by Nick Muldoon | Dec 11, 2014 | Screened Plays
While he’s not the household name he is in the UK, those who have spent any significant time with British indie rock are sure to have at least have heard of Frank Sidebottom. The comedian and singer/songwriter Chris Sievey spent the vast majority of his 30 year...
by Nick Muldoon | Nov 19, 2014 | Screened Plays
There’s been a recent surge of classic Britpop bands resurfacing, from the Verve to Suede to Blur, and Pulp appears to be the latest. That said, Pulp’s reunion seems a weirdly appropriate time to reunite. While other Britpop acts had a wide array of...
by Nick Muldoon | Nov 13, 2014 | Screened Plays
With Oscar season now in full-effect, its worth pointing out that there has been a recent absence of popular music in nominated films. Whether it’s the period, tone, or just an effort to pick up additional nominations, Oscar contenders seem to shun the use of...
by Nick Muldoon | Nov 5, 2014 | Screened Plays
When I was a kid, I remember trying to explore everything my computer could do. A personal computer was still an exciting new technology and I had so many fresh tools at my disposal. But of all these tools I had to use, I enjoyed messing with none more than Windows...
by Nick Muldoon | Oct 29, 2014 | Screened Plays
While this feature often highlights the use of music in contemporary work, with Halloween just two days away, it seems only appropriate to focus on horror movies this week. While it took a good 20 years for horror movies to catch up to popular culture, ever since the...
by Sarah Machajewski | Oct 22, 2014 | Screened Plays
The Knick is the best show currently airing on TV. Well, after its season finale this past Friday, it’s technically on hiatus until 2015, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a frenetically pulsating beam of television magic in an otherwise dull fall season....
by Nick Muldoon | Oct 15, 2014 | Screened Plays
Expanding on the world he’s created through his music comes Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl. The frontman of indie-pop legends Belle & Sebastian makes his directorial debut with this coming-of-age musical that brings all the same retro twee kitsch...
by Nick Muldoon | Oct 6, 2014 | Screened Plays
**Warning – This article features mild spoilers for the film Gone Girl** The first memorable musical moment of David Fincher’s recent film, Gone Girl, takes place in a flashback as protagonists Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) trade witticisms...
by Sarah Machajewski | Jul 30, 2014 | Screened Plays
In a very strong example of being late to the game, I’ve finally started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (thanks, Netflix). I’m only two seasons in so far, but the Scoobie gang’s hangout, the Bronze, is already as endearing to me as it was to the millions of fans...
by Sarah Machajewski | Jul 16, 2014 | Screened Plays
Do you remember the stir Zach Braff created last April when he launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance his next movie? People were very divided on the issue; some threw their money at their favorite former Scrubs/movie star, while others resented what the perceived...
by Sarah Machajewski | Jul 2, 2014 | Screened Plays
Every once in a while, a movie comes around and catches you off guard for its surprisingly spectacular use of music. Does it surprise you that The Sandlot is on that list? The 90s favorite is loved for many things, but I’d surmise that its soundtrack ranks low...
by Sarah Machajewski | Jun 25, 2014 | Screened Plays
Disney’s Maleficent recently hit theaters, but audiences were prepped months ahead of time thanks to the trailer, which features Lana Del Rey’s take on the traditionally sickly sweet “Once Upon a Dream.” Lana is a bad B, so it’s no surprise that she takes the cheerful...
by Sarah Machajewski | Jun 18, 2014 | Screened Plays
“Soundtrack by Various Artists” is a phrase I’ve always secretly sought out. It’s probably because I’m not naturally gifted in the art of discovering the latest and greatest musicians. The mere thought of making a cohesive, nicely flowing playlist makes me overwhelmed...
by Sarah Machajewski | Jun 11, 2014 | Screened Plays
Depending on the average age of buffaBLOG’s readership, it’s probably safe to say that most of us grew up with a few decades of film history behind us. Within those decades are a handful of movies whose music is just as iconic as the film itself. Take The Godfather...
by Sarah Machajewski | May 28, 2014 | Screened Plays
I tossed around several ideas for this week’s column, and though it felt predictable, I kept circling back to writing about Mad Men. Maybe it was the fact that this Sunday marked the last new episode for A. Whole. Year. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been re-watching...