Culture
Charlie Bertsch / 14 May 2025
Sounds for a Dark Age
Ruinenkampf by Das Kinn
Unlike the vast majority of electronic dance music, the songs on Das Kinn’s debut album Ruinenkampf try to find their way out of a groove.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 07 May 2025
Proceed With Caution
Revenge of the Sith Strikes Back
Can a franchise known for elaborate action sequences and risible dialogue deliver meaningful political critique? Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith makes a strong case.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 23 Apr 2025
To Shoot or Not to Shoot
Grand Theft Hamlet
The concept for Grand Theft Hamlet is so fun that it’s hard to take seriously at first. But the film sneaks up on you.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 16 Apr 2025
Primal America
Earth Against Trump
When the news is a distraction, staying immersed is an act of resistance.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 02 Apr 2025
A Populist for Progressives
Jesse Welles Finds New Life in Folk Songs
The stunning success of American folksinger Jesse Welles testifies to the rich afterlife of authenticity.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 26 Mar 2025
Warning From the Franco Era
Pan’s Labyrinth, Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 film Pan’s Labyrinth is about coming of age under fascism.(...)
Gary Isaac Wolf / 20 Mar 2025
When Governance Falters
A Greek Tragedy: One Day, a Deadly Shipwreck, and the Human Cost of the Refugee Crisis, by Jeanne Carstensen
Tag. Kick the can. Red light, green light. These are the backyard games I played as a child in the United States. Certainly, they have equivalents and variations worldwide.(...)