Angola Do You Hear Us?

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Jack Shalom

What does it take for a writer/actress to perform a play she’s written about prisons, at a prison? And in particular, at one of the most notorious prisons in the country, Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, America’s largest prison-plantation. A new documentary about that performance and its aftermath, titled Angola Do You Hear Us?, has been shortlisted for the Oscar for Documentary Short Subject. I was happy to speak with the director of the film, Cinque Northern, and the playwright/performer, Liza Jessie Peterson.

Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear the interview as broadcast on the Arts Express radio program today, aired on WBAI -FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

The film is streaming on Paramount +

2nd Chance: Sex, Violence and Bulletproof Vests

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Jack Shalom

Why would a man shoot himself in the chest 192 times? In a country that worships guns, explosives, and comic book super heroes, what kind of stories move product? And finally in a country that professes to be deeply Christian and compassionate is there a second chance for all of us—even the worst among us? All this and more are explored in a really intriguing documentary called 2^nd Chance. I was happy to talk to the director of 2^nd Chance, Ramin Bahrani.

To hear the interview as broadcast today on the Arts Express program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation, click on the triangle or mp3 link above.

Only You

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Jack Shalom

The Platters, featuring the voice of Tony Williams, in a video starring what’s her name again?

Thanks to YouTuber softengine60

Another Kind Of Dinner Party

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Jack Shalom

Animator Niven Wilson created a remarkable film short that talks about a different sort of get- together. Not for the squeamish. Some really dazzling art work. Enter if you dare.

More at NivenWilson

November Notions

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Jack Shalom

This month in the Arts Express Magazine:

** Actress Inger Tudor of Goliath speaks about Voodoo Macbeth and playing Rose McClendon, the legendary Depression-era African-American theater actress.

** A portfolio of photos from the actual historic 1936 Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth

** 28 Children: Artist Mary McClusker’s moving tribute to children killed by guns

and more!

Get your free subscription to the Arts Express Magazine, the companion magazine to Arts Express Radio, by sending an email with the word “subscribe” in the subject line to: artsexpresslist@gmail.com

I’m Happy Just To Dance With You

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Jack Shalom

Monday morning Messrs. McCartney and Lennon let George sing one.

From A Hard Day’s Night.

Thanks to YouTuber vinylman1973return

What’s It All About?

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Jack Shalom

Alfie. Dionne Warwick. Perfection. ‘Nuff said.

Thanks to YouTuber Grupo Musica

Same Storm

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Jack Shalom

The twists and turns of the last three years add up to several lifetimes. But somehow, with all of Covid’s initial attendant panic, fear and isolation, and the major film studios shut down, filmmaker and writer Peter Hedges decided to make a film during the very heart of the pandemic. The result was a unique film project called The Same Storm, the interlocking stories of some two dozen characters facing life as the world turned upside down. I was very happy to be talking with the creator of The Same Storm, Peter Hedges.

Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear my interview with director Peter Hedges as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI-FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

Apocalypse Animated

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Jack Shalom

(Click on the video to play)

Animator, Director, Artist, Scapegoat Nina Paley recently completed her Apocalypse Animated project–that is, her unique animations (illuminations?) as applied to the Book of Revelations. She then took the animations and repurposed them to the short three minute video above.

See the whole project at https://apocalypseanimated.com/

And you can hear an interview I did years ago with Ms. Paley here

October 2022 Arts Express Magazine

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Jack Shalom

** Fighting Times: Organizing on the Front Lines of the Class War: a special extended conversation with veteran union UAW organizer and hellraiser, Jon Melrod

**Little Amal Comes to Brooklyn: Little Amal is a 10-year-old refugee from Syria. She is also a 12-foot puppet who has traveled 5,000 miles across Turkey and Europe and now to Brooklyn, in search of her mother. A photo essay.

** Dennis Broe on Robert Colescott’s Anti-Racist, Anti-Imperialist paintings

and more!

View online here: October 2022 AE MAGAZINE

Get your free email subscription to the Arts Express Magazine, the companion magazine to Arts Express Radio, by sending an email with the word “subscribe” in the subject line to: artsexpresslist@gmail.com

InHospitable

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Jack Shalom

Medical bankruptcy is the number one cause of family bankruptcy in the US. But maybe what’s not as well known is that the major factor driving up the cost of healthcare in the US is due to hospital mergers. Now in a new documentary, Inhospitable, director Sandra Alvarez shows that hospitals are big business and even when dubbed non-profit, the money flows in a way that is not about prioritizing patient care or patient finances.

Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear my review of InHospitable as broadcast today on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

Labor Day Weekend Viewing Picks

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Jack Shalom

In preparation for this labor-day weekend, I thought it might be fun to watch and rewatch a bunch of labour-related films, in particular those that highlight union or workplace struggles. Well, I am somewhat bleary eyed from my home film fest, but I am going to focus on a half dozen of the films that I most enjoyed.

