Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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Music Album Review: ‘The Empire Strikes Back (Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score’ (Gerhardt/National Philharmonic Orchestra)
The Empire Strikes Back (Symphonic Suite From The Original Motion Picture Score)Composer: John WilliamsPerformed by: The National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles GerhardtLabel: Varese SarabandeGenre: Film Scores, Symphonic MusicYear Released (This edition): 2006 For those of us who grew up with the original vinyl and cassette editions of John Williams’s score for The Empire Strikes…
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Book Review: ‘The Missiles of October: The Declassified Story of John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis’
The Missiles of October: The Declassified Story of John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis By: Robert Smith Thompson Publisher: Simon & Schuster Year of Publication: 1992 🧨 Revisionism Run Amok: A Look at Robert Smith Thompson’s The Missiles of October History, especially the kind still warm to the touch, is a fragile thing.…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Gremlins in ‘Comings and Goings’
📝 Gremlins in Comings and Goings Midday, Thursday, September 18, 2025 — Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. I rolled out of bed earlier than usual today, haunted by a tiny, mortifying typo I spotted in Comings and Goings just before midnight—a single missing “d” that turned “door” into the vastly less useful “oor.” Call it a…
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Book Review: ‘World War II: America at War 1941-1945’
World War II: America at War 1941–1945 — A Richly Layered Reference to a Defining Global Conflict The Second World War was not merely a chapter in history—it was the seismic event that reshaped the 20th century. Every major power was drawn into its vortex: some aligned with the Axis, most with the Allies, and…
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Movie Review: ‘Minority Report’ (2002)
Minority Report Written by: Scott Frank and Jon Cohen, based on a Philip K. Dick story Directed by: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Lois Smith, Kathryn Morris, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) is a gripping fusion of science fiction, mystery, and action, set in a future that feels…
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Movie Review: ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ (2001)
Not Another Teen Movie (2001) Written by: Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson Directed by: Joel Gallen Starring: Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Eric Christian Olsen, Eric Jungmann, Mia Kirshner, Deon Richmond, Cody McMains, Sam Huntington, Samm Levine, Cerina Vincent, Ron Lester, Randy Quaid, Lacey Chabert, Riley Smith…
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Music Album Review: ‘Holst: The Planets’
Holst – The Planets: Chicago Symphony Orchestra/James Levine Label: Deutsche Grammophon Released: 1991 Genre: Classical/Symphonic Review: Holst’s The Planets – A Celestial Tapestry in Seven Movements Two years before Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet status (not that Pluto minds, I suspect), I wrote an earlier version of this reflection on Gustav Holst’s The Planets,…
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Music Album Review: ‘Cinema Serenade 2 – The Golden Age’
Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden AgeItzhak Perlman, John Williams, Boston Pops Orchestra Label: Sony Classical/Sony Masterworks Year of Release: 1999 Genre: Movie themes, Orchestral music, Violin solos, Boston Pops Following the success of Cinema Serenade, violinist Itzhak Perlman and conductor John Williams reunited for a second cinematic journey—this time with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Cinema…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Taste of Memory
🍺 The Taste of Memory: How Beer Became a Quiet Motif of Emotional Growth in the Garratyverse In Reunion: Coda, beer isn’t just a beverage—it’s a threshold. When Mark Prieto hands Jim Garraty his first Heineken, it’s not about rebellion. It’s about presence. About offering comfort without commentary. About saying, I see you, in the…
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The Making of ‘A Simple Ad’ (Which is…Festival Bound!)
🎬 The Making of A Simple AdBy a first-time screenwriter It started with six words. Not mine — and not Hemingway’s either, despite the legend. The famous micro‑story “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” has been floating around for more than a century, long before anyone attached it to Papa. But the emotional punch of…
A Certain Point of View, Too 