DESERT HEIST BY ALEX DEKKER

Desert Heist by Alex Dekker is a masterfully executed debut for the writer that perfectly bridges the gap between historical mystery and gritty military realism. Published by Emily Bestler Books, this high-octane thriller introduces readers to Nate Wilde, a former Green Beret turned Harvard archaeology student who trades academic red tape for an unsanctioned, high-stakes tactical expedition into the Middle East.

The Plot: "Indiana Jones" Meets "Jack Reacher"

The story follows Nate Wilde as he becomes obsessed with finding the legendary lost city of Ubar—the so-called "Atlantis of the Sands". When political bureaucracy stalls his official dig, Wilde takes matters into his own hands. He assembles a team of his former Special Forces brothers to infiltrate the dangerous, unforgiving terrain of the Saudi Arabian "Empty Quarter" via war-torn Yemen. What begins as a quest for historical truth quickly devolves into a desperate race for survival as the team is hunted by terrorists, shadowy corporate entities, and local authorities.

Authenticity Drawn From Real-World Experience

What elevates Desert Heist above standard thriller fare is the undeniable authenticity injected into every page. As a retired Green Beret with nearly twenty years of Special Forces service, Dekker knows the territory, the language, and the tactics intimately. The weapon handling, squad banter, and operational planning feel raw and incredibly real. Instead of the cliché "lone wolf" operator trope, Dekker shines a light on the psychological strength and organic chemistry of a tight-knit Special Forces unit.

The "Operator-Scholar" Dynamic

The core strength of the novel lies in the distinct juxtaposition of its protagonist. Nate Wilde is just as comfortable decoding ancient historical texts as he is clearing a room with an assault rifle. This blend of intellectual curiosity and lethality makes him a captivating lead. The pacing transitions seamlessly from a slow-burn academic mystery into an explosive, heart-pounding tactical survival story.

The Verdict: Desert Heist Makes Great Summer Read 

While the plot occasionally flirts with traditional action tropes and a slightly formulaic villain, its  historical details and blistering pacing completely overshadow minor critiques. It delivers the exact type of action adventure that fans of Jack Carr, Brad Thor, and Vince Flynn crave. Desert Heist cements Alex Dekker as a major new voice in military adventure fiction and earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval for its modern day take on the exotic escapades of an adventurous archeologist. 

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CELEBRATE FATHERS DAY WITH THE JONES

Enjoy a father-son adventure to celebrate Fathers Day as Fathom Entertainment is returning 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to movie theatres nationwide on June 14-15 & 18. Indy’s Nazi enemies are back and have kidnapped his father, Professor Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), to aid them in their search for the Holy Grail. Following a trail from America to Venice to the deserts of the Middle East, it’s up to Indy (Harrison Ford) to save his father, save the Grail, and save the day. Every Fathom screening features an exclusive introduction by cinema critic and historian Leonard Maltin, discussing this film’s timeless appeal and offering special insight about it.

WHEN: Saturday-Sunday, June 14-15 (Father’s Day weekend) and Wednesday, June 18 (check your local theatre for specific showtimes) 

WHERE: Tickets for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade may be purchased at Fathom Entertainment or at participating theatre box offices (theatre locations are subject to change).

 

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY COMING TO DISNEY+

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the final installment in the epic, iconic franchise, will stream December 1, 2023, exclusively on Disney+. “Timeless Heroes,” a feature-length documentary which showcases the creation of the legendary swashbuckler, will debut simultaneously on Disney+. In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA. The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Also showing on Disney+, “Timeless Heroes,” directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau, explores Harrison Ford’s enduring appeal and his upbringing, including his foray into the entertainment business, his casting in the iconic “Indiana Jones” franchise, and the impact and inspiration generated by the films. It is an in-depth look at an incredible moment in film history when Steven Spielberg and George Lucas assembled an amazing creative team to collaborate on another cinematic benchmark and features never-before-seen footage and interviews with Ford, Spielberg, Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, James Mangold, and many others as well.

Tune into the Disney+ streaming service starting December 1 to enjoy the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny motion picture and "Timeless Heroes" documentary. 

INDIANA JONES FINAL ADVENTURE COMES HOME

For those who still appreciate physical media, Indiana Jones final adventure will be available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on December 5 to add to your home entertainment video collection. In INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this highly anticipated final installment of the iconic franchise. Also returning for the movie is John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, to once again to compose the score for this film.

