Category Archives: Film

Passion

Posted on April 19, 2021 by John Swinburn

My calendar for today is surprisingly empty. Though I have plenty to do, nothing is truly pressing. I may attempt to do today what I had planned for yesterday. Or I may take the day for myself, by myself. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Television, Television series, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Meandering Through the Morning

Posted on August 30, 2020 by John Swinburn

Shortly after I became enamored with Scandinavian films and television series, my wife suggested I would enjoy watching Dicte. By that time, though, the Danish television series was no longer readily available; I looked, to no avail. Recently, though, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Poetry, Scandinavian, Television, Television series | 2 Comments

Feelings, Food, and Film

Posted on July 5, 2020 by John Swinburn

I watched a brief, animated video produced by BBC this morning. Entitled, “Is a Crisis a Chance to Reset the World?” It parallels what I’ve been thinking and hearing from others who want the COVID-19 pandemic to serve as a … Continue reading →

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Thoughtwanderer

Posted on June 23, 2020 by John Swinburn

When Whiskey Advocate came in yesterday’s mail, I was puzzled about why I received it but pleased to have found it in my mailbox. It wasn’t long before it occurred to me that I traded DeltaMiles for the subscription (there’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Film, Language, Liquor | Leave a comment

Acceptable Ambivalence

Posted on May 9, 2020 by John Swinburn

The first Icelandic Netflix series, Katla (a sci-fi series) will begin shooting soon in Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland. Part of the town has already been covered in volcanic ash in preparation for filming. Þorbjörg Gísladóttir, the director of the local … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Scandinavian, Television, Television series | 2 Comments

Molly Ivins Documentary

Posted on December 11, 2019 by John Swinburn

Last night, we had dinner with a friend. She served us wonderful chili and treated us to a documentary about Molly Ivins entitled, Raise Hell: The Life And Times Of Molly Ivins.  I have been a Molly Ivins fan for … Continue reading →

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Unit 42

Posted on November 16, 2019 by John Swinburn

I just finished watching, for the second time, the first episode of the first season of Unit 42. I watched the episode several months ago and enjoyed it immensely, but somehow got sidetracked, as I am wont to do, and … Continue reading →

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Film Nibbles

Posted on February 8, 2019 by John Swinburn

I watched The Angel the other night, the true story of Ashraf Marwan, who was President Nasser’s son-in-law. He was also a special adviser to Nasser’s successor, Anwar Sadat, at the same time he served as an asset to Israeli … Continue reading →

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Cancer Journal 19, 2019 and Dinners and Netflix Entertainment

Posted on January 29, 2019 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, the second chemo treatment was administered. It’s a long process, beginning with “backwashing the chemo port,” as I call it. Actually, it’s just cleaning the port and, I guess, ensuring that the contents of the needle plunged into it … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Film, Health, Television series | 2 Comments

Desierto

Posted on August 16, 2017 by John Swinburn

I watched Desierto tonight. It’s not an uplifting film. It’s an action/horror film whose premise is that a group of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. are forced to abandon the truck in which they are being transported. Because … Continue reading →

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Lion

Posted on July 28, 2017 by John Swinburn

I do not follow film. I do not wait with anticipation for announcements of Oscar nominations, nor do I track predictions about which new films will be the latest and greatest contributions to filmdom. I guess that’s the reason I’d … Continue reading →

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Hard Powder and the Like

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Swinburn

I stumbled across a bit of interesting information this morning, something I want to file away as a reminder in a year or so. A film called Hard Powder, starring Liam Neeson, is being filmed in or around Vancouver, British … Continue reading →

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My Revelation: A Thirteen-Year Extra-marital Affair

Posted on March 24, 2017 by John Swinburn

I am awake because threats of severe weather for our area continue around us. Earlier, we had two severe thunderstorm warnings and one tornado warning. Fortunately, those warnings have expired, but the atmosphere south and west of us looks favorable for … Continue reading →

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Keeper of Lost Causes

Posted on February 7, 2017 by John Swinburn

There is no question: I have become enamored with Danish crime films. Tonight, I watched Department Q: Keeper of Lost Causes, a gritty thriller in which a troubled and troublesome homicide detective is punished for his bad behavior, after having … Continue reading →

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Netflix Genre Category Listings

Posted on February 7, 2017 by John Swinburn

Netflix Genre Listings When logged in to Netflix online, click on a genre selection below to see a complete list of current Netflix titles within the genre. Action & Adventure Action & Adventure, Classic Action & Adventure, Crime Action & … Continue reading →

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Another Visit to the Theatre

Posted on January 25, 2017 by John Swinburn

My foreign flick frenzy continued unabated on Tuesday evening, when I watched The Wave, (the Norwegian title for which is Bølgen).  Unlike some of the previous flicks, this one cannot be accused of being in the same state, much less the same … Continue reading →

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Foreign Cinema and Series

Posted on January 23, 2017 by John Swinburn

I did not intentionally seek out foreign films and television series. It was as if the Netflix series sought me out. First, I stumbled upon Fauda (which means “chaos” in Arabic), an Israeli television series political thriller that captured my … Continue reading →

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Cartel Land

Posted on February 17, 2016 by John Swinburn

I am not quite sure how I feel about Cartel Land, a documentary film I watched last night. The film follows two groups of vigilantes, one on the U.S. side of the Arizona-Mexico border and one deep inside the Mexican state of Michoacán, … Continue reading →

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Was All Really Lost?

Posted on January 3, 2015 by John Swinburn

I watched (and watched is the operative word in this case) a movie, All is Lost, the other night. Robert Redford played the only character and had the only speaking part, requiring him to memorize very, very few, lines.  While I was … Continue reading →

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After Life: The Film

Posted on November 24, 2014 by John Swinburn

Our friends in Fort Smith lent us a DVD while we were there the beginning of this month.  We watched it a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. The film, After Life (which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Fiction, Film, Philosophy | Leave a comment

Compassion…hmmm

Posted on February 3, 2014 by John Swinburn

Yesterday afternoon, I read many reactions to the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman.  They ranged from expressions of loss and grief to attacks on the character and intelligence of anyone who dies of a drug overdose. One comment said simply, … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Film, Philosophy | 12 Comments

Rampart

Posted on September 16, 2012 by John Swinburn

Based on the trailer we watched yesterday, I expected Rampart to be much better than it was.  My wife picked up something different; she had no interest in watching it, so after I reserved it online on Redbox and then … Continue reading →

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