// Category Archive for: Reviews

Music Review: Bobby Bare, Jr., Undefeated

By Melissa Bratcher

I was watching a Hee Haw rerun a few weeks ago, and Bobby Bare was on with his kids. He was joined by two little boys for “Marie Laveau” and then sang “Daddy What If” with just one of them, a sprightly little fella with an excellent haircut. This, of course, led me down the Internet rabbit hole of finding out who that cute little boy was, and I arrived at the conclusion that the adorable kid was Bobby Bare, Jr.

While he could have carved out a career in music following in his father’s footsteps, Bobby Bare, Jr. has instead made his own way. His latest, Undefeated, is a grab bag of musical styles and influences, shot through with a thorough dose of clear-eyed realism and the occasional wrenching heartbreak.

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Music Review: Peter Murphy, Should The World Fail To Fall Apart (reissued, remastered, expanded)

By Jeffery X Martin

It’s 1986 and for many, Goth is dead. Suck on that irony for a moment.

Bauhaus has disbanded and Peter Murphy is looking for a new musical direction, but one that won’t alienate his core fanbase. It’s a difficult task, and song choice is of the highest importance. The result is a strange little album called Should the World Fail to Fall Apart, a mixed bag of brave decisions, not all of which work.

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Music Review: De Lux, Voyage

By Less Lee Moore

“I wanna say we’re doing great/but there’s something wrong, something wrong”
—”Better At Making Time”

De Lux’s self-titled, four-song 2013 EP was fantastic. I think I listened to its first track, “Better At Making Time,” three times a day for a straight week. Now they’ve got a full-length album, with a few of the songs from that EP and the added bonus of more great songs. Don’t let the deceptively simple cover art fool you. Voyage is 55 minutes of extravagance in musical form. (more…)

VHS Visions: Girlfriend From Hell (1990)

By Brad Henderson

Girlfriend From Hell might have been released in 1990 but it has the ’80s written all over it. With its ’80s-sounding soundtrack and ridiculous comedic aspects, it falls into place with many other gems from back then but still holds up today.

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Blu-Ray Review: Holliston: The Complete Second Season

By Brad Henderson

I dig the Hatchet series and Wrong Turn 2 and much of what Joe Lynch and Adam Green have brought us. They are obviously huge horror fans and that shows on the screen. When I first heard these two got together to make a sitcom I was a little confused because they didn’t seem like the types. I assumed it would be horror-related but really didn’t have a clue where they would go with a horror-related sitcom.

Holliston is about Joe Lynch and Adam Green, aspiring filmmakers who’ve been working on a film for years called Shinpads (“They score, you die.”) They work at a studio that does commercials. Their boss, Lance Rocket, is played by Dee Snider from Twisted Sister. Joe and Adam host a TV show (and podcast) called Movie Crypt on which they play old horror films.

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Blu-Ray Review: Thirst

By Brad Henderson

All film fans should explore movies made during the “Ozploitation” era of Australian low budget filmmaking. Just about every film that came out during this time is fantastic. Many people have probably seen these films and are just unaware of the term Ozploitation or what movies fit this description.

The term Ozploitation was coined after the R rating was introduced in Australia in 1971. I’m not sure if people thought such films were just being created to make money or to push limits like other “ploitation” films but that wasn’t the case. Even to this day there are Ozploitation films released and they still carry out the feel, look, brutality, and the hilariousness.

There is something about these films in particular that stands out from the rest. Most of them are absolutely beautiful. Everything is shot and framed perfectly. Films like Razorback, Wolf Creek, Road Games, Dark Age, and others are just spectacular. The action flicks are action packed and the horror films are suspenseful and don’t follow the normal formula that other countries’ horror films do. Of course, we have great and wonderful films elsewhere but Ozploitation is something special and sadly, nearly forgotten about.

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DVD Review: Lust For Freedom

By Brad Henderson

I’ve never been a big fan of Troma so I’ve only enjoyed a small number of the films among their extensive catalogue. Some Troma films pop up occasionally that I’ve never heard of but I still give them a chance even though they usually leave a bad taste in my mouth. Recently I came across a film called Lust For Freedom released by Vinegar Syndrome. It’s a Troma release from back in the day directed by the guy who brought us the sequels to Class of Nuke ‘Em High. As we know, Troma hasn’t been doing well lately and I think they’ve been licensing their films to other companies. Now Vinegar Syndrome has reissued this movie and they didn’t pick up one of Troma’s pieces of trash, either.

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The Boozer Reviewer: Marilyn And The Senator

By Brad Henderson

Disclaimer: This review was written under the influence of alcohol. Mind the typos.

As you probably already know, I’m in love with Vinegar Syndrome. Their releases are phenomenal. Along with their genre releases, they specialize in vintage porn . . . a lot of vintage porn. I’ve watched a lot of films from their catalogue but I haven’t delved into their hardcore section because it isn’t my thing. I’m not denying that I watch porn because that would be a total lie. I do watch porn just like every other male and female. (Oh you know you do, shut up.)

Now I have never watched vintage porn from the ’60s and ’70s. I’ve seen short clips and whatnot but have never dived into it. However, I did tonight—right now, actually. I’m writing this review while I watch a vintage hardcore porno called Marilyn and the Senator with my second White Russian in front of me.

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After You’ve Gone: Thoughts On Burial At Sea

By Paul Casey

Part One

I love Lost. I love Prometheus. I love Bioshock. Suspension of disbelief is a crutch for people who have a failure of imagination. Hammering something down and making it more comprehensible is not an inherent positive. Presenting a story that provokes confusion and forces the brain to engage in a creative way is not a failure of talent or of planning. It is an artistically rich approach that many actively seek out in opposition to what they are told are the true “reality” based goals.

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Music Review: Blancmange, Happy Families too…

By Jeffery X Martin

Remember back in 1998 when Gus Van Sant remade Psycho? That wasn’t necessarily a bad idea. Lots of things get the remake treatment. Van Sant’s version only raised a fuss because it was practically a shot-for-shot remake of the original, with very little changed. It was perceived as a sweet—although odd—gesture, more homage than remake. Ultimately, though, people asked the question, “What was wrong with the original?” Hitchcock’s thriller remains a classic. Van Sant’s changeling has been relegated to being nothing more than a curiosity.

There is a grave similarity between that project and Blancmange’s Happy Families too… which is original band member Neil Arthur’s complete re-recording of their breakthrough album, Happy Families. Originally recorded in 1982, that album included the band’s first big hit, “Living on the Ceiling.” It may not be a classic album, but it is a solid effort with very little filler.

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