Tiger Rag by Nicholas Christopher
For a musician whose entire recording career consists of one take of one song—most likely, a single, rumored phonograph cylinder—turn-of-the-20th-century New Orleans cornet player Charles “Buddy” Bolden looms extraordinarily large in musical fact and fiction. read more
Found in: Books, ReviewsProsperous Friends by Christine Schutt
Midway through The Seagull’s 1896 premiere, author Anton Chekhov famously fled backstage amid a barrage of whistles and jeers. read more
Found in: Books, ReviewsThe Living Sisters: Run for Cover EP
It’s an inspired idea: Rather than tackle Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” for their new Run for Cover EP, the Living Sisters decided to take on Sly & the Family Stone’s cover of that 1956 smash. read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsPere Ubu: Lady From Shanghai
When Pere Ubu released The Modern Dance in 1978, they were lightyears ahead of their time. read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsThe Good Wife Review: "Boom De Yah Da" (Episode 4.11)
Should old acquaintances be forgot? Not on The Good Wife. read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsBob's Burgers Review: "Mother Daughter Laser Razor" (Episode 3.10)
“Mother Daughter Laser Razor” is just phenomenal in how it blends its two main stories, having both parents reinforce how they care for their kids, while not making it to overwhelming. read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsDownton Abbey: "Episode One" (Episode 3.01)
You have to admire the audacity of Downton Abbey's third season, beginning with a wedding that in many shows would come as a finale. read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsFairhaven
While his buddy/collaborator Chris Messina is coming off a breakout year with stints on Damages, The Newsroom and The Mindy Project (as well as turns in Argo, Ruby Sparks and Celeste & Jesse Forever), writer-director-star Tom O’Brien’s experience has been focused on the theater. But with Fairhaven, O’Brien makes an understated, confident entrée into feature filmmaking, mining male relationships to poignant effect in his writing, directing and, for all intents and purposes, acting debut. (He apparently appeared in The Next Karate Kid, according to IMDb.)... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsQuartet
After decades spent in the film industry filling his repertoire with a host of classic films, Dustin Hoffman has learned a thing or two about how to make a movie. This is no where more evident than in his extraordinary directorial debut, Quartet. This film about four retired opera singers who regroup in their old age is as brilliant and lovingly composed as the operatic pieces that soar through the background. In short, it leaves longing for an encore.... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsA Dark Truth
The battle over water rights has long been a source for cinematic storylines, from John Wayne westerns like Angel and the Badman to Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. Like Polanski’s classic, writer/director Damian Lee’s latest thriller, A Dark Truth, is also inspired by actual conflicts—with Lee moving beyond California’s Owens Valley to a more global scale, spotlighting underhanded corporate dealings in South America and Africa. Unfortunately, any similarities end there.... read more
Found in: Movies, Reviews
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