Violet & Daisy
Violet & Daisy is a cinematic pop mashup replete with references to comic books and Harajuku girls, following the exploits of two teenage assassins, Violet (Alexis Bledel) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan). The duo kills for hire in order to make their rent, indulge in sweets and buy the latest fashions. They instantaneously turn from shotgun-toting killers to tricycle-riding, patty-cake-playing girls, over-exaggerating the stunted emotional growth of these characters.... read more
The East
In their followup to Sound of My Voice, co-writer-director Zal Batmanglij and co-writer-star Brit Marling infiltrate another insular community, shifting their attention from a kind of sci-fi cult to activist anarchists who live off the grid while planning and executing terrorist acts targeting corporate executives they hold responsible for poisoning people and the environment. The similarities between the writing partners’ first two films are too obvious to ignore: In both, well-meaning individuals go undercover intending to expose the group and bring the leader to some form of justice but find themselves coming under the movement’s spell. But here, Marling’s role... read more
Arrested Development Review: "A New Attitude" (Episode 4.12)
I’ve been trying to pinpoint what, besides the obvious, is so different about this fourth season of Arrested Development. And it’s the ugliness. read more
We Can Fix It!: A Time Travel Memoir by Jess Fink
Writer & Artist: Jess Fink Publisher: Top Shelf Release Date: May 21, 2013... read more
Orphan Black Season One Review
From Eddie Murphy to Lisa Kudrow, having one actor play several characters in a single show or movie is nothing new. But none of them compare to what Tatiana Maslany accomplished in the first season of BBC America's Orphan Black. read more
Warhammer Quest Review (iOS)
J.P. Grant praises the excellence of execution in Warhammer Quest. read more
City and Colour:The Hurry and The Harm
With his newest solo album under the moniker of City and Colour, former Alexisonfire singer/guitarist Dallas Green seems to finally have a record that may allow him to garner more widespread recognition as part of this contingent of folk-inspired pop-rock acts—led by the likes of Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers—that seem to be everywhere these days. read more
Come: 11:11 20th Anniversary Reissue
The chemistry of a band is a delicate thing. When the right elements are combined, there's no telling whether it will create a nice slow smolder that will sustain a steady heat for decades or provide one healthy burst of flame before going cold. read more
Various Artists: Ghost Brothers of Darkland County
Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a sprawling production authored by John Mellencamp and Stephen King that the press release calls a “Southern gothic, supernatural musical,” has been about 13 years in the making. read more
Speedboat and Pitch Dark by Renata Adler
In the first half of Renata Adler’s four decades as a staff writer for The New Yorker, she published two novels. read more
The-Dream: IV Play
We’re lucky to have The-Dream. In an R&B scene held hostage by hapless scolds and neurotic introspects, Terius Nash is the rare horse-arounder, a gregarious party host trafficking in lewd sex puns a la Miguel and outré, self-knowing irony a la Destroyer or Autre Ne Veut. read more
Queens of the Stone Age: ...Like Clockwork
When you think of Herculean bands in the post-Zeppelin age—rock bands that’ve not only satiated critics and conquered radio, but have in the process permanently etched their inimitable logos into rock and roll history books—you might have to go back a ways. read more
Eleanor Friedberger: Personal Record
Two years ago, when Eleanor Friedberger released her debut solo album, Last Summer, it felt like a rebellion against the music she’d become known for—or at least a reinvention. read more
Rogue Wave: Nightingale Floors
Rogue Wave is a band inappropriately named. read more
Portugal. The Man: Evil Friends
The collaboration between Portugal. The Man (band) and Danger Mouse (producer) on the Alaska group's eighth full-length album was one of those things that made perfect sense as soon as it was announced. read more
Ben Folds Five: Ben Folds Five Live
For longtime fans of singer/songwriter Ben Folds and his once-dormant pop-rock band Ben Folds Five—and especially for those who were late to the party and didn’t discover the group until after they’d disbanded—one of the more exciting things about the band’s reunion in 2011, even more so than the release of a whole album full of new material, was the chance to see (and hear) some of the band’s classic songs performed live again by the original trio. read more
Cansville by Alan Flurry
Alan Flurry, a filmmaker in Athens, Ga., and author of Cansville, knows that art ultimately requires not just its pound of flesh … but all the artist’s flesh, along with the companion soul and mind. read more
Camera Obscura: Desire Lines
“This is love,” Tracyanne Campbell sings early on Desire Lines, “It’s alright.” Like most of Campbell’s lyrics, that assessment is loaded with ambiguity. read more
The Killing Review: "The Jungle"/"That You Feared the Most" (Episodes 3.01/3.02)
There was a lot of greatness in the first two seasons of The Killing. read more
Now You See Me
Louis Leterrier’s first film since Clash Of The Titans plays as a fun but shallow heist movie where magic meets charitable crime and the house always wins. Now You See Me will surely remind viewers of the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, where the criminals are so talented they’re admirable, and one cannot help but root for the bad guys (who are really just good guys with a lot to prove). However Leterrier’s sixth feature film relies so heavily on the flashiness of a great show that the characters become props whose motives and storylines disappear amidst all the smoke and mirrors... read more
