Blu-Ray Review: Convergence

By Tim Murr

In the summer of 1999, Detective Ben Walls (Clayne Crawford) is enjoying time off with his wife and daughter when he is called in to investigate a bombing in downtown Atlanta. Not long after arriving on the scene, Walls is injured by a second blast, set intentionally to harm first responders. He awakens in the hospital, seemingly unharmed, but nothing is as it seems. Worse, the terrorist behind the bombing may be in the hospital with him.

Continue reading ‘Blu-Ray Review: Convergence’

Today In Pop Culture: The French Girl And The Virgin Mary

By Jeffery X Martin

As anyone will tell you, it’s hard to find a virgin these days. It’s not that I’m actively looking for a virgin or anything. These are the kinds of conversations we have around the house over dinner. Who wants some tea? Please pass the potatoes. When’s the last time you acknowledged the presence of a hymen?

Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: The French Girl And The Virgin Mary’

TV Review: The X-Files Episode 4, “Home Again”

By Jeffery X Martin

I don’t even know what’s going on anymore. At this point, I feel like the reboot of The X-Files is rick-rolling me.

Never gonna solve this case.
Suck on this mythology.
By now, Mulder and Scully
Are boneheads.

Continue reading ‘TV Review: The X-Files Episode 4, “Home Again”’

Blu-Ray Review: The Kid (1921)

By Jeffery X Martin

Charlie Chaplin is one of those filmmakers that gets a lot of lip service. For someone who was once the most popular movie star in the world, Chaplin seems to have become the sole property of film schools and scholars, while the general public, the non-academe, have rarely seen a Chaplin movie.

Perhaps modern audiences don’t care about Chaplin because he’s become such a stereotype. His Little Tramp character, with his tiny mustache, cane and awkward waddle, has been played by others and included in cartoons. People see him as that character, not as an accomplished director or composer.

Although Criterion has released Chaplin movies before, perhaps their release of The Kid will be the one that gets regular film fans talking about Chaplin again as the multi-faceted artist he was.

Continue reading ‘Blu-Ray Review: The Kid (1921)’

Today in Pop Culture: Ziggy Stardust Lands on Earth

By Jeffery X Martin

There’s always a reason to talk about David Bowie, as far as I’m concerned, but not always within the context of this column. So, when the opportunity arises to write about the man, and remember him within historical parameters and important dates, I’m going to do that. Get used to it.

Get used to it.

Continue reading ‘Today in Pop Culture: Ziggy Stardust Lands on Earth’

Music Review: Elton John, Wonderful Crazy Night

By Tyler Hodg

Since the release of his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, Elton John’s career and personal life have reached the highest of highs, and lowest of the lows. One month shy of his 69th birthday, John has long been settled in all aspects of his life, including his music style. He is comfortable no longer being the rocket man.

Wonderful Crazy Night is the latest release from the icon, and a comprehensive fit within the discography of an aging (but not fleeting) musical genius. While the album is far from his greatest composition, a few surprises and the absence of any career-tarnishing aspects make it a decent addition to his extensive discography.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: Elton John, Wonderful Crazy Night’

Today In Pop Culture: Yo, Joe!

By Jeffery X Martin

“Dolls are for girls,” say the unenlightened ones, the people who don’t understand that fun has no gender, the folks who have no grasp of nuance in their playtoys. Not to put to fine a point on it, but it’s jerks who say that, usually men, trying to cover up their tiny penises or homosexual tendencies they can’t let the rest of the hunting club notice, lest they be called out and ostracized.

All this to say that, on this day in pop culture, in the year 1964, the G.I. Joe was invented, and it was not a doll. It was an action figure.

Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: Yo, Joe!’

Music Review: JD Souther, Home By Dawn

By Melissa Bratcher

The third of Omnivore’s expanded reissues of JD Souther’s criminally overlooked solo albums, Home By Dawn, is an unusual album. The things that make his previous albums, John David Souther and Black Rose work are there: his incredible lyricism, gift for melody, and warm vocals. These things have to share space with a particularly 1980s sounding production. Songs are slicker than they need be, and while the writing is, as always, brilliant, they suffer. A bit. But keep in mind, this is JD Souther we’re talking about, and he’s got this.

Continue reading ‘Music Review: JD Souther, Home By Dawn’

Today In Pop Culture: The Beatles Invade New York

By Jeffery X Martin

It’s difficult to write about anything that ends with the word, “Mania.” Look at how Hulkamania ended, with Hulk Hogan in court and releasing sex tapes and whatnot. And I would love to write about last year’s WrestleMania, but that whole Terminator: Genisys tie-in was so atrocious, even the memories of it burn like a lye bath.

Let’s talk about Beatlemania instead, which really began in America today in 1964, when the Beatles landed in New York for a short tour and two television appearances.

Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: The Beatles Invade New York’

TV Review: Lucha Underground S2 E02, The Dark & The Mysterious

By Sachin Hingoo

Well hi there, Believers! We’re back at the Temple for episode two of the season.

We open on a recap of Mil Muertes’s victory over Prince Puma from last season, as well as a recap of the scene from the finale where Black Lotus killed her trainer, Dragon Azteca, and joined up with Dario Cueto. We also see the end of last week’s show, where Pentagon, Jr. broke the arm of Lucha Underground Champion, Mil Muertes.

Continue reading ‘TV Review: Lucha Underground S2 E02, The Dark & The Mysterious’