Issue 15: This Week's Theme: Obscurity. Just Like Every Other Week

04 Dec 2008, Posted by Baishi Wu in Playground, This Week in Recess, 0 Comments

Duke Stop Motion Crew. Courtesy Glen Gutterson.

Featured:
Duke Dance Revolution
A revolution is underway in the Gothic Wonderland. Really.

Drip Caps & Flicks
Ever wanted to see an Urban Outfitters T-shirt on canvas? Check out the Golden Belt.

Editor’s Note:
Semi-Retirement
Okay, we don’t actually listen to classic rock.

Sandbox:
The Boss
Springsteen doesn’t sing a Hanukkah Harry song?

Films reviewed:
Films You Missed – Reprise, My Winnipeg and Bomb It.
Australia
Milk

Album reviewed:
Best of the Rest
We cover some of the better discs that we missed over the year, including Frightened Rabbit’s Midnight Organ Fight, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, Noah and the Whale’s Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, Marnie Stern’s This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That and Why?’s Alopecia. Also, our most eminent critics endorse The Fashion’s Self Titled and Ryan Adams’s Cardinology.

Australia: How Gay is Hugh Jackman?

01 Dec 2008, Posted by Andrew Hibbard in Film, Playground, 5 Comments

Daily Intel predicted Baz Luhrman’s mediocre Australia would be the perfect vehicle for three-time Tony Awards host Hugh Jackman to prove his heterosexuality once and for all. So how does the sexiest man alive come across? Here’s the breakdown.

Gay Points

Let’s just start with the clothes. Hugh Jackman wears tight pants. Plus 1. And a neck scarf. Plus 3. When he shows up at a ball midway through the film to sweep Nicole Kidman off her feet, his tux is anything but traditional. As Harvey Milk said, “Never blend in.” Plus 2. And, as evinced by the film’s most celebrated scene in which Jackman removes his shirt, his abs certainly do not blend in. Plus 1.

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The Times of Harvey Milk

26 Nov 2008, Posted by Andrew Hibbard in Film, Playground, 1 Comments

Photo courtesy Terry Schmitt/San Francisco Chronicle

Christopher Orr’s review of Milk from The New Republic criticizes Hollywood and the Gus Van Sant biopic for being too little to late.

Hollywood wants us to applaud its courage for finally–finally–telling this story? Really? I can’t help but think there will be something cheap about the inevitable Oscar nominations (and probable victories) with which the movie industry will advertise its moral elevation come February.

He also recommends Rob Epstein’s 1984 Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, which Orr describes as “less the story of a man, and more the story of a movement and a moment.” Epstein’s documentary began shooting during Milk’s life and came out less than six years after the politician’s assassination. The documentary is a frame for the film. Dustin Lance Black’s script for Milk borrows several lines and structural elements from the film. As good as Milk is, it is a film of performances. Anyone looking for a more detailed story of “the Mayor of Castro Street” should turn to Epstein’s documentary.

Check next week’s recess for a review of Milk.

Mainstream Mormons

22 Nov 2008, Posted by Andrew Hibbard in Playground, 0 Comments

From David Edelstein’s recent post in his Projectionist blog, concerning Twilight-albeit this portion of the post veers from Twilight to discuss the rising presence of Mormons (among them, Milk screenwriter Duncan Lance Black and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer):

With characters that veer between implosive sexual repression and explosive sexual liberation, are Mormons the new Catholics?

With HBO’s Big Love, the rise of Mormons in the news (largely because of Proposition 8) and Mitt Romney, does this mean Mormons are mainstream? Are Scientologists next? Tom Cruise, say hello to career revival.