Park Geeks WDW Bloopers

And this, ladies and gentleman, is precisely why our attempt to do Park Geeks totally unscripted and improvisational did not work...also, Jake must be fed about once every two hours or things go very, very wrong.

Hilarious Footage of Nathan Fillion at Comic-Con

Like you needed another reason to love him...

Retro Orlando

Every month, I write a column about an extinct experience from tourist haven Orlando, Florida for Orlando Attractions Magazine. This month seemed to hit several people in the sentimental core (Yes, that's legal.), as I have received several emails and comments about it. So I thought I'd post a link to it here.

CLICK HERE TO READ JULY'S RETRO ORLANDO

Huey Lewis in Concert and a Brand New Phobia

Huey Lewis and the News

Well, it was a dream fulfilled for me on Tuesday night when I finally got to see Huey Lewis and the News live in concert. Huey Lewis was one of the voices of my childhood. I lived in a very pop-culture, movie and music-laden home growing up. Huey was ever-present in music videos, on the radio, and in his cameo in, "Back to the Future". (I've written about him a few times before, THIS is the article about him that seems to draw the most, "I know exactly how you feel!" emails.)

Well, they sounded amazing. I can now check him off of a list of people that I was kind of nervous to see, but who sounded amazing anyway! Nobody wants to go see a childhood hero and be disappointed, and I'm happy to tell you that this was not the case. His voice was incredible, though when I think about it now, I wonder how hard it is for him to prevent losing his voice. He plays a lot of shows and has been on tour for a very long time. Along with the News, he sounded exactly the same.

What the Newest Poirot Can Teach Writers - "An Appointment with Death" Review

If you aren’t watching the latest episodes, you’re missing something fantastic. Though at an hour and twenty minutes each, what they really are is brand new Poirot-films. The new episodes have been airing on PBS affiliates across the country for the last three weeks in a row on the popular show, “Masterpiece Mystery”. In this review, I won’t go into any spoilers.

Last night’s episode was based on the Agatha Christie novel, “An Appointment with Death”. The episode was a note-perfect mixture of mystery and adventure, taking place at an archaeological dig in Jerusalem in the late thirties.

Personally, for me, it was a dream come true. I’m obsessed with both the mystery and adventure genres. It’s another flick I would’ve paid top dollar for at the box office, but PBS delivers it yet again, commercial free. (Just another reason why you might want to consider supporting public television and radio.)  

Requiem for a Movie Theater - The Village Theater Is Officially Gone

The Village in the 80's.

I originally wrote this precisely a calender year ago as a column for a website I used to work for. Yesterday, when in my home town to visit friends and family, I saw that the marquis for the Village Theater had finally come down. She's off life support now, the old girl, and who knows what she'll become. I'm sad to say that it looks like the bargaining phase of grief that I was going through a year ago makes this writing more in the acceptance stage. A "eulogy".

July 31st, 2009 - Requiem for a Movie Theater

Individual movie theaters are almost completely a thing of the past. Some cities are well known for their unique movie theaters, there’s Austin of course. (Regretfully, I did not get to go to the Alamo Drafthouse when I was in town last April.) Atlanta seems to have its fair share, of course New York City has more than a few unique places still standing. Most major cities are lucky that way, there’s enough population for small movie theaters to generate income and keep their doors open. But this is mostly not true anymore in small town America anymore. At least, not for me in Indiana.

I love my state, so don’t expect me to start state-bashing. Indiana has everything in very close proximity, including a killer film festival (Heartland), plenty of freelance work, beautiful locations and a burgeoning film scene thanks to recent tax breaks for filmmakers. It’s a great place to be if you’re into film. So that’s not my problem...

The Muppets' Swedish Chef Gets Musical! - and a few 70's anthems

Is it wrong that I LITERALLY praise God for the Muppets?

