The film Cinderella Man came up on the Castalia House blog the other day. The film, just so we’re all clear, is the story of James Braddock, a slightly-over-the-hill boxer during the Great Depression whose career had seemed over, until he suddenly returned to the ring with a series of stunning victories, culminating in him … Continue reading Writing Historical Characters
Thoughts
Friday Flotsam: Mad World Misses
I don’t feel like putting actual work into the Flotsam this Friday. Instead, since It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World came up on work chat this week, I thought I’d do a quick rundown of some of the most notable comedians who weren’t in that film and why. 1. Charlie Chaplin: Had expatriated himself … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mad World Misses
‘Jaws’ at the Everyman
My latest essay is live at The Everyman, wherein I get to talk about one of my favorite movies and it's take on modern manhood: Brody’s efforts to do his duty as a man and leader are thus stymied by the economic and political interests of the middle-class townsfolk. His job and thus his ability … Continue reading ‘Jaws’ at the Everyman
A New Miracle?
So, it seems there are reports coming in of a new Eucharistic Miracle in Guadalajara, Mexico. The story is that, during Adoration, the Host was seen to beat like a living heart for about thirty seconds. Cell phone cameras captured the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mostRiZ2L2M The full report is here. As with all reports of miracles, we … Continue reading A New Miracle?
George Washington: Deathbed Convert?
So, here's a very interesting rumor, which I've now heard from a couple sources. It is said, among both the Jesuits of Maryland and the descendants of George Washington's slaves, that in his final hours he sent for Father Leonard Neale, S.J, and that he was received into the Catholic Church shortly before his death. … Continue reading George Washington: Deathbed Convert?
Friday Flotsam: Jungle Books and Rockefeller
1. Had a depressing and discouraging week. Got a bit of a snaggle tooth, and it’s left me with a tongue sore. Home remedies include chamomile tea and honey, so trying those. 2. Revisited both the original The Jungle Book and the live action remake recently. Quite frankly, I’m still not sure which I think … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Jungle Books and Rockefeller
Thought of the Day: Most Important Authors
My preliminary picks for the five most important authors of the 20th Century: -J.R.R. Tolkien-Edgar Rice Burroughs-Agatha Christie-Raymond Chandler-H.P. Lovecraft (A case could be made for H.G. Wells, except that his most important works were almost all written at the tail-end of the 19th century)
The Dangers of Being an Internet Content Creator
The other day I watched a documentary on the rise and fall of Rooster Teeth, the web video production company behind Red vs. Blue and other series. It followed what seems to me to be an all-too familiar pattern, one that we who wish to produce content ought to consider very carefully. The short version … Continue reading The Dangers of Being an Internet Content Creator
Sunday Thoughts: On Mercy
We finished the Jules Verne biography on the way home from Maine (now's not the place for a full review, but basically it was about six hours of an interesting study stretched to twelve by a good deal of repetition, the biographer going off on his own pet theories, and his harping on Verne's sex … Continue reading Sunday Thoughts: On Mercy
Friday Flotsam: Verne, History, and Broomsticks
1. Visiting relatives in Maine all this week 2. On the way up, listened to a biography of Jules Verne. It was certainly interesting to get a look into the life of such an important author, though the biographer is rather annoyingly intrusive; his thesis is that Verne is one of the great authors of … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Verne, History, and Broomsticks
Serpent's Den 