Kidnapped by Commanches then rescued, Cynthia Ann Parker was a victim of cultural genocide twice over
Movie enthusiasts invariably sing the praises of John Ford’s The Searchers. Released in 1956 and starring John Wayne, the film has been described as a masterpiece and shows prominently in critical lists of the best films ever made. It’s inspired by a true story. Or maybe that should be stories in the plural. The Searchers…
How to avoid a Clark Griswold meltdown and having a SWAT team invade our home
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has become a holiday season staple in many homes. The film, released in 1989, portrays the misadventures of the Griswold family as the main character Clark tries to create the perfect family Christmas. While the film is genuinely funny, there’s something more profound that appeals to us. Perhaps it’s the fact…
Palliative care is not about giving up hope
In the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the late bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley covered an old Appalachian folk song, Oh, Death. His Grammy-winning version included this haunting passage: “Oh, Death “Whoa, Death “Won’t you spare me over ’til another year?” This is how our society generally treats casual references to the inevitable passage…
It’s hard to escape ABBA’s sickeningly sweet embrace. Having induced several waves of nausea, they’re back
On Nov. 5, the Swedish pop group ABBA released its first album of new songs in 40 years, Voyage. It will likely rocket up the charts and sell in the millions. Voyage may even end up breaking the record held by Michael Jackson’s Thriller of around 70 million copies sold. Considering the fact that ABBA…
Podcast titles have doubled since April 2020, when Apple announced the one-millionth entry in its podcast directory
The phrase “video killed the radio star” is often used as a metaphor for the domination of video over audio. It’s also a song by British new-wave band and one-hit wonder, The Buggles, and was the first selection played by MTV 40 years ago, on Aug. 1, 1981, sparking the music video revolution. It was…
The actor and wrestler has angered China
Are you familiar with John Cena? If not, good for you; he’s not really worth knowing about. For the uninitiated, John Cena is a former professional wrestler. According to the World Wrestling Entertainment website, he’s a 16-time WWE champion, author and ‘actor’ (quotes are mine). To quote directly from the website: “After gaining the respect…
The new movie Nobody represents a fantasy people approaching middle-aged might have
“There’s a long-dormant piece of me that so very badly wants out.” That one line from the trailer for Nobody perfectly sums it up. I haven’t yet seen the movie, so let’s call this a trailer review. Or maybe an exploration. As a man in his 30s, I’m approaching an (admittedly unwarranted) midlife crisis. Is…
John Wayne (1907-1979) is best remembered for his western movies. And he made scads of them, ranging from mediocre to excellent. Indeed, three Wayne vehicles appear on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 10 westerns of all time. No other star has more than a single entry. So if any actor can be…
He was an early and vocal critic of Nazism., an unapologetic opponent of eugenics and derisive towards the concept of racial purity
G.K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton was born in 1874 and died in 1936, just two weeks into his 63rd year. During his lifetime, he was one of England’s most notable writers. His output was truly prodigious, including novels, poems, short stories, newspaper columns and such. Today, it’s probably fair to say that he’s best remembered for…
Think of them as a form of therapy, a way of easing back to everyday life while still experiencing the atmospherics of the political arena
If you’re suffering withdrawal pangs from the wind down of the American election, here are three political dramas to assist your transition. Think of them as a form of therapy, a way of easing back to everyday life while still experiencing the atmospherics of the political arena. Subject matter aside, the films have two things…