Saturday, July 4, 2026
Friday, July 3, 2026
R.I.P. KJELL NILSSON
You enacted one of the best, cinematic villains ever as Lord Humongous in one of the greatest sequels ever produced, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.
The Pirate Movie, Howling Refrain, Stanley (1984), Fish Out of Water, Man of Letters, The Edge of Power and the post-apocalyptic Hard Knuckle also benefited from your imposing framework, but still, it all swings back to Humongous, for not only did you make the character frightful, you gave him an underlying intellect (as a kind of pre-Tom Hardy Bane, if one will), which added a deeper dimension to his entitled terror, as well as his gruff expression of loss.
With this said, as much as Humongous stands as a classic villain, you were (alas) an unsung hero, Mr. Nilsson. That's a shame, since you gave us a presence that'll last as long as the Mad Max mythos will, and trust me, dear sir, that'll be a long, long time.
THE OMEGA GLORY: AMERICANA FOR THE 250TH
I came upon an insightful video regarding the nation's 250th anniversary, as tied to the Star Trek episode, "The Omega Glory," written by Gene Roddenberry.
I realize that some dismiss "The Omega Glory" as overwrought, "Yankee Doodle" propaganda, but it never struck me that way. In fact, I don't believe that Captain James T. Kirk broke the Prime Directive. The Yangs weren't progressing because they had no viable society to derail. Kirk's push was justified and, in fact, humanitarian.
This video, presented by Meta Trek, does a fine job acknowledging the episode's pertinence. No matter which side of the political coin one may be on, there's much to consider in this episode, in particular Kirk's impassioned speech.
Thursday, July 2, 2026
MR. LOBO'S CINEMA INSOMNIA: ROAD TO BALI, THIS JULY 4TH
Join Mr. Lobo's Cinema Insomnia this July 4th for a carefree presentation of Hal Walker's Road to Bali. The preshow begins at 10pm, on Twitch, OSI74/Roku and Amazon Fire, with the main feature following soon thereafter. (Road to Bali will be inserted in Cinema Insomnia's 250th/July 4th, misunderstood mega-marathon, which will play around the clock starting 10pm on July 3rd.)
Road to Bali (1952) is the sixth entry in the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope, song-and-dance, comedy-adventure series and the only one shot in Technicolor. For this outing, the fellows portray stage performers George and Harold, who eschew marriage by bumbling their way to Bali, Indonesia, where they encounter Murvyn Vye's menacing monarch, submerged treasure, conciliating headhunters and Dorothy Lamour's enchanting Princess Lala McTavish, who can't help but fall for them both.
In addition to its surreal, breaking-the-fourth-wall antics, the exploit is cameo-strung, with appearances from Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Jane Russell (reprising her Son of Paleface role), Humphrey Bogart (in a clip from The African Queen) and a disguised Ray Milland (in a scene from Reap the Wild Wind, which makes it appear that Hope is being attacked by a squid). For extra fun, the up-and-coming Carolyn Jones and Michael Ansara can be spotted among the supporting players, and legendary stuntman Steve Calvert enters the island action, playing "married" gorillas.
Without question, Road to Bali offers heaps of goofy escapism and is made even more delightful by Mr. Lobo's gracious guidance, as he stirs his appreciated, misunderstood ingredients for one and all to enjoy.
BTW: One can back this Cinema Insomnia episode by pre-ordering the Mr. Lobo-autographed, Blu-ray release (with a complementary DVD enclosed) and have one's name listed as an associate producer in the credits! To do so, visit
In any case, get ready for tropical trails and giddy guffaws this Saturday night, with the big premiere of Mr. Lobo's Cinema Insomnia Presents Road to Bali. 🏝
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