Zulu is a 1964 film that depicts the epic Battle of Rorke’s Drift that occurred in 1879 between the British Army and Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu War. That line alone may very well be enough to either inspire or repel prospective viewers. The Cy Endfield-directed production already has its share of devoted followers who will be happy to grab...
The Beatles Again… Semi-American Style: Thoughts on The U.S. Albums
With The U.S. Albums 13-disc box set, Capitol Records has finally brought the “Americanized” Beatles catalog to CD and iTunes. Though not without controversy, fans can now choose between the original, Beatles-sanctioned U.K. albums or the rejiggered U.S. versions. It should be made clear up-front —these new reissues are, with a handful of exceptions, the same remastered stereo and mono...
The Sochi Olympics: A Travel Alert and A History Lesson
Written by Ray N. Olsen, Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians The U.S. State Department has issued an unusually long and comprehensive alert for travelers to the Sochi Olympics. This update of threats and concerns should be of interest to anyone interested in the outcome of the 2014 Games, which start on February 7. The Department of State...
New Music for Old People: A Tribute to Don Everly and the Late Phil Everly
I literally grew up on the Everly Brothers, as I am sure many of you did. They were amazingly consistent and had a unique blend and sound that will remain untouchable forever. Our paths crossed starting about 1958 when, as a non-shaving member of the group The Royal Teens, I played shows alongside many of the big acts of those...
Book Review: Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him by David & Joe Henry
Sadly, unconscionably, Richard Pryor has been largely erased from the pop culture landscape in the eight years since his passing. His ardent fans remain, but it’s hard not to wonder what will become of Pryor’s legacy once that ever-shrinking demographic eventually slips away. Ask a random teenager, or even a 20something, if they know who Richard Pryor was and (save...
Nintendo Wii Game Review: Skylanders SWAP Force
A new Skylanders video game has become an annual event since the 2011 release of Spyro’s Adventure. This year’s installment, Skylanders SWAP Force, should be at the top of any fan’s wish list for Santa or the Boxing Week sales. Like its two predecessors, Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders Giants, SWAP Force features the combination of a video game and a...
DVD Review: Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman – The Complete Series
Longtime fans like me spent decades wondering whether television’s groundbreaking Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman would ever surface on disc. Our hopes rose in 2007 when Sony issued a three-DVD package labeled Volume 1, which contained the first 25 shows from the 1976-77 series. But additional volumes never arrived and I eventually gave up. Now, out of the blue, comes this...
Scientology: NOT the Way to Happiness
When I walked through the front door at The Way to Happiness Foundation International in Glendale, California recently, I found the building empty except for a young brunette receptionist. I expected the impressive Scientology building to be empty — I haven’t seen one recently that wasn’t scarcely populated, and I’ve visited a few of their sites in California. I asked...
Princess Michael Prattles About Her Royal Neighbours
Britain’s Princess Michael of Kent has talked openly about her neighbours at Kensington Palace and revealed that Prince Harry might move in next door to William and Kate when the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester eventually quit their nearby apartment. In an astonishingly loose-lipped interview with the January edition of the society bible Tatler, the Princess refers to Prince William...
Black Scientology
When I first read of Scientology’s most recent incursion into the black community in the U.S., I laughed, but that quickly turned to horror the more I learned. A small storefront on East 116th Street in Harlem had been closed, but a newer, flashier Scientology organization had been opened at 220 E. 125th Street. The New York Daily News noted...