Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
The Stooge (1951) - A has-been vaudeville performer stumbles on a new lease on life when he reluctantly takes on a sidekick. But who is the star and who is the sidekick? Directed by Norman Taurog Starring Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Polly Bergen Why I Liked It - This is Lewis at his best, playing... Continue Reading →
The Mark Inside-A Perfect Swindle, A Cunning Revenge, and A Small History of The Big Con by Amy Reading (2013) Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group - 1919 Texas rancher J. Frank Norcross goes into town to sell some acreage so he can buy a better piece of property. Before that can happen, Norcross is swindled out... Continue Reading →
Young Man With A Horn (1950) - A trumpet takes a boy from a bad neighborhood to the heights of musical fame. What it can't overcome are the demons that followed him. Director - Michael Curtiz Starring - Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall Why I Liked It - Douglas gives us a great portrayal... Continue Reading →
I am a member of several online writing communities. They are places where I go to gripe about the things writers gripe about, look for funny writing jokes, and ask the occasional question. I've gotten good advice on a cover design, a name for a company that may feature in a future book, and a... Continue Reading →
Bad Taste (1987) - A small town in New Zealand is invaded by aliens looking to use humanity as the featured dish for dinner. Director Peter Jackson Starring Terry Potter, Pete O'Herne, Craig Smith Why I Liked It - Ummmmm, some of the effects didn't suck? There can be something charming about low budget movies. ... Continue Reading →
The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man by Dave Hutchinson (Solaris) - Alex Dolan is a down on his luck journalist is hired by a billionaire to help with a pet project. It's the largest supercollider project ever, holding the promise of high energy physics breakthroughs. Once he arrives in rural Iowa, Dolan discovers that... Continue Reading →
Writers spend a lot of time talking about books and the process of writing. It's what I've done here most of the time as well. But I've come to the realization that there is another aspect of being a good writer that tends to be given short shrift. Caring for ourselves beyond our writing. Let... Continue Reading →
(My switch to cord-cutting status has opened up a whole new realm of viewing for me. That includes a bunch of documentaries that I've enjoyed.) Fyre Fraud (2019) One of two documentaries (the other is "Fyre") that came out almost simultaneously about the headline-making music festival. Promised to be a high-end, ultimate experience festival, the... Continue Reading →
I wanted to write this last month after the news of Jim Bouton's death was announced. But the deal I had made with myself was that I would start in August. That I wouldn't dribble slowly into the return to my work here. A clean start, which I have now achieved. So a moment to... Continue Reading →
The Hombre (1967) - A man raised by the Apache as a child and a white man later in his life faces the bigotry of the white world when he inherits his foster father's estate. When the stagecoach he is sharing with some "respectable" white folk is robbed, the only thing that can save them... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 