Category Archives: Performers

Notes on “John Wick”

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: As John Wick, the titular assassin of the 2014 action film, Keanu Reeves has a grave physicality. He moves like he has weights in his shoes, and his face, always beautiful, has a hardness, like it’s … Continue reading →

“Get On Up”

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: “Get On Up,” the recent biopic about funk legend James Brown, tries to break all the rules. In this sense it’s a bit like Todd Haynes’ “I’m Not There,” which treated the life of Bob Dylan … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Music, Performers | Tagged biopic, Chadwick Boseman, Film, funk, Get On Up, James Brown, movies, Nelsan Ellis, soul music, Tate Taylor | 7 Comments

Photo Du Jour

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: A Life magazine photo of girls in an unidentified New York nightclub taken by Gjon Mili, 1947. Click on the image to enlarge.

Posted in Art, Performers, Photography | Tagged New York, nightclub | 2 Comments

Our Favorite Things from 2014

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: For approximately the 14th year in a row my pop music taste slid into middling mediocrity, but I’m perfectly OK with that. I long ago abandoned caring about or following new music. I loved The Black Keys’ “Turn … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing, Food and health, Linkathons, Media, Movies, Music, Performers, Personal reflections | Tagged 2014 year in review, Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Amazon, Amazon Music, beer, Belle & Sebastian, Bill Burr, Chvrches, Cohen Film Collection, D. W. Griffith, Darwyn Cooke, donald westlake, emily browning, ESPN, Eva Green, Facebook, George V. Higgins, Ginger Baker, goses, Hachette, Hayao Miyazaki, John Milius, John Turturro, Karina Longworth, Marc Maron, Marco Bellocchio, Meghan Trainor, Michael Connelly, Natalie Moore, Pawel Pawlikowski, Penny Dreadful, podcasts, Sarah Polley, Steve Sailer, Stuart Murdoch, Taylor Swift, The Black Keys, The Cloisters, The Nerdist, Tom Stoppard, Vanessa Paradis, Winsor McCay, Yik Yak, Zishy | 14 Comments

“I’m Sorry You Feel That Way”

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: Bill Burr’s new Netflix special is often dazzling. It’s 80 minutes long, and there’s not a down spot in it. No one can rant like Burr; his routine is a quicksilver stream of beligerence. It’d be grating if it weren’t so dizzyingly … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Performers | Tagged Bill Burr, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, stand-up comedy | 2 Comments

“Straight White Men”

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: When I saw that NYC’s Public Theater was presenting a show entitled “Straight White Men,” my interest was piqued, to say the least. Since the Public has long been one of the city’s foremost purveyors of Politically Correct theater, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Performers, Politics and Economics, Theater | Tagged Public Theater, theater, Young Jean Lee | 6 Comments

Showtune Saturday: “Some Enchanted Evening”

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: It’s big and lush and swoony and romantic. It’s a guy telling a girl about falling in love at first sight, and not missing out on it when it happens. This is the sort of song that … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Music, Performers | Tagged giorgio tozzi, mitzi gaynor, rodgers and hammerstein, rossano brazzi, showtune saturday, south pacific | 2 Comments

Showtune Saturday: “This Time The Dream’s On Me”

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: The sublime Sylvia McNair treats us to her rendition of the Arlen/Mercer standard, which originally appeared in Blues in the Night (1941). It’s on her marvelous 1995 collaboration with André Previn*, Come Rain Or Come Shine: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Performers | Tagged andre previn, blues in the night, harold arlen, showtune saturday, sylvia mcnair, this time the dreams on me | 2 Comments

Showtune Saturday (encore) “Barcelona”

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: By popular demand, here’s a repeat of the clip I posted last February of “Barcelona” from Sondheim’s Company. It features Neil Patrick Harris. Oh and Christina Hendricks too, and did I mention that she takes her clothes … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Performers, Sex | Tagged big tits, christina hendricks, company, neil patrick harris, stephen sondheim | 1 Comment

Showtune Saturday: “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: CORRECTION AND APOLOGY: Since this post was put up, the video has been taken off YouTube. Apologies, and I’ll try to find another one. If there’s a better opening to a performance on video, I’ve yet to … Continue reading →