Paula and Terry identify as writers, with an ever-increasing number of published works to support the supposition. They live a primarily pastoral life in the enchanted town of Jacksonville. 
“APRIL IS THE CRUELEST MONTH,” T.S. Elliot wrote in The Waste Land. He was right, at least about the month’s first day, abused as “April Fool’s Day.” We’re not big fans of the all-too-common practice of jokers attempting to draw attention to themselves by playing foolish pranks upon any and […]
CARTOONIST DAVID SIPRESS NAILED IT with his recent illustration in the The New Yorker, titled “Two Baby Boomers Watch the Grammys.”
Two old geezers (Hey, that’s us!) sit on a sofa in front of their telly, watching the festivities. The individual thought bubbles above their heads read, “Who?” “Who?” “Who?” And […]
WHEN WE HEARD that actor/writer/director Bradley Cooper was planning a bio-pic about Leonard Bernstein, we were stoked. Bernstein stands as perhaps America’s greatest conductor/composer, listed historically and globally among icons such as Mozart and Beethoven. As for Cooper, we praised his abilities in this column in 2018, for his work […]
We have good news and bad news. Or, more accurately, good news and sad news.
We’re wildly happy that Jacksonville is home to the Britt Music and Arts Festival, and felt thrilled throughout the recent season as Executive Director Abby McKee handily demonstrated her prowess at the helm. Yet there’s […]
“This is dedicated… to the one I love…”
Or, more accurately, the ONES WE love. We’re thinking about “the girl groups,” teenage vocalists that had as much to do with the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll as Elvis Presley, or as the Sears catalog’s guitar page.
You know of whom we speak. […]
You know that television commercial that seems to get recycled every few years? The one where the old lady pitifully moans, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”
This isn’t about that. Although it might as well be.
Our personal pitiful moan this month is: “Help! We’ve traveled and we can’t […]
Hi.
Terry here.
Paula has the month off—except that she rewrote, edited, and grammar-corrected this into readability, so, “Thanks, Paula.”
Anyway—recently I’ve been reminiscing about facts that seem, to me at least, stranger than fiction. For instance:
During the first two years of my life, the President of the United States was named Franklin […]
Forty-two.
Yes, it’s the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything. But more importantly, it’s the number of years since we first met Indiana Jones—archaeologist/professor/badass, with a bullwhip at his side and a well-worn fedora on his head.
Over the years, we’ve watched him battle his way through hostile natives, fascistic […]
(In which your Unfettered Critics attempt to convince Our Readers that meteorology can be a form of entertainment.)
“Sure hope it doesn’t rain on Ringo,” we recently took to saying. Our concerns weren’t so much for our favorite drummer as for ourselves. Sir Ringo would stay dry on the covered Britt […]
You remember M.A.S.H., right? That viewer favorite ran for eleven seasons, an unusually long run, as most shows at the time said goodbye after six or seven seasons. Eleven wasn’t the record, of course—Gunsmoke had survived a then-unprecedented twenty seasons—but producers and marketing execs took note anyway. And today, a […]
FAR OUT! The Britt Festival has announced the entirety of their 2023 schedule, and, as expected, it’s a gas! Which is to say, it’s funky, and fab, and outtasight! We certainly dig it.
But then, we are—and we say this proudly—Boomers. Never thought that word would become synonymous with senior citizens, […]
Why do people go to the movies?
Prior to 2020, you probably would have answered, “For the experience of being entertained amidst a crowd of presumably like-minded individuals who will laugh or cry or gasp at the same time I do. And for the popcorn.”
These days, it’s more like: “I have […]
Long ago and far away, as we cheerfully informed friends that we’d purchased a home in distant Jacksonville, Oregon, a few surprised us by responding with a curious familiarity. “I once spent a whole day exploring the Jacksonville Cemetery,” recalled a dear friend in New Mexico. And from our tax […]
Ah, Masterpiece Theatre.
Since 1971, this British-produced television program has sustained us unlettered American slobs (no offense) with weekly servings of fascinating drama. Initially, Masterpiece Theatre aired adaptations of classic novels and historical biographies. Then one happy day they added compelling mysteries and police procedurals into the mix.
These newcomers proved so […]
Being that we’re comfortably relaxed into the gentle flow of Jacksonville living, the most pressing responsibility we encounter each month is the content of this column. “What the heck should we write about this time,” one of us will start. “We could take in a movie,” comes an oft-repeated […]
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future…” ~Steve Miller, 1976
Slippin,’ in fact, happens all the time.
