These Are the Movie Reviews You’re Looking For

22 Dec

Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens-Han-Solo-ChewbaccaA not-very-long time ago, in a galaxy not very far away, I finally got to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. No worries, you won’t find any spoilers here. Only a true member of the Dark Side would do that.

But Star Wars wasn’t the only movie I’ve seen since Thanksgiving. So, with Christmas coming in just a few days, let’s take a look at five new or recent releases that’ll be playing at a theater near you this upcoming holiday weekend, and whether I think they’re worth your time.

(Note: Numbers next to each film refer to the total number of movies I’ve seen in 2015, and the order in which I saw them.) Continue reading →

This Is the Best Christmas Music Playlist of All Time

15 Dec
Photo credit: TSgt Suzanne M. Day/Creative Commons

Photo credit: TSgt Suzanne M. Day/Creative Commons

True story: If you want to know what the best Christmas music is, you should ask a Jewish person.

Why is that? Honestly, I really don’t know. Perhaps it has something to do with, as Sarah Spigelman Richter recently wrote on Mashable.com, a deep-seated sense of FOMO for “a culture that is in no way destined to be mine.” Feeling left out can be hard, so we appreciate the “Americanized, agnostic version of the Christmas season” that much more because it’s not really ours.

Or maybe that has nothing to do with it.

What I do know is that were it not for the Jews, we wouldn’t have some of the best Christmas songs of all time. “White Christmas,” anyone? “Silver Bells?” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)?” Etc. Etc. All written by Jews. So clearly, we know our holiday tunes. Continue reading →

Time for Thanksgiving Leftovers at the Movies

4 Dec

creed-movieWe’ve arrived at December, and that means it’s time for all the awards-bait movies (and a little something called Star Wars: The Force Awakens). But before we get into all of those, I thought I’d clear the slate and tell you what I thought of the movies I’ve seen in recent weeks since my last collection of reviews — many of which, appropriately enough, were turkeys.

As always, numbers refer to the total number of movies I’ve seen this year. And no, I didn’t see The Hunger Games. Haven’t seen a single movie in that entire series. Continue reading →

Thank You for All of These Things (And More)

25 Nov
Photo courtesy of Paul Downey/Flickr

Photo courtesy of Paul Downey/Flickr

Thank you.

Those are two words that don’t get said nearly enough. These days, we’re so quick to jump on people and businesses for doing things we don’t like, but we hardly ever recognize the good things that make us happy and show our gratitude for them.

That’s just one reason why it’s nice that Thanksgiving exists: Because other than enjoying delicious food — mmmm … turkey and gravy — it’s the one time of year when everyone gets to express how grateful they are. It’s like the great poet Nicole Westbrook once said: “Don’t be hateful, gotta be grateful!”

(All kidding aside, according to a recent New York Times article, being grateful will actually make you happier person.)

With that in mind, I just wanted to take a second right here, right now, to say thank you for reading. Not just this blog post, but any and all posts you may have read over the years. I recently celebrated my tenth blogiversary, a milestone I’d never have reached were it not for the fact that people actually care what I have to say. I appreciate your support and never take it for granted.

And now, to continue my tradition, here (in no particular order) are more of the people, places, and things I am thankful for this year. Thank you to each and every one of them. Continue reading →

Make Room for These Movies on Your Must-See List

9 Nov

SpectreThe Oscar race is in full swing, folks. We know this because in the past month, quite a few films have been released that will likely figure in the year-end awards.

Which one will take home the top prize? It may be one of the movies I’ve seen since my last reviews roundup. Here are all the movies I’ve seen in recent weeks, in order of when I saw them.

(Note: Numbers reflect the total number of movies I’ve seen so far in 2015.) Continue reading →

This Is Why You Go to the Movies

8 Oct

The MartianWe’re here: It’s the fourth quarter of 2015, the time of year we wait for because it’s when most every movie that hits theaters is awards bait (or wants to be). Will they all live up to the hype? Not a chance. But when they do … that’s why you go to the movies.

Since my last collection of reviews, some very good movies have come out. One in particular was (literally) out of this world. And there were some disappointing ones too. So let’s not waste any time. Here are my brief thoughts on nine recent releases. As always, numbers refer to the total number of movies I’ve seen so far in 2015. Continue reading →

Who Has the Time to Watch This Many TV Shows?

21 Sep

It’s one of the great catch-22s of the modern age.

We all want a social life that takes us out of our homes. And yet, everyone is always raving about the TV shows you just have to watch. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your POV), whether it’s buzzy shows like The Americans, Game of Thrones, Scandal, Empire, The Walking Dead, or others, there’s just not enough time in a week to watch them all and have a social life that involves other activities — and, more importantly, actual people.

And I say this as someone who never saw a single episode of Mad Men or Breaking Bad, but who certainly watches more than his share of TV shows. Heck, even the Emmys last night made fun of the fact that there’s just too much on TV these days. Continue reading →

The Dog Days (and Dog Movies) of Summer Have Come and Gone

8 Sep

straight-outta-comptonLabor Day has come and gone, and thank God for that.

Not that I’m happy to see summer end. (Far from it.) But if we’re into September, then that means the really good movies are really close to hitting theaters (Black Mass is a week and a half away, for example).

Before we look forward, though, let’s look back on all the movies I’ve seen since my last movie reviews roundup blog post — some really good ones and some pretty awful ones too. As always, the numbers reflect the total number I’ve seen this year so far. Continue reading →

47 Things I Will Remember About the Summer of 2015

4 Sep
Balanced Rock at Garden of the Gods

Photo credit: Martin Lieberman

Fact: Summers are too short.

Way too short. Even this summer, which feels like it’s ending a week later than usual.

That’s why we always feel compelled to cram so much into the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day every year.

The summer of 2015 was, for me, a bit of a whirlwind. A lot happened, some of it overwhelming, and I’m not 100% sure I even remember everything.

Let’s see: I finally made it to Colorado, finally visited my old summer camp, and finally rode on Codzilla. I worked out in a gym again. I saw a bunch of good movies, a couple good concerts, and even went to two Red Sox games. I walked around a lot. I dated. I ate. I met some Twitter friends IRL. I was happy. I checked a few more things off my 2015 to-do list. And there was more. I know there was more.

So, in an effort to make sure I have everything — or most of it, anyway — documented, here (in no particular order) are some of the things I’ll never forget about the summer of 2015. Continue reading →

10 Thoughts About Blogging After 10 Years of Being a Blogger

1 Sep
Photo by Joey Gannon

Photo by Joey Gannon

Anybody who knows me knows that I can be a pretty lazy guy.

I’m not easily self-motivated, I don’t really work out at all (despite multiple attempts to start doing so), I go to the same places more often than I try new ones, I leave things till the last minute, and many nights, I’m happier to stay home rather than to put in the effort to go out.

All of which makes today a very important day. Continue reading →

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