Tag Archives: F. Gary Gray

Set it Off + Sugar and Spice

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Eric Thirteen
Set it Off + Sugar and Spice

Two fills that could nearly get away with the same synopsis. Another music video director turned feature storyteller. Queen Latifah proves to be an amazing on-screen force. Character-drive heisting. Remembering back to the good times. The one scene in Set It Off that should be on every goddamn list. Sugar and Spice is a whiplash change in tone. Speaking to the American Dream. How Sugar & Spice calls out the capitalistic fantasy that is America. Middle class revolt. Eric changes sides on the video-store-guy trope. Continue reading →

Straight Outta Compton + Cop Car

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Eric Thirteen
Straight Outta Compton + Cop Car

America’s evolving relationship with the police. The slasher documentaries. Buz Wallick joins Eric’s upcoming film. Straight Outta Compton is oddly relevant today. The theater experience. That goddamn Alamo Drafthouse. Knowing the NWA today. Dr. Dre’s new album Compton. Revisiting the ideal trailer. Cop Car builds the suspense out of nothing and it’s fabulous. Holy fucking awesome filmmaking. Where is this going? A return to mystery. Hey why not, let’s get some Director’s Cut news. Continue reading →

Friday + Metropolitan

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Eric Thirteen
Friday + Metropolitan

Surprisingly tasteful culture shock! Challenging yourself to expand your horizons. How Michael got into the Friday franchise. An only somewhat related conversation about Quentin Tarantino’s favorite films. Admitting an embarrassing truth to yourself. High society, deb parties, and places Eric could never go. Someone in 2014 references Deadsy. Who doesn’t love preschool? We need to talk about board games. How Cards Against Humanity manages to be awesome and the worst fucking on planet Earth. Apples to Apples speaks on behalf of all wasted time at every gathering that’s ever happened. Unique individuals with fascinating backgrounds based on difficult choices they’ve made all walk into a room, then miss the opportunity to share about any of that. The painful normality of the 1%. Continue reading →