When I was 9 I became seriously ill with a very severe case of bronchitis that wouldn’t respond to antibiotics. I developed an extremely high fever (105 F at one point!) and was hospitalized. I actually don’t remember very much about it. I drifted in out and of consciousness for [...]

  While scientists remain puzzled as to the cause of  the dramatic decline in honeybee populations in North America and elsewhere, some are speculating the cause may very much be human related; however, not technological, but  philosophical. It appears that “Randism”, a trend that has recently exploded on the American [...]

Censorship? Surely there are few things more revealing of a reactionary mindset, some would hasten to assure me. Why, censorship can be identified with all the cruelest dictatorships, the most oppressive regimes, the most hardcore religious fundamentalists, etc. This is indeed true.

In honor of Oscar Night, which has just passed, and for all the newcomers, I reprint this, my first ever Live from The Chicago Municipal Opera House, bequeathed to the city by Charles Foster (Citizen) Kane, it’s Oscar Night! Tonight is a special ceremony, wherein we honor the Best Pictures [...]

Though the Oscar show itself is not anticipated to be the most exciting we’ve seen (can’t wait to watch Anne Hathaway deliver hokey puns!) it can still be fun to predict who the top winners will be. So, following are selected categories with the nominees for each. You’re invited to [...]

Celebrate the upcoming Oscars this weekend with your favorite scenes and songs in film!

I know what you’re thinking, “What’s a Rocky III?”.  I would ask that those people stop  reading this post immediately as you are too young to matter to me.  Rocky III is the second sequel to the popular Oscar wining boxing movie featuring the lovable Sylvester Stallone. In Rocky III [...]

Here we are now, entertain us! – Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Just look at Bob and Judy, they’re happy as can be inventing situations, putting them on TV – Talking Heads, “Found A Job” About six weeks ago, the world was introduced to its newest superstars. 33 Chilean miners, [...]

Janet Evanovich is a writer of women’s fiction, aka romance novels, except for her ‘By the Numbers Series’, which also appeals to men, teens, adults, and the elderly. The series is also known as the tales of Stephanie Plum, and the books’ titles are based on numbers such as: “One [...]

Tonight begins the eight day holiday of Passover, the oldest continuing celebration among Jews.  In Judaism, there are three ways, or levels, of explaining a tradition or a text—the “simple” or face value meaning (Peshat), the story behind the text (Midrash), and the hidden or secret explanation or interpretation (Sod). [...]

There’s been a big kerfuffle lately about cigarette smoking in Avatar. This issue has a long history. Hollywood and cigarette smoking simply go hand in hand — more than you might ever imagine. It goes way, way beyond Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. Two massive industries grew up [...]

Holi (pronounced ho-lee), also known as Phagwa, is marked at the transition from the Hindu months Phalguna to Chaitra. The Hindu calendar being lunisolar, this date changes every year. In 2010 it fell on March 1st. Besides India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, it is observed by the South Asian diaspora [...]

In his latest editorial at the end of Friday’s Real Time, Bill Maher put out a poignant plea for the public’s understanding and sympathy toward Hollywood’s big, self-promoting pat on the back that’s known as the Oscars. That one, special night, says our lad, is deserved, because – well, because [...]

I came across this a little while ago; couldn’t keep it to myself. BEST IN HD   http://aerofilm.blogspot.com/2010/02/sandpit-short-film-by-aero-director-sam.html

I read an article the other day that Miyazaki is producing a film, called Karigurashi no Arrietty, due to come out in 2010. I can’t wait! You haven’t heard of him? That’s OK. A lot of people in the U.S. haven‘t. I bet in some way, some how, you‘ve brushed [...]

    I am bothered by movies, such as “Saw” and “Hostel”, that, to me, serve no purpose other than to depict the extremes of human pain and cruelty. I confess to having never watched a film from either of those series, nor have I watched a Hannibal Lector movie, [...]

The Razzies just announced their nominations for Worsts of 2009, among their nominees: For Worst Film: All About Steve G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Land of The Lost Old Dogs Transformers 2:  Revenge of The Fallen FYI, until Avatar came out, Transformers 2 was the highest grossing movie of [...]

I love quotes from great scientists, philosophers and even politicians because they give you a little insight into the mind of those people. Literature aside for a second I have to admit many of my favorite quotes are from movies. Many times when my wife and I talk to each [...]

One thing that I’ve really been struck by is Hollywood’s near-obsession with American Indians. I have very mixed feelings about it. The natives in “Avatar” were an extremely obvious allegory for the Indians of the America West. “Avatar” was very corny and hokey … and pretty predictable. It’s also unabashably [...]

The “Oldies But Goodies” Friday night at PPOV post last week got me recollecting about a neat thing that happened this summer. It was something that showed me how music can speak through the generations – when you least expect it to. I was downtown with my daughter and her [...]

I still cannot for the life of me get these blasted images inserted correctly. Anyway, any good scuttlebutt that you have heard about Up In The Air is entirely justified.    The movie is in limited release in LA and NY and will be at a multiplex near you shortly.   (My [...]

Music has always been a part of film, even while running silent movies a pianist would play in the theater to enhance the drama, comedy or action that was being shown on the big screen.  From the 40′s to the 60′s directors mostly used music as the main theme in [...]

I see fewer movies than ever in theaters. I’ve come to regard it as showing greater respect for a film to go through the hassle and expense of seeing it at a theater as opposed to seeing it on satellite or DVD. It’s not that I don’t enjoy seeing films [...]

Putting the day’s frustration behind me, I am kicking off a Friday night trivia game thread which I hope you’ll all feel free to join in and give both questions and answers. Here’s the rule I’ve come up with after consulting with many of our greatest minds in internet guessing [...]