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music

“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” keeps The Bee Gees alive

Bee Gees How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
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Frank Marshall directs a moving documentary about the legendary trio whose success endured ego clashes & fickle fans.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on December 8, 2020December 8, 2020

“Shawn Mendes: In Wonder” is a glossy portrait of a young star

Shawn Mendes: In Wonder
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Netflix’s latest pop-star documentary is a bit too treacly and devoid of conflict to dig into the complexities of its young star’s career.

Sydney Urbanek Posted on November 25, 2020November 25, 2020

“Zappa” is one of The Mothers of recent music docs

Zappa
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Alex Winter’s look at the multi-hyphenate is an expansive two hours bolstered by its unseen footage and stellar editing.

Matt Cipolla Posted on November 25, 2020November 25, 2020

NYFF 58: “David Byrne’s American Utopia” is an explosion of music and humanism

David Byrne's American Utopia
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Spike Lee captures all the vibrancy and social import of Byrne’s rightly-acclaimed Broadway show.

Clint Worthington Posted on September 24, 2020September 24, 2020

“Almost Famous” is still even-keeled escapism

Almost Famous
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Cameron Crowe’s rock and roll dramedy may not be the most realistic tale, but it’s a keen mix of chaotic and crowd-pleasing.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on September 21, 2020September 19, 2020

Terence Blanchard on scoring “Da 5 Bloods”

Terence Blanchard Da 5 Bloods
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Spike Lee’s longtime collaborator talks about using new instruments in his latest score, honoring Black veterans, and representation in film composing.

Clint Worthington Posted on June 22, 2020June 22, 2020

Necessity is the mother of invention: Tamar-kali on “Shirley”

Tamar-kali Shirley
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The Afropunk musician-turned-composer talks to us about diving into the complicated musical psyche of Shirley Jackson.

Clint Worthington Posted on June 5, 2020July 2, 2020

“The High Note” stays in familiar octaves but nails the melody

THE HIGH NOTE
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Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson have killer chemistry in a sunny if formulaic music dramedy.

B.L. Panther Posted on May 27, 2020May 26, 2020

Michael Abels Returns to his Symphonic Roots for “Bad Education”

Michael Abels Bad Education
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The composer of Get Out and Us discusses a return to his classical roots with Cory Finley’s Bad Education.

Clint Worthington Posted on April 25, 2020April 25, 2020

Mark Isham and Isabella Summers on “Little Fires Everywhere”‘s Music

Mark Isham Isabella Summers Little Fires Everywhere
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The veteran composer and Florence and the Machine producer collaborate on the intrigue and pop covers of Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere.

Clint Worthington Posted on April 22, 2020April 23, 2020

Paul Leonard-Morgan Puts the Future to Music in “Tales from the Loop”

Paul Leonard-Morgan Tales from the Loop
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The composer discusses crafting the delicate, otherworldly rhythms of Amazon’s sci-fi anthology series.

Clint Worthington Posted on April 3, 2020April 3, 2020

Jeff Russo on Crafting the Sounds of “Star Trek: Picard”

Jeff Russo Star Trek Picard
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The Emmy-winning composer talks about carrying the torch of Star Trek’s sixty-year musical history.

Clint Worthington Posted on March 27, 2020March 27, 2020

“I Still Believe” Preaches (and Rocks) to the Choir

I Still Believe
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The Erwin Brothers’ Christian romance aims for crossover appeal, but can’t quite rock its way into the free world.

Marshall Estes Posted on March 12, 2020March 13, 2020

The Neoliberal Time Capsule of “Ricki and the Flash”

Ricki and the Flash
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Jonathan Demme’s final film is a flawed, fascinating time capsule into Obama-era politics.

B.L. Panther Posted on February 29, 2020February 28, 2020

All Things Pass Into the Night: Jonathan Demme’s Soundtracks

Jonathan Demme Soundtracks
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Jonathan Demme’s personally curated soundtracks added color, style & iconic moments to some of his most famous films.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on February 28, 2020February 25, 2020

“An Evening With Vaginal Davis” Revisits Web 1.0 Queer Cinema

Vaginal Davis The White to Be Angry
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A new exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago highlights the transgressive days of dial-up camp.

Theo Estes Posted on February 7, 2020February 7, 2020

The Hip-Hop Bushido Code of “Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai”

Ghost Dog Way of the Samurai
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Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai sees Jim Jarmusch integrating hip-hop atmosphere with samurai genre trappings to create a dorm-room favorite.

David Rollison Posted on January 18, 2020January 18, 2020

Since His Debut, Jim Jarmusch Has Been on “Permanent Vacation”

Permanent Vacation
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We look back at Jim Jarmusch’s film debut and the way its sense of experimentation ripples through the rest of his career.

Soham Gadre Posted on January 12, 2020January 12, 2020

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