Arts Review
A new film version of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina (and Sean Baker’s Starlet)
By Joanne Laurier, December 22, 2012
British filmmaker Joe Wright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard have collaborated on a new film adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic novel. Starlet tells the story of a relationship between two women in California’s San Fernando Valley.
Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty: Hollywood embraces the “dark side”
By Bill Van Auken, December 20, 2012
Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty brings to film-making what “embedded” reporting did for journalism—an uncritical embrace of and identification with the military-intelligence complex and its crimes.
Ravi Shankar, acclaimed Indian musician, dies at 92
By Kapila Fernando, K. Ratnayake, Peter Symonds, December 20, 2012
What was unique about Ravi Shankar was the breadth of his interests, willingness to experiment and passion for making classical Indian music available to the world.
“Andrew Marr’s History of the World”: A slur against revolution
By Thomas Scripps, December 19, 2012
Media slurs against socialism are commonplace, but rarely are they as pointed and mired in historical distortions as those advanced in the recent BBC series.
The Life of Pi: In a lifeboat alone with a tiger
By David Walsh, December 15, 2012
The new film directed by Taiwanese-born Ang Lee is based on a 2001 novel—winner of the Booker Prize—by Canadian author Yann Martel.
Death Grips’ No Love Deep Web: A terminally destructive message
By Zac Corrigan, December 13, 2012
Death Grips are a trio from Sacramento, California, composed of vocalist MC Ride (Stefan Burnett), percussionist Zach Hill and producer Andy “Flatlander” Morin.
The Central Park Five: A story of injustice
By Joanne Laurier, December 12, 2012
Directed and produced by renowned documentarian Ken Burns, daughter Sarah Burns and her husband David McMahon, The Central Park Five chronicles an infamous case in 1989.
Jazz musician Dave Brubeck dies at 91
By Hiram Lee, December 10, 2012
A significant figure in postwar American culture, Brubeck’s classic 1959 album Time Out sold a million copies, the first jazz album to hold that distinction.
Elliott Carter (1908-2012) and the crisis of contemporary music
By Fred Mazelis, December 6, 2012
American composer Elliott Carter reflected the trajectory of Western classical music in the past century.
Nirvana’s Nevermind re-issued by Sony/Universal
Assessing an American pop icon
By Nick Barrickman, December 5, 2012
In late 2011, a re-mastered edition of the seminal album Nevermind by pop-punk band Nirvana was released, marking the work’s 20th anniversary.
Dangerous Remedy: Bertram Wainer and the struggle for abortion rights
By Richard Phillips, December 3, 2012
New Australian telemovie falsely marketed as crime drama.
Silver Linings Playbook: It’s the little things in life …
By Joanne Laurier, November 29, 2012
In this comedy-drama, former substitute history teacher Pat has just been released from a psychiatric facility when he meets Tiffany, the widow of a policeman. Together they struggle to overcome their difficulties.
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