• A Look Back,  Inside Entertainment

    A Look Back: The Lord of the Rings

    I grew up reading JRR Tolkien. I read The Hobbit (1937) in 1982 (and played the adventure game for the home computer). That summer break, I read The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1954), and The Return of the King (1955). I fell in love with Middle-earth and high fantasy to the extent that I then read all the supporting material that came out, such as The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales, etc. Tolkien’s Middle-earth opened up a world of magic, heroic quests, and history that delved into the beginning of time. It also taught me the importance…

  • A Look Back,  Inside Entertainment

    A Look Back: Sea of Love

    In lockdown, I’ve dedicated myself to rewatching movies I haven’t seen for decades, as well as some classics I’ve just never seen. Falling into the former category is Sea of Love (1989), starring Al Pacino as Detective Frank Keller, John Goodman as Detective Sherman, and Ellen Barkin as femme fatale Helen Cruger. Sea of Love marked Pacino’s return to acting after a four-year hiatus, as well as several unfortunate turkeys. The Plot Keller (Pacino) is an alcoholic New York detective struggling with his divorce. He’s called in to investigate a murder where the victim is found lying face-down, naked, on a bed in a hotel room while the song, ‘Sea…