Try as you might, there are some artists on whom you just can’t give up. It doesn’t matter how old or irrelevant they become, how many stinkers they churn out; you’ll keep giving them chance after chance, every time some overexcited fanboy critic gives their new product a preemptive thumbs up and those three dreaded words, “return to form.” In the film world, Woody Allen is perhaps foremost among these dangerously uneven (but lovable) craftsmen. We asked for another Stardust Memories or Manhattan, …

I remember vividly the first time I stumbled across Nardwuar the Human Serviette. It was the summer of 2002, and I, like many music listeners, was just embarking on what would be an ongoing love affair with the White Stripes. I’d bought three of their records — White Blood Cells, De Stijl and a bootleg of the 2001 Peel Sessions — watched their buzzmaking MTV Movie Awards performance, and even seen them in concert for the first time, at Chene Park in Detroit …

Technology is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? There was a time, not all that long ago, when we were at the mercy of television producers and progammers. They told us what we were allowed to see, and when we were allowed to see it. With the explosion of cable channels, however, and the creation of syndication, it became easier to find the type of show you wanted to see, at a time more convenient for you – just ask any Law and Order fan. …

I’ve underestimated the Sugarcubes. Yeah, they were the first Icelandic band to make it big, and yeah, they were a little weird, but they were more than just a cheap novelty: they were quirky and alternative without sacrificing any relevance, and they offered something new on a late ’80s music scene which had grown stale under the weight of cheap synthesizers, silly guitar licks and lame-ass vocals. As a band they were incredibly tight, and as personalities they were immediately endearing; enough to …

Do you remember the movies your teacher would make you watch in high school after you’d just finished a chapter in your history book or a crazy-long novel? Well, David Rocksavage’s recently re-released film Other Voices, Other Rooms is just that. The no-name actors, zealous accents and crazy costumes will put you right back into your third-row seat in Mrs. Johnson’s sophomore English class.
Based on the book by Truman Capote, Other Voices perpetuated two stereotypes that I have about people from the South: first, …

Every year, in America and the rest of the world, a plethora of documentary films are created examining a mass of different subjects and using a variety of different methods. Not often, however, do we sit back and really ask ourselves, “What is the purpose of these movies?” To simply inform and educate? To provide entertainment and enjoyment for the viewers? To raise awareness of oft-ignored issues? Surely, it’s usually a combination of all of those factors. Sometimes, however, these works can do …

I have never been to Australia, and perhaps it’s for the best. From listening to Australian pop acts such as the Go-Betweens and the Lucksmiths, I have formed an idea that their home country is a beautiful sunlit place where people happily burst into richer than homemade chocolate cake pop melodies without warning. No one even notices that they are all singing instead of speaking, and even the kangaroos stop whatever they’re doing when this happens and begin bouncing along to the music. …

I am a twenty-something male who takes perhaps a bit too much joy in his hair. My stylist of choice at my favorite salon is named Chuck, and he does fantastic work; which, frankly speaking, he’d better, considering the sum I pay him. The whole situation is fantastically stylish and absurdly, yet delightfully, posh…but no matter how I cut it, I am faced with a rather unsettling and inescapable fact. I am a murderer.
This is a rather recent revelation, and one that I credit …

Cary Grant will forever be known as one of Hollywood’s most seductive and interesting stars. Even twenty years after his death, Grant still owns the imaginations of film lovers. Perhaps it’s because there’s still more charisma hidden within Grant’s scattered ashes than there is in any major leading actor today. Or perhaps it’s because the old silver screen air of mystery is now officially dead, and icons such as Grant can no longer exist outside our memories. Society today is overburdened with the …

Cary Grant will forever be known as one of Hollywood’s most seductive and fascinating stars. Even twenty years after his death, Grant still owns the imaginations of film lovers. This week, the Modern Pea Pod celebrates this consummate icon with reviews of five of his classic films, as compiled on Sony’s new DVD box set. Day by day, we’ll show you some of the best and some of the worst of Grant’s canon. So bust out a nicely tailored suit, make yourself a nice …