Before you read anything else about Inherent Vice, the latest project from lauded auteur filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, I urge you to watch the trailer. Like, right now. The trailer’s uncanny comedic timing, musical exuberance, and oddball stoner-noir narration (courtesy of Joanna Newsom) come together with stunning clarity into what could be described as a sort of multi-sensory poem, […]
99 Problems, and They All Orcs: Shadow of Mordor and Expanding the Middle Earth Universe
In an iconic scene from The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo, horrified at what he has heard about Gollum, who is stalking him in hopes of reclaiming the Ring, remarks that it’s a “pity” that Bilbo didn’t kill him when he had a chance. Gandalf pushes back at the notion, insisting instead, “It was Pity […]
Wolf in White Van: Every Moment Points Toward the Aftermath
John Darnielle crafts imaginary worlds for listeners to live in. From his small house in North Carolina, he orchestrates fantastic adventures where possibilities, both dark and bright, open in the boundaries between the real and the imagined. As the man behind the Mountain Goats—a lyrically-driven indie rock band that is nothing if not prolific—Darnielle guides […]