I was reminded of this by the trailer for The Revenant, which touts the zombie comedy as coming from “visionary filmmaker” Kerry Prior. If he’s so visionary, why wasn’t his film given a wide theatrical rollout? Why did it take three years for the 2009 production to hit video? And why does it bear so […]
review
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The Tall Man
In just under two hours, a 36-hour ordeal is told, focusing on Julia (Jessica Biel, Total Recall), a free-clinic nurse turned supermom when her Chucky doll-looking son is kidnapped by The Tall Man. He drives a rusty van that practically screams “child molester.” I’ll give the film by writer/director Pascal Laugier (Martyrs) this: It throws […]
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Sitting Target
Oh, and she’s preggo. It’s not his. That revelation causes Harry to bust through the glass that separates them so he can get his paws around her neck. It’s an indication that this not-so-ordinary crime tale intends to do the same to audiences. In its day, I’m sure it did, being the first British film […]
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Sleepwalk with Me
Early in Sleepwalk with Me, protagonist Matt Pandamiglio (comedian Mike Birbiglia, more or less playing himself) addresses via narration the feelings his character holds for his live-in girlfriend, Abby (Lauren Ambrose, Wanderlust) with the lines, “I think falling in love for the first time is such a transcendent feeling. It’s like pizza-flavored ice cream: Your […]
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Goats
Based on an assumedly semiautobiographical novel and well-directed by a member of the Coppola filmmaking dynasty — Christopher Neil, nephew of Francis — Goats centers on Ellis (Graham Phillips, TV’s The Good Wife), who leaves the remote Arizona desert home he shares with his trust-fund hippie mom (Vera Farmiga, Safe House) for a prestigious prep […]
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Two Snakes — Cut Them Down
Two Snakes call its brand of music meat-and-potatoes rock, but that’s underselling it. Humble, yes, but there’s a lot more going on here, and it’s a joy to listen to hard rock that brings in equal parts intellect and aggression. Lead track “Alleys” zips to a start, boasting a burly guitar hook and bass riff […]
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Wild Nothing — Nocturne
While it’s great to dive into heady, groundbreaking stuff or brilliantly crafted pop songs, it’s just as nice to enjoy something as beautiful and simple as the music that Jack Tatum is writing as Wild Nothing, and while 2010’s Gemini was a great listen, he’s made leaps and strides heading into Nocturne. It’s easy listening […]
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The XX — Coexist
The xx is the exception. The English band’s 2009 debut, xx, is a modern classic, lauded for its moody and sparse pairing of R&B and indie grooves. “Intro,” “Crystalised” and “Islands” all made splashes, and The xx went from 0 to 60 like that. So then comes the follow-up, Coexist, with the words “sophomore slump” […]
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Dillard’s exclusive
Give Tara Dillard a spotlight and a stage and she is set. Earlier this summer, the Oklahoma City-based singer-songwriter released her first single, “So Long,” on iTunes and Spotify, with plans to release a full EP soon. “I’ve just released the one single right now,” she said. “The whole EP project I’m hoping to finish […]
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Map quest
Having formed at a Chicago art school, alternative-rock outfit Maps & Atlases has never shied away from lofty goals or pushing itself creatively. In the early days, that meant making math rock fun. Now, it means channeling the members’ inner Marty McFly. “It’s tough to make an album that exists out of time,” singer and […]