by

Song of the Day #6,083: ‘Black Water’ – The Doobie Brothers

Throwing back to the week of March 1, 1975, we have a trio of great songs atop the Billboard Hot 100.

The first two have already appeared on the blog: ‘Best of My Love‘ by the Eagles at #1 and Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Have You Never Been Mellow‘ at #2.

At #3 that week was The Doobie Brothers’ ‘Black Water,’ the third single from their fourth album, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. The song would reach #1 two weeks later, becoming the band’s first chart-topper, and one of only two in their career.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #6,082: ‘Big Glow’ – Bartees Strange

Concluding my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2024
#1. I Saw the TV Glow

The first time I saw writer/director Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow, I wasn’t sure what I thought of it. I knew its story and images had affected me deeply, and that it was one of the most original visions I’d seen in years. But I couldn’t intellectualize my visceral response.

I later learned that Schoenbrun is trans, and they conceived the film as a metaphor for the “egg crack” moment trans people feel when they realize they’re living in the wrong body. And that opened the film up for me in a whole new way.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #6,081: ‘Like a Bird’ – Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander

Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2024
#2. Sing Sing

I’ve never before seen a film quite like director Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing. It’s a fictionalized version of a true story, performed by non-professional actors portraying versions of themselves. Its authenticity comes not just from the excellent evocation of time and place but from the real-world experience etched into the faces of its cast.

The closest analogue I can think of is Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which similarly placed its star amidst “real” people. But that was more of a documentary with an asterisk, with Fern’s invented story overlaying the depiction of actual nomads. Sing Sing is a work of fiction that asks its non-actors to really act.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #6,080: ‘Dreaming’ – Blondie

Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2024
#3. Anora

It’s kind of amazing that Sean Baker is seemingly on the verge of Best Director and Best Picture wins at this weekend’s Oscars. Here’s a fiercely independent filmmaker whose movies depict America’s underbelly, often focusing on sex workers ground down by the heel of capitalism.

I’m still wary that the Cinderella story will end with someone more traditional winning the prize. I’m reminded of when Richard Linklater’s Boyhood looked like it would capture the top awards, only to lose to Birdman.

Indie stalwarts don’t often get the storybook ending.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #6,079: ‘É Preciso Dar Um Jeito, Meu Amigo’ – Erasmo Carlos

Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2024
#4. I’m Still Here

One of the last award season movies I caught up with, Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, turned out to be one of the very best.

The film depicts the family of real-life Brazilian congressman Rubens Paiva, who was disappeared by the country’s military dictatorship in 1971. Matriarch Eunice, played by the remarkable Fernanda Torres, relentlessly pursues the truth behind her husband’s fate while raising their five children.

Continue reading →