The 4K and Blu-ray are loaded with bonus content including five chapters that chart the making of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Join the cast and crew on an epic, globe-trotting adventure that showcases new characters, stunts, music, locations, production design and visual effects whilst also bidding a fond farewell to one of cinema’s greatest heroes. Fans of Academy Award®-winner John Williams will be delighted to learn that there is a new, exclusive “score-only” version of the movie allowing viewers to listen to the composer’s iconic music on an isolated track as they watch the film.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA]. It has a run time of 154 minutes. Collectors can find a limited-edition SteelBook design with 4K, Blu-Ray & Digital editions of the film included exclusively at Best Buy.

Bonus Features: 

The Making of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny 

• Chapter 1 – Prologue – Harrison Ford leaps back into action as Indiana Jones! Journey to 1944 as this featurette reveals the filmmakers, characters, stunts, locations, and incredible visual effects that make up the thrilling opening of Dial of Destiny! 
• Chapter 2 – New York – Blast off to adventure as James Mangold showcases the re-creation of 1969 Manhattan for the Moon Parade chase. This featurette spotlights Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as John Williams conducts his beautiful new theme for this compelling character. 
• Chapter 3 – Morocco – The man in the hat is back! Explore Morocco as this featurette breaks down the white-knuckle stunts of the medina tuk-tuk chase and hotel brawl. Meet Teddy (Ethann Isidore), Indy’s precocious new ally in the hunt for the dial!
•  Chapter 4 – Sicily – Meet Renaldo (Antonio Banderas) as he guides our heroes on a perilous underwater treasure hunt! Catch up with Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on location in Sicily and explore the caverns, traps, and bugs surrounding Archimedes’ tomb! 
• Chapter 5 – Finale – This featurette breaks down the thrilling climax to the Indiana Jones series. Cast and filmmakers James Mangold, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, John Williams, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford bid farewell to one of the greatest heroes of all time. 

 Score Only Version of the Movie 

Listen to John Williams’ iconic music on an isolated track as you watch the film.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY ON IMAX

Where should you watch one of the biggest films of the 2023 summer movie season? Swing into an IMAX theater to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny! The final chapter of Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones saga debuts on June 30 but don't wait around to see it on the BIG screen because it will only be playing in IMAX theaters for one week. 

If you want to be transported back in time into the action and exotic locales of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny told through the lens of James Mangold in an action-packed adventure in only a way IMAX can deliver buy your tickets now. 

Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this final installment of the iconic franchise. For more information, visit imax.com/movies/indiana-jones-and-dial-destiny

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK RETURNS TO MOVIE THEATERS

Excited about the upcoming last hurrah of Indiana Jones when the final movie featuring Harrison Ford plays in theaters this summer? Then you'll want to enjoy seeing how the adventure began when Fathom Events shows Raiders of the Lost Ark at theaters across the U.S. leading up to the release of "Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny." One of the big screen’s most iconic heroes, Indiana Jones, swings back into theaters with an exclusive screening of the film that started it all – the 1981 adventure epic “Raiders of the Lost Ark”—returning to cinemas nationwide on Sunday, June 4 and Thursday, June 7, 2023.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his feisty ex-flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) dodge booby-traps, fight Nazis and stare down snakes in their incredible worldwide quest for the mystical Ark of the Covenant. Screenings take place on Sunday, June 4 at 4:00pm and 7:00 pm local time, and Wednesday, June 7 at 7:00 pm local time. Tickets for the event can be purchased at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website.

I remember like it was yesterday, my aunt taking eight year old me to see Raiders of the Lost Ark when it first ran in movie theaters. I was so immersed in the film, that in the big finale when they are yelling to keep your eyes closed I covered mine until given the all clear. I was so geeked about that movie and have been a big fan ever since. Looking forward to seeing one of my favorite childhood movies on the big screen again!

Each Fathom Events screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark will feature special content for “Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny,” ahead of its release on Friday, June 30, 2023.

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

The week of my kids' Spring Break from school was dreary filled with cold and wet weather conditions, so we looked for something indoors to do that would get them out of the house for a bit.  Our family accomplished that goal by taking an afternoon road trip to the city of Ann Arbor to check out the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History.  The facility is open Monday through Saturday 9am - 5pm and on Sundays from Noon to 5pm.  A very attractive aspect of this museum is that admission is FREE.

The University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History is located in a 1930's era building located on the college's campus.  Walking into the Ruthven Museums Building is like stepping into a scene from an Indiana Jones movie as you make your way into its entrance rotunda.  Visitors head up a set of stairs to make their way to three upper levels of exhibit halls.

The second floor houses The Hall of Evolution which is full of fossils, models and dioramas featuring prehistoric life.  As you first walk into this display area you are greeted by the skeletons of two huge mastodons.  For my kids though the highlight of this area, and our visit overall, were the fossils of dinosaurs on display here.

While this area has some impressive dinosaurs on display, you can also view the fossils of other prehistoric creatures including a saber tooth tiger and giant lizards while exploring the Hall of Evolution.

