Confessions of a Not-So-Dangerous Mind*

On the short list of "Greatest Horror Movies Ever Made," Roman Polanski's sensational adaptation of Ira Levin's bestseller is an exercise in style, suspense, paranoia, fear, and unexpected "body horror."

Sylvester Stallone's original idea for Rocky 3 was to cast legendary boxer Earnie Shavers as Clubber Lang. Alas, it was not to be. Join me for a fascinating piece of true history, culled from the May 2026 episode on Rocky 3.

One of the most unique, distinctive actors to ever work in Hollywood, Jeff Goldblum turns 74 today. Join me for a look at his key supporting role in Philip Kaufman's terrific re-imagining of Don Siegel's legendary 1956 scifi/horror classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Even as I break the first rule of Fight Club ("You do not talk about Fight Club"), join me for a deep dive into the brilliant 1999 movie adaptation of Chuck Pahlanuik's dark, "dystopian satire."

Among the strangest years in franchise history. Judge missed 2/3 of the season, Stanton barely played, Rodon missed 40% of the season, Fried missed more than a third, Cole was out just under 8 weeks total, Chisholm, Volpe at SS, Wells, Grisham, and McMahon were awful pretty much all season... and the team *still* won 93 games in a BRUTAL A.L. East. That's one game more than the legendary World Series winning '96 squad. Is the organization in tatters, despite the 93 wins? They haven't won a World Series since 2009. Do they need to make Judge a permanent DH going forward, to try...

The much-heralded collaboration between Alejandro Inarrito and Tom Cruise is vastly underperforming at the boxoffice and has met with insanely polarized reactions from critics. Is this the sort of film which landed at the wrong time, but will find a massive audience at a later date?

The New York Yankees swept "historical rival" Boston in this year's Wild Card series to move on to the ALDS. Join me for my thoughts on the team, the season, and a look at Cam Schlittler's incredible (probable) Cy Young Award season.

Kane Parsons' fascinating, genre-bending boxoffice smash Backrooms hit HBO Max last weekend. Join me for a deep(ish) exploration of the movie and whether or not it's even accurate to refer to it as a "horror movie."

Daniel Roher's terrific new film Tuner stars Leo Woodall as a young musical prodigy who works as a piano tuner... and whose hyper-hyper sensitive hearing may ebable him to crack safes...

Finally saw Edgar Wright's 2025 "more faithful adaptation" of Stephen King's dystopian sci-fi novel The Running Man. How does it compare to the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which I absolutely adore?

New series! Strap in for a history-based episode as I recall and recount the Julia Roberts films I've seen in theaters, then the Clint Eastwood films I've seen in theaters. I'll revisit this concept in an upcoming episode in which I'll discuss Meryl Streep and either Pacino or DeNiro.

Michael Keaton's fantastic turn as McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc in 2016's The Founder ranks with his best work, showing every side of the complicated, heel-ish entrepreneur.

Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window opened in theaters September 1, 1954. 72 years on, it stands as one of the greatest movies ever made.

21 y.o. Moses Itauma's first professional defeat came at the hands of rugged veteran Filip Hrgovic in a fight the rising star was dominating... until he wasn't. 

Legendary TV, theater, and movie actor Tim Curry passed away yesterday. Join me for a look back at some of his most memorable roles and performances.

Singer, actress, and humanitarian Dolly Parton passed away today. Sharing thoughts and memories about this legendary entertainer may be the best thing we can do right now 😔

Rob Reiner's magnificent period coming-of-age story Stand by Me remains one of the best movies of its kind ever made. 

Tommy John passed away last week. The first man to undergo the career-saving elbow surgery which bears his name was more than just a courageous trailblazer, he was one of the finest pitchers of his era.

Released August 15, 1997, CopLand marks Sylvester Stallone's return to 70s-era acting. While the film is a boxoffice success, the critical reaction is muted at best. Sly is solid, DeNiro makes the most of limited screen time, and the late Ray Liotta delivers a signature performance as coked-out cop Gary Figgis, whose moral center compels him to have the back of Sly's Sheriff Freddy Heflin, no matter the cost.

"June 19, 2005. SUNY New Paltz Commencement Exercises for the Class of '05. Actor Aidan Quinn's keynote address doesn't exactly go over well with the assembled throng."

