'Tip Jar' is a great homage to silent comedies

Tip Jar (2016)
Starring: Josh Blaylock, Ellary Porterfield, Amy Johnson, Robert Dill, Richie Stephens, Clinton Jones, and Matthew Arnold
Directors: Freddie Wong and Matthew Arnold
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

It's World War II. A bartender (Blaylock) who just wants to close the bar and head to the Fun Fair, gets caught between a beautiful Allied spy (Porterfield) and the four Nazis (Dill, Johnson, Jones, and Stephens) charged with retrieving the course-of-history-altering military secrets she has stolen.

"Tip Jar" is a modern-day silent movie that attempts to capture and replicate the feel and frenetic pace of the greatest Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd shorts. I think it does so mostly successfully, capturing the tone of a 1920s silent comedy via the acting, the general positioning of the camera, and the execution of the slapstick-style action during the second half of the film.

If I were to nitpick this film, I could say that there were a few too many close-ups for the director and cinematographer to have effectively emulated the sources that inspired this effort--and the thought did enter my head, but I immediately dismissed it as both a nitpick and stupid. This is a modern film, so it is entirely reasonable that it uses some elements of modern cinematic language to draw in viewers; especially since every shot in the film is well considered and spot on.

Another nitpick I had is that some of the stage-fighting in the slap-stick routine could have done with a little more practice, since it was obvious that some of the blows weren't connecting. However, as the film progressed and I discovered that the main character's fight against the Nazis was one single, long take, I became forgiving of a couple minor missteps. From time-code 9:40 and lasting until 12:40, there are three minutes of non-stop physical comedy and fighting--and it's at a very rapid pace and very funny. There are big-time filmmakers who could learn from watching this (just like they could learn from watching the films that inspired "Tip Jar".

I also need to mention that "Tip Jar" is a perfect example of why silent movies need to have scores written specifically for them, or the cues that were suggested for use by the original producers should be used, rather than the all-too-common practice of just adding random classical or jazz recordings to them. The action and humor in this film is greatly augmented by an original soundtrack by Igor Neirovsky, and I think I would have assigned the film at least one fewer stars without it.

If you have 15 minutes to spare, and if you want to add some cheer to your day, you need to check out "Tip Jar" by clicking below.

Musical Monday with ZZ Top

A pretty waitress is abducted by a monster that is part man, part hamburger, so it's interstellar heroes ZZ Top to the rescue!

In November of 1991, a music video was released to promote ZZ Top's single "Burger Man". Today, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of a fantastic homage to indie 1950s monster movies and sci-fi flicks.

If you're like us, you once believed that "Sharp-Dressed Man" was the greatest ZZ Top music video ever released. However, if you're like us, you will have your mind changed once you watch "Burger Man". (And even if you're not like us, but a regular visitor to this blog, we think this will at least put a smile on your face.)

Burger Man (1991)
Starring: ZZ Top, Jimmy Pelish, and uncredited actors

Director: Adam Bernstein

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

It's the Day of the Dead...

 ... and Peculia is spending time with a few old friends.

The spooky scary skeletons come out to play!

Continuing the Shades of Gray Halloween 2021 celebration, we've got creepy, scary skeletons thanks to artist Bryan Baugh and one of our favorite cover artists Leo Moracchiolli!

It's not Poe, but it's still poetic

Back: A Tale of Romance and Necromancy (2013)
Starring: Oskar Brown, Anna Juliana Jaenner, and Lara Hoffman
Director: Sebastian Matthias Weissbach
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A broken-hearted man (Brown) turns to dark magic to bring the love of his life back to life (Jeanner).

"Back" is a quiet little film that is more atmospheric and melancholy than scary, but as it reached its conclusion, I could see one of those hosts from the old-time horror comics anthologies (or the Cryptkeeper from "Tales of the Crypt") close the book from which he or she had been narrating the film. That sensation alone makes this more than suitable Halloween viewing. It's even more suitable, because as it unfolded, I thought more than once about certain poems and short stories from Edgar Allan Poe... and there is no higher praise that I can bestow upon a film like this than that.

On the technical front, "Back" is beautifully filmed and director Weissbach makes clever and impactful use of trick photography and splashes of color at a couple of points as the film unfolds. The only complaints I can mount is that he should have included a two-shots or some deeper focus in a couple of scenes, and the sound could be mixed a little better. I understand the impulse to have the reanimated lover speak very softly, but the sound of actress' Anna Juliana Jaenner's voice is so soft at a crucial moment at the film's climax that you can't hear what she's saying unless you crank the volume way up--and the narrator booms like the voice of God immediately afterwards if you do that.

Those are fairly minor problems though, and in the final analysis it's nice little film that's excellent Halloween viewing. 

Halloween is here...

