Flatiron Hot! Critic
“Zero Dark Thirty” Review: Torture Controversy in bin-Laden Raid Movie Absurd
January 15, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDirector Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal have caught a lot of flack for their portrayal of torture in Oscar-nominated film Zero Dark Thirty, detailing the operation that resulted in the death of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin-Laden. Ultimately, the controversy says a lot more about the state of Hollywood than it does about the film.
Bigelow handles the loaded issue of torture in a manner in line with her cinematic vision, as witnessed in prior films such as 2008’s The Hurt Locker. That being said, her latest movie harbors, if anything, an anti-torture message, although it requires a bit of discernment on the part of her audience to notice. Fortunately, the Flatiron Hot! News critic is on hand with 800 words of discernment.
Best Tracks of 2012: Bob Mould’s “Star Machine”
January 14, 2013 | Eric ShapiroAfter reading Husker Du frontman Bob Mould’s tell-all tome, See a Little Light: the Trail of Rage and Melody, I got the impression of a man who had, at long last, cast aside the baggage of his early life and reached a basic level of contentment. The title of his latest album, Silver Age, does indeed seem to indicate that the notoriously angst-ridden songwriter has entered a new phase of his life and career. However, anyone looking for a mellower Mould to emerge on his new LP is in for a surprise.
Young Visionary Hatches Reading at Strand Bookstore feat. Ben Gibbard & Ron Currie, Jr.
January 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroThe Strand Bookstore may be home to many old, musty works of literature, but walk inside and you’ll notice that it employs a whole lot of young people. Some of them are aspiring writers, while others simply relish the opportunity to work in one of New York City’s most eminent bookstores. Often, young people mean fresh ideas. Andrew Boye, currently a manager on the main floor, has worked at the Strand for three years. Recently, Andrew hatched the idea to host events combining book readings (a mainstay at the Strand for years) with other artistic mediums.
Boye’s idea came to fruition with last night’s event, featuring Ron Currie, Jr, the author of such acclaimed novels as God is Dead and Everything Matters and musician Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. Flatiron Hot! News had a chance to talk to Andrew a few minutes before the event began. He and his colleague, Emily Simpson, along with event coordinator and author Jessica Strand, hope Wednesday’s pioneering artistic venture will be the first in a series of events showcasing the ties between authors and their creative kin in other mediums.
Q&A Pt. 1: Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie & Ron Currie, Jr. at the Strand Bookstore
January 10, 2013 | Eric ShapiroMusician Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service) and Ron Currie, Jr, the author of such acclaimed novels as God is Dead and Everything Matters, took the stage at the Strand Bookstore on January 10th to showcase their work and highlight thematic similarities that transcend their respective mediums.
Review: Illuminating Traumas of Slavery, August Wilson’s “Piano Lesson” Strikes Core of American Identity
January 9, 2013 | Eric ShapiroAugust Wilson is often referred to as one of the greatest African American playwrights of the 20th century. He also happens to be one of the greatest playwrights, period. Last night, the Flatiron Hot! News critic saw the latest revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Piano Lesson” (premiered in 1987 at the Yale Repertory Theater) at the Signature Theatre. The play is not only a poignant snapshot of the African American experience in the 1930s, but an overall sublime work of art relevant to Americans of all races.
Flatiron Hot! Review: Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained
January 4, 2013 | Eric ShapiroThere’s something to be said for an artist who is out to please only himself. But when the product of the ensuing creative narcissism is so arcane as to be unfathomable to those who do not share the artist’s fetishes, then it is deprived of a certain universal quality present in the greatest of art. It has long been said that Quentin Tarantino has abandoned making movies in the traditional sense and has instead taken up the postmodern indulgence of making movies about movies.
To an extent, this has been the case since Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino’s most critically acclaimed and greatest cinematic achievements possessed more than a few elements of pastiche. But beneath all the allusions and arcane stylistic flourishes, one could still discern a beating heart. With Death Proof, which Tarantino correctly deemed his creative low point, the director completely abandoned any pretense of traditional cinematic ambitions with breakneck style over substance.
Flatiron Hot! Critic: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
December 28, 2012 | Shaun PersaudJ.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel, The Hobbit, has captured the imaginations of young readers for decades. Therefore, in typical Hollywood fashion, the novel has been adapted for the big screen in three separate parts. The first installment of the series, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, was directed by the famous Peter Jackson (with a screenplay co-written by Guillermo del Toro), who garnered worldwide acclaim for his film adaptions of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Flatiron Hot! Critic: Homeland Season 2 Review
December 28, 2012 | Eric ShapiroAt its best, Homeland mesmerized us by playing around with our expectations, the show’s writers always seeming to remain one step ahead of us, ready to unveil some new tidbit about Brody that would keep us guessing from week to week. The show knew how to mine narrative gold out of uncertainty and imply layers of character depth behind the twitch of a finger or the utterance of an Islamic prayer. Unfortunately, the latter half of season 2 has taken a much different approach, culminating in a competent but thoroughly underwhelming season finale.
Flatiron Hot! Critic – Theater Review: Richard Nelson’s “Sorry”
December 3, 2012 | Eric ShapiroFlatiron Hot! recently had the opportunity to attend Sorry, the third installment in a trilogy of plays by Richard Nelson, which also includes That Hopey Changy Thing and Sweet and Sad. The production bears all the hallmarks of solid off-Broadway theater. It is well-written, competently acted, and witty, replete with literary, poetic and dramatic references. The Public Theater, located on 425 Lafayette Street, is ideal for a production of this sort. Spare, intimate and unfussy in its layout, the historic venue hearkens back to a time when theater was about the rapport between actors and audience, not the indulgent sets and flashy effects that define modern Broadway.
Flatiron Hot! Critic – Movie Review: Life of Pi
November 29, 2012 | Eric ShapiroIn a way, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi was the perfect novel to adapt into a film. Its pages are loaded with the kind of spectacle, self-consciously weighty themes and timeless quality that lends itself well to the Hollywood blockbuster treatment.