Tuesday, November 17 2009
Referencing & Recycling
A true passion for cinema is something that effortlessly shines through the work of the greatest filmmakers. We've seen homages to classic films, in this year alone, in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds, Judd Apatow's Funny People and Lee Daniels' Precious, but no contemporary director references film history as commandingly as Almodovar.
20 Questions: Alison Brie and Donald Glover of ‘Community’
Alison Brie, who plays Trudy on Mad Men and Donald Glover, who wrote for 30 Rock before joining the Community cast, indulge in a friendly, teasing, tête à tête of sorts, as they consider PopMatters 20 Questions.
Monday, November 16 2009
Pedro Almodóvar 101
Almodovar 101 takes a look at some of the Spanish auteur's greatest hits - from Pepi, Luci and Bom up through Volver, a crack team of PopMatters film writers/Almodovar experts from New Jersey to Madrid are on hand to guide readers through the vivid world of the director.
Friday, November 13 2009
25 Classic Beatles Songs
They're not necessarily the “best songs” in their storied catalogue, but these are the songs through which (perhaps) we might gain the deepest appreciation for their popular genius.
The Records, Day Five: 1970 and Beyond
And, in the end... With the release of Abbey Road, the Beatles ceased to be a band. They became, forever more, an idea: the go-to example, the archetype, of the rock'n'roll group. How do we remember the Beatles? How do we pay tribute?
We Few, We Happy Few, We Bandaged Brothers: Jeff Lemire’s The Nobody and the Quest for Self
A touching, heartfelt meditation on identity and isolation in a small town, Jeff Lemire is able to redress an H.G. Wells classic and make it as timely and disturbing as ever.
Thursday, November 12 2009
The Records, Day Four: 1968-1969
From 1968-1969, the Beatles went from being a fractious group to a merely fractured one. However, along the way, as they headed off in their different directions, they managed to come up with some of their most enduring material.
We’re Going to See the Beatles: The Ed Sullivan Show
The Beatles managed to spend the morning of the next day, Feb. 8th, in relative quiet. On Sunday, they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and it was the night Beatlemania exploded.
Beatlemania: The Defiance of a Generation
The Beatles presented an outlet for people to express their emotions by offering musical and stylistic satisfaction. Listeners were united through a common cause: the music spoke to them and for them.
Nothing is Real: The Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine’
The Yellow Submarine exists. It’s not a mirage, or a mind game. Someone, inspired by the Beatles, built the Yellow Submarine, and it exits to this day.
Wednesday, November 11 2009
The Records, Day Three: 1966-1967
The psychedelic trilogy -- Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour -- stands as the artistic peak of a band that had retreated into the studio and found untold riches there.
The Four-Color Adventures of the Fab Four: The Beatles and Comic Books
Comics have often used characters from Greek and Norse mythology to populate their books. What we see with the following examples is that the Beatles had, at the time, become the new mythology.
The Gospel According to Butch: Part 1—The Producer
Butch Walker talks with PopMatters about the music industry, the problems that young bands frequently succumb to in the studio, and why it's more important to write songs than design T-shirts.
Tuesday, November 10 2009
The Records, Day Two: 1964-1965
From December 1964 to December 1965 -- re-meet the Beatles as they made the transition from the world's best bar band to the forerunners of folk-rock. Has any band ever had such an astoundingly productive 12-months?
Yin and Yang: The Beatles - ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ vs. ‘Help!’
Aside from such obvious aspects -- including the difference between black and white and color film stock -- the back and forth between the films was also reflective of their burgeoning creative output.
The Beatles: A Legacy of Innovation and Elusiveness
While innovation is important to help push music forward, it is ultimately less important than elusiveness.
A Working Class Family: Ed and Edie Falco
PopMatters talks with Ed Falco and his niece, actor Edie Falco, about their life in the arts and Ed's gritty new novel, Saint John of the Five Boroughs.
Monday, November 9 2009
The Records, Day One: 1963-1964
Meeting the Beatles for the first time, what did we hear? Did we know? Could we have ever known? Today, we will look at the first three shots from the Fab Four, from 1963-1964. To Re-meet the Beatles, start here.
