There are some movies that, despite having the odds stacked against them, managed to become cultural phenomenons, influencing the lives of millions.

Star Wars was one of those movies.

Before it opened in 1977, no one thought it would be a success. Theaters weren’t interested in it. The studio and George Lucas himself had no real faith it would make a blip on the box office.

Everyone was really wrong about that.

It was the first real blockbuster film. It set off a new trend in scifi entertainment.  It broke box office records and spawned a multi-media empire that nothing compared to.

The original trilogy had a pretty big impact on my life. Now we’ve got a new trilogy starting off. We live in magical times, indeed.

Watch me gush about Star Wars in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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This past weekend, Dick Van Dyke turned 90.

Fans celebrated by showing up outside of where he was showing and putting on a big show of classic Disney Mary Poppins tuns. He was singing along from the balcony and, later, came down to join everyone else for pictures and some more singing and dancing.

It was really great to see him still going so strong. 90 is a good, long run… and to still be singing and dancing, well, that’s even better.

You can check that out here.

This weekend was also my grandfather’s 90th birthday. He was never much of a singer and dancer (as far as I know), but he’s still going strong. Working a few days a week, going out with the family every now and then, pretty much most of what he’s been doing for decades. Including smoking cigars and drinking Jack.

Longevity is kind of an awesome thing when it’s accompanied with quality.

In today’s vlog, I go on a bit about both these guys (but the important one is my grandfather).

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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Here’s another movie to add to your list of movies to watch around Christmas (or, really, any time you need a pick-me-up).

Scrooged is one of my favorite Bill Murray films. It’s also one of my favorite Richard Donner films. And one of my favorites re-tellings of A Christmas Carol.

It’s a comedy with a ton of heart… and a musical number that, when I saw it back in 1988 in the theater, got the audience dancing along a little bit. Kind of awesome.

The cast is all at the top of their games, keeping up with and making use of Murray’s perfect comedic style. Even better, it’s got music by Danny Elfman helping to set that that creepy yet funny tone.

I don’t think I know anyone who hates this movie.

Watch me talk about it in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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There may be no place like home for the holidays, but to get there, a lot of us have to hit the road first.

As is the case with any travel-heavy holiday, there’s a high chance of adventure–either pleasant or un–to be had while going over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house. I know I’m regularly driving over five hours to get back to the old homestead for Christmas. And a lot of that is through Pennsylvania (which, if you’re somehow not familiar, isn’t one of the small states).

Weather is a big deal during those trips. Sometimes a big enough deal to change travel plans. Sometimes it becomes that big of a deal when it’s already too late to change travel plans.

I want to hear about your holiday travel adventures. Tell me about that time your car full of gifts for the in-laws spun out on a patch of black ice and you had to figure out how to get all those packages into the sub-compact rental (of course the only one available from the middle of nowhere rental place you were closest to). Or maybe there was that time with the dog… yeah, that time.

Watch me tell one of my little stories in today’s vlog and then tell me yours.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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Banter is one of those things I really dig in movies and TV.

Some actors really nail banter.

Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey are two of those actors. And they’re both at the top of their game in The Ref. (Which happens to be a Christmas movie, in case you didn’t know.)

Family gatherings at the holidays can be stressful things. We see that clearly in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. For every bit of utter silliness in that movie, there’s equal measure of darker dysfunction in The Ref.

For some reason, that sort of dark holiday comedy didn’t play well to the movie-goers of 1994.

But there was an audience, a pretty solid and continually growing one, for this sharp and biting commentary-filled dark comedy.

If you haven’t seen it, you should.

Watch me talk about it in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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