Top Ten Movies of 2020 — Number Three
The cold calculation of capitalism is all but guaranteed to cast multitudes of people aside. Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland embeds with some of those discards, both in the empathy of its fictionalized narrative and in offering several of them a chance … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2020 — Number Three
My Misspent Youth — The Falcon by Jim Owsley, Paul Smith, and Mark Bright
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. When the first issue of The Falcon was released in 1983, … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — The Falcon by Jim Owsley, Paul Smith, and Mark Bright
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #377 to #375
377. The Pogues, If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988) The Pogues had a mess on their hands. Somewhat surprisingly, given their reputation — or, to be clear, the reputation of their lead singer — the mess wasn’t … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #377 to #375
Outside Reading — Misty Watercolor Memories edition
The Year Has Taught Me a Lot About Nostalgia by Leslie Jamison Writing for The New York Times, as part of a set of reflections on one full year of living with the pandemic, Leslie Jamison pointedly addresses the problematic … Continue reading Outside Reading — Misty Watercolor Memories edition
This Week’s Model — Bloody Your Hands x Self Help, “Santa Monica”
I have only the barest interest in the annual spring ritual of gathering college athlete to dribble their way across a bracket in the name of good fun and shoveling money into the coffers of a mildly exploitative national organization. … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Bloody Your Hands x Self Help, “Santa Monica”
Top Ten Movies of 2020 — Number Four
Promising Young Woman holds fury in its bones. The feature directorial debut of Emerald Fennell has the structure of a revenge thriller and the spirit of a black comedy. Embedding with Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan) as she exacts elaborate schemes … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2020 — Number Four
Then Playing — The Day I Will Never Forget; Örökbefogadás; The Nest
The Day I Will Never Forget (Kim Longinotto, 2002). I don’t think I’ve encountered a documentary as uncompromisingly grueling as The Day I Will Never Forget. Director Kim Longinotto favors plain, direct reportage, which makes the film’s most harrowing moments … Continue reading Then Playing — The Day I Will Never Forget; Örökbefogadás; The Nest
Top Ten Movies of 2020 — Number Five
In Sound of Metal, Riz Ahmed melts into the lead role with an intensity that’s almost unnerving. Ahmed plays Ruben Stone, the drummer in a blistering hard rock band called Blackgammon. Night after night, he sits behind his kit, slapping … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2020 — Number Five
Promising Young Directors — Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations
In this upside-down movie year that sprawled beyond the boundaries actually set by the calendar, it makes sense that the Oscar nominations would bring their own unique set of surprises. What makes the morning especially discombobulating for this long-time Oscar … Continue reading Promising Young Directors — Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #380 to #378
380. XTC, Mummer (1983) Not long after the release of Mummer, the sixth album by his group XTC, Andy Partridge mused on the band’s place in the pop-music infrastructure. “I like people to kind of discover XTC,” explained Partridge. “An … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #380 to #378
Coffee for Two 