Author's posts
Jun 06 2021
Selected Classics: The African Queen (1951)
Recommended for its entertainment value as well as its cultural significance, The African Queen is delightful. When puritanical missionary Rose Sayer (played by Katharine Hepburn) and gin-loving, freewheeling riverboat captain Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) take a wild river ride together, they find a surprising connection to each other. Their journey isn’t easy, though; the film …
Jun 01 2021
Next Tiki Stop: Tosche Station
Stop by Tosche Station and power up with this Star Wars Landspeeder Punch Bowl, complete with Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 Mini Muglets. Luke Skywalker owned an X-34 landspeeder which transported him across the sands of Tatooine in Star Wars. The design of the punch bowl and mini mug set was inspired by the classic Star Wars Trilogy. …
May 24 2021
Selected Classics: The Song of Bernadette (1943)
I’m starting a ‘Selected Classics’ line of posts as a part of my own foray into the world of classic movies that I hadn’t seen until recently, but were really worth the watch. The first is this dear film starring Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette. This is a beautiful movie. It is based on …
May 11 2021
The Ceramics of Carl-Harry Stålhane
Carl-Harry Stålhane, born on December 15, 1920 in Mariestad, Sweden, was one of the most innovative Swedish ceramic artists of the twentieth century. His designs and craftsmanship have become so revered that he has been an inspiration for modern designers and has been featured in the Swedish National Museum of Art and Design and New York’s MoMA. In 1939 …
May 11 2021
Max Rebo Joins the Cast of Star Wars Geeki Tikis Mugs
Looking to shake up your tiki mug collection? Consider these ceramic galactic beauties from Beeline Creative. The newest addition to the Star Wars line of Geeki Tikis mugs is none other than the blue elephant-nosed Ortolan keyboardist from Jabba the Hutt’s palace, Max Rebo. This unforgettable character is now available in all his blue glory …
May 04 2021
Tiki Tuesday: The Art of Jeff Granito
Meet tiki designer and freelance artist Jeff Granito. Jeff Granito designs colorful art prints and a wide variety of tiki products true to the style of the Enchanted Tiki Room, and Granito is no stranger to the paradisal world of Disney. He works from his home studio in Southern California and has created a number …
May 02 2021
The Pear-Green Apple: A Meditation on Yuri Norstein’s ‘Tale of Tales’
Why I Love Tale of Tales I recently featured Yuri Norstein’s animation Tale of Tales for Soviet Film Wednesday, and this week I would like to take some time to delve into my thoughts on this epic film, which has been voted the “Greatest Animation Film of All Time” by an international jury. It is …
Apr 27 2021
Tiki Tuesday: Meet Pioneers of Surf Rock, The Shadows
Happy Tiki Tuesday! Today we’re listening to a band that effortlessly crossed rock, tiki, and surf music genres in a fantastically fun way. The Shadows were a London instrumental band active from 1958-1968 who were pioneers of surf rock with songs like “Kon-Tiki” and “Apache.” The founding members were lead guitarist Hank B. Marvin, rhythm guitarist …








