No Going Back

Reader JD Cowan left a thoughtful and prophetic reply to yesterday's post on Hollywood remakes that I thought deserved a more extensive reply than I could give in the comments. Here's JD: This must be why only Pixar and Marvel get my movie dollars these days with the occasional Nolan…
November 19, 2015
Hollywood Is Just a Remake Machine

Hollywood Is Just a Remake Machine

Hollywood is out of ideas. In fact, the studios' original thought well ran dry so long ago that pointing out their creative bankruptcy would be a cliche if not for the massive doses of cynicism and intersectional identity politics they've injected into their tedious remakes. Here are just a few…
November 18, 20152 Comments

Geek Gab Episode 31: Spectre

Daddy Warpig, Dorrinal, and I return to discuss Spectre, the latest (and final Daniel Craig?) James Bond film. We also speculate about The Force Awakens and lament Hollywood's lack of originality in general. Take a listen!
November 15, 2015
Movie Review: James Bond 007: Spectre

Movie Review: James Bond 007: Spectre

SPOILER ALERT: This is a full review with spoilers. Proceed at your own risk if you haven't seen the movie yet. Over the weekend, I saw Spectre, the twenty-fourth film in Eon Production's James Bond series. First, some background. In my opinion, Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond has been a mixed…
November 10, 20152 Comments

Geek Gab Halloween Special

We've got a special Halloween episode for you on this week's Geek Gab. Join Daddy Warpig, Dorrinal, special guest Bacon Man, and myself, for 30 minutes of horror film geekery.
October 31, 2015
Citizen Vader

Citizen Vader

Image by Red Letter Media My post on books that informed Star Wars drew multiple calls to examine George Lucas' cinematic influences. The Star Wars saga borrows from and pays homage to so many films that covering them all in depth would require a lengthy series. You could probably sustain a whole blog…
October 29, 2015
Movie Review: Everest

Movie Review: Everest

Mountaineering--especially on the world's fourteen peaks over 8000 meters--has fascinated me for a while now. For documentation, see chapter 32 of my novel. Though the insane risks involved firmly relegate me to armchair enthusiast status, I usually welcome the chance to get some vicarious thrills through other people's foolhardiness. Everest,…
October 9, 2015
Movie Review: The Martian

Movie Review: The Martian

I saw The Martian. Full disclosure: I haven't yet read the book. When a multimedia event like this comes around, my friends and I have found that it makes for interesting and informative discussions to have somebody read the book first, then see the movie; and for someone else to…
October 7, 2015
Disney’s Competence to Guide Star Wars Undermined in New Novel’s Aftermath

Disney’s Competence to Guide Star Wars Undermined in New Novel’s Aftermath

Unless you've been living on Mars, the buzz surrounding Disney's acquisition of the Star Wars franchise, and their plans to release a whole new series of films, has completely enmeshed you in an inescapable web of hype. The first wave of movie marketing has already arrived in a multimedia blitz incorporating everything…
September 19, 2015
Farewell Wes Craven: The Death of a Reluctant Horror Icon

Farewell Wes Craven: The Death of a Reluctant Horror Icon

"I think what, really, horror films deal with is vulnerability and inattention," director Wes Craven said in a 1996 interview promoting his meta-horror opus Scream. "They show you the penalty of...not admitting to what's really out there." Craven succumbed to cancer on Sunday in Los Angeles. Having been raised by…
August 31, 20151 Comment