Crime Movies

Defending Tarantino

What critics who attack the director's borrowings miss.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Scarface: 10 Gift Ideas for H-Town's Finest

It's Scarface's birthday, y'all. What, you didn't get him anything, either? Thank God. The humiliation of letting Houston's most lyrical, most respected and all-around best MC turn 42 without handing him something to unwrap was hitting us pretty hard, but since you dropped the ball, too, maybe we do ... More >>

New Music From Scarface, Nas, Trae, Kirko Bangz, Bun B, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Z-Ro... In 2 Songs

Let's not dance around this too much. Two songs came out Thursday that you need to hear. The first inexplicably comes via DJ Khaled, rap DJ/producer/screamer/barterer. His new album(!?) comes out this August, which respectable Houstonians will be strong-armed into purchasing because it includes gu ... More >>

Back On My Block: Celebrating 10 Years of Scarface's The Fix

Ten years ago today, Scarface broke through nationally for good with The Fix. His work with the Geto Boys had made him a cult favorite, making his story of being better than amazing to put Houston on the rap map. The Diary; Mr. Scarface Is Back rank as Nos. 3 and 6 on Rocks Off's list of the Top 25 ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Who Is the Greatest Movie Villain of All Time?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: E.S.G., Marcus Manchild, Renzo, Kyle Hubbard, Purple Bastard, Preemo, Mic Skills, Mac, more. Not Invited: Michael Myers, becau ... More >>

Bobby Lee

Rap Round Table: What Is Scarface's Best Album?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Preemo, O.N.E., Medicine Girl, Renzo, Yung Truth, Chane, Scooby, Kane, Kyle Hubbard, Mac, more. Not Invited: The man who cried ... More >>

Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow: The Godfather, Part 1

15 Inferior Best Picture Oscar Winners (And the Enduring Classics They Beat)

Last Wednesday, Craiggers hit on some forgotten Best Picture Academy Award winners, films which have slipped through the cracks of society's consciousness for one reason or another; either for being too of-the-moment, not having enough quotable lines, or for simply not having held up very well -- hi ... More >>

Dear Hollywood, Get Some New Ideas: Goodfellas, Titanic 3D

Last week, it was announced that AMC, original drama channel numero uno, would be officially backing what has been an under the radar development for a television series based on the movie Goodfellas. My first reaction to the news, which trickled through the intertubes in the last year or so, was ... More >>

DVDs & Blu-rays for the Cinephile: 12 Angry Men and a Thanksgiving Day Special

12 Angry Men stars Henry Fonda, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden and Jack Klugman; Sidney Lumet directs. The Setup: Sidney Lumet made his directorial debut in 1957 with 12 Angry Men. The film takes place almost entirely inside a hot, stuffy jury room. An 18-year-old Hispanic man is on trial for killing ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Who Else Would Make A Good Bond Villain?

Jeez, when are they going to stop casting ugly actors in these Bond movies?​So it turns out Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Cristy Barcelona) is going up against 007 in Bond 23: After months of speculation about who would play the villain in the next James Bond installment, we fi ... More >>

Top Five Movies That Influenced Hip-Hop Culture

​Rappers love to imagine their lives as movies. They see bits of their lives on the big screen and turn to those cinematic treasures to help them make sense of their immediate environment: "If Tony Montana can rise to meteoric heights, so can I; if Frank Lucas can make it out of the game alive ... More >>

Al Pacino: One Night Only

Top 5 Movie Quotes About Food and Drink

Robb Walsh blogged about food and sex in movies, and Katharine Shilcutt provided us with the ten most disturbing food-related scenes in horror flicks. And while a picture (or some footage) is worth a thousand words, sometimes a passing reference to food and drink in film can be just as rich. Here a ... More >>

You Talkin' to Me? Seven Musical Moments in Martin Scorsese Films

​We scoured the Internet, like we do for at least nine hours a day, for an excuse to embed Scorsese clips into one, organized blog post. Lucky for us, we found that timeliness was applicable: the 35th anniversary edition of Taxi Driver is out on Blu-Ray! We'll probably stick to our used copy t ... More >>

Seven Movie Roles We Think Would Be Perfect for Nicki Minaj

All work and no play make Nicki something something...​Hip hop artist Nicki Minaj might be getting an opportunity to use the drama skills she acquired when she was studying acting at the performing arts high school she attended in New York. She's already exhibited her acting skills in two of h ... More >>

Top 10 Musical Scenes In Quentin Tarantino Films

​Sunday, Quentin Tarantino, one of the best modern film directors not named Uwe Boll, turns 48 years old. It's hard to believe the beloved hipster director has now been on the public radar for almost 20 years, with his feature-length debut and breakout movie Reservoir Dogs turning the big 2-0 ... More >>

Five Signs A Rapper May Be In Jail

​When Scarface went vacationing in the iron city last October, no one seemed to notice. Everyone was stunned to later learn that Face had been in jail for three months. It got us thinking, what are some tell-tale signs that a rapper may be in the clink? 5. Static Twitter Page If a prominent ... More >>

Yojimbo

Huey Lewis & the News

Middle Men: Blame Houston For Internet Porn

A Goodfellas-like movie coming out tomorrow puts the blame -- or the credit, we guess -- for the entire world of internet porn squarely on Houston.Where's our statute, then?

Win Preview Passes To Inception, And Ponder Our Five Questions About It

One of these people is a better actor than the other​Inception seems like the best bet yet to save a summer full of dreary by-the-books blockbusters. Has there been anything released yet that's made you want to go to the movies? (We admit, we've never quite gotten into the whole Toy Story th ... More >>

Remember Chamillionaire's The Sound Of Revenge?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Chamillionaire The Sound of Revenge (Universal, 2005) ​Boom. The Sound of Revenge. Remember ho ... More >>

Game Time: Michael Vick -- Why Can't You Just Be A Schnook Like The Rest Of Us?

Trouble just seems to find him​"As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." -- Henry Hill at the beginning of Goodfellas, when it was all about greed, excess, and privilege"Today, everything is different. There's no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. C ... More >>

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

Quentin Tarantino unleashes the revengeful bride

Sake Sundays: Yojimbo

A lone samurai faces down a violent gang

Deporting All WetWacks

Houston's Mayalino swears a lyrical vendetta against fake rappers.

Craig Robinson

The Office's warehouse man reveals his latest stock of material

A Clockwork Orange

Extreme violence marks this film classic by Stanley Kubrick

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino's debut film features the colors of crime

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino was already at the top of his game with his debut film

The Seven Samurai

This chambara classic transcends language

Eat, Drink, Watch Movie

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema caters to hungry film buffs