2024-04-11 02:28
IRAS The Best Films of the 1930s Rough DraftMy top film from each year: 1939 -- The Rules Of The Game 1938 -- The Adventures Of Robin Hood1937 -- Make Way For Tomorrow1936 … Read More
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2024-03-31 01:26
Ratings on a five star scale Albums with a perfect five stars are bolded and in all caps so they're easier to spot AEROSMITH Aerosmith *** 1/2 Get Your Wings *** 1/2 &hell…Read More
2024-03-24 21:13
THE 48TH IRA FILM AWARDS: ONLY A "MONSTER" WOULD IGNORE THESE MOVIES Date: March 25, 2023 Location: New York City and far-flung locales via ZoomThe IRAs are a… Read More
2024-03-23 04:49
THE 100 BEST SILENT FILMS OF ALL TIME The august but mysterious film society known as The IRAs gathered to determine the 100 Best Silent Films Of All Time on March 22, 2024. The IRAs vo… Read More
2024-02-03 05:20
THE ULTIMATE GRAMMYS PREVIEW -- THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2023 By Michael Giltz I always wait until the Grammy Awards before sharing my favorite albums of the year. Why? Two reasons.First… Read More
2024-01-06 03:47
Updated as of January 5, 2024 KEY: star rating is on the four star scale meaning of "/" or "\" *** is thr… Read More
2023-04-22 05:43
THE IRA OF IRAS — A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONFor the 50th anniversary in 2024, we will vote on the IRA of IRAs — the best film among the 49 nominees during the firs… Read More
2023-03-27 01:11
THE 48TH IRA FILM AWARDS: ENJOYING "GREAT FREEDOM" (WHILE IT LASTS) Date: March 25, 2023 Location: New York City and far-flung locales via ZoomThe IRAs are a myster… Read More
2023-03-24 19:37
As of March, 2023, these are the guidelines for how to vote at the annual IRA Awards. HOW TO VOTE AT THE IRASCurrently, the IRAs include fourteen different categories, eleven trad… Read More
2023-03-24 15:21
THE HARDER THEY COME ** 1/2 out of **** The Public MUSEUM OF BROADWAY ** 1/2 out of **** 145 West 45th Street ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM ** out of ****… Read More
2023-02-03 04:01
Here's a look at the music I loved and listened to the most from 2022. If you enjoy the genre one of my picks is from, chances are it's worth a listen. Let me know what albums I'm missing!&n&hell…Read More
2023-01-31 15:44
timor defectus librorumlatin for the fear of running out of books! I experienced this often while going about my day in NYC. I'd have a magazine with me...and another magazine in case… Read More
2023-01-30 01:53
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Shallow Grave *** The Wild Hunt *** 1/2Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird (ep) ***There's No Leaving Now *** 1/2 Dark Bird Is Home ****&n&hell…Read More
2023-01-23 15:49
Updated December 31, 2022Here's a very incomplete master list of books I've read. This is my list by rating (so you can see which books I gave a perfect four out of four stars to, for exampl… Read More
2023-01-23 15:49
Updated December 31, 2022Here's a very incomplete master list of books I've read. This is my list organized by author. I've got another list organized by rating. I tend to focus on good book… Read More
2023-01-23 15:37
The IRA Silent Films List -- 2024 IRAS All silent films are eligibleMovies must be at least 40 min longSerials are eligible. THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED *** 1/2 AQUA… Read More
2023-01-23 15:33
Updated December 31, 2022Thru #6, 2023Movies – Everything. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.Not comprehensive, but as complete as possible.Ratings on a four star scale Abbott and Co… Read More
2023-01-23 15:26
For people who ask "What are your favorite movies?" -- here's the answer. Yes, I know you can argue about which year certain movies belong to (especially films from other countries), but the… Read More
2023-01-23 15:25
THE BEST ALBUMS OF THE YEARFor people who always ask, "What are your favorite albums?" here's the answer. I start with my top pick from each year as a starting point. No, it's not "the most… Read More
2023-01-16 15:37
Updated as of January 16, 2023 KEY: star rating is on the four star scale meaning of "/" or "\" *** is th… Read More
2022-12-13 01:46
