Category: Film
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From ‘Mary’ to ‘Match’ to Her Memoir, Bulifant is a Marvel
By Joe Puccio As the performers who’ve been both talented and lucky enough to be able to earn a living in show business can surely attest, the struggle to attain autonomy in one’s career is very real. Furthermore, managing to maintain said success is sometimes just as challenging. For Joyce Bulifant, the struggles she overcame…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Scarecrow’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Originally released in 1973, Scarecrow is usually not the first movie that comes to mind when thinking about the filmographies of both Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. Part of this may have to do with the fact that it was a box-office bomb upon its release. And most…
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Master of His Domain
Being Eddie3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America? Check. A wildly successful tenure on Saturday Night Live? Check. Reverential praise from peers and fellow comics? Check, check, and check! If you’re looking for an opportunity to revisit not only Eddie Murphy’s greatest hits and multiple career…
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Some Kind of Monster
Frankenstein3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Beautifully lit, lavishly designed, and brimming with the type of luminous colors that its director is known for, the latest Frankenstein seems to center around the popular talking point of it supposedly being the film that Guillermo del Toro was born to make. Or destroy, I’d say might…
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From Malachai to Music, Courtney ‘Gains’ an Appreciation Among Fans
By Joe Puccio Best known for his chilling turn as Malachai in 1984’s supernatural slasher hit Children of the Corn, it may be slightly surprising to some that Courtney Gains has carved out quite an eclectic career for himself since appearing in the seminal shocker. A variety of parts in non-genre fare ranging from science fiction…
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Opening Right on Time
Back to the Future5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa I have always maintained that Back to the Future is a perfect movie; perfect in the sense that every one of its elements works at an optimum level. I would not change a single thing about it – not a frame, not a take, not…
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From ‘Santa’ to ‘Sons’ to Science Fiction, Walker is Saturated with Stories
By Joe Puccio It’s not unusual for those in show business to eventually get the itch to write a book. For almost as long as film and television have captivated audiences around the world, the often-extroverted performers who so vividly bring the mediums to life are frequently known for putting pen to paper to chronicle…
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There’s an Easier Way Out
Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago – The Ultimate Director’s Cut3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In 1985, Sylvester Stallone sat on top of the world. The explosive success of Rambo: First Blood Part II that summer gave the writer/director/actor his biggest hit to date, suggesting that he was one of Hollywood’s grandest stars of…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Twice in a Lifetime’
4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa There has been talk of Amy Madigan possibly receiving an Oscar nomination for her scene-stealing turn as Aunt Gladys in this summer’s breakaway horror hit Weapons. Were that to happen, it would be the actress’s second trip to the big dance, having originally been nominated in a…
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Through the Dark Corners of His Father’s House
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Few would argue that Bruce Springsteen isn’t one of the most important and influential musical artists of the past fifty years. Having been such a seismic cultural force is usually reason enough to merit a great biopic that explains how such status was…
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The Toughest Battles Are Usually Within
The Smashing Machine3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has come a long way since body-slamming his way to the top of the professional wrestling world. His natural charisma and ample magnetism in front of the camera allowed him to quickly transition into a hugely successful career in Hollywood, one…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’
3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa An instrumental version of The Beatles’ iconic “Hey Jude” serves as the musical backdrop to a prologue montage that details the history of the eccentric and highly dysfunctional family that serves as the namesake of Wes Anderson’s third feature film, originally released in 2001. It is an…
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For Maximum Impact
David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa With almost universal consensus amid rock enthusiasts and connoisseurs, over the past 50 years, David Gilmour has been considered one of the absolute premiere guitarists of the genre. Watching this latest concert film, David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus,…
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Stonehenge, Guitars, and Lots of Cheese
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa “We want Tap! We want Tap!” So chants a mob of thousands packed into a New Orleans arena, moments after one of those many has passionately professed on camera that Spinal Tap is up there with AC/DC and Motörhead as one of…
