Oh Japan! Part 1: Cartoons (70s Nostalgia)
In the 1970s cartoons from Japan were a relatively rare thing. It may hard to believe in this era of streaming services, internet access and a multitude of channels that anime options were few [...]
Can You Dig It? (or why on earth am I nostalgic for the 1970s?)
The 1970s was a time of unparalleled growth and prosperity that brought forth a cultural and artistic renaissance that still influences our society to this day. Everything I just said is verifiably untrue, a blatant [...]
This Harmonious Order of Things: Boethius: The Big Ideas (Excursus I)
Whenever I am feeling down, or confused, or overwhelmed by the particular situation I find myself in I turn to philosophy. And yes, I do recognize how pretentious that statement sounds - but regardless it [...]
I Can Hear the Fireworks Up & Down the Line: 4th of July Memories
It is Independence Day. There is red, white and blue bunting hung from porches and windows. The air has the scent of smoke; it’s there in the background but always present. You almost don’t notice it...
David Hicks: WHITE PLAINS Book Tour: Part 2
David Hicks published his first novel, White Plains, last year and then proceeded to launch a whirlwind tour of the USA to promote it. This he did on his own with very little support from [...]
That Time I Didn’t Notice When Night Became Day
A long time ago, way back in college, I had an apartment two blocks off Height Street in San Francisco. It was a nondescript thing just a box on the third floor where the “rooms” [...]
Swim Until You Cant See Land (Saying Goodbye to Scott Hutchison)
It was late December 2007 and I was driving home from work listening to the radio. There is an indie station that plays Christmas music by alternative bands with alternative takes on the holiday [...]
My Friend Michael is a Teacher
My dear friend Michael Daly retired from teaching today. A rather large amount of people gathered in a ballroom to celebrate his career and the man. He mingled the crowd as we sipped our cocktails [...]
Dr. Who Meets Bond: The King Kong Show: Kong Hits IV
So this entry in the Kong project is the one I am (or was) least familiar with; that is I don’t remember seeing this as a child. But it feels familiar somehow, like I should [...]
A Nothing Day: Comic Books, Video Games & Graveyards
I wheeled the bike from the garage and took a deep breath. It was the start of the lull week that happened every summer. The week when every kid I knew was off at camp [...]
Memory Cheats
The past is not romantic. It is not an adventure. It is not a drama. It is neither a comedy nor tragedy. It is not a movie. It is not any of these things. But memory [...]
The Year When I Was New
Sixteen. Sixteen was a good year. Oh, to be sure it was a year of fear and social awkwardness. A year I spent the majority of the time confused and unaware of my surroundings and [...]
War of the Worlds: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
The 1953 film War of the Worlds, produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin, is probably the most recognized adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel and is considered to be a classic in the genre. [...]
The Greatest Superhero Of All: Bicycle Repair Man!
With the release of Action Comics #1000 and the 80th anniversary of Superman I thought it was high time to revisit the greatest superhero of all…Bicycle Repairman! In a world full of Supermen it [...]
Metropolis: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
Metropolis is the second of the silent films on this list and considered the first great science fiction film. I will go further than that - it is one of the greatest films of [...]
2001: A Space Odyssey: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
So what is there left to say about 2001: A Space Odyssey that has not been said already? There have been books and documentaries, scholarly papers and entire websites devoted to deconstructing and analyzing [...]
Zardoz: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
Zardoz is a difficult thing to get a read on. It could be a surreal exploration of the meaning of life. It could be a meditation on the Nietzschean ideal of the Will to [...]
Phase IV: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
As with many films on this list I first discovered this movie watching TV late at night. I suppose it will become a running theme in this segment, insomnia and UHF leading to some [...]
The Black Hole: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
I’ll say right off the bat that this is not exactly a classic. There are plot holes and stiff dialogue and the science definitely leans more towards fiction than fact. And there are some [...]
Le voyage dans la lune: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
Le voyage dans la lune or A Trip to the Moon is a 1902 silent movie by Georges Méliès. It is considered the first science fiction film. It is also the first of several [...]
Blade Runner: 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See
Welcome to the second of the 99 Science Fiction Films You Must See. This week the dark, alternate future that has you question what and who is really human, Blade Runner. The first thing [...]