Despite all conspiracy theories including one that he appears with a beard behind Catherine O’Hara in Home Alone, Elvis Presley passed away on this date, Aug. 16, 1977. He was only 42. I’ve never been to Graceland even though I’ve been through and around Memphis a lot. Back in January 2025, I stopped in Tupelo,Continue reading “The King Is Dead, Long Live The King”
Tag Archives: movies
‘Death To Smoochy’ Makes Some Hard Hits But Still Takes The Easy Way Out
Robin Williams died 12 years ago this past Aug. 11. His death and the cause sent shockwaves through people who had watched him for years. It was revealed he had Lewy Body Dementia and may not have been thinking clearly. It’s reported he was a watch collector and days before his death had a friendContinue reading “‘Death To Smoochy’ Makes Some Hard Hits But Still Takes The Easy Way Out”
‘Transformers’ Animated Movie At 40: What Went Wrong?
By the time The Transformers: The Movie hit theaters on this date 40 years ago, the commercials hinted that Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots was going to be killed by Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. But was it just a ploy to get more people in the theaters. The Transformers were a popularContinue reading “‘Transformers’ Animated Movie At 40: What Went Wrong?”
‘Ready Or Not 2’ Just A Bloody, Messy Redo
The first Ready or Not came out during the middle of a batch of movies that were yet another variation of “The Most Dangerous Game.” When it opened in late summer 2019, there was a lot of controversy over The Hunt that it could’ve totally overshadowed it.And then there was the dull The Belko ExperimentContinue reading “‘Ready Or Not 2’ Just A Bloody, Messy Redo”
‘A Better Tomorrow’ At 40: The Action Movie Made A Huge Impact
By the mid-1980s, people of Southeast Asia still weren’t equally represented in American mass media. (Just look at Lonf Duk Dong.) Movies like The Killing Fields portrayed them as victims, villains or friends of white people who were the lead. Even though that movie is based on a real story of violence and genocide, youContinue reading “‘A Better Tomorrow’ At 40: The Action Movie Made A Huge Impact”
‘Howard The Duck’ At 40
In the summer of 1986, Howard the Duck was anticipated to be the next biggest thing. Commercials and trailers teased the titular character. George Lucas spearheaded it as executive producer. The husband-wife duo of Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz wrote the script with Huyck directing. They had co-wrote American Graffiti with Lucas. What could goContinue reading “‘Howard The Duck’ At 40”
‘Dead Calm’ A Great Thriller From Down Under On The High Seas
Dead Calm is a movie that works on two common fears – alone in the middle of the ocean while something bad happens and the realization that no one will come to help you in time. Sam Neill plays John Ingram, a captain in the Royal Australian Navy, and his younger wife, Rae (Nicole Kidman),Continue reading “‘Dead Calm’ A Great Thriller From Down Under On The High Seas”
RIP Sam Neill, Gone But His Massive Work Isn’t Extinct
By the time he appeared in Jurassic Park, Sam Neill had already made a name for himself appearing in critically acclaimed movies like A Cry in the Dark (or Evil Angels as it’s also known), Dead Calm and The Hunt for Red October. But he still wasn’t a household name like Harrison Ford who StevenContinue reading “RIP Sam Neill, Gone But His Massive Work Isn’t Extinct”
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ Crumbles Under Its Own Pretentiousness
For a movie that is a two-hour criticism of artificial intelligence and internet technology, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die feels like the script was written by AI as it’s a compilation of Groundhog Day, Black Mirror, Terry Gilliam’s Brazil and Twelve Monkeys and The Terminator franchise. With a budget of $20 million, it’s directedContinue reading “‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ Crumbles Under Its Own Pretentiousness”
‘Idiocracy’ Is Only A Horror Movie If You Make It One
When Idiocracy was released 20 years ago, it was to fulfill a contractual obligation between 20th Century Fox and Mike Judge.The movie bombed because the studio tried to bury it in as few as many theaters as possible with no press or marketing. But its notorious release helped word of mouth to spread as socialContinue reading “‘Idiocracy’ Is Only A Horror Movie If You Make It One”
Zane Says 