Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

Coney IslandStep Right UpToday, Coney Island is dedicated to "defending the honor of American popular culture." And what's more American than cotton candy, carnival rides, and illegal street drugs?...

If Requiem for a Dream had a narrator, we'd hope he'd repeat "don't do that" again and again until the characters put down the drugs and walked away.But it doesn't have a narrator. Requiem for a Dr...

Psychological Drug Drama; HorrorWe bet you've never seen those three words in the same phrase before, aside from that one really weird episode of Wheel of Fortune that ended with Vanna getting elec...

Sweet Dreams are Not Made of ThisEveryone knows what dreams are. You have them while you're asleep. You have them while you're bored in class or at work. And in Brazil, you can eat them. But what's...

We have no idea what happened at the end of Requiem for a Dream. It was so intense that we passed out. Okay, we're exaggerating, but only about passing out. The ending to this film might be one of...

NC-17This is the only time you see will see the phrase "double dildo" on Shmoop, aside from our summary of Jane Austen's Emma. Oh, did we say "double dildo?" We meant "saying something slightly unt...