Now Playing — Knives Out
I’m fairly confident Rian Johnson considers himself a traditionalist, in defiance of any evidence to the contrary. Beginning with his first feature, Brick, Johnson settled into a mode of taking a well-worn, largely bygone subgenre and spinning it around until … Continue reading Now Playing — Knives Out
The Art of the Sell — Knives Out, “Ode to the Murder Mystery”
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. Conceding that the most recent weekend’s box office results provide further proof that repetitive familiarity breeds riches … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Knives Out, “Ode to the Murder Mystery”
Playing Catch-Up — The Fugitive; Little; The Odd Couple
The Fugitive (John Ford, 1947). This drama resulted from an innovation production mounted in Mexico. In collaboration with the country’s largest production facility and using a crew mostly made up of local residents, director John Ford relates the story of … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — The Fugitive; Little; The Odd Couple
Now Playing — A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
I once had a chance to meet Mr. Rogers and I blew it. Nearly twenty years ago, I got a job at Rollins College, Fred Rogers’s alma mater, location in Central Florida. Rogers was visiting campus, dropping in on a … Continue reading Now Playing — A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #608 to #605
608. Roxy Music, Manifesto (1979) Officially, Roxy Music was broken up. The band’s 1975 album, Siren, was adored by music critics and, but Roxy Music’s modest standards, a commercial success. “Love is the Drug,” a single taken from Siren, scraped … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #608 to #605
Outside Reading — Big Numbers edition
Big Calculator: How Texas Instruments Monopolized Math Class by Maya Kosoff My time in high school math classes predated the introduction of the TI-81, the graphing calculator that serves as the starting line for Maya Kosoff’s article, published at GEN. … Continue reading Outside Reading — Big Numbers edition
This Week’s Model — Sorry, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”
In this age and day, it takes some moxie to adopt a band name that isn’t particularly distinctive. When establishing dominance over Google search results is at least part of the strategy for reaching an audience and therefore heightening chances … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Sorry, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”
Happy Thanksgiffing!
Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate the day! Continue reading Happy Thanksgiffing!
Golden Words — Master of None, “Thanksgiving”
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. Thanksgiving is a time of … Continue reading Golden Words — Master of None, “Thanksgiving”
Playing Catch-Up — Early Summer; Ex-Lady; So Big
Early Summer (Yasujirō Ozu, 1951). The middle entry in the set known as Yasujirō Ozu’s “Noriko trilogy,” Early Summer settles in with a Japanese family and the acquaintances that move in and out of their sphere. The film is about … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — Early Summer; Ex-Lady; So Big
Coffee for Two 