One of the things we love about Italy is that its aristocrats see no problem in being communists. Take Luchino Visconti, probably the only filmmaker capable of adapting one of his country’s most cherished novels. The Leopard recounts the efforts of a Sicilian prince to preserve his family’s fortunes during the revolutions that would eventually … Read more
All right, all right, she may be America’s reigning movie queen, but whom can we petition for a moratorium on magazine covers featuring Ms. Kidman? Still, she and her child co-stars scared the bejesus out of us in The Others, and so we’re looking forward to this film, in which Kidman’s widowed character develops an … Read more
With Sideways, Alexander Payne and his writing partner Jim Taylor more than fulfill the promise of their brilliantly offbeat earlier films, Election and About Schmidt. In fact, we’re actually more partial to this one because it’s still very quirky yet at the same time eminently accessible. The refreshingly schlubby Paul Giamatti (fresh off American Splendor) … Read more
I’ll confess, I have never been a huge fan of Bob Dylan’s music; I don’t own a single record. But I am a huge fan of Bob Dylan. As historical music figures go, he’s someone who has always fascinated me and scared the crap out of me at the same time. One theory I have … Read more
There is a large man in a small strip mall who knows a little something about eggs. Fat Nat’s is the kind of place that you pray will open in your neighborhood: There’s counter seating, glory be! When’s the last time you saw that in a strip mall? Posted signs will point out to you … Read more
You might have heard about this new “coffee shop” in the heart of Northeast, but trust us: Wilde Roast is so much more than lattes and scones and free publications and concert notices strewn about. We might even go so far as to say that it strives to be all things to all people. They’re … Read more
Tucked into a cute side street in Linden Hills, Café 28 is a secret we’d rather not reveal—but we’ll think of it as long-term security. Remember the D’Amico joint in the old fire station next to Wild Rumpus books? That’s the place. Unlike the previous tenant, this restaurant is an upscale sit-down affair, with a … Read more
A few years back, A.J. Jacobs was feeling like a bit of a nincompoop. At the age of thirty-five, he had long ago forgotten everything from his Nietzsche seminar at Brown University. His work life, writing for the likes of Entertainment Weekly and Esquire, inspired a concern for all things superficial: movie stars, boy bands, … Read more
Bonnie and Clyde didn’t act alone—actually, their crime spree became the ultimate double date when Clyde’s brother Buck and his wife Blanche joined in the reindeer games. Of the four, Blanche is the only one who lived to tell the whole sordid tale, which she put down on paper while serving time in the thirties. … Read more
At last, a biography of the man whom many call the greatest guitarist ever. Django Reinhardt was born in Belgium in 1910 to gypsy parents, and began playing music when he was twelve. At eighteen, he was almost killed in a fire that left him the use of only two fingers on his left hand. … Read more