Trash & Treasures: Reefer Madness the Musical
I love this movie so much. But boy, it is just a little bit of unearned smugness going on.
Do This, Not That: Writing Women With Agency (Legally Blonde the Musical vs. Hannibal)
The question of “How Do I Feminism?” is something the media has grappled with for years. Too often the answer falls into the Strong Female Character, who can punch things really good and is an absolute asshole to everyone until the male Chosen One comes along to surpass […]
10 Underrated Performances (Part 2)
This essay was commissioned by Chris Spiderdreamer. You can find out more about commissions here. Part One We arrive now at part two, centering on those actors whose work goes unappreciated, maybe more so for the fact that they’re surrounded by talented fellow actors. But that only makes it […]
Why The Rocky Horror Picture Show Still Has Meaning (But the Remake is a Terrible Idea)
In 1973, the Rocky Horror Show opened in London. In 1975 it was adapted into The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Tim Curry in arguably his most iconic performance, and the fandom that grew up around that theatrical flop came to define the cultural reference of what a […]
A History of Herbert West – Re-Animator
Dr. Herbert West’s longevity is something of a marvel. Lovecraft nerds love to turn up their noses at the Herbert West – Reanimator” stories, declaring them the weakest point in the author’s body of work. Lovecraft himself didn’t even think much of them – by which I mean […]
In Defense of the Little Shop of Horrors Theatrical Cut
Few words are as dirty as the phrase “focus testing,” the process in which bewildered strangers representing various marketing demographics are ushered into the screening of an unreleased film and then battered with questions about their feelings. Alright, it’s a bit more involved than that, but it’s […]
Five Forgotten Gems – Comic Book Adaptations
I’m not sure whether we’ve reached the saturation point of comic book media yet. I do know that we’re now fully into the realm of adaptive choices obscure enough that even I have to start doing preemptive google searches when I notice my internet feeds getting particularly excited […]
Do This, Not That: Going From Stage to Film (Into the Woods vs Chicago)
Gentle readers of all kinds: Rob Marshall. A director whose body of work consists entirely of adaptations, remakes, and sequels, and whose quality ranges from “made an Oscar winner that one time” to “somehow managed not to tank Daniel Day-Lewis’ career.” For the most part his work hangs […]
MAKE THIS HAPPEN: A Chorus Line
Once upon a time, in that glittering industry supposedly safe from the pitches and valleys of the real world, circumstances took a turn for the depressing. A general hopelessness pervaded the atmosphere, nobody had two cents to rub together, and folks scrambled for whatever they could get in […]
The Ethics of Reinterpretation or, A Defense of Dubs
A word, if I may, about dubbing. I would truly like to believe that we now live in an age where near-instant streaming, dual language physical media existing as the norm, and an increased sense of globalization intermingling cultures freely with one another, means that we can at […]
Fashionable Tinfoil Accessories 