‘Memoirs And Misinformation’ Is A Muddled Mess

In his memoir Gasping for Airtime, actor/comic Jay Mohr talked about the cultural divide between the writers and performers on Saturday Night Live during his tenure in the early to mid-1990s. It was obvious he observed so many of the people were trying to be more smart and sophisticated than they actually were. And readingContinue reading “‘Memoirs And Misinformation’ Is A Muddled Mess”

Fourth ‘Friday The 13th’ Is Too Entertaining For Its Own Good

By the time Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter hit theaters on April 13, 1984, the whole slasher horror craze was entering its great downfall. Critics hated them and the big names refused to acknowledge their existence except to condemn and degrade them. At the time, most of them had been filmed in Canada asContinue reading “Fourth ‘Friday The 13th’ Is Too Entertaining For Its Own Good”

‘The Union’ Falls Apart

Now, in his early 50s, Mark Wahlberg seems to take great enthusiasm in being the most Bostonian he can. I don’t mind that he talks about his religion. But most of his movie roles for the past decade seem to be playing blue-collar types. And yes, he may have that look where all he needsContinue reading “‘The Union’ Falls Apart”

James Earl Jones Had An Impressive, Most Impressive Life And Career

I’ve always bee fascinated with actors like James Earl Jones and their difficult pasts. As a child in rural Mississippi, he had a terrible stutter. For years, he refused to talk as he was much embarrassed. Then, one day, Jones said a teacher made him read aloud. And when that happened, the stutter was gone.Continue reading “James Earl Jones Had An Impressive, Most Impressive Life And Career”

Are Conservative Christian Movies Intentionally Bad As A Way To Show A “Liberal Bias” Among Hollywood?

In August, Deadpool and Wolverine became the highest grossing R-rated movie ever. It beat a 20-year record that had been established by The Passion of the Christ. The movie was only the third feature directed by Mel Gibson and reportedly funding were from Gibson and his Icon Productions company. The final price tag was $30Continue reading “Are Conservative Christian Movies Intentionally Bad As A Way To Show A “Liberal Bias” Among Hollywood?”

‘Halloween’ Actor Charles Cyphers Takes His Final Curtain Call

Being a character actor is never a glamorous job. If you’re lucky, you get your name on the opening credits but you don’t get the nice paycheck the stars receive. However, if you’re lucky, you get to appear in a popular movie or franchise that people will remember you. Charles Cyphers got that chance multipleContinue reading “‘Halloween’ Actor Charles Cyphers Takes His Final Curtain Call”

How ‘The Blair Witch Project’ Helped And Hurt The Horror Genre

In the past 25 years, filmmaking has gone through many changes. But the one that, for better or for worse, owes itself particularly and almost entirely to one genre is the found footage horror. The idea wasn’t new when The Blair Witch Project opened in the summer of 1999. Cannibal Holocaust had done the sameContinue reading “How ‘The Blair Witch Project’ Helped And Hurt The Horror Genre”

‘Shaun of the Dead’ At 20: How A U.K. ZomCom Reanimated The Subgenre

By the dawn of the 21st Century, the zombie subgenre of horror was, for a lack of a better word, dead. Scream helped breathe new life into the slasher subgenre and it seemed Hollywood was also in love with remaking Japanese horror movies into The Ring and The Grudge. But across the pond, something wasContinue reading “‘Shaun of the Dead’ At 20: How A U.K. ZomCom Reanimated The Subgenre”

‘Abigail’ Has Enough Bites To Overcome Parts That Suck

There is no way to review a movie like Abigail. You either don’t like it. Or you like it just enough not to really want to watch it again. It’s good background noise for about 100 minutes if you ever need it. There was criticism that the twist was given away in the trailers andContinue reading “‘Abigail’ Has Enough Bites To Overcome Parts That Suck”

‘Death Wish’ At 50 Still Touches On Topics Open For Much Debate Today

When it was released in July of 1974, Death Wish struck a nerve with audiences. By the 1970s, the war on drugs seemed to have created more crime in metropolitan areas. Brian Garfield had wrote the novel after his wife’s purse was stolen. Last House on the Left had been released the same year asContinue reading “‘Death Wish’ At 50 Still Touches On Topics Open For Much Debate Today”