Search results for: hobbit
Movie Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
MOVIE REVIEW: THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Peter Jackson’s second helping — The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug — written and directed by Peter Jackson with flavoring from J.R.R. Tolkien‘s classic novel is more confident than the first helping of An Unexpected Journey. It is the #1 movie of the opening weekend, scoring 74% at…
Read MoreMovie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
MOVIE REVIEW: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Even if I had been told The Hobbit was the worst movie ever made, I still would have gone to see it. It wasn’t. But even after seeing it twice, my feelings remain mixed. In talking to friends who have been to it, reactions to the movie seem…
Read MoreHistory of French Fries: Are They Really French?
HISTORY OF FRENCH FRIES: NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY Today is National French Fry Day. While no one knows who began this celebration, placing it on July 13 is significant because the important French holiday is the next day, July 14, Bastille Day. Origin of French Fries Some French people might call the delectable potato…
Read MoreHistory of St George and the Dragon
HISTORY OF ST GEORGE AND THE DRAGON Saint George’s Day is April 23, likely the day of his martyrdom. He is often depicted as a knight in armor. He is the patron saint of England, and his day has been celebrated there from the 9th century and more recently throughout the British Commonwealth… though he…
Read MoreHistory of J.R.R. Tolkien: A 100-Year Love Affair
HISTORY OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN: A 100-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR Tonight begins the Amazon Prime TV series “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which depicts the Second Age of Tolkien’s legendarium, set over three thousand of years before the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. This is expected to be the most expensive TV series in…
Read MoreMovie Review: Dune
MOVIE REVIEW: DUNE Spice! I met Frank Herbert, author of Dune, in the late ’70s at “Comics and Comix” a premier comic and book store in Berkeley that was a favorite haunt of mine at the time. Of course, I got him to sign my paperback, but he was interested in talking…
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Bill Petro, technology sales enablement executive: writes on History, Popular Culture, Tech Trends, and Travel History of Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement September 24, 2023 HISTORY OF YOM KIPPUR The Jewish High Holy Days begin with Rosh HaShanah and continue until Yom Kippur, which starts at sundown tonight. It is the holiest day of the year and…
Read MoreHistory of Martin Luther: Part 6 – Monk Marries Nun
HISTORY OF MARTIN LUTHER: PART 6 – MONK MARRIES NUN When Martin Luther returned from the Wartburg Castle to Wittenberg, he had much to do (see Part 5). The religious unrest and political protests that had occurred in the city while he was in seclusion needed to stop. At the beginning of Lent, he resumed…
Read MoreMovie Review: Les Miserables
MOVIE REVIEW: LES MISERABLES Go see this movie. If you’ve never seen the stage play, this is the way to catch a faithful version of it in your local cinema. If you’ve already seen the stage play, then you already know. It was more than I expected, and I had high expectations. This is…
Read MoreMovie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine When I read comic books in my youth, I always loved the “origin of” issues, which told me about he beginnings of my favorite super heroes. I was a big reader and collector of X-Men comics, of course, and have enjoyed the previous three movies to greater and lesser degrees.…
Read MoreMovie Review: Lord Of The Rings – The Fellowship Of The Ring
Movie Review: Lord Of The Rings – The Fellowship Of The Ring [My long-lost review from December 19, 2001, of the movie and an essay on the appeal of J.R.R. Tolkien and his magical world.] “Exciting, dramatic, passionate, beautiful, chilling, palpable evil, breathtaking vistas…” These are all words I’ve used to describe this movie to…
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