Music Video of the Day: Love is Strong by The Rolling Stones (1994, directed by David Fincher)


Love is Strong was the first single to be released off of the Rolling Stones’s 1994 album, Voodoo Lounge.  Since everyone already knew that the Rolling Stones were giants of music, the video for Love is Strong took the idea one step further by casting the Stones as actual giants, towering over New York City.

The video was directed by David Fincher.  Having already made a name for himself as a talented music video director before even making his first feature film, Fincher did this video after directing Alien 3 but before Seven.  Fincher has said that Alien 3 was such a frustrating experience that, after completing the film, he had no desire to ever make another feature.  (Of course, he would change his mind upon reading the script for Seven.)  As this video shows, even if Fincher had stopped making movies after Alien 3, he would still be remembered and highly regarded for his music videos.

Love is Strong subsequently won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video-winning song.

Four Color Apocalypse 2018 Year In Review : Top Ten Contemporary Collections


Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)'s avatarRyan C.'s Four Color Apocalypse

Once more into the breach — this time out, we take a look at my personal favorite contemporary collected editions of 2018, with “contemporary collected editions” specifically referring to books presenting work that was published somewhere else first, either as single issues, mini-comics, even just strips in various anthologies. The “contemporary” part of the equation means that these volumes need to present material that was published after the year 2000, as anything prior to that will fall into the “vintage collected editions” list that we’ll do in the next day or two. Final ground rule : English-language translations of Eurocomics and Manga are also eligible in this category (with the same chronological guidelines in play), since they  also, ya know, saw print somewhere else first. Let’s get right to it, then:

10. Compulsive Comics By Eric Haven (Fantagraphics) – Haven’s surreal strips appear far too infrequently, so getting two collections…

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Brute Farce: Wilder & Pryor Go STIR CRAZY (Columbia 1980)


gary loggins's avatarcracked rear viewer

Gene Wilder  and Richard Pryor weren’t really a comedy team at all, just two incredibly funny comic actors who happened to work well together.  Both were stars in their own right, first appearing together in the 1976 comedy-thriller SILVER STREAK, with Pryor in the pivotal supporting role as a thief who aides the in-danger Wilder. Audiences loved the chemistry between the two, and of course Hollywood took notice. STIR CRAZY is not a sequel, but a funny film of its own allowing Gene and Richard to be their loveably loony selves.

New Yorkers Skip Donahue (Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Pryor) are a couple of buds who’ve both lost their jobs. Playwright Skip’s a dreamer, while aspiring actor Harry’s a realist, but somehow Skip talks his pal into leaving The Big Apple to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood. Their cross-country trek ends when Harry’s decrepit Dodge van breaks down in…

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Here’s the AFI’s Top Ten for 2018!


Earlier, this Tuesday, the American Film Institute announced their picks for the top ten American films and television shows of 2018!  The AFI list is typically one of the most reliable Oscar precursors around.  It’s rare that an American film picks up a best picture nomination without first getting recognized by the AFI.

(Roma, being a Mexican film, was not eligible for AFI honors but it did receive a “special award.”)

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
BLACKKKLANSMAN
BLACK PANTHER
EIGHTH GRADE
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
THE FAVOURITE
FIRST REFORMED
GREEN BOOK
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
A QUIET PLACE
A STAR IS BORN

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
THE AMERICANS
THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
ATLANTA
BARRY
BETTER CALL SAUL
THE KOMINSKY METHOD
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
POSE
SUCCESSION
THIS IS US

AFI SPECIAL AWARD
ROMA

Music Video of the Day: Driving In My Car by Madness (1982, directed by Dave Robinson)


You may think that this song is actually about something other than driving a car but, according to keyboardist Mike Barson, you’re wrong.  As he explained it in The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters, “No, it wasn’t about sex … at that time there weren’t many people writing about simple things like driving in your car. You know: rolling your window down, the little joys of life, simple pleasures.”

The video is also a tribute to an actual white 1959 model Morris Minor that the band used to drive from gig to gig before hitting it big.  The video finds all the members of Madness playing mechanics and drivers.  As frontman Suggs once explained it, “Madness videos were seven extroverts all mucking about trying to outdo each other.”

