Watch the Birdy

Quite by accident, I found a movie on cable about fanatical bird watchers, called "The Big Year."  The movie came out in 2011 but I think it probably escaped most peoples' notice. It was listed as a comedy, but from what I saw of it, it wasn't all that funny. It was interesting, however, if you …

Looking Back, and Ahead

So. Trying to get back into the groove here and get something posted. I imagine most of us are still reeling from Friday's events in Newtown, Connecticut. I've found it hard to think about much else, myself. So this afternoon I indulged in some escapism and watched "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Not one …

Finding Portland

I just saw this at Smithsonian Magazine's Web site, and had to share. My beloved Portland captured on film in a zippy 3.54 minutes! "Finding Portland: Where Young People Go To Retire" opens inside a deserted Pioneer Place mall, and shifts around the city showing the bridges, the highway interchanges, Waterfront Park with the cherry …

Now We Are Free

Next on the list of things I'm obsessing about: http://youtu.be/xbHPTPUpQ1I This video pulls together three tracks, "Honor Him", "Elysium" and "Now We Are Free"  from the movie "Gladiator." It's bittersweet, but somehow celebratory. "Gladiator" is one of my favorite movies ever. I would follow Maximus into Hades if he asked. These particular pieces were composed …

Why Don’t Women Like Sci-Fi?

All this brouhaha over "John Carter" being a flop and the reasons for it hit a new low this morning. Here I was, minding my own business, reading my Twitter timeline, when I see a retweet saying "Men are from Mars, and Women are Nowhere in Sight." I had a bad feeling but I went …

Some Love for John Carter

I was distressed to see so much negativity surrounding the movie John Carter, based on the book A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, proclaiming it a weekend flop before the weekend was even over. It opened against some stiff competition (Disney’s new version of The Lorax. Give me strength). Now what in god’s …

Still Hot on the Trail – The Eagle Soundtrack

If you're sick of hearing about my obsession with "The Eagle" feel free to skip this post. This one's about the soundtrack, so if you're a music lover you might be interested. (You knew I wasn't going to let this go, right?) As I mentioned in an earlier post, there's a fantastic Celtic fiddle piece …

Out of the Corner of My Eye

Did you ever have the experience of thinking you see something out of the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, it’s not there? And yet everytime you look away, you could swear it’s back, just at the edge of your vision, taunting you, daring you to look again and catch it? …

I’m Not Over You Yet

That’s right, still deep in the throes of my obsession with the movie “The Eagle.” Maybe I shouldn’t admit that publicly, but to hell with the naysayers. This movie got more than it’s fair share of scathing comments on the internet, and while I can see it’s not the greatest thing ever filmed, neither is …

No Cure for Curiosity

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. -- Dorothy Parker Oh Ms. Parker, how I wuv you. As if I don't have enough to do and never enough time to do it, my latest fascination is ancient Rome, pre-Celtic Ireland and Britain, and trying to learn Latin. And you know …