Film Review: “Queer”

Guadagnino’s soul-searching adaptation is a mixed bag of moods

If you’re familiar with the literary works of William S. Burroughs, then perhaps you won’t be surprised that film adaptations of his novels contain a strong sense of surreality, auto-biographicality, and intense intimacy. The latter characteristic is also prevalently featured in the works of director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name; Challengers). Despite Guadagnino and Burroughs’ shared love for portraying romantic physicality, and Daniel Craig’s impressively daring and vulnerable performance, Guadagnino’s adaptation of the Burroughs short novel, Queer, tries and often fails to properly balance the two artists’ stylistic approaches. Continue reading “Film Review: “Queer””

Film Review: “The Order”

Hoult and Law bolster The Order’s thrilling real-world drama

This has been a monumental year for Nicholas Hoult. He has starred in four films: The Garfield Movie, Juror #2, The Order, and the upcoming Nosferatu. It’s difficult to envision a wider-range of films for an actor in one year, and The Order may be his most consequential role. In The Order, Hoult shares the spotlight with Jude Law, who is also playing against type. The film follows a series of real-life events that took place in the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s, with themes that continue to be relevant given the U.S.’s turbulent state of current political affairs. Procedural and moody, The Order avoids preachiness in favor of character exploration and thrilling action set pieces. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Order””

Single of the Week: “Young Lion” by Sade Adu

There’s a chance you’ve already uncovered this. There is also a good chance that you are coming out of a heated Thanksgiving dinner where somebody ranted about how there are “only two genders” and something cruel and dehumanizing. You need something warm and comforting from someone of the baby boom generation. God bless you, Sade. This is only her third single in the last 14 years, and it’s a potent ballad dedicated to her trans son. The video is lovely, warm, and affectionate, and it is a lovely, caring antidote to all the vile we expect to deal with over the next four years. 

“Young Lion” is a track off TRAN?A, a compilation from the Red Hot organization to raise money for various trans organizations worldwide. The compilation also features unreleased tracks from Andre` 3000, Wendy + Lisa, Hand Habits, SOAK, claire rosay, Jeff Tweedy, and too many others to list. 

 

Film Review: “Wicked: Part I”

Skip this trip to Oz

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, l.) and Galinda (Ariana Grande) become friends after a rocky start.

There are three main things you need to know if you’re considering seeing Wicked, the cinematic adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical. First: Be aware that it’s very long–almost three hours. Second: Most of the movie posters for the film haven’t emphasized this fact–and only recently did IMDB change the film’s title from just Wicked to Wicked: Part I–but the film that opens today is indeed only PART ONE of a two-part adaptation. The movie released today corresponds to the live musical’s first act. That means that somehow the production’s entire story–which managed to be told in a nearly three hour live musical (including an intermission, no less)–has, in the hands of director John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians; In the Heights), become an interminable six hour filmic experience, with the two individual movies running just as long as the original musical itself, while each only telling half the story. Which brings us to point three: While the film is a visual feast, featuring exceptional production design and cinematography, its stretched-out story drags, meanders, and is often mind numbingly dull.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Wicked: Part I””

Single of the Week: “All Star Breakfast” by Odie Leigh & Field Medic

Odie Leigh might be the artist I found this year that I’ve spent the most time with. Her debut record, Carrier Pigeon, has been on perpetual rotation on my turntable for the last two months or so, and her Outside Lands set continues to eat up important brain space. “All Star Breakfast” is a tender ode to Bob’s Big Boy, a restaurant that I loved in my youth but haven’t seen in real life in quite some time. It’s also a tender ode to love, in general, and is a classic country duet with Field Medic. It’s a nice little ditty, full of warm harmonies and just a wift of fresh coffee eminates through the speakers. 

“All Star Breakfast” is a stand alone single, and can be enjoyed in all the usual places. Her last leg of 2024 hits the west coast soon, and it’s a show that you shouldn’t miss. Those tour dates can be found here! 

Show Review: Testament, Kreator, and Possessed at The Hollywood Palladium, 10-26-2024

Klash of the Titans

I love heavy metal. Shocking, I know, and there are still so many legendary heavy metal bands that I’ve never seen, so whenever a chance arises, I try to snap it up. So when I found out that Testament and Kreator were going to tour together and that, on top of that, they got Possessed to join in? I couldn’t beg fast enough for that press pass!

Continue reading “Show Review: Testament, Kreator, and Possessed at The Hollywood Palladium, 10-26-2024”

Film Review: “Gladiator II”

Gladiator II forgoes emotion in favor of blood and spectacle

In the summer of 2000, Gladiator reinvigorated audiences’ desire for the sword-and-sandal epic. This subgenre had mostly been relegated to the “classics” section of movie rental stores, with the likes of Spartacus and Conan the Barbarian. And yet, the subgenre died out again after the Gladiator copies had their swings at glory in the early-2000s. Unfortunately, very few directors like Sir Ridley Scott have the talent to produce a sword-and-sandal epic. So here we find ourselves, in 2024, and Sir Ridley is again hoping to re-popularize the subgenre with Gladiator II, a sequel to the Best Picture and Best Actor Oscar-winning 2000 film. While undoubtedly entertaining from start to finish and featuring a stellar Denzel Washington performance, Gladiator II suffers from the flaws of “sequelitis” and an insecurity about whether audiences recall the original film. Continue reading “Film Review: “Gladiator II””

Show Review: The The at The Fox Theater – Oakland, 11/7/24

On November 7, 2024, The The returned to the stage at Oakland’s historic Fox Theater, presenting a performance that transcended the boundaries of a standard rock concert—with a two-set format and no supporting act, the evening highlighted their new album, Ensoulment, and a retrospective of their catalog, offering a reflective journey that resonated profoundly with fans. Continue reading “Show Review: The The at The Fox Theater — Oakland, 11/7/24”

Film Review: “A Real Pain”

A Real Pain is a real success for Eisenberg

Benji (Kieran Culkin, l.) and his cousin David (Jesse Eisenberg) have lunch during their group tour of Poland.

If you loved Kieran Culkin as the brutally honest but sensitive Roman Roy in Succession, you’re bound to enjoy his work in A Real Pain. As Benji in Jesse Eisenberg’s new film, Culkin creates a similar character whose lack of social filters and often inappropriate bluntness masks deep empathy and pain. Eisenberg also co-stars as Benji’s more buttoned up cousin, David. The duo’s performances help make A Real Pain one of the year’s best films. 

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SF SKETCHFEST ON SALE SUNDAY AT 10 AM PST

It’s been an embarrassment of riches for those in the market for distractions from the pending end of America. Noise Pop dropped their Phase 1 lineup on Wednesday. Mosswood Meltdown gave us their first five acts on Thursday. And today, SF Sketchfest just pulled out ANOTHER absolutely apeshit lineup. 

I’ll get the annual Nerd’s Guide to you at some point after I’m done digging into the 8,000,000 acts performing. Highlights include Bill Murray doing two nights at Great American Music Hall, Riki Lindhome doing her one-woman show about fertility, the great Kathryn Hahn in conversation with the great David Wain, Tim Curry making his first public appearance in a VERY long time in conversation with Peaches Christ, and just plain TOO MANY THINGS TO LIST—tickets on sale Sunday at 10 am. The schedule and tickets are here.