tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156876352012-01-30T09:33:29.233-07:00Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.comBlogger3221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-75065159715538732092009-01-08T20:05:00.005-07:002009-01-09T13:54:08.299-07:00

You know that scene in Summer School where the one student suddenly shows up for the final exam after leaving to go to the bathroom on the first day? And his excuse is "my zipper got stuck"? Well, I'm sorry to say that my zipper is stuck, and I don't know how long it will be before I can return.Beginning next week, a fairly radical career change will force me to suspend my blog (and commenting)

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-38141153103076482972009-01-04T07:27:00.000-07:002009-01-04T10:06:08.432-07:00

I don't know how he does it, but Dennis Cozzalio has once again called class to order and served up a dandy of a final for 2008. Dennis puts these out about three times a year, and I'm always excited for what he cooks up, because each one is harder than the last. Here's my effort:1) What was the last movie you saw theatrically? On DVD or Blu-ray?Theatrically -- Synecdoche, New York. DVD -- Star

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-85590894015182229732008-12-28T19:28:00.004-07:002008-12-29T11:26:12.740-07:00

I think it's fair to say that I've been in a bit of a rut lately as far as new posts go. The holiday season can bring strange occurrences, such as a baby shoving a slice of birthday cake bigger than his head into his mouth. And there is the inevitable post-holiday hangover, like a baby that still smells like frosting two days after eating said cake. I don't think I'm the only one who's become a

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-20889481146995225972008-12-18T21:29:00.000-07:002008-12-18T22:42:41.273-07:00

I nearly spit out my wassail when I saw "inspired by the movie Teen Wolf" at the tail end of an NFL newsbit on ESPN's bottom line. What in the world could anything in today's NFL have to do with the innocent hijinks of Teen Wolf? The answer was more bizzare than I ever could have imagined: Tampa Bay defensive tackle Greg White had changed his name to Stylez G. White: White said he picked his new

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-66170311877771580572008-12-11T19:48:00.008-07:002008-12-11T20:38:39.404-07:00

Thanks to the egostatic Bill R. for tagging me with the latest meme, listing your 25 favorite actresses (as started by Nathaniel R.). I wasn't sure if I could come up with 25, but after reading through the fun lists from Jonathan Lapper, Jeremy Richey, Kimberly Lindbergs, et al, I had to give it a go. The choices for my list weren't strictly for their acting ability, but more for the fact that

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-47398630406645473592008-12-08T16:19:00.007-07:002008-12-08T20:12:52.825-07:00

I've got a terrible condition: I see the world through a Total Recall filter. It affects my daily life. Whereas most people want to visit Hawaii or Europe on vacation, I want to go to Mars. Yes, I'm aware of the recent violent uprisings on Mars, and the tenuous oxygen situation, but that's just where I want to go. It's even worse when my family actually goes on a vacation, because I insist on

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-20376097909758542812008-11-27T09:37:00.005-07:002008-11-27T09:57:53.560-07:00

With family coming over this weekend, I had been thinking for weeks about what I could pick for a perfect Thanksgiving movie. This lead to further pondering about what qualifies as a Thanksgiving movie. Then today, it suddenly struck me: Troll 2. Think about it, here are the main themes of the movie:1. Family comes before everything.2. This includes friends.3. In fact, don't even waste your time

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-83773963413418648102008-11-20T13:37:00.007-07:002008-11-20T21:55:32.105-07:00

Photo: Kim Murphy / LA TimesLike the main character in the Twilight Zone episode this post title refers to, I sometimes think wistfully of my time in a small town. If you come from a small town, you live for the day when you can brag about your hometown to the Big City Folks. Make them spit out their sip of Drambuie with a tale that rocks their concrete jungle to its brittle, cementy core. For me

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-21827741282833898152008-11-18T20:10:00.003-07:002008-11-18T20:32:33.846-07:00

I spend a lot of time re-watching movies. Probably more than I should, considering how many titles I need to catch up on. But this practice occasionally leads to great experiences, like catching something in a movie that I hadn't noticed in any of the previous umpteenth viewings. One of these moments happened today, after again putting on Once Upon a Time in the West.As a visual storyteller,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-86979932360918082882008-11-12T13:50:00.007-07:002008-11-12T14:48:41.300-07:00

Note: This post is part of the Blog, James Blog-a-thon at Lazy Eye Theatre.I had hoped to write an all-Timothy Dalton post for the James Blog-a-thon, but it turns out there's nothing nice I can say about License to Kill, other than its ultra-smooth title cut from Gladys Knight. So all-Timothy Dalton turned in to all-Living Daylights, which is fine by me. I've never hesitated to declare The Living

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-61331339929532767652008-11-10T13:40:00.004-07:002008-11-10T14:05:36.919-07:00

If you've followed this blog for long, you know I don't often post about the local business scene here in Boise. In fact, this is the first time. But yesterday I saw two pieces of signage so incomprehensibly stupid, it just had to be shared with everyone.Let's start with the worst offender first. This new business manages to combine one of the English language's worst adjectives (pasty), with one

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-50325913775815876592008-11-08T08:43:00.003-07:002008-11-08T09:22:57.167-07:00

Fletch at Blog Cabins is battling illiteracy with his new meme, The Alphabet Meme. I've heard that for every child that learns to read through this meme, Fletch will receive a golden apple, and I think that's great (the golden apple part, I don't care about the kids). I was roped into this one via Piper, and the rules are fairly simple, go through the alphabet and name a film for every letter.

