Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader We’re Looking at Taxi Driver by Brad Balfour When directors-screenwriters Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese came to the Director’s Guild Theater in Manhattan recently to discuss their ride with the groundbreaking film, Taxi Driver, it was an incredible moment in cinematic history. Their story of how this film took form and … Continue reading
Melissa Manchester Think of Her as a Friend by Jay S. Jacobs “I think we can make it, one more time, if we try.” That line sort of sums up Melissa Manchester, and not just because it was a huge part of “Midnight Blue,” the songstress’ first huge hit single in 1975. In a career … Continue reading
Jennifer Westfeldt and Adam Scott That’s What Friends Are For by Jay S. Jacobs A while back actress and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt and her long-time boyfriend, Mad Men star Jon Hamm, noticed something odd happening in their lives. Many of their friends, people who they used to go out with all the time, were now parents. Slowly, … Continue reading
Joel McHale and Dan Harmon It Takes a Community by Jay S. Jacobs After an extended winter break, the crazy students and faculty at Greendale Community College are back on campus – and you know what that means, new episodes of the cult fave must-see sitcom Community. A few days before the show returned with a rash of new spring … Continue reading
Gillian Jacobs and Jim Rash Community Theater with a Surreal Bent by Jay S. Jacobs They call Community “the little show that could,” so it comes as little surprise that the cult-favorite series was renewed by NBC for at least 13 episodes in a fourth season. The wonderfully surreal situation comedy – which has made something of … Continue reading
Fernando Trueba Illustrates the History of Jazz with the Oscar-nominated Chico & Rita by Jay S. Jacobs Spanish film director Fernando Trueba has had a long, fascinating career which has branched out in many directions. He started out as a movie critic in the 1970s for the newspaper El Pais. He has since worked as an … Continue reading
Rumer A Change of Seasons by Jay S. Jacobs The crazy thing about overnight success is that it always takes a hell of a long time to achieve. When retro-vibed and striking British singer Rumer released her debut album Seasons of My Soul in late 2010 in Europe, most of the stories pointed out that the singer … Continue reading
Adepero Oduye Finds Acceptance as a Pariah by Brad Balfour Though Pariah is this little film telling a simple, classic tale seen and heard before, the charm of its actors and the need to have this coming-of-age story told again and again until it no longer needs to resonate makes the film a powerful and award-worthy statement. … Continue reading
Alice Cooper A Nightmare Return by Ken Sharp The pioneer of theatrical shock rock, Alice Cooper, has returned with an exceptional new album, Welcome 2 My Nightmare. While not officially a sequel to his acclaimed 1975 opus, Welcome to My Nightmare, this new release, also produced by Bob Ezrin, captures the macabre inventiveness of that legendary release … Continue reading
Michel Hazanavicius Silences the Skeptics with the Oscar Favorite The Artist by Brad Balfour Wily provocateur and indie screen mogul Harvey Weinstein sees beyond the obvious and recognizes value in some rather offbeat films. Thankfully, that support has so far paid off. Four of Weinstein’s pictures won awards at this year’s Golden Globes, with a … Continue reading
