The MacGuffin

In honor of the release of Dark Skies, Spencer and Greg discuss alien movies.

In honor of the release of Hyde Park on Hudson, Spencer and Greg discuss Bill Murray.

In honor of the release of Lincoln, Spencer and Greg discuss Steven Spielberg.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Allen and Brandi share their top 5 death scenes.

This segment is also available on Stitcher and iTunes. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

The MacGuffin crew share a bonus discussion on American Graffiti, from director George Lucas and starring Richard Dreyfuss.

This episode can be played online via the flash player below or it can be downloaded from here. It is available on iTunes, Zune, and Stitcher.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Brandi and John share their top 5 animal-centric films.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes, and Zune. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here.

The tomb of terror is a new column. It will replace my previous teeny tiny Tweet-Size Horror reviews with a more in-depth discussion of a horror film each week.
- John

Every Saturday night The Tomb of Terror opens, unleashing reviews of the obscure and the classic in horror cinema.

Sometimes a film comes along that wouldn’t have been able to exist without the success of another. After watching The Sentinel (1977), I’m convinced that the movie would not exist had The Exorcist not been a hit three years before. There are certain aspects of the film that seem carbon copied from that classic tale of demonic possession. The film is based on a novel by Jeffrey Konvitz that was released in 1974, the same year as The Exorcist hit theaters. Was the inspiration for writing it the box office figures of William Friedkin’s film? No one but Konvitz can know for sure. I am fairly certain, however, that the movie exists because of that film’s success, as well as the success of another hellspawn, The Omen (1976).

Jaws
1975; directed by Steven Spielberg; screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, from the novel by Peter Benchley

Allen: The birth of the blockbuster film was here, with Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.