This Week’s Model — MUNA, “Anything But Me”
Following up last year’s splendid attention-getter “Silk Chiffon” is no small task. MUNA is up to it, though. On the trio’s new single, “Anything But Me,” they tap into that sweet vein of Haimian pop, all eighties-sunshine gleam. It’s a … Continue reading This Week’s Model — MUNA, “Anything But Me”
Then Playing — Man on a Tightrope; Take a Giant Step; Witness to Murder
Man on a Tightrope (Elia Kazan, 1953). The oddity from Elia Kazan takes place in Czechoslovakia and follows a circus operator (Fredric March) who chafes against the oppressive Communist government that nationalized his traveling troupe. With a few similarly disgruntled … Continue reading Then Playing — Man on a Tightrope; Take a Giant Step; Witness to Murder
Top Ten Movies of 2021 — Number Three
In its storytelling particulars, Shiva Baby is tightly contained and rendered with exquisite efficiency. Most of the film takes place among the grieving noshers at a shiva, where college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) twists and cringes as a fleet of … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2021 — Number Three
Then Playing — Rafiki; Cash on Demand; Westworld
Rafiki (Wanuri Kahiu, 2018). This brisk, bright coming-of-age film takes place in Kenya, where its central same-sex romance is technically against the law. Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) is a withdrawn girl who is struck by the lively exuberance of Ziki (Sheila … Continue reading Then Playing — Rafiki; Cash on Demand; Westworld
William Hurt, 1950 – 2022
William Hurt changed my perception of acting. I was fourteen when I saw his performance in The Big Chill, so I was certainly old enough to realize that acting required effort beyond memorization and recitation to bring authenticity to a … Continue reading William Hurt, 1950 – 2022
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #224 to #222
224. Siouxsie and the Banshees, Hyæna (1984) Siouxsie and the Banshees were in a sort of limbo for a time before the recording and release of their sixth studio album, Hyæna. They hit a crisis point not long after the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #224 to #222
Outside Reading — Black Ink edition
Black-Owned Bookstores Safeguard Our History as Racists Try to Ban It by St. Clair Detrick-Jules As they fully intend, it’s difficult to pin down precisely which of the right wing’s many infractions against political norms and basic decency is most … Continue reading Outside Reading — Black Ink edition
This Week’s Model — The Black Keys, “Wild Child”
Realistically, I’m sold from the opening riff, with its little tingle of disco-era Rolling Stones. It’s only a few seconds before the fuzzed-out, thick-bottom blues guitar really kicks in, the blaring alert that “Wild Child” is indeed the Black Keys … Continue reading This Week’s Model — The Black Keys, “Wild Child”
Medium Rotation — Covers; The Boy Named If; Anaïs Mitchell
Although a sharp, evocative songwriter who regularly delivers new albums stuffed full of beautifully tarnished gems, Chan Marshall gets a lot of mileage out of repurposing other performers’ material. Titled with admirable clarity and directness, Covers is the third instance … Continue reading Medium Rotation — Covers; The Boy Named If; Anaïs Mitchell
Now Playing — After Yang
It is admittedly no feat to spot the influences in a film directed by Kogonada. With After Yang, the South Korean-born filmmaker has two features to his name. He also has a slew of film essays on the work of … Continue reading Now Playing — After Yang
Coffee for Two 