Click on the grey triangle or Mp3 link above to hear my picks as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program, heard on WBAI FM and Pacifica affiliates across the country.

The Marx Brothers Play Bridge

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Jack Shalom

From Animal Crackers, Chico and Harpo have an amazing run of luck at cards.

Thanks to YouTuber Christ Ward

They All Laughed

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Jack Shalom

I’m not a fan of Ginger Rogers’s singing, but Fred Astaire’s dancing afterwards is just great.

Thanks to YouTuber Comic Spirit

Mary Spender’s Church Bells

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Jack Shalom

(Click on the video above to play)

Monday morning, crack guitar player, singer, songwriter, and videomaker Mary Spender takes us behind the scenes to her castle, as she gives us a backstage explanation of how she put together her Romeo-and-Juliet influenced music video with zero crew. A really fascinating look at what talent and resourcefulness can do. Oh, and add camera drone operator to that list.

More at Mary Spender

Gun Show!

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Jack Shalom

The American mass obsession with guns is clearly unique and filmmaker Richard Chisolm has made an intriguing short documentary called Gun Show which details one artist’s attempt to come to grips with the national gun worship.

Click on the triangle above or the mp3 link to hear my review as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program heard on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

My Old School: Alan Cumming And Jono McLeod On The Great School Hoaxer

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Jack Shalom

In 1995, the students of a secondary school in Scotland, found out they were the victims of a hoax. Their popular student companion of the previous year, Brandon Lee, turned out not to be who he seemed to be, but an imposter. Now, one of those school students, Jono McLeod, who grew up to be a filmmaker, has made a film that takes that shaggy dog story further yet, as Jono and his former school companions investigate the effect that the student they knew as Brandon Lee had on all of them. And in a virtuoso turn, Alan Cumming plays the camera-shy Brandon.

I was very happy to interview the director of the film, My Old School, Jono McLeod, and its star, Alan Cumming, for Arts Express radio heard on WBAI-FM NYC and Pacifica stations across the nation.

Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear the interview as broadcast today

The Thief of Bad Gags

Posted on July 24, 2022 by Jack Shalom

(Click to enlarge)

Magic fans will enjoy this parody film poster advertising the Golden Gate Gathering, a magic convention organized by Anthony Miller and Rosie Rings.

Magician Kent Gunn explains on the Genii forum that Rosie and Tony are both huge movie poster aficionados. and that they’ve come up with Rosie-fied old movie posters for the GGG for several years.

Thanks to Kent Gunn for the photo of the poster.

Misinformed

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Jack Shalom

Not just you, Rick, not just you…

Thanks to YouTuber Andrew Barbin

June Magazine Jewels

Posted on June 19, 2022 by Jack Shalom

June is Busting Out All Over! This month:

** Castro’s Spies: Director Gary Lennon phones in from Dublin to talk about his documentary depicting the heroic undercover Cubans infiltrating Miami, known as the Cuban Five.

** Decolonizing Museums: A review of the new book by Shimrit Lee on the service of museums to imperialism

** Lost People, Places and Spaces: Dennis Broe on the international crime novel writing festival in Lyons

and more!!

View online here: June 2022 Arts Express Magazine

Mighty May’s Magazine

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Jack Shalom

This month in the Arts Express Magazine:

** Veteran Actor Jim Broadbent on playing a true-life working class hero in The Duke

** Artist Tom Keough shares scenes from his graphic bio about the Irish revolutionary, James Connolly

** Dennis Broe on the constructed media representations of Zelensky in “Mr. Zelensky Goes to Washington”

and more!

View online here: May 2022 Arts Express Magazine

Get your free subscription to the Arts Express Magazine, the companion magazine to Arts Express Radio, by sending an email with the word “subscribe” in the subject line to: artsexpresslist@gmail.com

Abbott and Costello Explain Labor Law

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Jack Shalom

And this was in the days before Amazon…

Thanks to YouTuber ibnteos

Rhythm Tap with John Bubbles

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Jack Shalom

John “Bubbles” Sublett, who taught Fred Astaire how to tap, and played Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, was a master of rhythm tap. He appears in the clip above in the 1937 film, Varsity Show, with his long time partner Ford “Buck” Washington.

Thanks to YouTuber AndresDCE

The Company Way

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Jack Shalom

One more lesson in obsequiousness from How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. The late Robert Morse rings every bit of humor from the song. The clever lyrics and music are by Frank Loesser.

Thanks to YouTuber Movieclips

Laurel And Hardy: Tit For Tat

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Jack Shalom

As a youngster I didn’t much like Laurel and Hardy, but viewing this short recently, I couldn’t help laugh at their absolutely perfect timing. I’m assuming that part of the way it comes across on this film is due to the director, Charles Rogers.

Thanks to YouTuber Culture & Education

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