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… is onstage at Madison Square Garden in a show that will be streaming online on August 5. (more…)

The time has come for… (more…)

For several years, my friends and I lamented the lack of any rock bands on the horizon that would craft work as substantial and meaningful as The Beatles, The Stones, Pink Floyd, U2, and REM?

Was Radiohead really going to be the last of the visionary bands?

Sure, there were some impressive acts in the interim.

But where was the band that would write prophecy? Weave melodies and music that were more than audacity and noise, that were interacting in meaningful ways with the lyrics? Where were the visionaries who cared about more than nostalgia, hooks, and hits? Which band was going to inspire a passionate following who were more excited about the vision than the band’s personalities? (more…)

Sure, Ben Affleck starred in a couple of disposable films. I still like the guy.

Maybe if I’d had to suffer through Gigli, I’d feel differently. But I loved his turn in Good Will Hunting, thought he did his best as Jack Ryan, and I even enjoyed him in the not-so-memorable films Bounce and Jersey Girl. I just think he needs the right roles, the right scripts. (more…)

You’re invited to play a new game I’ve begun on my Tumblr site. (You have to register for Tumblr to play, which is quick and free.)

It’s called Name That Storybook. (more…)

I love the cover for Criterion’s new edition The Thin Red Line.

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For those fans of Joss Whedon’s Firefly who are still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder over FOX’s unforgivable cancellation of the series, here’s the show for you. It’s about a doctor with qualifications to address your miserable condition… (more…)

I’ve seen some scary things happen on public transportation, but never anything like this… (more…)

So, I learned about this from a comment here at LookingCloser.org today… (more…)

Ran was the first Japanese movie I ever saw, and it kindled an appetite not just for more Kurosawa, but films of greater visual splendour than I’d was accustomed to seeing.

Wouldn’t you know, just when I wanted to pick up the Criterion edition, it went out of print.

And then, lo… it shows up on Hulu for free.

So… here it is… first time I’ve ever embedded a whole feature-length film on Looking Closer…

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