A Wheelchair-Bound Teacher is Pursued by the Mob in ‘Night of Terror’

Welcome to 4:3 & Forgotten — a weekly column in which Rob Hunter 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. This time we’re winding the clock back to 1972 for Night of Terror! Night of Terror opens with a group of bad guys trying to strip a man in the middle of...

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Red Herrings and Redder Blood Abound in the 1986 Slasher ‘Body Count’

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 think they’re...

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Hanna-Barbera Was the Child of Two Desperate Animators

Welcome to Saturday Morning Cartoons, our new weekly column where we continue the animated boob tube ritual of yesteryear. Our lives may no longer be scheduled around small screen programming, but that doesn’t mean we should forget the necessary sanctuary of Saturday ‘toons. In this entry, we spotlight Hanna-Barbera.  A single cartoon can change...

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Jharrel Jerome is Reinvigorating Hollywood

Jharrel Jerome’s meteoric advent in the film industry has been auspicious since day one. We only need to look to his breakthrough performance in the incandescent Best Picture Oscar winner Moonlight to realize he exudes an expressly profound cinematic presence. This may be an obvious remark, especially when Jerome simply has such a wonderful canvas...

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Watch ‘The Old Guard,’ Then Watch These Movies

Welcome to Movie DNA, a column that recognizes the direct and indirect cinematic roots of new movies. Learn some film history, become a more well-rounded viewer, and enjoy likeminded works of the past. This entry recommends movies to watch after you stream The Old Guard. The concept of immortality has been around since the dawn of storytelling. And...

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The ‘Aliens vs. Predator’ Comics Were the Product of Maniac Children

Welcome to Stapled Cinema, our ongoing series celebrating the valiant adaptations of one sequential art form into another. Comic book movies are seemingly everywhere. We’re uncovering the beauty in the best (and worst) attempts that tear the staples from comics in a dash to splash their panels upon the big screen. In this entry, we explore the ‘Aliens...

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Why Dead Birds are the Ultimate Warning Sign

Welcome to Elements of Story, a biweekly column about narrative tropes, what they mean, and why they just won’t go away. This entry explains the significance of dead birds.  When a dead animal shows up in a movie or TV show, it’s generally not a good sign. From waking up next to a severed horse head to finding a murdered cat on the doorstep, dead...

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Director Gavin Rothery Chases Small Sci-Fi in ‘Archive’

Check the Gate is a new column where we go one-on-one with directors in an effort to uncover the reasoning behind their creative decisions. Why that script? Why that location? Answers found within. Take a breath the next time you experience intense pain or rage. Let it simmer. Think on the hot emotion. There may be something valuable within. You...

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A Brief History of the Hollywood Sign

Brief History is a column that tells you all you need to know about your favorite — and not so favorite — pop culture topics. This entry looks into the history of the iconic Hollywood sign.  The Hollywood Sign is so ingrained in pop culture that it’s become a symbol of movie magic. When people think about Hollywood, they recall the greatest stories...

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‘Snowpiercer’ Explained: ‘These Are His Revolutions’ Teases a Huge Arrival

Welcome to Snowpiercer Explained, the next in a long line of explainer columns about our favorite shows. With TNT dropping a new show into the Snowpiercer universe, we’re riding along to help you keep up with the mythology and filmmaking of this post-apocalyptic freight train. This installment covers episode eight, “These Are His Revolutions.” Welp....

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