THE GREATEST HOLIDAY ALBUMS OF ALL TIMEI'm bonkers about Christmas music. Bonkers! I've owned more holiday albums (300+) than most people have in their entire library. I've got playlis… Read More
2022-11-08 19:34
ELECTION DAY PLAYLIST (on Amazon Music) RAY CHARLES -- "America The Beautiful" JOHN LENNON -- "Power To The People" ARETHA FRANKLIN -- "Think"BR… Read More
2022-11-08 15:22
MICHAEL IN LONDONTHEATER 101 Dalmatians The Musical – at Regent’s Park Open Air * out of **** Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National (team behind One Man, Two Guvnor… Read More
2022-03-21 06:32
THE 47TH ANNUAL IRA FILM AWARDS: HOLDING OUT FOR "A HERO" Date: March 19, 2022 Location: New York City and far-flung locales via ZoomThe IRAs are a mysterious but august film… Read More
2022-03-19 05:45
IRA'S THE 100 BEST FILMS OF ALL TIME -- 2022 EDITIONHere are the Top 100 movies of all time, per the vote of the IRAs on March 18, 2022. Scroll down for commentary. 1. THE RULES OF THE… Read More
2022-02-10 22:53
THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2021 FLOATING POINTS AND PHAROAH SANDERS -- Promises THE CORAL -- Coral Island C. TANGANA -- El Madrileño ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS -- Rais… Read More
2022-02-10 20:59
Updated as of February 10, 2022 KEY: star rating is on the four star scale meaning of "/" or "\" *** is three s… Read More
2021-10-15 02:47
When doing a Top 100 Movies of All Time or Top Comedies or Top Silent Films or Top Shorts or Top Films of the 1930s: 1. Everyone submits an unranked list of 100 films. 2. Tho… Read More
2021-06-01 16:39
Here's my first impulsive list, album by album and single by single of every Beatles song that makes me immediately think, Oh I HAVE to include that! I'm not counting, just tossing in… Read More
2021-04-26 03:56
QUEER AS FOLK: ESSENTIAL MOVIE AND TV PICKS (PLUS "A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE" VARIETY PACK) Here are films and TV shows I love or just need to be seen, whether they're queer or just… Read More
2021-04-24 20:46
FAMILY FRIENDLY FARE:Movies and TV shows to Watch With Your KidsNOTE: this all depends on your family and your kids, needless to say. I've got stuff here great for kids under 8 and stu… Read More
2021-04-21 16:33
The IRAs -- Best Picture Winners For The Past 20 YearsL’ Humanite (2000)The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)Far From Heaven and The Son’s Room (tie) (… Read More
2021-04-19 04:58
The 46st Annual IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS -- 2020/EARLY 2021 ReleasesThe IRAs are a mysterious but august film society launched in 1976 when it proudly named Stanley Kubrick's Barry… Read More
2021-02-21 05:31
THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2020A GIRL CALLED EDDY -- Been Around BEASTIE BOYS -- Beastie Boys Music FIONA APPLE -- Fetch The Bold Cutters BAD BUNNY -- YHLQMDLG/La… Read More
2021-01-01 06:00
Updated as of , 2021KEY: star rating is on the four star scale meaning of "/" or "\" *** is three stars out of four… Read More
2020-11-26 06:53
NEW STANDARDS -- SONGS OF THE 1970S TO TODAY Great Songs Donny Hathaway -- "This Christmas" Joni Mitchell -- "River" Great Records Mariah Carey -- "All I… Read More
2020-11-24 22:55
Albums Returning To 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time List 2020 EditionBoogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded (2003: #444; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #239)Creedence Clearwater Revival's Cosmo'… Read More
2020-07-17 15:39
DEANNA DURBIN COLLECTION I $49.95 BluRay; Kino Lorber Studio Classics By Michael GiltzWhat a talent. What a waste. For a brief period in the 1940s, singer and actress Deanna Durbin… Read More
2020-06-17 19:42
VARIOUS ARTISTS Africa Screams Contest *** 1/2 Africa Screams Contest Vol. Two *** 1/2 … Read More
2020-06-17 19:41
CAST ALBUMS/MUSICALS/BROADWAY Annie Get Your Gun (Doris Day, Robert Goulet album) (1963) **** Camelot Orig Broad… Read More
2020-06-11 04:28
HOLIDAY MUSIC/CHRISTMAS ALBUMS MASTER LIST Bryan Adams -- Christmas EP ** 1/2 Herb Alpert -- C… Read More
2020-04-06 05:14
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Shallow Grave *** The Wild Hunt *** 1/2 Someti… Read More