Anyway, the Muppets have been on Youtube for quite some time now, but this is their latest addition to the viral video world and it's an instant classic if you ask me. You didn't? Why in the world are you reading MY blog, then? Go start your own! *gains composure* I'm sorry, I lost my temper. Let me make it up to you...I'm sorry, no really. Here, watch this video from Muppet Studios titled, "Popcorn"...

Pleasant Discoveries

These last couple of weeks have been utterly full of pleasant discoveries. One is that I actually have another full month before returning to grad school to teach and take classes. This gives me lots of time to continue reading for pleasure instead of academic reasons (I just picked up, "I Am Spock" yesterday at Half Price Books.), to continue designing my "Intro to Creative Writing" class so that it's exactly how I want it, and most importantly, more time to write.

I've been working on several thesis essays. One is called, "Razzle Dazzle" about my time as a kid completely obsessed with the idea of becoming a Broadway star. Another is called, "Star Child" and it details my mother's fascination with all things alien during my time growing up, and a third is called, "Crazy Fan" about my life in Star Trek up 'till now. (All those titles are temporary.)

Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express - The Latest PBS Interpretation is Like a Fine Art Painting

The newest filmed “Poirot” mystery aired July 11th on PBS. If you’re unfamiliar with Poirot, you’re not alone. I've heard of Poirot peripherally my entire life, catching glimpses of box sets with his name on them at book stores and seeing the occasional promo over the years on PBS. But you see, I am a Sherlock Holmes addict. I mean, a serious addict. I started reading the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mysteries during a trip to Eastern Europe in 2005 and I haven't put them down since. I’ve read every story multiple times now, listened to the old Basil Rathbone audio plays seen every Holmes movie I could get my hands on. (Including, "The Great Mouse Detective", it counts!) My earliest experiences with Holmes were, believe it or not, via “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, which featured occasional episodes revolving around Holmes’ fictional universe in the holodeck.

Run Lola Run! This Geek Laces Up the Running Shoes Again

Part One: Built Like a Brick "You Know What" House

Exactly ten years ago from the moment that I am writing these words, July the third, 2010, at just after midnight, I was a very svelte person. Ten years ago, I ran almost every day of my life for fun. I ran in the heat, because I loved to feel the sweat drip down my body, which my mother and sister agreed one random hot day that summer was, and I quote, “built like a brick sh*#house”. I stood in front of a long mirror while they sat on the bed and I said, "Really?" Despite the year of hard work I had just put in on my body, being recognized for being in good shape still felt very very foreign. Plus I had just realized the true meaning of the funk song, "Brick House". Astounding.


I wore tank tops that exposed my clavicles and tiny waist, shorts that showed my petite thighs (!!!), and anything that complemented my very short hair. Because back then, I never worried about having to use blush and long hair flung about just so around my neck to create a more defined jaw line.

I’m thinking about it, because my ten year high school reunion is coming up. And fast.

Cartoons of the Early Nineties...how I miss you so...

Sometimes, for absolutely no reason at all (and okay, maybe when I've had a bit too much caffeine) I get this song stuck in my head. I miss the Warners for a lot of reasons, but their catchy songs, great for cheering you up in the midst of a busy work day, are chief among them...

Interview with Director Stuart Gillard - Will "Riverworld" Become a TV Series?

I was recently contacted by BHI and asked if I wanted to interview Director Stuart Gillard about his recent SyFy channel movie, "Riverworld", which just came out on DVD. I of course, said yes, because I'll never pass up a chance to interview a working creative, especially in this case someone who has been working for so long in a very tumultuous business. Below is the interview. Gillard's answers are in bold. For the record, I actually think that, "Riverworld" would make an amazing series, something in the vein of, "Firefly" that could sustain itself as a week-to-week show that essentially has endless science fiction possibilities. In all fairness, I have never read the source material, so I'm sure that serializing and creating a new show from beloved novels might be controversial.

Happy Fourth of July

This is the third year running that this has been my official, "Happy Fourth of July" greeting to friends and family via the internet. It's just the best. The best, I say!