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Jarratt’s Mick Taylor is a ‘Wolf’ in Sheep’s Clothing
By Joe Puccio Upon graduating from the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1973, if someone had told John Jarratt that he’d be best known for playing Australian serial killer Mick Taylor in the “new classic” modern slasher Wolf Creek just over 30 years later, the formally trained actor would’ve assumed his leg was…
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Kung Fu, Karate, Pizza, and Nonsense
Karate Kid: Legends2 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Trite, illogical, and ultimately pointless, Karate Kid: Legends takes all the goodwill amassed by the successful Cobra Kai spinoff and squanders it for no other reason than to keep cashing in on an old, albeit revived, IP. In this regard, it overtly aims itself at the Netflix…
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‘Prom Night’ Actress Brings ‘Joy’ to Both Fans and Students
By Joe Puccio Forty-five years ago, Jimmy Carter was in the midst of his final full year as the President of the United States, ‘Who shot J.R.?’ was the pressing question on the minds of television audiences throughout the country, and Pac-Man, which would eventually become the most successful video game of all time, made…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘French Connection II’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Across an illustrious and varied acting career that spanned over four decades, Gene Hackman’s most signature role (at least to anyone not raised solely on comic books) will undoubtedly always be Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, the ruthless, morally-questionable New York City police detective that the venerable actor played…
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Renewing the Insult
The Naked Gun3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Way back in 1995, the original Toy Story presented a memorable scene in which three little green aliens, stuck amidst an assortment of other toys inside a crane game, fervently hoped that the all-powerful “claw” would select one of them for deposit into a better life.…
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Catching Up with Michael Myers’ First Victim
Widely considered to be one of the greatest horror masterpieces of all time, 1978’s Halloween is revered for its heart pounding suspense, pulsating score, and of course, the seminal cinema slasher himself, Michael Myers. And ask any aficionados of the genre to list its most important characters beyond the devoid-of-emotion antagonist at the center of…
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Trapped in the Ring
No Holds Barred1 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa The recent death of pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan surely has had many fans revisit his legacy and embark on requisite nostalgia trips in the days since. It’s a complicated legacy, made so by the various reported transgressions that Terry Gene Bollea (Hogan’s birth name)…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Mississippi Burning’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa A burning cross is one of the most powerful and frightening images ever unleashed upon citizens of the United States. It is a searing blemish on the nation’s conscience, created by those who are so driven by hate that they are willing to desecrate the most sacred…
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Not Taking S#@! from Anyone
Billy Joel: And So It Goes4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa With a strong, inventive, and always-engaging telling, Billy Joel: And So It Goes is unquestionably the definitive account of the life and career of the ever-popular piano man and musical prodigy from Long Island. But you will need four and a half hours…
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VanHentenryck Sculpts an Impressive Career – ‘Case’ Closed
By Joe Puccio Mass media in popular culture is often categorized by the respective decade in which the subject belongs to. In music, grunge rock (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden) dominated the 1990s. On the small screen, the 1950s are looked back on as the ‘Golden Age of Television’ (I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best, The…
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Taking to the Ground
Superman2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Majestic, gleaming, and awe-inspiring. So rises the Fortress of Solitude like an Arctic Minas Tirith, revolving out of the ice in a way never before rendered so spectacularly. And yet, it seems instead to be located in Antarctica. If this little detail confuses some moviegoers well-versed in…
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The Unbearable Lightness of Aging
The Last Showgirl2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa During awards season six months ago, much was made about Pamela Anderson’s acclaimed performance in The Last Showgirl receiving Golden Globe and SAG nominations, yet getting completely ignored by the Academy come Oscar time. After finally watching the movie, almost a year after it premiered at…
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Friday the 13th’s ‘First Jason’ is First Class
By Joe Puccio Michael Myers. Freddy Krueger. Pinhead. Chucky. Ghostface. All are certainly seminal figures in the horror subgenre of the slasher film. But while each one has undoubtedly left his bloody mark on both viewers, as well as his respective victims (Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Kirsty Cotton, Andy Barclay, and Sidney Prescott, to name…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘The Conversation’