2020-04-06 05:14
ANDERSON.PAAK Malibu (2016) ***/BRAD PAISLEY Mud On The Tires *** 1/2 &nb&hell…Read More
2020-04-06 05:14
KAISER CHIEFS Employment *** 1/2 Yours Truly, Angry Mob *** 1/2 Off Wi… Read More
2020-04-06 05:14
MARIANNE FAITHFUL Broken English *** 1/2 Nwegative Capability *** JASON FALKNER  &hell…Read More
2020-04-06 05:14
Pause: back to 2019 #275 and then iTunes library; previous years back to 2008 doneMy Library of Albums -- This isn't a list of every album I've ever owned or listened to...not even close. In… Read More
Music Library Master List Z+ Cast Albums, Soundtracks, Various Artist Compilations And Holiday Music
2020-04-06 05:14
CAST ALBUMS/MUSICALS/BROADWAY Annie Get Your Gun (Doris Day, Robert Goulet album) (1963) **** Camelot Orig Broad… Read More
2020-04-01 23:14
HOLIDAY MUSIC/CHRISTMAS ALBUMS MASTER LIST David Archuleta -- Winter In The Air ** 1/2 Tony Bennett -- Snowfal… Read More
2020-03-16 00:29
The 45st Annual IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS -- 2019 ReleasesThe IRAs are a mysterious but august film society launched in 1976 when it proudly named Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon the b… Read More
2020-03-14 16:02
The IRAs gathered together in the midst of a pandemic. Now that's devotion to cinema! Eight were present and two more wisely skipped the hugs and kisses and buffet line by taking part via th… Read More
2020-02-21 02:33
THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2019 (work-in-progress)iLe -- Almadura VARIOUS ARTISTS -- Nostalgique Porto Rico (Puerto Rican Roots 1940-1960) BAD BUNNY -- X100PRE &n&hell…Read More
2020-01-02 01:01
Updated as ofKEY: star rating is on the four star scale meaning of "/" or "\" *** is three stars out of four … Read More
2019-12-13 23:44
THE THIN PLACE ** 1/2 out of ****PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONSDANIEL KITSON: KEEP ** 1/2 out of ****ST. ANN'S WAREHOUSEIt's the end of the year, the end of the decade and the lists keep coming. Clear… Read More
2019-12-12 17:02
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN ** 1/2 out of ****THE SHEEN CENTERHave you heard the good news? Anyone tired of A Christmas Carol on stage or A Christmas Story marathon on TV has a new option. Actor Ken… Read More
2019-12-06 07:17
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE THEATER: THE MUSICAL WORLD OF MAURY YESTON ** 1/2 out of ****YORK THEATRE COMPANY It's no secret that Gerard Alessandrini's Forbidden Broadway shows are… Read More
2019-12-04 05:55
BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES *** out of ****BAM -- HARVEYThis British import pulses with music, laughter, great choreography, some jolting truths and a celebration of our shared humanity. Apparent… Read More
2019-12-03 07:47
THE BEST THEATER OF THE 2010s -- DRAFTAkhnaten (2019 dress rehearsal of ENO at Met)All's Well That Ends Well (2011 at Shakespeare's Globe in London)As You Like It (Lily Rabe for Shakespeare… Read More
2019-11-23 05:13
A CHRISTMAS CAROL ** out of ****LYCEUM THEATREWho wants to be a Scrooge when reviewing A Christmas Carol in any form? Not me, hence the generous two stars and a shout outs to some of the plu… Read More
2019-11-22 05:50
PUMPGIRL out of ****IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE A strong, satisfying production of a strong, satisfying play and precisely the sort of work that makes The Irish Rep so important. Take this… Read More
2019-11-21 05:31
THE CRUCIBLE *** 1/2 out of ****BEDLAM AT THE CONNELLY THEATER dejdsjkdsTruett Felt and Ryan Quinn in The Crucible. Photo ©2019 Ashley GarrettThe sajdskdskdslTHEATER OF 2019Franken… Read More
2019-11-21 04:58
EINSTEIN'S DREAMS * 1/2 out of ****PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY AT 59E59Alan Lightman's charming novel Einstein's Dreams was a best-selling sensation in 1992. Lightman's day job is a physicist a… Read More
2019-11-14 04:11
Book lovers and anyone ready to take on inequality, check out my review of "The Finance Curse" By Nicholas Shaxson! It's exclusive to Book and Film Globe! See an excerpt below.We&rsquo&hell…Read More
2019-11-12 00:01
