Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4602 )

• Science of Convenience

  

  One thing I’ve noticed about employers is that they’re all for science, except when science contradicts capitalism.  Then they become all mystical. Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Other Worlds

  

  There are any number of movies out there, and you find some that have evaded much comment by checking out the freebies on Amazon Prime. That’s how I found... Read more

  Posted on 17 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Slow and Spry

  

  Businesses seem to want to move at light speed.  At least some do.  When I see that happening I think, “their strategy must be to make a fortune quickly so... Read more

  Posted on 16 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Not What It Says

  

  The title sounds promising. Gothic Harvest. But the movie in no way lives up to it, even with its vampires vs. voodoo theme. So, during Mardi Gras a group of... Read more

  Posted on 15 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dictionary Dreams

  

  “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.”  Thus begins the venerated Nunc dimittis, familiar from so many years of chanting evensong at Nashotah... Read more

  Posted on 14 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Stupid Burnt Lizard

  

  The kaiju monster film has evolved significantly, as my post on Godzilla Minus One may indicate. Monster boomers grew up with Saturday afternoon kaiju,... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Things About Pennsylvania

  

  When I used to pick up my daughter from college in upstate New York, we’d sometimes come up with ways to keep the conversation going for the three-to-four... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Teaching Horror

  

  Critics who complain that Aislinn Clarke’s The Devil’s Doorway has nothing new really have no appreciation for parables. An Irish found-footage film, The Devil’... Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Second One

  

  Twice in a week.  I heard (actually read) a term I’d never encountered before.  It’s one of those rare beasts—an “academic meme. Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Prey Again

  

  Let’s begin with the title. Final Prayer was released in the United States as Borderlands. I still found it on a free streaming service under its UK title, and... Read more

  Posted on 09 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• In Sheep’s Clothing

  

  Evangelicals supporting Trump must experience some cognitive dissonance when they read Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of their heroes. Read more

  Posted on 08 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Plus One

  

  When one of your oldest friends suggests a movie, it’s a good idea to watch it. I began watching Godzilla movies when I was quite young but I stopped after... Read more

  Posted on 07 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Return to the House

  

  I’ve read Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House before. It might’ve been before I started this blog, or it might’ve been before I started writing about... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Paw

  

  Okay, in the spirit of my epiphany that commenting may apply to short stories as well as to collections, I thought I’d muse on W. W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw. Read more

  Posted on 05 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Ride the Ghost

  

  There’s a book in this, for some enterprising person. You see, I watched Ghost Rider because I felt I had too. I’m not familiar with the Marvel comic on which... Read more

  Posted on 04 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Grotesque and Arabesque

  

  My last post about Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque led a couple of readers pointing me to places where the missing tale (“The... Read more

  Posted on 03 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Unique?

  

  Is it embarrassing, or simply confirmation?  It used to be considered embarrassing to show up at an event dressed identically to someone else, if it wasn’t... Read more

  Posted on 02 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dangerous Dreams

  

  A friend wondered what I might make of Dream Scenario. As much as I like movies I can’t keep up, what with a 9-2-5 job and writing my own books. I’m really glad... Read more

  Posted on 01 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Whole Books

  

  One of the many peculiarities of my thought process is that I’ve tried to discuss only “whole pieces” on this blog.  In other words, as a “consumer” of media, m... Read more

  Posted on 31 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• One out of Three

  

  While reading about Dan Curtis, I became curious about Trilogy of Terror. As a child subject to nightmares, my “horror” watching was limited to Saturday... Read more

  Posted on 30 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY