Confessions of a Not-So-Dangerous Mind*

Fellow CF legends Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were just elected to the MLB Hall of Fame. Jones' inclusion makes sense and is (IMHO) well-deserved. And just on career stats/WAR, Beltran is a worthy pick. Unfortunately, Beltran's case is a lot more complicated.

Seeing a performer transform him or herself for a role is often shocking... and often motivating. For me, Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 and Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear served as inspiration for me at the start of my own fitness journey, while still in high school.

A surefire 2026 Oscars contender, Ryan Coogler's Sinners has many obvious parallels with From Dusk Till Dawn, which turns 30 on January 18th. Join me for a deep dive.

2016 was something of a "best of times/worst of times" type of year. What did I learn from it as it was ongoing, and what do I take from it in 2026?

The first in our new series titled "Three Essentials" centers on Clint Eastwood, and why I think The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Dirty Harry, and In the Line of Fire are the three movies to watch/rewatch to understand how and why Clint Eastwood became "Clint Eastwood."

OTD, 1998: The Wedding Singer premieres in NYC. Adam Sandler is solid, but the immensely likable Drew Barrymore makes the movie. Also, I literally can't believe that this movie is 28 years old.

Happy 35th to Lionheart, released 1/11/91! Jean-Claude Van Damme is a laugh riot as a lethal kickboxer who shows up in NYC and beats the crap out of everyone.

A 1991 Miramax production starring the late Robbie Coltrane opened in the U.S. as The Pope Must Diet. Alas, that was NOT its original title...

It's true that the first days and weeks of January see an influx of new gym members. IMHO "New Year's Resolutions" should be retitled "Resolutions." Change doesn't happen overnight. Stay the course long enough for a mindset shift to occur, to where fitness becomes a part of your life, not something you're trying out in January.

Pier Paulo Pasolini's final film stands as possibly the most controversial major release in the history of cinema. Join me as I attempt to dissect this wholly unclassifiable work

Welcome to 2026 🥳🍾 We've had 3 series so far on the channel - Most Underrated Performances, The Great Movies, and The Best Movie You've Never Seen. We're adding a 4th, tentatively titled "Legends Primer." The idea? Use 3 movies from the careers of legendary figures to illuminate how and why they became legends.

The newest entry in our continuing series is Rob Reiner's fantastic 1989 romantic comedy, generally regarded to be one of the best romcoms ever made.

Join me for a look back at 2025! A year of achievement, despite the gas service being temporarily halted in January... with the house maintaining a brisk 42° for a full week 🥶😭🤣

Released December 26, 1940, George Cukor's marvelous screwball comedy features Katharine Hepburn as society gal Tracy Lord and James Stewart's Oscar-winning turn as reporter Macauley Connor, but Cary Grant steals the film as society gent C.K. Dexter Haven.

Al Pacino won his only Best Actor Oscar for his turn in Martin Brest's terrific buddy film/road movie Scent of a Woman, released December 23, 1992.

Happy 59th birthday, Kiefer Sutherland! The son of a legend (Donald) carved his own distinctive path, giving life to 24's Jack Bauer, The Lost Boys' David, Dark City's Dr. Schreber -- one of his own favorites from his career -- and later touring Europe with an indie band in the fascinating documentary I Trust You to Kill Me.

"Joshua by 6th round KO" is the official result from the 12/19/25 bout between Jake Paul and former 2x World Heavyweight Champ Anthony Joshua. Join me for a deep dive into the event and related boxing lore, including the crazy true story of a proposed 1968 boxing match between Muhammad Ali... and Wilt Chamberlain!

On Bill Pullman's 72nd birthday, a look back at Harold Becker's vastly underrated 1993 suspense thriller Malice.

Michael Mann's sensational "Los Angeles Crime Saga" opened December 15, 1995 to widespread critical acclaim and enormous boxoffice. As we speak Mann is preparing a sequel, set to star Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Austin Butler, Bradley Cooper, Ana De Armas, possibly Al Pacino, and others.

Still in a state of shock. Rob Reiner was a fantastic film producer and filmmaker, AFTER having been a brilliant sitcom star as actor. These are my (hopefully coherent) thoughts on his career and he and wife Michele's tragic deaths.

As a kid, Snow Days were almost always fun. As an adult, not so much 😆

Rob Reiner's strong adaptation of Aaron Sorkin's smash-hit Broadway play opened in the U.S. on December 11, 1992. Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, J.T. Walsh, and Kevin Bacon are solid; Jack Nicholson puts the movie on his back and runs away with it.

Released on December 7, 1990, Clint Eastwood's The Rookie disappointed critics and audiences alike. While many in Hollywood believed that Clint's time as a major player was over, The Man from Malpaso's best days were still ahead.

Netflix has purchased Warner Bros/Discovery for $82.7 billion. Join me as I discuss why this is way more important than you think and may signal the end of cinema as we've known it.

Watched the Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd "buddy comedy/horror" film Friendship. Have a lot of thoughts, not all of which are printable.

November 29, 1990: Misery opens. Rob Reiner's strong adaptation of Stephen's King's bruising novel goes through numerous incarnations -- first Robert Redford, then Warren Beatty -- before Kathy Bates and James Caan make movie magic. Ms. Bates stunning turn as Annie wins her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The fan-favorite 3rd sequel rolled up an astonishing $300 million at the boxoffice, 60% of which came from the overseas market! And why? Because "In Europe, they line up around the block for Stah-Low-Nay."

