A History of Violence*
Sean MurphyI. Fighting doesn’t solve anything. Everyone knows that. But then, the point of fighting is not usually to solve anything, it’s to settle something. There is a significant discrepancy between…
In Memory of Sidney Lumet: Celebrating ‘Serpico’
It's difficult, and pointless, to try and isolate which film was Lumet's best or most enduring. The fact that he made three of the best movies of the '70s (three…
Tucker For President
As the Beltway blowhards get their onanism on while the pitiful children in charge of government have their long-awaited tantrum (will the government shut down or not? To flee or…
The Song Remains The Same or, The Agony of Influence
Two thoughts from T.S. Eliot: April is the cruelest month... Whatever. Good poets borrow; great poets steal. Now we're talking. And here is where it gets interesting: debate rages (well,…
All Hail Me: The Golden Goddesses of Veruca Salt (Revisited)
Not sure if any band quite captures the waiting-to-exhale extended moment of semi-innocence that was the mid-'90s (you know, the post-grunge, post-Reagan/Bush, pre-9/11, pre Bush/Cheney era when casual Fridays were…
Five From Albert Ayler, For M.L.K.
On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tenn. Spirits Rejoice: The Truth Is Marching In (alternate version here): Nobody…
Joy Division and the Genius of Humanity
Transmission 4x. Original: From the excellent movie Control: Playmobil Stop Motion: Caribbean steel-band: What else is there to say? (Here is some of what I said last November): If you…
Repent Sinners; Sean Penn Is A Saint
Sean Penn is a saint. Did that get your attention? Good. Since we know that there are no such things as saints, and we also know that the people we…
The Ugly and Unlistenable Death Spiral of Eddie Van Halen
jamiecSammy Hagar seldom disappoints. When I heard he was tapped to replace ass-clown extraordinaire David Lee Roth in 1985, I anticipated uninspiring results. I was correct (your mileage may vary).…
Bird and Magic (Revisited)
1979. It's been so well documented, and remains such a touchstone (it is still the most widely watched NCAA final ever, which--considering the inconceivably successful hype college and pro sports…