The short answer is yes, and not really, in that order. I didn’t think I’d like “Portlandia” much, because Fred Armisen never has done much for me in his time on “Saturday Night Live.” But now I totally understand what “SNL” godfather Lorne Michaels ever saw in him. The free-reign work he does here with […]
Rod Lott
Posted inArts & Culture
Triple Tap
This segues into another great sequence, this one of a literal highway robbery, during which a bank’s armored car is stopped beneath an underpass and fleeced. Seven fatalities are tallied, and it might have been more if Ken hadn’t motored by and saved the life of an officer. The only other survivor, a suspect in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Triple Tap
This segues into another great sequence, this one of a literal highway robbery, during which a bank’s armored car is stopped beneath an underpass and fleeced. Seven fatalities are tallied, and it might have been more if Ken hadn’t motored by and saved the life of an officer. The only other survivor, a suspect in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Bedlam: Season One
The renovation is the project of Warren Bettany (Hugo Speer, “The Full Monty”), whose lovely daughter, Kate (Charlotte Salt, TV’s “The Tudors”), serves as landlady. It’s a family affair, because the building has been in the family for 300 years. When Kate is almost drowned by an evil spirit, her ghost-busting cousin, Jed (Theo James, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Bedlam: Season One
The renovation is the project of Warren Bettany (Hugo Speer, “The Full Monty”), whose lovely daughter, Kate (Charlotte Salt, TV’s “The Tudors”), serves as landlady. It’s a family affair, because the building has been in the family for 300 years. When Kate is almost drowned by an evil spirit, her ghost-busting cousin, Jed (Theo James, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Burke and Hare
His purported comeback, 2010’s “Burke & Hare,” also failed to secure a coast-to-coast release, grossing a theatrical grand total of $947. That’s a shame, because while no classic, the movie isn’t bad. Even minor Landis can be good Landis. Narrated by a hangman (UK stand-up comic Bill Bailey), the film takes the historical murders committed […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Burke and Hare
His purported comeback, 2010’s “Burke & Hare,” also failed to secure a coast-to-coast release, grossing a theatrical grand total of $947. That’s a shame, because while no classic, the movie isn’t bad. Even minor Landis can be good Landis. Narrated by a hangman (UK stand-up comic Bill Bailey), the film takes the historical murders committed […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of The Toynbee Tiles
Imagine coming across a homemade tile on a city street or sidewalk bearing the enigmatic, four-line message of “TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOVIE 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER.” Now imagine coming across dozens of such tiles. Starting in 1994 on the East Coast, Justin Duerr did, and wondered what it meant. The more he encountered […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of The Toynbee Tiles
Imagine coming across a homemade tile on a city street or sidewalk bearing the enigmatic, four-line message of “TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOVIE 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER.” Now imagine coming across dozens of such tiles. Starting in 1994 on the East Coast, Justin Duerr did, and wondered what it meant. The more he encountered […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
However, those who have seen the original may wish to approach this version only to witness what Fincher brings to it, as the story remains unchanged in all but minor details. Many scenes seem shot on the very sets of Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 film. What Fincher grants is a sharper, crisper look; a brisker […]