Stan's Recent Reviews

01/02/2011 - 5:21pm

After a break for the holidays, your votes at WIMZ.com sent me to see a couple of Oscar contending films. One is the Coen Brothers remake of the classic western “True Grit” while the other is a study of a troubled ballerina in “Black Swan.” Each film is filled with great performances but one struck a chord while the other struck a nerve.

Black Swan

12/20/2010 - 12:49am

The Fighter

Everyone has a dream. It could be elaborate or mundane. It could be whimsical or serious. It could be completely crazy or perfectly sane. Whatever form a dream takes, we all have one and hope one day to see it fulfilled. Of course, most of those dreams will never come true; mostly due to a lack of effort to see them brought to life or a lack of courage to even try. There are those rare individuals who see obstacles and failures as minor bumps in the road and don’t give up on making their dreams come true for any reason. This week’s movie

12/11/2010 - 11:22pm

Due Date

There’s a candy that used to advertise itself as “two great tastes that taste great together.” That’s often the case with food. Sometimes, the two don’t automatically seem to go together, like pretzels and chocolate. But the creation of chocolate-covered pretzels makes the two individual great snacks even better as a combo. Of course, not every combination is a good idea. For instance, an orange and a liquorish stick wouldn’t be good at all. Leaving the realm of food, fire and gasoline shouldn’t mix either; except

12/05/2010 - 4:57pm

The Warrior's Way

Back in the late 1980’s, I was offered a job in the panhandle of Florida, working at a pair of radio stations owned by the people for whom I was working at the time. The town was about 30 miles from the beach; I loved taking vacations in Florida and thought this would be a great thing to do. My wife and I packed up everything we owned and moved to the small town of De Funiak Springs, FL. It didn’t take long for us to feel a bit out of place. We were used to living in larger cities with plenty of choices for whatever we wanted and, essentially, a completel

11/28/2010 - 3:06am

Tangled and 127 Hours

This week I saw two very different movies that had more in common than one may expect. First, there’s the new Disney animated feature “Tangled,” which is a retelling of the fairy tale Repunzel. Second, there’s the real-life story of Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours.” Both main characters are forced to make difficult decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. Of course, one does it with computer animation and show tunes while the other uses hallucinations and a dull knife. To each their own.

11/22/2010 - 12:20am

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 1

A few years ago, I made the mistake of believing something I saw on a TV infomercial. I should have known better, but it really seemed like something that would solve a problem I had, so I bought the item. It was a solar-powered device hung in your car window that would suck out hot air and keep the temperature inside your closed up vehicle at something more reasonable. When you got in your car at the end of a long, hot summer day, it wouldn’t be as unbearable. When it arrived, I was very excited to finally solve this problem quickly assembled the magical devic

11/14/2010 - 7:48pm

Skyline

Anyone who has known me for a while or has read my reviews knows I’m a science-fiction fan. While my tastes are somewhat narrow you can pique my interest in a movie or TV show if you tell me it has some sci-fi elements. I’m more than willing to give anything with spaceships, aliens, ray guns, quantum singularities, supernovas and anything else otherworldly and fantastical more than a fair chance to impress me. At the same time, you can’t slap funny nose or extended forehead on an actor, say he’s from another planet, and just expect me to roll over a

11/08/2010 - 1:25am

Megamind

Is it nature or nurture that decides the kind of person we are? There are perfectly valid arguments on both sides of the debate and no one really knows for sure. There is statistical evidence that people who are physically and emotionally abused as children are as adults more likely to be abusive to their children. Of course, there are people who never experienced any kind of abuse in their formative years who are cruel and evil people as adults. The question remains: Is it how you are treated or your brain chemistry that decides your course in life? And

10/31/2010 - 8:55pm

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Some folks take on way too many projects, jobs and tasks for their own good. For instance, my wife has a full-time job, records books for the blind and dyslexic, volunteers at hospice, sings with two community choruses and is the chapter mother for her college fraternity. I’m not sure how she does it all and, sometimes, she doesn’t either; however, she never lets her responsibilities overwhelm her. While the pressures and frustrations of being a teenager may pale in comparison to being an adult, it doesn’t feel that way to the teen. When we grow up,

10/24/2010 - 1:32am

Hereafter & Paranormal Activity 2

As a child, I always loved Halloween. It was the one time of year I was allowed to eat candy with complete abandon. It was also fun to pick out my costume from the nearby discount store. Would I be a spaceman or a cowboy or a cartoon character? The choice was nearly overwhelming. I was always accompanied on my treat-gathering mission by a parent, usually my mom. When I was about 10, I was allowed to go out on my own. I felt like such a grownup, walking through my neighborhood after dark …dressed as an astronaut. I was nearly back to my

Stan's Recent Reviews

On Air Now!

Recently Played

Workforce Rockers

Workforce Rockers

Recent blog posts