Last month, I wrote about how Disney’s trend of releasing mainly sequels and ‘re-imaginings’ demonstrated Hollywood’s sad loss of creative risk. Proving that a picture really is worth a thousand words (or 1,165 of them to be exact), this meme has gone viral in the last couple weeks: Judging by the disappointing box office receipts…
Details
When God was fiddling around in the Garden of Eden, making daises, roses, and other flowery things, the Devil was working on his own devious plant: Poison Ivy. Take a look at that innocent looking vine in the picture above. It’s so lush and leafy green. It could be a postcard for the wonders of…
Details
Welcome to the first of what I plan to be an ongoing series of posts about marvelous movies. Marvelous is a play on the word ‘Marvel,’ which has taken on its own meaning at movie theaters these days. And I will commit classic film reviewer heresy by saying that some Marvel movies can be marvelous.…
Details
Disney’s live-action ‘re-imagining’ of Aladdin opens this Friday. Audiences were not exactly clamoring for Will Smith to take the reins from the late Robin Williams to play the wacky genie who helps young Aladdin win the love of his life. But if the box office totals for Disney’s other ‘re-imaginings’ are any indication, the film…
Details
Billy Wilder is the greatest screenwriter in film history. No need for a qualifier like ‘one of.’ His movies range from gritty film-noir to screwball comedy, with stops in all manner of genres in between. He worked with several writing partners, but no matter the subject or the collaborator, his screenplays are always good and…
Details
“““““““““““
The pitcher uncoils like a spring, and within an instant, the ball pops loudly into the catcher’s glove. ‘Strike,’ shouts the umpire as he raises his arm into the air. The batter looks back at him dubiously but wisely chooses not to say anything. As the catcher rises from his crouch and tosses the ball…
Details
Meetings. At best they are a necessary evil. At worst they are a soul-crushing waste of your time. The goal of any successful meeting should be to stay on topic and get out as fast as possible. Sadly, most don’t turn out that way, often because there is at least one person in attendance who…
Details
I’ve been a baseball fan since the age of eight. I used to watch ballgames all the time, but I don’t as much anymore. When I do have a game on, it’s often background noise while I’m doing something else. It’s sad. I’m one fan, but the data shows baseball is in trouble with more…
Details
Somewhere west of Tallahassee on I-10, there’s a billboard letting travelers know they are only 162 miles away from Buc-ee’s. Unless you live in Texas, odds are you don’t know how big a deal this is. If you’ve never heard of them, imagine that somehow your local Quick-E-Mart chain (Wawa, 7-11, Circle K, etc.) and…
Details