His work experience is mainly in “labor work, construction, roofing and painting.” He is a high school graduate who has a lifelong love of writing and of films. Powell recently published one of his stories, “Sasquatch,” online through bookcountry.com. Like any writer, certain works inspire him. “The writer I’m probably most influenced by is Stephen […]
pictures
Posted inArts & Culture
Made for TV
But there’s much more to Ness’ story, including the little-known fact that he tried to solve the case of America’s first true serial killer, the Cleveland Torso Murderer, in 1935. New York Times’ bestselling author and professor William Bernhardt read the factoid in a biography about Ness and was curious enough to start researching Ness’ […]
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A Hijacking
The Rozen is en route to Mumbai when the weapons-toting Somalis overtake the ship and its seven-man crew. Writer/director Tobias Lindholm doesn’t utilize the captain as our viewpoint, but the cook, Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk, TV’s The Borgias), a nice man who makes a mean omelet. The other half of A Hijacking gets inside the head of […]
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Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
Unlike its predecessors, Bad Grandpa attempts the franchise’s most daring stunt of all: telling a story. But only barely; while the narrative here serves its purpose — as a framework for a succession of Borat-style bad-taste bits — it is as minimal as allowed. That it also is the funniest film of the year (until […]
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Evil Dead
In Sam Raimi’s wildly original, wildly influential The Evil Dead of 1981, five friends into the woods for a cabin getaway and couldn’t get away from the demons they accidentally summon from an ancient book. In his feature debut, Uruguay director Fede Alvarez retains that setup, minus the vacation. In his vision, the young men […]
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Fill the Void
The film zeros in on a Haredi (which means “those who tremble before God”) Jewish population living in modern-day Tel Aviv, Israel. Amid celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim, a family mourns the death of Esther (Renana Raz, Munich), who dies giving birth to her first son, Mordecai. Esther’s death sends a shock wave of […]
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Die! Die! My Darling!
Directed by Silvio Narizzano (Georgy Girl) from a clever script by the ever-reliable Richard Matheson (I Am Legend), Die! Die! My Darling! is now available on DVD through the manufactured-on-demand Sony Pictures Choice Collection. In her final feature role, the Lifeboat buoy Bankhead anchors the film as Mrs. Trefoil, whose son was engaged to married […]
Posted inMusic
Amanda Earhart — Tell Me What You Want
Her debut EP, Tell Me What You Want, is characterized by funky, bright instrumentation with a mellow groove that harkens back to an age before Auto-Tune. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Earhart shows off an impressive vocal range throughout the six songs. Whether she’s singing low and level, like in “Tell Me What You […]
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Neiman seed
Stanley Marcus’ Self-Portrait at a Flea Market, March 1966, Paris, France People likely know Stanley Marcus as the trailblazing former president of high-end retailer Neiman Marcus, not an accomplished photographer. His granddaughter, Allison V. Smith, fully understands. “He always had a camera with him, but he never really shared his images,” she said. “Maybe he […]
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Searching for Sugar Man
Take, for example, Searching for Sugar Man. Currently up for the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award and new to DVD, the doc introduces us to the saga of the one-named Rodriguez, a criminally unknown singer-songwriter from the early 1970s whose career sank into obscurity in his native United States, but whose influence proved monumental in, […]