Author: Dan Seeger

Film1 Comment

Avakian, Mankiewicz, Rohmer, Tavernier, Vidor

Dan Seeger

Suddenly, Last Summer (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1959). Tennessee Williams is such a bold, distinctive writer that watching a film adaptation of one of his works sometimes consists largely of gauging how effectively the various actors wrestle with his challenging words and emotions. As a stalwart young doctor who gets drawn into the tangled affairs of a wealthy New Orleans family, Montgomery Clift is solid enough, although, at this relatively late point in his troubled career, he’d lost whatever lightness of touch he once had. Elizabeth Taylor strains beautifully as the fragile, damaged girl whose state of mind the plot hinges … Continue reading Avakian, Mankiewicz, Rohmer, Tavernier, Vidor

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

Oh, the French. My first piece for Spectrum Culture this week was a review of the new film from director Catherine Breillat, who’s been playing around with classic fairy tales of late. This time, it’s the tale of Sleeping Beauty that she transforms, merging it with at least one other fable. Naturally, there’s some gratuitousness topless bathing in it. I also turned in a record review that was a little late, but not as shamefully late as the book review I recently sent it. That hasn’t run yet. I’ll sheepishly share that story when it does. Continue reading Spectrum Check

Music4 Comments

One for Friday: Meat Puppets, “No Longer Gone”

Dan Seeger

One of the unique results of complete immersion in the music of college radio is a skewed perspective on which songs and bands have become long-term staples. I’m constantly having to remind myself that certain songs that were huge smash hits in our little corner of the world aren’t as universally known as some Madonna song from roughly the same period of time. That’s compounded when it comes to the bands that I was actually a little perplexed at the time as to why they weren’t enjoying greater commercial success. Rock radio was fairly robust in the late-eighties and early-nineties … Continue reading One for Friday: Meat Puppets, “No Longer Gone”