drew me in for two reasons. First, it’s a baseball movie, and if I haven’t seen every single one ever made, I’m pretty close. Second, much of it takes place in The Bronx, where I spent the first 21 years of my life. But ultimately, this powerful tale of redemption kept me engrossed from beginning to end.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Books—In The Mouth Of Madness
It is pretty well accepted that reading books can influence people in many ways, both positively and negatively. But can they drive readers to madness and murder?
Columbo Would Have Loved Vera
She’s old; she’s short; she’s disheveled; she’s irascible. She’s also brilliant. She’s Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, head of the Major Crimes unit of the (fictional) Northumberland & City Police.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—Wild Wild West
I’ve watched this goofy film one more time since this post first ran in 2016, and I still think it’s a hoot—which puts me in a vast minority.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 2.0
It’s July already, and this freaking coronavirus shows no sign of letting up. Truth be told, it’s only getting worse, and with no vaccine in sight it appears that we’re in this for the long haul.
Throwback Thursday: The Body Snatchers—The Novel That Spawned Four Film Versions: Part Two
So how did the ending of Finney’s novel and those of the four films differ? Let’s explore that here.
Dual Guilty Pleasures Depict Nasty Alien Invaders
I don’t usually write about multiple Guilty Pleasures in one post. But the sci-fi/action films, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (2011) and BATTLESHIP (2012) have much in common, so this seemed to make perfect sense.
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