The Ten Best New Year’s Eve Films Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash By Geoff Carter We’re almost there. We only have one more day of 2025 to endure. Thank God. It’s been a year of firsts. There’s a few we would like to celebrate, others not so much. But New Year’s Eve is a time to look forward …
Read
Category:Michael DiMilo
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Train Dreams”
Lost in the Woods: Movie Review of Train Dreams ★★★★ By Geoff Carter Illustration by Michael DiMilo Some movies are plot-driven and action-packed narratives that grab you by the collar and pull you through heart-stopping adventures without ever letting go. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Predator, and Die Hard (a Christmas movie? The debate rages on) are prime examples …
Read
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Film Review of “Hamnet”
Death Be Not Proud: Film Review of Hamnet ★★★★ By Geoff Carter Illustration by Michael DiMilo We know much about the life and times of William Shakespeare. Dozens of books have been written about his life, his loves, and his works, but there are still some mysteries. Was he the actual author of his works? …
Read
Blue Christmas
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter As we were trimming the tree last weekend, my wife asked me to bring in the laptop so we could listen to Christmas music. I complied—as any trained husband will—and set up the sound system in our dining room. And so we trimmed the tree and drank some …
Read
The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Babs and Knuckles Deck the Halls”
Babs and Knuckles in their Holiday Special Deck the Halls Artwork by Michael DiMilo Video and Story by Michael DiMilo In memory of Dave Bolyard The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions …
Read
Kickass and New Second Amendment
By Bill Stokes Illustration by Michael DiMilo Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper promoting some revision of the 2ndamendment as follows: “The right to BARE arms means you can wear t-shirts and has nothing to do with guns. The fact of more guns than people in this country is due to a Constitutional spelling …
Read
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Jay Kelly”
Sum of His Parts: Review of Jay Kelly ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Illustration by Michael DiMilo Filmmaking is an intensely collaborative endeavor. Actors, cinematographers, screenwriters, production designers, producers, costumers—and many more—are all the cogs and gears in the cooperative venture that produces feature films. The director must shepherd this pool of talent, experience, and expertise …
Read
The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Ice Dance”
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Ice Dance from “Edward Scissorshands” By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But some people are hurting. Many are …
Read
The Pen in Hand Guide to Defining the Holiday Movie Genre: The “Die Hard” Question
Originally Published December 19, 2024 Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter At this festive time of year, many of us observe the holiday traditions of Christmas like trimming the tree, singing carols, buying the presents, visiting Santa, and on and on and on. Part of our celebration of the holiday includes seeing the myriads …
Read
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Eddington”
Don’t Fence Me In: Film Review of Eddington ★★★☆ Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Films about conspiracy theories seem to be everywhere lately. After reviewing Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, an incisively caustic black comedy about the conflicts between reality, beliefs, and alienation, I watched Ari Aster’sEddington, a neo-Western set during the Covid lockdown in 2020 …
Read
The Pen in Hand’s Guide to a Vintage TV Christmas
“Oscar the Elf” Photo by Geoff Carter
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Frankenstein”
Monsters: Film Review of Frankenstein ★★★1/2 Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Mary Woolstencraft Shelly’s gothic novel Frankenstein has gone through as many—or more—film iterations than any other horror story, except perhaps the Dracula franchise. Depending on the critical lens being used to examine it, the story can be seen as addressing issues of …
Read