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-49900445920034749302008-11-03T22:25:00.004-07:002008-11-03T22:33:19.455-07:00

Let's not have a repeat of "One for Martin, two for Martin!"

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-91911915422550321482008-10-31T10:56:00.000-06:002008-10-31T12:44:45.750-06:00

One of the unsung accomplishments in The Simpsons long run on Fox is its place in television Halloween history. The annual Treehouse of Horror episode, which debuted on Oct. 25, 1990, has to be considered one of the best and most successful Halloween traditions in TV history. The standard adopted on that initial ToH -- three vignettes mocking horror movies or ghost stories -- has never been

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-46298137115852406232008-10-27T16:02:00.003-06:002008-10-27T16:24:52.293-06:00

Hi, I'm Adam Ross with DVD Panache (LIGHT APPLAUSE).Thank you, but please settle down, we have something serious to talk about here: nothing. That's right "nothing," the little word that represents the absence of anything. "Nothing" is usually used in a negative connotation (see: The Never Ending Story), and rightfully so -- but today I'm here to offer you a chance to experience "nothing" for all

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-55421987747492230922008-10-23T15:50:00.004-06:002008-10-23T16:43:59.271-06:00

In the haunted home stretch of his October Kill Fest, Jonathan "My next scary name may be your own" Lapper took time to celebrate The Twilight Zone. Jonathan's post and the accompanying leagues of comments put me in a TZ mood, as I am known to fall into occasionally. Jonathan's mention of Little Girl Lost as one of his favorite episodes got me thinking about it, specifically one of its supporting

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-53864611020222509602008-10-20T21:14:00.003-06:002008-10-20T21:55:36.731-06:00

While we're in the midst of a sell-off on Wall Street, HD-DVD enthusiasts are definitely in a buy buy buy market. You need to buy now because prices on new HD-DVDs keep falling, along with inventory. After listing The Adventures of Robin Hood at a record low price of $9.99, Amazon then described it as "discontinued by the manufacturer" and is now simply "unavailable." At DVD Panache favorite Deep

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-23001529506255341212008-10-16T15:45:00.004-06:002008-10-16T15:55:11.466-06:00

Good to see Dennis Hopper being awarded the Chevalier de la legion des Arts et des Lettres from France recently. Can't say I've heard of anyone else receiving that, but it's a nice-enough sounding honor, and it looks cool. Still, the reason for this post is the picture below, it's crying out for a caption. Here's my attempt, what's yours?"Thank you. Amazing, that a man who once uttered 'Fuck you,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-32692729127852383272008-10-13T15:58:00.002-06:002008-10-13T16:08:22.074-06:00

If you watched any football this weekend, you probably saw the latest Leave Nothing commercial by Nike. The last one was directed by Michael Mann, and featured the great theme from The Last of the Mohicans. Next up? David Fincher, and here's his effort:I think I like this one a little more. Mann's commercial is a little anti-climactic, and Fincher has a better story by starting the tale from

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-44773828508320905382008-10-12T10:50:00.003-06:002008-10-12T10:55:44.164-06:00

"Hey Dad, what's this Straw Dogs movie about? What kind of dogs are in it?""Eh, only way to find out is to just watch it for myself."

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-35645925074390373032008-10-08T09:17:00.000-06:002008-10-08T11:10:19.236-06:00

Ever since Bill Paxson's character said "game over, man!" Aliens has been a movie pleading for a high quality video game to call its own, and miraculously we finally have that game in Aliens: Extermination. I say miraculously because 1. This is actually the third attempt at creating an Aliens arcade game (1990's Aliens was a standard side-scroller shooter -- albeit with a fun final stage based on

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-86830794768124978322008-10-03T13:07:00.001-06:002008-10-03T16:51:26.466-06:00

It's October again, and that means we all begin our precious Halloween month traditions: painting your house black, renting a hurse, digging graves for the "mock" cemetary in the front yard, sharpening your knives, training the neighborhood crows to "caw" when that certain person walks by. You know, Halloween stuff! If you have enough time to spare in between your sick traditions, put these blogs

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-28593720998795265482008-09-29T19:09:00.001-06:002008-09-29T21:06:42.852-06:00

Earlier this month I wrote about my 12 Must (somehow Sees) -- rare or hard to find movies I long to view. I had little hope of watching any of these movies, but that was before good samaritan and all-around awesome blogger Marty McKee basically gave me a "step inside my office." Through Marty's goodwill, I will be able to cross two of those movies off my list, including the one I had most wanted

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-57750697887302919682008-09-24T19:02:00.000-06:002008-09-24T20:23:17.480-06:00

So it's been almost a month since the good professor Dennis Cozzalio assigned his latest questionnaire, Dr. Zachary Smith's Lost in the Space at the End of Summer Movies Quiz. My tardiness on turning this in is on-par with everything else I'm trying to do lately, but as always, Dennis has outdone himself with this quiz. Stop over at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule for more interesting

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-57704542674653343622008-09-17T15:35:00.001-06:002008-09-17T17:16:05.392-06:00

