True/False 2014: 'The Overnighters' Review

The Overnighters was one of the most acclaimed movies out of this year's Sundance. Catching up with it at True/False, I can see why: It's a beautifully told story that's resonant but also, surprisingly, filled with twists. I think this one is going to grow on me. For now, here's my review at Screen International.

True/False 2014: 'Approaching the Elephant' Review

Can a free school do what traditional public schools can't? The documentary Approaching the Elephant, which world premiered at True/False, spent a couple years investigating one such school in New Jersey to find out. Director Amanda Rose Wilder's film reminded me all over again that: (1) Teaching is incredibly hard; and (2) Kids can sure be a challenge. I reviewed Approaching the Elephant for Paste.

True/False 2014: 'Manakamana' Review

Manakamana is a film I've been wanting to see for a while. The documentary had gotten great reviews out of Locarno and Toronto last year, and I missed it at AFI Fest. Well, I finally caught up to it here at True/False, and it was just as great as I'd heard. My review is up at Paste.

I Love the Silly, Boring, Ridiculous Oscars

Every Oscar season, we're beset with a series of articles about "How to Fix the Academy Awards." But what if they don't need fixing? What if they're perfectly good the way they are? That's my thesis for this week's Playboy column. Hope you enjoy.

Oscar 2014 Predictions: The Major Categories

I've made my guesses in the smaller categories: Now, I offer up my predictions in the Big Eight Oscar categories. So does my good friend Will Leitch and, as you'll see, we're in complete agreement, which is frightening. Adjust your Oscar ballots accordingly.

And, in case you missed it, here's my quick overview of 2013's actual best movies.

Joy Division - "Dead Souls"

Joy Division never did much for me as a kid. (Maybe I just wasn't angst-y enough.) But now, well, this song is a constant companion.

True/False 2014: 'Actress' Review

Actress is a documentary about Brandy Burre, an actress whose claim to fame was a recurring role on The Wire. Since then, though, she abandoned her career to focus on being a mother. The film follows her as she tries to reignite that career, but it's about more than just that. Director Robert Greene examines gender roles, ageism and why none of us (not just women) can have it all. My review is up at Screen International.

My Interview With James Wolk

I had a really nice time talking to the perfectly amiable James Wolk, one of the stars of Mad Men and The Crazy Ones. For Backstage, we chatted about how his high school and college theater training prepared him for life as an actor. You can read all about it here. (And if you're looking for an extra excerpt from our talk, proceed here at once.)

Oscar 2014 Predictions: The Technical Categories

You know those Oscar categories that nobody understands? Like Best Sound Mixing? For Deadspin, I took my best guesses about which movies will win those technical prizes. You can check 'em out here.

'Non-Stop' Review

Die Hard on a plane. Ten Little Indians in the sky. That's Non-Stop, which is just OK enough to make you wish it was lots better. My review is up at Screen International.

(By the way, I'm sure there's some joke to be made about, "Raise your hand if you're disappointed in this movie," but I'm too tired to come up with it at the moment.)

The Greats: Randy Newman

God bless Randy Newman. For my latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste, I turn my attention to the superb songwriter and film composer. How many folks can make a serious claim to being major artists in both movies and music? Not a bunch. Here's my essay.

My Best Picture Ballot for the 2014 Oscars

The Academy Awards are on Sunday. You know that. But what you might not know is that, for Best Picture, the Academy uses a "preferential process" for balloting. With that in my mind, here's how I would fill out my Oscar ballot if I was an AMPAS member. And, just so we're clear, these aren't predictions -- just my personal preferences among the nominees...

1. American Hustle    
2. Captain Phillips    
3. Gravity
4. 12 Years a Slave 
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
6. Her     
7. Nebraska
8. Dallas Buyers Club            
9. Philomena        

And, in case you missed it, here's my quick overview of 2013's actual best movies.

