The Office Review: "WUPHF.com" (Episode 7.09)
Much like we can’t choose our own families, most of us don’t get to pick our coworkers. Sometimes you luck out and marry the receptionist, but that’s not what this week’s Office was about.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsCasino Jack and the United States of Money DVD review
Alex Gibney just may be the most important documentarian in America, and Casino Jack and the United States of Money certainly doesn’t do anything to diminish that standing. It’s a story so juicy that Kevin Spacey signed on to play the lad role in the narrative film version (entitled, confusingly enough, Casino Jack) as Jack Abramoff, liar, cheater, and all-around bad guy (or, as we call him in America, a lobbyist). It’s difficult to imagine how a narrative film could have been any more intriguing or exciting than Gibney’s treatment here. He’s an expert in the art of pastiche, weaving... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsThe Office Review: "Viewing Party" (Episode 7.08)
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it: I don’t really know what to make of Erin. Most of last season, her story was centered around whether or not she and Andy would get together, and that was pretty much all we knew about her — that the doe-eyed receptionist was sweet and perfect for him. Then at the beginning of this season we were abruptly told that she had dumped Andy over the summer, leaving him for Gabe. Now, this week, we learn a little more about her odd father/daughter dynamic with Michael.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsThe Office Review: "Christening" (Episode 7.07)
Just last week we were praising The Office for choosing character development over cheesy gimmicks. The show’s had a string of great episodes lately, which is why something like “Christening” is a little hard to swallow.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsElvis Costello: National Ransom
Elvis can’t pick a genre, but we don’t care... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsEasy A Review
In a breakout role, Emma Stone moves from Superbad to super smart... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsDaniel Durchholz and Gary Graff: Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History
Durchholz and Graff, both experienced at producing rock compendiums, do a masterful job of relating Neil Young’s singular musical history and illustrating it with rare album and single covers, poster art, photos and other memorabilia that make this coffee-table tome almost as fun as a pop-up book. The only problem is that they were never able to interview Neil—not surprising, given his attempt to thwart publication even of his authorized biography—which forced them to rely on the bio and other secondary material. Still, they fearlessly and meticulously detail his relationships with bands, handlers, family, friends and his all-important muse—as contrarian... read more
Found in: Books, ReviewsStagecoach DVD Review
Director: John Ford Writers: Ernest Haycox, Dudley Nichols Cinematographer: Bert Glennon Starring: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell Studio: Criterion / Walter Wanger Productions The legendary western that begat more legend By the time director John Ford had cast the role of the Ringo Kid for Stagecoach—loosely based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant—both the genre he was working in (the Western) and the actor he snagged (a towering Iowan named John Wayne) were entrenched in the backwaters of B-movie-dom. But when Ford’s camera zooms in on the Ringo Kid, saddle in one hand and Winchester rifle in... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsCadillac Sky: Letters in the Deep
Bluegrass gone wild over heartache The end result of a five-day session in Dan Auerbach’s Akron Analog studio, Letters in the Deep is the third LP by this group of young Texas-Nashville transplants often photographed in jeans and t-shirts. Thanks to one versatile banjo, plus Bryan Simpson’s mandolin and achy warble, the album’s crooning (“Human Cannonball,” “Tired Old Phrases”) feels as classic and loose as the band’s wardrobe. But with these basic bluegrass elements, Cadillac Sky also wind themselves into frenzies—ones where the boys’ stringed instruments quiver and then scurry to an escalating interrogation of infidelity (“3rd Degree”), and Matt... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsTom Russell: Blood and Candle Smoke
The halls of Americana are crowded to capacity with... read more
Found in: Music, Reviews
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