PinnedNick A. Zaino IIII Watched A Comedy Special A Day in 2022 — Observations and the ListA few days into 2022, I made a commitment to watch one comedy or stand-up special every day for the rest of the year. I’ve been covering…Dec 30, 2022Dec 30, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIFans of The Mads and Mystery Science Theater 3000 have seen a lot of odd stuff over the years.A little background. Darkstar: The Interactive Movie was a hybrid video game/film in which the user controlled the fate Captain John…Jun 24, 2023Jun 24, 2023
Nick A. Zaino IIIArchive Essay: The Nutcracker for NovicesI wrote this a few years ago after seeing the Nutcracker for the first time. Most of it, I wrote in the backseat of a car on the way home…Nov 21, 2022Nov 21, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIEvery Song Counts — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Damn the TorpedoesIf Tom Petty had never recorded another note, never wrote another song, never picked up a guitar or sang again after he released Damn the…Oct 19, 2022Oct 19, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIThe Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre — Still Disturbing After All These Years“Classic” is a temperamental designation. Often a work benefits from distance. A movie can seem like a classic because it belongs to a…Oct 11, 2022Oct 11, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIArchive Essay: The Menace of Randy Newman’s “Pretty Boy”Forty-three years ago today, Randy Newman released his sixth studio album, Born Again. It’s an underrated album, as are most of Newman’s…Aug 18, 2022Aug 18, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIHappy Birthday, Alan BennettAuthor, playwright, and sketch comedy pioneer Alan Bennett was born May 9, 1934.May 23, 2022May 23, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIWriting Prompt #1 — Night and DayCompare these two photographs. It’s the same birch tree, from roughly the same vantage point. Except photo one was taken around 6 p.m. and…May 6, 2022May 6, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIIJon Stewart 2002 Interview: On Balancing The Daily Show and Stand-up, the Exaggerated Death of…Since Jon Stewart was just honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, in a ceremony that will air on PBS on June 21, I thought…Apr 26, 2022Apr 26, 2022
Nick A. Zaino IIISpace Canadians and Ralph’s Tremendous Penis — How I Learned to Love and Hate WritingI have published a couple of different versions of this essay over the years. This is the final version, although if you meet me in person…Apr 18, 2022Apr 18, 2022
