The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of Michael Z. Land, the justly-famous composer whose musical influence on my youth was both vast and unforgettable. … What do you mean, “He’s not famous?” … What do you mean, YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS???” Here. Listen to this: Actually, hang on. That’s a bit squeaky/PC-ish, and might not be the best way to showcasing Land’s considerable musical talents. Try this one, instead: And this: Those first two links are... Read more
Looking back through my smallish (but rapidly expanding) collection of shorts, I recognize something that I’ve known for some time: I gravitate greatly towards animated shorts. That’s not going to change — because STILL A KID! — but I can also promise that live-action shorts will crop up from time to time (especially sci-fi ones). The conciseness and “twistiness” of the medium itself has always drawn me, no matter the specific “genre.” As evidence of my sincerity, today’s short is a... Read more
A few days ago, a friend and I watched Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker for the first time. As I’ve remarked in the past, I love Tarkovsky. I find him brutally, brutally difficult — almost hopelessly obscure, undeniably challenging, deeply metaphysical. And Stalker is certainly no exception. I have thousands of ideas about what it means, and exactly ZERO confidence that any of them are correct. I’ll be mulling it over for days. Or forever. But my understanding (or lack ) of the... Read more
Remember a few weeks ago when I recommended The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, even though I wasn’t quite sure why I love it so much? Well, today’s I’m recommending another Western. But this time, I know exactly why I love it. It’s not groundbreaking. It’s not profound. It’s not particularly “Influential” or “Complicated” or “Inspiring” or “Highly Regarded.” It’s just an insane amount of fun. And the day I can’t get on board with “nothing more than an insane amount of... Read more
Yesterday, one of the most fascinating, most inspiring, most inscrutable baseball players in recent memory finally decided it was time to hang up his cleats. View image | gettyimages.com Rick Ankiel has retired. A quick backstory: Rick Ankiel was a “can’t-miss fireballer.” In 1999, he was named the Minor League Player of the Year by both Baseball America and USA Today. That same year, he debuted against Montreal. At 19. By the age of 20, he’d gone 11-7 in the Majors, and finished second... Read more
That’s Sam Rocha. One-time Patheotte. Academic. Soul-Singer. And most of all, a soul-searcher. He’s got a Ph.D. And a Kickstarter project for a SoulBluesJazzFunkFolk/Gospel album called “Late to Love.” An album that takes its name from St. Augustine’s “Confessions.” A project with the stated intention of making “the craft of the music its main priority.” The soundtrack of a man “seeking redemption through a profession of belated love, told in multiple layers of regret, gratitude, and hope.” So, yeah. A bundle of contradictions. Here’s... Read more
Elizabeth is always reminding us Catholic Patheosi to be thoughtful about our post titles. Well, I thought about this one for a couple of days, and finally decided that there is no title that could possibly prepare you for this musical …thing. None. Why am I posting it, you ask? Just look at it. That’s all the explanation I can give. And maybe all that I need to. (Here’s a bit more on how it works. And here’s almost the perfect associated... Read more
The Secret of Kells is one of my favorite… …no, wait. I’m going bigger than that. More confident. Let’s try again. *Ahem* The Secret of Kells is one of the finest animated films in recent memory. Period. (It’s also the first film I watched in New York City. And by “first,” I mean “only.”) Sprung from the fertile creative minds of Irish directorial duo Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, it’s visually stunning, often charming, sometimes unsettling, and entirely unforgettable, displaying a grace and subtlety and a wonderful “blend... Read more
I don’t listen to the radio much. I live in a small town, so I’m never driving anywhere for more than about 5-6 minutes at a time. And I walk to work, so there’s no “commute listening” that goes on. (I do listen to podcasts all the time, but that’s a) different, and b) a story for another day.) Anyway, as I was saying, I rarely find myself listening to the radio. But last week — for a variety of... Read more
This Sunday will be the 86th running of the Academy Awards — or as we like to call them in my house: “The Annual, Soul-Crushing Opportunity To Be Reminded That Roger Deakins Doesn’t Have A Golden Statue Yet And Probably Won’t Get One This Year, Either.” No, I’m not bitter. Not at all. (OK, yes I am.) So, in preparation for my yearly day of mourning — though in all fairness to Deakins and Emmanuel Lubezki, this year’s “snub” will probably be... Read more
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