If you go back and read the reviews from Home Alone’s release in 1990, you’ll find a portion of major critics and publications weren’t too kind to it. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times said […]
Category: Articles
MIXTAPE: GEN-XMAS, VOL. 1
Fun Fact about my work history: as a teen in the late 1990s, I took a job at a local independent radio station. It was a small, 50-kilowatt station, which meant the range was a […]
HUMBUG: LOVE ACTUALLY? ACTUALLY…NAH
I don’t like Christmas. Don’t call me Scrooge or a Grinch — I’m not advocating spoiling people’s holiday cheer. Maybe it’s Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), courtesy of shortened winter days, the proliferation of red and […]
MIXTAPE: NIGHT FALLS ON CHRISTMAS
Christmas is a difficult time for many folks. I’ve had my bouts with being grumpy during this festive season, but that had more to do with familial strife than seasonal depression. But even during those darker […]
WHADDAYA MEAN “THE DARKER WORKS OF ANDY GRIFFITH”?
Here’s what led to me writing this. On Twitter, I saw a post on the page for my favorite television channel, MeTV, with an article titled “Andy Griffith Had His Own Line of Canned Beans […]
HUMBUG: ELF, A SACK OF SUPERFICIAL SPIRIT
The “Christmas movie” is a vital part of the experience of Christmas under modern consumer capitalism, which sustains itself by transforming vital human experience into commodities and selling them back to us. Christmas is red […]
HUMBUG: (NOT SO) RARE EXPORTS
The holiday horror sub-genre has a lot to offer for those who need the macabre to get through the holidays. There’s Silent Night Deadly Night with Robert Brian Wilson portraying the quintessential cinematic beefcake serial killer, Christmas […]
OTTO PREMINGER’S SKIDOO: DON’T MIND THE GENERATION GAP
Few things showcase the late 1960s generation gap like Skidoo. A great place to start when commenting on this attempt made by middle aged men to connect with a thriving new youth culture is the film’s […]
MIXTAPE: OM NOM NOM NOM
Just in time for Thanksgiving, our man Nick Spacek serves up this eclectic mix full of songs appropriate for your family table. So grab your headphones and a fork, loosen them britches, and feel free […]
MIXTAPE: NOIRVEMBER
Despite being a big fan of film noir scores, I’ve never been a big watcher of film noir itself. It’s not quite so bad as my fondness for fantasy action scores like Conan the Barbarian, […]
MIXTAPE: POST-ZER
This is only a reminder of the genuine goodness that WEEZER once was. The rest as follows in their wake is some definitely and some mistakenly influenced by their sound.
MIXTAPE: POST-HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY IN THE VOID
Feeling a bit shaky after the big Halloween party? Soothe your haunted hangover with this eerie mix of tunes that’s sure to put the demons inside you at rest. Featuring: PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, Sonic […]
A COLD LOOK AT CANADIAN HORROR IN BRANDON CRONENBERG’S ANTIVIRAL
When Americans think of Canada, they usually think of preternaturally-polite hosers sitting in igloos, drinking Molson or Labatt beer, watching hockey on the CBC as they dunk their Tim Hortons doughnuts in maple syrup, all the while […]
MIXTAPE: SLEAZY WEENIE
Holy hell, this week’s mix is a psycho-freak out of a set list! Full of vintage trailer trash, rockabilly classics, and modern greasy sleaze, we’ve got your rock’n’roll house party covered! So, light the bonfire, […]
THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T IS A DARK CHILDREN’S TALE THAT DR. SEUSS PROBABLY WISHED WE’D FORGET
My fascination with The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T started a year ago. Like all memorable achievements made in movies, it was Svengoolie who introduced me to it. It had to be when something starring Lon Chaney, […]