THE JOY OF TEX by Hilliard Pruitt Woodward Maurice ‘Tex’ Ritter was born on January 12, 1905, in the small East Texas town of Murvaul. He is considered an early trailblazer of American country music, a celebrated singer and actor entertaining audiences over three decades spanning from the mid-1930s to the 1960s, as well as...
RED ROCKET SCIENCE by Christopher Dombrosky America's Gulf Coast isn’t known for tornadoes, but production of the Southeast Texas-shot independent motion picture dramedy RED ROCKET was a whirlwind. When acclaimed multi-hyphenate auteur Sean Baker, maker of 2015's TANGERINE and 2017's THE FLORIDA PROJECT, found his 2020 work in Canada scuttled by pandemic, he pivoted from...
Grab the Gator & Cocaine: Beaumont’s Own Texas Godfatherby Justin Norris Truly, there is nothing cooler than seeing a town/city/state that holds a special place in your memory appear in a movie. The magic of recognition can elevate even the most forgettable or terrible films when that jolt of energy rushes through your body...
THE IDIOTIC AND INNOVATIVE STUDENT BODIES by Justin Norris Lost to time and memory, STUDENT BODIES is something of a strange marvel. It stands out first for being filmed in and around the Houston area, particularly in the Richmond and Katy areas. Folks over in Port Arthur get something to point out in this film...
WIM WENDERS’ TRANSFIXING PARIS, TEXAS by Justin Norris The great state of Texas is magical. It’s a state where its many diverse qualities converge to form a state undoubtedly unique and, in a way, something more mysterious. North, South, East, and West, the state of Texas offers residents and vagabonds alike a chance to experience...
By Bryan Lee You've heard of the Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Amazing Stories, right? Well Black Mirror is the spiritual successor to those shows for a modern audience. From the great mind of Charlie Brooker comes a Christmas masterpiece with special episode of "White Christmas". This has Christmas written all over its stories....
by Justin Norris The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is not a Christmas movie. It’s not even Christmas adjacent, ala Die Hard or even Iron Man 3. In fact, there is not a single scene in David Fincher’s underrated masterpiece that displays even an ounce of the holiday. The only connection between the film and Christmas is...
by Lane Fortenberry Since 1997, A Christmas Story has played on a 24 hour continuous loop (TNT ran it from 1997 through 2004 before TBS took over), and odds are your family and friends have tuned in at least once every year. Why have we done this for so many years? Aren't we sick...