the words and worlds of John Robinson
So there I was relaxing in the recliner after a long day at work. I had my earbuds in watching Z on my tablet. My son was playing with his toys and watching a sitcom on Disney+. He was doing those things until he decided he needed to ask me a question. He tapped me on the …
Do any children still play cowboys and Indians? My child does not (or hasn't in many moons), but I sure did when I was in short pants. I was either the Lone Ranger or James West. Upon learning that my maternal great-great-grandmother had been full-blooded Cherokee, I switched sides and did my best to negotiate …
In my little lab space at work there is a wildlife calendar hanging on the wall. So far this year I have seen an owl, a beaver, a moose, and a group of otters. For the month of May, the wildlife picture is an octopus. It took me by surprise. There’s nothing really wrong with …
I have a soft spot for horror movies (and literature and video games) set during World War II. Maybe the allure is the Nazis, the very epitome of evil, tinkering with forces best left alone and then receiving their grisly comeuppance. It's too good to miss. I'm quite certain it originated with Raiders of the …
"It is what it is." Sometimes that is the best description we can give a movie, a book, or even an album or a song. It is neither more nor less than what is presented for our entertainment. Is it good? Yeah, to a degree. Is it bad? Probably more so than it is good. …
Film is a universal language. Some of my favorite movies are foreign language films. International horror is a delight. Yet, when I think of great horror films, I don’t instantly think of the former USSR. I’ve not seen a lot of Soviet-era movies (horror or not), a couple of Tarkovsky films have been pretty much …
I seem to have a swine theme this week. Writing about Clive Barker's excellent short story, "Pig Blood Blues," put me in mind of the best, and, possibly, the first, wild boar run amok movie ever made. Released way back in the halcyon days of 1984, Razorback furthers the scientific theory that every animal, reptile, …
If I could stick my pen in my heart And spill it all over the stage Would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya Would you think the boy is strange? Ain't he strange? - "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)," The Rolling Stones In the late summer of 2000, …
Continue reading "Movie of the Week: The Phantom of the Opera (1989)"
"The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve; Lovers, to bed, ‘tis almost fairy time.” -William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 5, Scene 1 There are certain films that only make sense in the late hours of the night. Maybe, after midnight, we don’t need A to be followed logically by B. A so-called …
I like independent film. I like big Hollywood blowouts too, don’t get me wrong, but the independents, the low budgets, have a certain charm all their own. One of the things I admire most about them is their ingenuity. Inspiration is very often spawned by desperation, and a shoestring budget. Not all independent film has …
Curio Macabre 