Harold Ramis, 1944-2014

“One of my favorite Bill Murray stories is one about when he went to Bali. I’d spent three weeks there, mostly in the south, where the tourists are. But Bill rode a motorcycle into the interior until the sun went down and got totally lost. He goes into a village store, where they are very surprised to see an American tourist, and starts talking to them in English, going ‘Wow! Nice hat! Hey, gimme that hat!’ ” Ramis’s eyes were lighting up. “And he took the guy’s hat and started imitating people, entertaining. Word gets around this hamlet that there’s some crazy guy at the grocery, and he ended up doing a dumb show with the whole village sitting around laughing as he grabbed the women and tickled the kids. No worry about getting back to a hotel, no need for language, just his presence, and his charisma, and his courage. When you meet the hero, you sure know it.” 

He smiled. “Bill loves to get lost, to throw the map out the window and drive till you have no idea where you are, just to experience something new.” And you? “Oh, I’d be the one with the map. I’m the map guy. I’m the one saying to Bill, ‘You know, we should get back now. They’re going to be looking for us.’” 

-- from Tad Friend's quite fine profile of Harold Ramis from 2004 in The New Yorker

I confess that I never considered Groundhog Day to be the masterpiece a lot of people did. That doesn't matter: Ramis, who directed and co-wrote that 1993 film, is a major influence on comedy. And not just in film: His smart/silly/sincere style can be felt in the early years of The Simpsons and Conan O'Brien's Late Night stint. And as an actor, he was one hell of a great wise-ass nerd. Rest in peace, Egon Spengler.

The Dandy Warhols - "We Used to Be Friends"

In case you're wondering what I'm doing these days when I'm not writing reviews or watching movies, I'm catching up on the Veronica Mars series in preparation for the forthcoming motion picture. I never watched it at the time, so the whole thing feels like a long I Love the Aughts! special. Especially the theme song.

'3 Days to Kill' Review

Even if you have two hours to kill, don't bother seeing 3 Days to Kill.

Har har har har har har har.

Seriously, it's not a good movie.

My review is up at Screen International.

Eric Church, 'The Outsiders' and Country's Rock 'n' Roll Attitude

Eric Church's The Outsiders came out last week, and today for Playboy I discuss the album in the wider context of how country music has transformed into the new rock 'n' roll. Rock is becoming more and more dull, while country actually seems more engaged in the wider world. How did that shift happen? Here's my column.

'Child's Pose' Review

Who's got Romanian cinema fever?!? It remains my favorite national movement of the last decade, and the latest release, Child's Pose, is a fine addition. The winner of the Golden Bear at last year's Berlin Film Festival, this drama from director Calin Peter Netzer involves a mother trying to keep her son out of prison after he kills someone with his car. Certainly not cheery, but endlessly intriguing. My review of Child's Pose is up at Paste.

'Omar' Review

Omar is one of the five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at next month's Academy Awards. The movie opens this weekend in select cities and is the latest drama from Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad, who previously was nominated in this category for Paradise Now. To my mind, his films are ones you respect rather than completely love. I explain why in my Paste review of Omar.

Janelle Monáe (featuring Miguel) - "PrimeTime"

She's awesome, he's awesome, they're awesome together. Happy Valentine's Day, y'all.

Cold as Ice: Sex and 'House of Cards'

For my weekly Playboy column, I turn my attention to House of Cards, which is back on Friday. Specifically, I dig into how the show depicts sex and love. It's a cold, cold world out there, people. Here's my column.

The Greats: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese received his 11th and 12th Oscar nominations for The Wolf of Wall Street. (He's up for Best Director and Best Picture, neither of which I imagine he's going to win.) For Paste, I look back at the man's considerable career. But rather than focusing on his established masterpieces, I decided to spotlight some of his films that aren't as beloved, but should be. (Yes, this gave me another chance to rave about Shutter Island.) Hope you enjoy.

'RoboCop' Review

At one point, Darren Aronofsky was going to direct the RoboCop remake. We can only wonder what that would have been like. I feel confident it would have been better than the one we got. My review is up at Deadspin.

Kanye West - "Through the Wire"

Next week is the 10th anniversary of The College Dropout, Kanye West's dynamic debut album. I still think it's his best record, which I argued here, but right now I want us to remember what it was like to hear its opening single, "Through the Wire," for the first time. Not knowing any better, I thought that's how his voice sounded, all garbled and mumbly. (Nope: It was the result of a near-fatal car accident, which he sings about in the song.) The playful cockiness, the ego, the clever wordplay, the killer hook: "Through the Wire" had it all, setting the stage for everything he's done since.