BROADBEND, ARKANSAS ** out of ****TRANSPORT GROUP AT DUKE ON 42ND STREETGood intentions do not a good musical make. Composer Ted Shen's heart is in the right place with this odd duck of a tw… Read More
2019-11-10 07:23
DRUIDSHAKESPEARE: RICHARD III * 1/2 out of ****LINCOLN CENTER'S WHITE LIGHT FESTIVAL GERALD W. LYNCH THEATER AT JOHN JAY COLLEGERichard III is undone by distrust. This cruel manipu… Read More
2019-11-10 06:04
AN ENCHANTED APRIL ** 1/2 out of ****THEATRE ROWIt's 1922 and four women -- four strangers, really -- impulsively find themselves renting the castle San Salvatore on the coast of the Me… Read More
2019-11-07 07:11
USER NOT FOUND ** out of ****BAM NEXT WAVE AT GREENE GRAPE ANNEXThe UK theater company Dante or Die specializes in site-specific performances. Hotel rooms, self-storage units, ski lifts -- t… Read More
2019-11-04 20:47
AMERICAN DHARMA * out of ****If you want to make a film about the denizens of a small town, you call someone like director Errol Morris.If you want to take down a two-bit shyster, once upon… Read More
2019-10-29 16:28
Book lovers (and movie lovers), André Aciman wrote a sequel to his acclaimed bestseller Call Me By Your Name. Here's a tease for my review running exclusively at BookandFilmGlobe.com!… Read More
2019-10-28 13:00
THE SOUND INSIDE *** out of ****STUDIO 54 Pulitzer finalist Adam Rapp molds his new play out of very familiar clay.Bella is a lonely academic and writer at Yale just told she has termin… Read More
2019-10-28 04:35
PANAMA HATTIE ** out of ****YORK THEATRE COMPANYIOLANTHE ** out of ****NYGASP AT KAYE PLAYHOUSE AT HUNTER COLLEGESometimes a show isn't very good. Sometimes the performances are mostly...ent… Read More
2019-10-24 04:20
SCOTLAND, PA ** out of ****ROUNDABOUT AT LAURA PELS THEATREReally, there are no bad ideas. It wasn't a bad idea to make a movie called Scotland, PA, which set Shakespeare's Macbeth at a… Read More
2019-10-23 02:44
FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/ WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF ** 1/2 out of ****PUBLIC THEATER Well, that's a relief! After decades of hearing about but never getting a chance… Read More
2019-10-17 04:48
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: THE NEXT GENERATION *** out of ****THE TRIADDon't take it for granted. The silly, sly new edition of Forbidden Broadway is comfortably ensconced at The Triad on the Upper… Read More
2019-10-16 05:38
SOFT POWER ** out of ****THE PUBLIC THEATERPlaywright David Henry Hwang had a very bad November in 2015. First, Hillary Clinton was the choice of most Americans, including Hwang. But the ant… Read More
2019-10-14 23:25
DUBLIN CAROL ** 1/2 out of ****IRISH REPERTORY THEATREThe new spoof Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation has fun teasing the recent Broadway drama The Ferryman. That show brimmed over wit… Read More
2019-10-14 17:47
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF COLE PORTER *** out of ****YORK THEATRE COMPANY Seven years ago, the York Theatre Company delivered a sterling reviv… Read More
2019-10-11 03:08
TERRA FIRMA ** out of ****THE COOP AT BARUCH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Terra Firma is a muddled allegory of a play by Barbara Hammond. It features a hugely impressive physical present… Read More
2019-10-10 03:26
THE GLASS MENAGERIE ** out of ****WILD PROJECTSometimes, thankfully, you just do the play. Classics can bring out the devil in artists. What meta conceit can they slap onto a familiar drama… Read More
2019-10-09 04:03
HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING ** 1/2 out of ****PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONSWrestling with your faith is a noble and essential effort. You'll find many examples in the Torah, various Christian B… Read More
2019-10-07 17:54
CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ *** out of ****PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE Newsies. A Bronx Tale. The Bandstand. Honeymoon In Vegas. Paper Mill Playhouse has proven a powerhouse when it comes… Read More
2019-10-05 05:24
THE GREAT SOCIETY ** out of ****VIVIAN BEAUMONT THEATER AT LINCOLN CENTERJust as the odds were always stacked against politician Lyndon Baines Johnson, they're stacked against the new Broadw… Read More