Today I present two trailers for upcoming movies, one that surprised me at how good it looked and one that looks shockingly bad:As a football fan, I usually find myself bitching about football movies, instead of trying to enjoy them. It's probably the same way with glass movers and car chase movies. There's always something with the football part of it that's enough to drive me crazy, and keep me

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-47892284384705511302008-09-13T05:41:00.000-06:002008-09-13T07:34:16.546-06:00

In 1995, a great deal was made about how Heat would be the first pairing of actors Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in a movie. Thirteen years later, we have Righteous Kill again showcasing the two actors, and I've heard exactly zero buzz about the movie. You could say this disinterest is due to the falling popularity of the two actors -- owing some to the passage of time, and most to their own doing

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-66116149230615791652008-09-11T10:50:00.003-06:002008-09-11T19:32:16.864-06:00

Why can't I stop looking at this DVD cover? Why did it take me this long to actually see this amazing illustration? Why don't one-sheets feature actual illustrations any more? Why are amazing one-sheets like this ever NOT used for the DVD cover, as opposed to some Photoshop hack job? Damn that looks good.

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-17640988212309832502008-09-02T12:34:00.000-06:002008-09-02T16:48:02.068-06:00

Niceguy Joseph Campanella of Cinema Fist was nice enough to tag me with the latest 12 Movies meme, and I'm hear to spread the love even further. A spinoff of Piper's 12 Movies Meme, the Holy Grail List is different in that you're selecting 12 hard-to-find movies you haven't seen (full rules at the meme's birthpalce, The Dancing Image). I like this idea, and I only had to cheat a little bit to

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-68511063572557602762008-08-28T20:30:00.001-06:002008-08-28T22:08:01.728-06:00

Congratulations, Mr. Obama, you’ve accepted the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. But why all the celebrating? I hope you’re not forgetting this little matter of the Test of the Burning Blades, are you? Have you forgotten that our nation was put under a curse millennia ago by a Chinese god, and the only way to appease him is by electing a— What? That was just a misunderstanding?

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-36443107434185271712008-08-25T02:47:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:35.205-07:00

Read Part One here.10. Boo-urnsThe Episode: A Star is Burns (Season 6)The Setup: Mr. Burns' self-serving A Burns for All Seasons draws boos from the crowd at the inaugural Springfield Film Festival.The Joke:BURNS: Smithers, are they booing me?SMITHERS: Uhh, no they're saying "Boo-urns, boo-urns."BURNS: (to crowd) Are you saying "boo" or "Boo-urns"?(crowd boos louder)HANS MOLEMAN: I was saying "

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-42897975007171243082008-08-22T01:41:00.004-06:002008-12-11T03:03:36.885-07:00

Next month will mark the 20th season of The Simpsons, and to celebrate the historic mark I embarked a month ago on ranking its 20 best gags. Arriving at 20 was not easy, and deciding on a final ranking of the 20 meant many tough choices. In weeding out the hundreds of elite gags from The Simpsons, I settled on a fairly basic criterion: the gags had to be a great representation of Simpsons'

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-9033287510631085432008-08-19T09:28:00.004-06:002008-08-19T09:56:11.277-06:00

So if you knock on ol' Piper's door during the next couple weeks, don't be surprised if it's me or Fox who comes to answer. Yup, we're keeping watch over Lazy Eye Theatre while the proprietor sorts out some problems with his finances in the Cayman Islands. It took me awhile, but I finally got my fill of Piper's backyard carousel (where'd you find a calliope that size?), and sat down to some

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-85923754838577245902008-08-07T02:56:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:37.110-07:00

So you may not see much of substance around here for a little while, and I actually have a good excuse. I'm still working on my Big Blog Project, which will definitely debut sometime this month. I'm not at liberty to discuss the details (trademarks, legalese and what not are still pending), but you'll know it when it hits. So until then I'm laying low, but I'll still welcome any random acts of

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-77952339229227109322008-08-05T20:42:00.002-06:002008-08-05T21:12:48.946-06:00

Thanks to weepingsam for pointing me toward The Greatest Thing Ever, also known as The Parallel Universe Film Guide. Did you know that in the Parallel Universe, D.O.A. is titled Eh...What Are You Gonna Do? and is summarized as:Man is injected with poison that will kill him in 24 hours. He searches for the person responsible, gives up, has last meal surrounded by family and friends, dies

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-49821185328411869882008-08-04T03:16:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:37.833-07:00

Before its release last week, a director's cut DVD of Dark City had been rumored for years (including Roger Ebert's 2005 note that he recorded a new commentary for such a DVD). That a director's cut would result in a superior movie was almost certain, as the film begins with an infamous prologue that screams "studio interference." In 1998, audiences were introduced to Alex Proyas' landmark film

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-42681630665897137122008-08-01T02:34:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:38.055-07:00

Well folks, we've made it through another season of Friday Screen Test. I'll admit there were times when all the pressure from city, state and international interest groups to shut it down became a little too loud to ignore -- but luckily I was able to avoid being served for seven whole months (it's an art). And though there were new outlets for my free time introduced to me this year, the series

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-49726715452520959882008-07-28T19:55:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:38.158-07:00

David Cronenberg's The Brood is a concept so thoroughly Cronenberg that you can almost imagine the idea forming in his head. Since Cronenberg's films often deal with the complex and painful idea of physical transformation/mutation, it's only natural that he could create such a wretchedly provocative image of pregnancy and birth. As a concept, it's my favorite Cronenberg movie behind The Fly, but

