Gordon Campbell on the psychological horror film Possession
This is one of the (extra) weekly columns on music or movies. Plenty of solid analyses of Possession exist online and most of them – […]
Arts
Gordon Campbell on the double standard that’s bound to dominate Election 2020
Are National really better political managers than Labour, particularly when it comes to running the economy? For many voters – and the business community in […]
Gordon Campbell on the best music of 2019
In a year where so many of the highlights came from female musicians, there was one standout album…
Best Music of 2019… So Far
This mid-point, as we’re heading into the cold… it seems like an ideal time to list a few albums and tracks to keep the wolves of winter at bay.
Islamic State Meets The Searchers
The fall of Islamic State gives fresh relevance to John Wayne’s classic Western
Gordon Campbell on the best music tracks of 2018
Oliver Godji, who records as Octavian, is a French/British/Angolan rapper based in London. As someone born in Lille, France, he didn’t qualify for welfare in Britain…
Gordon Campbell on maximizing the gains from the Avatar sequels
Theoretically, the screen industry should have all the talent at its fingertips to communicate the socio-economic value of what it does. To date, it hasn’t done much to do so.
On Nanette, and the limitations of stories
Is the ‘future of comedy’ really just a TED talk?
Gordon Campbell on subsidising the film industry
Sure, film subsidies may work in practice, but do they work in theory?
Gordon Campbell on the attacks on Lorde, over Israel
The escalation of attacks on Lorde for her considered decision not to perform in Israel is unfortunate, but is not entirely unexpected. In many respects […]
Best new music of 2017
Among other things, a year of great break-up albums by female artists…
Hello Margaret, Goodnight Moon
The story of Margaret Wise Brown…
Raymond Scott : The man who heard the future
Two decades after his death, electronic music pioneer Raymond Scott’s influence is still apparent.
Gordon Campbell on Chuck Berry
A 30-ish black r&b musician from a middle class family in St Louis managed to recreate the world of white teenagers, at a time when the very notion of a “teenager” had just been invented.
Gordon Campbell on Ardern’s ascension & Trump’s triumph
It’s about time we cut the crap about Jacinda Ardern being only a show pony.
Frightened Rabbit: On Liking Music That Harms You
Society teaches people that admitting to bad behaviour means accepting punishment and giving up support, which is why most people will try deny it.
Gordon Campbell on Meryl Streep’s speech
Primarily, Meryl Streep’s critical speech last night at the Golden Globes was a defence of journalism and of journalists.
The best albums of 2016
I’m not even going to try and rationalise this surrender to a ‘best of’ listicle.
Gordon Campbell on Leonard Cohen
If Bob Dylan owned the 1960s, Leonard Cohen was an inescapable presence during the early 1970s.
Gordon Campbell on the Surplus, And Bob Dylan
To quote the distinguished Nobel laureate, “Something is happening here, and you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Jones?”
Brando, Peckinpah and Billy The Kid
An obsessive tale of two Westerns
Tour of Duty
Taking the “guilt” tour in Auckland Art Gallery
Music Criticism As A Dating Metaphor
It’s getting harder to make a commitment…
He’s Not Here
David Bowie never endorsed Velvet Goldmine but it has become the ideal tribute film.
The Complicatist : Japanese Music
Japanese hip-hop, noise music, J-Pop, and a whole lot more besides….
Do You Believe In Second Chances?
The Sundance TV series Rectify takes the difficulties of faith, forgiveness and family seriously
The Complicatist : Hip Hop’s Vanishing Sense of Community
A collective music based on allegiance to the ‘hood now belongs to remote and isolated solo stars
The Complicatist : Frankie Cosmos, and other sounds of whiteness
Some musical journeys in the worlds of white people….
Panic in Detroit
Why David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows is a teenage sensation.
The Complicatist: Bradford Cox of Deerhunter
Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive