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: The Fog—“A Minor Horror Classic”
To be clear, I’m talking about John Carpenter’s 1980 version of THE FOG, not the reboot in 2005, which—despite Carpenter’s involvement as a producer—did not nearly measure up to the original. Fresh off his success with HALLOWEEN in 1978, Carpenter brought its star, Jamie Lee Curtis, to perform as part of an ensemble cast in this eerie, atmospheric film.
Manilow Wasn’t Singing About THIS Mandy
I could have written about the 2018 “psychedelic drama action horror” film, MANDY, as a Guilty Pleasure, given its almost non-existent box office. But “pleasure” is not a word I would use after watching it, though I did find it fascinating in an oddly disturbing sort of way. And critics loved it, as indicated by its 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, especially the compelling performance of its star, Nicolas Cage.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The Ghost Of Guthrie Theater
Imagine this: you’re in Minneapolis—don’cha know—and you go to see a play at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater. An usher—a quiet young man—guides you to your seat. But before sitting down you realize that he hasn’t handed you a program. You turn to ask him for one, but he’s no longer there.
Chewie, We’re Home: Lines From The Star Wars Universe—Part Three
Unlike its predecessors—especially Episodes IV, V, and VI—the more recent Episodes VII and VIII in the Star Wars universe did not provide us with a plethora of memorable quotes. Still, if you look hard enough you’ll find quite a few fun/entertaining/poignant lines in these long-awaited sequels. Here are some of my favorites.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—Secret Window
“You stole my story!” That is arguably the most memorable line from the 2004 psychological thriller, SECRET WINDOW. Based on a short story by Stephen King, the film stars Johnny Depp as successful but troubled writer Mort Rainey. Depp has played many a weird role, and this is one of the weirdest.
There Is No Try: Lines From The Star Wars Universe—Part Two
So at the end of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005), Darth Vader is put back together from Anakin Skywalker’s spare parts, newborns Luke and Leia are sent to Tatooine and Alderaan respectively, and Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda go into exile. We have a seamless transition into Episode IV—which had already hit the big screen twenty-eight years earlier!
Throwback Thursday: Atomic Radiation—What Would Filmmakers Do Without It!
Films like this one were staples in the paranoid 1950s. This post first ran in 2015.
A Disturbance In The Force: Lines From The Star Wars Universe—Part One
This coming December the highly anticipated EPISODE IX: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, will give us the final installment (really?) in the Star Wars universe, a place that so many of us have visited for over four decades now. This “space opera” series is one of my personal favorites, so I thought it might be fun to recall some quotes, memorable and otherwise, from the first eight films, as well as offer some observations about each one.
Throwback Thursday: Reconciling Kindle With Real Books
I admit it: when it came to reading eBooks on Kindle or other e-readers, I stood in the forefront of many other Luddites who insisted that holding a paperback or hardcover book—a REAL book—in their hands was the only way to go.
One More Inspirational Sports Movie That You Probably Missed
Inspired by a true story, CHASING 3000 (2010) is, of course, a baseball movie that highlights the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, Roberto Clemente. But transcending that, it is a moving testimonial to the powerful bond that exists between brothers, especially when those siblings undertake a seemingly impossible feat: traveling cross-country during the final week of the 1972 season with the hope of seeing Clemente achieve hit number 3,000, a great milestone in baseball.
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