Author: Josh Converse

+Josh Converse work has appeared in Crime Factory, Plots with Guns, Black Heart Magazine, Out Of the Gutter, and A Twist of Noir. He is the only person to have ever simultaneously held the WBO and WBC middleweight and welterweight titles without any witnesses. Josh can talk his way out of any situation, particularly when on the cusp of runaway success. In 2010, he was the recipient of Nick Tosches’ final apology. He lives and works and eats cereal in Chicago.

Movies & TV3 July

The Ten Greatest Henchmen In Movie History

Say you’re putting together a syndicate. One of the first things that you are going to need is somebody to take care of your light work for you when words have run out. As a means of determining the appropriate skill set for this oh-so-important addition to your workforce, the Complex has assembled a ranking of some of the more legendary henchman ever to grace the screen. You know, as a way to gauge some of the qualities you might be looking for.

In ranking these heavies, extra points were earned for singularity of purpose, imperviousness to pain, and skill within the realm of hand-to-hand combat. Points were taken away for any actions tantamount to a betrayal of the henchman’s employer, or conspicuous behavior likely to cause more trouble than harm.

Here’s how they shook out.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV14 September

The Innocence Of Morons – Sam Bacile & Cranked-Out Propaganda

If you find yourself with fifteen minutes to kill this evening, you can go to YouTube and pull up the video that is currently causing murder and mayhem and destruction in the Middle East this evening. No, it isn’t Gangnam Style. It’s that strange new cinematic sensation, Innocence of Muslims.

Josh Converse

Music24 August

Up Jumped The New World Order – The New Rules of Satanism In Pop Music

Before we get too far into this, I want everybody to remember that there was a time when the members of Mötley Crüe were presumed to be dangerous servants of the Devil.

I should also say that I’m relatively new to the notion of Illuminati Satanism, and that anything you read herein has been out there in some form or another for ten or more years. If you’re pressed for time, I can save you the trouble of reading on and just tell you right now that I think the whole notion of selling one’s soul to the Devil for a few years of fame is a load of horseshit.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV17 August

Thawing Mr. Freeze – The Life And Death And Life Of Schwarzenegger’s Career

The implications of resurrecting Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For the record, I voted for Gallagher.

In the Second Great American Mindfuck of the early 21st Century, also known as the 2003 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, I was one of 5,466 watermelon-hating voters who chose to throw away their vote on comedian Gallagher rather than the action star Schwarzenegger, security guard Gary Coleman, porn merchant Larry Flynt, porn star Mary Carey, sumo wrestler Kurt “Tachikaze” Rightmyer, or any of the other names on the packed page of, er, uniquely qualified candidates provided at polling places across the Golden State.

Josh Converse

Books & Comics22 July

Books Punch Your Face – The Crime Midsummer Reading List

Eight noir novels to help fill your endless summer with a sense of overwhelming dread and paranoia.
Okay, so I’m the professor who wakes up three weeks before the end of the semester and hits everybody over the head with a pile of mandatory reading assignments that everybody has to crowbar in between midnight finals cram sessions and kegstands, but you know, only if they hope to make it out with a passing grade.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV19 May

The Who, What, When, Where, And Why Of AWAKE’s Cancellation

Or, why I’ll never be fooled by NBC again.

So, this is the last time that I will speak or write about Awake. In fact, this might be the last time anybody issues any type of missive in regards to NBC’s most recent series cancellation.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV18 April

The Ten Most Dangerous Broads In Film

It’s Ladies’ Night at the Complex.

We’ve covered a pretty broad spectrum of shady characters over the past few months around here, but with Mother’s Day coming up in a few weeks, we felt it entirely appropriate to tip our collective hats to all the wonderful women that keep us under a thin layer of sweat. Presenting the ten meanest, craziest, and most scandalous chicks to ever set the screen on fire.

Alert: Spoilers abound.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV17 March

In The Mick Of Time: 7 Best Irish-American Crime Flicks

There’s always something that’s just a little dirtier about Irish crime movies. Irish movie mobsters don’t wear silk suits and don’t tip off an impending whacking with a kiss on the cheek. In fact, in most cases, it would appear that they don’t even shower. That would require foresight and diligent planning, which are qualities not typically on display in an Irish-American crime film.

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, we thought it would be a good idea to tip our hats to the grand tradition of Irish thuggery in American film while we are all still coherent enough to do so.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV7 February

LILYHAMMER Drops On Netflix

I’ve been keeping an eye open for Lilyhammer since word of its over in Norway. The complete first season of Steven Van Zandt’s sleeps-with-the-fishes-out-of-water comedy series was released onto Netflix this evening, in its eight-episode entirety. Always here to service our faithful followers, I dove into the first episode and brought back my observations.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV7 January

5 Reasons BLADE RUNNER Should Be Left The Hell Alone

Ridley Scott is reportedly “moving forward aggresively in development” of a new Blade Runner project, and there should be announcement as to the specifics of the project in the opening months of the New Year, including who the screenwriter will be.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV31 December

5 Best And Worst Network Midseason Replacements

The following lists are for the increasingly ballyhooed network television midseason, which has somehow become a part of the average American’s everyday lexicon. Criminal Complex-style, of course. So you know, guns and feds and spies and all that…

Josh Converse

Movies & TV26 October

Death Around the Corner: MENACE II SOCIETY Review

Um…yeah.

So, the thought came to me that it might be appropriate to have a section of the site devoted to the “gangsta” movies that began in the early nineties with flicks like Boyz N The Hood.

Then I sat down to type it out.

Josh Converse

Movies & TV25 October

Is It a Crime? – A Look Ahead to NBC’s GRIMM

I’m a natural skeptic. Not an unusual or profound thing for my generation, but that’s what I am. In growing older, I find my tastes funneling down into increasingly ordered grooves from which I rarely stray.

Josh Converse