SXSW 2021: 'Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free' Review

Since Tom Petty died a few years ago, I've noticed that he's been judged far more glowingly than he did when he was alive. Likewise, his 1994 solo album Wildflowers has grown in stature. The new documentary Somewhere You Feel Free pays tribute to both. It's a warm film, although it also feels a bit like an ad for the new expanded edition of the record, which came out last year. My review is up at Screen International.

Some Thoughts on 'Bombshell'

Is calling a movie "timely" actually a compliment?

Just how important is it to play a real person if you're gunning for an Oscar?

And what do "Peace in L.A" and "Let's Roll" have in common?

I answer those questions, and more, in my piece on Bombshell for MEL.

Self-Aware Actors in Terrible Movies

Over at SyFy, Will and I were asked to rank the five best self-aware performances in bad blockbusters. That was a challenge, but we were up to the task. (I'm particularly proud that Tom Petty made the cut.) Check out the list here.

Tom Petty - "You Wreck Me"

Still bummed about Tom Petty's death. There are so many indelible hits, but I've really been digging on this Wildflowers cut this week. That's an album that seems to be a standout for so many fans -- as close as he came to a really coherent "concept album," even more so than Southern Accents. Little did we know that the record was his way of hinting that his long-term marriage was falling apart.

Tom Petty: MTV Trailblazer

For Rolling Stone, I looked back at Tom Petty's music-video legacy. What I found were a lot of funny, clever clips. And the more research I did, the sadder I got that he's gone. Check it out here.