Category: Movies
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A Goldilocks Saturday in Central Florida
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in 4K UHD Blu-rays, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Blu-ray & DVD Collection, Blu-ray Collection, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Spring 2026, Spring in Florida, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Weather, Weather in New Hampshire, Winter 2023-2024Saturday, March 21, 2026, Orlando, Florida Hi there. It’s a warm, buttery‑gold afternoon in Central Florida. The temperature sits at 76°F (24°C) under bright, generous sunshine, but with humidity at 36% and a west‑northwest breeze of 8 MPH (12 KmH), it feels closer to 81°F (27°C). It’s one of those rare Goldilocks days in the…
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A Thursday Musicale
Hi everyone. Well, it’s already mid-afternoon on a chilly day in March 2026, by Florida standards, and I haven’t been able to write a proper blog post. As hard as I try, I can’t think of anything interesting to say, even though I have a lot on my mind on this cloudy and cold Thursday.…
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From Orlando Heat to La Jolla Recognition
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in Accolade Global Film Competition, Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Anthony (A.J.) Hernandez, Blogging, Clown 345 (Video Short), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Movies, Personal Thoughts, Popcorn Sky Productions, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring in FloridaMonday, March 16, 2026 — Orlando, Florida It’s another partly sunny and muggy early spring day in Central Florida. As I write this, it’s 81°F (27°C), and while some areas of Orange County are covered by a shroud of gray cumulus clouds, my neighborhood is getting a bit of sunlight. With humidity at a sticky…
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An Unstructured Sunday
Sunday, March 15, 2026, Orlando, Florida Ah, spring in Florida. According to yesterday’s forecast, today was supposed to be a rainy, even stormy Sunday, with menacing clouds and thunderstorms brooding over Central Florida. But as is often the case in the subtropics, the atmosphere had other plans. As I write this, it’s 79°F (26°C) under…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Movies That Built Jim Garraty (and, Let’s Be Honest, Me Too)
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in A Bridge Too Far (1977 film), Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Casablanca (1942), Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 40th Anniversary Edition, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Films by Steven Spielberg, Garratyverse, Indiana Jones Movies, Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (2012 Blu-ray Set), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Movies, Movies & Television, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Star Wars, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Summer of ’42 (1971), Superman: The Movie, The Longest Day (1962), West Side Story (1961 Film)🎬 The Movies That Built Jim Garraty (and, Let’s Be Honest, Me Too) Somewhere in the middle of revisiting old scenes from Reunion, I stumbled onto a realization that made me laugh out loud: Jim Garraty’s 1983 movie shelf is basically a psychological X‑ray of who he was at seventeen — and who I was,…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Giving a Fictional Universe a Theme Song
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Billy Joel, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Forgotten Dreams, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Leroy Anderson, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesThe Garratyverse Has a Theme Song — And It’s “Forgotten Dreams” Every now and then, a creative universe taps you on the shoulder and says, Hey, I know what I sound like.Today, the Garratyverse did exactly that. If the world of Jim Garraty — his memories, his ghosts, his quiet victories — had to be…
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On Ethical Reviewing: Honesty is the Best (and Only) Policy
My Reviewing Philosophy: Loving Something Enough to Tell the Truth About It I’ve been a Star Trek fan for most of my life. I grew up with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. I admire William Shatner—yes, genuinely—and I wanted nothing more than to love Star Trek V: The Final Frontier when it premiered in 1989. I…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Soft Heart I Spent Years Trying to Hide
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Casablanca (1942), Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Coral Estates Park (Miami-area Neighborhood), Creative Writing, Family History, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Things I Miss, Writing as a CraftThe Soft Heart I Spent Years Trying to Hide Some people spend their lives pretending they’re not sentimental. I’m not one of them. To borrow the words of Captain Louis Renault, I freely admit I’m a rank sentimentalist—and unlike Rick Blaine from Casablanca, I don’t bother hiding it behind a mask of cynicism or put‑on…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Music of Memory: Why These Four Pieces Score the Garratyverse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Billy Joel, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaTaken together, these pieces form a musical arc that mirrors Jim Garraty’s journey: Elegy (Death of Falstaff) Renewal (All the Things You Are) Continuity (This Night) Memory (Forgotten Dreams) It’s a progression from grief to love to understanding — from silence to song.
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Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Blogging, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in the United States, Music & Concert Specials, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Star Wars, WordPress, Writing as a CraftGetting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist Every so often, Kymber posts another round of her “Getting to Know You” questions, and I always enjoy jumping in. Round #75 landed this week, so here are my answers — equal parts honest, reflective, and lightly caffeinated. 1. What drives you…
A Certain Point of View, Too 