-
Ed Garea the “Phantom of the Ring” Passes Away- Dr. Mike Lano’s Tribute
Wrestling and the Entertainment World Loses Ed “Phantom” GareaBy Dr. Mike Lano I was honored last Friday (but mostly extremely saddened to the gut) that Ed Garea’s sister texted me from, I believe, his cell for the first time that he’d shockingly passed away the day before.I’d known Ed since he was my first editor […]
-
Theater Review: Rock and Roll Man (New World Stages NYC 7/3/23)
Theater Review: Rock and Roll Man (New World Stages NYC 7/3/23) Early DJ and concert promoter Alan Freed helped bring Rock & Roll to the masses.He also had a short, troubled life dying a broke alcoholic at age 43 after payola, tax evasion, and songwriting scandals.In this jukebox musical, though, he’s clearly the rebel hero […]
-
Masters of Puppets- Theatrical Review by Evan Ginzburg
Driving down the I-95 towards the Legacy Theatre in Branford, Connecticut, there’s a certain irony in passing right by WWE Headquarters. Its dark, ominous flag waving in the June wind reminded me of Vince McMahon’s ruthless takeover of much of the pro wrestling world. But nothing could prepare me for Masters of Puppets, a scathing, […]
-
On Witnessing Pro Wrestling Greatness- Ospreay vs. Omega
Here’s something about witnessing greatness. I’ve been watching and attending wrestling for around 50 years and am as jaded as anyone you will ever find. But when I find myself watching a match like Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 17, this is wrestling elevated to Art. It’s an exhilarating experience where you […]
-
Lianne- Film Review
Lianne (2022)- Well done indie Canadian horror film where influencer Erin is convinced by her followers to stay alone in a haunted house to raise money for the fight against cancer after her stepsister, Lianne’s death.The “gimmick” here is that she’s broadcasting live throughout the film and narrating the tale as it’s happening. It works […]
-
CoVid Booster Meets Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You: The Mash Up
So, I finally bit the bullet and went for my latest Covid booster yesterday, and the damn thing bit me right back.My head pounding, sinuses flaring, body aching and feverish; I was too sick to do anything beyond channel surf last night.And there she was in all her magnificence, Mariah Carey, singing All I Want […]
-
It Was a Schlep- A Holiday Message
My late father drove a New York City yellow taxi six days a week, 14 hours a day, to the point of exhaustion.Yes, driving was how he paid the bills. And when he died at 57, I was a mere 20 years old. Nevertheless, I had a nagging feeling that all that driving had done […]
-
AEW Full Gear 2022- The Bullet Points
As I don’t believe in the 5,000 word overwrought reviews of pay per views let’s just do the bullet points of the good, bad and ugly of AEW Full Gear 2022 (and AEW in general). The Good AEW has as great a crew of wrestlers as any promotion in the history of wrestling. They have […]
-
Horror, Horror, Horror- Halloween Ends & Other Mini-Movie Reviews
SPOILER ALERT- This film is crap AND there are spoilers below. Michael Myers is back, and he has a tag team partner. And his new buddy thinks he’s Death Wish’s Paul Kersey. Yes, you read that right. Michael’s got a teammate. Adding to the absolute lack of credibility, when Grandma Laurie finally goes one on […]
-
The Walking Dead is Ending…My Mixed Emotions
I have MAYBE 25% as much interest as I once did in the Walking Dead, and it kind of saddens me. The first two seasons were as great as almost any in the history of television, heel Negan may be the greatest villain in the annals of TV, yet it almost feels like a responsibility […]