4.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa One of Gene Hackman’s absolute best and most layered turns is in this 1974 Francis Ford Coppola cult classic that last year made the rounds in cinemas around the world as part of a 50th anniversary re-release. As Harry Caul, a surveillance expert whose perpetual nervousness and…
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Of Shark and Men
Jaws5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa What more can be said or written about Jaws that hasn’t already been done? By now, a half-century into its life and legacy, most have probably seen it. At the very least they might know it was responsible for not only properly establishing Steven Spielberg as the consummate…
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Summertime Blues
The Beach Boys3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa With the recent death of Brian Wilson representing such a monumental loss in pop culture, and more specifically, in its history, a renewed interest in The Beach Boys can only be expected. For those seeking to satiate that appetite, they may consider giving a look…
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A Schwartz ‘Story’
By Joe Puccio Show business is a peculiar animal, especially for children. While some performers who got their start in the industry at an early age became known for much more than their innocuous initial introductions (Ron Howard as freckle-faced Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, Neil Patrick Harris as the titular boy genius on…
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An Operatic Tale of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bono: Stories of Surrender4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Bono, the lead singer of U2, and one of the world’s most prominent activists of the past 25 years, is a polarizing individual. I guess that’s what happens when you front a band whose earnest approach to themes of love, spirituality, injustice, and redemption…
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A Most Nutritious Bullet
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa As you may have heard by now, there is a reboot of The Naked Gun dropping in cinemas later this summer. More specifically, it is apparently not a remake, but rather, a continuation of the beloved film series started in…
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From ‘Brewster’ to ‘Belvedere,’ Ellison Can Back it Up
By Joe Puccio Goofy sidekicks have been a mainstay on classic sitcoms since the advent of television. From Ed Norton (Art Carney) in The Honeymooners for one revered season in the mid-1950s to Barney Fife (Don Knotts) in the venerable The Andy Griffith Show throughout almost the entire decade of the 1960s to Freddy “Rerun”…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘Get Shorty’
4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa It is not every day that you have freezing temperatures in Miami. Similarly, it is rare for Los Angeles to be graced with torrential downpours. Both of these surreal realities, however, occur within the first twenty minutes of Get Shorty, and what is sandwiched in-between them is…
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The Expansive Sounds of History
Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa It takes approximately a full three minutes (possibly more) for the camera lens to absorb the deserted vastness of the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii before slowly settling on the four members of Pink Floyd as they leisurely run through their 1971…
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An Explosive Marathon, Should You Choose to Accept it
Mission: Impossible film series By J.C. Correa Almost thirty years ago, Tom Cruise, then already one of the world’s biggest movie stars, accepted the task to produce and star in a big-screen adaptation of Mission: Impossible, the celebrated late ‘60s espionage television show with the even more famous pulsing theme music. Three decades later, he…
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All’s Game in the Art of the Close
Glengarry Glen Ross By J.C. Correa Fans of Broadway and New York City theater are surely aware that there is a new revival currently playing of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning sizzler, Glengarry Glen Ross. That is likely the case because its marketing team has leaned heavily on promoting its all-star cast in the months since…
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From ‘Annie’ to ‘Kate & Allie,’ Allison Smith is Still ‘Wing’ing it and Doing a Stellar Job
By Joe Puccio Performing on stage before a live audience and acting on a film or television set are two very diverse experiences. While the pair of skills are certainly equally as impressive on their own, being adept at both is even more remarkable. For gifted thespian Allison Smith, she thoroughly excels at each endeavor…
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The ‘Sith’ Strikes Again, and Maybe Just in Time
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa George Lucas was never a subtle filmmaker. At least as far as his approach to Star Wars was concerned. His biggest crime, more so than the consistently wooden dialogue or subpar acting, was probably his tendency to tell you as…
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Kroll’s Luna Vachon Doc is One Not to Be Missed