 ... and Grace Bradley is regretting that she volunteered to be the host for his year's reunion of the cast for "Minnie the Moocher", "The Skeleton Dance", and "Wot a Night".

But she still thinks she made a smart move when she declined to watch all the scary short films that have been appearing at Terror Titans for all of the "31 Nights of Halloween"!

A Halloween Treat from Richard Sala!

Here's some comic strip poetry from the great Richard Sala, in observation and celebration of the Big Night! (Click on the panels for larger, more readable versions.)

For another bit of rhyming horror humor at Shades of Gray, click here. You can also check out a selection of his color drawings (including several featuring his signature character Peculia, at our sister blog Terror Titans by clicking here.)

Bones Coffee's Army of Dark Chocolate

Although it wasn't the first blend I posted about, it was Bones Coffee Company's Army of Dark Chocolate blend that made me notice them. The packaging and name--blatant references to the Bruce Campbell-starring "Army of Darkness" horror comedy, so it was a no-brainer that had to order myself a package. When I realized how good it tasted, I decided to order more flavors from the firm, and thus a post series was born. So now, with the Halloween here, I've circled back to give the Army of Dark Chocolate the formal treatment.

BONES COFFEE: ARMY OF DARK CHOCOLATE

This review is based on another 4-oz., pre-ground sample pack. If you've read previous articles in this series, you've probably gathered that medium- and light-roasts are what my tastes go toward, not the intense flavors of the dark-roasts. Given the emphasis on flavored blends, you've probably also puzzled out that I am quite the fan of fru-fru coffee; I hardly ever drink it straight... and until I came across certain Bones flavors (like their Salted Caramel) it was never something I would do by choice.

The Army of Dark Chocolate blend has changed that. According to the Bones Coffee Company website, this was their first crack at a dark roast, and I think they've done a wonderful job. While it's brewing, it gives of a pleasing aroma of coffee and chocolate, which also rises from the cup once it's been poured. And while it has the expected powerful coffee taste of a dark roast, the flavor of chocolate also came through strong, smoothing it out. In other words, the taste matched the aroma perfectly with full-bodied flavors that blended perfectly. Even better, this was the first dark roast I've had where I didn't immediately feel the need to reach for sweeteners and creamers to take the edge. Without a doubt, this is a flavored blend for those of you out there who love both coffee and chocolate. As you drink it, the flavors remain steady and in balance, unlike some other Bones blends I've reviewed where the flavor lingers in your mouth. Here, it's coffee and chocolate, going down smooth and tasting the same with each sip and swallow.

When I did try it with unsweetened almond milk, the edge was taken off the coffee, but the flavors remained strong and full-bodied. The chocolate even seemed to be a little enhanced. I tried another cup with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and the result was even better. The vanilla taste mixed extremely well with the strong coffee flavor, and the chocolate popped as well. I also tried it with a dash of sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream, and like the vanilla almond milk it didn't detract from the coffee but rather caused the chocolate flavor to stand out more.

This blend remained tasty as it cooled and was drinkable at room temperature, especially when taken with the unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It was also good iced where it seemed to work best straight or with a bit of unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Like when it's hot, the coffee flavor was powerful but the chocolate made it go down easy. Both tastes also remained nicely blended and stable. All-in-all, whether you like your coffee hot or iced, this is a blend that will satisfy.

A haunting thought...

 ... on this last day before Halloween 2021.

For more fun cartoons from Sarah Andersen, visit her website. You can also get collections of her cartoons in book-form, with which to impress your friends (or just to have them in a more permanent form and to support her work with some royalties off the book-sales)!

Also, for something different from Andersen, you want to check out the very excellent book "Fangs"--which is a chronicle of the romance between a werewolf and a vampire. You can read my review of it here. 

Picture Perfect Special with Katy Ford

Most of the time, we're looking backwards here Shades of Gray. Today's pictures of actress Katy Ford are an exception.

Born in 1992, Katy Ford is an up-and-coming California-based actress and model who goes by the online moniker of "FreckledHobo", and it's easy to see why she chose that screenname. Her primary credits so far have been leading roles in a number of horror shorts by writer/director/producer Alex Magana (several of which can be watched at our sister blog Terror Titans), and co-starring in the ten-part online comedy series "Becoming Famous" (which she also co-wrote, produced, catered, and so on and so forth). She's also very active on TikTok where she regularly uploads weird little clips.

Ford is a self-described "geek" and her interest in sci-fi, fantasy, and roleplaying games creep into her posts. Early in 2021, she became embroiled in a copyright dispute with the creators of Critical Role when it appeared they had misappropriated a character Ford created for use in their series of simulated RPG sessions. It soon became evident that it was a case of simultaneous creation, and Ford recently issued a public apology to the Critical Role team.

Additional short films featuring Ford will continue to appear at irregular intervals appear at Terror Titans throughout 2022.