Film and TV may not always do the best job or be the best way to influence public behavior. Although, when writers, directors and actors get real, the impact is as rapid, prolific and positive as any method of public…
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HOT OFF THE PRESS: SACRAMENTO, CA — If you have never looked skyward into the deep blue yonder and given a second thought to just how far outer space really goes, the new book Humble Sky cautions, you should make…
For fans of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman who’ve been intrigued over the years by the bizarro worlds of “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and a dozen other inventive cinematic experiences, his expansive debut novel Antkind is…
With the presidential and vice-presidential debates just around the corner, this Humble Sky post from last year seems worthy of a second look … for laughs and consideration. [REPRINT — 11-5-19] Hypocrisy is dead. Good riddance, right? Except … the…
The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is an immediate and dire socio-economic nightmare. But … it could also be a dream come true for socially conscious, public-relations savvy businesses and industries. Selfish, thoughtless, right? Unless you consider public relations in the traditional…
The paperback Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview and Other Conversations was an impulse buy at Target. (That’s redundant, I know.) What happened next was less predictable. As the youngish cashier scanned the book, she looked up and sighed, “He inspired…
By Cheryl Brown and Stuart Greenbaum Does Hollywood lead or follow when it comes to important social causes? Judging by recent concerns — of equality, equity and diversity — it mostly follows. The bottom line, that is: the money, the…
By Stuart Greenbaum and Kathryn Cherkas Who better to judge whether art accurately imitates life than those with plenty of experience? So, when Hollywood attempts to fictionalize aging-related storylines, it would make sense — practically and experientially — for creative…
Imagine the scene, comfortable and familiar — a group of friends gathered in a cozy apartment, tasty snacks spread about, in one room a turntable is spinning classic rock, from another room comes successive bursts of uproarious laughter from those…
By Stuart Greenbaum and Kathryn Cherkas What happens when two-dozen adult day center participants, ages 68-98, come together to critique a feature film — “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” for instance? Well … a handful walked out mid-screening, some fell…