Defending 'Adore' and 'Labor Day'

Every year, there are movies that everybody else loves that leave you cold -- and there are movies that you quite like that everybody else thinks are terrible. My new piece for The Dissolve is about the latter phenomenon.

In 2013, I was a fan of both Adore (a.k.a. Two Mothers) and Labor Day, which puts me in a small minority. The other day, I started wondering what it was about those two movies that spoke to me in a way it didn't for lots of other critics. I think it has to do with their willingness to risk being mocked in order to tell heartfelt stories about intentionally inexplicable scenarios. Adore is about two middle-aged women who have affairs with each other's son. Labor Day is about an escaped convict who takes a mother and son hostage -- and ends up falling in love with the mom. Hokey, preposterous, melodramatic -- and yet, they worked for me. I explore my response to these derided films here.

On 'Mitt' and Being a Loser

One of my favorite stories of this year's Sundance Film Festival happened the day before the festival. A few colleagues were in Park City on Wednesday, January 21, getting set for all the craziness that would kick off the following day. They went to the one major grocery store in the town to get supplies when they stumbled upon a guy shopping all by himself: Mitt Romney. Apparently, it was like spotting a unicorn: He was just there looking at bananas and going about his business like an ordinary guy. He was in town (I assume) because the documentary about him, Mitt, was premiering at the festival, but still there was something cheering and sweet about the image of Romney being normal. It was the one impression we never got of him from the campaign.

I thought about that a lot while watching Mitt, which isn't a great film but is an interesting one, particularly in how it examines the unpleasant phenomenon of failing. Americans aren't comfortable with losers: Mitt addresses the topic head-on. I wrote about that for Playboy.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, 1967-2014

Whenever a performer I love dies too early because of what appears to be a drug overdose, I'm reminded of the final lines of Mike Royko's tribute to John Belushi: "I learned a long time ago that life isn't always fair. But it shouldn't cheat that much."

Philip Seymour Hoffman's death yesterday made me sad and angry. For Deadspin, I wrote about his enormous legacy.

Sundance 2014: 'Hits' Review

Somehow, I forgot to mention that I reviewed Hits while I was at Sundance. Actually, I'm not entirely surprised: It's a depressingly forgettable satire from writer-director David Cross. It's about the fact that we're all celebrity-obsessed morons. Nothing insightful there, which I detail in my Paste review.

The Super Bowl and the Joy of Rooting Against Teams

For this week's Playboy column, I wrote about the fact that, because I don't have an NFL team to call my own, I root against teams, not really for them. So for Super Bowl XLVIII, I'll be cheering against the Seahawks. Why am I such a petty person? And what do I have against the Seahawks? I explain both here.

Frank Ocean - "Wiseman"

Quentin Tarantino has been in the news because his latest script, The Hateful Eight, leaked, provoking him to abandon the project and sue Gawker. The whole incident reminded me that I hadn't heard Frank Ocean's "Wiseman" in a while. You may remember that it was a song intended for Django Unchained that Tarantino decided not to use because "there just wasn't a scene for it." Seemed like a good time to cue it up.

'The Monuments Men' Review

Not exactly a war movie, not exactly an Ocean's Eleven-style heist drama, The Monuments Men tries to be a little of both -- and does neither successfully. This film was supposed to come out at the end of last year, but director George Clooney pushed it back to early 2014. That's usually a bad sign, and while The Monuments Men is no disaster, it's not exactly Oscar-caliber, either. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Ping Pong Summer' Review

I've written about the evils of nostalgia before, but Ping Pong Summer gets a pass because of how adroitly writer-director Michael Tully executes his vision of mid-'80s teen dorkdom. This is a slight but quite pleasant little comedy -- my review is live at Paste.

Sundance 2014: Ranking the Best and Worst of the Festival

The more I go to Sundance, the more frustrated I get that I can't see everything I want to catch during the festival. Assignments and scheduling can be blamed up to a point, but still I'm sad I didn't have the opportunity to see The Overnighters, Rich Hill, Love Is Strange and several others. (As a side note, because I have an editor who is a producer on Life Itself, I declined to review the Roger Ebert documentary. I look forward to seeing the film soon and am gladdened by the number of glowing reviews it got at the festival.)

