“Jim James’s third solo album, ‘Uniform Distortion,’ is a return to his musical roots. After two releases of pulsating psychedelia channeling the darker realities of modern existence, James recaptures the restless exuberance of early My Morning Jacket. That’s not to say James has turned a blind eye to the world around him.”
“There are things about ‘Rocky III’ that definitely raise eyebrows — its racial dynamics and maybe even its class politics — but ultimately it shows a fighter overcoming his opponent by reaching out to those around him and confronting the problems within.”
“With their uncomfortable blend of sexual politics, dark comedy, quirky star power and social and moral critique, it’s no wonder moviegoers didn’t know what to make of Kaplan’s satirical stories when they were first released.”
“What is perhaps most remarkable about the rise of Nirvana — and the industry’s hastily assembled appellation “alternative rock” — is the belief by many at the time that it had come from nowhere…”
Welcome to John Brhel’s “Once Upon a Time In Tarantinoland” — a look back at all eight of Quentin Tarantino’s feature films. First up: ‘Reservoir Dogs.’
“Whenever they exist, wherever they roam, with this continuation of personality and principle, it is often as if Peckinpah’s characters were simply picked up from the past and dropped into another time, a time where the Western — and western — spirit remains.”
“Just like his protagonists, D’Antoni refused to play by the rules, and he got results.”
“As much as DAU requires certain knowledge of XX-century history and arts, its key element is the subjective, the emotional, even the intrusion. And this can be the game changer the future needs.”
“Ioanna Gika has evolved from a promising artist to a fully-fledged talent to be reckoned with. Her uncommon, authentic voice has been sorely missed; it’s good to have her back.”
“Films like ‘Rocky II’ age well because the moments that now seem anachronistic serve to shed light on problems we still have today, delivered by the kind of characters viewers can sympathise with, even if one doesn’t agree with all their opinions.”
“His songs and compositions are featured in commercials, sampled in TV shows, used at sporting events and play as ringtones on people’s cellphones. There isn’t a place in India where Rahman’s music hasn’t reached.”
“By dissecting and re-representing time through the cinematic apparatus, ‘Chungking Express’ demonstrates that modern life is not unequivocally devoid of romanticism.”
“It’s telling that all of the human interactions in ‘Murder by Contract’ involve either money or business. The illusions of the profit motive and market forces have alienated Claude from his own emotions and left him broken and alone.”
“In ‘Evangelion,’ youth is depicted not as an event to look back on with nostalgia, but as an arduous task to be overcome. Shinji’s story is one that demands he confront rather than escape…”
“Sometimes, films set in and around Hollywood manage to capture a sense about the place that’s strange and uncanny, a place in love with its past and afraid of its future, leaving nothing but ghosts behind to haunt the hills, and to walk the empty mansions.”
Mike Thorn on 25 Years of Marilyn Manson
“There is nothing quite like a Ty Segall show. Witnessing this talented wunderkind and his equally spectacular band in a live setting is nothing short of mind-blowing (and eardrum-rupturing, for that matter).”
“‘10 Things I Hate About You’ has that slap-you-in-the-face energy. Wake up, it shouts, teen movies can be smart, empowering, entertaining and funny all at once. And they really don’t get much better than this.”
Yoana Pavlova Interviews Video Essayist Kevin B. Lee
“The characters in ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains,’ ‘Smithereens’ and ‘Suburbia’ find in punk rock a convenient shorthand for authenticity, a posture which presages its eventual absorption into the very mechanisms it sets out to oppose.”