Then Playing — Respect; Red Rocket; Belfast
Respect (Liesl Tommy, 2021). In her feature directorial debut, Liesl Tommy brings a lot of panache to the familiar form of a music icon’s biopic. Tracing the youth and professional ascendance of Aretha Franklin (played in childhood by Skye Dakota … Continue reading Then Playing — Respect; Red Rocket; Belfast
Then Playing — Hallelujah; Ghostbusters: Afterlife; Villain
Hallelujah (King Vidor, 1929). Hampered by problematic stereotypes imposed by studio leadership that was otherwise unwilling to fund a production featuring a cast entirely comprised of Black performers, Hallelujah nonetheless provides a hint as how different the Golden Age of … Continue reading Then Playing — Hallelujah; Ghostbusters: Afterlife; Villain
Laughing Matters — The Committee, “Soul Lessons”
Sometimes comedy illuminates hard truths with a pointed urgency that other means can’t quite achieve. Sometimes comedy is just funny. This series of posts is mostly about the former instances, but the latter is valuable, too. The Committee started in … Continue reading Laughing Matters — The Committee, “Soul Lessons”
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #242 to #240
242. Gary Numan, The Pleasure Principle (1979) Anyone looking to provide a sonic example to accompany an explanation of new wave music could do far worse than to select Gary Numan’s “Cars.” Taken from The Pleasure Principle — technically Numan’s … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #242 to #240
Outside Reading — Missing Christine edition
A Loving TV Portrait of a Woman in Full by Shane O’Neill In remembrance of Louie Anderson, Shane O’Neill writes about the character he was instrumental in creating for the FX series Baskets. Although Christine Baskets was originally conceived by … Continue reading Outside Reading — Missing Christine edition
This Week’s Model — MJ Lenderman, “Hangover Game”
It’s that burbling riff at the beginning of the song that really gets to me. A little bit Uncle Tupelo, a little bit Meat Puppets, the guitar makes the song sound like its flopping into wakefulness, still addled over the … Continue reading This Week’s Model — MJ Lenderman, “Hangover Game”
Laughing Matters — Louie Anderson at Comic Relief
Sometimes comedy illuminates hard truths with a pointed urgency that other means can’t quite achieve. Sometimes comedy is just funny. This series of posts is mostly about the former instances, but the latter is valuable, too. When Louie Anderson made … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Louie Anderson at Comic Relief
Sundance 2022 — Part 3
Much as the Sundance Film Festival is adored for showcasing uniquely daring independent films, the roster always has a few slots for the genially frivolous. That big-tent approach has sometimes led to truly baffling entries over the years. Just as … Continue reading Sundance 2022 — Part 3
Sundance 2022 — Part 2
Much as I appreciate film festivals’ general commitment to heavy dramas and effectively dispiriting documentaries, I am equally pleased that there is often special space carved out for the gloriously gory. You Won’t Be Alone, the feature debut from seasoned … Continue reading Sundance 2022 — Part 2
Sundance 2022 — Part 1
Before Sundance Film Festival organizers made the omicron-driven choice to cancel all in-person screenings in their longtime home of Park City, Utah, they were already one of the organizations that determined there was value in building a slightly different event … Continue reading Sundance 2022 — Part 1
