It’s too bad that basically any positive review of this film in 2024 needs to go on the defensive about the film’s premise, which would seem from a logline level to be “problematic” at best and “gruesome” at worst, because this is a really marvelous example of classic Hollywood musical. But, I’ll start with defending…
Stanley Donen’s 1963 film Charade has been described as “the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made,” and it would be tough to put it more elegantly than that. It’s a glossy, gender-flipped North by Northwest, with a healthy squeeze from the screwball comedy lemon. The result is a slick and silly spy story set in…
Home Alone is forever a fan favorite and often listed among the all-time great Christmas comedies. I hate to be a Grinch, but Chris Columbus’s film is no masterpiece, though it has charm to spare by the end. Oddly, the film’s opening act is its best and most adventurous even though people mostly remember the…
This documentary about the history of ska music is a deliriously happy film that I personally connected to, so it’s very possible, even probable, that I’m overrating it. But this thing is a joy machine and a fastidious historical document, and I don’t just say that as an ex-marching band geek who loves music and…
Hey Earn This friends and readers… Back in 2009, a group of us started this blog during our senior year of college. 13 years, 22 writers, 900 articles, and 1.2 million readers later, we’ve entered adulthood and have all moved to bigger and (debatably) better endeavors. I’m excited to share with you one such effort,…
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards come to you Sunday, February 8th. Rather than complain about the rigged system or make fun of the losers, this year I thought I’d consider the nominees in the “big four” categories on their own merits and decide how I’d order them and dish out the awards. Record, Album, and…
My dad, born in the mid-50’s, has a modest vinyl collection: just a few boxes, but more than one person could lift all at once. One of his most worn records is the soundtrack to 1983’s The Big Chill. While the film earned mixed reviews, the tracklist in the credits reads like a greatest hits…
Dear Readers, In 2012 we brought your attention to a unique musical project. Dutch instrumental indie band All Shall Be Well (And All Shall Be Well And All Manner Of Things Shall Be Well) sourced a short story from a fan of theirs and set out to write a piece of music based on the…
Last week I encountered something brand new in music and I want you to share the experience with me. After our recent conversation, knowing I’d be in Boston on business, Beth McDonald tipped me off to a concert series being run by the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP). The schedule of performances, now…
In the past, I’ve demonstrated that I am no stranger to weird music nor to things beyond music. While my exploration has always been as a student and fan, Beth McDonald is a participant on the front lines of invention. May 2014 saw the release of Still, the first album recorded under McDonald’s name as…