When you're a kid, your bike will take you places you've never been before. It's your first real taste of independence and, ultimately, freedom. It starts with that first pushback against mom—who tells you not to go around the entire block. Then you do. She tells you not to cross the big street into the... Continue Reading →
Star Wars: Return of the…Six Film References Not Used in My Rotten Tomatoes Piece
The six Star Wars film references I wrote about that Rotten Tomatoes did not use
Ted Lasso: An Iconic and Imperfect TV Father
Ted Lasso shares some of the same principles and problems as other founding television dads.
Working Toward a Classic
A lot of movies become classics years after they're first released. They don't change but our appreciation for them changes as they continue to show up in our lives. The Wizard of Oz and The Shining were blasted by critics but are now some of the most treasured films of all time. Modern games are... Continue Reading →
A Screamin’, Streamin’ Halloween: 2021 Edition
A white mask rises from the floor in the dark background. A friend's long nails scratch at the window two stories up. A creature bursts from the chest of a crew mate. A wraith-like figure emerges from the shadows to enter the room of a sleeping woman. These are the movie moments that made me... Continue Reading →
Incredibly, Edibly Broccoli—Seriously
This grilled broccoli will be your child's new favorite vegetable
Inside Out is Hiding an Inside Message to the Film Industry
Inside Out is about the movie theater industry and includes a stark reminder about what happens if the industry doesn't explore all genres equally. This realization led me to an immediate question burning in my mind: Am I high?
Grilling Tri-Tip is Easy *IF* You Follow These Directions
Ten steps to make a wow-worthy tri-tip for your summer cookout, fall tailgate, or winter holiday party American meat lovers like to romanticize tri-tip roast as an invention of California butchers, but it’s been a popular cut of the cow for long before it gained fame in Palm Springs, Oakland, or Santa Maria. The Spanish... Continue Reading →
Make It A Screamin’, Streamin’ Halloween
The kids are in bed. You opened that bottle of barrel-aged pumpkin ale from your beer cellar. And you're all cozy on the couch with the dog on your lap. Then you spend the next 40 minutes going through apps searching for the right movie before giving up and going to bed. Don't let that... Continue Reading →
The Most Horrifying Movie Openings Ever! (a.k.a. did they just kill off Drew Barrymore?)
Just in time for Halloween, here's my latest entry for HorrorNews.net. I looked into the movie scenes that do more than set a scary tone -- they are terrifying in their own right. You could end the movie right then and there, and be pleasantly chilled. One of my entries is actually not in the... Continue Reading →