“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998.” That’s film director Peter Jackson talking about the blacklist producer Harvey Weinstein created for actresses Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd who refused his sexual overtures. “I realize,” Jackson said, “that this was very likely the...

With all the incredible high-drama during one of the most exciting World Series ever, one unexpected scene played out in the Astro’s dugout. It only lasted a moment, but for first baseman Yuli Gurriel that moment will cost him in reputation and money. During last Friday night’s game, Gurriel had just scored a homerun off Dodger pitcher Yu Darvish, who...

Seventy-nine years ago, on Halloween eve, director Orson Wells pulled off one of the great media hoaxes of all time with a radio broadcast that scared the beejesus out of millions of listeners who believed that Martians had invaded New Jersey. (New Jersey?) A front-page story in The New York Times read: “Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama as...

“The film starts with Doug seeking out his next prey. He becomes obsessed with a woman named Amy… he’s able to learn details of her life… He meets her at a coffee shop… strikes up conversations with her. The two become friends, but it seems as though Amy isn’t interested in continuing the relationship further.” That bit of opening plot...

During the month of August, comfortably ensconced in my “cone of silence,” I spent most of the time reading a variety of books. While all of them speak to various ethical values, many of the authors were simply good storytellers. After listening to an interview of former Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill, I became interested in reading his account of how...

I’ve been “clean and sober” – no mention of you-know-who, (rhymes with “rump”) – for 21 days and I must confess, a change has come over me. I feel… a little happier. The birds are singing more beautifully; the blossoms on the trees smell more sweetly; and I’ve unplugged from most cable news. In a March 1 commentary (La La...

On May 1, 1969, Fred Rogers – the venerable host of the Public Broadcasting Service show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Communications which had jurisdiction over television and radio. At the time, PBS received $20 million. However, due to the demands of the Vietnam War, President Nixon was looking to cut the funding in...

Like the many millions around the world who tuned in to watch the Oscar telecast (Feb. 26), I was stunned by the final piece of drama that played out on stage. By now, most everyone knows what happened when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway presented the award for Best Picture. The audience was squirming in their seats waiting for Beatty...

Milo Yiannopoulos is an obnoxious, loud-mouthed, hate-spewing – now, former editor of Breitbart “News” (quotations added because the organization is known to publish falsehoods and conspiracy theories, as well as intentionally misleading stories). In love with the First Amendment, Yiannopoulos firmly believes that his right to free speech trumps… anything else (well, almost), and that’s one reason why HBO comedian...

Hands down, my wife’s favorite movie – the one she watches till the end, no matter when it started – is Overboard; that over-the-top, can-see-the-ending-a-mile-away romantic comedy starring Goldie Hawn and real-life partner Kurt Russell. Joanna Stayton (Hawn), is a wealthy, stuck-up, supremely bored heiress traveling the world, apparently, on one of the largest private yachts imaginable, because her husband...