Dare to Drum
D’Drum was just a drum circle from Texas that met on Mondays—until they received an offer to perform an original work with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Bridging the worlds of formal composition and percussion, The Police drummer Stewart Copeland was tapped to work up a composition based on the chiming tones of D’Drum’s gamelan bells. Dare to Drum documents the creative process through interviews with the frenetic Copeland and footage shot during his sessions with D’Drum.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
H.G. Wells’ warning on the dangers of bioengineering and cellular manipulation, the 1896 novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, entered the DNA of several films. The 1977 version is surprisingly well done building tension in the well-edited early scenes. Burt Lancaster is excellent as a megalomaniacal visionary frustrated in his efforts to manipulate the destiny of DNA. Michael York co-stars as the unwanted visitor who stumbles into his twisted experiment in transforming lower mammals into men.
The Stranger
The Stranger was unconventionally plotted for Hollywood: there was no handsome hero to save the day but only the acerbic Edward G. Robinson as a tough-talking investigator. Orson Welles directed The Stranger (1946) and starred as a Nazi whose fanatical evil is concealed by a charming veneer. The film noir shadows briefly recede when the drama arrives in a postcard Connecticut town. Ironically, Welles employs German Expressionism in his depiction of a German war criminal.
Carole King: Tapestry: Live in Hyde Park
It took a while before Carole King’s 2016 Hyde Park concert began—what with all the tributes appearing on the big screen behind the stage including Tom Hanks on how her 1971 LP Tapestry mirrored the zeitgeist. David Crosby phones in claiming to have listened to the recording no less than 1,684 times! Performing the classic album in its entirety, King can’t hit all the old notes but puts on a gracious and crowd-pleasing show.
