The LEGO Ninjago Movie lacks the crucial comedic focuses of the first two installments in this quickly-expanding series.
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Author: Steven Strauss
THE LAST DETAIL (1973), and a Hal Ashby Requiem
While watching 1973’s The Last Detail in preparation for Richard Linklater’s impending sequel Last Flag Flying, I realized that no one really makes FILMS like Hal Ashby anymore, which is surprising given our current age of relentless derivativeness (at best, “homage”). It’s undeniably a testament to the distinctness of Ashby’s work on multiple fronts:
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HEARTBREAK ON A FULL MOON, A Chris Brown Playlist
A mere week after writing this dissertation about the current differences between albums and mixtapes, along comes Chris Brown’s Heartbreak on a Full Moon to further defy these binary categories.
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Ty Dolla $ign’s BEACH HOUSE 3, and an Album vs. Mixtape Debate
What’s the difference between a mixtape and an album?
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MEASURE FOR MEASURE (Elevator Repair Service)
The Elevator Repair Service’s take on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure theatrically literalizes textual fidelity.
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OH MY SWEET LAND (The Play Company)
In The Play Company’s site-specific production of Amir Nizar Zuabi’s’ Oh My Sweet Land, the thematically-resonant specifics of the site(s) contribute more to the play’s intended effect than the actual text.
TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Roundabout Underground’s production of Jiréh Breon Holder’s Too Heavy for Your Pocket is perfectly fine, but its across-the-board traditionalism runs contrary to the type of work ideally presented at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s black box space, especially in relation to what normally occupies this venerable institution’s other venues.
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SPIELBERG (Susan Lacy)
Susan Lacy’s Spielberg, a documentary about the title director currently available on HBO, is a glorified DVD special feature.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris)
What was the last sports movie that completely failed to capture the cinematic dynamism of the sport?
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BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA (P!nk)
P!nk’s new album Beautiful Trauma mostly features generic pop that largely lacks the exclamation-point iconoclasm of her personality.
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