A fine football film that’s not really about football

The football teams at De Lasalle High School in Northern California won a ridiculous 151 games in a row in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And yet in the film “When the Game Stands Tall,” you get to see only the win 151 and then two losses in a row. That’s because it’s not…

A stomach turner at the food court

After eating Chinese takeout in the food court of Destiny USA the other day before taking in the movie for my weekly film review blog for the Syracuse New Times site, an odd new addition to the space caught my eye. What might be that big ball over there, wondered I? I had to take…

A different place to put the front garden

I’ve noticed an interesting little garden one block over in our Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. As I walk with Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle, I try to keep her away from this one particular front yard garden, because it’s the only one of its type I’ve seen in these parts. This particular neighbor has…

It’s time to take notice of the Eastwood Bears

One week until the Syracuse Orange starts the 2014 college football season with a Friday night game in the Carrier Dome against the Villanova Wildcats, and so it’s time to pay tribute to … The Eastwood Bears. The youth football teams are also gearing up for their seasons at their home base, a grass field…

The offspring of Depp, Smith get juicy roles

Kevin Smith wrote it. Johnny Depp stars in it. “Yoga Hosers” sounds pretty cool right off the bat, does it not? I saw the name of the film and thought: What the … It’s the story of two 15-year-old yoga lovers, both named Colleen, who work at a Manitoba convenience story. They’re played by the…

The biggest gathering in our city is worth a long look

When I worked for the big daily in the 1990s, I came home pretty dusty every night during a 12-day stretch that started in August and ended on Labor Day. Part of my beat covering music and entertainment was reviewing concerts. And, yes, the New York State Fair threw a concert or 23 that I…

We kept getting drawn to the red one

My dear wife Karen and I have been watching Daryl drive his Honda Civic for a lot of years. Pretty car. Almost new car when grandpa helped him out back then. Sturdy car. A car that did its duty well, far more than 100,000 miles worth. With summer winding down, though, my fine stepson wasn’t…

‘Let’s Be Cops’ is fun, unfortunately

Some movies are so bad so fast. In “Let’s Be Cops,” I immediately blamed the character Ryan. Played by Jake Johnson, the smirky guy was too smug, too dopey, too … too much for me to take. Then I blamed the plot. Pretend that you are policemen in Los Angeles? How dangerous is that? Please…

Even at 75 degrees, there’s that certain aura in Syracuse

An afternoon walk around the block in the Syracuse city neighborhood on Eastwood with Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle on August 16, 2014 allowed a glimpse of change to come. Not every tree, but every once in a while, a certain tree had that look. Autumn is on its way to the northeast. The changes…

Two weeks to college football season, and the stuff is out

As the calendar to college football 2014 becomes thinner, the local sports store that tries so hard had the stops pulled out in Destiny USA, the full Friday out front display table devoted to our Syracuse Orange. Let’s see what’s for sale at My Favorite Sports Store. Would I want … As season ticket holders,…