Essay
Santa Claus the Movie and McDonald’s Magic
I can still remember the feeling of sitting in that darkened theater, the smell of popcorn in the air, waiting for the lights to dim and the magic to begin. …
Movies
Article
Life Day Letdown: The Story of the Star Wars Holiday Special
In November 1978, just a year and a half after Star Wars had taken the world by storm, fans were hungry for more. George Lucas’s space opera had become a …
Article
Jurassic Park and the Rise of the American Appetite
Back in 1993, before the internet ruined our attention spans and McDonald’s started serving kale, there was a movie called Jurassic Park. It had dinosaurs, screaming scientists, and enough thunder …
Essay
The Night We Tried to Conquer the World (and Fell Asleep Trying)
If you grew up in the ’80s like I did, chances are you remember the magic of sleepovers. They weren’t just a night away from home, they were a rite …
Essay
Small Town Theater Memories
Growing up in a small town, going to the movies wasn’t just entertainment, it was an event. A rarity. A lifeline to the outside world. We didn’t have a megaplex …
Special Feature
My Essential Christmas Watch List
Every December as Christmas approaches, my primetime viewing calendar fills up with Christmas movies, shows, and specials. It’s one of my favorite parts of the season and is possibly one …
Essay
Thoughts on Physical Media
Physical media is becoming harder to find in a world that embraces steaming more and more every day. It’s a frightening trend that I want to see reverse course. Let …
Essay
Rainy Summer Days
“Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.” As I’m sitting here writing this, it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and it’s raining. It’s not a hard rain, but it’s not …
Essay
The Summer of Thunder at Hardee’s
Days of Thunder hit theaters in 1990, and I was all in on it. All in except for actually going to see the movie itself in the theater. Back then, …
Essay
Willow Magic Cups From Wendy’s
Willow was a movie that captured my imagination in a big way back in 1988. When I first saw the trailer for the movie, I was excited as hell. Not …