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-53482955878957815122008-07-25T12:13:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:38.284-07:00

Piper has quite a meme incubation program over at Lazy Eye Theatre, and his new one just hatched. Of course, now it's gonna multiply like tribbles with a premise like this:1) Choose 12 Films to be featured. They could be random selections or part of a greater theme. Whatever you want.2) Explain why you chose the films.3) Link back to Lazy Eye Theatre so I can have hundreds of links and I can take

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-37824202327622312482008-07-25T01:20:00.001-06:002008-07-25T01:20:00.944-06:00

Not only does He Shot Cyrus feature one of the best banner images of any blog out there (can I get that on a ... coaster?), but the posts are of similar quality. But be forewarned: you will learn things about Scott Knopf that you can't un-learn, like the fact that he would go gay for Sidney Poitier, or that Last House on the Left would be his choice for a romantic evening (Mr. Poitier, please

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-46545549923822421902008-07-21T01:14:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:38.531-07:00

Universal was HD-DVD exclusive (along with Paramount and DreamWorks) and the studio provided the format with its best vein of support, and perhaps helped extend its lifespan. This month saw the first Universal Blu-Ray discs released (among them: the Mummy trilogy and Doomsday), so BD owners will soon get a taste of the catalog titles HD-DVD converts have enjoyed. What sticks out to me about

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-17351820159277765282008-07-18T04:01:00.000-06:002008-07-18T05:31:21.611-06:00

Ibetolis knows what the future has in store for him -- it's staring him right in the face in the form of the 1,000 Greatest Films, as compiled by They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?. It is his mission to watch them all, and by all he means all 1,000 movies, even the ones he was familiar with. And Ibetolis chronicles this mission at Film for the Soul, with the occasional sidestep to other topics,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-41017380136679747952008-07-16T09:51:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:38.913-07:00

Note: Heavy spoilers herein.I watch Point Blank a lot. It's probably in the top 3 for my most-played DVDs. Most of this is due to how intoxicating the opening 20 minutes of the movie are, with director John Boorman taking the viewer on a manic spree of exposition both confusing and exhilarating. In these 20 minutes there are haunting moments that will never be equaled through the remainder of

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-65097182331806614772008-07-11T02:46:00.001-06:002008-07-11T18:54:52.178-06:00

If you dig the 70s stylings of Kim Morgan or Kimberly Lindbergs, then you should head over to Jeremy Richey's Moon in the Gutter, where the decade is celebrated like it's Dec. 31, 1979. There's more 70s goodness at Harry Moseby Confidential, which recently spent a week paying tribute to Four Flies on Gray Velvet. And while you're surfing around, why not check out his Natassja Kinski site

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-33503839275614696362008-07-09T02:57:00.007-06:002008-12-11T03:03:39.255-07:00

Note: This post is a contribution to the Self-Involvement Blog-a-thon at Culture Snob.Dreams and nightmares have long been valuable plot devices for films, able to suddenly jolt us into reality, or make us wonder at the conclusion that all we were seeing was one big dream. The line between dream and reality in movies is often very thin, with the image of a character leaping out of bed after

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-9521447122849664712008-07-05T21:10:00.002-06:002008-12-11T03:03:39.452-07:00

Whenever I'm faced with the tough decision of which movie to pull off the rack and commit to watching, there are a few titles I instantly disqualify. Some titles just have to be saved for the perfect viewing opportunity: Eyes Wide Shut and Gremlins for Christmas, Halloween and some of its brethren for around said holiday. There's even a few that play best during a rain storm: Star Wars, Flash

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-11523562128235937462008-07-04T11:44:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:39.812-07:00

Is this the best Fourth of July movie? In my house it is without peers.I'm also compiling a list of my favorite movies to watch in the summer, but that will have to wait until the weekend -- I have much more important matters to tend to.Have a safe holiday.

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-16690668646239581022008-07-04T01:01:00.001-06:002008-07-04T01:01:01.454-06:00

According to Karina Longworth's bio at SpoutBlog, she once spilled a negroni on Huey Lewis. My instinct tells me I should ban her name from this blog forever due to this nefarious attempt at alcohol assassination (and Huey is the victim here, not the drink), but I'm going to give her a second chance since she's also kind of a blogging goddess. Don't believe me? Well, she founded Cinematical, then

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-66445131467006326682008-06-29T14:44:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:40.022-07:00

The mere thought of an analytical book about Steven Seagal movies could provoke laughter, and yet I'm here to tell you that it's an essential read for any action movie fan, and a must-read for anyone who has enjoyed Seagal's works. I was skeptical about how Seagal movies could fill 400 pages (my wife even joked "Hmmm, what else can I say about Under Siege?"), but author Vern, of Ain't It Cool

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-59472026101771412072008-06-26T05:33:00.000-06:002008-06-26T06:00:23.970-06:00

Like the Jodorowsky character represented in his avatar, Andrew Bemis is a wanderer -- collecting and reflecting on cinematic treasures here and there, while also celebrating the greatest things in life: title cards and gratuitous nudity (occasionally at the same time). As one of the Men Who Make the Movies (see below), Andrew sees a lot of them, and shares his experiences at the charmingly-named

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-65992077898226883652008-06-24T04:37:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:40.855-07:00

