Illustration by Michael DiMilo Because the Night: Review of True Detective: Night Country By Geoff Carter While The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies typically focuses on—well, movies, we will occasionally stray into the realm of the small screen—which is not so small anymore, mostly because that since HBO premiered series like Oz, Six Feet …
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Category:Michael DiMilo
The Beat Goes On
Illustration by Micheal DiMilo By Geoff Carter Because of heart disease in my family, I recently had to undergo a battery of cardio testing. There was the ECG, the stress test, and the cardio imaging test. For the final test, I was placed on my side and ultrasound machine took pictures of my heart at …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “El Conde”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Bloodlines: Review of El Conde By Geoff Carter The popularity of the vampire movie, encompassing everything from Dracula to Interview with a Vampire to the Twilight Series to From Dusk Till Dawn to The Lost Boys to Let the Right One In, and on and on and on, has been a staple of the cinema. These movies encompass comedies like Love at First Bite, …
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Bought and Paid For
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter The housing market is tough these days. Interest rates are soaring, prices are high, and inventory is low, but none of this is deterring Vladimir Putin, who seems to be ready to become involved in the housing market. He has recently showed significant interest in purchasing the property …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Dream Scenario”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Welcome to My Nightmare: Film Review of Dream Scenario By Geoff Carter Back in the early days of cinema, the gold standard for the sight gag was the pratfall, usually someone slipping on a banana peel. Laughing at someone else’s misfortune always seemed funny—until one considered that the butt of the …
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Grumpy Old Men
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter We are presently living through one of the strangest times in American history. Four years ago, we survived a deadly pandemic and global lockdown. Just three years ago, a mob—instigated by a sitting president—tried to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. Our political institutions, the mainstream media, and justice …
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The Nine Black Riders
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter In J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy masterpiece The Lord of the Rings, the evil lord Sauron’s minions include the nine dark riders, known as the Ringwraiths or Nazgul, former men who have been seduced by the corrupt power of the one ring who would rule them all and turned into …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Zone of Interest”
Artwork by Michael DiMilo No Man’s Land: Film Review of The Zone of Interest By Geoff Carter The horrors of the Holocaust have been exhaustively documented and dramatized—and rightly so. That shameful and disgusting display of premeditated cruelty, inhumanity, and assembly-line slaughter should be forever on display as an example of exactly what human beings …
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The Pen in Hand Blog Presents The Writer’s Corner
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Featuring the Latest Publications, News, and Commentary for Authors and Readers Manuals of Style By Geoff Carter New books are flooding the market like never before. Since self-publishing has become a viable alternative to traditional publishing, it seems everyone is writing that novel lurking inside of them—or learning how. The teaching …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Color Purple”
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Less than the Sum of Its Parts: Review of The Color Purple The last time I was in New York City, in 2006, we were lucky enough to score tickets to see The Color Purple. Being the curmudgeon I am, I am typically skeptical of Broadway revivals of movies, television shows, or …
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The Pen in Hand’s Guide to the Best Valentine’s Day Movies
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Top Ten Romance Films By Geoff Carter It’s Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air, but those of us who choose to enjoy a warm and cozy evening inside, finding that perfect romantic movie is the perfect way to enjoy that special someone. So, rather writing one of my garden variety …
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Mighty Love
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Originally Published 2/14/2022 By Geoff Carter In her novel Surfacing, Margaret Atwood wrote “The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them, there ought to be as many for love.” She‘s probably right, although what passes for love today might not be as important to us as snow …
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