A Dog Called Money (2019)

 

PJ Harvey and Seamus Murphy on a journey through the creative process behind PJ Harvey's new album, conceived by their travels around the globe. 

Highly remarkable documentary chronicles PJ Harvey's visits to Kabul, Kosovo and Washington D.C. and how the encounters and impressions directly inspired the songs of her album The Hope Six Demolition Project and includes the startling public recording sessions of the album; although it's complex project, we do get a clear view into the creative process for this album.

 

Luna Bijl

 

ph: Liz Collins

Today's Cat

 

Rianne Van Rompaey

 

ph: Luigi & Iango

A day in the life, Aug 15, 2020

 

A day in the life, Aug 15, 2020, a chain and its shadow

Gia Tang

 

ph: David Reiss

Kris Grikaite

 

ph: Lucie Rox

New Stuff: Frank Zappa - Summer '82 - When Zappa Came to Sicily

 

Arrival (2016)

 

When twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world, linguistics professor Louise Banks is tasked with interpreting the language of the apparent alien visitors.

Satisfyingly intelligent sci-fi drama with great production and a good cast of characters emphasizes the science aspect (linguistics) and avoids which otherwise would have been another alien invasion and even offers some food for thought. 

On re-watching: fully worth repeated viewing. 

 

Nadja Auermann

 

ph: Pamela Hanson

New Stuff: Susan Alcorn & Leila Bordreuil & Ingrid Laubrock

 

Kendra Spears

 

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

 

Three women, all of whom make a career in the world of glamour, experience a string of failed relationships. As they get older, they resort to pills to numb the pain they are going through.

A sordid pulp melodrama gets high-gloss Hollywood treatment; the result is what one would expect, and its not so good.

Halliwell*: "Cliche-ridden but good-looking road-to-ruin melodrama from a bitchy bestseller; production values high, but the whole thing goes over the top at the end."

Maltin BOMB: "Scattered unintentional laughs do not compensate for terribly written, acted, and directed adaptation of Jacqueline Susann novel..." 

 

Lorena Maraschi

New Stuff: The New Yorker

 

(Art: Barry Blitt)

Who's That Girl?

 

Art: Anne-Françoise Couloumy

 

Bio:

https://www.thecynthiacorbettgallery.com/artists/136-anne-francoise-couloumy/biography

Stephanie Seymour

 

ph: Jürgen Teller

A day in the life, Aug 1, 2021

 

A day in the life, Aug 1, 2021, Regensburg by night

Inguna Butane

 

ph: Jegor Zaika

Zappa (2020)

 

An in-depth look into the life and work of musician Frank Zappa.

Authorized biographical documentary profits from getting access to the Zappa vaults with lots of previously unseen footage; furthermore, it is intelligently made, presents a good overview over Zappa's music and art, and still avoids adulation. 

 

Maya Otsoko

 

Today's Cat

 

Estelle Chen

 

ph: Wang Lei and Jiang Kun

A day in the life, Aug 14, 2020

 

A day in the life, Aug 14, 2020, Regensburg by night

Marie Lou Gomis

 

ph: King Axle

New Stuff: Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels

 

Youn Bomi

 

ph: Emma Tempest

New York

 

Serge J-F. Levy. Soho NYC, 2005

Frida Gustavsson

First Lines: Beryl Bainbridge - The Bottle Factory Outing

 

The hearse stood outside the block of flats, waiting for the old lady.

Andreea Diaconu

 

ph: Benny Horne

A day in the life, Jul 31, 2021

 

A day in the life, Jul 31, 2021, Regensburg by night

Anastasia Ivanova

 

Time (2020)

 Fox Rich fights for the release of her husband, Rob, who is serving a 60-year sentence in prison. 

Very personal and gripping documentary reflects the a tale of love and waiting with a clear perspective on the inadequacies of the American justice system. 

 

Amalie Schmidt

 

Today's Cat

 

ph: Vivian Maier

Mengyao Xi

 

A day in the life, Aug 13, 2020

 

A day in the life, Aug 13, 2020, Regensburg by night

Frida Aasen

 

New Stuff: Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

 

Taylor Lashae

 

Hellraiser (1987)

 

A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body so he can escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their sadistic underworld. 

Innovative and gory horror tale set new standards for the genre of its time, but meanwhile seems a bit modest and outdated.

Halliwell (no star): "Gloatingly sadistic and unnecessarily gory horror movie." 

Maltin**1/2: "Grisly but stylish...; ugly fun all the way."

 

Zuzanna Bolczyk

 

New Stuff: El ángel exterminador