Let’s say you come up with the most amazing, ground-breaking technology ever seen. Your awesome innovation changes everything it touches and is applauded as true magic.
Then, in the blink of a decade or two […]
Cole Porter had it right. It’s too darn hot… to sup, fill the cup, or engage in any of the usual (ahem) shenanigans with your honey during this hot, hot, hot summer.
Our suggestion: boost the air conditioning, and stream, baby, stream—on the web, that is. Whether it’s a movie you […]
We thought it would be easy. We’d drive to the theater, watch Elvis, and write a review. We already knew so much about the legendary singer, we figured we could write a worthy column even without seeing the movie. The title, after all, is “Elvis,” so it’s about Elvis—right?
Well, as […]
Bonnie Raitt is coming back to the Britt stage. YAY!
Bonnie first “broke” into the public eye with her 1989 album, Nick of Time. It won three Grammy Awards, and is among the few CDs that never get re-alphabetized into our overstuffed library of the things. But before that heady experience, […]
“Downton Abbey! Have you heard it’s coming back?”
A voice called from across the street, not far from Jacksonville’s historic downtown. We looked around, and realized it belonged to a neighbor whom we hadn’t seen for two mask-obscured years. We recalled that she was a Review reader familiar with our humble […]
We mentioned “remakes” in our last column: new movies based on existing properties that inspired studios and filmmakers to wanna do them again. Remake motivation for studio executives is obvious. If it made money before, the prospect of cashing in on the same property a second time is irresistible.
Motivation for […]
You were up at five AM on February 8, anxiously awaiting revelation of the 2021 Oscar nominations, right?
Yeah, neither were we, but then, we’re old hands at this. We slept in, and looked them up on the ‘net later in the day. We felt pretty smug because we’d actually seen […]
Sinking into a comfy seat in a crowded auditorium ain’t gonna happen for us—yet. The good news, however, is that we all can be entertained at home (for just a little longer).
May we recommend Director Peter Jackson’s perfect (we mean it) documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, streaming on Disney+. The […]
Have you ever felt as though you’re in a Twilight Zone episode?
Of course you have. Everybody feels that way these days—ever since early 2020, when we all woke to discover that our entire planet had fallen prey to a deadly viral pandemic. Suddenly everything we knew about our existence […]
Back when TVs still wore rabbit ears, rumors spread about “pay television.” Folks chuckled, “Will we have to drop quarters into a box? Who’s gonna come around to pick up the coins?”
“Streaming” was something only salmon in the Pacific Northwest cared about.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century. The streaming bill […]
Trade magazine Publisher’s Weekly reports that book sales are climbing for the second year. This news can be traced directly to the pandammit. Statistics show that people have remembered that nothing’s more comforting than a good book.
But with thousands of new books being published, how does one choose? We want […]
It began at the beginning. Literally.
You’re aware that John Wayne was born Marion Morrison, right? And that Marilyn Monroe’s birth name was Norma Jeane Mortenson until she changed it to Baker until she changed it again. Changing names has been movie star practice for so long that we’re not surprised […]
We watched a movie at a theater for the first time in eighteen months.
Really.
And yes, it felt like a big deal, because post-vaccinations, with the pandammit looking a little less fearsome, we felt an itch to go where we didn’t have to pop our own corn. Hollywood, finally, was releasing […]
Something’s in the air. Something soothing, as opposed to the scary silence that’s surrounded us for far too long.
Voices can be heard on the street, unmuffled by masks. We hear hellos. Hellos from friends we haven’t seen in a while. Hellos from friends we’re meeting for the first time.
We may […]
Sixty-three years ago, a vocal group called Danny and the Juniors wailed the lyrics, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Here To Stay” into a vinyl creed. Preachers and teachers and parents alike pooh-poohed the beat and the lyrics, but to the kids they were pure gospel.
Then Elvis was drafted, Jerry Lee […]
The recent Super Bowl halftime show (well, last February) featured music by “The Weeknd.” We’d seen The Weeknd perform on several late night TV shows, so we knew his shtick. We say “his,” because The Weeknd is one guy. In our memory, one person occupying center stage used to be […]
A long time ago in a memory far, far away, when the word “pandemic” likely triggered blank stares, your diligent Unfettered duo wrote an annual column related to the year’s Academy Award nominations. This year, as we write this, the nominations have yet to be announced, while the awards ceremony, […]
One evening in 1972, a folk singer ran over a skunk. When he got home, he spent fifteen minutes jotting down a tune about the accident, calling it, Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road. The singer’s name was Loudon Wainwright III.
