Movies: more or less…

Reviews, insights and other bits of random useless trivia

  • My Oscar 2025 Thoughts…

    And Why No One Watches Anymore… Here we are again. I feel like we just did this! This year I have made it my personal goal to watch as many awards shows as I can, to be up to date on all of the predictions. I failed miserably of course. I watched the Golden Globes…

  • Les Miz is back!

    The National Tour of Les Misérables is holding court at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre this week. I got to see it with my old buddy Dylan Spencer Thursday night. A nostalgic watch for us both because while I directed and choreographed the show twice for JD High School, young Dylan designed the sound. Once in 2003,…

  • View from the Balcony

    Tuck in! This is going to be a rant folks. A few years back I managed to score tickets to both Hadestown AND Six on Broadway. I was going to go down to NYC and stay with a friend, travel all by myself on the magical April school break, see both original Broadway casts over…

  • To Life!

    Back in 2006 the late David Cotter gave me a copy of Jerome Robbins biography right after we finished the Wit’s End Players production of Fiddler on the Roof. It was the 2nd time I had directed and choreographed the show. (I’ve done it 3 times total.) David gave the book to me as a…

  • I ‘Wish’ We Could all just enjoy “Wish”!

    I used to enjoy reading reviews. I lived for Ebert and Roeper’s “Thumbs up or Thumbs Down”, I loved when our own local critics gave movies and theatre reviews with a letter grade A, B, B+ or a C even. For a long time, you’d even see a star rating system in the papers, which…

  • A Lovely Time In Maine

    I have never seen Almost Maine before, and I think going in blind was the best idea. I was as delighted as the rest of Baldwinsville Theatre Guild’s opening night audience with the results. I know it’s unusual to mention set design right off the bat, but Drew Deapo, Kim Gideon and what looks to…

  • Covey’s Chicago

    So once again, please remember this is not my job. I don’t get paid. I wasn’t asked to do this. In fact, I KNOW more people in these productions than I don’t. o the chances of me saying many negative things about anything are slim. The number one reason I am doing this is I…

  • 2000 da da dunnn!!!!

    I literally do not know how to type sound effects. But try to hear big tympani drums in your head ok? I felt like the year 2000 deserved its own blog post. Its the turn of the century and it is definitely a big year year in movies and one that I had a hard…

  • CNYP’s Heathers

    Since no one else seems to really care about reviewing community theater productions in this town anymore, and the icons of actual newspapers who once did, (those of us who are old enough to remember them) have either retired or sadly passed on, I think I will give it a try. I realize it’s going…

  • The Year Disney Made its Comeback

    1989 is a HUGE year in movies! Comics like Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Robin Williams are making the biggest movies of their lives with When Harry Met Sally, Parenthood and Dead Poets Society. Spike Lee is making his mark with Do the Right Thing, We know Tom Hanks hasn’t moved into his serious phase…