Judi, and now everyone, is gone

Judi Baller-Fabian poses with members of the Guardia Seville at Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain, in this photo taken during a vacation trip in the late 1970s.Judi Baller-Fabian poses with members of the Guardia Seville at Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain, in this photo taken during a vacation trip in the late 1970s.

Mom’s friend Judi was killed in a hit-and-run the other day, and I didn’t know what to say to Mom, or even if I should say anything at all. I guess I was still in shock myself. She had known… READ MORE

This is what I remember from the morning of Sept. 11, 2001

Michael Foran of Flickr via Creative Commons license. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixorama/

This is what I remember of that awful September 11 morning in 2001. The air was cool, crisp and clear, which was unusual for a September morning in the Florida Panhandle. The newsroom was empty except for Ralph Routon and… READ MORE

Mladen and Del review ‘Kate’

Image courtesy of Netflix.

“Kate” Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Patricia Martineau, Jun Kunimura, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano. Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan 106 minutes. Rated R. Netflix. Mladen’s take My deep love for Mary Elizabeth Winstead remains unabated. She’s terrific in “Kate,” the new… READ MORE

Mladen and Del review ‘The Tomorrow War’

Image courtesy of Amazon Studios.

“The Tomorrow War” Starring Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Sam Richardson, Keith Powers, Betty Gilpin, J.K. Simmons and others. Directed by Chris McKay. Too long (2 hours, 20 minutes). Rated PG-13. Amazon Prime. Mladen’s take “The Tomorrow War” would be an… READ MORE

Del reviews ‘The Last Journey of Paul W.R.’

Image courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films. — “The Last Journey of Paul W.R.” Starring Hugo Becker, Lya Oussadit-Lessert, Paul Hamy and Jean Reno. Directed by Romain Quirot. 1 hour, 27 minutes. Unrated. Hulu. Del’s take “The Last Journey of Paul… READ MORE

Another mass shooting, and again, we’ll do nothing

Image courtesy of Paul Sableman by way of a Creative Commons license. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pasa/31911920834

Another mass shooting. Ten people dead this time in what has become a depressing affront to human decency. We will react the way we always react – with declarations of “thoughts and prayers,” angry remonstrations over gun control or mental… READ MORE

Save a little slice of ‘old Fort Walton Beach’

Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

This is a copy of an email I just sent to the Fort Walton Beach City Council: My name is Del Stone Jr. I consider Fort Walton Beach my home. I’ve lived in the city since 1964 and my mother’s… READ MORE

Del and Mladen review ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. and Toho.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Shun Oguri and others. Directed by Adam Wingard. 113 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters and HBO Max. Del’s take It’s quite the compliment to the Florida Panhandle that “Godzilla vs…. READ MORE

Del and Mladen review ‘The Arbors’

Image courtesy of The Arbors Production with The Red Arrow Studios Company.

“The Arbors” Starring Drew Matthews, Ryan Davenport, Sarah Cochrane and Alexandra Rose. Directed by Clayton Witmer. 1 hour, 59 minutes. Unrated. Streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi TV. Del’s take Ethan Duanes (Drew Matthews) has a problem. His problem is life…. READ MORE

Mladen and Del review ‘Nomadland’

Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

“Nomadland” Starring Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, and others. Directed by Chloé Zhao. 107 minutes. Rated R. Hulu. Mladen’s take Goddamn, Del, you must hate me. What were you thinking when you suggested we review “Nomadland”? Was it something… READ MORE