Book Reviews, CD Reviews, DVD & Video Reviews and Interviews
A GLIMPSE OF MOLLY MCQUADE

A GLIMPSE OF MOLLY MCQUADE

September 25, 2018
Books
Molly McQuade was generous enough to grant me an hour of her time on a recent Saturday to talk about her books and her work only for the Independent Reviews Site. There have been enough interviews and reviews of her life and work on the Net to render the usual Where-Have-You-Been-and-Where-Are-You-Going sort of questions drearily redundant, and I didn't want to waste the time she had granted me asking them. I was curious, however, about this woman, whose critical…
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HOW MUCH EARTH

HOW MUCH EARTH

September 22, 2018
Books
The Fresno Poets ed by MI Williams, Christopher Buckley and David Olivera Heyday Books Contemporary Poetry In the world of movies there is always a special place in a special time filled with special people creating unforgettable "whatevers," but it real life such times and such people are rare, and in poetry it seems even rarer. In 1958 Philip Levine came to Fresno to teach at Fresno State College and launched a succession of amazing poets in a city,…
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Amélie’s Retro Hell

Amélie’s Retro Hell

September 15, 2018
DVD
THE BEST OF ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN Three-Disc Set Rhino Retro Vision Leave it Rhino to capture the very essence of the LAUGH-IN experience by virtue of the packaging alone. Designed after the show's signature Joke Wall (including punch-out doors that reveal cast pictures), the attractive CD set gooses the memory circuits at first sight. The collection does not disappoint, serving up six giddy hour-long episodes from 1968-1970 with splendiferous menu designs and exclusive interviews with cast members Gary…
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THE INTENSE LIFE OF ALEX COX

THE INTENSE LIFE OF ALEX COX

September 14, 2018
Interviews
The director of Repo Man Tells as little as possible to the IRS You would think Alex Cox was American. With films like REPO MAN, STRAIGHT TO HELL, WALKER and FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS to his credit, he would appear to be a cynical American white boy filmmaker. But looks, as they say, are usually deceiving. Born in England in 1954 Cox studied at UCLA on a Fullbright where he won two Jack Nicholson Awards for screenwriting.…
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ON THE REISSUE HIGHWAY TWO LANE BLACKTOP

ON THE REISSUE HIGHWAY TWO LANE BLACKTOP

September 10, 2018
Interviews
Director Monte Hellman discusses Cult status and new projects. Monte Hellman is probably one of the most interesting directors around. He got his big start working for Roger Corman. He directed his first film, BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE, in 1959 and has not stopped working since. His credits range from directing (THE TERROR, THE SHOOTING, COCKFIGHTER), to actor (LA WITHOUT A MAP), to producer (RESERVIOR DOGS), and finally to film editor (RIDE THE WHIRLWIND, THE KILLER ELITE). A filmmaker…
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