I opened my new Car and Driver today to find something both tantalizing and disturbing. Pictured on page 29 were the first official pictures of Ferrari's next dream offering, an updating of the classic 250 GT California. The C/D curmudgeons predictably panned its styling, but I have to say it's the best looking new Ferrari since the 360 Modena -- everything past the rear wheels looks too much

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-5632714595530864452008-06-23T07:52:00.002-06:002008-12-11T03:03:40.988-07:00

Note: This is not part of the Bizarro Blog-a-Thon at Attentive Ear Theater.Has it really been 25 years since the third (and best) entry in the Bizarro saga? Audiences didn't expect much in 1983 upon its release -- the previous two efforts, directed by Richard Lester, had all been duds -- but Bizarro III would redefine what movie-goers expected from superhero movies. While Bizarro: The Movie and

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-69236180183963517352008-06-21T04:30:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:41.128-07:00

A lot of HD-DVD reviews this week (including the best one yet), but first some odd goings-on in HD-DVD land: Some time last month, all the Warner Bros. HD-DVDs jumped in price. While they used to be going in the $12-15 range at online retailers, now it's hard to find even one below $21. This may not seem very strange, but consider that most of these are more expensive than even their Blu-Ray

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-42691722275180374442008-06-20T01:04:00.003-06:002008-06-20T01:04:00.218-06:00

Craig Kennedy chose Peter Sellers' Dr. Strangelove as his avatar, and the character suits Living in Cinema well, as the site's spirited comments sections are as lively as the movie's infamous war room. Craig keeps the conversation flowing with frequent posts, starting with the weekly Watercooler where it all begins. And like me, Craig likes to write about conversations that never happened -- for

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-50639817371230543522008-06-18T09:58:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:41.309-07:00

So the Fourth of July is coming up, and that means a super blockbuster is going to be released, and this year that super blockbuster is...Hancock? I can't imagine a July 4 blockbuster in recent years that had less buzz going for it than Hancock. Sure, the ads are everywhere, but is anyone excited about it? Does anyone actually want to see it?I became intrigued by Hancock when I caught the end of

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-81223258658953305882008-06-15T09:29:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:41.984-07:00

Note: This post is part of the Dads in Media Blog-a-Thon at Strange Culture.Its name is Hoop Dreams, but very little of it is about basketball. The most memorable scene in the movie is a basketball game, but not once during the scene do you feel like you're watching a basketball game. Still with me? One of the main reasons Hoop Dreams made such an impact in 1994 and continues to be relevant is

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-1332588515298701952008-06-13T01:13:00.000-06:002008-06-13T01:13:01.640-06:00

Joseph Campanella is a relative newbie to Print City, but he's spreading the word that his Cinema Fist should be considered a permanent residence (any other questions should be directed to his site's banner image). The Fist pounds you with the news that you must see Blast of Silence and 2001: A Space Odyssey may be the best movie of all time (also: naked knife fights). A little advice: as you'll

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-62311101144343721962008-06-11T21:27:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:42.244-07:00

While the economy is slumping, natural disasters are back in vogue and every second of television news is devoted to analyzing what a presidential candidate meant by the word "is," one thing is certain ... we are in a golden epoch of video games. If you don't believe me, go down to BestBuy to try your hands at Wii Mario Kart and see if you can put it down before having the wireless steering wheel

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-29343581295911049752008-06-08T12:21:00.002-06:002008-06-08T13:26:49.917-06:00

Before the news, allow me to tip my chair and brag about a recent find: anyone can find bargain basement HD-DVD prices these days (although even Amazon is reluctant to drop them too far), but today was a particularly shining example. Are you familiar with a store called Hastings? Medium-sized chain of big media stores that sell everything and also rent DVDs. I normally stay away because of their

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-25850130091250116962008-06-06T05:02:00.000-06:002008-06-06T05:14:17.462-06:00

If you've ever spent any time at GreenCine Daily, then you know the name is misleading: it should be titled GreenCine 24/7 or GreenCine Perpetua if you want to sound smarter. The site, "joined at the hip" with GreenCine, is a constantly-updated snapshot of the movie world and the words that describe it. The ringleader is Berlin-based David Hudson, who keeps a hundred fingers on the pulse of the

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-71919422914527986732008-06-04T20:09:00.003-06:002008-06-04T20:21:28.291-06:00

I love this new commercial for M&M's Dark, transforming the Addams Family into creatures that resemble Humpty Dumpty more than the candy they're selling. I want to say M&M Gomez is my favorite, but check out Pugsly and Uncle Fester! I can't find it on YouTube, but the full version gives us an M&M Cousin It. I may like this commercial a little too much, maybe it has to do with the hundreds of

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-12686078301506686332008-06-02T20:00:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:43.272-07:00

In a list of Best Horror Sequels, there should be a special place reserved for The Curse of the Cat People (1944). Engrossing and superbly creepy, Curse is a sequel in name only, as RKO rejected producer Val Lewton's name of Amy and Her Friend in favor of a title that would draw in fans of Lewton's most popular work, Cat People. Looking at advertising of the film, it's hilarious to see how

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-43096958147919921682008-05-31T08:12:00.004-06:002008-12-11T03:03:43.816-07:00

The good news: aliens apparently exist.The bad news: the aliens are other-worldly manifestations of The Punisher.We can only hope the Punisher aliens blame another planet for the brutal killing of their family. Our sympathies go out to that planet.

