With Boston again afflicted with Red Sox Fever – a seasonal condition common here in New England –fans are once more flocking to the Mount Rushmore of Baseball flicks. This great pantheon of sports films invariably includes genuine classics (Bull Durham, 1988), and kids movies seeped in nostalgia (The Sandlot, 1994). Old school fans are popping in their VHS copies of Fear Strikes Out (1957). More
At the end of Planet Waves, Bob Dylan sings “Time is all I have to give/ you can have it if you choose.” That’s always seemed like an apt description for the relationship between a film and its audience. When you commit to watching a movie, you’re agreeing to forfeit a small fraction of your life. And the filmmakers themselves – they’re bound, as well. Whoever they were when they made a movie, wherever they were in their lives, the film preserves those moments for posterity. More
In SNL IN REVIEW, we look back at some of the notable cinematic efforts from Saturday Night Live alum, and place them in context of the actor-comedian’s career. More
In SNL IN REVIEW, we look back at some of the notable cinematic efforts from Saturday Night Live alum, and place them in context of the actor-comedian’s career. More
Growing up, one of the great thrills of Oscar watching came during moments when lowly sitcom stars and comedians received awards attention. It felt like a validation of the things I watched with my friends, an acknowledgement that these performers – whether it was Bill Murray, or former “Fresh Prince” Will Smith – were just as worthy, and capable of the sorts of pathos, as traditional dramatic actors. More
Let’s say you’re the kind of person into clickbait, and maybe you’ve seen a link on “Top Ten Rap Albums You Grinded on Your Middle School Boyfriend To.” Or, maybe you’re into nostalgia porn, and you read a piece about hip hop albums turning 20 years old. You feel dated, maybe even a little old, but both entertain you at work. For a moment, you remember a time when gangsta rap was actually dangerous. More
“But what am I going to do when the rage is gone/ and the lights go out in this trailer park,” rapper Eminem wonders on “Guts Over Fear,” released earlier this week. Perhaps lost in the shuffle of high profile releases – did you know Taylor Swift has a new song out?—“Guts Over Fear” is a shockingly conflicted single from an artist increasingly comfortable with generating pop hits like “The Monster.” In fact, while many have dismissed Marshall Mathers for being past his prime (and perhaps rightly so), “Guts Over Fear” demonstrates he’s still capable of genuine pathos at times. More
This Sunday is a big day for Matthew McConaughey. It is both the 86th Academy Awards, where he poised to win Best Actor for “Dallas Buyers Club,” and the penultimate episode for water cooler fodder “True Detective” on HBO. Both have generated substantial waves on the Internet and beyond. More
My dude,
Sorry to have left you hanging at Jose McIntyre’s last weekend. I understand shit got nutty. My apologies.
I write you this fine January day to speak on the Oscars (announced yesterday), and especially one motion picture that scored five nominations despite being one of the most righteously badass cinematic experiences I’ve had in my short life.
It’s called “The Wolf of Wall Street” and – wow. The swag oozing off the screen was nothing short of breathtaking. It’s no wonder the tastemakers at the Academy nominated it for. Best. Picture. Of. The. Year, playa! More
