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Plotbox: December 2014
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Monday, December 29, 2014. My Two Cents about Big Eyes. I loved Big Eyes. Dare I say this is Tim Burton at his subtlest and most mature? Is a stunning, subtle period piece. Burton could have easily gone way over the top and turned this into a kitsch fest. But he restrained himself, and this is good. Big Eyes. Will definitely have a broader appeal than something like Ed Wood. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Ed Wood. But Burton’s approach to Big Eyes. Were in a great...
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Plotbox: April 2015
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Tuesday, April 14, 2015. I Didn't Go See The Replacements. I loved The Replacements. They were one of the most important bands in my life during my college years. But at some point, I checked out. Listening to them made me sad. The I’m In Trouble. 45 is one of my all time favorite 45s. I didn’t own it, but I played it on the jukebox every time I went to Joe’s Starr Lounge in Ann Arbor. I loved Hootenanny. Cassette. When Tim. Was a major label release. Tim.
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Plotbox: November 2014
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Wednesday, November 19, 2014. A Post In Which I Defend Dave Grohl and Sonic Highways. Lots of backlash directed towards Dave Grohl’s Sonic Highways. Doc on HBO. The complaints seem to be:. A) The Foo Fighters suck. B) Dave Grohl conflates his importance in rock history by placing himself next to those more worthy of adoration (e.g. Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Rick Nielsen, Buddy Guy). I can’t get behind the backlash. Naked Raygun, a band that for all intents and...
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Plotbox: August 2014
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Thursday, August 28, 2014. Rarely do you hear me complain about a movie being strange, but make no mistake, Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank. Is a strange one. And I’m not sure the film is better off for its strangeness. Apparently Frank. But then the tone changes and the film’s message gets pretty muddled. The band holes up in a remote cabin working on their masterpiece. It seems heavily based on Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica. It’s all too bad, because ...
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Plotbox: March 2015
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Girl In A Band by Kim Gordon. Just tore through Kim Gordon’s bio, Girl In A Band. It’s a good read. It’s a quick read. As a bio, it hits all the stages in her life, but it does so with a light brush. It’s not a drama-fueled bio à la Mary Karr. It’s not as philosophical, nor does it delve as deeply and shed a light onto a specific time period like Patti Smith’s Just Kids. Small quibbles for sure. Sunday, March 22, 2015. Or will they fall...
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Plotbox: Girl In A Band by Kim Gordon
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Girl In A Band by Kim Gordon. Just tore through Kim Gordon’s bio, Girl In A Band. It’s a good read. It’s a quick read. As a bio, it hits all the stages in her life, but it does so with a light brush. It’s not a drama-fueled bio à la Mary Karr. It’s not as philosophical, nor does it delve as deeply and shed a light onto a specific time period like Patti Smith’s Just Kids. Small quibbles for sure. Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom).
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Plotbox: June 2015
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Inherent Vice vs. Play It As It Lays. I’m on a 60s LA kick. Just finished up Joan Didion’s Play It As It Lays. And Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice. Ira Levin’s The. Is on deck, which could serve as a nice capper to this run. Play It As It Lays. Share a frayed vision of the 60s, but the similarities stop there. Play It As It Lays. Written in 1970, seems ahead of its time in re-evaluating the 60s or certainly poking holes in the Eden-esque.
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Plotbox: January 2015
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Thursday, January 15, 2015. Movies: I Saw A Lot of Them in 2014. I saw a lot of movies this year, and I really liked a lot of them. Maybe I'm going soft in my old age. In any event, here's a list of my faves in a vague sort of order. Longest standing ovation I’ve seen in a theater. A subtler, more mature Burton. Hollywood at its most satisfying. I love Mike Leigh. Swedish ski trip from hell. Fun indie with a bit of bite. Regarding Susan Sontag Words matter.
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Plotbox: Mad Max: Fury Road
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Monday, June 15, 2015. Mad Max: Fury Road. The hype was thick. My Facebook feed full of friends raving about the new Mad Max. Silliness. Was it feminist? Not really. Is it a 2 hour over-adrenalized car chase? Yup Did I stop caring at some point? Did I like Mad Max. It had some moments. I did love the fact that the soundtrack was so loud it oblterated much of the dialogue. I once saw Cliffhanger. I did It reminded me of Timothy Spall in Mr. Turner. Which I might...
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Plotbox: May 2014
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Ruminations From A Subterranean Standpoint. Monday, May 12, 2014. The Lime Twig by John Hawkes. As a college professor, I expose my students to a lot of culture (films, music, books, art). From time to time, a plucky student insists that I must read a book or see a particular movie. I’m glad to oblige, if it doesn’t involve too much of a time suck. Recently, one student insisted that I read John Hawkes’ The Lime Twig. When I was in college, liked it enough, plus The Lime Twig. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom).
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