Since the headline gives away that I’m about to present an enthusiastic rave, let’s stipulate a few things up front: When I sat down at the AMC Kips Bay for an All Media screening of Hairspray, my expectations were pretty non-existent. I wasn’t automatically thinking the worst, but considering the overhyped recent history of theContinue reading “HAIRSPRAY: THE SURPRISE OF THE SUMMER AND THE BEST MOVIE MUSICAL IN YEARS”
Author Archives: AaronOOF
SUNSHINE: FILLED WITH BRILLIANCE YET OFTEN MUDDLED BY THE LIGHT
Danny Boyle is one of those filmmakers who has often straddled that line between style and substance while always exploring the boundaries of different genres and stories. In all of his films — from Shallow Grave and Trainspotting through 28 Days Later and Millions. Unlike many big-budget Hollywood filmmakers (as always, I’m looking at youContinue reading “SUNSHINE: FILLED WITH BRILLIANCE YET OFTEN MUDDLED BY THE LIGHT”
NOTES FROM TRIBECA: INTRODUCING THE SWAG BAG
So it was just under a week ago that I sort of reintroduced this blog to the world and mentioned that I did not want to use this blog to pimp my employer. But the truth is, I don’t mind pimping Tribeca as long as it’s only one small part of what I’m doing here.Continue reading “NOTES FROM TRIBECA: INTRODUCING THE SWAG BAG”
THE RENEWED POPULARITY OF A CAMP CLASSIC
Apparently, I wasn’t the only person with this idea. If you glance over to the left, you’ll see that currently I’m “Netflixing” the third season of Rescue Me (I have three discs at home) along with the documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon. But this doc (which I’ve wanted to see for quite a while)Continue reading “THE RENEWED POPULARITY OF A CAMP CLASSIC”
EMMY PROVES IT TOO IS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY
The Emmy Nominations were announced this morning to much fanfare and … nah, I can’t keep a straight face with that. I slept right through ’em. And thank goodness I did, because once again, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences proved that much of the time it pays very little attention to the artContinue reading “EMMY PROVES IT TOO IS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY”
LIVE-IN MAID: A UNIVERSAL STUDY OF CLASS AND FRIENDSHIP
At what point does personal memory and experience get in the way of critical observation? It’s a question that popped into my mind during a screening of Live-in Maid, which opened today at Film Forum. Argentinian director Jorge Gaggero’s debut feature is a small picture tackling a big subject: the class struggle in Argentina. NormaContinue reading “LIVE-IN MAID: A UNIVERSAL STUDY OF CLASS AND FRIENDSHIP”
HUMP DAY MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANY: MOVIE NOTES TO SEE AND BE SEEN
Rather than sit here stewing as to how to respond to the variety of topics bouncing around my brain this morning, I figured a brief purging would prove helpful … at least to me! So: I mentioned it last Friday, but now I’m demanding it: Get thee to Film Forum to see Le Doulos, theContinue reading “HUMP DAY MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANY: MOVIE NOTES TO SEE AND BE SEEN”
NOTES ON THE TIMES: ROUNDING THE BASES OF THEATER, FILM AND TV
There were several items in today’s New York Times that gave me pause. First up, a mention in “Arts, Briefly” claiming that a stage version of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is coming to Broadway in the Fall 2008. This great 1967 film starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier was simultaneously ahead ofContinue reading “NOTES ON THE TIMES: ROUNDING THE BASES OF THEATER, FILM AND TV”
THIS WEEK’S OLD YET NEW AMERICAN LIFE
I’ll admit it: I was late to the party. I had heard about PRI’s This American Life for years, but it wasn’t until I started regularly subscribing to Podcasts that I became a regular — and utterly addicted — listener. I don’t actually have Showtime right now (yeah, yeah … it’s actually far more disturbingContinue reading “THIS WEEK’S OLD YET NEW AMERICAN LIFE“
“THERE WILL BE NO HATING …”
With those five words, the enigmatically stupid Jeffrey Wells (yeah, I said it) begins his excoriation of Hairspray. Is that an exaggeration? No more so than bolding the words”suffering a major migraine.” I’m writing and posting my own review of Hairspray later this week, and while I don’t make a habit of disparaging people simplyContinue reading ““THERE WILL BE NO HATING …””
Out of Focus 