(Suggs was born Graham McPherson.  He chose is his nickname while he was in school, by randomly sticking a pin in an encyclopedia of jazz musicians and hitting Peter Suggs.)

The video was directed by Dave Robinson, who also directed the video for Our House.

Trailer: Captain Marvel


Captain Marvel

Tonight we finally get to see the official trailer for Marvel Studio’s upcoming entry to their ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Just like Marvel Universe-616 which was born at the Big Bang and continues to expand ever outward there doesn’t seem to be any sign of the MCU suddenly collapsing under the weight of fan expectations and the imagination of the writers and filmmakers who have been tapped by Kevin Feige and group to usher in the Golden Age of Comic Book films.

This past summer, fans of the MCU were treated to the spectacle (and surprisingly emotional) that was Avengers: Infinity War. Those who stayed for the final stinger at the end of the credits of that film were treated to a clue as to who may just save the MCU from Thanos’ snap.

Captain Marvel will be Marvel Studio’s first female-led entry to the series. Some have been in the camp that Marvel took too long to do such a project while a small, albeit very vocal group think Marvel have been bit by the SJW bug.

For the most part the majority of fans are just excited to see the adventures of one Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel finally up on the big screen. We shall see this March 8 whether Captain Marvel lives up to the hype and excitement that has been building since the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

The Washington D.C. Film Critics Honor Roma!


Along with Detroit and Atlanta, the Washington D.C. Film Critics also announced their picks for the best of 2018 on Monday!  (Keeping up with awards season can be exhausting work!)  They really, really liked Roma!

You can check out their nominees here and the winners below!

Best Film:
Roma

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)

Best Actress:
Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)

Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Best Supporting Actress:
Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Best Acting Ensemble:
The Favourite

Best Youth Performance:
Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)

Best Voice Performance:
Bryan Cranston (Isle of Dogs)

Best Motion Capture Performance:
Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War)

Best Original Screenplay:
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (The Favourite)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Best Animated Feature:
Isle of Dogs

Best Documentary:
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Best Foreign Language Film:
Roma

Best Production Design:
Production Designer: Hannah Beachler; Set Decorator: Jay Hart (Black Panther)

Best Cinematography:
Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Best Editing:
Tom Cross, ACE (First Man)

Best Original Score:
Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Vice

The Detroit Film Critics Return To Eighth Grade!


The Detroit Film Critics announced their picks for the best in 2018 on Monday.  You can check out their nominees here and the winners below!

Best Film Eighth Grade

Best Director Adam McKay, Vice

Best Actress Toni Collette, Hereditary

Best Best Actor Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Best Supporting Actress Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Supporting Actor Josh Hamilton, Eighth Grade

EnsembleVice 

Best Screenplay [TIE] Green Book and Vice

Best Documentary Film Three Identical Strangers

Best Animated Film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Breakthrough Writer/Director Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade

Best Use of Music A Star is Born

The Atlanta Film Critics Circle have a favorite and it’s The Favourite!


The Atlanta Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2018 on Monday and their favorite was …. The Favourite!

Here’s a full list of the winners:

Top Ten Films

1. THE FAVOURITE
2. A STAR IS BORN
3. ROMA
4. A QUIET PLACE
5. FIRST REFORMED
6. EIGHTH GRADE
7. BLACKkKLANSMAN
8. Tie: FIRST MAN
8. Tie: WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
10. BLACK PANTHER

Best Lead Actor
Ethan Hawke in FIRST REFORMED

Best Lead Actress
Olivia Colman in THE FAVOURITE

Best Supporting Actor
Sam Elliott in A STAR IS BORN

Best Supporting Actress
Emma Stone in THE FAVOURITE

Best Ensemble Cast
THE FAVOURITE

Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón for ROMA

Best Screenplay
THE FAVOURITE

Best Documentary
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

Best Foreign Language Film
ROMA

Best Animated Film
ISLE OF DOGS

Best Cinematography
Alfonso Cuarón for ROMA

Best Original Score
Justin Hurwitz for FIRST MAN

AFCC Special Award for BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER
Tie: Elsie Fisher (EIGHTH GRADE) and Lady Gaga (A STAR IS BORN)

AFCC Special Award for BEST FIRST FILM
Bradley Cooper for A STAR IS BORN