REVIEW: Contemporary Color [2017]

“Stage this way” You have to give David Byrne credit. He stumbled upon the idea of color guards, looked into the excitement and spectacle of their “sport of the arts,” and sought to open their world to the rest of us ignorant to their craft outside of football halftime shows. So he called upon modern music luminaries (Lucius, Nico Muhly + Ira Glass, Nelly Furtado, Devonté Hynes, St. Vincent, How to Dress Well, Money Mark + Ad Rock, Zola Jesus, tUnE-y-ArDs, and himself) to compose wholly original pieces that would…

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REVIEW: XX [2017]

“Well I have to eat. Don’t I?” The concept is simple: task four female directors to create and film four unrelated shorts in the horror vein—with female-led casts—to be combined into a single compilation in which to show off the talents and voices of artists Hollywood continues to ignore. Tap newcomer Jovanka Vuckovic (whose “The Box” is based on a story by Jack Ketchum), musician Annie ‘St. Vincent’ Clark with her debut behind the camera (“The Birthday Party”), the veteran leadership of V/H/S producer and Southbound helmer Roxanne Benjamin (with…

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