I come from people that were unwilling to give up or give in to the confines of a place or an era or a lot in life. I come from people that were willing to take on the challenge to fight for a way of life, to persevere, to stick together, to be brave. Read More
After the Wind Rises? (movie review)
When I hear the name Hayao Miyazaki, I think of clouds. Like the kind we see in Cannon Beach on magical evenings after the sun has set, when gold lines our horizon and pink rims giant, puffy pillars. I think of long grass, like on our sand dunes, bending gracefully before mounting winds. And I think of flying images from his films: robots, planes, pig pilots, cat busses, girls on broomsticks, skyscraper-tall gods walking through forests… [Read More]
The ‘Grand Anderson’ Hotel
You’ve heard of hotels where every room offers a different theme, right? Down the coast in Newport, they have one dedicated to great writers. So, with The Grand Budapest Hotel opening, it made me wonder: If Wes Anderson were a hotel, and his movies were rooms, which room would you book?
Surfing Pop Culture: Who Wants the Truth?
Does it even matter anymore that light sabers aren’t real? Or that Lance Armstrong used drugs to win races? Or that Manti Te’o’s dead girlfriend never existed? Or that faith, as the filmed LIFE OF PI suggests, needn’t be based on truth to be valid?
Surfing Pop Culture: Reaching for Smart Noir
JACK REACHER is the rare film that sharpens your senses. Exiting the theater, you find yourself walking brisker, thinking clearer, and having added energy to re-enter your life. You could call it a Red Bull film. Or a Five Hour Energy movie.
The epic silence of Iron Dad
Just think what Iron Dad could do. He would know exactly what to say to kids in every situation, no matter how hard. Goofball snafus would be replaced with laser-beam humor. His storytelling would never cease to amaze. Young audiences would be cheered by the knowledge that his wisdom could banish any bogeyman. [Read More]
Dig those well-rounded points
Here’s a cool clip from a 1971 animated film based on a musical fable by Harry Nilsson. The central character in the story — a sweet boy name Oblio — is cast out of his village because he is different. All of the other villagers have pointed heads, but Oblio’s noggin is round. His attempts to hide this fact by wearing a pointed hat don’t change his social circumstances.
The death and return of Barnabas Collins
A little news tidbit conjured up early childhood memories of the gothic soap opera Mom forbade me to watch (because it scared me so much). I can still recall the goosebumps I felt when I heard that theme music, and I’d try to sneak a few fascinated glimpses before she would make me turn off the TV.
A wee conversation with Terry Brooks
“Having visited the Fairy Glen in Betws-y-Coed, Wales, I can tell you that places which claim fairies and their kin don’t seem out of the question. Certain places have that magical feel, as if they transcend what we know of life and reach beyond it into other realms. As for fantasy reaching nonfiction best-seller lists, I always tell attendees at conventions and festivals that I write nonfiction about elves.”