38 years on, Steve Martin remains hilariously relatable as family man Neal Page, but our biggest takeaway is funny, friendly, deeply wounded Del Griffith, and the genius who breathed life into him, John Candy. 😢

Money Train opened November 22, 1995. Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson fail to recapture the magic from White Men Can't Jump, but Jennifer Lopez registers strongly in her film debut.

The newest entry in our ongoing series is a rare movie in which "the heroes are also the villains," Changing Lanes.

Home Alone opened November 16, 1990. An instant hit with critics and audiences, the film rolled up an astonishing $477 mil at the box office against a budget of less than $20 mil!

"The Arnold Version" of Stephen King's dystopian classic novel The Running Man opened on November 13, 1987.

Ron Howard's fantastic action thriller Ransom opened on November 8, 1996. A commercial and (to a lesser extent) critical success, the film goes on to gross an astounding $309+ mil at the global boxoffice, a CRAZY tally for the era, an R-rated movie, and zero I.P.

33 years on, Passenger 57 stands as a hugely entertaining "Die Hard On A/Die Hard With A/Die Hard In A," with Wesley Snipes firing off epic one-liners from start to finish.

Completed a successful move from Huntington to Coram in the first week of November, 2023. I've made a lot of mistakes in my homeowner era (particularly in the first year), but 2025 has had real-world real-time problem-solving which (I like to think) would make those here before me smile.

Alas, the Dodgers have won World Series titles "back-to-back... and belly-to-belly." Join me for a look at the 2025 W.S. as well as some fascinating history of the Dodgers franchise, their rivalry with the Yankees, and Free Agency.

Early memories of Halloween are all good ones. The section of Massapequa where I grew up (with its geometrically perfect spacing) was perfect for trick or treating. Ironically, I didn't get creative with costumes until my 30s.

"October 26, 1996. The New York Yankees defeat the heavily-favored Atlanta Braves to complete a stunning comeback from 0-2 down to win the World Series in 6 games." True story, weeks prior to the 1996 postseason, my dad secured tickets for W.S. Game 7... six rows back from the field, 60 feet up the first base line. Was I in any way "conflicted" during Game 6 😭🤣 Join me for a look back at an incredible sequence of events.

October 22, 1996. With the Atlanta Braves holding a 2-0 lead in games after crushing the Yankees twice in the Bronx, Game 3 figured to be another easy win in advance of a sweep the following night. But a funny thing happened on the way to that Braves sweep...

Barry Sonnenfeld's fantastic adaptation of Elmore Leonard's bestselling novel Get Shorty opened October 20, 1995. Among my "second tier favorites" from Hollywood's Greatest Decade, it's a sparkling entertainment.

This year's Dodgers team seemingly underachieved until the postseason, in which they have thus far been dominant. Join me for a look at some cool history, as well as the notion that regular season records are mostly irrelevant in October.

Bernard Rose's ingenious adaptation of Clive Barker's 'The Forbidden' greatly expands upon the source material. For those of you watching for the first time, turn out the lights, look into a mirror, and say his name five times. Currently "free" w Amazon Prime and MGM+.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare opens October 14, 1994. It's my first semester at NYU Film School and my favorite academic class ever, 'The Horror Film.' Objectively speaking, the film is ahead of its time, yet I walked out of the theater as angry as I've ever been after a movie, because it should have been an all-timer, as opposed to a frustrating miss.

Even among the countless distinctive talents she worked with, Diane Keaton was still a unicorn. Join me for a look back at her unique magic and the way in which she seems to have left virtually everyone she crossed paths with, better for having met her.

The humorous story of finishing my '24 tax return just before the extended deadline. Dare I say that my dad, the CPA, would be proud.

October9, 1996. Yankee Stadium, The Bronx. Yanks-O's, ALCS Game 1. 13 year-old Jeffrey Maier's blatant interference with O's outfielder Tony Tarasco turns the 2nd out of the 8th inning into a game-tying homer. With no instant replay -- that rule change is still a decade away -- Ump Rich Garcia's inexplicable "miss," stands 😭😂. An hour later, The Yanks walk it off in extras.

Martin Scorsese's strong sequel to 1961's The Hustler opened on October 8, 1986, to critical acclaim and big boxoffice. Join me for a look back at a classic which proved to be a key film for Tom Cruise's upward trajectory.

The Sylvester Stallone/Richard Donner/Wachowskis collab Assassins opened October 6, 1995. A bizarre mix of 90s action and art cinema, the movie bombs in the states, then does well overseas, "Because in Europe, they line up around the block for Stah-Low-Nay." - Robert Sklar, NYU Film Professor.

In a game which began on October 4th, Jim Leyritz' 15th inning walkoff HR at 1:23am gives the Yankees a 7-5 win in Game 2 of the ALDS, in (IMHO) the best game ever played at any iteration of Yankee Stadium.

October 3rd: Bobby Thomson's legendary walkoff HR in 1951. Dave Winfield was literally born the same day. In 1995, the Yanks played their first postseason game in 14 years. Today, the 2025 Yankees prepare for the next round of the postseason.