Author: Mike Gray
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10 Garbage TV Shows From The 1970s
The 1970s was the hangover decade from the 1960s in America: its groovy aesthetics and drug-fuelled sensibilities were still present but had become mainstream and bland by this decade. As a result, American television was reflective of the sort of random, chaotic whims that the previous decade’s flower children embraced in creative tastes. Only since…
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Perfect Movies: The Endless Summer
Every movie needs a goal for its heroes to work towards–a holy grail or treasure they seek. In romances, it’s love; in action movies, it’s defeating an enemy; in comedies it’s winning over an adversary. In The Endless Summer, it’s the perfect wave. Along their journey, our intrepid heroes Mike Hynson and Robert August find…
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Great TV: Parks & Recreation
There may be no more likable or positive show that has aired on television so far in the 21st century than Parks & Recreation. Although created by the same producers that adapted The Office for American television, in both spirit and characterization it’s the polar opposite of that other (far more popular) show, which was…
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Perfect Movies: Terrence Malick’s First 5 Films
Terrence Malick is one of the most interesting directors of both the 20th and 21st century. For decades known as a reclusive auteur who rarely made a film–and when he did they were universally hailed for their meditative tone and brilliant cinematography–Malick abruptly broke away from the rarity of his releases and within the past…
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Great TV: Mr. Show
Alternative comedy—a vague label affixed to any comedic material that seems unusual, iconoclastic, or transgressive—has gained incredible cultural cachet in the past 30+ years. While there have always been alternative comedy figures and material in American post-war pop culture (Ernie Kovacs, National Lampoon, Andy Kaufman, SCTV and Saturday Night Live, Bill Hicks, Second City and…
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Awesome Garbage: Mac and Me
True story: I saw Mac and Me in theaters when I was 6 years old. I was visiting my grandparents in Virginia Beach and spending the day with my grandma, mom, and sisters, and since everything else out in the theater was definitely not kid-friendly (the weekend it opened, August 12, 1988, here were the…
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Cult Classics: Better Off Dead
Lane Meyer wishes he were dead. He tries over and over – self-immolation, carbon monoxide poisoning, jumping from a bridge, even hanging. But like most things in his life, it never quite goes his way. Did I mention this is a major plot point in an 80’s teen comedy? Better Off Dead isn’t just another…
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Cult Classics: UHF
Who doesn’t love Weird Al? I know I do: the first record I ever independently bought was In 3-D in 1988 from a flea market when I was 6. I’ve lost a lot of great vinyl albums over the years due to either lending them out or as break-up casualties, but there is no vinyl…
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Perfect Movies: Monkey Business
There was no more perfect comedy configuration on film than the Marx Brothers. I have had some dark days (and wow, who hasn’t?) and despite hardships or emotional upset, I can turn on a Marx Brothers movie and it lifts my soul completely for at least a short while – and hopefully for a while…
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Perfect Strangers – “The Lottery”
Sometimes the world looks perfect, nothing to rearrange; sometimes you just get a feeling like you need some kind of change. Well, standing tall on the wings of my dreams (whatever that’s supposed to mean), Perfect Strangers became the anchor show for TGIF in 1988 in its fourth season on television, joining the insipid Full…
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15 Gruesomely Gritty Extreme Horror Films
Horror movies are renowned for being filled with acts of bloody murder, gory special effects, and disturbing stories. But even within this genre is a subgenre that goes further than the average horror film. Loosely connected under the label “extreme horror,” these films are unbelievably violent and explicit, often teetering on – if not actually…
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10 Beloved 1980s Films That Suck
Film culture from the 1980s is now known for perfecting the blockbuster, creating the teen movie, and churning out tons of (somewhat inappropriate) films for kids. And a lot of movies from this decade have gone on to become true classics: Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ghostbusters, and many more. But not…
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