What if the disciples were ninjas fighting to prevent Satan from possessing Jesus’ body and creating a zombie antichrist to rule the world? That’s the fantastic premise driving The Blood of Destiny, the new novel by Sean Leary. It’s been described by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks as “imaginative” and “exciting” and NY Times best-selling author Matthew Clemens said “this book rocks!” It’s Good Friday, 33 AD. Jesus Christ has been ritually crucified, his soul sent to hell, to free the lost souls of purgatory. In three days’ time, it is prophesized he will rise... Read More

You’ve all heard the classic tale of the Nativity – Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus as the three wise men follow a star to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But what if… the three wise men were NINJA WIZARDS, part of a secret society of warriors, sent to protect Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus from the evil of King Herod and Satan, who sought to kill the holy family before they made it to Bethlehem? That’s the pulse-pounding premise of THE ARIMATHEAN, a new action- adventure novel from author Sean Leary. The book is an action-packed popcorn tale... Read More

“Judas and the Black Messiah,” the bio-pic about Fred Hampton, head of the Black Panthers in Illinois in the sixties, comes to us from a dynamic team. Director Shaka King (“Newlyweeds”) had met Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”) in 2013 at Sundance.  Coogler (“Black Panther”) approached Warner Brothers with 50% of the film’s financing in hand to back the picture, directed by Shaka King (“Newlyweeds”) from a story by the Lucas Brothers. They already had the cast in mind and Shaka King had connected with screenwriter Will Berson, who had been researching Hampton for some time.... Read More

You’ve all heard the classic tale of the Nativity – Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus as the three wise men follow a star to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But what if… the three wise men were NINJA WIZARDS sent to protect Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus from the evil of King Herod and Satan, who sought to kill the holy family before they made it to Bethlehem? That’s the pulse-pounding premise of THE ARIMATHEAN, a new action- adventure novel from author Sean Leary. The book is an action-packed popcorn tale that’s part “Lord of the Rings,”... Read More

Director Christopher Nolan started tinkering around with the concept of time many years ago on a much smaller budget with 2000’s “Memento.” I liked it so much that, on a visit to the Twin Cities, I took a girlfriend and her husband to see it, my second time through it. It was unique, original, interesting, exciting and it didn’t run 150 minutes. It was even nominated for Best Original Screenplay at that year’s Oscars. We’ve now been treated to “Memento’s” successors from Christopher Nolan: “Insomnia (2002); “The Dark Knight Trilogy” (2005-2012); “The Prestige” (2006);... Read More

A teenager who can see the worlds of demons and the paranormal around us that others cannot is the protagonist of Sean Leary’s critically-acclaimed graphic novel series, “Exorcising Ghosts” The book is available worldwide and in local bookstores. Leary wrote and illustrated the series when he was a teenager and the books seem ripped from the diary of a teen, featuring various perils of growing up, including family issues, relationship breakups, friend squabbles and more, but with an added twist. The anti-hero of the story, Colin Drewry, is a recovering alcoholic and addict who... Read More

Ted Hicks worked in film in NYC, was in charge of awarding the Christopher Award, and was a college friend of mine at the University of Iowa. Ted has put together a list of good things to stream while we’re all stuck at home social distancing, and I have added my own favorites and added some specifics to his list. “A few days ago, Gary Davis, who I’ve known since 1st grade in Nemaha, Iowa, asked for some TV/cable/streaming recommendations,” Ted said. “I put together a bunch of titles and sent it to him.. I know many of you will already know a lot of these shows, but there... Read More

And, let’s get ready to rummmmmmmmmmbbbbbbblllllleee! Everyone’s looking for films to stream on Netflix, Hulu and more, and so every critic worth their Rotten Tomatoes rating is jumping in with their rankings. Two writers (Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr) from the Associated Press recently penned an article entitled “A Look at the Decade’s Best Big-Screen Releases.” The list, according to these two, was as follows: “Tree of Life” “Phantom Thread” “Margaret” “Lady Bird” “Moonlight” “Somewhere” “Cold War” “Certified Copy” “Inside Llewyn Davis” “The... Read More

As big names in horror go, you can’t get much bigger than Stephen King, and this year saw the release of a new film version of his classic “Pet Sematary,” which is now available on video and streaming for your viewing pleasure as Halloween quickly approaches. So what’s the verdict on the new flick? I reviewed it earlier this year, and here’s my take. In the 1989 original  film“Pet Sematary” pets buried in a spooky backwoods cemetery come back to life. When a tragedy befalls a child of Louis and Rachel Creed (Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz), the lure of having... Read More

One of the most controversial and most talked about horror films of this year or any recent year has been Jordan Peele’s critically-acclaimed “Us,” which is now available on video and streaming services. I saw “Us” in Austin, at South By Southwest, where it premiered in March, and I’m still letting my thoughts on “Us” and its meaning percolate. Here are 10 possible explanations for plot points in “Us.” WARNING: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FILM. It has been pointed out by someone other than me that “Us” is, basically, “U.S.”, i.e. United States. There... Read More