Ghoulish Grin Films

This acclaimed actor has been described by his peers no less as one of the greatest actors of his generation. And that was the generation of actors and actresses of the second Golden Age of Hollywood...the late '60's and '70's. He's won a Best Actor Oscar for 1971's "The French Connection" and for 1992's "Unforgiven." He's appeared in classic films like "Bonnie And Clyde," "The Conversation," and "Mississippi Burning" among others. He's worked with legendary actors and actresses like Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Warren Beatty, and Faye Dunaway. But as a kid he was one thing and one thing only. Superman's arch nemesis...LEX LUTHOR! A handful of actors, whether on the big or small screen or as a voice interpretation, have portrayed the great super villain. Including Hackman's "Superman IV: The Quest For Peace" costar Jon Cryer, who's done an exceptional job in the CW D

On Oprah Winfrey's birthday, I wanted to focus on a story that she and a group of talented individuals decided to tackle. I always found the childrens book "A Wrinkle In Time" to be very comforting. It also opened your mind up to very interesting concepts of space and time. I love when stories have that classic feel yet also stretch the boundaries of storytelling. This book is the epitome of that. There was an adaptation of of the book in 2003 but it wasn't all that great (I'm trying to be nice). So The Walt Disney Company decided to make a proper adaptation of the film. When I heard the magnificent filmmaker Ava DuVerney was attached and Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, and Reese Witherspoon were on board, I was all in. The film came out and underperformed at the box office and has a 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether any studio would tackle this property again is the question. I'm not sure. But despite the disappointing reaction

In 2018 I went to my local theater to watch an Oscar Nominee Short Film Showcase. Whether it's a YouTube video of a short film created by a kid on his phone or an Oscar Nominated top notch production, I truly enjoy watching short films. After seeing the live action shorts there was a short intermission and the audience returned to finish the showcase with the animated short film nominees. An animated short titled "Dear Basketball" appeared. I hear the narrators voice. It's Kobe Bryant. And immediately I'm all in. Right away I love it because it's hand drawn animation. Something I still miss (not a knock against computer animation) having grown up with classic Disney and Looney Tunes. And if THAT wasn't enough to earn my love, it was scored by the master himself, John Williams. And as the short film concluded, it stirred in me my love of basketball, which had taken a back seat in recent years. I was OBSESSED with basketball in my junior high/high sc

One of the greats of the horror genre, Tobe Hooper is a special influence for a lot of current and future filmmakers of the genre. His legacy has been set in stone, thanks to the classic 1974 slasher "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The first film I saw of Mr. Hooper's was 1982's "Poltergeist," which was produced, written, (and some say co-directed by) Steven Spielberg. I was but a child so it definitely was a feat to see something so intense. And it certainly has a Spielbergian feel to it, which gave it a strange appeal. But a fantastic Hooper film that brought me as a kid more and more into the genre HORROR. It would be later on that I would be introduced to his signature film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," a nightmarish look at the deep, dark places of the country. Featured in this film is the movie monster Leatherface, a throwback to the old Universal Monsters. And a deserving entry at that. It also features what I believe to be one of the

Sharon Tate is unfulfilled potential, manifested by us into immortality. She will forever be remembered for a heinous event. For an evil moment in time. Art always helps us cope through an unspeakable tragedy. And sometimes, after time heals and the events become hazier we honor them by keeping their memory alive. What I love about Quentin Tarantino's latest film "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" (aside from the brilliant recreation of late 1960's Hollywood - widely recognized as films second 'Golden Age') is that Tate was given such treatment. We get to watch as she rises to become a Hollywood starlet (through the magnificent performance of Margot Robbie) and we see her in happiness...and hope. Oh, and that ending! For those that haven't seen the film, let's just say it gives Tate the Hollywood ending she deserved. My favorite quote from the great Stephen King is 'we make up horrors to cope with the real ones.' I've always felt this

My first taste of the legendary literary master Edgar Allan Poe was from a 1970's Halloween record called "Famous Ghost Stories With Scary Sounds." I'm very happy to hear that vinyl records are making a comeback in the digital age, but sadly I fear the era of Halloween records and CD's that contained stories and sound effects are now a thing of the past. But those days were fun. And hearing this record I got to hear timeless classics like The Headless Horseman from Washington Irving's "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" and Charles Dickens' "The Signal-Man." Incredible stories to light up a young kids imagination. However the one story that captivated me and stayed with me all these years was Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." It's hard, at least among my friends when I was younger, to tell at that age what a truly classic story was. Even these days I seem to be content with the content given to me. But I recogn

A celebrated actor of the stage and screen, the great James Earl Jones was born on January 17th, 1931. A distinguished thespian who has won a Tony and Golden Globe, he is respected and admired among his peers. He has appeared in many films, with "Conan The Barbarian" being among one of my favorite performances of his. Aside from playing ancient tyrants he can also play comedy, appearing in such classics as "Coming To America." And he can also play warm characters like the ones played in "Field Of Dreams" and "The Sandlot." However, he is best known, and will probably be forever known, as breathing life into one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time...the Sith Lord Darth Vader. It was his commanding, booming voice that truly brought the character to life. The character is rich, and has always looked cool with his sleek black part mechanical suit. But as those fans of Star Wars know, the man in the suit was David Prowse, who certainl