Dante A. Ciampaglia

The Critical Untimeliness of Ultimate Prince

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

A look at the Ultimate Prince that almost never was, the two Prince fans caught up in this final Warner Bros. project, and the prince of the SuperBowl XLI halftime show who may, ultimately, save the record. [2 February 2007]

Winners at Last

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

This wasn't your typical celebratory parade of controlled chaos. It was simply chaos. Pure, glorious chaos. [15 February 2006]

Inventing Is Art, But the Inventor Is Not Always an Artist

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Thomas Edison, a cinematic artist? Probably not. But according to our resident film historian, his place in the annals of motion pictures -- and their technology -- is secure. [15 March 2006]

(more The Lumierenary)

F is for Film; F is for Fraud

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Trying to determine why classic films are turning up with greater frequency on his yearly lists, The Lumierenary has discovered a startling truth about Hollywood: the remake has ruined it. [15 February 2006]

(more The Lumierenary)

Black (and Blue) and White and Red All Over

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

In his debut column on classic films, Ciampaglia digs deep into Alexander MacKendrick's oft-forgotten Sweet Smell of Success, a 1957 cinematic treat (like a cookie full of arsenic). [10 January 2006]

(more The Lumierenary)

Breakfast of the Gods Book One

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Who doesn't remember watching Saturday Morning Cartoons and seeing commercials for how Cap'n Crunch was abducted by the Soggies and you -- yes, you! -- were the only one who could save him? [28 March 2007]

Catching Lucifers Lunch

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

The Mays Brothers never root the reader in any sort of identification, rendering the aesthetic pleasure a mere superficiality. [7 February 2007]

Children of the Grave

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

The audience can choose to read the book straight, in which case there is a cracking yarn to be found and enjoyed, or they can read between the lines, where a less-than-stellar moral battle is being waged. [30 January 2007]

The Best American Comics 2006

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

By virtue of Pekar's immersion in the comix underground, he's uniquely equipped to lead newcomers on a tour of the best graphic work of the past year that reveals its depth and breadth. [25 January 2007]

Talent #1

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Reading the first issue is like skimming through a hit parade of some of sci-fi and pop culture's greatest hits from the past 15 years. [11 October 2006]

Hero Squared #1-2

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

It's not about being a hero; it's about questioning why heroes are heroes and why "normal" people are not. [3 October 2006]

Vampire Loves

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

It is as noteworthy for its good-natured enjoyment as it is for its ability to take ideas and plot elements which have been fodder for graphic novels for years and construct them into a wholly original tale. [25 July 2006]

The Lost Colony

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Like the island and the people at the center of this tale, The Lost Colony, while off the beaten path, is worth exploring. [19 July 2006]

Wedding Crashers (2005)

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers might have made it safe for adults to go back to big-screen comedies in 2005, but it was the latter that reminded those viewers that adulthood doesn't mean growing up -- at least in the traditional sense. [3 March 2006]

Dave Chappelles Block Party (2006)

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Block Party sustains a balance between good-natured light-heartedness social commentary.

Unknown Chaplin: The Master at Work (1986)

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

With its brilliantly in-depth and astutely investigated look at Chaplin's work, as well as its incredibly detailed and loving reconstruction of lost footage from nearly every phase of his career, this documentary should have a home in any film lover's collection. [2 February 2006]