Editorials

Happy 70th Birthday, Danny Elfman!

Danny Elfman is the kind of artist who, even if you have never heard of him before, you are aware of his art… and boy, does he create art! Elfman has penned some of the most beloved, cherished and masterful movie music of our time, working with talented directors like …

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‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994): What It Says About Father/Son Relationships

Pulp Fiction

Released on May 21, 1994, Quentin Tarantino’s crime thriller, Pulp Fiction, follows a bunch of character’s lives interconnect in a complex narrative filled with themes of petty revenge vs. divine retribution, fate vs. freak occurrence, and other ideas such as loyalty. ***Spoiler Alert!*** Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield …

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‘WILLOW’ (1988): What Makes it Great…and Did Disney Drop the Ball?

Willow

Willow is a fantasy film directed by Ron Howard originally released on May 20, 1988. The story was conceived by George Lucas (already famous for Star Wars and the Indiana Jones films), and he also served as the film’s executive producer. The movie combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and fairy …

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Double Take: The Subversion of ‘DEAD RINGERS’

Released in 1988, the David Cronenberg-directed Dead Ringers, which starred Oscar winner Jeremy Irons (House of Gucci (2021) as celebrated twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle, drew from real-life horror. The film about identical doctors whose identities were dangerously intertwined was based on the mysterious true tale of Stewart and …

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A Tribute to Ray Stevenson (1964 – 2023)

Actor Ray Stevenson tragically passed away on May 21, 2023, after contracting a “mystery illness” while filming in Italy. Throughout his career, Ray has played several memorable roles spanning a wide variety of amazing projects. In honor of his legacy, I’d like to draw some attention to my five favorite …

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Not Another Cult Classic: ‘THE RESURRECTION OF CHARLES MANSON’ (2023)

The Resurrection of Charles Manson

One of the most notorious murders in American history was committed by the Manson Family cult. The conspiracies that followed the murderous cult post-1969 spawned many rumors, books, documentaries, and internet sleuths connecting the dots to Son – or Sons, of Sam and to the Unabomber. In The Resurrection of …

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My Top 10 Favorite Vincent Cassel Roles

Vincent Cassel

Vincent Cassel is not your typical-looking leading man, with a long, hawklike face and a history of tough guy roles. But whatever he lacks in stereotypical good looks he makes up for a million times in his own brand of casual charisma. He’s played the villain more often than the …

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Stephen King’s ‘SALEM’S LOT’ (1975): King’s Favorite Book

Salem's Lot

Picking up where we left off last month, 26-year-old writer Stephen King rolled the dice with his first novel Carrie in 1974. When all was said and done, King had collected $200,000 ($1.8 million today) for his efforts. Now the question was could he follow it up? King himself feared …

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‘CRITTERS 2’ (1988) Serves Up More than ‘The Main Course’ – 35 Years Later

Critters 2

Fun Fact: Not Just Slang for Nethers, Tehachapi is Also a Town! 35 years ago the sequel to Critters was released. Critters 2: The Main Course, is one of those sequels I list as ‘just as good if not better than the original’. It was Mick Garris’s directorial debut and …

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‘EDWARD SCISSORHANDS’ (1990) and His Dad’s Interesting Creative Choice

Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands brilliantly showcases Tim Burton’s ability to seamlessly blend the fantastical with the mundane, as a bizarre humanoid invention named Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp) ends up venturing into suburbia. Edward had been invented by an unknown old man simply called “The Inventor” (Vincent Price), who had temporarily …

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