Well gang, I've genuinely enjoyed sharing my journey of plowing through literally thousands of trashy movies with you all. But it's looking like it's time to sign off.
I don't have a presence in any other social media so it's not like I can just redirect you to another platform. This is it. Those of you who have been following this site the past year may understand why it's time to turn off the lights.
A quick recap: I was posting pretty consistently with little to no pause for several years, cruising through a few thousand films. Then I started having posts taken down, and then finally the whole site was offline. After a time, I ended up able to post to this domain - but it seemed like using AI filters was the only way to avoid the censor, but that meant starting from scratch. Then, out of nowwhere I get like a thousand gmails saying the posts were reinstated (most of them).
Okay, so seemed like we were back in action - and thank you for all the congrats I received. But every now and I again I get hit with a post being taken down, and I'm just sick of it. It's sucking out all the fun and making this feel like work.
Add to that a very alarming political climate - and legislation in states like Texas where sites are threatened with hefty fines - it just ain't worth it anymore, folks.
Things may change, and I still "own" this domain name, so maybe I'll hop back in down the road. But it doesn't look particularly promising. I'll leave this post up a few days so you don't just suddenly find this site down with no farewell. I really do appreciate the many thousands of readers and especially those who took the time to drop a comment on occasion. It ultimately has been a labor of love - just one guy sharing his journey through sleazy movies - and it's been a lot of fun. (Until recently that is.)
I'll still be watching these movies, and it'll be a bit sad to not share my walkthroughs and reviews, but as said in Slaughterhouse-Five- "So it goes".
Thank you for all your years of work on the blog. I only found it a year or two ago and I am very lucky I did - you have reviewed so many films I never would have known of otherwise. Your style was always quick but never cheap and each review felt different. I hope you can bring this place back again someday, but you've already done so much as it is. My best to you.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking news, if not entirely unexpected. I've been speedreading through the site noting all the films you awarded your rare 9 and 10 stars, because I've been keeping up a Letterboxd list of them, and noticed so many broken links to movies that I just know should have had pages. (Virtual Desire, Takin' it All Off, Vice Academy 1, Mirror Images, Murder-Set-Pieces, Lorna the Exorcist, Las minas de Salomón Rey, a dozen others.) I figured the Fickle Finger of Censorship must have been at work.
ReplyDeleteThat said, thank you SO MUCH for all the work you put into this. I learned so much about so many weird and wild movies here and have dozens more to watch based on your recommendations! You deserve a medal and blissful retirement! (And someone needs to upload this entire site to the Internet Archive before Blogger nukes any more of it!)
If you ever feel like talking sleazy movies with an appreciative, non-judgemental crowd, look up the 42ND STREET FEVER thread at the blu-ray.com forums. You needn't uncloak or reveal yourself, just enjoy other fiends' recommendations and reviews. I mostly lurk there, but I love learning about crazy, wild slashers and softcore from people who know them well.
Take care of yerself, VZ1.
Hey man, I totally understand and what a sad day! I think I discovered your website in 2020 or 2021, the filters on my work laptop actually let me view your content, and I started using Letterboxd shortly there after. I had no idea exploitation cinema existed or that people made such a multitude and diversity of trashy films all throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Since then, I've watched hundreds of these types of movies, uncovering dozens of hidden gems and developing my perspective on film in the process. Is there any way for the site to just remain as it is today without cost to you?
ReplyDeleteThanks. Small, random labors of love are what the internet is for. We are loosing far too many.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the many years of dedicated service! Comparing this site to the Library of Alexandria was apt. It cracks me up that your obsessiveness coupled with your love of sleazery organically grew into such a vast, encyclopedic tome. This was a legit, comprehensive reference source… a wanker’s Wikipedia, if you will. I will miss it. I mean, how many other people will evoke Henry James in a sexploitation review?
ReplyDeleteI guess you'll have to go to subscription route to post a site this anymore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for creating an amazing online resource for obscure, trashy movies from around the world. It is really one-of-a-kind!
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about downloading the site via HTTrack and releasing it for us for offline use?
ReplyDeleteI would gladly pay to download the site's content.
ReplyDeleteDamn. I read your blog daily for years and was sad when it first went down. After all you went through to get the blog up and running again it's heartbreaking that it has to end. Thank you so much for educating me on so many different areas of exploitation Cinema.
ReplyDeletehey guy, thanks for this, it was fun. best of luck.
ReplyDeleteFor the love of god please don't shut it down again.
ReplyDeleteIf worst comes to worst back up everything and create an app that we can use to look up all the great content that you have provided for us over the years.
Thanks for the kind words everyone. As you've mentioned - this was a lot of work over a number of years, so I can't quite pull the trigger just yet.. That being said, in these bizarre and unpredictable times, I likely won't keep this content out there much longer either.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hanging in there as long as you could. Your blog has been a ton of fun. Keep it up a little longer please, I am rereading thru the archive! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for all !
ReplyDeleteMy gratitude for this wonderful site.
ReplyDeleteCan't you archive the site on wayback machine? May he live there forever. thank you very much for everything...
ReplyDeleteI don't want to ask you to do more work, because you've done it to a point of frustration, but how about a trip down memory lane? Would you be willing to put up a post with your favorite movies, directors, and/or actors/actresses?
ReplyDeleteRegardless, I've been enjoying the archives as we approach closing time.
Here's that Letterboxd list mentioned above, with the 53 films that earned our host's highest ratings. Anybody seen 'em all?
ReplyDeletehttps://letterboxd.com/firebreathing/list/rated-9-or-10-stars-at-video-zeta-one/
19 of 53 -- gonna be adding a few flicks to my "pirate" list
ReplyDeleteI really hope that this blog is up for at least a couple more weeks so that we can all enjoy your work for the final time if this is truly the final time.
ReplyDeletethis was one of the best blogs ever, and it sucks that you feel like you can't keep it extant. everyone has to do the best for themselves, but the greater community suffers every time we lose someone and their work.
ReplyDeletei had a blog taken down after some scumbag reported it over and over & when i sent an appeal with a 'fuck you' note, it was reinstated, no other explanation.
stupidest world we live in.
I'm really going to miss your posts. Few people champion this kind of cinema like you do, and I truly appreciate all you've accomplished. I'm happy the older reviews and photos are still available!
ReplyDeleteSorry to see you go. Really enjoyed your work since discovering you a couple of years ago. For one, you gave a fave of mine, the Birds in Paradise series, the love it deserved.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely devastating news. I'm genuinely teary eyed and choked up to see you go. Been a fan for 2 years and because of you I discovered so many cult classic gems and your reviews were so much fun to read. You're definitely one of a kind and there's no other honestly. There are millions to talk about Chris Nolan and David Fincher but one you had shared the same enthusiasm for Jag Mundra, Brigitte Lahaie, Edwige Fenech as I ever felt personally. Just sad honestly but I don't want you to have a tough time so this is a good bye and best of luck my friend. This site is a treasure
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work. You brought entertainment and insight to a lot of people, including me.
ReplyDeleteSad news. Appreciate all the work you've done.
ReplyDelete