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-44267800732317719282008-05-30T02:01:00.002-06:002008-05-30T08:56:27.569-06:00

The saying goes, 'Love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life.' If that's true, Chris Poggiali lifetime workload has barely cracked 10 minutes: in addition to writing for the likes of Fangoria, Shock Cinema and BadAzz MoFo, Chris has even written DVD liner notes and back-cover info for a few of your favorite films (Zombie Holocaust, The Young Erotic Fanny Hill, Diamonds On Her Naked

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-11707149333483753972008-05-26T19:12:00.001-06:002008-05-27T00:59:21.428-06:00

"It's...beautiful!"So I'm living in the past with HD-DVD, why would any self-respecting consumer want to read about this outdated format? I'll tell you why: many of the HD-DVDs I'm planning to write about are not available on Blu-Ray, but when they do arrive on that format it will be the same high definition transfer and will look pretty much identical (the consensus is that the latest movies in

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-56657312786088902812008-05-25T19:36:00.002-06:002008-12-11T03:03:44.095-07:00

This three four day weekend has me too relaxed. I have a few posts I'd like to finish, and I probably will when I have less free time, so in the meantime I bring you these quality links:-- There's always something interesting to read at Joe Baltake's the passionate moviegoer, and one post that got me thinking was How "Home Entertainment" Ruined Movies. I had meant to post something on this topic,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-45475058021932096752008-05-23T01:01:00.002-06:002008-05-23T05:20:36.370-06:00

Marilyn Ferdinand should be commended for keeping her house in order, because she just hosted one hell of a dance party. The Invitation to the Dance Blog-a-Thon was a great idea, and the results were even better, as a wide range of interesting posts tapped their toes on the floor. Together with writing companion Roderick Heath, Marilyn populates Ferdy on Films, etc. with unexpected pleasantries,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-2363406700439265022008-05-21T21:04:00.007-06:002008-12-11T03:03:44.216-07:00

Note: This post is part of the Indiana Jones Blog-a-Thon at Cerebral Mastication.DENTON, Texas -- Citing "iconic imagery of the industry," the Society for Historical and Informative Teachings of Boxes (or SHIT Box) honored the 1981 film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with its prestigious Gold Box award. Awarded semi-annually, or whenever they get enough money, the Gold Box recognizes works of art that

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-91483997818093220042008-05-20T04:30:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:46.103-07:00

Note: This is part of the Indiana Jones Blog-a-thon at Cerebral Mastication.My childhood years following my introduction to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were spent primarily on two activities: watching the movie repeatedly, and encouraging others to do the same. The latter became easier once I started school, since my parents (and even my younger brother) had long become disinterested in

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-67753066896491252122008-05-18T10:26:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:46.282-07:00

It's a perfectly hot Sunday morning. The only sounds in the house are coming from my new HD-DVD of Zodiac (more on that this week), and I am able to gaze upon the wonderful librarian-ish character my Chloe Sevigny plays in the movie (wearing a turtleneck, unfashionable glasses and a heart necklace to dinner with Jake Gyllenhall's Robert Graysmith .... ah, Chloe). Where was I? Oh, yeah librarians

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-38822073929095759182008-05-16T06:50:00.000-06:002008-05-16T07:11:19.106-06:00

At Broken Projector, Gautam Valluri recounts his advent into world cinema as a weekly affair at a New Delhi film club, which required a two hour bus ride. From those long Sundays, Gautam has developed a wide range of film interests and expertise, which he regularly shares at Broken Projector. In October, Gautam hosted the smash hit Double Bill Blog-a-thon, which elicited plenty of entertaining

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-71514693632079076092008-05-13T20:51:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:47.374-07:00

There are thousands of stories in Print City, this is one of them...The Front Row district of Print City is notoriously rough, but lately the obituaries have been longer than a director's cut of a Bertolucci film. While the average lifespan is criminally low -- most people don't survive to see their third anniversary -- recently a few heavyweights have gone belly-up before their time. Looking for

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-1371739299949669462008-05-12T01:01:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:47.572-07:00

Esquire recently listed the 75 Skills Every Man Should Master, and like the magazine itself the list is written for either the prosperous single man, the prosperous man who wishes he was single, the single man who wishes he was prosperous, or the old guy who's seen enough to know better. It's an entertaining list no doubt designed to elicit equal amounts of "yesss", "okayyy" and "what the?!" --

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-18661295763552840222008-05-11T07:56:00.002-06:002008-12-11T03:03:48.554-07:00

Happy Mothers day from all us little ones.......even if we're not always angels

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-21012027160511002552008-05-09T01:01:00.000-06:002008-05-09T01:01:00.608-06:00

The gentlemen at Kindertrauma have an interesting business plan: readers will never forget their site simply because the nightmares they've had since reading it will likely never end. Aunt John and Uncle Lancifer form a horrifying duo who can tap into your childhood fears and present them to you in shades of pink with the Web's worst puppet looking on. In addition to spotlighting pioneering

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-6048397494360205622008-05-06T20:33:00.006-06:002008-12-11T03:03:49.234-07:00

While re-watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance recently for the first time in years, I was reminded about how thoroughly satisfying Woody Strode's Pompey character is. In a movie full of heavyweights (John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef), Pompey stands out among a host of other delightful small characters (Andy Devine, Strother Martin, Edmond O'Brien). I don't

