Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Those 1950s “B” Movies: Hokey, But Fun
As a New York City kid growing up in the 1950s I watched a lot of that era’s science fiction/horror flicks, mostly on WOR Channel 9’s “Million Dollar Movie.” Giant bugs/animals/people, space invaders, experiments gone awry—all of them scared the crap out of me back then. In subsequent years, re-watching them became more about fun and nostalgia.
Throwback Thursday: Bernie Smith Is Back!
Indeed he is, still the reluctant hero in my novel, THE HORRORS OF HARRMEL. Bernie first appeared in my 2016 Sword & Planet spoof, THE WIZARD FROM HARRMEL, where he was zapped up from an Iowa cornfield and deposited on the deadly planet of Persus.
The Write Stuff?
I’m finding it hard to wrap my head around the reality that next month will mark one year since I lost my beloved Jacqueline. Often I find myself floating around my empty house in a daze of denial. Still, she made me promise to take care of myself and to keep on truckin’, and so I am.
Throwback Thursday—A QUIET PLACE: Part II—Not As Quiet, But Still Awesome
The story contained within the remarkable 2018 horror film, A QUIET PLACE, began on “Day 89” and went forward from there. So when A QUIET PLACE: Part II (2020) opens on “Day 1” we are assured of finding out how it all started. But it is not entirely a prequel to the original film.
This Film Might’ve Made Viewers Crabby
I suppose that, given its lurid title, the 1957 sci-fi/horror flick, ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS, could have been presented as a “Guilty Pleasure.” But surprise, the film garnered some decent reviews, and it grossed a million bucks on a paltry $70,000 budget.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The Ohio State Reformatory
If you saw the excellent film, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, or the political thriller, AIR FORCE ONE, then you’ve had a glimpse inside the Ohio State Reformatory, located in Mansfield, OH. But you likely didn’t know that this former prison is considered to be one of the most haunted places in America.
Riverside, Iowa: Future Birthplace Of James T. Kirk
My late bride and I used to make one or two trips a year to Iowa. Jacqueline was a born and raised, corn-fed Hawkeye and always enjoyed showing me around the state. One highlight was the small town of Riverside, population a tad over one thousand folks. Its claim to fame: Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE will be born there in about 200 years.
Throwback Thursday: “The Play’s The Thing”—SHAKESPEARE AND HATHAWAY
No, we’re not talking about William Shakespeare, or his wife, Anne Hathaway—not exactly, anyway. This is about Luella “Lu” Shakespeare (Jo Joyner) and Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton), stars of the delightful BBC British detective/comedy series, “Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators.”
Last Week I Just About Lost IT
I don’t know, maybe it’s an “age” thing. Out of the blue last week I felt compelled to read (re-read, actually) Stephen King’s 1986 humongous horror classic, IT. I had read the book 25-30 years ago, so why bother? Still, I put it on my Kindle and read all 1,174 pages…took me the better part of the week. And it didn’t end there.
Throwback Thursday: “I Ain’t ’Fraid-A No Ghosts”—Lines From A Great Film Series, Part Two
The GHOSTBUSTERS franchise is a veritable cornucopia of great lines. This post first ran in 2022.
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