Cinema’s greatest assassins are cool, aloof, cunning, ruthless, stealthy, vengeful, and sometimes confused about their true identity. Some are lone wolves for hire, others are in the employ of criminal organizations or governments that…
Hollywood knows how to mine box-office gold, and since the release of the original “Toy Story” in 1995, worldwide grosses for children’s movies have soared. (These are the 40 most profitable kids’ movies of…
To be nominated for an Academy Award for acting – whether in a supporting or starring role – is a singular honor, and as the cliché goes, even just being nominated is its own…
There is something titillatingly wrong about watching a food fight in the movies, whether the ammunition is spaghetti, French fries, pizza, or, of course, pies and cakes. Food fights were common during the silent-movie…
Military leaders talk about the fog of war in battle – however, war has also inspired military and political leaders, among other people, to great clarity in saying memorable things that decry war’s inhumanity…
It would not be overstating the facts to say that World War II, the most consequential event of the 20th century, has been the subject of more movies than any other conflict. (Its predecessor…
Even though Americans have become more health-conscious in their food choices, fast food – notorious for its nutritional deficiencies and potentially harmful effects – is still a staple in the American diet. Some 37%…
A protest song by its very existence is polarizing, and as such it is unlikely to enjoy widespread appeal. Even so, some songs that captured the mood of an era so accurately became hits…
World War I had barely concluded before movie makers sought to tell the story of the War to End All Wars. Some of these motion pictures are among the most honored movies in cinematic…
The open road beckons travelers in countries around the world, not just the U.S.. And while American travelers tend to favor homegrown music to help pass the time on the highway, the musical tastes…
The Cold War, the nearly 50-year ideological struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, produced subterfuge, espionage, and proxy wars, but thankfully it did not lead to World War III. It also…
By this time, you might be tired of hearing holiday nuggets such as José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” “Last Christmas” from Wham!, Bobby Helms’s timeless “Jingle Bell Rock,” or Brenda Lee’s immortal “Rockin’ Around The…
Earlier this month, America observed a grim 10th anniversary, the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza killed 20 children aged 6- and 7-years old and six adults at…
As long as there have been ships there have been shipwrecks, and people have endeavored to find them, seeking treasure, artifacts, and historical insight into long-gone worlds. Since oceanography and maritime archeologist Robert Ballard…
At one time, music to a musician’s ears was the phrase “Number one with a bullet.” That was the music industry lexicon for a fast-moving song that reached the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot…
Sales of electric cars, including plug-in and hybrid cars, broke all kinds of records in 2021 – globally and domestically. The trend has continued in 2022, with electric vehicles outpacing other segments. Interestingly, however,…
Virtually every major musical artist has released a Christmas album. And even though these performers were famous before they ever cut a record with a holiday theme, some of them, such as Nat King…
Summer may be over but with the price of gasoline falling and the holidays approaching, Americans, to quote Willie Nelson, are going to be on the road again. To help make long road trips…
At one time, at least in theory, the music industry offered the chance for anyone to be a star. That was the premise for the movie “That Thing You Do,” about a fictional American…
In the last 25 years or so, the artisanal bean-to-bar movement has responded to the American public’s demand for richer and more vibrant-tasting chocolate, competing with chocolatiers who in some cases have been making…
