Feb 9, 2021Phoebe Bridgers and the Smashing of GuitarsDuring the Feb. 6, 2021 episode of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” musician Phoebe Bridgers attempted to smash a Danelectro electric guitar at the end of one of her performances. Since then, she has been the focus of much discussion, from those who called the act of destruction boring, to arguments…Guitars4 min readGuitars4 min read
Sep 17, 2020“Jaws” and COVID-19: When Fact and Fiction BlurI have a strange but vivid memory around “Jaws.” It was 1975 and I was nine years old and was waiting in a local music store in Wheaton, Ill. for the start of my beginner guitar lessons. I wasn’t alone. There were several parents there waiting for their kids to…Covid 194 min readCovid 194 min read
Mar 5, 2020Film Remakes That Don’t SuckIt’s inevitable. A studio announces a remake of a beloved film and a wave of armchair critics cry that the “classics should be left alone” and “Hollywood has run out of ideas.” I concede that these comments aren’t entirely unreasonable. There have been many bad remakes over the decades…Film9 min readFilm9 min read
Feb 11, 2020Collective Angst in Film: The Existential Threat of Nuclear AnnihilationFilm is a wonderful art form and often reflect themes that society is grappling with at the time that the art was first conceived. I was reminded of this recently after Donald Trump, the reality-TV host who was appointed President of the United States by the Electoral College after he…Movies11 min readMovies11 min read
Nov 25, 2019The Correct Viewing-Order for Holiday FilmsThere are certain movies that are “must-see” films during the holidays. But there are occasional arguments about when is the best time to watch holiday films, so I wrote up this list of “must-see” holiday films and put them in…Movies5 min readMovies5 min read
Nov 22, 2019“Easy Rider” Revisited Through the Lens of an Aging CurmudgeonWARNING: A CRAP-TON OF SPOILERS AHEAD When I was in junior high (the late ’70s, early ‘80s), I was introduced by my older brother to the film “Easy Rider.” The film was the brainchild of Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (there is still controversy today about their relationship, I recommend…Movies7 min readMovies7 min read
Jun 20, 2019The Garage Sale After Death: My Mother’s Life Categorized and Labeled in an Estate SaleMy mother died recently. I won’t get into specifics in this post, nor will I do a psychoanalysis of our relationship. Those are topics for another column, or possibly a book. Instead, I’m focusing on an odd reality of post-maternal death. My mother was a collector of things. Anything that…Life Lessons3 min readLife Lessons3 min read
Feb 16, 2019“Network” Revisited in the Age of FOX/CNN/MSNBC and TrumpEver since Donald Trump took the oath of office as President of the United States, placed there because of strategically created news stories broadcast by FOX News, Breitbart, and a network of shady Russian-financed organizations on Twitter and Facebook, the film “Network” has been on my mind. For those who…Politics9 min readPolitics9 min read
Sep 29, 20171956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers Revisited in the Trump EraI had seen the 1956 film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” many times while growing up. A staple of late night television around Halloween, it was recognized as a classic horror film. It wasn’t until I was an undergraduate that I became aware of the potential subtle messages woven in…Politics11 min readPolitics11 min read
Aug 1, 2017Comic Book Films That Many Don’t Know are Comic Book FilmsRecently, a few of my neighbors and I were talking about summer films to see, and the topic of “Wonder Woman” came up. I enthusiastically said I wanted to see it since it was getting great reviews and one of my neighbors stated that she would never go see it. …Movies5 min readMovies5 min read
