Mike Sirota's Blog – 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 so much more than that, hence the all-inclusive “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 Warrior Princess—A Middle-Aged Aussie Detective?
Since this post first ran in 2019, MY LIFE IS MURDER moved to Auckland, New Zealand for seasons two and three and is still going strong.
Guilty Pleasures: THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
Seeing that title, most folks would immediately think of the animated segment in the 1940 classic, FANTASIA, starring Mickey Mouse, which was remastered in the 1999 sequel, FANTASIA 2000. But no, THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE was also a 2010 live-action fantasy/comedy film starring Nicolas Cage…
Throwback Thursday: Updating THE CONJURING Universe
The eighth film in this scary universe, THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, came out in 2021, after the initial time that I presented three posts about these mostly terrifying films. It makes sense to insert this post here.
“I’m Da Boss”—More Memorable Final Movie Lines
As I pointed out last time, there have been a gazillion motion pictures made since a two-second garden scene was filmed in Leeds, England in 1888. Here are a few more notable last lines.
Throwback Thursday: Conjuring Up A Scary Universe—Part Three
The Conjuring Universe marched on through 2019 with a couple of creepy new entries. This post first ran in…well of course, 2019!
Myths And Legends: Haunted Bathrooms Around The World
You may recall Moaning Myrtle, a rather whiny ghost, who haunted one of the bathrooms at Hogwarts. But Myrtle was a fictional character, not one of the real ghosts that haunt toilets, loos, and lavatories all around the globe, effectively scaring the shit out of unsuspecting users. (Okay, you had to know THAT was coming.) 😊 Let’s take a peek inside a few of them.
Throwback Thursday: 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.
Guilty Pleasures: THE RITE
I suppose you could say that any movie, including the 2011 supernatural horror film, THE RITE, will benefit from having the great Anthony Hopkins as its star. While the critics praised his performance as a dedicated exorcist, they hated just about everything else about the flick.
Throwback Thursday: Conjuring Up A Scary Universe—Part One
May the Fourth be with you! For those who enjoy having the crap scared out of them, this “universe” is for you. I first presented this post in 2019.
Mr. Spock Had To Start Somewhere
The late, ultra-great Leonard Nimoy (a distant relative of mine) began his acting career in 1951, fifteen years before he achieved well-deserved fame as Mr. Spock, the Vulcan science officer in the original series of STAR TREK. Among his early (and mostly uncredited) roles was that of a Martian invader…
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