Category: Movies
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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…
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A Friday ‘End of Week’ Musicale
Hi, everyone, and welcome to the Friday edition of A Certain Point of View, Too. I had hoped to have something posted in this space by now (it’s almost 3 PM here in my tiny corner of Orange County, Florida, as I write this), but, try mightily as I can, the words seem to be…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Sixth Stop on the Gratitude Tour
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in Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Anthony (A.J.) Hernandez, Blogging, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Gratitude ExpressThe Sixth Stop on the Gratitude Tour: Juan Carlos Hernandez Hey there, my cherished reader! Thanks for hopping aboard yet another leg of my Gratitude Tour. Today, the Gratitude Express is rumbling its way into the heart of New York City—the city that never sleeps and, incidentally, the home of our honoree, Juan Carlos Hernandez.…
A Certain Point of View, Too 