On Trick ‘r Treat, Creepshow, And The Irony of Death
When I was young and, presumably, far more bloodthirsty than I am today, I loved horror movies. I still watch The Thing at least once a year, and if anyone […]
Appropriately Unclear: 12 Years a Slave, Ender’s Game, and the Hidden Scrunt
There was one shot in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave that made it all clear for me. A slave stands below the sweep of a tree, he lifts a dented horn […]
Mind Control Double Feature #67: Waking Nightmares
Murder! Madness! Satanic rituals! Executions! Must be halloween…
You Are Counseled Against Seeing The Counselor
As your lawyer, I am bound by the court to advise you against seeing this film.
How to Touch Gross Things
Wanna see something totally gross?
The Paperboy: Let’s All Pee On Zac Efron!
Stinging jellyfish and Nicole Kidman peeing on Zac Efron? It’s a movie-lover’s dream come true!
Mind Control Double Feature #66: Jeff Bridges Feels You Up
That’s okay. Just let it all out. Being emotional isn’t a sign of weakness; on the the contrary, it is a sign of depth and potential award nomination. This is particularly true if you happen to be Jeff Bridges.
Kubrick Loved The Treasure of The Sierra Madre–So Should You
In 1963 Stanley Kubrick made a list of his top ten favorite movies, the only time he was ever known to make public such a list. It’s got some usual […]
24 Hour Party People Get Delusional
’24 Hour Party People.’ This is, I learn, a song by the Happy Mondays, which were in turn an important band in the Manchester music scene of the 1980s and […]
Trailer For Wes Anderson’s Latest: The Grand Budapest Hotel
I don’t know about you, but I find this trailer absolutely enraging. It’s adorable! Look how goddamned delightfully charming it all is!
Black Swan Plays with Its Pecker
There are two stunning things about Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 award winner Black Swan. The first is Natalie Portman’s sinewy and strung performance. The second is that people went to see it.
Mind Control Double Feature #65: Religions Ancient And Futuristic
Is there anything funnier than religion? Religion is like dancing with penguins. The hilarity never stops. Unless you yourself are religious, in which case every religion but one, yours, is […]
12 Years A Slave Brings The Pain
Watch the trailer for director Steve McQueen’s new movie, 12 Years A Slave, and you will fear the worst: a weepy, tug-at-your-heartstrings, Oscar-bait Hollywood take on slavery. If you’ve seen […]
The Slugger’s Wife and Extended Slumps
In the 1970s, Hal Ashby directed your favorite films; Harold & Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, and Being There to name a few. In the 1980s, his name topped an unbroken string […]