Back in the ’80s, the MPAA ratings meant a lot more than it does now. Streaming doesn’t really care about a viewer’s age. Four decades ago, the ratings had a bit more ability to block out certain age groups. If your movie was given an R…
Gaming is one of the most beloved activities for different generations of people. Actually, if we’re to name one specific hobby that would unite people from the age of 7 to 77+, it would most probably be gaming. As it comes in many…
Lee “Scratch” Perry was one of the great producers and performers. He got his start in Jamaica in the ’50s. He worked for the legendary reggae label Studio One (which was also a recording studio). He split off and even built his own studio…
Viggo Mortensen wrote and directed a Western! The Dead Don’t Hurt is about a relationship that undergoes a lot of stress when Mortensen’s character leaves home to fight for the Union in the Civil War. This leads Vicky Krieps to fight…
The Italian Neorealism movement was all about taking cinema to the streets. The post-World War II films were noted for not shooting on soundstages with small crews. The movies focused on the struggles of ordinary people in the desperate…
When I first heard Weird Al Yankovic on the Doctor Demento radio show in the late ’70s, there was no clue that he’d be the biggest star for decades. He’d used his accordion to transform The Knack’s My Sharona into “My Bologna.” He took…
The end of July is going to sizzle when Arrow Video releases the Nico Mastorakis Collection, Red Line 7000 and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The Nico Mastorakis Collection has six of his films that haven’t been released on Blu-ray. Included in…
I have a memory of someone renting a VHS copy of The Guyver back in the early ’90s and bringing it over to Enterprise House that was down the block from Sadlacks in Raleigh. At first I wasn’t too excited about this choice for movie night.…
Gone are the days of traditional, limited options for placing bets on sporting events. Thanks to the rise of technology and internet connectivity, bettors now have access to a wide array of online sports betting platforms offering endless…
Was Midnight Kung Fu movies a thing? The Midnight movies in the late ’70s and early ’80s were a collection of flicks that were perfect for a crowd that was a little wild and lubricated with various substances. The Miracle Fighters should…
If you watch about five minutes of any news channel, you’ll get the idea that too many people are aching for another civil war to start. What exactly do they think is going to happen if society breaks down is a not quite clear. Alex…
The future gets even more futuristic with Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 arriving in Blu-ray in July. The popular anime is going into the CGI future with the new series. The boxset featuring the first season will contain bonus material…
Todd Rundgren has always been an innovative musician since he arrived on the scene in the ’60s. He became one of the first one-man bands thanks to multi-tracking recordings. He created an entire album where he replaced all the instruments…
When I finally got access to the internet back in the late ’90s via a 56K modem, the alt user groups became my favorite place to visit. Mostly because they didn’t have any real graphics so I didn’t have to wait 4 hours for AOL to make an…
In the UFC it is common to know that strength and technique are essential, however, the mental game of the fighters is just as important and sometimes determines the outcome of the fight. Learning the attitudes of the leading UFC fighters…
I got close to finishing this week’s stack, but fell short, sadly. I’m skipping next week’s column, but hope to return in July with a double column. Best Comic of the Week: Into The Unbeing Part One #1 – I’m a big fan of writer Zac…
Normally I don’t bring up the budget of a film, but I’m making a major exception for Monkey Man. Supposedly it cost Dev Patel and his producers $10 million to make the movie. This is startling since the movie looks and feels better than…
Hicksploitation brings out the most colorful elements of the South. As someone who has lived below the Mason-Dixon line for decades, I can assure you that many of the characters in these films aren’t stereotypes. I’ve seen them in the wild…
When I was at film school, one of my editing instructors was Sonya Polonsky. She was a New York based filmmaker who was part of the crew on Annie Hall and Raging Bull. She moved up to editor for Baby It’s You and Matewan. During class, she…
If you ever go to an Alamo Drafthouse, make sure you arrive a half hour before the screening time so you can watch the pre-show. This isn’t a bunch of coming attractions hosted by Maria Menounos. The Alamo folks dig into vaults to find…
Physical therapy plays a crucial role in the recovery process for athletes who have sustained sports injuries. Whether it’s a minor sprain, a serious fracture, or a recurring strain, physical therapy offers a comprehensive approach to…
Introduction Sporting goods encompass products used when playing sports, exercising, or participating in recreational hobbies and outdoor activities. However, classifying all sports merchandise under one umbrella term belies the…
While Edwige Fenech was a sensation in Europe starting in the ’70s, she didn’t truly arrive in America until the 21st Century. This is when several of her major movies were transferred uncut to DVD. A few played the less prestigious…
Were you around when Barney showed up on the scene? The giant purple dinosaur conquered children’s TV in record time as little kids everywhere wanted prehistoric love. There were a lot of parents who hated Barney especially after a drive…
Who knew making a chicken dish in France can get be so complicated in France? Chicken for Linda! takes up into what happens when a kids wants the meal as a major strike is poised to shut down supermarkets and more. The film is from one of…
The key to being a great exploitation filmmaker is figure out how to alter an already released film in order to exploit a new development. There were a lot of films that changed titles to exploit a headline or trend. When Homework was…
Recently someone talked about how when we rewatch a movie, we get a different message. During a second, third or more viewing, we refocus who or what we identify with on the screen if we went through an experience similar to the one in the…
Once again, the real world is seriously encroaching on my time to read and relax, but instead of skipping a column (which I’m going to be doing in a couple of weeks), I thought I’d share what I managed to get through this week. Hopefully…
Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola should feel lucky that the Yakuza films of Kinji Fukasaku weren’t imported into American theater during the ’70s. People might not have been so blown away by Mean Streets and The Godfather if they’d…