I do love genre conventions laid bare.

One of those guys that I’ve never seen in a bad role, or give less than a really good performance.

“You’re our heroes, Wal-Mart family! We’re just not going to pay you a living wage, keep your hours just under 40 each week so you don’t qualify for benefits, and fire you if you try to unionize.  You’re the wind beneath our wings!”

That “Heroes” ad infuriates me. First of all, FUCK OFF for using one of the greatest songs of all time. Second of all, if your workers are heroes, then PAY THEM A LIVING WAGE!!!

Call me an optomist, but I find a lot of certainty in these times. I am certain we’re doomed.

If you think this is gross, wait until we’re on the other side of this and start seeing “time to go back to being consumers!” ads.

Quelle surprise!!

This just made me disproportionately furious. I am supportive of small businesses trying to stay afloat right now and advertising is part of that, but fuck every single one of these giant corporations for exploiting people’s fears during a global pandemic.

Watching these commercials, I was shocked to learn that we are “living in uncertain times.”  Gad!

Well, Papa John’s pizza could be classified as a war crime with or without a pandemic so....

Just remember folks, no matter how they want to phrase it, Papa John’s isn’t delivering pizzas as a humanitarian gesture.

I hear what you’re laying down, but how many slaps to the face are there in this here motion picture?

I saw this ages ago on a late-night TV “fright night”-type feature (probably the closest real-life parallel I can think of to SCTV’s Count Floyd presenting Whispers of the Wolf). I was pretty young at the time, and found the William Wilson adaption boring, and “Toby Dammit” frustratingly incoherent. I did kind of…

Is it just me, or is there something about the way late 60s-early 70s European horror movies were filmed that makes them instantly recognizable? Seems to be a subtle blend of lighting, coloring, and camera angles.

Toby?  Toby.  Toby Wong?  Toby Chung?  Toby Dammit!

Well this is the second time in just a few days that the AV Club has examined an obscure 1960s movie that I’ve seen, after “The Swimmer”. I’d have to agree that “Toby Dammit” is the strongest of the three adaptations, although I found the first two more watchable than the reader did.  The set design in that segment…

Toby Dammit is also a mirror piece to Jacques Tati’s Playtime, at least the first part at the airport. Fellini even uses giant cardboard cutout standees like Tati.

The Vadim segment doesn’t star just one Fonda, but two: Peter is the male lead whom Jane is supposed to be lusting after. Per wikipedia, their characters are supposed to be cousins (like Poe and his actual wife) rather than siblings.

Well this all sounds fascinating and I’m a bit of a sucker for filmed Poe but I’m steering clear of this one. 1968 was the year that far too many of that decades worst cinematic excesses came home to roost and with Vadim involved to boot that’s all I need to know.  Even Hammer started going south around this time. You…

Gastropod is a favorite. Each episode covers a topic (i.e. mangos, mac & cheese, preservatives, general tso’s chicken, etc), and goes in-depth on the history and science of that item. It’s well-researched and features lots of experts. It’s also hosted by two delightful ladies who seem to truly enjoy food and working…