HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MCFTR, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

One year ago today, I re-launched Movie Criticism for the Retarded at the domain fortheretarded.com on the server it is hosted on today. Oh, sure, MCFTR has existed as a web entity in some form since 1998, and before that, on a crappy word processor at a doomed video store. But the current incarnation, the "mature" version if you will, has been around for precisely one year. Since nobody wants to work on their birthday, I've decided to recycle by tossing up the review I used to relaunch one year ago today: the Scott Baio/Willie Aames classic ZAPPED! It's timely not only because of the whole MCFTR birthday thing, but also because it's got a bit of a supernatural theme so it sort of ties in to the Halloween gig. It also won't be the first thing I'm recycling this month, but I'll be cleaning these articles up as I go to reflect the natural evolution of MCFTR as you've come to know it.

In the past year, I've nearly tripled the amount of content from what it contained over the previous four-plus years. Of course, I'd like to thank Bobby, Chad, Terry, Jay, J.R., and Justin for their contributions as well over the past year. But also, to everyone who reads, everyone who links to us, and everyone who's ever submitted me feedback (be it a bitch or a bravo,) thank you as well. I wouldn't have the desire to do this if you weren't there to read it.

More Halloween goodness coming up over the next few weeks.

- posted by Noel @ 6:46 AM

 
If you're reading this, you're apparently doing better than I am, because my webhosting company has been offline since I woke up this morning. Somebody needs to get their shit together.


- posted by Noel @ 7:30 AM

 
Clap, Clap, ClapClapClap, ClapClapClapClap, NEW POLL!
Clap, Clap, ClapClapClap, ClapClapClapClap, NEW POLL!

And I think I'm finally done with all the front page tweaks for the Halloween theme. Lord knows I'm not looking forward to switching back at the first of November.

Oh, also, today I got my first speeding ticket in nearly ten years on my way in to work. 82 in a 55, nailed by a state patroller. This is gonna hurt. So everyone should buy stuff from the MCFTR Store to help my cause. I'm not yet desperate enough to put up a paypal link.


- posted by Noel @ 8:44 AM

 
Man, I got a lot of stuff to get up on this site in the next four weeks.

First off the bat today, a personal plug for a fantastic affiliate of ours, Badmouth Movies. It's a well-designed site with a bunch of content and commerce options. They've also reprinted Chad's awesome Kill Bill Review on their site, and I'm looking forward to some additional content exchanges between our sites. I figure it's an easy out when I'm at a loss for article ideas, which is *totally* not the case this time around. I've got two reviews for movies I saw over the weekend to get up on the site, plus about a half-dozen Halloween-themed articles to get up in the next few weeks. I've got some real winners, and I don't want to give anything away yet, but there's gonna be a whole lot of Gene Simmons going on around here soon.

Last year I passed on it, so this year I'm making it a point not to let it slip away. I'm referring to an RCA Select-A-Vision video system from around 1981 or so. If you're not sure what one is, the image on the left may help refresh your memory. It was the predecessor to the Laserdisc, and is now more or less relegated to an obscure relic. I found one at a yard sale last fall, and passed on it at the time, but found the original sellers this past weekend and inquired about the system. Apparently they have about 50 movies to go with it, but they need to haul it out of storage. You can bet your sweet bippy that as soon as I get my hands on this thing, there'll be an in-depth article here for everyone to marvel at this videophile's dream. More to come, I hope.

Go Cubs. I guess if anyone had to beat the Braves this year, you'd be my first choice.


- posted by Noel @ 7:37 AM