Sonic Cinema

When I planned on going to see Jeff Nichols’s “The Bikeriders” it wasn’t for any of the reasons I’m sure other people had- they’re fans of the cast, interested in the story, or Nichols as a filmmaker- though those things certainly intrigued me. I simply was curious, however, and didn’t have higher expectations for it. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found myself fully immersed in the film’s story, and […]

It occurred to me as I was going through the Atlanta Film Festival this year that my past three years of covering the festival have been dramatically different from my first three. In 2019-2021, I had off of work for the better part of the festival (save for one day in 2019 when I worked). In 2022-2023, I had to balance the festival with work throughout, often missing out on […]

The American experiment with Democracy is in a perilous place with the re-election of Donald Trump. Art, and cinema, is inherently political by virtue of the time it was made, as well as the time in which we watch it. In the first episode of what will be a miniseries for the Sonic Cinema Podcast, we begin looking at the ways in which films have portrayed fascism and authoritarianism over […]

Hello readers and listeners! It’s now 2025, and time for a new year on the podcast. To start off the year, we add one more film to the “Class of 1999” series with the sci-fi comedy, “Galaxy Quest”. Joining me in appreciating this film’s warmth, hilarity and adventure is Robert Yaniz Jr. of Crooked Table podcasts and Back to Bluey. I hope you enjoy! I hope you enjoy! “Class of […]

Just as much as film music, the music of Bruce Springsteen, whether it’s one of his solo albums or with his legendary backing band, the E Street Band, has had a profound impact on me for over two decades now. My first album I ever received that was my own was his iconic 1984 smash, “Born in the U.S.A.,” and though my father would borrow it from time to time […]

Back in 2001, Joss Whedon was a very busy man. He was producing two television shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”, and he was prepping a third one, “Firefly”, for debut in 2002. He was also delving into writing comic books for the first time. That Fall, the first issue of his comic book series, Fray, came out. An eight-issue title, Whedon’s thrilling tale of a future slayer in […]