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-74986767642993168622008-05-03T17:37:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:49.413-07:00

Right now I'm watching The Bourne Identity on my new HD-DVD player. There are two things wrong with the previous sentence: 1. I don't like The Bourne Identity, and 2. the HD-DVD format was killed earlier this year. Yes, but life is full of surprises -- like a house with two working DVD players four months ago suddenly having zero working DVD players. I found myself in this predicament today,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-37445711289099557682008-05-02T05:47:00.000-06:002008-05-02T07:32:02.061-06:00

Friday Screen Test has welcomed many distinguished intellectuals, but Melissa Prusi is the only one to hear her name prefaced with "and our returning champion..." Yes, Melissa is a Jeopardy winner, and a multiple night winner at that. I saw Melissa's victories in January, and witnessed her shoot down category after category with a ruthless efficiency reminiscent of a young Charles Bronson.

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-83150589819135875362008-04-30T21:18:00.006-06:002008-12-11T03:03:50.337-07:00

There are certainly worse infomercials out there, but one that holds a special place in my heart is the one for ExtenZe, a male enhancement product. If you don't know what that means, the infomercial is helpful enough to say that it enhances "a certain part of the male body." And if you still don't know what that means, the infomercial is helpful enough to say that it's "you know, male

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-59004933401388724322008-04-28T22:14:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:50.909-07:00

Has it really been four years since Gene Hackman has been in a movie? Yup, and that number is only going to get larger now that he has unceremoniously announced his retirement. It's by far the longest gap in his acting resume, with the closest being a couple of two year spaces between credits in the 80s and 70s, though he was unquestionably involved in multiple projects during those years. It's

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-52956585690069932952008-04-28T19:49:00.005-06:002008-12-11T03:03:51.281-07:00

We have a winner in the Worst Sweepstakes Ever: reader Stephen Huss of College Station, Texas! In addition to having his email randomly selected, Stephen correctly noted that Kim Basinger in My Stepmother is an Alien is indeed the Worst Alien Ever. I think I watched this movie about three times after it was released on video, but all I can remember is Basinger's alien having a one-eyed monster in

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-53279727667008979722008-04-26T06:51:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:52.549-07:00

Not even the best movies can bat 1.000, and I'm here to tell you about a few cringe-worthy scenes in some of my favorites:Ghostbusters -- Ray's dreamMy favorite part of Ghostbusters has always been the montage following their encounter with Slimer -- seeing them as guests on Larry King, across the magazine covers (the illustrated Atlantic cover is brilliant) and going from job to job. And yet,

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-26918655224019483442008-04-25T10:16:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:52.684-07:00

"Always bet on orange!"

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-39026676032125689352008-04-25T06:43:00.002-06:002008-04-25T08:54:11.229-06:00

Call him Dylan, or Fletch, or even Dr. Rosenpenis -- but don't call him easily amused. The man behind Blog Cabins: Insanely Important Film Reviews is one tough critic -- he tosses around the top honor on his splendidly-designed ratings scale like it's the Ultimate Nullifier (wow, where did that come from?). Fletch casts his skeptical eye on many new releases, and also spreads the wealth to

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-28350668054739474002008-04-22T19:35:00.003-06:002008-04-22T20:10:05.875-06:00

Hey, remember Alien Nation? Pretty cool Fox series that was actually better than the movie it was based on? OK, but do you remember the made-for-TV movies that followed the series and were even more awesome?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you should enter the inaugural DVD Panache reader contest. Nice DVD people have allotted me a copy of the brand new 3-disc Alien Nation -

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-59856826024065745272008-04-22T06:02:00.004-06:002008-12-11T03:03:54.018-07:00

Dear WORST MagazineMy most embarrassing moment is also my most painful moment. It started innocently enough on a Saturday afternoon as I joined my buddies Chuck and Bruce in looking at the engine of my Corvette while drinking Cokes. I don't know what we were looking at, we just figured it's the kind of thing young men in the early 1970s were supposed to do.So then this Italian thug starts walking

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-56370117065095109562008-04-21T07:34:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:54.772-07:00

"Why do people like Frank exist?"This line is what Blue Velvet is all about for me. We accept that bad people exist, its but what about the people who scare them? Who populates the nightmares of serial killers? David Lynch's villains are the answers to these questions, as they operate on a level of evil you never knew existed, and like Jeffrey says -- they do exist. For Blue Velvet's most

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-22514284641721149052008-04-19T06:08:00.007-06:002008-12-11T03:03:55.308-07:00

When my son Aiden starts watching movies in a few years, he'll probably have at least one pressing question while we're watching a pre-1990 film:"Dad, what's wrong with everybody's hands?""What do you mean?""Well, they're empty -- shouldn't they be holding at least one 16 oz. cup made of partially recycled paper?""Actually son, there was a time when there were fewer than 50,000 Starbucks

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-46812353955327887892008-04-18T07:46:00.000-06:002008-04-18T08:19:45.322-06:00

Andrew James is the founder and editor of Movie Patron, where you can find lots of new reviews, and also Andrew's Top 110 -- which begins with Johnny Dangerously and ends with Pulp Fiction. Andrew has an energetic, conversational style of writing, and is even brave enough to get in front of the camera for video reviews -- like he does with Be Kind Rewind. Andrew also lends his talents to Row

