I’m just looking for a faith waiting to be followed
Good gravy. Really? (Due credit: I found this elsewhere.) Continue reading I’m just looking for a faith waiting to be followed
Category: Film
Eagle flew out of the night, he was something to observe
Just one more piece of an especially good weekend for the guy who holds the keys to Air Force One these days: I’m so pleased that “Solsbury Hill” has become the go-to song for fake trailers. Continue reading Eagle flew out of the night, he was something to observe
Spectrum Check
This week, I tried to satisfy my household’s penchant for films that traffic in monsters and gore by reviewing Stake Land. As is often the case when dealing with this sort of genre fare, it was ultimately disappointing, the promising, inventive elements ultimately unable to outweigh the portions of the film that were pure retread. I’m still longing for that amazing discovery moment that comes from watching something Ti West’s The House of the Devil. I also reviewed the new album from Vivian Girls, which was a little odd having already worked with the band as performers who played at … Continue reading Spectrum Check
Every other day is like a kick in the shin, every other day is like the day just wins
I have a decidedly busy week at work, which is severely compromising my ability to write new original content for my little corner of the digital world. In an effort to make sure that there’s something here today (but not … Continue reading Every other day is like a kick in the shin, every other day is like the day just wins
Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Six
#36 — Prizzi’s Honor (John Huston, 1985) I always think of Prizzi’s Honor of the kind of film that results when old pro cinematic creators settle in and have some fun. I do mean to imply that the film is … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Six
Spectrum Check
This week, I fulfilled my primary film criticism duties by writing about a nice feature debut by Zeina Durra. It’s one of those films that’s good enough to immediately stir up interest over what she does next. On the other end of the film quality scale, I wrote about a favorite bad movie that is the pure definition of “Guilty Pleasure” to me. Everyone seemed to especially enjoy the opening paragraph. I also had a music review go up. I faced the always tricky challenge of writing about something that didn’t particular move me one way or the other. So … Continue reading Spectrum Check
One for Friday: Close Lobsters, “Let’s Make Some Plans”
Close Lobsters is a band that was always part of my college radio experience. I can’t recall how I found them in the first place, I have no stories about revelatory moments playing their music and I never had a connection to them beyond the couple of releases that were nestled into the music library at 90FM. I believe I know more about them now, after researching a brief blurb written for last week’s College Countdown post than I ever knew during the days when I regularly shared their songs with the central Wisconsin listening public (and make no mistake, … Continue reading One for Friday: Close Lobsters, “Let’s Make Some Plans”
Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Seven
#37 — The Little Mermaid (Ron Clements and John Musker, 1989) By most accounts, Disney animation was like a boxer knocked out on his feet, reeling in the ring, obviously done but somehow not quite at the point where it … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Seven
Brooks, Buzzell, Freudenthal, Matzdorff, McKay
Best Foot Forward (Edward Buzzell, 1943). Less than a decade before a certain TV series elevated Lucille Ball to the stratosphere of stardom, she was merely the “Queen of the Bs,” which makes it a little odd to see her playing herself in this film about a cadet at a military academy who convinces the redhead to come be his date for a big dance. She’s also far removed from the ditzy whirligig persona that she’d soon be known for, playing scenes instead as the smartest person in the room with a disdainful, withering comment for everyone and everything she … Continue reading Brooks, Buzzell, Freudenthal, Matzdorff, McKay
Spectrum Check
There was a time when Uma Thurman was an actress that demanded attention. If she was in a film, it merited at least some amount of consideration. Maybe the finished project was actually not very good (or even downright awful) but she alone made it something that at least went into the “maybe” pile when sorting out film-going options. Sadly, I’ve noticed lately that, as I spin the digital dial considering movies to add to our overstuffed DVR, the opposite is now true. Uma’s inclusion in the cast list–especially at the top of it–is a signal to stay away. I … Continue reading Spectrum Check
