#43 — The Right Stuff (Philip Kaufman, 1983) In 1957, The Soviet Union launched the satellite dubbed Sputnik into orbit around the Earth, setting of a practically unprecedented surge in scientific endeavor within the boundaries of the United States. The … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Forty-Three
42. Government Cheese, Three Chords, No Waiting There are a few ways to gauge how serious a band is about truly honoring the gods of rock ‘n’ roll each and every time they step on stage. If one of the … Continue reading College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 42 and 41
Not much from me at Spectrum Culture this week, but I’m pretty fond of the one thing I did write. Specifically I wrote a review of the music compilation Those Shocking Shaking Days – Indonesia Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock and Funk: 1970 – 1978. I’m not sure about the quality of my work–it’s still way to early for me to give it an honest assessment–but it was fun to tap into my Mojo reader muscle memory and try to come up with something that could run in their reissue section. On the basis of all the writing I need to … Continue reading Spectrum Check
I used to be pretty good at making mixes. I was better with tapes than CDs, and the lack of time boundaries offered by digital playlists stymies me completely. I liked the process of sitting down in front of the stereo and building the mix track by track, listening in real time as it evolved. Even the physical act of pressing the buttons offered some additional satisfaction that’s lost when moving file names around on a computer screen. I still make mixes, but they take me forever. Ironically, the ease of building them now has turned it into a strangely … Continue reading One for Friday: Baxendale, “Music For Girls”
Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold, 2009). At it’s strongest, Arnold’s film is as scrappy as its protagonist, a teenage girl in lower class Britain who pushes against what little disinterested authority exists in her life. The film expertly gets at the way passion burns to the surface so quickly at that age, while also considering how simple, inelegant endeavors like hip hop dancing can fuel dreams of escape. As an observant, uncompromising character study, the film is sharp and sensational. As it gets more plot driven, especially in a misguided third act, it falters terribly. The one thing that’s consistent throughout … Continue reading Arnold, Coppola, Nadel, Smight, Wallace
#44 — Parenthood (Ron Howard, 1989) It’s no bold, daring insight to note that building strong characters is one of the most vital parts of good filmmaking. This is especially true when making a comedy. It quickly becomes the difference … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Forty-Four
The adventures published by Marvel Comics during the company’s heyday in the nineteen-sixties and seventies were scintillating and suspenseful sagas of stellar superstars spanning the stars. And it’s a good thing they were, given the profound propensity that the company’s … Continue reading Mighty Marvel Checklist HyperboleCheck: Fantastic Four #104
It’s a bad sign that my favorite moment from last night’s Academy Awards telecast was when Cate Blanchett called one of the nominees in the category she was presenting “gross.” Right before presenting that nominee with the award, of course. … Continue reading All that’s gold does not glitter
44. R.E.M., Green When R.E.M. released the album Green in 1988, fans immediately took note of the greater directness to the songs, especially when it came to some of the political messages the Athens band was trying to convey. It even marked the first time the band included printed lyrics with the packaging of the album, although it was only for one song, the potent “World Leader Pretend.” With that in mind, one of the interpretations of the album’s title is that its a reference to the environmental movement that several of the band members were becoming more deeply involved … Continue reading College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 44 and 43
This week, I made my usual contribution to the movie review section, offering up an assessment of Putty Hill, a film that has, in my opinion, some clear forefathers. It’s the sort of lo-fi cinema wonder that gets extra credit when it’s discovered at a film festival, where its unassuming nature always feels a little fresher. It’s very good, but has some of the hard-to-dodge flaws built into its understated methodology. Then there were a couple pile-on pieces that included my humble contribution. The first was the latest List Inconsequential, which focused on books that elicited tears. I’m not sure … Continue reading Spectrum Check
Coffee for Two 