Writes Jon Lewis in his introduction to his new book, “In counterculture Hollywood there were any number of road trips, and most of them … led nowhere, at least nowhere good.” The next 251 pages prove that true. But out of “nowhere good” comes greatness, because Road Trip to Nowhere: Hollywood Encounters the Counterculture is … Continue reading Road Trip to Nowhere: Hollywood Encounters the Counterculture
I think that, if I was born a couple of decades earlier, I would have been a pretty good hippie cult leader, you know, minus all the murder; just me and a bunch of groovy runaways, kicking back on a deserted movie set and eating out of dumpsters while trying to reach universal oneness … … Continue reading Charlie Says (2018)
Whereas the Manson Family’s murder spree registered as terrifyingly true in the nonfiction best seller Helter Skelter, the out-of-date dramatization Wolves at the Door is merely a welter — by definition, a confused mess. For a motion picture that barely cracks the one-hour mark, to be so mired is no mean feat. On Aug. 9, 1969, … Continue reading Wolves at the Door (2016)
Like its subject, Sharon Tate: A Life debuts with much promise before things go south. In Tate’s case, it wasn’t her fault; in counterculture icon Ed Sanders’ book, the fault is all his. Since the Valley of the Dolls star died so young — at age 26, slaughtered in the murder spree of Charles Manson’s … Continue reading Sharon Tate: A Life
Between Mark Harmon and Zac Efron, what is it about playing Ted Bundy that causes pretty-boy actors to up their game? Whatever the answer, we’ll not be adding Chad Michael Murray (2005’s House of Wax remake) to that short list based upon his portrayal of the infamous serial killer in Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman, yet … Continue reading Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021)