Opinion and Commentary
Brooklyn Nets Turn Up The Heat: A History, Part 2
January 29, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Wyatt Erchak
After joining the NBA in 1976, the New York Nets lost their star player, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, to heavy-handed association politics (some would say extortion). In their first season in the new organization, the team finished with the worst record in the league after their other big player, Nate Archibald, was injured. Fortunately, new talent, particularly in the form of European star Dražen Petrović, would help the Nets reclaim some of their former glory.
Stand-Up With an Edge: A Taste of Cringe Humor at The Stand Comedy Club and Restaurant
January 25, 2013 | Paul HerzichOriginally Published in Town & Village
Southern Manhattan is not lacking in full-time comedy clubs and bars.. Until now, however, it has not had a stand-up venue quite like The Stand Restaurant and Comedy Club. This thoroughbred comedy club was sired by Patrick Milligan, founder of Cringe Humor, which garnered the reputation of presenting excellent stand-up comedy shows in several NYC comedy venues as well as colleges around the country.
Rap Retrospective: The Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 2012
January 23, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Brandon Sanders
10. No Lie (Feat. Drake) – 2 Chainz: Many thought 2 Chainz leadoff single would be a smash and once this hit the airwaves, they were proven right. With Drake on the … Read More
With Second Inaugural, President Obama Lays Out Broad Vision for Progressive Change in Second Term
January 22, 2013 | Eric ShapiroObama’s second inaugural address was, in turns, more modest and bolder than his first. On the one hand, gone were the calls for bipartisanship and, by implication, the idea that an opposition party dedicated solely to thwarting his aims can be counted on as a viable negotiating partner. Changing the political culture in Washington, it seems, is not within the power of the President. John F. Harris and Jonathan Martin of Politico point out that “Obama made no mention of transforming the political and governing process in his speech.”
Nothing But Nets: Brooklyn Nets’ History & Why Knicks Rivalry is More Than Clash of Boroughs
January 21, 2013 | Flatironhot ContributorBy Wyatt Erchak
Where Brooklyn at? It’s BK, all day, currently in Nets Nation. As Barclays would have you know, sports and entertainment have been brought back to the borough after 55 long years, following the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers’ sad departure. As someone who would be a Dodgers fan if they were still residents of the Empire State, it warms my heart to see a team take up the mantle.
Furthering the Legacy: How President Obama Can Live up to MLK’s Dream in His Second Term
January 21, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDespite the re-election of an African American president, it is ludicrous to claim Martin Luther King’s social philosophy, a historically-rooted mix of political and theological precepts that combines the best of the liberal American tradition with Ghandhian non-violence and civil disobedience, has been fully realized.
Justified Season 4 Premiere: Recap/Review
January 16, 2013 | Eric ShapiroSeason 4 of FX’s Justified starts out just as long-time viewers of the series should expect it to: with a bang (in both senses of the term) and a whole lot of style. At this point in the TV show’s lifespan, the writers and the actors have nailed every character down to the most minor vocal cadences. It’s a credit to the amazing talent behind Justified that its season premiere can hook us while offering no more than a few tantalizing hints about the overall narrative direction. Elmore Leonard couldn’t ask for a better adaptation of his novels.
“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.
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.