This past year posed unprecedented challenges for many musicians, who could not perform live and thus lost the incentive to release new music. While some mainstream commercial artists sat 2020 out, plenty of exciting albums filled the limelight. In a year lacking physical connection, nostalgia was central to the musical experience; music transported listeners back [...]
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“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read.” — Anton Ego, “Ratatouille” (2007) Many people quickly took to Twitter [...]
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When I watch older movies, I typically look for one of two things: First, is the movie’s narrative immersive? And second, does its language, decor, style or general vibe teach me something about the period it covers? I received a Blu-ray DVD of a 2K remaster of the 1954 crime thriller, “Dragnet,” and was eager [...]
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Errol Morris’ latest film, “My Psychedelic Love Story,” is a densely packed and energetic documentary exploring the life of Joanna Harcourt-Smith, the lover of renowned psychologist and LSD advocate Timothy Leary. This colorful documentary, which aired Nov. 29 on Showtime, features interviews between Morris and Harcourt-Smith, pulling out the juicy stories and details from her [...]
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During this quarantined summer, I spent a lot of time digging deeper into older artists and musical landmarks of which I had been ignorant. The inability to physically attend concerts also slightly discouraged me from paying closer attention to new releases. As November rolled around, I realized that this year is almost over and a [...]
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