Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter According to The New York Unified Court System, “DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE TO HUMAN LIFE refers to a person’s state of mind in recklessly engaging in conduct which creates a grave risk of death. A person has a depraved indifference to human life when that person has an utter disregard for …
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Category:Michael DiMilo
Wake-up Call
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter The second Trump presidency has been an unnatural disaster—as damaging as a Category 5 hurricane. And like a hurricane, this administration has wrought extensive and irreparable damage, damage to our government, our people, and our country—and to the people of the world who have depended on American aid. …
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Little Tin God
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter When I was growing up, back in the sixties, we used to play war all the time. We’d grab our plastic carbines, helmets, fatigues, and run around the backyard pretending to shoot each other. Amidst cries of “Got you” and “Did not” and “Only grazed me”, we became—in …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Alto Knights”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★☆☆ Comfort Food: Review of The Alto Knights By Geoff Carter The Mafia is an American institution. So is the gangster film. From Little Caesar, White Heat, and The Public Enemy to The Godfather—the definitive mother of all modern gangster movies, Goodfellas, The Irishman, A Bronx Tale, The Sopranos, and Casino, the culture of organized crime, including sit-downs, …
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Dead to Me
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Republicans have not had very good luck talking to their constituents lately. Senators and House Representatives have been shouted down or booed at town hall meetings, mostly because of their refusal to challenge President Trump’s attack on everything from the Veterans Administration to the Department of Education to …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Phoenician Scheme”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Grand Scheme of Things: Review of The Phoenician Scheme By Geoff Carter There are certain filmmakers whose work could never be mistaken for another’s. Scorsese, Tarantino, or Spielberg films all bear the obvious fingerprints of their creators, but the stylistic quirks of no auteur is more obvious—or enjoyable—than those …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Mickey 17”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Disposable Man: Review of Mickey 17 By Geoff Carter You’re never quite sure what you’re going to get with a Bong Joon Ho film. From the linear class battle laid out in Snowpiercer to the convoluted twists and hidden spaces of Parasite to the heart-rending pathos and bioethics of Okja, his movies tend to …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Sinners”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Immortal Sins: Movie Review of Sinners ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter Movies can be larger than life which is—of course—a great part of their appeal. It always has been. Spectacles like D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance, the 1963 Twentieth Century-Fox version of Cleopatra, or the more recent Babylon, movies featuring “a cast of thousands”, lavish sets, and …
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Full Measure
Artwork by Michael DiMilo (Originally posted on May 31, 2019 in Honor of our Veterans. Addendum posted on May 25, 2025.) By Geoff Carter Ah, Memorial Day: the harbinger of summer, the first family picnic, and the grill master’s opening day. Memorial Day also happens to be the holiday recognizing and honoring those who have …
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Announcing the Publication of “In Bad Faith”
Cover art and Animation by Michael DiMilo Coming June 6th to a Bookstore or Online Outlet Near You: In Bad Faith A New Mystery Novel by Geoff Carter Animation by Michael DiMilo In Bad Faith Nelson West, a former Chicago homicide detective, is hired by wealthy heir Lionel Bing to discreetly help “fix” scandals and …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “September 5”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Agony of Defeat: Film Review of September 5 I remember, in my first week as high school sophomore, watching Mark Spitz swimmer dominate the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Spitz was a sensation, winning a total of seven gold medals that year. As always, the Olympics provided a variety …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Companion”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Body and Soul: Review of Companion ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter What is it that makes us human? Is it sentience, emotional awareness, empathy, intelligence, or the knowledge of our own mortality? Is it the ability to manipulate our environment? We share many of these qualities with our fellow creatures. Birds build their …
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