Bub's Studio

I have moved ...

2011-07-10T23:24:00.001-07:00

You can now find me here.

RESURRECTION.

2010-12-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Dawning of a New Day. It has been two years (!) since my last post, but I have decided to start fresh. This time, I am going to focus on three fields that are closest to my heart: arts, education and arts education. My pet project is the development of new genre of dramatic literature: Young Adult Theatre (YAT). You can follow that more closely on my other blog, linked here.

Blog Readability Test

2008-08-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

TV Reviews

Thank you for being a friend.

2008-07-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

2008-07-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Film opinionDirected by Christopher NolanWritten by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan NolanStory by Christopher Nolan and David S. GoyerCharacters created by Bob KaneWith Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan FreemanExceeded my lofty expectations by twisting the dramatic tension tighter and tighter. Christian Bale is great, as usual,

GYPSY

2008-07-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Theater opinionMusic by Jule StyneLyrics by Stephen SondheimBook by Arthur LaurentsSuggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose LeeDirected by Arthur LaurentsOriginal choreography by Jerome Robbins, recreated by Bonnie WalkerMusic Directed by VaccarielloWith Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines, Leigh Ann Larkin, Tony Yazbeck, Alison Fraser, Lenora Nemetz, Marilyn CaskeyAt the St. James Theatre,

IN THE HEIGHTS

2008-07-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Theater opinionMusic and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel MirandaBook by Quiara Alegria HudesConceived by Lin-Manuel MirandaDirected by Thomas KailChoreographed by Andy BlankenbuehlerMusic Directed by Alex LacamoireWith Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrea Burns, Robin De Jesus, Carlos Gomez, Mindy Gonzalez, Christopher Jackson, Priscilla Lopez, Olga Merediz, Karen Olivo, Seth StewartAt the Richard Rodgers Theatre,

MY WINNIPEG (2007)

2008-07-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Film OpinionDirected by Guy MaddinWritten by Guy Maddin and George TolesWith Darcy Fehr, Ann Savage, Amy Stewart, Brendan Cade, Wesley CadeProbably the most visually intriguing and narratively confounding "documentary" I have ever seen. One is never sure just how much of Guy Maddin's history of Winnipeg is actually true but, man, is it fun to watch. Laugh out loud funny at times, poignant and sad

WALL-E

2008-07-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Film OpinionDirected by Andrew StantonWritten by Andrew Stanton and Pete DocterVocal Talent: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney WeaverThis is Pixar's best so far. The first forty-minutes are truly sublime despite (or maybe because of) almost zero dialogue. Scathing satire and beautiful imagery are both in service to a central love story

2.0

2008-07-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus, Bub's Studio will be returning with a vengeance. Over the next few days, expect fresh opinions on theater, film and books. As long as I have this thing, I should very well use it.

FDR

2008-06-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said:The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. He was lying.

Dan the Monster Man!

2008-03-11T15:37:00.001-07:00

4MinuteDragon - Funny home videos are a click away

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

2008-01-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Film OpinionWritten and Directed by Paul Thomas AndersonAdapted from OIL! by Upton SinclairWith Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier, Ciaran Hinds, Kevin J. O'ConnorPaul Thomas Anderson's latest film, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, is a powerful, haunting film driven by the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role. Proving that the best book-to-film adaptations draw on weak material, Anderson

PERSONAL DNA

2007-12-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

Animated Creator

ATTEND THE TALE ...

2007-12-21T02:50:00.000-08:00

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET Directed by Tim BurtonMusic and Lyrics by Stephen SondheimAdapted for the Screen by John Logan WITH: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sasha Baron Cohen, Ed Sanders, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, Laura Michelle Kelly Tim Burton's adaption of one of my all-time favorite musicals is excellent. Johnny Depp's

THE GOLDEN COMPASS

2007-12-08T23:38:00.001-08:00

FILM OPINIONWritten and Directed by Chris WeitzBased on the Novel by Philip PullmanCAST: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Ian McKellen (voice), and Dakota Blue RichardsWith the historic success of the Harry Potter books and movies, not to mention the Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia franchises, Hollywood has predictably saturated the market with film adaptations of popular

DAFT PUNK'S ELECTROMA

2007-12-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

This is where I'm going on Tuesday. It's free, shit.Teaser for Electroma.

THINK PINK RADIO

2007-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

I was invited to write weekly posts at the blog for Think Pink Radio based out of WLUW 88.7 FM in Chicago. The show itself is independent, all-music, and devoted to queer music artists. The blog aims to become a hub for queer arts, literature, events and anything else we think will interest people around the country.My own contributions to the Think Pink Radio blog will focus primarily on film,

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

2007-11-29T13:41:00.001-08:00

by Sherman AlexieIllustrations by Ellen ForneyBOOK OPINIONAny book that can make me laugh out loud and cry unabashedly deserves my highest praise. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, author Sherman Alexie mines his own adolescence to tell the story of Junior, aka Arnold Spirit. Junior has several decks stacked against him. He was born "with water on the brain," a condition that

PEOPLE TALKING AND SINGING: November 8, 2007

2007-10-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007)

2007-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Film OpinionWritten by Nancy OliverDirected by Craig GillespieCAST: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia ClarksonSeeing this film was the most pleasantly surprising film-going experience I have had in years. The story follows Lars Lindstrom (Gosling), a painfully shy man who cannot seem to get people to leave him alone. Tipped off by a co-worker, Lars finds a

SWEENEY TODD ...

2007-10-06T12:11:00.001-07:00

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is coming soon!

THE MOJO AND THE SAYSO

2007-09-03T15:27:00.001-07:00

THEATER OPINIONThe Mojo and the Saysoby Aishah RahmanDirected by Valerie Curtis-NewtonACT TheaterSeptember 2, 2007 (preview)Thanks to a free ticket provided by Seattle Dramatists, I attended a preview of The Mojo and the Sayso by Aisha Rahman at ACT over the weekend. The play opens on September 6, and the director, Valerie Curtis-Newton, asked the audience before the show to "work," and give the

AT HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD

2007-08-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

BOOK OPINIONAt Home at the End of the Worldby Michael CunninghamPicador, 1990Everyone knows that the book is always better than the film, with the prominent exception being Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptations of Mario Puzo's novel, The Godfather. (Nevermind the ill-conceived finale, Part III.) Authors have ample pages for, and readers necessary patience about, exploring their characters in

ONCE

2007-08-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

FILM OPINIONOnce (2006)Written and Directed by John CarneyStarring: Glen Hansard, Marketa IrglovaThis Irish indie music film has been making bigger and bigger waves recently. Made for $150,000, Once has grossed over $6 million in limited U.S. release, and has been picked up for wider distribution. Though this film has been playing at the Harvard Exit for weeks, I stayed away because I figured a