Epstein, Greno and Howard, Nichols, Penn, Rush
Carnal Knowledge (Mike Nichols, 1971). Working from a script by by the great cartoonist Jules Feiffer, Mike Nichols explores the fraught, shifting dynamics of sexual relationship by following a few characters over the course of several years, putting special focus on a randy, rambunctious, sharp-edged man played by Jack Nicholson. The movie may have been most noted for it’s frankness about sexual matters, still remarkable for the time, but it remains engaging because of an even bolder willingness to plumb the emotional rigors of the various characters. Nicholson is especially strong, shrewdly carrying his character from an impetuous, greedy youth … Continue reading Epstein, Greno and Howard, Nichols, Penn, Rush
College Countdown: The Trouser Press Top 10 Albums of 1981, 7
7. The Pretenders, II Trouser Press wrote: “Derivative? Sure! But Chrissie Hynde can still charm your pants off (sic) when she wants.” Let me start by noting that I don’t get that review. It’s not that I substantively disagree with … Continue reading College Countdown: The Trouser Press Top 10 Albums of 1981, 7
Spectrum Check
So this week was all about the Muppets and Miles. A better week of responsibilities could be constructed for me, but it’s hard to fathom how. I’ll cop to not loving the angle I took in writing about the new documentary about Kevin Clash, the Muppeteer who is the man behind Elmo. I feel like I’ve seen similar pronouncements about emotional steeliness in the face of emotional filmmaking as a precursor to confessing to prodigious tears. Still, it was absolutely the most honest way for me to write about the movie. Whatever flaws are in place, I can’t deny that … Continue reading Spectrum Check
One for Friday: Death of Samantha, “Good Friday”
I didn’t know as much as I would have liked when I first walked through the college radio station doors all those years ago, such I really clung to those few factoids that I did have at my disposal. Or at least I thought I knew these things. There was a band out of Cleveland (though, at the time, I didn’t know that was where they were from) called Death of Samantha, and I was completely certain that their name referred to the untimely end of Samantha Smith. She was a young girl from Maine who engaged in unlikely personal … Continue reading One for Friday: Death of Samantha, “Good Friday”
No time for a gentle rain, no time for my watch and chain
Time has gotten away from me today, I’m afraid. Words are beyond my capabilities right this second. I’ll do better. Continue reading No time for a gentle rain, no time for my watch and chain
Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Eight
#8 — sex, lies, and videotape (Steven Soderbergh, 1989) The characters in Steven Soderbergh’s feature directorial debut are so well-drawn and deeply considered that the filmmaker was able to defer the task of titling the work to one of them. When … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Eight
Top 40 Smash Taps: “Naturally Stoned”
These posts are about the songs that can accurately claim to crossed the key line of chart success, becoming Top 40 hits on Billboard, but just barely. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 40. Some biographies of Chuck Woolery note that his nineteen-sixties band the Avant-Garde “had one-hit wonder success in 1968 with the top 40 pop hit ‘Naturally Stoned.’” This is absolutely true, fully verifiable. The duo Woolery was part of with some character named Elkin “Bubba” Fowler peaked at #40 with their soft, almost lackadaisical psychedelic song. It was a pretty oddball year for music … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Taps: “Naturally Stoned”
My Misspent Youth: Marvel Premiere by David Kraft and George Perez
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 I was in college, I knew a guy who insisted that his copy of Super-Villain Team-Up #12 was the only comic book he needed. The reason? It featured Dr. Doom and Red Skull fighting on the moon, and once you had that, how could anything else even compare? One of my favorite things about superhero comic books in the nineteen-seventies–especially those titles that emanated from the House of Ideas known … Continue reading My Misspent Youth: Marvel Premiere by David Kraft and George Perez
College Countdown: The Trouser Press Top 10 Albums of 1981, 8 (tie)
8. The dB’s, Stands for Decibels Trouser Press wrote: “Thanks to an amazing timewarp, this band is with us right now–and almost singlehandedly saving power pop’s reputation.” Some records announce that they’re special from the very first notes. Stands for … Continue reading College Countdown: The Trouser Press Top 10 Albums of 1981, 8 (tie)
Spectrum Check
This was another fairly light week for me, in part because I’m still trying to catch up on music reviews I owe. One of those went up: an assessment of the new album from Crooked Fingers. This was one of the instances in which I was assigned the release instead of claimed it. It actually took me a really long time to figure out my angle on the review. As the numerical rating indicates, this is one of those albums that was clearly good, but didn’t stir me especially deeply. It’s not background music, but it’s one of those CDs … Continue reading Spectrum Check
