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Reviewing the 2023 Oscar Best Picture Nominees
All Quiet on the Western Front I feel like I was one of the only people who did not have to read this book in school so this most recent remake was my first exposure to this story. It was a hell of a way to get introduced to it, with this certainly being the… Read more
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Top 50 Albums of 2022
It’s hard to believe that this is already the seventh time I have made one of these lists. What is harder to believe is that I haven’t gotten sick of it yet. There is something special about being able to look back through the years and reflect on all the albums I either overrated, underrated,… Read more
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Critical Circuit #8 – June 24, 2022
Lightyear After sending three great original films to Disney Plus, Pixar is back in theaters with a movie that sounds perfectly suited for Disney Plus. This is not to say Lightyear is a bad movie, I actually found myself entertained throughout, but it is certainly lacking the emotional core we have come to expect from… Read more
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Drake – Honestly, Nevermind | Album Review
There is only so much left to say with Drake. I will be completely honest off the top that I have always struggled to fully understand his appeal as he continues to cement himself as one of the biggest artists of all time. This disconnect became clearest with last September’s Certified Lover Boy, an album… Read more
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Top 50 Albums of 2021
I always had a feeling that 2021 would be a bit of a transitional year. Between January and now we have seen our lives dramatically change between a new president, COVID vaccines becoming readily available and the world finally opening back up again. It very much felt like picking up the fallen pieces of 2020… Read more
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Critical Circuit #7 – October 26, 2021
Dune I am proud to announce that Dune was officially my return to an IMAX theater since the pandemic, an option I recommend to anyone who has convenient access to one. I know this is available to watch on HBO Max but theatrical experience really enhanced my enjoyment of this story. Or, this part of… Read more
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Critical Circuit #6 – September 30, 2021
So I’ve got to be honest, no reviews this week. I spent my weekend at Governor’s Ball Music Festival and that really cut into the time I could have spent listening to new music or seeing new movies. But that’s okay because this gives me a chance to be a bit creative. For one, I… Read more
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Critical Circuit #5 – September 23, 2021
Dear Evan Hansen I am such a sucker for Broadway musicals, or just musicals in general. Even at their most basic I end up getting emotionally invested in the story or get struck by the songs and choreography. It really would take a special type of musical to just take all that wonder within me… Read more
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Critical Circuit #4 – September 15, 2021
Kacey Musgraves – Star-Crossed Coming off of her biggest album to date, expectations were certainly high for anything Kacey Musgraves had in store. And it is hard not to bring up 2018’s Golden Hour when so much of this album is a response to the end of the marriage that inspired much of that lovestruck… Read more
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Critical Circuit #3 – September 8, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings It’s so easy for me to get cynical about Marvel, seeing as they have gotten in a very comfortable formula with their content, but damn is it nice watching action movies in theaters again. While Shang-Chi is still clearly a Marvel film, it benefits by not feeling… Read more
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Kanye West – Donda | Album Review
There was a time when it felt like this album would never see the light of day. For over a year we got new cover artwork, track lists, potential release dates and then finally we got word that it would finally be released on July 23rd after a big Atlanta listening event. Obviously that didn’t… Read more
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Critical Circuit #2 – September 1, 2021
Candyman Quick thoughts on the original Candyman: an underappreciated horror classic that holds up remarkably well after 30 years. More expanded thoughts on this new Candyman film: wow, this is exactly how you follow up a horror classic. Great modern slashers are few and far between, which is a shame because there is so much… Read more
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Critical Circuit #1 – August 25, 2021
Lorde – Solar Power There is little introduction needed for Lorde at this point. When she exploded onto the scene in 2013 there was absolutely no avoiding her music. And for good reason. She maintained the aesthetics of indie while still making undeniably powerful pop classics. Her first two albums fit comfortably on my Best… Read more
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93rd Academy Awards Best Picture Nominees Review
The Father There is an experimental ambient album called Everywhere at the End of Time by the Caretaker which takes the listener on a multi-stage journey through what is supposed to be the sounds of dementia. It is a truly devastating and terrifying view of the disease that I have never felt put into art… Read more
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Top 50 Albums of 2020
Describing 2020 is going to be difficult. There were countless events that altered our lives, ways of thinking and mental stability. Whether it be COVID-19, the continued fight for racial quality, a Presidential election, just to name a few. There was plenty of pain to go around and unfortunately that pain is going to continue… Read more
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Best Albums of 2020 So Far
We don’t need another person online talking about how difficult 2020 has been. We all know it has been a rough few months. What I will say is that if there are any silver linings it would be I have had much more time to myself which means I have been listening to way more… Read more
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Top 20 Films of 2019
20) Clemency There were two movies that came out at the end of 2019 that tackled the death penalty, this and Just Mercy. While both are great, Clemency is the one that has stuck with me the most. The way writer-director Chinonye Chukwu is able to observe this controversial subject from both within and outside… Read more
