Archives: 2008 September

It’s impossible to be a fan of contemporary cinema without at least respecting Spike Lee. Just as I enjoy the works of John Singleton, I have nothing but good things to say about the directorial efforts of Spike Lee, both on their own merits and for the uncharted waters which Spike navigates. The recent progression of his work behind the camera from He Got Game to 25th Hour to Inside Man has led him to another first, a war film, Miracle At St. Anna.

The visitor statistics are in. My expert blog at Keyboard Culture received more than 34,000 unique visitors in August! This is a jump of about 7,000. I am over the moon. The good news doesn’t stop their, either. This bump occurred without distribution of my podcasts on iTunes. That was supposed to be online by mid-August but it didn’t happen because of a change in submission software. Watch for updates on that point in the coming weeks. As the matter stands now, iTunes may in be gear for me just in time for my 100th podcast on Keyboard Culture. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?!?

As a staunch environmentalist, it will come as no surprise to you that I abhor coal. Sure, it allowed the Industrial Revolution to take place (we wouldn’t have the Internet without it) but the time has come for coal to go extinct. At the same time, I have nothing but compassion for communities which have coal mining as the center of their economic base. I know that they are in no hurry to see the mines close.

Superb films such as Righteous Kill and The Women are capturing most of the press oxygen. Hence, it is a sad reality that Traitor starring Don Cheadle is escaping much-deserved attention. It is a superb film! Once again, Mr. Cheadle has found the means of incorporating the devastation taking place in Sudan as a vehicle for communicating a uniquely American story.

I am not crazy about remakes. There have been a few exceptions of films which I enjoyed and were tributes are adaptations of earlier works. In the case of Bangkok Dangerous, I did not see the original so I figured, let’s give it a try. Besides, I really like Nicolas Cage.

I am very proud to support the Environmental Defense Fund, EDF. Having visited their DC headquarters, I know of the breadth of their good work. One of the areas in which they excel is heralding the message of the need for a speedy response to climate change.

Woody Allen has done it again! The quality of his work fluctuates every few years but Vicky Cristina Barcelona hits the bullseye. Just as he did in Match Point, Woody evokes from Scarlett Johansson the performance of a lifetime.