From the Archive — The 40-Year-Old Virgin
One of the cute celebrity stories that made the rounds this week was Steve Carell’s talk show tale of meeting Kelly Clarkson, more than a decade after he shouted her name while getting his chest hair waxed off in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. It’s not much of a story, but anything mildly interesting enough to briefly disrupt the news cycle of constant misery is always welcome. And if Carell can find a reason to bring up The 40-Year-Old Virgin, I suppose I can, too. This review was written for my former online home, and it was one of the very first … Continue reading From the Archive — The 40-Year-Old Virgin
One for Friday — Scruffy the Cat, “Moons of Jupiter”
Thirty years ago, in the autumn of 1988. Scruffy the Cat released their second and final full-length album, Moons of Jupiter. Raucous rockers with a touch of roots styling to their music, the band had a prime place in a … Continue reading One for Friday — Scruffy the Cat, “Moons of Jupiter”
The Unwatchables — The Counselor
I don’t inherently have a problem with films that go a little bonkers. And I can muster up an appreciation whether the offerings in question are good or bad. Bong Joon-ho devising brilliant storytelling around dystopian science fiction taking place … Continue reading The Unwatchables — The Counselor
Now Playing — Suspiria
I fully acknowledged being tickled that Luca Guadagnino’s follow-up feature to the tender, elegant Call By Your Name is the the precise opposite, in almost every respect. Suspiria is officially a remake of the 1977 horror film of the same … Continue reading Now Playing — Suspiria
Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “How Can I Forget”
These posts are about the songs that just barely failed to cross the key line of chart success, entering the Billboard Top 40. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 41. Marvin Gaye was one of the stalwart … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “How Can I Forget”
Stan Lee, 1922 – 2018
When I started reading superhero comic books with a fierce devotion, nearly every issue I purchased had the same phrase on the opening page: “STAN LEE PRESENTS.” Stan Lee wasn’t writing many comics by the time I was plunking down … Continue reading Stan Lee, 1922 – 2018
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #828 to #825
828. Gang of Four, Entertainment! (1979) “We were trying to invent a new kind of music, a new kind of language,” Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill once told Rolling Stone. “We were using the building blocks of ‘rock music,’ … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #828 to #825
From the Archive — No Country for Old Men
It’s easy to forget now, but shortly before the release of No Country for Old Men, it appeared that Joel and Ethan Coen might have reached the end of their run as vital filmmakers. They’d delivered two critical and commercial … Continue reading From the Archive — No Country for Old Men
One for Friday — They Might Be Giants, “The World’s Address”
Thirty years ago, in the autumn of 1988, They Might Be Giants released their second full-length album, Lincoln. Promoted in a print advertisement as an extension of a storied naming history that included the car, the tunnel, the man, and … Continue reading One for Friday — They Might Be Giants, “The World’s Address”
Laughing Matters — Rita Rudner on The Tonight Show
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. Earlier this week, I … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Rita Rudner on The Tonight Show
Coffee for Two 