After so many years of struggling to maintain his distinctive voice in an entertainment industry that instinctively wants to exploit it (and the fan base that responds to it with Pavlovian fervor) but doesn’t truly understand it, Joss Whedon finally … Continue reading Baby, we’re the king and queen of nothing
The holiday led to slightly shortened week at Spectrum Culture, but I got a few words up. First off, I contributes a new film review, covering a documentary about the process behind being dubbed a Master Sommerlier. As usual, any time my interest drifts towards win, I have one person to thank. I also contributed to our list of the best albums of the year, so far, a practice that has apparently become a requirement for all review sites. As this little corner of the web regularly attests, I’ve no problem making lists, but I do think the midpoint tallies … Continue reading Spectrum Check
#26 — Z (Costa-Gavras, 1969) I had the misfortune of starting in completely the wrong place with Greek-born, French resident director Costa-Gavras. By the time I was properly paying attention, Costa-Gavras was mired in heavy Hollywood dramas that were deadened … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 60s — Number Twenty-Six
#13 — Danny Glover as Simon in Grand Canyon (Lawrence Kasdan, 1991) In Grand Canyon, Danny Glover plays Simon, first arriving in the film by driving to the rescue of Kevin Kline’s Mac. Simon drives a tow truck and has … Continue reading Greatish Performances #13
#27 — Goldfinger (Guy Hamilton, 1964) In principle, I admire the recent overhaul bestowed upon the James Bond franchise, the clear shucking off of the outer layer of hoary tradition that made it seem increasingly old-fashioned. I have no calcified veneration for the sanctity of the character, caring not a whit if they adhere to traditions like the timely issuance of new murderous gizmos sure to come in handy on the new mission or the casual introduction, last name first. I even remember being excited about the unsolicited suggestion given publicly to the producers several years ago–by Entertainment Weekly, I … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 60s — Number Twenty-Seven
I frankly loved Richard Linklater’s 1995 film, Before Sunrise, but I would lukewarm on the widely praised 2004 follow-up, Before Sunset. It was still delightfully hyper-verbal and hit the right notes of romantic cynicism, but the film was also a … Continue reading We’re gonna cause talk and suspicion, give an exhibition
#28 — La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini, 1960) I will concede from the beginning that I sometimes find the vivid abstractions of Federico Fellini to be too dizzying. I recognize his mastery of a certain form of cinema, even celebrate the way he eradicated boundaries with his skillful braiding of dream logic and traditional narrative. And yet there are times when there is just too much unpacking to be done, too much presented as a brazen challenge to the audience to find meaning in the obscurity. He writes an equation on a chalkboard and then uses an eraser to smear … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 60s — Number Twenty-Eight
And The Sopranos is on right now. Six years after the show went off the air, it remains a staple on the various HBO side channels, enduring in perpetual rotation in a way that other acclaimed series from the network haven’t quite. Not that there’s any shortage of treasures within the show, led by the inspiration of creator David Chase and a multitude of great performances. But watch any given episode and it’s clear that a major part of its greatness–the reason it truly lasts–is the incredible central performance by James Gandolfini. It’s absolutely one of the pinnacles in the … Continue reading James Gandolfini, 1961 – 2013
#29 — Cool Hand Luke (Stuart Rosenberg, 1967) What Cool Hand Luke is going for is made clear as can be right there on the movie poster: “The man…and the motion picture that simply do not conform.” Released at the … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 60s — Number Twenty-Nine
It’s been a couple weeks since I provided an update on my doings at Spectrum Culture, which would usually mean a pile-up of links to share. For a variety of reasons, that’s not the case. Instead, I have only the … Continue reading Spectrum Check
Coffee for Two 