Director Adam Rehmeier on His Abrasive Punk Comedy with a Sweet Heart, ‘Dinner in America’
Director Adam Rehmeier talks with PopMatters about the making of his subversive punk comedy, Dinner in America, produced by Ben Stiller.
music
That Rare Occasion of Freedom: Filmmaker Boaz Yakin on Making ‘Aviva’
Filmmaker Boaz Yakin talks with PopMatters about the liberating experience of forsaking tone and not caring if he makes a cent on his gender-swapping, story-told-through-dance, not-from-Hollywood film, Aviva.
Nöthin’ But a Good Time Parties Like It’s 1989
Nöthin’ But a Good Time takes readers on a loud tour of the monster decade of the ’80s, but not for the reasons you’d think.
‘Sound Storing Machines’ Boldly Assembles Some of the Earliest Japanese Recordings
A veritable rainstorm of temporal noise pours down between sounds of early 20th century Japan and the audience on Sublime Frequencies’ Sound Storing Machine.
Martyrs and Murderers and Post-Punk Dialogues Between Dublin and Detroit
Dublin's the Murder Capital and Detroit's Protomartyr both delve into murky existential lyrical terrain as riotous riffs reverberate and drums pound militantly, infusing the atmosphere with ominous sonic shadows.
‘Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President’ Portrays an Over-Simplified Man
The nostalgic, feel-good documentary, ‘Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President’, explores Carter’s connections to the music world but misses a lot about this not-so-simple man.
Beauty and Horror in George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The characters in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, distinct as they are, besiege the viewer's mind as metaphors, mythic exemplars of a disturbing legacy America seems unable or unwilling to address.
NYFF: ‘American Utopia’ Sets a Glorious Tone for Our Difficult Times
Spike Lee's crisp concert film of David Byrne's Broadway show, American Utopia, embraces the hopes and anxieties of the present moment.
On Bruce Springsteen’s Music in Film and TV
Bruce Springsteen's music in film and television captured author Caroline Madden's imagination. She discuses her book, Springsteen as Soundtrack, and other things Springsteen in this interview.
Wendy Carlos: Musical Pioneer, Reluctant Icon
Amanda Sewell's vastly informative new biography on musical trailblazer Wendy Carlos is both reverent and honest.
Journalist Jonathan Cott’s Interviews, Captured
With his wide-ranging interviews, journalist Jonathan Cott explores “the indispensable and transformative powers of the imagination.”
‘Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar’ (excerpt)
Ravi Shankar was bemused by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and other bands using the sitar in rock music. Enjoy this excerpt from biography Indian Sun, by Oliver Craske (who worked with Shankar on his 1997 autobiography), courtesy of Hachette Books.