The Art of the Ad: Fly the Friendly Skies

Airline ads and promotional images during the Golden Age of Air Travel were selling travelers on an experience. In the days before interminably long security checkpoints and nonexistent customer service, airline advertisements were emphasizing just how well airlines would take care of us. And that included some not-so-subtle implications of mile high adventure with the … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: Fly the Friendly Skies →

Janet, Jack, and Some of That Jazz

In the season six episode of Three’s Company—hilariously titled “Some of That Jazz”—Janet (my birthday buddy, the lovely and talented Joyce Dewitt) thinks her dance instructor’s interest in her is strictly for her dancing skills. Jack (one of the best comedic actors of all time, the late John Ritter) knows the teacher (Michael Bell in … Continue reading Janet, Jack, and Some of That Jazz →

Between the Lines

I adore hangout movies. What's a "hangout movie," you ask? Well, it's a movie where a group of characters do exactly what it says—they hang out together, often at work, in bars, apartments, or anywhere, really. They're often found-family films also, and the workplace is central to many of them because sometimes the people you … Continue reading Between the Lines →

From the Vault: Logan’s Run

Logan’s Run was released this week in 1976. Here’s my brief ode from several years back to the retro-futuristic-by-way-of-the-1970s stylings of a cult classic. This piece has been slightly revised from its original form. It's interesting and probably not that surprising that so many future-set science fiction films of the 1970s didn't look anything like … Continue reading From the Vault: Logan’s Run →

Punk is Freedom

Never mind the bollocks, here’s the designer punk pumps and handbag. Huh? We’ve seen this before. The commodification of punk rock happened a long time ago, back when it all began in the 1970s. This almost always happens with zeitgeist moments. So, nothing should surprise me and my seen-it-all punk rock soul at this point. … Continue reading Punk is Freedom →

Five Easy Pieces

“I don't know if you'd be particularly interested in hearing anything about me. My life, I mean… Most of it doesn't add up to much that I could relate as a way of life that you'd approve of… I'd like to be able to tell you why, but I don't really… I mean, I move … Continue reading Five Easy Pieces →

Zep

For reasons unknown I’ve recently found myself basking in the seismic soundscapes of the Greatest Rock and Roll Band of All Time, Led Zeppelin. Okay, hold up, that’s not quite true. The part about “reasons unknown,” I mean. The part about greatest band ever might actually be true. You wouldn’t get an argument from me … Continue reading Zep →