By Joe Puccio It certainly wasn’t always the case, but professional wrestling-themed documentaries are undoubtedly in the midst of a honeymoon phase. From the Evan Ginzburg-produced 350 Days, which peeled back the curtain on the uncompromising toll that former wrestlers were forced to endure being on the road for that many days a year, to…
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A Heartwarming Gem You Can Still ‘Count’ On
You Can Count on Me4.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Though he had been acting consistently for five or so years, it was in You Can Count on Me, the Sundance breakout hit from 2000, that I first watched Mark Ruffalo perform. And he was largely the reason why, then, I placed Kenneth…
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The Not Always Sweet Smell of ‘Success’
The Secret of My Success 2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Thirty-eight years ago this week, The Secret of My Success, a light-hearted romp starring Michael J. Fox, was released. It went on to become a modest hit at a time when the young actor was a hot Hollywood property on the strength of…
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Coupling Up in the Shadow of Grunge
Singles3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In the fall of 1992, at the absolute height of the grunge movement, writer-director Cameron Crowe released this modest exploration of love and relationships and set it against this very backdrop. It was Crowe’s second directorial feature following his breakout hit Say Anything, one that quickly earned…
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The Big De Niro Face-off
The Alto Knights2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Robert De Niro sits across a table from himself and begins to have a conversation. The De Niro seen on screen right has a haggard face with light-colored eyes and a rough-looking, pronounced nose. He speaks, though, like Robert De Niro. The version that sits…
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The Gene Hackman Retrospective: ‘No Way Out’
3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa The recent death of Hollywood screen legend Gene Hackman is one that has undoubtedly left a hollow mark across the movie industry. Part of this, unfortunately, has to do with the eerie circumstances behind his and his wife’s demise. But above all, it is the natural result…
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From ‘The Karate Kid’ to ‘Flashdance,’ Esposito is Still One of the ‘Best’
By Joe Puccio Flashdance. Scarface. Coming to America. Staying Alive. American Hot Wax. These are just a smattering of the motion picture soundtracks that singer-songwriter Joe “Bean” Esposito has crafted timeless tunes for. Whether it was as a founding member of harmonious R&B trio Brooklyn Dreams (with Bruce Sudano and Eddie Hokenson), as a passionate…
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Fifty Years Later, This Trio is Still ‘Happening!!’
By Joe Puccio In show business, it’s difficult enough for motion pictures to attain suitable box office success to justify the perpetually exorbitant costs of creating them. Furthermore, adapting profitable television versions of fruitful films are often even tougher tasks. While M*A*S*H (Film: $3 million budget and $81.6 million gross; Series: 11 seasons), The Karate…
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Fear Was Not an Option
Batman Begins3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa It may be difficult to remember, let alone believe, but twenty years ago the character of Batman was dead in the water. At least as far as his cinematic viability was concerned. After a string of three consecutive hits from 1989 through 1995, the lucrative property…
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‘The Outdated Entertainment Hour’ with Bob Smith
Nostalgic for the great entertainment you loved as a kid and young adult? The Outdated Entertainment Hour – hosted by Bob Smith, a veteran entertainment podcaster, writer and editor (Good Times Magazine, Pro Wrestling Illustrated) – will bring back many of your favorite music artists, TV shows, books, films, and much more. Enjoy conversations with…
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A 30-Year Rain Before ‘Seven’
Se7en4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa After a string of iconic and influential music videos in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s like Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” Madonna’s “Vogue,” George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90,” and Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun,” director David Fincher made the leap to feature films with the controversial and much-maligned Alien 3 in…
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The James Bond Family’s Midas Touch
By J.C. Correa It is very hard to believe, but after more than 60 years, the James Bond films finally belong to entities other than those who have always and exclusively made them. I’m referring, of course, to the recent seismic deal that effectively removes creative control of the storied franchise away from EON Productions…
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Journeying Into the ‘Unknown’ with Nary a Light to Show the Way
A Complete Unknown3 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa There is no denying that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest and most prolific songwriters in history. In the same manner, I don’t think anyone will ever argue that his work and legacy have left a print on our culture that has only enriched…
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No ‘Fear’ in Antonella Rose as Career Takes Off
