My Misspent Youth — Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David López
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. “Okay. Let’s try this again.” With lovely meta aptness, the Captain … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David López
Now Playing — Nyad
In many ways, Nyad adheres devotedly the the patterns of most modern biopics. The film strives to convey something close to the totality of its central subject, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) through focusing the plot on one central … Continue reading Now Playing — Nyad
Medium Rotation — The Returner; Hox; Careful!
ALLISON RUSSELL The Returner (Fantasy/Concord) — It’s phenomenally fitting that Joni Mitchell inspired the title of Allison Russell’s sophomore full-length, The Returner. After being a firsthand witness to Mitchell’s transcendent 2022 comeback performance as one of the musicians onstage, Russell … Continue reading Medium Rotation — The Returner; Hox; Careful!
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #7
7. Rolling Stones, Tattoo You (1981) The Rolling Stones were in a precarious place. Commercially, they were as strong as ever. The 1978 album Some Girls was their biggest-selling album to that point in the U.S., and its follow-up, Emotional … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #7
Outside Reading — Melt It All Down edition
The Crucible of History Surrenders To the Furnace by Erin Thompson Writing for The New York Times, Erin Thompson details efforts to destroy the various Confederate statues and other tributes to white supremacy that have been justly removed from public … Continue reading Outside Reading — Melt It All Down edition
This Week’s Model — Stay Inside, “Sweet Stripe!”
“Sweet Stripe!,” the new single from Brooklyn-based band Stay Inside, feels like it starts in midstream. The guitars are already churning, the beat is already pulsing, the very thought of the song is fully formed. From there, it’s a roaring … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Stay Inside, “Sweet Stripe!”
Laughing Matters — Taylor Tomlinson, “Straight Dudes”
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. Plain and simple, Taylor … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Taylor Tomlinson, “Straight Dudes”
Now Playing — Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann’s book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI is the rare example of a bestseller that inspires outrage, at least if read properly. Although I suspect a significant number of copies … Continue reading Now Playing — Killers of the Flower Moon
Then Playing — Talk to Me; Scream; Messiah of Evil
Talk to Me (Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou, 2023). This horror film, the feature debut by twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, employs the sturdy concept of a cursed object that wreaks deadly havoc on a group of foolhardy souls … Continue reading Then Playing — Talk to Me; Scream; Messiah of Evil
The Art of the Sell — The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. The British government was concerned about an uptick in the number of children dying in drowning accidents. … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water
Coffee for Two 