ESSAYS

The Summer I Was 19…

by Carlos Kotkin November 21, 2012

Carlos Kotkin gives a hilarious reading about the summer he was 19 and worked on the production of Jimmy Hollywood, staring Joe Pesci, and Victoria Abril. Carlos Hollywood from Carlos Kotkin on Vimeo.

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In Praise of Robert Altman

by Thad Weitz November 20, 2012

November 20th  marks the anniversary of the death of  Robert Altman. Thad Weitz discusses the director’s legendary work. (7 video clips) Perhaps Scorcese, Coppola, Peckinpah, and Woody Allen were his only contemporaries who rivaled his artistic achievements. Even so, his name doesn’t have quite the same widespread recognition as these peers—he is more of a […]

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Tea Party

by Harvey Asher, Ph.D. November 19, 2012

FRESH FROM HIS WINNING PREDICTION IN THIS YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, HARVEY ASHER ANALYZES THE FUTURE OF THE TEA PARTY. History suggests that the changing of the guard—Democrat to Republican and vice versa—takes place roughly in ten-to-twelve year cycles. A tally of the years the Republicans and Democrats have held the presidency over roughly the last […]

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Happy Birthday, Mr. Vonnegut

by Tony Shea November 19, 2012

Kurt Vonnegut would have been 90 this year. His birthday was November 11th. I missed it, not that there is any grand celebration per se. I usually just read some of my favorite work of his – Mother Night, if I had to pick an absolute favorite, although I love them all, and Bluebeard, which […]

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In Contempt of: A misanthropic column that celebrates all the things I can’t stand!!

by Mike Anthrope November 15, 2012

I can’t stand Hacky Sack. Of all the sports and games of leisure ever devised, Hacky Sack is the most lame. I suppose “twirl the stick with two other sticks and pretend to be a Renaissance Faire jester,” and “balance yourself on a board over a rolling log” (presumably as a nod to lumberjack competitions) […]

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Marcia Nadel

by Carlos Kotkin November 14, 2012

While attending the USC School of Cinema-Television, I was assigned to make a short character sketch. Students were only allowed to have one person in their short. For each additional human being who appeared, we would be docked a grade. I thought this was ridiculous. For starters, art – in any form – cannot be […]

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IT’S NOT JUST THE ECONOMY, STUPID or, Why I Predict Romney Won’t Win

by Harvey Asher, Ph.D. November 5, 2012

HARVEY ASHER PREDICTED WHO WOULD WIN THIS YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ALL THE WAY BACK IN AUGUST…TOMORROW, WE’LL SEE IF HE’S RIGHT. Hail to the Chief [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/53227125″ iframe=”true” /] On the eve of the Republican Party’s convention, we interrupt the monthly posts of my blog to bring you a special bulletin:  my educated guess as to […]

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Yes, Abigael, there is a November 7th

by Katy McCaffrey November 4, 2012

Last week a little girl named Abigael Evans became a YouTube sensation and the voice of the people simultaneously when, bleary eyed and clearly at her whit’s end, she sobbed into her mother’s video camera that she was “tired of Bronco Bama [sic] and Mitt Romney.”

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In Praise of Barking

by Spanky October 17, 2012

I love barking. There, I’ve said it. And you know what? I’m not ashamed about it, either. The music of it echoing along my bony snout and my moist black nose tip is a rush like you wouldn’t believe. You might even say that I love barking so much that I’m addicted to it. I […]

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The Ramones

Me and the Ramones

by Tony Shea October 11, 2012

Anybody who knows me has probably heard me talk about the Ramones fifty times. In honor of Johnny Ramone’s recent birthday on October 8, I decided to finally catalog it and put it to rest. Me and The Ramones. On the list of my heroes, which otherwise includes Evel Knievel, Charles Bukowski, Malcom X, Rodney […]

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In Praise of William Friedkin

by Richard B. Phillips October 11, 2012

William Friedkin is an American treasure and one of the boldest, uncompromising directors in the world. And at age 77 (which he turned recently) he continues to take risks by exploring the most terrifying subject matter that teeters on realism and hyper realism.  His latest film, Killer Joe, which is screening in theaters and stars […]

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Wes Anderson

In Praise of Wes Anderson

by Tony Shea October 6, 2012

Wes Anderson has now made three of my favorite films, with the inclusion of Moonrise Kingdom, along with Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Like Terry Gilliam and the Coen Brothers, Wes Anderson’s highly personal and idiosyncratic style is not for everybody, but I would argue that Wes Anderson is probably the best contemporary filmmaker […]

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