Arts – Page 13 – the Addison Recorder

Crimes of Passion: A Look at “Wild Tales”

March 10, 2015 by Travis J. Cook Leave a Comment

If there’s one universal truth that binds humanity together, it’s this: everyone has had a moment where they want to absolutely destroy whomever has wronged them. Whether over a stolen parking space, obnoxious behavior in public, or a long-standing grudge, every human being on Earth has been subject to a strong desire for revenge at some point. It’s in our nature – or so the Argentinian nominee for Best Foreign Film at last year’s Oscars would have us believe. Wild Tales, currently playing in an art house near you, makes the case that revenge is an animalistic urge, to which we are all subject. The black comedy proceeds to argue its case in the form of six short stories segued together by theme in this anthology film.

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Addison Recorded Ep. 101: Kimmy Goes Outside

March 10, 2015 by Meryl Williams 2 Comments

Logo made by Owen Williams.

Welcome to the Addison Recorded, the official podcast of the Addison Recorder. For season one of the podcast, Gina and I are re-capping episodes of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the latest original series from Netflix. Join us Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the PodFort™ (aka, Gina’s dining room blanket fort) as we talk about each episode of the show starring Ellie Kemper.

Here’s our pilot episode! We’re excited to share it with you.

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A Becky’s Been Binge-Watching Special: Rewatching Mad Men Season Four

March 9, 2015 by Becky Bean Leave a Comment

Mad Men will begin airing its final episodes on April 5th. Both of us Beans have been fans of the series since it premiered way back in 2007, so we’re going to re-watch one season per week before the final season begins. Each of us will put together their own reflection about what makes each season special, and what aspects stick out on the umpteenth viewing.

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“What Makes Life Worth Living” – The Last Man on Earth

March 6, 2015 by Andrew Rostan Leave a Comment

The Last Man on Earth’s pilot opens with a lovingly shot montage of the United States, set to the whimsical music of Mark Mothersbaugh, that reveals itself as a comic set-up with more than one hilarious payoff. The mixture of genuinely felt emotion and exuberant absurdist humor, common to the work of creator/star Will Forte and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, quickly sets the tone for the whole program, whose first night suddenly and excitedly suggested far more than the initial advertising campaign promised.

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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Is Now On Netflix

March 6, 2015 by Meryl Williams Leave a Comment

Watch Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix now (image via).

Happy Kimmy Schmidt Day! All 13 episodes of the new Netflix original series are now available to stream. Gina and I are so excited about Tina Fey working in sitcoms again that we decided to devote an entire season of a podcast to it (our first episode drops Tuesday, March 10). The show stars Ellie Kemper, who plays a woman recently liberated from a cult. That sounds darker than I think it’s intended to be, but watch the trailer if you don’t believe me. Here’s why you should be excited to binge-watch this show this weekend.

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The Fall: The Most Feminist Show on Television

March 4, 2015 by Gina Watters Leave a Comment

“A woman, I forget who, once asked a male friend why men felt threatened by women. He replied that they were afraid that women might laugh at them. When she asked a group of women why women felt threatened by men, they said, ‘We’re afraid they might kill us.’” – DSI Stella Gibson, The Fall

Often when I’m watching a crime show on television, I worry that Gloria Steinem might swoop into my living room and snatch away my Official Feminist Card™. I’ve always been intrigued by solving mysteries, and am often drawn to television series of that genre. But the downside to this particular fascination is that these shows are not particularly kind to women. Best-case scenario, the fairer sex is depicted as the semi-competent and often imperiled sidekick to the macho male detective. Worst-case scenario, she is an anonymous and sexualized victim, merely a prop to move the story along or to make the killer look more powerful. Even on shows with a female lead who wields some actual authority, such as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit, the underlying (and very intentional) titillating nature of the crimes adds an ick factor I just can’t get past.

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A Becky’s Been Binge-Watching Special: Rewatching Mad Men Season Three

March 3, 2015 by Becky Bean Leave a Comment

Mad Men will begin airing its final episodes on April 5th. Both of us Beans have been fans of the series since it premiered way back in 2007, so we’re going to re-watch one season per week before the final season begins. Each of us will put together their own reflection about what makes each season special, and what aspects stick out on the umpteenth viewing.

For Season 3, we decided to just chat about what stuck out for us. Not gonna lie, it was a little hard to parse because this is our third season in as many weeks. Was Don in California this week? No? When was that? Oh! [Read more…]

A Different World: A Visit to Timbuktu

March 3, 2015 by Travis J. Cook Leave a Comment

There’s a lot to talk about in Timbuktu, a film by Mali-born director Abderrahmane Sissako that received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, losing to Ida. It’s a gorgeous film, a harrowing film, and one that’s not as easy to wrap your head around as, say, American Sniper. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – Timbuktu just has a lot to say, and says it remarkably well.

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Mr. Rostan at the Movies: Getting Through the Spring

February 27, 2015 by Andrew Rostan 1 Comment

Andrew Rostan was a film student before he realized that making comics was his horrible destiny, but he’s never shaken his love of cinema. Every two weeks, he’ll opine on either current pictures or important movies from the past.

This is what we’re all dreaming of right now…

The Oscars are over and it will be at least nine months until we start prognosticating for the 2016 show. The number-one film at the box office is a horribly bad mix of Twilight fanfic, kinkiness, and misogyny. The studios are in the springtime doldrums with no LEGO Movie or Grand Budapest in sight like there were last year. Thankfully, libraries and Netflix have a tremendous selection of classic or overlooked films waiting for you to fall in love with them.

But that’s the problem: there are so many movies out there that it can be difficult to pick one.

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Sweet, Sweet Vermouth

February 24, 2015 by -J. Leave a Comment

Last month, we looked at hot cocktails in a cold season, but winter libations are about more than just temperature. When the thermostat is bottoming out, I like my drinks to have some heft to them. The flavors are bold, with darker sweet notes and warm spices, and definitely with a nice heavy dose of herbs.

Which is why I love a good drink with sweet vermouth at this time of year. Granted, it’s an all-year, all-season love, but there’s something particularly satisfying about sweet vermouth in the winter. And here’s why I think you should join me in imbibing this lovely fortified wine. [Read more…]