A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

1991 – the same year in which a U.S.-led coalition forced Saddam Hussein’s Iraq to retreat from Kuwait and the world witnessed the collapse and dissolution of the Soviet Union – was particularly noteworthy for  Star Trek  fans.  In September, the franchise celebrated its Silver Anniversary; 25 years before (on Sept. 8, 1966),  Star Trek: The Original Series  had had its premiere on NBC and won over an initially modest but loyal fan base which embraced the spacefaring adventures of the  Starship Enterprise  and her crew.  Though  Star Trek  was never a Nielsen ratings champ and lacked a great deal of support from either NBC or Paramount, it was kept on the air (barely) by the fans who wanted to see Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner), First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy carry out the  Enterprise’s  five-year mission “to explore strange new worlds.  To seek out new life and new civilizations.  To boldly go where no man has gone before.”  (Alas, the f

Military history comes in various flavors, just like ice cream. On one side of the spectrum, you can find books that analyze the wider strategic and tactical aspects of a conflict, with emphasis on politics and the commanders on both sides. On the other, you find books that not only deal with the "big picture" but also strive to show the conflict from the combatants' vantage point. Desert Victory: The War for Kuwait  is one of those "big picture" books that focuses more on the strategies and tactics used by both Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and President George H.W. Bush and their respective military commanders. Written shortly after the war (it was published in the fall of 1991) by noted historian and military analyst Norman Friedman, Desert Victory traces the roots of the first Persian Gulf War to Saddam's rise to power in the late 1970s, his disastrous foray into Iran in 1980, the misguided policies of moderate Arab countries and two U.S. administr

As the premiere of Walt Disney Pictures' live action remake of the beloved 1991 animated classic approaches, I thought it would be a good time to share my Examiner review of the Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise original version.  Directed by Gary Trousdale (“Shrek the Halls,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”) and Kirk Wise (“Atlantis: The Lost Empire”) and written by Linda Woolverton (“The Lion King”) and 11 other co-writers, “Beauty and the Beast” is an enchanting and awe-inspiring love story centered on the beautiful Belle and the monstrous-looking Beast. The film's story is simple and straightforward, even being introduced with a traditional-sounding prologue (narrated by M*A*S*H alum David Ogden Stiers, who also plays Cogsworth) which sets up the characters and situations. “Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's nig

Die Hard 2 (1990) aka Die Hard 2: Die Harder Directed by Renny Harlin Written by Steven E. de Souza and Doug Richardson Based on the novel 58 Minutes by Walter Wager Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, John Amos, Dennis Franz, Fred Dalton Thompson, Franco Nero Rent-A-Car Girl: I close in about an hour. Maybe we can go get a drink? John McClane: [shows his wedding ring] Just the fax, ma'am. Just the fax. Finnish director Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2: Die Harder is a decent but derivative sequel to 1988's megahit Die Hard . This time around, John McClane (Bruce Willis), now a Los Angeles Police  Department lieutenant must match wits, fists, gunfire, and banter with a band of heavily armed bad guys that have taken over Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport. Based on Walter Wager's novel 58 Minutes , Steven E. de Souza and Doug Richardson's script closely follows the format of John McTiernan's Die Hard .  Once

The Trump Administration's continuing war with the American journalistic community escalated today when reporters from The New York Times, CNN,   Politico and other news organizations   were banned from the daily briefing at the White House. Per the Times .  this is an "unusual     breach of relations between the White House and its press corps." Reporters from The Times, CNN and Politico were not allowed to enter the West Wing office of the press secretary, Sean M. Spicer, for the scheduled briefing. Aides to Mr. Spicer allowed in reporters from only a handpicked group of news organizations that, the White House said, had been previously confirmed to attend. Predictably, Spicer allowed several organizations that are friendly to the Trump Administration's agenda to attend the press briefing, including Breitbart News, Fox, The Washington Times and the One America News Network. Reporters from the Associated Press and Time magazine were not barred from the