Bowie: Ten Horrible Years Without Him
David Bowie died ten years ago this week. We’re starting to feel like he’s really not coming back.
January 9, 2026
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The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction
The bleak alternate reality of Pottersville in It’s a Wonderful Life was meant as a warning, not a mirror. But the film’s vision of concentrated power, civic cruelty and public desensitization now feels unsettlingly close to contemporary American life.
December 18, 2025
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Steven S. Drachman Defends Sam Wainwright, of “It’s a Wonderful Life”
A highly contrarian take on the vilified Sam Wainwright … and the sainted Mary Bailey. Merry Christmas, everyone!
December 17, 2025
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Randy Gordon on Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand, Creativity and Music-Extruding Machines
From the physical force of massed choirs to questions of authorship, communication, and meaning, true creativity resists being reduced to algorithmic output.
December 7, 2025
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‘Carry your light out into the shitstorm’ — a conversation with Joan Baez
Legendary singer and activist Joan Baez discusses the essential role of music in movements, the need to keep our eyes on the prize — and to keep dancing.
November 23, 2025
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From the Archives: “Weren’t Born A Man” – Dana Gillespie’s Unavailable Masterpiece
In 1973, Dana Gillespie made “Weren’t Born a Man,” one of the all-time great records. Managing to hear it takes some work.
November 17, 2025
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Four films that show how humans can fortify – or botch – their relationship with AI
From Blade Runner to Free Guy, filmmakers have long explored how humans connect—and clash—with artificial intelligence. These stories reveal what it takes to build trust, ensure accountability, and avoid the dangers of treating AI as either tool or master.
November 10, 2025
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From the Archives: Steven S. Drachman on “Etude in Black,” that Columbo episode that Natasha Lyonne Loves So Much (January 2023)
Etude in Black, an old Columbo episode, turns out to be a forgotten Cassavetes masterpiece
October 28, 2025
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Dederico Felloni, the Director who Died: The Ultimate, Totally Definitive Biography
Once hailed by dozens as a cult genius and derided by critics as the worst filmmaker in history, Dederico Felloni’s bizarre life and films defy belief. This two-volume “definitive” biography drags him from obscurity with equal parts obsession, absurdity and sheer narrative chaos.
September 29, 2025
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Even as Jimmy Kimmel returns to the airwaves, TV networks remain more vulnerable to political pressure than ever before
As Jimmy Kimmel returns to late-night TV after a brief suspension, his clash with political pressure highlights how vulnerable networks have become in today’s media landscape. Unlike Nixon’s failed attempts to silence Dick Cavett, Trump’s success in shaking up television shows the weakened independence of broadcasting in the streaming era.
September 28, 2025
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