Wrath of Khan

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Following the critical disappointment of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the franchise's fate was up in the air. Legend has it that after attending the premiere, William Shatner said, "That's it. We gave it our best shot, but there'll be no more Star Trek movies." But that was back when…
December 5, 202231 Comments
Star Trek the Motion Picture

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

There's no question about what the best Star Trek movie is. But debate rages over which is the worst. Surprisingly for a long-running Hollywood franchise, a frontrunner for the least enjoyable Star Trek movie also happens to be the series' first. With that rather inflammatory intro out of the way,…
November 30, 202221 Comments
Hayter Hate

Hayter Hate

Let the above image serve to remind you that the people behind the product you consume hate you. The Death Cultists responsible for your beloved childhood IPs hold you in contempt and seek to use your attachment to convert you. Put away childish things. Put on the armor of God.…
October 20, 202212 Comments
Adult Happy Meal

Adult Cult Meal

It might be low-hanging fruit, but the new adult Happy Meal from McDonald's demands coverage on this blog. If only because it's the quintessential intersection of my Lost Generations model and the Pop Cult. McDonald's is serving up nostalgia with new “boxed meals” for adults that look like Happy Meals…
October 4, 20226 Comments
BackToTheFuture3

Back to the Future Part III

Every American science fiction series involving time travel has to have a Western arc. It's an unwritten law of storytelling. And of course, the best time travel movie series is no exception. Nor was Back to the Future's take on the Western genre unexpected. Doc and Marty's trip to the…
September 23, 20228 Comments
BackToTheFuture2

Back to the Future Part II

In the current Dark Age, it's almost a universal law that any successful IP from before Ground Zero will become fodder for a bastardized remake or insulting sequel. Yesterday's post showcased Back to the Future as the sole exception to that rule. But did it break the other ironclad Hollywood…
September 22, 202219 Comments
BackToTheFuture

Back to the Future

It's important to be thankful for small mercies. In the context of beloved 1980s film franchises, only one has escaped desecration by the Hollywood Death Cult ... for now. That as-yet unsullied franchise began with 1985's Back to the Future, a time travel adventure flick written by Robert Zemeckis and…
September 21, 202212 Comments
Ferris Bueller

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

The 1980s teen comedy genre isn't a field known for producing great art or artists. Nostalgia blinds most contemporary viewers to the weed and fornication-fueled subversion beneath the presentable Reagan-era exterior. As film critics have pointed out, Hollywood got even more subversive in reaction to the conservative political turn. And…
September 12, 202219 Comments
Shia Labeouf Padre Pio

Tricked by God

The platypus is no longer the best evidence of God's sense of humor. Actor Shia LaBeouf said he converted to Christianity while shooting his upcoming film "Padre Pio" and has become a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Kidding aside, this is joyous news and still more proof that where…
August 26, 202219 Comments
TragedyOfTheAges

Tragedies of the Ages

An important part of being a social commentator is engaging with good-faith arguments that challenge your positions on the topics you cover. That goes double for writers, since it's storytellers who are the new priesthood of our narrative-driven society. That is also why literary critics play a vital if often…
August 8, 202221 Comments