Author Archives: Tom Garrett

Timely Movie Review: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Tom Garrett

*SPOILERS AHEAD* The Mission: Impossible movie franchise has had a unique trajectory. The first installment was a better-than-average 90s spy thriller that was mostly an updated, big-budget version of the TV show.  Built around Tom Cruise’s star power, M:I gets points for … Continue reading →

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Let’s All Make Fun of Tom’s Brackets (2025 Edition)

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Tom Garrett

I don’t even know who I am anymore. Today, on the first day of March Madness, I voluntarily scheduled three different meetings for this afternoon.  Three.  And I never even thought twice about it. The high school student who shared … Continue reading →

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2024 Election Spoiler Alert!

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Tom Garrett

We’re nearing that most cherished of American civic traditions: the dignified, peaceful transfer of power that follows an uneventful, orderly election. It’s a beautiful thing to witness, isn’t it?  Filled with civic pride and patriotism, I’ll cast my ballot today … Continue reading →

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Timely Movie Review: Deadpool & Wolverine

Posted on August 4, 2024 by Tom Garrett

*SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS* Your experience with Deadpool & Wolverine will vary wildly depending on your expectations. If you’re craving a strong story comparable to the upper half of MCU fare, albeit with more jokes, you’re likely going to have a middling … Continue reading →

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The Hitler – Trump Hypothetical, Revisited

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Tom Garrett

A few hours after Election Day 2020, with the notion of a “stolen” vote already the hottest topic in politics, I wrote a piece explaining why such an idea wasn’t ridiculous. It wasn’t because I believed that the 2020 election … Continue reading →

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A Gay (as in “Happy”) Father’s Day

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Tom Garrett

Dedicated and detail-oriented readers may recall a post from way back in 2011 about an advertisement that appeared in Time and Newsweek in 1961.  The ad featured my father portraying a medical student (which he was not). For those of you too lazy … Continue reading →

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Let’s All Make Fun of Tom’s Brackets (2024 Edition)

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Tom Garrett

After a brief moment of glory derived from my championship-winning 2021 bracket, I returned to (poor) form in 2022.  In fact, my 2022 bracket was evidently bad enough that I decided not even to post my 2023 bracket. That 2022 … Continue reading →

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Timely Movie Review: American Fiction

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Tom Garrett

[**Spoilers**] Upon watching the very fine trailer for American Fiction, one could be forgiven for concluding that the film is “only” a satirical look at modern racial and cultural norms about the “black experience” in America.  Something like 1987’s excellent … Continue reading →

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Timely Movie Review: Oppenheimer

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Tom Garrett

Christopher Nolan is my favorite director.  He is one of the few filmmakers whose name alone is enough to get me to the theater.  In fact, he may be the only one. For example, although Damian Chazelle’s Whiplash and First Man … Continue reading →

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Timely Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Tom Garrett

*SPOILERS AHEAD* James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 breaks a lukewarm streak for MCU films, partly because it doesn’t fit into the current run of Marvel fare.  Instead, it’s both a satisfying conclusion to a distinct trilogy and the … Continue reading →

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