Stories of Suspense with a Sense of Humor
“Source Code” was a technology-based movie that successfully ducks every technical aspect of how the laws of nature were manipulated for the good of the story. And that’s just fine with me. I think “The Matrix” lost its soul in trying to explain it in the sequels. “Source Code” was closer to “Groundhog Day”, and … Read more
In the fifties and sixties, American culture was shaped when lunch counters became one of the focal points for establishing racial integration. Lunch counters were the precursors to modern fast food, and it wasn’t just Woolworth’s and S.S. Kresge’s stores that had them, but nearly every store with a little sliver of space provided a … Read more
The best and most effective jokes reveal some inner truth about the joke’s target. In the context of a story, the wonderful part is that they also advance the story, and the audience hardly has a reason to notice it is a “joke” except that they are laughing. These are fifth degree jokes. Fifth degree … Read more
Elvis and Annabelle is a cute, quirky film that is worth tracking down. It’s an indie that got made, most likely, because Joe Montegna liked the script, and wanted to play the pleasantly demented golfer whose son covers for him in their funeral parlor. It won some awards at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Elvis, … Read more
My daughter was cut by an old man in a mask. He drugged her, told her everything would be fine, and then cut her gums and removed a tooth. The experience may have traumatized her for life except that it was our dentist performing a planned procedure. The guy is still a little creepy, trying … Read more