On Movies & Movie Watching: Amazon Delivers ‘Devotion’ – and I Also Get a Small Refund!


One of the many reasons why I love shopping on Amazon and pre-ordering items – especially movies or books – is that the “world’s biggest e-retailer” offers a Pre-Order Price Guarantee, by which consumers get a refund or are charged a lower price on their payment method – usually a credit/debit card – if theContinue reading “On Movies & Movie Watching: Amazon Delivers ‘Devotion’ – and I Also Get a Small Refund!”

On Movies & Movie Collecting (Closely Watched Packages Edition): Amazon – and UPS – Deliver ‘The Fabelmans’


Well, Dear Reader, it’s Monday, February 20, 2023 – President’s Day here in the United States – and in my little corner of the Tampa Bay area in Florida, it is late morning. It’s not a shabby late winter day – the sun is out and the temperature is mild (74°F/24°C) – and if myContinue reading “On Movies & Movie Collecting (Closely Watched Packages Edition): Amazon – and UPS – Deliver ‘The Fabelmans’”

On Movies & Movie Collecting (Closely Watched Packages Edition): There’s Light at the End of The Tunnel in ‘The Fabelmans’ Saga!


Burt Fabelman: [driving on Christmas] The lights change how everything looks. It’s hard to find our house. Younger Sammy Fabelman: Ours is the dark house with no lights. [Mitzi laughs] Younger Sammy Fabelman: That’s what I want for Hanukkah. Mitzi Fabelman: What? Younger Sammy Fabelman: Christmas lights! Well, it’s confirmed – my multi-format (4K UHD/2KContinue reading “On Movies & Movie Collecting (Closely Watched Packages Edition): There’s Light at the End of The Tunnel in ‘The Fabelmans’ Saga!”

Thoughts & Musings for Friday, February 17, 2023, or: Carefully Watched Packages – A Fabelmans Odyssey


If you’re a regular visitor to this space, you doubtlessly have come across at least one of “Closely Watched Packages” posts in which I kvetch about the progress – or lack thereof – of an online shopping order I’ve made. For obvious reasons I don’t write about every order I make on Amazon or BestContinue reading “Thoughts & Musings for Friday, February 17, 2023, or: Carefully Watched Packages – A Fabelmans Odyssey”

For the Love of Movies: Happy (Belated) Birthday, John Williams – and Waiting Restlessly for ‘The Fabelmans’ Blu-ray


Happy (Belated) Birthday, Maestro Williams! As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, five-time Oscar-winning composer/conductor John Williams celebrated his 91st birthday last Wednesday. Williams, whose 53 Academy Award nominations make him second only to Walt Disney as the individual with the most Oscar nominations in the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesContinue reading “For the Love of Movies: Happy (Belated) Birthday, John Williams – and Waiting Restlessly for ‘The Fabelmans’ Blu-ray”

On Movies & Movie Collecting: ‘Groundhog Day’ Arrived Safely; Other Pre-Orders Canceled or Pending Review


Phil: I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank piña coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. [Ralph and Gus snort] Phil: That was a pretty good day. Why couldn’t I get that day over, and over, and over… My Amazon order of Sony Home Entertainment’sContinue reading “On Movies & Movie Collecting: ‘Groundhog Day’ Arrived Safely; Other Pre-Orders Canceled or Pending Review”

Old Gamers Never Die: Fighting Near a Nuclear Power Plant in ‘Regiments’ Poses New Twists, New Challenges


Regiments: The Battle for a ‘Hot’ Zone Last night, after trying – and failing – to choose a movie or TV show to watch, I decided to play Regiments again. Once more I selected the Skirmish titled Raw Power, which depicts a fictional 1989 battle near what looks like a nuclear plant in what wasContinue reading “Old Gamers Never Die: Fighting Near a Nuclear Power Plant in ‘Regiments’ Poses New Twists, New Challenges”

Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, August 17, 2022, or: Movies, Wargames, and Headaches Do Not a Tuesday Night Make


My Tuesday Movie Night: Dinosaurs, Locusts, and Commie Invaders This morning I updated my Collection page in my Member profile at http://www.bluray.com and moved three titles – Jurassic World Dominion – Steelbook (Expanded Edition), Jurassic World: Ultimate Collection, and Red Dawn: Collector’s Edition from the Ordered section to Owned. The package with those pre-orders arrivedContinue reading “Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, August 17, 2022, or: Movies, Wargames, and Headaches Do Not a Tuesday Night Make”

On Movies & Movie Collecting: Looks Like Tomorrow I Will Have an Embarrassment of (Blu-ray) Riches….


Well, if all goes well tomorrow, my Blu-ray collection will be somewhat larger once my three – yep, three – Amazon pre-orders arrive here in lovely Lithia, Florida as scheduled. I was originally only expecting one, the Shout! Factory’s Collector’s Edition 4K UHD release of 1984’s Red Dawn. It’s one of my few “guilty pleasures”Continue reading “On Movies & Movie Collecting: Looks Like Tomorrow I Will Have an Embarrassment of (Blu-ray) Riches….”

On Movies & Movie Collecting: Breaking News – ‘Maid in Sweden’ Has Shipped!


As always happens when I order stuff online – especially brand-new Blu-ray releases or big-ticket items like laptop (or desktop) computers – I get antsy whenever I check on the status of a shipment and it seems to be stuck on Not Shipped Yet. Especially when – as is the case with my pre-order ofContinue reading “On Movies & Movie Collecting: Breaking News – ‘Maid in Sweden’ Has Shipped!”