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-50530256117145212402008-04-17T04:16:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:55.746-07:00

To Live and Die in L.A. has a lot going for it: a catchy title tune by Wang Chung, Willem Dafoe at his creepy best, one of the best car chases of all time, and ... by far the worst alternate ending ever conceived. If MGM had gotten its way and replaced director William Friedkin's original ending, it's hard to imagine a good movie crashing and burning in only a few minutes' time. Included in the

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-21133834985777945082008-04-15T04:33:00.006-06:002008-12-11T03:03:56.288-07:00

You know that person who can't seem to utter one word that's not drenched in sarcasm? And this sarcasm isn't even the funny kind, but rather just the way they know how to talk? Southland Tales is this person, and it's just one of the movie's maddening shortcomings that add up to make it one of the worst movies of the year, and one of the biggest disappointments in a long time. At some point in

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-42763318254911608932008-04-14T19:31:00.003-06:002008-12-11T03:03:56.424-07:00

Fate is a strange beast. Today I decided to check out the Wikipedia page for Turner Classic Movies and discovered the anniversary of its creation is ... April 14! Surely this must be a sign from the weird hat-wearing dude on TCM's logo that a tribute to the channel is in order.According to the aforementioned Wikipedia page, it was in 1994 that TCM was born to supplant TNT as the Turner Empire's

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-67388347744367665872008-04-12T01:07:00.002-06:002008-12-11T03:03:56.594-07:00

Arbogast not only informs, he also inspires! Arby's latest post got me thinking, so much so that my thoughts could not be confined to a mere comment. The masked one wonders aloud about shotguns and horror films, and when the two became joined at the lead-filled hip. It's a great observation, as it seems for the past decade or two the shotgun has become the must-have horror prop, replacing the

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-50568879804184181352008-04-11T08:12:00.000-06:002008-04-11T07:15:15.875-06:00

James Frazier seems like a character in a made-for-TBS sitcom -- he's a recent graduate and professional film critic in a small Iowa town. All that's missing are a couple of crazy roommates and a more sitcom-friendly name like 'Gus.' He also has a blog, James' Mad Grasp for Relevancy, which would be hard to translate into the sitcom mold, but no matter. James is able to mix posts about current

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-33580086713733263662008-04-10T20:15:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:56.814-07:00

No Sam, enough is enough!Verifying my claim to the suckitude of April is the fact that I haven't been able to post the last few days, due to professional obligations. And speaking of "sucking" in the literal sense, Jean-Claude Van Damme's first foray into onscreen steamy "romance" is full of that.Featuring his unofficial first sex scene, Nowhere to Run has very little going for it since Van Damme

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-64172744582424019852008-04-05T21:07:00.003-06:002008-04-05T22:03:48.425-06:00

After recently watching some of the documentaries contained in the new DVD of 2001: A Space Odyssey, it amused me that so much time was spent discussing the film as a prediction of the future by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. Many of the directors and film experts interviewed felt the need to defend the inaccuracy of this prediction, how we're just as far from an interplanetary

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-37710852140956429082008-04-05T07:13:00.005-06:002008-12-11T03:03:57.941-07:00

Ever since women were allowed to act (I think the law was signed shortly before The Medea came out), women have been fainting on stage and screen. The faint is a versatile movement, as it can gain sympathy from the audience and also garner laughs. It's also one of the easiest actions for an actor, as all it requires is to roll your eyes back and fall backwards -- presumably into a pile of hay or

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-39343028305747548212008-04-04T01:01:00.002-06:002008-04-04T06:08:58.722-06:00

Like a modern-day David Soul wearing a mask and calling himself The Covered Man, Arbogast's true identity is a mystery -- he lets his writing do the talking at Arbogast on Film. It's been said that one day a woman of purest heart will cause Arbogast to drop his guard, and subsequently his mask, but until then all we know is that he is a published film critic. This professional experience often

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-39329569529875896632008-04-03T01:01:00.002-06:002008-12-11T03:03:58.077-07:00

I like Mad Max, probably more than most people. Probably more than I should. At one point in high school I would alternate watching Mad Max and The Road Warrior every day. Each viewing of Mad Max reinforced something I had suspected the first time I saw the movie: that it contained perhaps the worst-written monologue in film history. Here it is, delivered completely straight in a scene preceding

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-68632989263397331922008-04-02T06:13:00.001-06:002008-12-11T03:03:58.194-07:00

The decision to watch Good Luck Chuck was similar to my decision to order a Scorpion Bowl at Trader Vic's: I knew I would look like an idiot, and probably regret it later, but at least I wouldn't be alone in the pain. It was a bad idea, but at least it wasn't my bad idea. In this case it was my wife who innocently suggested the infamous Dane Cook/Jessica Alba disaster, and in her defense she had

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15687635.post-66949717544184581522008-04-01T01:09:00.000-06:002008-12-11T03:03:58.343-07:00

Welcome to the WORST MONTH EVER. Since it's April's lone holiday, we're keeping it a little light today. Since I'm celebrating the worst of cinema all month long, I feel it is my duty to shine the light on a site that has brought me immense joy by worshiping the most awfulness of movies. Something Awful has a recurring series called the Awful Movie Database (AMDB) -- basically a brilliant way of

Adam Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11968051066147134504noreply@blogger.com0