Tag: spectrum review

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

Through a combination of personal foresight and editorial generosity, I didn’t have anything new go up this past week at Spectrum Culture. Good thing I took the occasion of scrapping and scrambling for valuable Trivia points to slough off this regular update last week, meaning I do have some words to redirect curious souls towards. On the film side, I reviewed a new documentary on Ricky Jay, the noted sleight of hand artist and curious curator of all manner of ancient and enduring chicanery. The movie has its strengths and weaknesses, but what I really wanted to write was that … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Books, Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

My efforts for Spectrum Culture this week began with an incredibly difficult movie to write about: Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color. The movie is so densely inscrutable that any attempt to summarize it (or even more daunting, to speculate on its meaning) is practically doomed to failure. I feel I did all right, but I’m actively looking forward to writing on what appears to be a fairly simple documentary for this coming week. On the music side, I wrote about the new album from Caitlin Rose, which is very solid. Though I didn’t make this comparison in the review, it reminded … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Everything ElseLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

After the previous week’s logjam of reviews, I only had one piece go up at Spectrum Culture since the last “Spectrum Check.” Luckily, it was for a very good film, easily one of the best of the year thus far. Gimme the Loot is an exceptional feature debut from writer-director Adam Leon. I intentionally decided to avoid comparisons in the review, but I will note that I kept thinking it was exactly the sort of film Spike Lee might have made had he decided to follow his own debut, She’s Gotta Have It, by doggedly pursuing authenticity rather than opting … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Books, FilmLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I had a lot of stuff go up at Spectrum Culture this week, so let’s just tick them off: –It’s fairly rare that I write for the book section, but it occurred to me late last fall that I just might be able to get myself a review copy of the massive, intimidating and universally adored new outing from Chris Ware, Building Stories. Evidently, I made my request right before our editor-in-chief, inspiring at least a bit of envy. That’s the proper reaction on his part, by the way. This thing is spectacular. In my many reviews for Spectrum, this … Continue reading Spectrum Check

MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

Since I was traveling this past week, the editor kindly kept my workload light at Spectrum Culture (there were other factors too, but there certainly seemed some sympathetic generosity strongly at play). So the only thing that had my name on it was our list of the “13 Best Goth Albums of All Time.” I helped select the titles on the list–which I wish wasn’t ranked, I will note–and got to write the blurbs for two of the bigger albums, including the one that resides in the top spot. Never one who was heavy into goth music, I’ll admit it … Continue reading Spectrum Check

MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I only had one new piece go up at Spectrum Culture, but it was a fairly distinctive one. Capitol Records recent reissued four old country albums on vinyl and apparently actively solicited reviews from various outlets. The editor-in-chief sent out an email asking if anyone was interested in reviewing the respective titles, and my many, many hours as a kid (and I’m talking single digits here) sitting in front of my grandparents’ big console stereo listening to Kenny Rogers records made it clear that I needed to participate. I went ahead and claimed The Gambler. Listening to it again, for … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I only had one new piece go up at Spectrum Culture this week: a review of the new Ruby Suns album, which is mediocre. I have nothing to add about it. I was barely able to squeeze out the words needed for the review. However, I also forgot to share something last week, so I have a way to fill out this space a little more. We reached a conclusion of our mammoth undertaking to sort through the best cinematic comedic performances of each year, designating one as the pinnacle. The feature covered every year from 1930 to 2012, and … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I had a very busy week at Spectrum Culture, in part because some screenings got goofed up, necessitating schedule shuffling. Specifically, Rubberneck, directed by Alex Karpovsky of Girls, ran on the day the film was released, a bit of a rarity for me. On the flip side of that, I also had a review of new Korean action film go up, after I had been turned down on two or three other titles for the release week in question. I also had a very big review go up on the music side, with an assessment of the new release from … Continue reading Spectrum Check

FilmLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

For the most part, we writers are allowed to pick the films we review for Spectrum Culture. There are limitations, of course, especially for those of us who live in more remote areas that don’t offer advance screenings of major releases for critics. Still, every week afford us the opportunity to peruse the vast array of new movies coming out, picking the title we’d like to cover. I was a little uncertain when looking at my choices for this week, finally narrowing it down to two different options. I finally asked my partner in all things to help me settle … Continue reading Spectrum Check

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I pitched in for both of my regular areas this week at Spectrum Culture. On the film side, I wrote a review of a new documentary on the widely protested incarceration of Mumia Abu-Jamal. I actually took this one on for a very specific reason: I’ve now spent at least twenty years hearing cries of “Free Mumia” from a certain, impassioned subsection of society, without ever hearing a corresponding explanation for why his sentence is unjust. I presumed the documentary would provide that, but it instead glossed over the particulars of the situation in much the same way I was … Continue reading Spectrum Check