Posted inNews & Politics

Criticism by Consensus

To the editor: After reading Laura Molzahn’s review of Jump Giant Project [February 24], I could hardly believe that I attended the same dance concert. After speaking with dozens of audience members over both nights of the performance, Ms. Molzahn’s opinion couldn’t have been farther from the sentiment of those with whom I spoke. During […]

Posted inArts & Culture

The Tiff and Mom Show

Corn Productions, at the Factory Theater. Yes, it’s gross and sophomoric. Yes, it draws on the wasteland of TV to make its points and connect with the audience. Yes, it’s self-consciously incorrect and messy, often relying on drag performances for its laughs. And yes, I enjoyed it. Watching episode one of The Tiff and Mom […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Frameup

Subtitled 12 Movements to the Only Conclusion, this is the last feature made by virtuoso low-budget independent Jon Jost (All the Vermeers in New York, Sure Fire) before he split for Europe in 1993, and once you see it you’ll know why he left. A highly stylized, extremely sarcastic, and sexually explicit road movie about […]

Posted inNews & Politics

Fumigatory Benevolence

Dear Ed Gold (author of “Bobwatch,” Section Four, p. 1, Reader, 27 January), Thank you. Your service is most useful for all-around public health. (Did you ever read “You Wouldn’t Want To Be Bob Greene,” from Spy a few years back?) Please continue your fumigatory benevolence. A. Lupin Chicago

Posted inArts & Culture

Poet’s Corner: the sound of distant verses

Just inside the Arctic circle–spread across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia–live the Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia. There are some striking similarities between the Sami and Native Americans. Traditional Sami have a nature-centered spirituality, live in tepeelike tents, and survive largely by hunting, fishing, and reindeer herding. Like American Indians, the Sami have also […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Mario Grigorov

In titling Mario Grigorov’s debut album Rhymes With Orange, the folks at Reprise Records dredged up a quite appropriate allusion. As even fledgling poetasters know, English contains no word that rhymes with “orange”; and American music contains very little in the way of precedent for this Bulgarian-born, Austrian-trained classical-jazz pianist. Grigorov’s creations owe much to […]

Posted inNews & Politics

Mutated Jehovahs

Dear Editors, I completely agree with Ken Shapiro and his statements quoted in City File [January 27]. Nowadays an individual should have the freedom to deal unethically, even illegally, with such threats to society as animal-rights extremists, antiabortionists, and all other mutated jehovahs. The Man on the Street River Grove

Posted inFilm

Chinese Puzzle

Ashes of Time Rating *** A must see Directed and written by Wong Kar-wai With Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Kar-fai, Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia,Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, and Karina Lau. There’s no question that Chinese cinema is in a state of upheaval. On the mainland the government’s film bureau has introduced new legislation […]