James Cameron's spectacular underwater scifi thriller The Abyss opened 37 years ago. The version seen by audiences of the day was not the one intended by its director. Join me for the story of a legit masterpiece that was lost... and then found.

"Fall, 1995. I see the Stallone film 'Assassins' with my crush on its opening day... only to discover that she's more into the star of the movie than me." 😭🤣

Buckle in for a humorous story about British acting legend Trevor Howard.

Favorite movie in which he stars: Brief Encounter (1945). Favorite movie in support: Superman 1978, he plays a Kryptonian elder.

(Trevor Howard, 1913-1988)

The ongoing debate over the casting of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey reminds me of two notorious (yet historically important) films: D.W. Griffith's silent epic The Birth of a Nation, and the inexplicable casting of John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror (1956).

One of the brightest lights Hollywood's ever had, Robin Williams would have turned 75 on July 21, 2026.

After a troubled production, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace opened on July 17, 1987 to poor reviews and so-so boxoffice. Sadly, it was to be Christopher Reeve's final turn in the cape.

What awful news to wake up to 😢 So many top-level films and performances. Over the years virtually everyone who worked with him made mention of what a good guy he was. His IG page (a frequent stop for me) showed him to be a funny, humble, and genuinely decent person.

Much more than just a fun time at the cinema, In the Line of Fire is an action film, a suspense thriller, a romance, and a 😢 reminder that even "Top Tier Legends" aren't indestructible forever. Clint's turn as Frank Horrigan ranks with his finest work and he's matched by John Malkovich, digging deep to author a phenomenal supervillain.

New York baseball is in chaos! The Mets have waved the white flag and the Yanks recently lost 9 of 10 after a lengthy stretch of high-level play. What gives?! Join me for a reasonable explanation (if such a thing is even possible 🤣😆

As Tom Cruise turns 64 today, a happy 35th to "The Greatest Summer Movie Ever," Terminator 2, which opened July 3, 1991. A monster hit w/critics and audiences, T2 grosses $520 million and later wins 4 Oscars in the year of Silence of the Lambs, JFK, and Bugsy. 💪

Arguably the funniest scene In Woody Allen's clever 1993 comedy Manhattan Murder Mystery finds Diane Keaton and Alan Alda staking out a woman who may be involved in murder.

In a recent podcast episode, host Ike Barinholtz and friend/guest Seth Rogen discussed Sylvester Stallone's career and pointed out the significant number of bad movies he's made. Were they throwing shade? Or just criticizing the weaker films in his career?

On June 28, 1997, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield met for the second time, roughly 8 months after their thrilling first fight, in which Evander took Mike's World Heavyweight Title. Join me for some fascinating backstory and the unfortunate outcome of Tyson-Holyfield 2.

I didn't go out on a date until 30. The anxiety was terrifyingly real. I did, however, believe that screenwriting success was assured. I imagine being presented with a choice: professional success, tempered by continued loneliness... or professional disappointment, but a booming social life.

The Summer of 1982 saw the release of four all-time classic science fiction films: E.T., Blade Runner, The Thing, and Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Oddly enough, only two of the four were boxoffice hits. Join me for a deep dive back in time...

David Cronenberg's sensational meditation on life, love, body horror, and "insect politics" turns 40 this August. Join me for a look back at a brilliant film which has grown significantly in stature over the succeeding decades.

The true story of my experience seeing Outbreak (1995) during its opening weekend, co-starring a gentleman one row back of me who spent most of the movie coughing his lungs up 😷

The humorous, 4-minute story of how I learned of Robert Downey Jr.'s casting as Tony Stark, more than two years before the movie came out. #ChoicesWereMade

Last Action Hero opened June 18, 1993 to so-so reviews and disappointing boxoffice. With Jurassic Park opening a week prior, Cliffhanger still doing strong business, and Clint Eastwood's In the Line of Fire and Harrison Ford's The Fugitive opening later that summer, it was just the wrong time (and the wrong summer movie season) for LAH's quirky, offbeat charm.

The 2026 New York Knicks' stunning run to the NBA championship is already the stuff of legends. Join me for a look at the history, legacy, and the franchise's first title in 53 years.