Two films that had significant impact on current pop culture
If you were a cinephile or an aspiring filmmaker in 1994, the influence of Pulp Fiction was impossible to ignore—especially if you were a 13-year-old boy. Throughout that year, Tarantino’s sophomore...
View ArticleDeerhunter’s manic dance with praise and punk
Deerhunter’s second album, Cryptograms, made it a household name in indie rock circles. Released in early 2007 by the legendary and long-running Kranky record label, the album features an appealing mix...
View ArticleBig Air’s Rob Dobson rises from the ashes of The Fire Tapes
As the line-up of the excellent local rock band The Fire Tapes disintegrated last year, bassist Rob Dobson began looking for a new musical outlet for his songwriting efforts. He found a collaborator in...
View ArticleSinger-songwriter Angel Olsen sets her career on fire
After appearing on a pair of reverb-soaked and long sold-out cassettes, Angel Olsen made a proper full-length debut in 2012 with Half Way Home. Simple, confident, clear, and cohesive, it’s an instant...
View ArticleVolunteer cupids celebrate 10 years of bicycle-based valentine Delivery
This Friday, volunteers from Community Bikes will be distributing Valentines via bicycle, as part of an annual event called Bake ‘n Bike. It’s the tenth anniversary for this annual Valentine’s Day...
View ArticleStephen Steinbrink makes his annual return
I first heard Stephen Steinbrink in a suburban basement, around 4am. The evening’s wild, drunken revelries were dying down, a guitar was being passed around the small circle of musicians, and he was...
View ArticleFord and Wayne’s greatest film is also a thoughtful critique of the genre...
John Ford directed almost 150 films. Many of them were Westerns, and more than a few are masterpieces. The Searchers is arguably the best, and easily the most iconic; a stone-cold classic from its...
View ArticleDragon is fun, breathtaking, and ridiculous
For Americans seeking a good introduction to the appeal of martial arts films in general, and the talents of Bruce Lee in particular, the obvious starting point is usually Enter the Dragon. By 1973,...
View ArticleARTS Pick: John Lindaman
John Lindaman hasn’t lived in Charlottesville for years, but he’s fondly remembered by many for his seminal late-’90s band True Love Always, a regular on the old Tokyo Rose stage (more recent...
View ArticleWonder years: Tribute marks Charlie Chaplin’s debut
On Saturday the Virginia Film Festival will screen a selection of short comedies starring Charlie Chaplin in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the legendary actor-director’s first appearance as...
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