Now Playing — Bad Times at the El Royale
Drew Goddard’s feature directorial debut, The Cabin in the Woods, has aged very nicely for me. The film’s impish deconstruction of the horror genre was fun from the start, but the layers of cunning stirred in me a long-lasting appreciation for … Continue reading Now Playing — Bad Times at the El Royale
Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “Your Song”
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. By 1991, discerning music fans with perspective … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “Your Song”
The New Releases Shelf — And Nothing Hurt
And Nothing Hurt is the sound of a seasoned rock ‘n’ roll artist in beauteous collapse. On the eight studio album with Spiritualized (and the first in six years), Jason Pierce doesn’t sound worn out, not in the slightest. But … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — And Nothing Hurt
Playing Catch-Up — T2 Trainspotting; Game Night; RBG
T2 Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 2017). From the moment it was announced, director Danny Boyle’s choice to develop a sequel to his breakthrough film, Trainspotting, struck me as highly suspect, a seemingly desperate creative retreat for a filmmaker whose recent projects — … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — T2 Trainspotting; Game Night; RBG
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #844 to #841
844. Adrian Belew, Lone Rhino (1982) When Adrian Belew released his solo debut, Lone Rhino, he already had a resume heavy with time served alongside iconoclastic geniuses. In the prior decade, he’d been a showcase guitarist alongside Frank Zappa, David … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #844 to #841
From the Archive — Lars and the Real Girl
As Ryan Gosling blasts into theaters as Neil Armstrong, I’ll take advantage of this space to look back to when he was still venturing on occasion into a different kind of character role. I think this might still represent his … Continue reading From the Archive — Lars and the Real Girl
One for Friday — Fairground Attraction, “Perfect”
Thirty years ago, in 1988. Fairground Attraction released their debut album, The First of a Million Kisses. The band hailed from the U.K., where they managed to top the charts with the very first single they released, the aptly titled … Continue reading One for Friday — Fairground Attraction, “Perfect”
Laughing Matters — Jake Johannsen, in 1989
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. As much as I’m … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Jake Johannsen, in 1989
Now Playing — Private Life
I haven’t dug into any interviews with Tamara Jenkins to learn the insider story of why over a decade passed between her last film and her latest, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find the reason serves as … Continue reading Now Playing — Private Life
Beers I Have Known — Zero Gravity Craft Brewery Keller Dry-Hopped Lager
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. I am a mediocre beer hunter. Much as I value expertly brewed concoctions, I am highly limited in my ability to keep all the revered and coveted craft beer offerings in my head so I can make expert selections at remote liquor stores. Confronted by walls of strangers, I grab with almost random recklessness, stocking up with no assurance that I’m doing so wisely. At any given point, I’m likely to pass up … Continue reading Beers I Have Known — Zero Gravity Craft Brewery Keller Dry-Hopped Lager
Coffee for Two 