Now Playing — Judas and the Black Messiah
Judas and the Black Messiah is a mightily ambitious undertaking. Directed by Shaka King, the film has the dual focus implied by the title. Judas is Bill O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), a petty criminal who’s picked up by the authorities after … Continue reading Now Playing — Judas and the Black Messiah
Golden Words — He & She, “The Coming-Out Party”
Since great television comedy always begins with the script, this series of posts considers the individual episodes that have claimed the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series over the years. He & She is a sitcom … Continue reading Golden Words — He & She, “The Coming-Out Party”
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #392 to #390
392. R.E.M., Chronic Town (1982) As the nineteen-eighties dawned, R.E.M. couldn’t get a foothold like their fellow acts in Athens, Georgia. Driven in part by the breakout success the B-52’s enjoyed with their 1979 self-titled debut, there was keen interest … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #392 to #390
Outside Reading — Sturm und Twang edition
The Cosmic Journey of Kacey Musgraves by Alex Morris I feel unkind making this admission: I am intensely excited about the next Kacey Musgraves album because it is being written from a place of heartbreak. Dazzling as her two most … Continue reading Outside Reading — Sturm und Twang edition
This Week’s Model — Francis of Delirium, “Let It All Go”
Sometimes I can be made to believe that there are bands out there capable of reviving the bristling rock that dominated college radio a couple decades back, before the wonders of technology meant everyone could make lush pop and the … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Francis of Delirium, “Let It All Go”
Now Playing — Minari
By his own account, writer-director Lee Isaac Chung wanted to share his own history in a way that it wasn’t actually his history. In the most basic reckoning, there’s nothing especially unique about that approach. It’s the very definition of … Continue reading Now Playing — Minari
Then Playing — The 40-Year-Old Version; She Dies Tomorrow; After Hours
The 40-Year-Old Version (Radha Blank, 2020). Employing impressive candor and sharp humor, Radha Blank makes her feature directorial debut with an autobiographical story about a playwright named Radha (played by Blank) who addresses the professional and personal frustration she feels … Continue reading Then Playing — The 40-Year-Old Version; She Dies Tomorrow; After Hours
Beers I Have Known — Minocqua Brewing Company Biden Beer and ,la
This series of posts is dedicated to the many, many six packs, pony kegs and pints that have sauntered into my life at one point or another. To my fellow motivated Wisconsinites to the north, I would like to thank … Continue reading Beers I Have Known — Minocqua Brewing Company Biden Beer and ,la
Now Playing — The Little Things
The Little Things, the new thriller from writer-director John Lee Hancock, is set in 1990. Except for the narrative convenience of removing cellphones as an everyday tool for the law enforcement personnel, there’s no obvious reason to have this scenario … Continue reading Now Playing — The Little Things
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #395 to #393
395. Madness, Madness (1983) The ska band Madness delivered a series of Top 10 at home in the U.K., but that similar success eluded them on the other side of the Atlantic. After both their debut, One Step Beyond…, and … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #395 to #393
