Opinion

“Nutcrackers,” the new Ben Stiller film made right in our own backyard with scenes filmed throughout southwest Ohio, including in Blanchester, Wilmington, and in the historic Murphy Theatre–including a finale filmed inside and outside the theatre–was released on Hulu on Nov. 29, just in time for turkey and family festivities.

Let’s start by saying that referring to Ridley Scott’s take on swords and sandals epics as a “franchise” is, well, bizarre, although some of his most iconic films have thus far been turned into franchises. There have been an absurd amount of “Alien” sequels, and the recent Denis Villeneuve “Blade Runner 2049,” making the Philip K. Dick adaptation that helped to kick off the cyberpunk genre (alongside literary works like William Gibson’s “Neuromancer”) a franchise–which as an aside, I almost enjoy as much if not more than Scott’s original.

It’s that time of year where we review our Christmas list and make certain Santa has the most updated information before loading his sleigh, which I understand has been parked for most of the year, all the way down in the Amazon parking lot.

As our volunteers in the genealogical society continue to work on our many projects, we sometimes find a previously unknown or unnoted tidbit that may help fill in a portion of the history of an early citizen of Clinton County. The information for the General James W. Denver family and the Matthew Rombach family has influenced the history of Clinton County. In this article I will attempt to refresh the memory of some or provide information for those who do not know the history. Mark Huber, archival assistant for the Clinton County History Center, is in the process of scanning the papers of the Honorable James W. Denver.

When I was 24-years-old I made a terrible film on an outdated camera. With money I made from working as a daycare teacher for school-aged kids during the week, and a group of friends and actors from the Toledo area, we shot on weekends over nearly half a year. It cost me a couple thousand bucks, and it looked like it, but I was inspired to do that because of David Gordon Green.

Released last month on Netflix, the new Anna Kendrick-directed film “Woman of the Hour” deals with the true story of 70s serial killer Rodney Alcala, who appeared on the game show “The Dating Game” in the middle of his murder spree.

I thought it was time to mention the Clinton County iron mine. Did that get your attention? The next thought brings to mind a deep shaft somewhere in Clinton County but it wasn’t quite like that! Most of us are aware of open pit mines and this could probably better describe the type of operation. If we know some of the early history of Ohio, we are aware of the iron furnaces located in Adams and Scioto counties that produced pot metal products for a number of years until the ore source was no longer viable.

Editor,

Watching “Children of Men” today, directed by acclaimed Mexican-American director Alfonso Cuarón, is like watching the news on a given day. The film, based on crime fiction writer P.D. James’ book of the same name was released back in 2006, in the wake of the filmmaker directing one of the most-beloved Harry Potter films in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” which saw the titular character and his classmates age considerably from the prior, Chris Columbus-directed films’ more saccharine and sentimental aesthetic.

I write this column on Halloween evening, the scariest night of the year, if you don’t count Tuesday, Nov. 5.