Although steeped in the traditions and trappings of what could be done in 1943, Stormy Weather was an early effort for mainstream Hollywood to bring blackness to the forefront. As such, the film holds a […]
Category: Columns
REVENGE OF THE CHEAPIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO ‘BIG B’
Amateur street racers fire grappling hooks into the sky, take down a military cargo plane, and save the world. A zoologist whispers kindly to a kaiju-sized ape, surrounded by the complete destruction of a city, […]
Space Babes, Robots, and Disco Boogie: ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’ in the 21st Century
It’s not easy being an astronaut: studying vectors, fuel consumption reports, star charts, and demonstrating fast reaction times, all while piloting a 135-ton space vehicle roaring against the unrelenting pull of Earth’s gravity. What happens […]
Let’s Put The Industrialist Back in Christmas: a contemplation on ‘A Christmas Carol’ films
Every Christmas film is an autobiography of the Spirit of Christmas. Well, essentially at least. The vast majority of Christmas movies, which most likely at this point bear the Hallmark or Lifetime insignia on them, […]
NEW IN ACTION: OCTOBER 2022 (HAUNTED-HOUSE ROUND-UP II)
Welcome to the 2nd annual Haunted-House Round-Up! This month we’re deviating a bit and taking a few liberties on what 1) constitutes “new” and 2) how much “action” might make an Action movie. But it’s […]
YOU ARE NOT YOUR COTTON CANDY GUN™: A RE-EVALUATION OF ‘KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE’
“PT Barnum said it so long agothere’s one born every minute, don’t you know” – The Dickies Editor’s note: Originally this article was going to be a true-to-life Piss-Take. I have spent several adult years […]
HAIR HELMETS & POLKA DOTS: THE CORNY AUTHENTICITY OF ‘BACK TO THE BEACH’
“Not many people can cha cha chaNot everybody can do the twistBut everybody can do the SkaIt’s the new dance you can’t resist” ~ old Jamaican proverb* A woman and man are walking hand in […]
NEW IN ACTION: JULY/AUGUST 2022
Join The Grumps as we bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! From Elbee: THE PRINCESS (2022) [NEW ON HULU] Form = Function in […]
‘INDEPENDENCE DAY’: AN EXPLICATION OF A ’90S SCI-FI BLOCKBUSTER; OR, JAY LOSES A BET
Author’s note: Thanks to a foolish wager on an NBA playoff series, this article you’re now reading exists. I have no business making friendly wagers on professional sports, as I always bet with my heart […]
NEW IN ACTION: MAY/JUNE 2022
Join The Grumps as we bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! From Andrew: THE TAKEDOWN (2022) [NEW ON NETFLIX] Director Louis Leterrier came […]
NEW IN ACTION: MARCH/APRIL 2022
Join The Grumps as we bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! from elbee: THE ADAM PROJECT (2022) [NEW IN THEATERS AND ON NETFLIX] […]
ON AROUSAL AND USELESSNESS IN ‘THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST’
ENOUGH SENSE TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN & INTO THE BLUE-STRIPED TEMPLE “Don’t you feel like you can take on the world?You ain’t worried ’bout nobody sneak dissin”‘ – Rae Sremmurd “We’ll make Heaven […]
‘A SERBIAN FILM’: WE UNDERSTAND
Fans of extreme cinema and brutal horror tend to forgive and expect low production quality in exchange for visceral and realistic gore, top-notch practical effects, and often buckets and buckets of bodily fluid. The general […]
NEW IN ACTION: JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Each month The Grumps bring you a selection of what’s new and now in the Action genre. Strap in for Round-house Round-Up! from brian miller: FORTRESS OF AMERIKKKA (1989) [REISSUED ON BLU RAY BY VINEGAR […]
‘Creature’: Alien Knock-Off or Misunderstood ‘80s Sci-Fi/Horror? (Yes, this is a terrible title)
Classifying films by genre can be a harrowing experience and not for the faint-hearted. Last year, a mere one year into the pandemic, a Twitter user caused online apoplexy by daring to ask if Alien […]