2019-10-04 22:22
I CAN'T SEE * out of ****NIGHTMARE NYC Every year, New York City becomes haunted by scary pop-up sites of horror. One of the big players is Psycho Clan, the team behind Nightmare (which… Read More
2019-10-04 21:16
(A)LOFT MODULATION * 1/2 out of ****THE A.R.T./ NEW YORK THEATRESWhen you hear about it, you can't help heading to Sixth Avenue between 28th and 29th Street in NYC. In the mid-1950s, acclaim… Read More
2019-10-03 05:00
FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME ** 1/2 out of ****BOOTH THEATERDERREN BROWN: SECRET *** out of ****CORT THEATREWhat "belongs" on Broadway? Damn near anything, I say. Hip-hop improv? Why not? A magic… Read More
2019-10-01 15:38
"A Hero Born" by Jin Yong -- my review exclusively at Book and Film Globe!The thrilling movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon blew me away in the year 2000. Samurai films? All over it. But wu… Read More
2019-09-30 04:48
FIFTY MILLION FRENCHMEN: MUSICALS IN MUFTI ** 1/2 out of ****YORK THEATRE COMPANY Cole Porter's breakthrough musical Fifty Million Frenchmen is the sort of nonsense Broadway audiences w… Read More
2019-09-25 21:16
Are your ears ready? The latest Showbiz Sandbox podcast is up and running!How is it that an awards show honoring the best and brightest talent and content on television always winds up being… Read More
2019-09-18 03:43
Here it is! The latest Showbiz Sandbox podcast hot off the press and ready for your ears! Though the Cannes Film Festival avoids programming movies from streamers like Netflix a… Read More
2019-09-16 19:12
Science buffs, check out my review of Sean Carroll's "Something Deeply Hidden."Apparently, the most convincing explanation for how the universe works (at the quantum level) is...the multiver… Read More
2019-09-14 06:14
THE ART OF THE SCORE: NEW YORK PHILHARMONICPSYCHO (1960) **** out of ****I love film scores and movie music. My first story in a national publication was about jazz-inspired film scores that… Read More
2019-09-13 23:08
BETRAYAL *** 1/2 out of ****BERNARD B. JACOBS THEATRE Two things I believe. One, plays are arriving on Broadway like nothing we've seen in generations. They come in all shapes and sizes… Read More
2019-09-13 21:29
Here it is! The latest Showbiz Sandbox podcast is up and running and ready for your ears! Pay disparity based on gender is not a new thing in the entertainment industry, especially in t… Read More
2019-09-12 06:15
THE ART OF THE SCORE: NEW YORK PHILHARMONICCLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND *** 1/2CONDUCTOR: RICHARD KAUFMANDAVID GEFFEN HALL AT LINCOLN CENTERIncluding the upcoming remake of West Side S… Read More
2019-09-07 06:40
Check out my review of "The Doll Factory" by Elizabeth Macneal, exclusively for Book and Film Globe.Debut novelist Elizabeth Macneal sets The Doll Factory in Victorian England, wit… Read More
2019-09-07 06:36
Check out my review of "The Outlaw Ocean" by Ian Urbina, only at Book and Film Globe! Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Urbina rightly made waves (sue me) with a series o… Read More
2019-09-07 05:16
BookFilter's new roundup of the best new books this fall for theater lovers is up now on Broadway Direct!The savvy reader’s favorite website BookFilter.com chooses the best t… Read More
2019-09-07 04:02
I've been waiting 36 years to see the documentary film Say Amen, Somebody. It was worth the wait. Check out my review at Book and Film Globe. It’s a miracle! In the last six month… Read More
2019-09-07 04:01
Showbiz Sandbox + Your Ears = Pop Culture SavvyThe latest episode of our podcast Showbiz Sandbox is ready for your ears. Dive in!The big-time Hollywood divorce that has the entertainment ind… Read More
2019-09-07 03:44
The latest Showbiz Sandbox podcast is up and ready for your ears!In a win-win for the American football and artist Jay-Z (or a lose-lose depending on your point of view), the National Footba… Read More
2019-09-05 22:47
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD *** out of ****THE CIRCLE SERIES AT CIRCLE IN THE SQUAREIt's been on Broadway for 17 months. Friends of mine saw it even earlier in London. The acclaimed or… Read More
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