George Clinton, songwriter, vocalist, producer, and bandleader has been described as a "genius" and a "pioneer" of funk music, but he is also a man who has had to fight for his rightful place in the annals of popular music.
'Cop Land', released 25 years ago, was a relatively run-of-the-mill cop corruption thriller that's distinguished by featuring one of the best casts ever assembled for a crime film.
Released 40 years ago this month, 'Pink Floyd: The Wall' can best be described as 90 minutes of interconnected weirdness, scored by one of the best rock albums of all time.
'The Rising,' Bruce Springsteen's 12th studio album and his first with the E Street Band in 18 years, takes up a fascinating place in Springsteen's history and is widely remembered as his "9/11 album."
Charles Mingus was one of the most important and influential composers of twentieth-century music. He was a true pioneer, who pushed the boundaries of jazz and classical music to create a unique and powerful sound that is still being explored by musicians today.
'The Queen of Versailles', the 2012 doc about a wealthy couples gaudy attempt to build the largest single-family home in the United States is one of the best documentaries of the last decade.
Austin Butler's 'Elvis' biopic has been getting all the attention but my favorite Elvis movie remains 'Bubba Ho-Tep', an absurdist horror-comedy where he's secretly lived past his "official" death and fights a mummy.
Wilco's transition into "Heavy Metal Drummer" has to be one of my favorite moment's in pop music, and that moment also happens to be the basis of two of the greatest moments of 'I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.'
Released 10 years ago, 'Paul Williams: Still Alive' was a tale of two stories; one that gives a glimpse at one of American pop culture's most fascinating figures and one that comes from the Michael Moore/Morgan Spurlock/Nick Broomfield school of filmmaking.
'This is Us' wrapped up its six-year run last week, a culmination of fantastic, unique storytelling that spanned about 75 years and four generations, and did the near impossible; it nailed its endgame.
How do you build a name for yourself by trying your best not to succeed? You may try and ask Paul Westerberg, the force who lead The Replacements, one of the best and most creative bands of the '80s American indie rock scene.
More than 40 years into his career, the spring of 2022 has become the time to examine the cinematic and cultural legacy of Nicolas Cage - from think pieces to books to a new movie where Cage plays Cage.
Give Tim Robbins' film 'Bob Roberts' this, three decades after its release: they walked so Dr. Mehmet Oz could run.
'The World According to Garp' is remembered as one of Robin Williams' best-ever dramatic roles, and an extremely bizarre and disjointed film, which satirizes feminism and features John Lithgow as a trans woman.
'Unforgiven', Clint Eastwood's classic Western from 1992, is seen as a crowing achievement in Eastwood's career, and not only because it won Best Picture and three other Oscars.
'The Simpsons' is an extremely important show to a lot of people, and while the movie doesn't transcend the show or anything like it, it's still very much worthy of the name.
Released 10 years ago, 'The Dark Knight Rises' might not be as highly regarded as its 2008 predecessor, but its still a very good superhero film and easily better than every one that followed.
'Withnail and I' was a movie about drunkenness, combining a rather sad plot with a surprising amount of laughs. While not a hit when it first arrived, it's attained cult classic status as the years have gone by.
25 years ago 'Face/Off' arrived, featuring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage in some of their most luxurious over-acting of their careers, a ridiculous plot, and impossible action sequences.
In the early '70s, Lowell George and Little Feat were on the cusp of becoming one of America's most popular bands with their mix of swampy blues, rock, and country; but for inexplicable reasons they never quite broke through.
Released 20 years ago, the Eddie Griffin-led 'Undercover Brother' arrived as a loving tribute and parody of '70s blaxploitation films; consistently funny with one of the best soundtracks since the turn of the century.
'Moonrise Kingdom', which arrived 10 years ago this week, is arguably Wes Anderson's most underrated and different film amongst his storied pantheon of movies. Charming, low-stakes, and very funny.
Released in 1997 and directed by Luc Besson, 'The Fifth Element' was really two films (one much better than the other), but whose stunning visuals and fun-filled ride still stand out today.
Released 20 years ago this week 'Death to Smoochy' arrived as a deeply dark and cynical comedy that appears to have been written by someone whose kids got really into Barney and drove their parents to homicidal fantasy.