No mention that the idiot savant is played by a young and limber Michael Richards? This movie occupies way too much space on my childhood memory bank. Kevin McCarthy is phenomenal in this. His extreme sneers look like they cause actual physical pain to his face. Victoria Jackson was adorable.

No mention that the idiot savant is played by a young and limber Michael Richards? This movie occupies way too much space on my childhood memory bank. Kevin McCarthy is phenomenal in this. His extreme sneers look like they cause actual physical pain to his face. Victoria Jackson was adorable.

Little Drummer Girl's fantastic. It reads NOTHING like other potboilers. I was ALMOST annoyed by the indulgent hipster diatribes, but it's all part of the characterization and subsequent plot developments. Haven't read it in ages, so couldn't spoil it if I tried. Night Manager was another lovely sorrowful story.

Little Drummer Girl's fantastic. It reads NOTHING like other potboilers. I was ALMOST annoyed by the indulgent hipster diatribes, but it's all part of the characterization and subsequent plot developments. Haven't read it in ages, so couldn't spoil it if I tried. Night Manager was another lovely sorrowful story.

Little Drummer Girl's fantastic. It reads NOTHING like other potboilers. I was ALMOST annoyed by the indulgent hipster diatribes, but it's all part of the characterization and subsequent plot developments. Haven't read it in ages, so couldn't spoil it if I tried. Night Manager was another lovely sorrowful story.

What I love about Shadows of the Damned is how completely invested it is in it's own  goofiness. Dick jokes, yes, but also random storybook readings, eternally suffering dead girlfriend, but there is absolutely ZERO winking at the audience. It paces out beautifully. Glad you're enjoying it.

What I love about Shadows of the Damned is how completely invested it is in it's own  goofiness. Dick jokes, yes, but also random storybook readings, eternally suffering dead girlfriend, but there is absolutely ZERO winking at the audience. It paces out beautifully. Glad you're enjoying it.

Making my way through Terry Pratchett's Snuff. I love every take he does on Vimes. It's fantastic to actually grow up with the character and see him shift from an angry alcoholic to someone with a larger social responsibility to someone that now seems focused on raising a family with concerns about his legacy. I can't…

Making my way through Terry Pratchett's Snuff. I love every take he does on Vimes. It's fantastic to actually grow up with the character and see him shift from an angry alcoholic to someone with a larger social responsibility to someone that now seems focused on raising a family with concerns about his legacy. I can't…

But which parts are you looking at? Scenic routes has some nice touches, but there are no consistent critical articles anymore. I'm anticipating Rabin's hip hop write-ups, but that's about it. Nostalgia bits about Pete and Pete and defensive Twilight supporters don't really count, but again, that may just be my…

But which parts are you looking at? Scenic routes has some nice touches, but there are no consistent critical articles anymore. I'm anticipating Rabin's hip hop write-ups, but that's about it. Nostalgia bits about Pete and Pete and defensive Twilight supporters don't really count, but again, that may just be my…

Skipped a few university classes for FF7 and Xenogears back in the day (also Guardian's Crusade, which was unexpectedly moving by the end). The glorious insanity of Ping Pong Club had my roommates and I sitting in drinking Beast and smoking the night away instead of hitting the clubs. 
Deftones, Failure, Type O…

Skipped a few university classes for FF7 and Xenogears back in the day (also Guardian's Crusade, which was unexpectedly moving by the end). The glorious insanity of Ping Pong Club had my roommates and I sitting in drinking Beast and smoking the night away instead of hitting the clubs. 
Deftones, Failure, Type O…

I love MST3K. The reason it works is that they use the material in the service of a JOKE. It's not just 2 hours of somebody ragging on a  film, or just making pop culture references for references' sake. There are funny, funny jokes involved.

I love MST3K. The reason it works is that they use the material in the service of a JOKE. It's not just 2 hours of somebody ragging on a  film, or just making pop culture references for references' sake. There are funny, funny jokes involved.

I'm going to have a hard time believing anybody "hate-watches" for any other purpose than a cheap sense of self-satisfaction. "Look at how ridiculous _________ is." This is what hate-watching amounts to. I am clever enough to see through the lame artifice of what these hundreds of people have struggled to create. Go…

I'm going to have a hard time believing anybody "hate-watches" for any other purpose than a cheap sense of self-satisfaction. "Look at how ridiculous _________ is." This is what hate-watching amounts to. I am clever enough to see through the lame artifice of what these hundreds of people have struggled to create. Go…

Part of the problem, @avclub-443461f22c379e8d6c249374e586581e:disqus . Smirk your way through another empty day.

Part of the problem, @avclub-443461f22c379e8d6c249374e586581e:disqus . Smirk your way through another empty day.

I've been falling in that trap too. Back in the early 2000s I used to love to just dip into this site and find out about movies I hadn't heard of, or books that sound fun to read, or certain directors' work I may have missed. There was a joy to the site. The goal was a discourse about material. People sharing things…