By Joe Puccio In show business, there’s a fine line between acting and overacting; between being prepared and being overprepared; between being precocious and being aloof. Child performers, perhaps unfairly, tend to be scrutinized by these traits more so than their adult counterparts. And while obstacles such as these have always been and likely always…
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‘Friday the 13th’ Actor Monarque Carves Out Successful Career
By Joe Puccio Any type of deviation to a cherished art form is inevitably met with resistance. When Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror masterpiece Alien was expanded into James Cameron’s decidedly more action-centric Aliens, science fiction fans were skeptical. When J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved 1937 children’s fantasy novel The Hobbit received a sequel nearly twenty…
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Closing the Dojo with Love
The Unexpected and Glorious Legacy of Cobra Kai By J.C. Correa When Cobra Kai first debuted back in the spring of 2018 – on what was then known as YouTube Red – you would have been forgiven for being extremely skeptical about its prospects in quality, not to mention longevity. After all, no one was really…
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Getting the Led Finally Out
Becoming Led Zeppelin3.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In early 1969, after having already played a few dates in America, Led Zeppelin, then opening for a band called Vanilla Fudge, delivered a triumphant show at San Francisco’s famed Fillmore Club. It was considered so because up until then, though buzz was slowly building…
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‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
Saturday Night4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa In one long, uninterrupted take we are swiftly hurdled through several of the rooms at NBC studios where it seems pretty much everything is going on at once. Like flies on the wall, what we witness is an abundance of chaos and panic that are gradually…
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Chipping Away at the Old Block of Kryptonite
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Imagine you wake up one day only to learn that a movie you very much loved as a child is not necessarily the definitive version of that story, and that somewhere out there exists a potentially better rendering of it that is…
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The Sights and Sounds That Colored the Rain
Purple Rain2.5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Recently, Rolling Stone magazine awarded the top spot to Purple Rain in a list it compiled of the 100 greatest movie soundtracks in history. The choice was not necessarily unsurprising, in part considering the enduring appeal of many of the tunes in Prince’s 1984 masterpiece. Furthermore, the…
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The Freaks Come Out at Christmas
Batman Returns4 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa After the triumphant one-two punch of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, Warner Bros. gave Tim Burton the keys to the Batcave in 1989, effectively allowing him to, for better or worse, launch the modern-day superhero cinema craze with the uber-successful Batman. It was a gamble that proved…
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Toasting to a Classic: ‘Sideways’
5 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa “If anybody orders merlot, I’m leaving! I am NOT drinking any F@&#ING MERLOT!” With those immortal words Paul Giamatti inadvertently disrupted the mojo of an up-until-then profitable wine grape, the diminished sales of which were felt all over Northern California. At least that is what a winemaker…
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‘From’ Television to Film, Ghafoori is a Star
By Joe Puccio Horror is arguably – and undeservedly – the single most maligned genre in the television and film landscape. While small screen critic darlings like The X Files and The Walking Dead have admittedly received their share of praise and motion picture fan favorites such as Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs…
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When Four Young Dudes With Dubious Haircuts Landed in America
Beatles ’643 out of 5 stars By J.C. Correa Albeit several months late, Beatles ’64 arrives perfectly timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the illustrious English band’s first trip to the United States. It was a two-week foray that saw them play The Ed Sullivan Show twice (first in New York, then in Miami); a…
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Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley
By J.C. Correa Rock music enthusiasts (and basically anyone with a faint interest in measuring the pulse of pop culture during the second half of the 20th century) are undoubtedly familiar with the seismic importance associated with Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special. Along with Queen at Live Aid, The Beatles at Shea Stadium, and Jimi…
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Rebeca Arthur is No ‘Stranger’ to Success
By Joe Puccio Sometimes the world looks perfect,Nothing to rearrange.Sometimes you get a feelingLike you need some kind of change. No matter what the odds are this time,Nothing’s going to stand in my way.This flame in my heart,And a long lost friendGives every dark street a light at the end. Standing tall, on the wings…
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Acting, Writing, Directing – ‘Terrifier’s Scaffidi Embraces It All
