by mike | Apr 29, 2024 | Fantasy, Guilty Pleasures, Movies, Science Fiction, Sword & Planet, Sword & Sorcery, Uncategorized |
Circumstances preclude my presenting a new post for today. But here is one of my favorites from long ago. In a previous post I mentioned that the “guilt” in guilty pleasures comes from worrying about what others might think about one’s tastes, maybe seeing you as a...
by mike | Mar 25, 2024 | Action/Adventure, Adventure fantasy, Fantasy, Movies, Science Fiction, Uncategorized |
The late, great Ray Harryhausen was an animator and special effects creator, well known for his development of stop motion model animation (known as Dynamation). The largest body of his work was done during the 1950s-1970s. He retired after his efforts on the 1981...
by mike | Feb 26, 2024 | Creature Features, Horror, Horror Movies, Monster Movies, Monsters, Movies, Science Fiction, Uncategorized |
Of the all the numerous 1950s sci-fi/horror/“big bug” movies, Tarantula (1955) stands out as one of the best. Its director, Jack Arnold, was among the leading filmmakers of the era, with hits such as It Came from Outer Space (1953), Creature from the Black Lagoon...
by mike | Feb 19, 2024 | Baseball, Books, Movies, Musical Theater, Sports, Uncategorized |
I don’t recall exactly when The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, published in 1954, came into the Sirota household. Maybe I picked it up at a library sale…a possibility, as back then I haunted the West Farms Branch (in The Bronx) of the New York Public Library....
by mike | Feb 5, 2024 | Aging, Death, Football, Life, Movies, TV Shows, Uncategorized |
I was saddened to learn about the passing of Carl Weathers last week. The ex-football player-turned actor died “peacefully,” according to his family, in his sleep at the age of 76. Mr. Weathers played linebacker for Don Coryell at San Diego State University in the...
by mike | Jan 29, 2024 | Adventure fantasy, Books, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Movie Lines, Movies, Quotes, Uncategorized |
A wizard of the Istari order, Gandalf the Grey—later, after his death during a battle with a Balrog, Gandalf the White—is a dominant figure in the two remarkable screen trilogies, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Admirably portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen, he also...