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Quick Review: Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy Documentary)

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Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop paints a compelling portrait of the culture and figures surrounding street art, but it also observes the eccentric nature of its subjects, namely Thierry Guetta. Guetta dedicates most of his energy to preserving life on film, a compulsion which likely stems from his early childhood experience with the death of his mother, and the way the world became cold when his childhood ended.  Obsessive in his constant recording, Guetta exhibits a restlessness that reflects the deeply-human fear of being forgotten. It is a comfort to know that somewhere, in storage boxes in basements, are tapes containing proof of one’s existence. This library of life allows a person to unclench their anxious fists around each moment, content in the knowledge that, safely collecting dust somewhere, they are immortal. The film brings some of Guetta's tapes out of the shadows, pairing them with crescendos of music and visuals that mirror the splattering of a graffiti artist’s ...
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THE SUBSTANCE: A Disgusting, Beautiful Experience

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Watching Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 horror film The Substance was an experience more moving, intense, and unapologetic in its gratuity than anything I had seen that year—maybe ever. I relished every moment of it.  After viewing, I kept coming back to this idea that watching the film is like crunching through a tootsie roll pop with a jawbreaking outer shell and the most tender, vulnerable center. Its narrative seems to balance at its highest peak from start to finish, giving the viewer the sensation of being situated among its many teeth.  The Substance sprints toward you in slow motion with its surreal cinematography and performances, yet remains deeply human in its absolute dedication to a portrait of monstrosity.  This movie is gross. It cannot be understated how much of a visceral viewing experience it invites. The soundscape is front and center, the settings and cinematography are somehow both nostalgic and otherworldly, the story is thrilling , and the tragedy that ensu...
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Nora's Guide to Sad Songs

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When you're sad, you don't want to listen to happy music. You want to relish the tragedy of whatever you're going through without caring how silly you feel for being all self-indulgent and perseverating. Perhaps you do so while languishing your floor, or slouched in the driver's seat in the Taco Bell parking lot. If you're anything like me, silence won't do in these most childish, most human instances. I've compiled a list of several of those special songs that I know will always be there for me when I need them.  Here are some ballads that turn me blue. With love from me, I hope they make you cry.  Starting off strong, I have Teenage Blue by Dreamgirl . This song, oh man. I discovered it at in high school and it has most definitely served me well. If you like Cocteau Twins and you've seen Fleabag, you'll get it. It's got an old-fashioned sound to it that's almost like a Brenda Lee song, with western-adjacent sliding guitar riffs that match ...
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Top 10 Songs: January

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The month of January came to a close a few weeks ago, so here is my long-awaited and belated list of songs that made the top 10 listens on Spotify during the month. There are a few points to of interest here, starting with the number 01 spot, which is claimed by a cover of an unreleased Lana Del Rey song Every Man Gets His Wish . I've become fond of the covering artist's unique voice and the way that it still matches the original lyrics. The same goes for number 06: Using You.  Lola Violet (previously known as LoLa) sings a cover of the Mars Argo song, and she does it so well that I now prefer her version altogether. Her voice is more gritty while still emanating the fun, feminine, and matter-of-factness of the words. If you like Charli XCX, Marina and the Diamonds, and Iconapop, you'll dig this song.  In sadder news, David Lynch's passing happened to coincide with my love for the song Just You  that persisted last month. That song will most certainly be joining The...
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