Now playing on the Criterion Channel Hey there, cinephiles! We’re doing a slight overhaul on the Criterion Channel column. Now, I’m going to be posting shorter columns every Thursday with … Read More
An Ode To Carl Reiner – Revisiting “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”
The legendary Carl Reiner passed away early yesterday at 98 years old. He left behind decades of work in film and television. As my own personal tribute to Reiner, I … Read More
Movie Review: Binoche and Deneuve squabble over “The Truth”
Fabienne Dangeville, the septuagenarian film star played by Catherine Deneuve in The Truth (La Vérité), is an imposing, self-centered diva cut from the same cloth as Bette Davis’s Margo Channing in All About … Read More
Review: New stand-up hour from Eddie Pepitone, “For the Masses”
Eddie Pepitone, the Bitter Buddha, assesses America in the “end times” “WE HAVE TO GET IN THE STREETS AND FUCKING FIGHT! … Now I’m not going to be able to … Read More
Album review: Myq Kaplan’s “A.K.A.” is compassionate, confounding stand-up
Myq Kaplan’s newest album of wordy, nerdy stand-up comedy is out today. As he readily admits in his stand-up, Myq Kaplan (it’s pronounced “Mike”) can be an acquired taste. At … Read More
Movie Review: “The Booksellers” is a charming doc about print culture
The battle between physical and digital media rages on in The Booksellers. In general, I think we here at Pop Culture Beast are big fans of real objects: discs, action … Read More
April Criterion Channel Picks to Battle Pandemic Boredom
Stuck at home? Love movies? Here’s some excellent cinema available on the Criterion Channel subscription streaming service. I’m back again with a follow-up to last month’s batch of picks, highlighting … Read More
New Music Friday: R.E.M.’s “Monster” 25th Anniversary Box Set
R.E.M Monster (ed: this piece originally ran 12/19) The R.E.M. album Monster occupies an odd space in the band’s body of work. Released in 1994, at the peak … Read More
Film Review: The Perfect Candidate
The Perfect Candidate The Perfect Candidate opens up with our lead driving a car, a scene only significant because this is the story of a female doctor, and she lives … Read More
Criterion Channel Picks for the Self-Quarantined
Criterion Channel: The streaming service that’s an isolated cinephile’s dream As more and more of the U.S. joins the rest of the world in staying home, it turns out there … Read More
Album Review: Peter Green- The End of the Game
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Esoteric Recordings have reissued Peter Green’s debut album The End of the Game. Released in 1970, this was Green’s first release after leaving Fleetwood Mac. … Read More
Review: Little Women
Little Women I suppose I must start this review with the not very shocking admission that I loved the novel, Little Women. Well, of course I did, I am an … Read More
Review: Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers in Cincinnati, OH
Scrolling through Facebook, I see a sponsored post from my local venue, Bogarts: “Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers SOLD OUT!” The comments are… a bit of a mixed bag, to … Read More
Review: Hunter Killer
Review: Hunter Killer Oh my, Beasts – where do we start with this submarine nightmare? Not with any fond memories of 1995’s Crimson Tide, so stop those, stop it, rightnowstop! We … Read More