Confessions of a Conservative Atheist
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There’s a lesson here for modern filmmakers, who seem positively obsessed with developing backstories, explanatory and obligatory rules, and more in the service of some kind of world building, as though every film must exist in some kind of broader universe with a meaningful beginning, middle, and end. The Wraith, starring Charlie Sheen and Sherilynn… Continue reading Charlie Sheen’s The Wraith and the simple genius of 1980s filmmaking
Other than the candy, it seemed to Otto, who was a simple man, that Halloween was an entire holiday devoted exclusively to fear, well beyond mischief night or the day itself, and being frightened was something he spent his entire life avoiding. Otto had a big problem with Halloween. He liked the candy well enough,… Continue reading Otto and the ghost that cried, being a fictionalized account of a man who was scared of Halloween
The past is memory, memory is a ghost and also a dream, the dream is a lie, and yet we still cannot stop ourselves from trying. “The River” isn’t a happy song, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility of redemption in some unforeseen future. Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” isn’t a happy song. The music, complete… Continue reading Springsteen’s “The River” and the ghost of redemption
A 73 year old rocker and his equally old band are still playing close-to three hour shows, doubling the length and intensity of acts half their age. We’re in uncharted territory and few things illustrate it better than a live performance of “Jungleland” at Madison Square Garden. Last Saturday, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street… Continue reading Bruce Springsteen has no equal or even an apt comparison
The master director never said what he is claimed to have said regarding a ghost opening the larder door in the famous scene. It is a quote that is often taken grossly out of context to justify the existence of ghosts in his cinematic masterpiece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BZ9J3joPpI Stanley Kubrick did not actually say what he is… Continue reading YouTube video: Stanley Kubrick never said there were ghosts in The Shining
To my knowledge, there aren’t many arena rock anthems about dead musicians haunting the singer, but somehow Springsteen manages to pull it off by blending the old and the new, combining old things in new ways in classic form. Who says an artist can’t produce some of their best work at 70 years old? It’s… Continue reading Springsteen’s Ghosts: Living proof that a truly great rock song can be written in any era by an artist of any age
Confessions of a Conservative Atheist 