Monthly Archives: December 2007

The most amusing — and dreadful– news story I’ve read in the last month.

What I’ve seen: The Savages: The writer-director of Slums of Beverly Hills can’t resist a too-cute opening montage of seniors pirouetting a la Busby Berkley against a Barry Goldwater-approved Arizona backdrop; or giving Laura Linney a breakup scene with her … Continue reading →

My favorite Christmas song:

The only hint of discord on what’s so far been a lovely vacation is learning that Tim Finney just had a benign tumor extracted. All news is very good, apparently, so we can all breathe a little easier. I know … Continue reading →

An addendum to my last post regarding ageing: bitching about “compressed” schedules, i.e. not enough time to listen to every album you want before year-end lists are due. I’ll post the music lists before the end of the year, but, … Continue reading →

Like a bad trip that won’t go away, Ethan Hawke’s teeth in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead haunt my sleep. Forcing his voice through those yellowed, sharp babies produces the best imitation of Tim Roth’s shot-in-the-belly spams in Reservoir … Continue reading →

…and speaking of Mary J. Blige, here’s a review of Growing Pains.

During a free moment yesterday afternoon in Raleigh this weekend I had a chance to read Slate’s rockcrit year-end round table, comprised of Jody Rosen, Ann Powers, and Robert Christgau. Their opinions (boy, do they love Kala, Arcade Fire, LCD … Continue reading →

Well-rested after a weekend-plus trip to Charleston and Raleigh (thanks, Hatzel and Josh). Only one assignment to turn in before another vacation begins. Returning to blue skies and cooler subtropical temperatures does wonders for one’s carefully repressed indolence.

Final essays to grade, reviews and proposals to write, and a weekend with friends in Charleston and Raleigh have made this a breathless week few days. Having listened to roughly a third of my favorite albums of the year on … Continue reading →

After two massive singles still getting lots of airplay on WHYI Miami, Timbaland featuring OneRepublic’s “Apologize” has really hit the spot. No surprise: the track is a dead ringer for an Enrique Iglesias ballad circa 2002. And I love it…because … Continue reading →

I guess I’m a very bad homosexual for thinking that, with a few exceptional performances– obvious ones at that — I don’t understand Edith Piaf. But I know why filmmakers do: she’s the kind of subject of which award-worthy biopics … Continue reading →