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
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
David Ellison Top Gun

Hired Gun

The US military has been having meeting enlistment quotas these past few years. The government's response to the virus scare deserves its share of the blame. So do rising obesity rates among fighting age Americans. But browse a few of the news pieces lamenting low recruitment, and you'll notice that…
July 20, 20224 Comments
Terminator_John Connor

Gen Y Profiles: John Connor

James Cameron  may have gone full Pop Cult in a frenzy of giant smurf Gaia worship, but his past career leaves no doubt as to his visionary status. Starting in the 80s and throughout the 90s, he displayed an uncanny knack for getting out in front of Hollywood trends. And…
July 12, 20222 Comments
cruise

The Last Movie Star

One indicator that distinguishes the culture of the 80s and 90s from today is the phenomenon of the movie star. Name actors have drawn audiences to the box office on the strength of their personal brands alone since Clara Bow's day. It's the fading of that dynamic over the past…
June 2, 20227 Comments