During the past couple of weeks, two shoebiz people I knew – sort of – passed away without getting much attention from the press for doing so.
The first was Joanna Cameron, an actress remembered primarily for a ’70s kid show called The Secret of Isis.
The second was Mort Sahl, one of the fathers and best known practitioners of in-your-face-political-stand-up comedy.
Paul Krugman isn’t someone whose name is associated with film/TV criticism, but he’s written a wonderful review of Dune calling it “…the Movie We Always Wanted” in the subscriber-only newsletter of none other than the illustrious New York Times that actually made Gwen and me ante up and watch the film.
Since the newsletter may not be accessible to all of you, I’ll quote the more salient points (defined as, “well, hey, they impressed me) here:
What makes “Dune” more than an ordinary space opera are two things: its subtlety and the richness of its world-building.
THE USUAL NOTE FROM LB: From the summer of 2002 to the spring of 2010, Gwen the Beautiful and I were the proud and often exhausted owners of a beautiful Ozarks property we called Cloud Creek Ranch.
In many ways, the ranch was paradise. But it was a paradise with a price that started going up before we even knew it existed. Here’s another Monday musing about our adventure and the lessons we learned.
Oh, and if y’all detect any irony, please believe me when I say it comes straight from the universe and not your kindly Uncle Larry B.
Alas, poor Netflix. Sacrificing quality for quantity never really works in the arts. And, yes, I still consider film and TV to be arts.
Reality Check is HERE
Earlier this week I recommended a book by the brothers Howard (AKA Ron and Clint). Today I’m recommending something book-related but not a book.
Nosirree. This time around I’m talking about an e-newsletter.
And not just any e-newsletter. A genuine literary one, about subjects of interest to non-fiction writers and readers.