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Top 100 Albums of the 2010s
The time has finally come, the 2010s are over and another decade of music is left to be remembered. It will take time to fully process what the most important aspects of this decade truly were but for me, personally, this was an important one. This is the decade I truly learned to appreciate art… Read more
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Top 50 Albums of 2019
This is now my fourth year creating a Top 50 list and it is hard to say whether the experiences are getting easier or harder for me. With every passing year I discover more and more and 2019 was no exception. I also graduated from college this spring so I had a lot more time… Read more
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Alex Cameron – Miami Memory | Album Review
Looking back at 2017, and all the artists I had discovered, few really stood out to me in the way Alex Cameron did. His sophomore album Forced Witness was my introduction to him and I was instantly captivated by the satirical takes on masculinity and sex, all while having incredible melodic instincts and a classic… Read more
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Charli XCX – Charli | Album Review
I have always found Charli XCX to be an absolutely fascinating figure in modern pop music. Her career started relatively normal, breaking through with singles like “Boom Clap” and her feature on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” It seemed like Charli was a clear example of a rising pop star and then she took a pivot that… Read more
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It Chapter Two | Movie Review
I will go on the record to say that I thought that 2017’s remake of It was one of the better studio horror movies this decade. I think it was effectively frightening while also building up real characters and creating an atmosphere that made you feel uneasy throughout. The movie ended off on a great… Read more
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Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding | Album Review
I just graduated college a few months ago, so needless to say I am quite familiar with everything Post Malone has ever done. Seriously, this man is worshipped like a god and I totally understand why. He has been able to take the aesthetics of hip-hop and trap music that has been trendy and put… Read more
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Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell! | Album Review
Lana Del Rey has always fallen in an interesting place for me. While I would not call myself a big fan of her, I always understood the appeal of her music. Each of her projects has standout moments but she has yet to grab me for an entire project. That being said, I did think… Read more
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Brittany Runs a Marathon | Movie Review
In a previous life, specifically high school, I was a cross country runner and continue to enjoy running in my everyday life. Sadly, there are very few movies that really go into the subject of running because it is barely a cinematic subject. But still, I had hope that Brittany Runs a Marathon would be… Read more
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Rapsody – Eve | Album Review
I, like many people, was first introduced to Rapsody when she was given one of the only prominent guest verses on To Pimp a Butterfly on the song “Complexion.” The verse was terrific, fit in with the album’s themes and set high standards for the emcee. Standards she was able to meet with her Grammy-nominated… Read more
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Brockhampton – Ginger | Album Review
It is probably telling that I feel like it’s been an eternity since the last Brockhampton. In reality it has been 11 months and during that time we got an underrated album from Kevin Abstract. The group has been known for their incredibly fast turnaround between albums, making this their fifth album since their breakout… Read more
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Taylor Swift – Lover | Album Review
There was a lot riding on Lover and my expectations were all over the place. After leaving longtime label Big Machine, with plenty of controversy that I won’t even begin to get into here, this was a great opportunity for Taylor to showcase her artistic abilities under new management. Also, after Reputation was generally seen… Read more
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Good Boys | Movie Review
There is a recent trend starting to go around Hollywood where we are seeing nostalgia really take over in the movies that are being made. There are much more obvious examples like Disney’s recent slate of live-action remakes, pretty much every studio’s decision to make sequels to beloved franchises, the list goes on. But there… Read more
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Ready or Not | Movie Review
Sadly it would appear that the summer movie season is over for 2019. It is one of the most depressing times of the year where studios throw everything out knowing that everyone is trying to soak up the last bit of summer before school or work or whatever takes over in the fall. Sometimes a… Read more
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Young Thug – So Much Fun | Album Review
Young Thug has never failed to deliver on being one of trap’s most eccentric artists. Even if his lyrics rarely would qualify as particularly smart, he is an artist that does not seem as concerned with the words he is saying but the way he delivers them and in that department he has always been… Read more
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The Peanut Butter Falcon | Movie Review
Authenticity is something that I feel does not always come up as much as it should when discussing film. Sure, maybe a big blockbuster will not feel the need to create a lived-in environment for their world to take place in. Maybe it is okay if the characters are caricatures or lacking development if that… Read more
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Chance the Rapper – The Big Day | Album Review
I like Chance the Rapper. He has always seemed like a sincere and respectful guy and while I did not love it as much as others, I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was happy that Coloring Book got the love and eventual Grammys it received. While inconsistent in sound the highs… Read more
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Critical Darling 