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 […]
ROBERT WISE’S STAR TREK TREATMENT DESERVES MORE CREDIT THAN FANS GIVE IT
IN DEFENSE OF: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE Fandom is a perplexing, frequently frustrating entity: it can be a supportive, passionate group of like-minded individuals who enjoy fictional characters on the page or on the […]
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, […]
BRIAN MILLER DOESN’T LIKE GRAVITY
Grumpire 3, Gravity 0 Welcome to the third episode of Grumpire, the podcast that says you don’t need to bite your tongue while discussing art. Today we invite Brian Miller, founder of the Deathbomb Arc […]
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.
HOW A 1950 MOVIE HAD THE AUDACITY TO TELL HOLLYWOOD TO GO F**K ITSELF
PUMP UP THE COLUMN EXPLORES THE MANY INTERPRETATIONS OF PUNK AESTHETIC USED IN CINEMA The definition of punk varies: some see the Sex Pistols when they hear the word, while others consider them a boy […]
BRUTAL! VIOLENT! SAVAGE! DARIO ARGENTO WRITES A WESTERN
BARGAIN BINNED DIGS DEEP INTO THE RANDOM AND FASCINATING TITLES FOUND IN THE CLEARANCE AISLE When I first happened upon the Dallas-based retail chain, Half Price Books, the movie selection at the stores I would […]
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 […]
ADAM WINGARD’S ‘THE GUEST’ IS PURE CELLULOID BDE
Set during Halloween, Adam Wingard’s 2014 film The Guest may be confusing. That’s not meant in a “it’s so deep and mysterious, people don’t get it” kind of way; it’s that the film teeters between […]
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, […]