“26 Miles Away…” In 1999, my wife and I honeymooned on Catalina Island off the Southern California coast, and we still have near-annual getaways there to celebrate anniversaries since. The island was sold to the Wrigley family (the chewing gum magnates) back in 1919, and was quickly turned into a famed movie location as well…
Tag: Val Kilmer
The chameleonic talent of Val Kilmer (1959-2025)…
Since this year started, I’ve become accustomed with waking up to bad news; whether it’s political (a daily occurrence here in the US), or some other terrible yet inevitable thing. This morning was no exception. The very first thing I learned when I grabbed my phone and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast was…
“Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) is a better sequel than its predecessor deserves…
*****AIRCRAFT CARRIER-SIZED SPOILERS!!***** Danger Zone. 1986’s “Top Gun” isn’t exactly one of my favorite movies, to put it charitably. Back in the late 1980s, I thought it was a dumb, jingoistic US Navy recruitment film smothered in a slick coat of Hollywood production values. “Top Gun” wallowed in action movie cliches and shallow characters; ignoring…