By Joe Puccio If someone would have attempted to sell Samantha Scaffidi on the notion that Terrifier, the 2016 American slasher film about, well, a terrifying serial killer clown, would have become a pop culture phenomenon, she likely would have thought them to be just as misguided as Art, the demented joker at the film’s…
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Dee Wallace ‘Self-Creates’ an Impressive Career
By Joe Puccio Cultivating a fruitful film and television career for an astounding 50 years, talent, tenacity, and even a little luck are all clearly somewhat responsible. Dee Wallace names self-creation, however, as a key rationale for her success. “Each time you have a thought or a feeling or a perception of the world, you…
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A Charmed ‘Life’ for ‘Facts’ Originals
By Joe Puccio You take the good,You take the bad,You take them both and there you have,The facts of life In show business, there is a widely held belief that in the vast majority of cases, child actors grow up being unable to transition to adulthood or to learn how to cope with a routine,…
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Knapp’s a ‘Keeper’ – ‘Evil’ Actor Makes Her Mark
By Joe Puccio While there has been an abundance of quality, supernatural, facetious, thrillers to hit the small screen in recent times (Lucifer, Penny Dreadful, American Horror Story, to name a few), none have quite encompassed the multi-layered genre quite as well as Evil. Premiering to critical acclaim on CBS in 2019 before shifting to…
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Howarth Makes the ‘Trek’ to Long Island’s Fabled Cinema Arts Centre
By Joe Puccio The name Alan Howarth might not be as recognizable as Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, or Jamie Lee Curtis. Yet in many ways, his contributions on films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Escape from New York, and Halloween II are just as pivotal as that of their respective stars. Howarth has worked…
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50 Years Later, This ‘Land’ is Not ‘Lost’
By Joe Puccio For Gen Xers who came of age in the 1970s, Sid and Marty Krofft are two names lavished with reverence. The Canadian brothers, simultaneously television creators, writers, and puppeteers, produced some of the most enduring small screen offerings of the era, including H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and The Banana…
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‘A Nightmare’ No More For ‘Elm Street’ Actor
By Joe Puccio When one mentions the term “scream queen,” several leading ladies of fright films generally come to mind – Jamie Lee Curtis, Linnea Quigley, Adrienne Barbeau, and Drew Barrymore, just to name a few. Mark Patton, however, typically is not among them. But with the new documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm…
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Poffo Talks Road Perils, Macho Man, and his Wrestling ‘Days’
By Joe Puccio While the generally accepted belief is that in order to cope with the grueling, seemingly endless, life on the road for pro wrestlers in the 70s and 80s, drugs were a necessity, don’t tell that to Lanny Poffo; the former wrestler doesn’t buy it. “It’s a complete copout,” he contended. “I was…
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From 80s Babe to ‘Amityville’
By Joe Puccio If you were a guy growing up in the 80s, you wanted to date her; and if you were a girl, you wanted to be her. Diane Franklin first lit up the silver screen in 1982 in the Boaz Davidson coming-of-age classic The Last American Virgin, playing conflicted transfer student Karen, whose…
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Downton Abbey Lives On!
By Joe Puccio March 6, 2016 is a date that no Downton Abbey fan in the United States will ever forget. It was on that date, just over two years ago, that PBS aired the final episode of the beloved British drama. And for the popular show’s millions of fans worldwide, the conclusion of the…
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Suspiria and Inferno: Argento 101
By Joe Puccio Retro Picture Show hit it out of the park yet again on Friday night, January 12 with its latest special event, a unique 35mm double feature screening of Suspiria and Inferno, two of legendary Italian horror master Dario Argento’s most notable works. The Long Island-based movie revival company is coming off a…
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‘Fame’ Comes at a High ‘Price’ for The Million Dollar Man
By Joe Puccio If you were a fan of professional wrestling during its ‘glory years’ in the late 1980s, one name that would be instantly recognizable is ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase. Along with his loyal, mostly silent, bodyguard Virgil, DiBiase played the role of the heel, or the ‘bad guy,’ to perfection. He…
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‘Halloween’ Arrives Early in New York
By Joe Puccio While there’s been an abundance of buzz on the Halloween film series of late, the majority of it has been focused on the forthcoming David Gordon Green-helmed sequel hitting theaters in October of 2018. The attention isn’t surprising, with Jamie Lee Curtis set to reprise her iconic role as Laurie Strode, sister…
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‘Camp’ is Back in Session: ‘Sleepaway Camp’ Star, Trilogy Come to New York
By Joe Puccio Jason Voorhees. Michael Myers. Freddy Krueger. Angela Baker. Yes, Angela Baker. While some people might scoff at the idea of including her (him?) in the same breath with the horror icons of Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, respectively, don’t tell that to those who were in attendance at the Sleepaway Camp Trilogy…
Generation X Wire 