The early ‘70s was a musically transitional time. […]
Back in April (hard to believe that was this year), our column revealed that we’d completed another book, titled The Art of Star Trek: Discovery.
The timing was less than propitious. The world had just been smacked by a pandemic. No one, as yet, realized how far-reaching an impact it […]
You’re drifting…warm…cozy…comfortable…
Peaceful.
And then something blasts from the radio on your nightstand—the one too close to your ear.
Maybe it’s Sonny & Cher, singing “I Got You Babe.” Maybe it’s Eric Teel saying something about a virtual pledge drive.
Instinct arm-wrestles with common sense…and wins! You manage to lash out, smack that bloody […]
Jacksonville sat silent this summer, with a stillness settling over us like dust motes, as though a phantom orchestra on an abandoned stage performed a concert of quiescence for our hollow ears.
It was a most disconcerting sound. A sound of sadness.
Call it collateral damage. Call it a sidebar to a […]
We interrupt your regular life to bring you these reminders: Wear the mask. Maintain social distance. Stick close to home.
Don’t go to movies. Or the theatre. Just turn on the Boob Tube.
Is there anything there you haven’t seen? Maybe on the Food Network…?
After you’ve burned through “Chopped,” “Diners, Drive-Ins and […]
“It’s a whale of a tale I’ll tell you, lads, a whale of a tale or two.”
In late September 2019, Paula and I were walking through Manhattan’s Upper West Side, admiring the ironwork that enhances the stoops on the brownstones. At one point I glanced up and saw that Paula was thirty feet ahead of […]
Have you ever felt as though you’re in a Twilight Zone episode?
Of course you have. Everybody feels that way these days—waking up to discover that our entire planet has fallen prey to a deadly viral pandemic, the likes of which has never ever been experienced on […]
You may recall that back in October we announced we were writing another book. At the time, we withheld the subject matter—but now the time has come for the Big Reveal!
Drrrrummmmm roll….
It’s a Star Trek book!
(Was there ever any doubt in your mind?)
Yes, Star Trek. Sometimes we write about other […]
‘Tis time again for animated Christmas specials to pop-up on the tube, many of them rebroadcasts of beloved classics from decades ago. We won’t waste precious space to list them all (honestly, do you really care to hear about Grandma got Run Over By a Reindeer?). Instead, we’ll touch […]
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “Gratitude” as: “A warm sense of appreciation of kindness received, involving a feeling of goodwill towards the benefactor, and a desire to do something in return.”
Not bad, eh? We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, and in gratitude to the OED editors we’ll return the […]
We’re back.
And so are they.
“We” being your Unfettered Critics. “They” being. . . well, we’ll get to them in a moment.
Some of you may have noticed (and we thank those of you who’ve stopped us on the street to say you had) that our column mysteriously went missing from recent […]
With the Britt Festival’s new season just around the corner, we find ourselves jittery with anticipation. “Music,” they say, “hath charms to sooth the savage beast.” We agree, but that suggests music of the hear (see what we did there?) and now. So what, we asked ourselves, […]
We recently saw the movie Captain Marvel.
Hold that thought—we’ll get back to it in a minute. But first: a few words about “comic book superhero” history. It’s complicated. Convoluted. Confusing.
And you thought it was just kid stuff!
In the 1930s, “pulp magazines” (named for the cheap wood pulp paper they were […]
Our unfettered readers often ask, “How do the two of you write together?” Our stock answer is that one of us starts the piece, then gives it to the other, saying, “This is finished.” The other reads it, usually yelling, “This is terrible. It has to be rewritten from word […]
A year ago, we shared our feelings about streaming services: Didn’t have ‘em. Didn’t need ‘em. Get off our lawn, streamers!
Then we discovered that Discovery—the first new Star Trek series in a decade—could be accessed only on CBS All Access—via (horrors!) streaming. Thus, we yielded to the streamer that carries […]
’Tis the season for ye olde Unfettered Critics to remind (okay—nag) everyone to give back to your community by shopping local. Which brings up a question that has been bothering us for some time—what’s with this weird word we used at the top: “’Tis?”
Think about it. It’s obviously a […]
“I just wanted to take another look at you” is a key bit of dialogue in the oft-produced movie A Star Is Born. The heartfelt line is delivered by the film’s male lead: Fredric March in 1937, James Mason in 1954, Kris Kristofferson in 1976, and Bradley Cooper in this […]
Dogs are entertainment. Unfettered entertainment, if you will. Life without dogs is possible…but for people like us, it’s far less enjoyable.
Dogs also are a job. We take care of them, 24/7, from the day we let them into our lives to their last passing moments. We’ve written about dogs before, […]