Confessions of a Not-So-Dangerous Mind*

’Beautiful Boy,’ Addiction, and Recovery

The 2018 film Beautiful Boy (starring Steve Carell and Timothy Chalamet) is a well-acted, harrowing true story of addiction, recovery, relapse, and the stages of grief a parent goes through. Hard to believe, but The Lost Weekend -- Hollywood's first large-scale movie about addiction and recovery -- is now nearly 80 years old!

Episode 204: Big

Penny Marshall's wonderful, whimsical fable Big opened 36 years ago today. 31 year-old Tom Hanks dazzles in the lead role of a literal "child in a man's body." A huge hit with both audiences and critics, Hanks went on to receive his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Episode 203: The Bridges of Madison County

Clint Eastwood's strong adaptation of Robert James Waller's "problematic" bestseller The Bridges of Madison County landed in theaters on 6/2/95. A rare example of a movie being wayyy better than the book upon which it was based, the film scored with critics and audiences, racking up $182 mil at the boxoffice and earning Meryl Streep yet another Oscar nom.

Episode 202: Total Recall!

34 years ago today, Paul Verhoeven's spectacular scifi mindbender Total Recall opened. An immediate success with critics and audiences, the film grossed over $260 million at the boxoffice, making it one of the biggest hits of its year.

OTD 1991: A Magical Walkoff Home Run

OTD 1991: for the second time in five days, the New York Yankees win on a walkoff HR, putting some energy into an early season which had seemed lost not much more than a week prior. Although it ended up a down year, the team's stunning 31-20 stretch from May-July was the first ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreadful era for the Bronx Bombers.

Episode 200: The Man from Malpaso

Clint Eastwood turns 94 on May 31, 2024. Join me for a look back at his extraordinary life and career.

Episode 199: ”The Best Movie You’ve Never Seen.” Miracle Mile (1988)

The 18th entry in our ongoing series "The Best Movie You've Never Seen," Miracle Mile is a low-key version of the classic apocalyptic thriller story. It has more heart and humanity than most films of this type and is (IMHO) essential viewing.

Episode 198: HANG ON!!!

The terrific Sylvester Stallone/Renny Harlin collaboration Cliffhanger opened 31 years ago today. The summer action blockbuster marked Sly's return to form, after trying his hand at comedies.

Episode 197: Memorial Day

Three men on my dad's side of the family served during wartime. Uncles Albert and Sydney landed in France just after D-Day; both were badly wounded. My father was a short timer when Vietnam escalated and was kept stateside for the duration of his tenure.

Episode 196: The GOAT & The Phantom Punch

"The Most Famous Sports Photograph Ever Taken" was snapped 5/25/65. Here's the story behind the image.