Sound and Fury
Directors (like political handlers) can hesitate to be blunt, afraid to say, “I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Because it is safer or easier to let it ride, the mumbling is indulged.
Uncategorized
Some Animals Are More Equal: A Review of State Funeral
Joseph Stalin’s funeral procession, from ‘State Funeral,’ Atoms & Void Productions A fascinating 2019 documentary called State Funeral is available now on MUBI, but be forewarned: the film literally moves at the speed of a dirge, as it shows the public funeral of Joseph Stalin, who died…
Make It a Double, Robot
Language fails. Cecilia, however, does not. She mixes each cocktail in perfect proportions—never a little heavy on the booze, to loosen you up, or lightly, when your request slurs.
101st Airborne Flyover Under Investigation
An AH-64 Apache from the 101st Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jarrod Morris, TAAC-E Public Affairs A few months ago I asked the 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles, if I could ride around with their Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) for a week, in…
Play Is a Form of Respect
Whenever we create structure and limitations, we are building ourselves a playground, a contained space in which it will be safe to play. That happens in an arena, a temple, a magic circle, a court of justice; at a temple; at a card table; on stage, on screen, on a tennis court.
And Pioneering the Concert of the Future Is . . . ABBA??
What really triggered this project? For four decades, ABBA steadily refused to re-form, even when offered $1 billion in cash.
Julia: Portrait of a Life Lived Well
Screenshot from the trailer for ‘Julia,’ Sony Pictures The new documentary Julia works to explain why Julia Child still matters culturally, both as the first TV-chef icon and as a feminist who paved the way in two sexist fields: professional cooking and media. The film is directed…
There Is More Than One Way to Live a Beautiful Life
We love to personalize. We have our initials embroidered on towels that will fade and thin in a year. The idea of clothing custom-tailored to our bodies—unaffordably, by a human, or now, with computerized manufacturing—thrills us. So why not make our lives our own?
Gratitude Comes Hard to Us
It makes sense that here, in the land of self-improvement, we should grant gratitude its own (albeit politically confused, deceptive, and tainted) holiday. But I suspect we also need Thanksgiving because we are so bad at it.
Let Me Give You My Money: New Beatles Doc About to Drop
Still from ‘The Beatles: Get Back,’ Disney+ I was in high school when Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered. It was the first Star Trek film, and the first fix for fans since the TV show had ended a decade before. I was never much of a fan…