Illustration by Michael DiMilo The Middle of Nowhere: Film Review of Surrounded By Geoff Carter The film Surrounded is set in the stunning landscape of New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch, the setting of other notable westerns like The Missing, 3:10 to Yuma, and Wyatt Earp. While Surrounded contains many of the formulaic elements of that genre, including a sociopathic outlaw, the snotty …
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Category:Michael DiMilo
Contempt of Court
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter America has always been fascinated with our justice system (observing it that is, not being enmeshed in it). Our popular culture media machine has produced everything from TV lawyers like Perry Mason to Matlock to Jack McCoy to courtroom reality series like Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Judge Hatchett, or Texas …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Into the Western Wilderness
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter During our recent annual visit to New Mexico, we took a day trip to the beautiful Ghost Ranch, which is situated in a valley surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful rock formations streaked with a veritable rainbow of colors. In past years, we have been lucky enough to visit other …
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Kickass and Dumbness
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that the keeper, ever alert to significant milestones in life, recognizes that the tipping point may have been reached in the national dumbing down effort and it will be smooth sledding from here on out as those with the most outlandish conspiracy theories …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “A Ghost Story”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Haunted: Film Review of A Ghost Story By Geoff Carter Sometimes, despite the best efforts of The Pen in Hand to stay hip and current, we find ourselves hopelessly behind the times. The other night as I was surfing through Max (HBO 2.0), I ran across a fascinating little film called A …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “True Detective: Night Country”
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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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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