Then Playing — Mr. Soul; East Side, West Side; Where’s Poppa?
Mr. Soul! (Melissa Haizlip, 2018). Like Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s more recent Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), this documentary aims to correct the aggressive erasure of triumphant Black culture. Created by Ellis Haizlip, Soul! was … Continue reading Then Playing — Mr. Soul; East Side, West Side; Where’s Poppa?
Radio Days — Then and Now: September 5, 2021
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. Not long ago, I eagerly thrust my hand skyward in response to my pal’s call for a … Continue reading Radio Days — Then and Now: September 5, 2021
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #305 to #303
305. Eurythmics, 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) (1984) It was utterly logical for a major film adaptation of George Orwell’s most famous novel to appear in the year that made up the entirety of its title. By 1984, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #305 to #303
Outside Reading — Return to Oz edition
Frank Oz on life as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Yoda: ‘I’d love to do the Muppets again but Disney doesn’t want me by Hadley Freeman It’s a shame that The Guardian editors chose to headline this articles with its … Continue reading Outside Reading — Return to Oz edition
This Week’s Model — Johnny Marr, “Spirit, Power and Soul”
For those who are driven into recurring bouts of disappointment and misery because onetime titan of melancholy pop Morrissey now devotes his energy to finding novel ways to demonstrate he’s a wanker, I would like to remind you that Johnny … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Johnny Marr, “Spirit, Power and Soul”
My Misspent Youth — Master of Kung Fu by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy
I read a lot of comic books as a kid. This series of posts is about the comics I read, and, occasionally, the comics that I should have read. The eagerness Marvel Comics creators displayed in glomming onto cultural trends … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — Master of Kung Fu by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy
The Unwatchables — Reminiscence
I feel genuine sympathy for screenwriters tasked with — or even who task themselves with — providing expositional dialogue in a film with a densely complicated science-fiction premise. While there are some ready-made tactics, such as building the narrative around … Continue reading The Unwatchables — Reminiscence
Then Playing — Lucy in the Sky; Married Before Breakfast; Bill & Ted Face the Music
Lucy in the Sky (Noah Hawley, 2019). I think Noah Hawley has presided over some dandy television in recent years, and it makes sense that he’d bring his squirrely urges for narrative and format tinkering to his feature directorial debut. … Continue reading Then Playing — Lucy in the Sky; Married Before Breakfast; Bill & Ted Face the Music
The Long Haul — Edward Asner in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant
These posts are about great acting performances sustained across the full run of a television series. Even more than the slightly more famous line that follows it in the pilot episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “You know what? … Continue reading The Long Haul — Edward Asner in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #308 to #306
308. Utopia, Adventures in Utopia (1979) Utopia was regarded as the side project Todd Rundgren started to give him and some like-minded cohorts a chance to make highly experimental music, separate from the commercial expectations tied to Rundgren’s solo outings. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #308 to #306
Coffee for Two 