Popularity, I think, is irrelevant in film critique. Increasingly common in film writing is the practice of saying something favorable to please a crowd who already loves a thing; it’s no secret we started Grumpire […]
LIVIN’ THE DREAM: THE SLY SUBVERSION OF ‘THE BEACH BUM’
Twice in the course of The Beach Bum, Matthew McConaughey’s greasy itinerant poet-drunk, known only as Moondog, recites his piece “The Beautiful Poem” – once at the beginning, to the weeknight crowd at a beachside […]
‘The Devil’s Rain’: Satanic Panic Goes Legit
The culture of the 1970s has always fascinated me: a disgraced American president and subsequent political conspiracy theories, shag carpeting, station wagons, hideous earth-tone plaids, key parties, punk rock, NASA space probes, New Age/occult trends, […]
‘A SERBIAN FILM’: WE UNDERSTAND
Fans of extreme cinema and brutal horror tend to forgive and expect low production quality in exchange for visceral and realistic gore, top-notch practical effects, and often buckets and buckets of bodily fluid. The general […]
NEW IN ACTION: JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Each month The Grumps bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! from brian miller: FORTRESS OF AMERIKKKA (1989) [REISSUED ON BLU RAY BY VINEGAR […]
‘Creature’: Alien Knock-Off or Misunderstood ‘80s Sci-Fi/Horror? (Yes, this is a terrible title)
Classifying films by genre can be a harrowing experience and not for the faint-hearted. Last year, a mere one year into the pandemic, a Twitter user caused online apoplexy by daring to ask if Alien […]
INTERVIEW: Justin Decloux on Gold Ninja Video, “The Criterion of Public Domain Bargain Bins”
As described by the label itself, Gold Ninja Video is “The Criterion of Public Domain Bargain Bins: A boutique film distribution label that focuses on releasing neglected films with lots of new special features.” That’s […]
GODS WITH NO PROPHETS: ON ‘THE TIMEKEEPERS OF ETERNITY’ AND OUTLAW MYTHOLOGY
“If God wanted that movie to be good, He would have willed it so from the beginning.” This sort of Greater Plan attitude is the subconscious spiritual implication of a capitalist art industry. While the […]
MIXTAPE: GRUMPY ’92
1992: the year it felt good to be a gangsta; the year one pop diva went unplugged and another charted with her bodyguard; the year Britpop really started roaring and grunge got cozy. It was […]
NEW IN ACTION: DECEMBER 2021
Each month The Grumps bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! from andrew gimetzco!: Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) [new in theaters] […]
MC LARS DOESN’T LIKE HALF BAKED
Grumpire 17, Half Baked 0 Once upon a time, there was a nerdcore rapperHe had an opinion that a film should be in the crapperA stoner comedy of mid-’90s fame the one that gave Dave […]
JESSICA SCOTT DOESN’T LIKE BLACK X-MAS
Grumpire 16, Black Christmas 1 Season’s Greetings, Christmas Creeps! It’s time to iron out your Santa socks and stare blankly at your fruitcake because we’re back to ruin your yuletide cheer with a seasonally appropriate […]
NEW IN ACTION: NOVEMBER 2021
Each month The Grumps bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! from brian miller: FUTURE COPS (1993) [REISSUED ON BLU-RAY FROM PANORAMA CORP] The […]
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE BITCH, PLEASE
IT’S A BLOODY PISS TAKE! WOULD YOU EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM US GRUMPS? To the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”/“Silver Shamrock Theme”:It’s been a week since Halloween, Halloween, HalloweenIt’s been a week since […]
I SAY, A DOUBLE-WHAMMY OF BRITISH HORROR
I’ve always found watching British horror films to be strangely comforting. Unlike their American counterparts, British horror has a different vibe, a patina of politeness masking the terror lurking beneath the surface; that well-furnished study, […]