Watch ‘Extraction,’ Then Watch These Movies

Watch ‘Extraction,’ Then Watch These Movies

This edition of Movies to Watch After… recognizes the direct and indirect cinematic roots of Extraction as we recommend fans go back and learn some film history, become more well-rounded viewers, and enjoy likeminded works of the past, even if it’s the fairly recent past. As always, we try to point you in the easiest…

‘The Dead Don’t Die’ Never Quite Comes to Life

‘The Dead Don’t Die’ Never Quite Comes to Life

Welcome to 4:3 & Forgotten — a weekly column in which Kieran Fisher and I get to look back at TV terrors that scared adults (and the kids they let watch) across the limited airwaves of the ’70s. The late, great Robert Bloch remains best known as the creator of Psycho (1960) as it was his novel from the…

If You Were Stoned in 1941, You Probably Watched ‘Hellzapoppin”

If You Were Stoned in 1941, You Probably Watched ‘Hellzapoppin”

Cannabis isn’t the reefer madness your grandma made you believe! Welcome to Higher Education, a column that investigates – and destigmatizes – marijuana in movies and TV. While cannabis has been consumed for centuries, we don’t have a lot of first-hand accounts of what stoners enjoyed doing while high before the 1960s, outside of what…

How Naomi Scott Smartens Up the Blockbuster

How Naomi Scott Smartens Up the Blockbuster

Welcome to Filmographies, a biweekly column for completists. Every edition brings a new actor’s resumé into focus as we learn about what makes them so compelling. In all the resume dissections featured in Filmographies so far, this column has yet to really delve into the work of the most blockbuster-adjacent of actors (bar indie favorites…

Watch ‘Sergio,’ Then Watch These Movies

Watch ‘Sergio,’ Then Watch These Movies

This edition of Movies to Watch After… recognizes the direct and indirect cinematic roots of Sergio as we recommend fans go back and learn some film history, become more well-rounded viewers, and enjoy likeminded works of the past, even if it’s the fairly recent past. As always, we try to point you in the easiest…

The End of the World Is Animated in Our Pick of the Week

The End of the World Is Animated in Our Pick of the Week

Welcome to this week in home video! Pick of the Week When the Wind Blows [Synapse Kids] What is it? An elderly married couple cope with nuclear winter. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWhy see it? Everyone knows about Threads and The Day After, but for my money this mid 80s animated…

Finding a “Home” for the Next ‘Spider-Man’

Finding a “Home” for the Next ‘Spider-Man’

What’s in a name? A lot apparently. Spider-Man: Homecoming was a cute little nod of a title, winking at an audience eager to have Spider-Man back in the fold of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while also acknowledging he’s a high school hero. Spider-Man: Far From Home works given the plot driving the movie, but it’s…

The 50 Best Netflix Original Series, Ranked

The 50 Best Netflix Original Series, Ranked

Netflix. The streaming platform has ingrained itself more fully in our collective consciousness than perhaps any other technology in the past five years. It’s a part of our lexicon (who hasn’t heard of ”Netflix and chill”?). It’s a way to socialize (see: the massive popularity of the Netflix Party Chrome extension). Netflix has become so…

The Healing Power of Gene Kelly

The Healing Power of Gene Kelly

If Hollywood did anything right during the studio era, it was escapism. We’re lucky enough to get to watch the fantastic musicals and comedies of that time whenever we may need them. For the days when we are stuck inside, there are no better movies than those that make you sing and dance. And no…

George Kennedy Is Out for Blood in ‘The Human Factor’

George Kennedy Is Out for Blood in ‘The Human Factor’

Welcome to The Prime Sublime, a weekly column dedicated to the underseen and underloved films buried beneath page after page of far more popular fare on Amazon’s Prime Video collection. We’re not just cherry-picking obscure titles, though, as these are movies that we find beautiful in their own, often unique ways. You might even say we…

The Evolution of Cannabis on Television

The Evolution of Cannabis on Television

Cannabis isn’t the reefer madness your grandma made you believe! Welcome to Higher Education, a column that investigates – and destigmatizes – marijuana in movies and TV. A decade ago, I wrote my college senior thesis on marijuana law reform. I thought that, when compared to alcohol and based on the proven medicinal benefits, that…

‘Corona Zombies’ and a Brief History of Exploitation

‘Corona Zombies’ and a Brief History of Exploitation

When Charles Band and Full Moon Features announced Corona Zombies, the internet threw a bit of a fit. Chris Alexander, the writer/director/musician and an all-around good dude who works closely with Band on his various ventures, shared the news on his Facebook page and was met with a collective response of “now is not the…

The Ending of ‘Parasite’ Explained

The Ending of ‘Parasite’ Explained

Ending Explained is a recurring series in which we explore the finales, secrets, and themes of interesting movies and shows, both new and old. In this entry, we dive into the Parasite ending. So, you finally saw Parasite. All 132 glorious minutes of Bong Joon-ho‘s Oscar-winning work of tragicomic genius. Let’s discuss that ending already….

Milking a Franchise Out of ‘Tiger King’

Milking a Franchise Out of ‘Tiger King’

Things are looking pretty bleak. We’re all trapped indoors. We’re starved for outside entertainment, and we’re begging film studios to drop their theatrical plan and rescue us through their streaming platforms. It’s a weird era, one that Netflix and other companies seek to take advantage of while our attention is guaranteed. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem…

Golf Finally Gets Interesting in Our Pick of the Week

Golf Finally Gets Interesting in Our Pick of the Week

Welcome to this week in home video! Pick of the Week Tin Cup [Warner Archive] What is it? A has-been gets a second chance at life and love. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWhy see it? Golf is a boring ass sport to watch, and that’s just one of the reasons why…

Don’t Worry, ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Is Still The Best

Don’t Worry, ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Is Still The Best

There’s something to be said about messing with perfection, and it’s that only the team behind What We Do in the Shadows should be allowed to do it. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clements’ 2014 New Zealand-set comedy film is legendarily homegrown, featuring art handmade by the pair and a cast that includes non-professional actors they…