greetings!

Did you miss me?

There is much to report since my last dispatch, so let’s dive in!

I am now a Tycoon. A Roller Coaster Tycoon to be exact. In my effort to have less phone time I have dusted off my Nintendo Switch and have once again become a gamer. Instilling this activity into my life once again has reminded me that the Free Library of Philadelphia has a variety of games that one is able to take out on loan. I was thrilled to learn that Roller Coaster Tycoon is an option. This was a game I thoroughly enjoyed playing in my late Middle School, early High School life. The object is to build a successful theme park from the ground up. It has been quite fun building my amusement park empire. With Mr. Scrooge as my assistant, what could possibly go wrong?

what’s the latest scoop?

Praise Cinema!

This past week I have started preparing the layout of the Spring 2026 edition of MovieJawn which will feature writings and artwork about Cinematic Nuns.

I have always been fascinated with Nuns due to the sheer devotion they have to a sole vocation. The idea of worship that leads a person to ultimately surrender their entire life to a selfless existence is astounding to me. In many ways, I feel I understand their commitment because, in a lot of ways, I have centered my life around the cinema, and consider myself to be a piece of celluloid. We each have our own paragon that we praise.

In terms of a topic for MovieJawn, I felt that there is such a variety of Nun films out there, from Nunsploitation to Dramas to Comedy, that are ripe for exploration. It is going to be fun sharing this latest print issue with the world.

To find MovieJawn in your mailbox, subscribe here 

this week i am proud of…

A pair of movie reviews

This past week I wrote two reviews. If you have a moment, check them out!

Queen Kelly

Queen Kelly is a silent film starring Gloria Swanson that has quite the legendary filmmaking tale and was recently provided with a restoration from Milestone Films. If you’re local to Philadelphia, check it out on the silver screen today at Lightbox Film Center at Bok, tickets available here, showtime at 5pm. Find my Queen Kelly review here 

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is fantastic and demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. Check out my review here 

this week i recommend…

The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama

I just finished reading The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama with my pal, Liz Locke of CinemaSips.com.

With The Brightest Star, Gail pens a historical fiction tale about actor, Anna May Wong and her experience as a Chinese American finding her way in Tinseltown.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read and worth checking out, especially for those that are new to Anna May. I am pleased that it has inspired me to learn more about this spectacular personality and style icon. As with most historical fiction, it is hard to decipher the truth from the fabrications. I will be following up The Brightest Star with Not Your China Doll by Katie Gee Salisbury. I look forward to learning if there was any actual truth to her relationships with director, Tod Browning (Dracula, 1931) and actress, Marlene Dietrich.

Without a doubt, Anna May will be exhumed and featured on one of my future Cinematic Crypt episode. I cant wait to check out Wong’s motion pictures, particularly, Shanghai Express (1932) and The Toll of The Sea (1922).

Want to read these books too? Find them at your local library or purchase from BookShop.org, Not Your China Doll is available here and The Brightest Star is available here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy you are here. xx.
goodbye.