Review

Book Review: “Death in Her Hands” — There’s No Mystery to This Mystery

October 22, 2020
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It’s as if Moshfegh is testing the furthest limits of a “red herring”: what if everything is red and everything is herring?

Television Review: “Swamp Thing” — I Think We Love You?

October 22, 2020
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Swamp Thing is downright ornery, at times questioning political and corporate power as well as environmental protections.

Classical CD Reviews: Michael Daugherty’s “This Land Sings,” Ethel Smyth’s “The Prison,” and David Lang’s “prisoner of the state”

October 21, 2020
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A welcome political homage to Woody Guthrie, a new recording of Ethel Smyth’s 1931 choral symphony makes a strong case for a full reconsideration of her output, and David Lang’s rejiggering of Beethoven’s Fidelio is both stirring and timeless.

Dance Review/Commentary: “The Grand Union” — The Story of the Accidental Anarchists of Downtown Dance

October 20, 2020
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This fascinating book, and the rich literature of films and writings around it, have helped me feel a bit more positive about these shrunken times.

Film Review: The Soulful Comic Legacy of John Belushi

October 20, 2020
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Belushi is a warts-and-all look at one of comedy’s raging bulls.

Hip-Hop Concert Review: Run the Jewels’ Powerful “Holy Calamavote”

October 20, 2020
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The best thing about Holy Calamavote may be that it presents Run the Jewels in a live presentation of RTJ4 that rivals the atmospheric might of the record itself.

Film Review: “White Riot” — The Superb, Sadly Relevant, Story of Rock Against Racism

October 19, 2020
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Director Rubika Shah ends her film on this high note, but no one watching could conclude that the struggle is over

Film Review: “Town Bloody Hall” — Rip-Roaring Feminist Cross Fire

October 18, 2020
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The 1979 documentary Town Bloody Hall is a time tunnel passageway into what stand-up comedians used to call “women’s lib.” It is still liable to raise a gendered ruckus — and provide a rollicking good time.

Film Review: “Martin Eden” — Portrait of an Artist as a Young Egotist

October 18, 2020
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In his mostly successful filmic adaptation of Martin Eden, Italian director Pietro Marcello transposes with ease London’s Oakland novel to the seaport of Naples.

Book Review: “What Came Before” — A Horde of Micro-essays

October 16, 2020
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At his best, Matthew Schultz’s abilities as a writer transcend the small, tight canvasses he has prepared for himself.

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