Yesterday I met with a friend to see the movie Twisters. I met this friend when we worked together on First Signal. Among the numerous conversation topics, one was the speed at which time flies by. Neither one of us could believe that we filmed First Signal in 2019 (it was released in 2021) nor that the last time we saw each other was exactly a year ago at this same theatre when we saw Oppenheimer. It was for this observation that I reminded myself that I’ve never lived by the word “someday.” Too many do only to realize that there are fewer days ahead than behind.

But one thing is certain regarding the days ahead, my friend and I will never get back the two hours we spent watching Twisters—at least we were in an Imax theatre for the experience. But putting the experience aside, neither one of us could recall a film that was so horribly executed. It didn’t seem to have any structured acts, the dialogue was nonsensical, and the endless tornadoes were more in line with what Jupiter produces. I know as a filmmaker and someone who loves to watch movies, you need to suspend belief and just enjoy what’s unfolding, but….

As for productions, I attended a table read for the upcoming horror film Stonegate last Saturday. It was nice meeting some of the actors and crew and reading through the script with writer/director Dan Groom. With my first scenes as Father Clayton coming up next weekend, getting a further sense of the story and production, along with some feedback, was great for character development. With lines memorized and my wardrobe fitting complete, the next stop is Tewksbury State Hospital.

With the summer in full swing, that means my weekend day trips. I have found over the years that I follow a familiar pattern. From Cars & Coffee in Newport to Battleship Cove to Mystic Seaport to the New England Air Museum and several others, I enjoy revisiting certain places as I always learn something new and enjoy meeting the people who appreciate these museums and destinations. Of course, it’s always nice to discover a new place to visit.

My mother referenced Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut some time ago. This past Thursday we made the drive to this very interesting museum just south of Hartford. While it’s not the largest museum, it certainly is an informative and visually-packed one. With dinosaur tracks that are over 200 million years old along with exhibits and lectures that bring that era to life, this is one of those museums that you could easily visit again and again. The museum (exhibit center dome) is set on wonderfully manicured grounds that features a network of nature trails.

Speaking of the passage of time, it reminds me of one of my favorite sci-fi movies from the 1950s, When Worlds Collide. While time is referenced on numerous occasions throughout the film, it’s well stated when a calendar is shown – “Waste anything except time. Time is our shortest material.”

In closing, there was that time on July 20, 1969, when the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle landed on the Moon. A time in our history that will never be forgotten, for it was…

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.“

-Neil Armstrong