Graduating
I woke up a few nights ago and Robert Rauschenberg’s ghost was standing at the foot of my bed wearing nothing but penny loafers. I rubbed my eyes and pinched my forearm and Milton was still there. He asked if I knew who he was. I said yes. He wondered if I liked his shoes. I told him I liked them just fine. Then he vanished. At the time, I thought the experience might be significant. Did the visit mean something? Was it a premonition? Did it somehow mark my transition from student routine into post-academe? I realize now that it probably meant nothing. And, if anything, it might just be time to leave. — Andrew Cushing
“Ran”
The Criterion Collection is the essential source for classic movies, the stuffy, grainy, boring kind and the genuinely magnificent alike. Among the top directors in their stable is Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese cinematic master. They’ve collected almost all of his material from five decades of making movies, including his late-life masterpiece, “Ran.” Japanese for chaos, “Ran” is Kurosawa’s send up of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy “King Lear.” He perfectly adapts the plot to the labyrinthine intricacies of the feudal Japanese court, where an aging warlord is driven mad by his three avaricious sons. The plot is 17th century, but the message is for the present day. It is shot with a lurid, sensual color palette, where the lush Japanese countryside soon runs red with apocalyptic fury. This story of greed, pride, betrayal and bloodshed is Kurosawa’s thesis on man at his bloodiest and most evil. Kurosawa’s portfolio of films count among the finest and most compelling ever made. — Michael Jewell
M83
“Saturdays=Youth”
Mute U.S.
2008
There’s no denying the strength of electronica right now, as most “hip” chart-toppers involve a few types of synths and simple beats. Bands like Cut Copy, Lo-Fi-Fnk and Crystal Castles are all floating around the top 30. It seems the latest trend in the formula for successful independent music is a type of ’80s pop throwback sound lacing this electronica. Echoing open chords and a certain brand of vocalism that screams Tears for Fears are key, and M83’s new record, “Saturdays=Youth” exemplifies this. This isn’t techno; it’s just electronically fueled. I can say the usual — the instrumentation is well done, the vocals don’t ruin the songs, the album is enjoyable from start to finish. What I’m really getting at is, if you’d enjoy riding in a motorboat off the Miami shoreline at night 25 years ago, the guitar solo four minutes into track two of this album will almost get you there — Brian Smith
