Paul Rader was one of the first artists that I ever profiled on this site. Rader was such a prolific cover artist that I’ve decided to do a second post about Rader, featuring even more of his covers! A native of Brooklyn, Paul Rader was born in 1906, studied art in Europe and had his first museum exhibition at the age of 16, and worked regularly until he passed away in 1986. Rader was so well-regarded by the industry that he was one of the few cover artists allowed to sign his work. With his strong attention to detail and his portraits of strong and powerful women, Rader was responsible for some of the best-known covers of the paperback era.
It’s become a bit of a cliché to compare Jake Bugg to Bob Dylan but then you hear a song like Trouble Town and you really don’t have any choice. Fortunately, it’s a favorable comparison. The Dylan influence is obvious but Jake Bugg still makes every song his own.
This video was shot in Bugg’s hometown of Clifton, Nottingham.
Everyone but me is excited about the World Cup. (Especially Alexandre Rothier!) Here’s my feeling towards soccer:
In other news, this was another busy week so I didn’t get to do, watch, read, or write as much as I wanted to. I was going to take some time here to write about the horror of getting stung by a fire ant while running around barefoot on Friday but then I learned that the TSL’s own Patrick Smith got bitten by a (nonvenomous) snake on Saturday and that kind of put everything in perspective. Oh, and don’t worry, Pat survived!
Last week’s E3 saw the release of too many trailers for me to share them all in just one post but I would like to share the trailers for 12 games that I am especially looking forward to. In alphabetical order, these are my 12 top trailers from this year’s E3:
Lisa asked me to do a round-up of all the trailer that were released this week and the first rule of working at Through the Shattered Lens is that when Lisa asks you to do something, you do it.
To start things off, here’s the trailer that everyone was talking about this week. Tim Burton’s live action version of Dumbo looks like it could be something special. I’ve seen a horse fly. I’ve seen a dragon fly. I’ve seen a house fly. And now, on March 29th, 2019, I’ll finally see an elephant fly!
In this next trailer, Benedict Cumberbatch is The Grinch! On November 9th, The Grinch’s heart will grow by three sizes. Hopefully, a cardiologist will be on duty.
Unfriended: Dark Web is either a horror sequel or an extended LifeLock commercial. Unfriended: Dark Web will be infecting a screen near you on July 20th.
Based on the novel by Sarah Waters and directed by Lenny (Room) Abrahamson, The Little Stranger will be visiting theaters on August 31st.
The Nun is being advertised as “the darkest chapter in The Conjuring Universe,” which is apparently now a thing just like the MCU and the DCEU. Say a prayer for us all because The Nun will be hitting screens on September 7th.
If you liked the trailer for The Nun, you might want to go through The Devil’s Doorway with IFC Midnight on July 13th.
If you survive stepping through The Devil’s Doorway, consider pledging to The Row on July 27th.
And finally, coming to DVD soon, It Came From The Desert!
Produced by Martin Bregman, directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino, the 1983 remake of Scarface is one of the best-known, most iconic gangster films ever made. It opened to mixed reviews but it’s gone on to be recognized as a classic. Everyone can quote the script: “Say hello to my little friend!” “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.” “Say goodnight to the bad guy!”
Scarface starts with one of my favorite opening scenes of all time. Powered by Giorgio Moroder’s score, the opening credits of Scarface play out over footage of the real-life Mariel boatlift. Combined with footage of Fidel Castro ranting that Cuba does not need the Marielitos, this opening gives real-world credibility to everything that follows. We then segue from the actual boatlift to Al Pacino as Tony Montana, answering questions with that shit-eating grin on his face.
Listen to the interrogation scene carefully and you’ll hear both Charles Durning and Dennis Franz, dubbing the lines of the actors who played the immigration agents.
Long-time producer Martin Bregman died yesterday at the age of 92. Bregman, who started out as a talent agent, was well-known for producing several of Al Pacino’s best films. This edition of 4 Shots From 4 Films is dedicated to his memory.
4 Shots From 4 Films
Serpico (1973, directed by Sideny Lumet)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975, directed by Sidney Lumet)
Through the Shattered Lens 