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All Ben Done Before
By their very nature, re-releases and compilations are confusing to review. Fans are often torn whether or not to even buy a compilation disc: on one hand, it’s largely material you’ve heard before, rebundled in a convenient package; on the other, these releases traditionally contain “remasterings” of the material, ranging from upgraded sound quality on the existing recording to a completely different cut of the song. Because of this strange dichotomy, there are two schools of thought one could subscribe to when considering Ben Folds’ Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP, which is largely an amalgamation of songs from his limited-release EPs Super D, Sunny 16, and Speed Graphic. Both schools have legitimate arguments; luckily, Folds’ material here is strong enough to overcome the fact that it’s all been heard before. -
Not a Leg to Stand On
Welcome to Kuwait City, Kuwait. Yes, American laziness in naming capital cities has now reached international locales. Soon to follow will be an obesity crisis and an overdependence on technology. It’s going to be fun to watch. Just thinking of Kuwait brings back memories of the early 1990′s, when the First Gulf War, George H.W. Bush, and Aladdin dominated the cultural landscape. It feels like a lifetime ago. I mean, Saturday Night Live was still relevant. Jeez. Anyway, Kuwait and its capital city were the sixth pit stop…in a racearoundtheworld. Last week, we learned that it may be better to have loved and lost than never loved at all, but it’s better to get a confirmed flight than to show up in East Jibip with no tickets at all, like David and Mary did. Fortunately, they encountered the first non-elimination leg of the race, and were sent away from the mat Marked for Elimination (coming this Memorial Day to theatres near you). Who will be cast aside…next? -
Kids These Days
Two days removed from the biggest news in the Flyers organization since Peter Forsberg slipped on his orange and black sweater, I still see Ken Hitchcock’s firing as change for change’s sake. Yes, Bob Clarke’s resignation represents a significant shift in team philosophy – moving focus from lumbering, workmanlike veterans to young, swift scorers – and that shift suggests that the Flyers have finally decided to catch up with the “new NHL,” but the appointment of John Stevens, a noted developer of young talent – to replace Hitch strikes me as another in a long line of examples of prima donna athletes who need to be handled with kid gloves instead of extra large Bauers. -
Movie Magic
Ever since I’ve decided to be an amateur film critic – or, at least, since I’ve started to air that side of my psyche here on the interwebs – I’ve found it difficult to get wrapped up in too many movies. I still enjoy going to the movies and taking part in the escape for a few hours, and I love talking with my friends about our thoughts on certain films, but criticism and awe are often, for good reason, mutually exclusive. It’s a welcome relief, then, when a film can so involve me that I find myself lost in it, completely forgetting that I’m seeing it in part because I want to write a review of it. Christopher Nolan is the kind of director who has proven that he can do exactly that, and his The Prestige, an intriguing tale of two turn of the century magicians locked in a lifelong game of one-upmanship, is no exception. -
Stop or I’ll Shoot
What goes through the mind of a madman before he commits his defining act? What drove John Wilkes Booth, for example, to slink into the presidential booth at Ford’s Theatre and put a bullet in the back of Abraham Lincoln’s head? Assassins, a revue-style musical with book by John Weidman and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, examines the motivations of nine presidential assassins – successful or attempted – and their place in history. The show is being performed at Saint Joseph’s University through October 28. It’s said that bad reviews sent Booth over the edge and into madness; based on the quality of the performances in Cap & Bells’ version of the play, there is little danger of inspiring a new killer.
Archive: October, 2006