******SPOILERS****** Since the 1898 publishing of H.G. Wells’ classic alien invasion novel “The War of the Worlds,” there have been multiple adaptations. Notable versions being the Orson Welles’ 1938 Mercury Theatre radio play (which terrified an off-guard United States), the iconic 1953 Cold War-era movie, Jeff Wayne’s 1978 musical, a syndicated TV series (1987-1988), a…
Month: September 2025
“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” ends an uninspired third season…
******STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!****** I’ve already written two columns on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (SNW) third season, with a double-review of its opening episodes “Hegemony Part 2,” and “Wedding Bell Blues,” and I recently did a writeup on the rest of the season to date. Then came the last two episodes, “Terrarium” and “New Life and…
“What you feared would come like an explosion, is like a whisper”: Robert Redford, 1936-2025…
One of the worst aspects of aging, aside from the increasing failings of our bodies, is seeing so many icons you loved, admired and grew up with exiting life’s rollercoaster before you. Sometimes, sadly, they disembark well before their time. Others leave after a long and memorable ride. Yet, whenever that moment arrives, it never…
“You’re gonna need a bigger display”: JAWS: The Exhibition opens at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles…
To any longtime readers, I swear that barring any unforeseen circumstances, this should be my final word on the 50th anniversary of “JAWS,” which happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. I’ve already published prior columns on my personal “JAWS” 50th anniversary celebrations and of recently revisiting the movie in 2D-IMAX,…
Halloween in Septober: “CreepIE Aftermath 2025” haunts the Inland Empire…
Septober is here! Anyone else feeling Halloween vibes earlier than usual this year? Maybe it’s due to the onslaught of Halloween product flooding retailers as early as late July this year (!). Personally, I think we should just rename September Septober and be done with it. At any rate, my corner of SoCal has just…
“This shark…swallow you whole!” Seeing “JAWS” (1975) in 2D-IMAX…
******THREE BARRELS OF SPOILERS!****** From Drive-In to IMAX For clarity, this will not be a review of “JAWS” (1975), which I reviewed the hell out of five years ago, and revisited again earlier this year for the movie’s official 50th anniversary celebration back in June. This column is about rewatching a movie I’ve seen countless…
BBC’s “Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets” (2004) is a little-seen, cosmic gem of a miniseries…
******SPACESHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!****** One day, back in 2004, I was perusing my local Barnes & Noble bookstore when I came across a large coffee table book titled “Voyage to the Planets” (originally titled “Space Odyssey” in the UK), written by Tim Haines and Christopher Riley. The cover featured a photorealistic image of a young astronaut standing…