The building's third floor is a Michigan Wildlife Gallery devoted to showcasing a collection of taxidermy mounts consisting of native Great Lakes amphibians, birds, mammals,and reptiles.  This area also showcases a long line of mastodon tracks that had been preserved and fossilized in mud which is the largest such display in the world.

Of course they have a wolverine on display!

The fourth floor has a variety of exhibits that allow scientific hands-on experiences plus hosts a geology display of various local rocks and minerals. While we were visiting the museum, my kids agreed to help out with the Living Lab program where they were interviewed for a psychology study being done by college students and earned a small toy for their participation.  They were shown cartoons of various types of robots and were asked survey questions regarding their impressions of the video being shown.  The goal of this study is to determine ways new smart technology can be designed to make it user-friendly for children. My kids felt very important to be able to contribute to this experiment which they talked about quite a bit during our car ride home.

A planetarium is also located on the upper floor of the museum.  It provides a 45 minute show several times per day.  Tickets are a flat rate of $5 per person to take in the planetarium show.

We had a nice time exploring the museum and I'd recommend if you are ever in the Ann Arbor area making some time to check it out.  There is an underground parking deck located a block north of the building that charges $1.40 per hour which isn't bad when you consider admission to the museum is free.  Click here for directions on getting to the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History and information on parking when you get there.

If you want to check out the pre-WWII architecture of the museum building don't wait too long for a visit.  The university is building a new state-of-the-art facility next door to house its Biological Science department where the museum will also be relocated to upon its completion in 2018.

Internet Arcade Brings 900 Classic Video Games To Your Web Browser

I recently took some time to visit the Internet Arcade and it was like a time warp to the after school hours of my elementary school and junior high years when my friends and I would rush over to the ice cream parlor that also served as our town's arcade and spend hours playing video games.  The Internet Arcade is a web-based library of more than 900 arcade (coin-operated) video games from the 1970s and 1980s.  Wow! you can really see how far technology has advanced when you spend some time playing these classic games that were state-of-the-art during their time and compare them to those we can play now on home video game consoles, tablets, or even our phones.  Still while the games in the Internet Arcade may not have high def graphics or dazzling special effects, they can still provide you with a lot of fun. Oh, and by the way did I mention they are also all FREE to play!

Capcom's AVENGERS

One of my all time favorite video games was called AVENGERS and I spent countless hours and an unimaginable amount of quarters enjoying brawling through its levels with my friends when I was in eight grade.  I haven't seen this game since junior high though I've always kept in eye out for it over the years...even considering looking to maybe buy one of the original arcade machines for my house if I could fine one.  Lo and behold the first game I stumbled across on the Internet Arcade was the AVENGERS! how about that...I just blew through an hour before writing this post having a blast fighting my way through Paradise City feeling like I was twelve years old again.

The game that was right next to AVENGERS at my local arcade hangout is also on the Internet Arcade: INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.  I thought that game was so cool at the time and you look at the graphics now and just winch, but it is still fun running around a maze on the screen snapping at snakes and bad guys with your whip in one level and racing through tunnels in a mine car through the next one.

Atari Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom

These games work through emulating the original software through the processing power of an Internet browser.  While they work on most browsers the most effective ones to use are Firefox and Chrome to obtain the best game play.  Also these games don't work on tablets or phones even if you have Internet access...at least not when I tried to access them via my iphone and ipad...so you'll need to access them through a PC.

A nice feature is that if you have a game controller for your computer the games will recognize it and you can play like you are using an arcade machine's joystick.  If you don't have a video game controller for your computer...like me... than most of the games use the arrow buttons, Ctrl, Alt, and Space Bar tabs on your keyboard to control the action.  Each game is different though and unfortunately they don't do a good job of informing you of what the control buttons are so lots of time it is learning by just pounding keys til you get a grasp of things...which can be very frustrating.

Taito Jungle Hunt

I wish I had a game controller because the keyboard controls just aren't as much fun but they are doable, especially for games like Burger Time, Frogger, Jungle Hunt and Pacman.  I had a good time playing these games with the arrow buttons as my primary controls.  Unfortunately, I found not every game works with the keyboard. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi just would not work!  On the other hand the racing game Outrun worked great!

SEGA Outrun

For some retro fun take a moment to swing by the Internet Arcade to play some video games old school style.  Visit  archive.org/details/internetarcade for all the fun of going to an arcade without the expense of the quarters.  These games are all FREE to play but you do have to click on an insert coin button to start each game just to keep the experience legit.

For more information on exactly how these game platforms work through your web browser or if you are having trouble getting them to work CLICK HERE for "A Quick Guide on How to Play on the Internet Arcade"