Category: Movies
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Book Review: ‘Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina’
“Mos Eisley Spaceport,” says Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker as they stand on a mesa overlooking the Tatooine metropolis in Episode IV: A New Hope. “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be careful.” Of all the eye-catching and memorable sequences in Star Wars, the fateful meeting between…
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Movie Review: ‘Evita’ (1996)
Evita (1996): Style, Spectacle, and the Woman Behind the Myth Alan Parker’s Evita is a film that dazzles with spectacle but struggles to reveal the heart of its heroine. Starring Madonna as Eva Duarte de Perón, Antonio Banderas as Che, and Jonathan Pryce as Juan Perón, the movie adapts Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s…
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Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel – Greatest Hits, Volumes I & II (1973-1983)’
🎶 Billy Joel – Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II Some albums become more than music—they turn into companions. For me, Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II was exactly that. I received the cassette in 1986 for my 23rd birthday, one of my last big celebrations. That tape became a lifeline:…
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The Quill and the Lyre: Music and ‘Comings and Goings’
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Music, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Billy Joel, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Ludwig van Beethoven, Music, Music & Concert Specials, Pathetique Piano Sonata (Adagio cantabile), Reunion DuologyEvery story has its soundtrack. For Comings and Goings, the most overtly relevant piece isn’t tucked away in a concert hall—it’s right there in Billy Joel’s “This Night”, spinning from Kelly’s stereo in Mission Hill. Yet, at the heart of this pop ballad lies Beethoven’s Adagio cantabile, whose timeless melody Joel borrowed and reimagined, creating…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Leisure Time Activities (Even Writers Need Time Off!)
Sunday, November 16, 2025 — Orlando, Florida Hello, Constant Reader. Today is a day of relative rest. Aside from this post, I don’t plan to do much writing. Most of my energy lately has gone into the release of Comings and Goings’ audiobook. I don’t yet have a clear vision for “The Next Big Project,”…
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Honorable Mention at Nassau: A Simple Ad’s Journey
Friday, October 31, 2025 – Orlando, FloridaIt’s a chilly—at least by Florida standards—late autumn morning here in my corner of Orange County. As I write this, it’s 62°F (16°C) under clear, sunny skies, though it may warm up a bit by the time I post this on WordPress. Today’s forecast calls for sunshine and a…
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Movie Review: ‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001)
Pearl Harbor (2001): A Missed Tribute Wrapped in Spectacle Pearl Harbor Directed by: Michael Bay Written by: Randall Wallace Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Jon Voight, Mako, Colm Feore, Tom Sizemore, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alec Baldwin Produced by: Jerry Bruckheimer Music by: Hans Zimmer Studio(s): Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Buena Vista Motion…
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Music Album Retrospective: ‘The Beatles: 1962-1966 (The Red Album)
The Beatles’ Red Album (1962–1966) was originally released in April 1973 by Apple Records in collaboration with EMI/Capitol, and reissued on compact disc in September 1993. It features 26 Lennon–McCartney tracks from the band’s early years, offering a curated glimpse into their meteoric rise before Sgt. Pepper. 🎵 A Personal Reflection on The Beatles: 1962–1966…
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Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel – 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert’
Billy Joel – 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert Label: Sony Legacy Genre: Pop Rock Year of Release: 2000 Billy Joel’s 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert may not be his most polished live album, but it’s one of his most emotionally honest. Recorded on New Year’s Eve 1999 at Madison Square Garden, this two-disc set captures…
A Certain Point of View, Too 