Michael Cavacini

An award-winning arts and culture blog.

Archive for the tag “Michael Cavacini”

30 Jul 2017

RoboCop’s 30th Anniversary

On July 17 RoboCop celebrated its 30th anniversary. While some think of RoboCop as just another 80s action film, they are wrong. It’s more than that. RoboCop is a commentary on society, a forerunner of cultural and technological changes; and it’s a superbly-written, well-acted movie about what it means to be human. It also features one of the greatest orchestral theme songs in cinematic history, as well as a fabulous score. Rather than trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator, the film’s screenwriters, director and producer chose to make a piece of art that’s still as relevant and poignant today as it was in 1987.

13 Jul 2017

What Do We Know? – ADAPT’s Free Our People March

Photo by Harvey Finkle.

Almost every day last year I walked by this photo. It hung in the window of the old location of Liberty Resources on Market Street, here in Philadelphia. Liberty Resources, Inc. is a not-for-profit, consumer-controlled organization that advocates and promotes independent living for all persons with disabilities. As a Center for Independent Living, it advocates with disabled people, individually and collectively to ensure their civil rights and equal access to all aspects of life in the community. This photo always caught my attention when I’d walk by it, probably because of the joy on the man’s face in the wheelchair and his infectious smile. I’d stop and stare at it numerous times when I’d walk by, wondering what the story was behind the photo. Last week I decided to find out.

Posted in News and tagged ADA, ADAPT, Free Our People, Liberty Resources, March, Michael Cavacini, Philadelphia, Rachel Maddow, Washington D.C. | Leave a comment

09 Jul 2017

2 Comments

Celebrating Five Years!

Five years ago I started this blog because of a desire to write a novel, and I wanted to make sure more people bought it than just my parents. So, I figured this blog would be a great way to increase brand awareness – with the brand being me! So far, it’s been more than I ever could have expected. Not only have I written about books, authors and literature, I’ve interviewed nearly 50 celebrities, including numerous #1 New York Times best-sellers, as well as Tony, Grammy and/or Emmy award-winning musicians and actors. This blog has enabled me to meet Bruce Springsteen, James Patterson, Neal Schon, Dionne Warwick, John Oates, and countless other legends in the arts and entertainment world. Along the way, I’ve reached more than 700,000 people and had my content published in Reader’s Digest, Classic Rock Magazine, ABC News, and on the cover of The Aquarian Weekly, among other media outlets. Connecting with so many of my idols, as well as my readers, has been a thrilling experience that I look forward to continuing for many years to come. And I haven’t given up on that novel. Perhaps, that’s what I’ll be celebrating five years from now.

Posted in News and tagged Anniversary, Blog, Books, Five Years, Michael Cavacini, music, writing

04 Jul 2017

A Conversation With The Dives

Photo by Mark Weiss.

The Dives is a fantastic new, young rock band that recently released its first EP: Everybody’s Talkin’. This album features four great songs, overflowing with pop-rock hooks and riffs that will quickly get stuck in your head. The harmonies are excellent, and the musicianship is top-tier. If you like rock or pop music, you have to pick up a copy of this EP. It’s that good! Speaking of The Dives, I recently interviewed two of the band’s members, lead singer Evan Stanley and bassist Sergio Ortega.

04 Jul 2017

Movie Review: Hired Gun

Yesterday I watched a fantastic film: Hired Gun. This feature-length documentary has been screened to both critic and audience acclaim at SXSW Festival, Glastonbury Festival, MIFF, Calgary International, and Noise Pop. There was also a special one-night screening of the movie in theaters across the country on June 29. It introduces music fans to some of the world’s unsung heroes of the music industry through exclusive interviews and performances. These artists have played with a variety of music legends, including KISS, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Billy Joel, P!NK, Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Jackson, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and many more.

Posted in Movies, Music, Review and tagged Documentary, Eric Singer, Fran Strine, Hired Gun, KISS, Michael Cavacini, Movie, Ozzy Osbourne, Review | Leave a comment

29 Jun 2017

2 Comments

Book Review: The Powerful Little Real Estate Book by Dave Watts

I recently read The Powerful Little Real Estate Book: Tips & Strategies for Accumulating Wealth by Dave Watts. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for this slim book about real estate investing. My biggest problem with it is the poor formatting. I spotted 10 or more formatting errors, where words are placed next to each other with no space in between them. This makes for a very distracting reading experience and it causes the reader to wonder if an editor was even hired to review this book before it was published.

25 Jun 2017

3 Comments

Book Review: The Adventures of the Real Tom Sawyer

I just received this #autobiography from #TomSawyer, my friend who used to be the head writer on #MurderSheWrote. I look forward to reading what I'm sure will be an entertaining #book. 😀👍📖

A post shared by Michael Cavacini (@mcavacini) on Feb 16, 2017 at 9:07am PST

Thomas B. Sawyer has led an extraordinary life. With a name like Tom Sawyer, how could he not?! From illustrating comic strips to being the head writer of Murder, She Wrote, Tom’s autobiography, The Adventures of the Real Tom Sawyer, is a delightful memoir that takes the reader through all of the interesting moments in Tom’s life. Punctuated with humor and wit, reading this book felt like I was having a cup of coffee with Tom while he told me fascinating stories about his impressive career. If you’re a lover of writing, film, TV, or simply entertainment, Tom’s autobiography is absolutely worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I believe you will too.

Posted in Books, Review, Writing and tagged Angela Lansbury, Autobiography, Book, Memoir, Michael Cavacini, Murder She Wrote, Review, Thomas B. Sawyer, Tom Sawyer

19 Jun 2017

A Conversation With Anthony Heald

Courtesy of Arden Theatre Company.

Anthony Heald is a wonderful actor who is currently starring in Gypsy at The Arden Theatre through June 25. He was kind enough to take the time to speak with me about his impressive and diverse career, as well as his first foray into Philadelphia theater.

08 Jun 2017

Review: Amazon Fire HD 8

Yesterday, Amazon released the 7th generation of its popular Fire tablets. The Fire HD 8 comes in four colors, including black, and the price is $10 cheaper than the 2016 iteration of this device. Below is my full review:

Posted in Review, Technology and tagged Amazon, Amazon Fire, Amazon Fire HD, Amazon Fire HD 8, Fire, Fire HD 8, Kindle, Michael Cavacini, Review | Leave a comment

08 Jun 2017

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: 30th Anniversary Celebration

Last Saturday night, I, along with several hundred Freddy Krueger fans, celebrated the 30th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors at Underground Arts in Philadelphia. A special screening of the film was shown and Heather Lagenkamp, the star of the movie, and Chuck Russell, the director, provided live commentary as everyone watched the third entry in the Elm Street franchise. Read more…