Episode #15: “A Quiet Place, Part II” (2021 Film)

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2021 American horror film “A Quiet Place, Part II”, the sequel to the 2018 film “A Quiet Place”. The was written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski, who also appears in a flashback scene. The story continues to follow the Abbott as they attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by extraterrestrial creatures who a naturally blind but who have an acute sense of hearing. The film once again stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, and sees Cillian Murphy join the cast as a fellow survivor who assists the Abbott family in their time of need.

My Poem “Hello/Goodbye”

During the chapters of our life
we encounter unforgettable characters
who influence us in many different ways -
and, just as in a book, some chapters,
some encounters, and some experiences may be brief;
however, sometimes, some indellible impressions
never end and never stop being
like a breath of fresh air
through the sometimes cluttered
interior of our brain.

"I'll see you again", "I'll see you on the other side",
"I'll see you before you see me" -
life does not always conform to how
we might want it to play out:
sometimes people move on,
sometimes people lose touch,
sometimes two becomes one,
sometimes you can have too much
and sometimes you cannot have enough;
however, no matter the struggle,
no matter the pain, no matter the scars
that people sometimes have to sustain,
if you are lucky, one day, a reason
for what you went through will
reveal itself and give you an answer
that may reveal something about yourself
that will be just as revelatory
as the truth that all life is a cycle
and everything on Earth
has a connection to everything
within the blue or the black sky
that we sometimes see above.

You never know what you are going to do,
you never know who you are going to meet,
you never know what or who
will become important to you -
because no one can ever know
the outcome of anything
until they choose to try...
you never know if you will ever
do something again,
you never know if you will ever
see someone again -
but sometimes something
can last a long time, perhaps a lifetime,
before the curtains are drawn,
before we reach for our jacket,
before we walk through a door
to the world beyond our periphery
where and when we will say
a simultaneous hello and goodbye.



Episode #14: “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021 film) – storyline speculation *spoilers*

In this episode Mark talks about the first teaser trailer released for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Spider-man: No Way Home” starring Tom Holland as Spider-man/Peter Parker and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Mark speculates about what the storyline of the film might be, based upon the storylines from Marvel Comics.

Episode #13: “Parks and Recreation” (TV series) – Season 1, review

In this episode Mark does a review of the first season of the American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series “Parks and Recreation” and he talks about the actors, the characters, and the things about the series that he loves.

My Poem “The Runners and Riders”

Every weekend
within the village where I live,
there is a convergence, a meeting,
a gathering of runners and riders
who, for some reason, feel drawn
to my home’s crossroads
of paths and directions…
every weekend
people of every walk of life
set out of their homes
and eventually find themselves
at the same place, at the same time,
marveling at the journey they took
to be where they are and sharing
within their conversations their
mutual appreciation of what
always makes their thoughts race
and their heart beat faster and faster.

I, myself, am a walker…
I, myself, like to stop
and literally smell the roses…
I, myself, am a daydreamer…
I, myself, like to be unbounded to idea
of exactly where I am actually going
and let fate take me where
and when it chooses.

I have been both a runner
and a rider in my time –
and I can still recall the exhilaration
that I used to feel every time
that I pushed my body to the limit
while I got to where I needed –
however, nowadays, I am more of a free spirit
who goes with the flow.


I have been someone
who has had near misses –
and if the universe had had other
plans for me then I would not
be talking to you now…
I do not know how to be any different
than who I have become as a result
of all my experiences and adventures
that I have had over my life –
every so often dancing with
the flames of fate’s fire –
which is why I always feel
a genuine kinship with all of life’s
many and varied runners and riders.

Episode #12: “Mission: Impossible 7” (2022 film) – Birmingham Bullring, UK, filming *Spoilers*

In this episode Mark recounts watching a scene being filmed from “Mission: Impossible 7”, which is due to be released in 2022, which was being filmed in the Birmingham Bullring/Grand Central train-station in Birmingham, UK. *Spoilers*

Episode #11: “Dead Poets Society” (1989 Film) review + talking poetry

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 1989 American teen drama film “Dead Poets Society” written by Tom Schulman, directed by Peter Weir, and starring Robin Williams. And Mark also talks about what poetry means to him and how blessed he feels to be a poet and an author of poetry.

My Poem “Why?”

There is always a reason,
there is always a why,
there is always a motivation
for the myriad of actions
that people sometimes take
and for the many decisions
that people sometimes make
that they have no trouble in
being able to justify.

Where there is a spark
there will always be a flame...
where there is touch and proximity
there will always be intimacy...
where there is language
there is will always be consideration,
interpretation and loss -
because truth and reality
are not always the same...
where there is the evidence of stories
of the past there will always remain mysteries.

Myths, legacies, stories, records,
chronicles, cave paintings, rock carvings
are important depictions of a mixture
of both fiction and fact all rolled into one...
sometimes it doesn't take anything more
than someone saying that they heard
a voice tell them to do something
for them to immediately act
seemingly without thinking,
nor without a fight...
symbols, signs, warnings, lessons,
cautionary tales are vital for
any civilization to learn the merits
of what is right and what is wrong...
sometimes it takes the bravest of the brave
to stop something that they know
is going to happen before it happens -
so that some day someone won't have to
look back upon a choice that they made
and have to justify to others
and perhaps to themselves
the answer to the question: why?

Episode #10: “Field of Dreams” TV adaptation? *TV News*

In this episode Mark talks about the recent announcement of a TV adaptation of one of Mark’s films, “Field of Dreams” (1989) directed by Phil Alden Robinson – which itself was an motion picture adaptation of W.P. Kinsella’s novel “Shoeless Joe”. The story of “Field of Dreams” is about a farmer in Iowa who builds a baseball field in in his cornfield that attracts the ghosts of baseball legends, including Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Chicago Black Sox. Considering the original 1989 film is considered a classic to fans, cinephiles, and baseball enthusiasts around the world, Mark asks whether the television adaptation being developed by Michael Schur for the streaming service Peacock needs to be made and whether people will be drawn to watch it.

Episode #9: “What if…?” – Ep. 1: “What if… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger”

In this episode Mark does a review of the first episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ television series: “What if…?” – Episode #1: “What if… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger”.