Recent FeaturesFriday, November 6 2009
Fast Food TVThe Next Iron Chef is not a show about cooking. It is a show about people freaking out; cooking just happens to be what they’re doing while they’re freaking out.
Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu NoirThese five films from the golden-era of the legendary Nikkatsu studio shows off the never-ending ways Japanese filmmakers were able to combine the best elements of pulp and epic Japanese storytelling. Thursday, November 5 2009
Nirvana: BleachStarting with Nevermind, Kurt Cobain intentionally simplified his compositions in order to emphasize their pop components. Less song-focused than later Nirvana works, Bleach acts as an interesting showcase of the band’s musical chops. Wednesday, November 4 2009
Leaving Las Vegas and Leaving for GoodUsing Ben in Leaving Las Vegas as a gauge to measure myself against, my life wasn’t anywhere close to as bad as it could be, but people who thought they had better control of their drinking than me still fuck their lives right up, so....
Nicholson Baker’s Enthusiasms and Passionate ObsessionsNicholson Baker writes from his enthusiasms, which are many and ever changing. Among other things, his books have focused on sex, John Updike, public libraries, and pacifism and World War II. His latest, The Anthologist, is his love letter to poetry. Tuesday, November 3 2009
Celebrating the Death of the Dark Knight – and His RebirthWith the recent passing of Bruce Wayne, can the Batman character escape the tragedy of Bruce Wayne's life that originally birthed it?
Get Holy: An Interview With John Darnielle of the Mountain GoatsUpon the release of the Mountain Goats' latest album, the band's founder and songwriter talks about the literary influences on his prolific output and the biblical theme of his latest opus. Monday, November 2 2009
10 Rules on How to Sink or Swim at CMJThough several bands demanded double-takes, and many impressed, there were no obvious standouts at this year's CMJ. Instead, our writers found bands that exemplified standards for success, and failure, putting together ten rules on how to sink or swim at CMJ.
How Far Is Too Far?: Navigating the World of Young Adult FictionIn the world of "edgy" young adult fiction, there's a tendency to either bury real world consequences, or exploit the darker material for all it's worth. But where does that leave the young readers grappling with the content? Sunday, November 1 2009
Old CanesStealing Kurt Vonnegut books? Getting choked up during M*A*S*H? Appleseed Cast frontman Chris Crisci talks about all of these things and more as his folk-affected side-project releases their second album. Friday, October 30 2009
Agonies of an ‘Antichrist’: Lars von Trier in the Forest of UnreasonDespite the efforts of some to dismiss it as a prank, Antichrist is a serious film and its disturbing extremes speak of broad and deeply felt moral, social, and ultimately, political anxieties. Thursday, October 29 2009
Syfy ‘Ghost Hunters’: Living Normally Within Paranormal Pop CultureJason Hawes and Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters have transcended the paranormal entertainment niche, become lasting pop-culture mainstays, and are busiest men in the ghost business.
Wonder: The Photos of Stephanie ChernikowskiChernikowski's 35mm black-and-white stills (a sampling of which is included in the Museum of Modern Art’s Looking at Music: Side 2 exhibit this fall) exude more than just an appreciation for the magnetic personalities they capture, but also a sense of discovery. Wednesday, October 28 2009
20 Questions: Fuck ButtonsStealing penguins! A secret connection with Garfield! Dropping fruit pastille in the primordial ooze! Experimental UK noise duo Fuck Buttons discuss this and more.
Running the Voodoo Down: An Interview with Meshell NdegeocelloWith a new understanding of herself (and a new album to go with), the innovative singer Meshell Ndegeocello freely talks about some of her controversial lyrics, her deepest inspirations, and how she's reached a point where she doesn't need to prove anything anymore ... Tuesday, October 27 2009
Barb JohnsonFrom a balcony overlooking the flood of New Orleans to 'The Bubble' laundromat, where the city's characters come to wash it all out, award-winning author Barb Johnson talks with PopMatters 20 Questions.
The Deafening Quiet of Kings of ConvenienceErlend Øye chats with PopMatters about the influence of French house music, his hatred of flutes, and why his dashing musical partner is such a hit with teenage Korean girls. Monday, October 26 2009
Bored New World: How the Zach Braff Prototype Is Slowly Killing American MusicNatalie Portman popped headphones onto Zach Braff's head and said, "This song will change your life." The resulting sound was not only that of carefully composed dullness, but of a million wealthy white kids investing in dull acoustic music to soundtrack their own romantic melodrama. Sunday, October 25 2009
The 47th Annual New York Film FestivalThere were plenty of films in the New York Film Festival that captured similar redemptive moments and there is nothing esoteric, depressing or arduous about that. Friday, October 23 2009
PopMatters @ 10PopMatters celebrates its birthday this week with a series of essays on cultural changes over our 10-year lifespan. Today: Mark Reynolds on "The Long and Short of Long-Form Journalism" and Nikki Tranter on "Exit from Nowheresville: My 10 Years with PopMatters". |
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