Below is my ranking of Sundance 2014, including films I saw prior to the festival. Links lead to individual reviews. You'll notice there are no documentaries on the list. Thank goodness I'll be attending True/False next month to do some catch-up.

28. Hits
27. God's Pocket
26. Infinitely Polar Bear   
25. Frank
24. Laggies
23. Ernest & Celestine
22. Wish I Was Here
21. Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead    
20. Ping Pong Summer
19. Land Ho!
18. Young Ones
17. Song One
16. The Voices
15. Happy Christmas
14. Ida
13. The One I Love
12. Whiplash
11. Only Lovers Left Alive
10. Blind
9. The Trip to Italy
8. Blue Ruin
7. I Origins
6. Stranger by the Lake
5. Listen Up Philip
4. Calvary
3. A Most Wanted Man
2. Boyhood
1. The Raid 2

And one final note. My head tells me that Boyhood is going to eventually overtake The Raid 2 on my end-of-the-year list. Linklater's film feels like one for the ages, while Gareth Evans's achievement may diminish with multiple viewings. They couldn't be more different films: Boyhood caresses the heart, while The Raid 2 pummels the senses and rearranges your nervous system -- and for this moment in time, it's the grander achievement. But ask me again in about 11 months.

Sundance 2014: 'Infinitely Polar Bear' Review

Mark Ruffalo stars as a father suffering from bipolar disorder in Infinitely Polar Bear, which is based on the childhood experiences of writer-director Maya Forbes. The movie has lots of heart, and yet it doesn't quite work. My review is up at Paste.

Sundance 2014: 'The One I Love' Review

Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass play a married couple that have hit a rough patch in The One I Love, a comedy-drama that soon veers into other genres. This movie has a really interesting twist about 15-20 minutes in that shouldn't be spoiled -- I don't in my review for Paste.

'I, Frankenstein' Review

It's January, which means that most of the new releases will be terrible. Enter I, Frankenstein, a real stinker. Aaron Eckhart sure can glower while looking buff. My review is up at Screen International.

Big Country - "In a Big Country"

One of my favorite side effects of going to a film festival is getting a song from a movie lodged in my head. This year at Sundance, that honor goes to "In a Big Country" from the modestly charming Land Ho! Now, that chorus just makes me think of Paul Eenhoorn.

Sundance 2014: 'Song One' Review

I forget: Do we all officially hate Anne Hathaway now? It's hard to keep up with backlashes these days.

Her latest film is the small-scale indie drama Song One. And she's good in a nicely modest way. Sorry, haters.

My review is up at Paste.

Sundance 2014: 'A Most Wanted Man' Review

One of my favorite performances of Sundance 2014 comes from Philip Seymour Hoffman. He's flat-out great in A Most Wanted Man, director Anton Corbijn's nicely dour spy thriller based on the John le Carré novel. The film moves slow, but it knows where it's going. My review is up at Paste.

Sundance 2014: 'The Raid 2' Review

Well, this is unexpected. I liked The Raid: Redemption a decent amount, but I wasn't prepared for how blown away I was by The Raid 2. This thing is a crime epic, not just a fun Die Hard-like action feast. Don't worry, though: The action's still pretty phenomenal. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Happy Christmas' Review

The latest from Joe Swanberg, Happy Christmas, is a perfectly pleasant comedy-drama about a family in Chicago getting ready for the holidays and coping with one of its members' (played by Anna Kendrick) flagrant immaturity. Swanberg, as per norm, goes for the casual, offhand observation. If you've never seen any of his movies, this is a decent place to start. My review is up at Paste.

Sundance 2014: 'Boyhood' Review

Richard Linklater has never made a movie over two hours long. That's now no longer the case: Boyhood is about 160 minutes, and it justifies its running time. The movie may seem like a gimmick -- he and his cast shot the film in pieces over the span of years to capture the process of a boy's coming-of-age -- but it's wonderfully emotional and thoughtful. My rave review is over at Paste.

Sundance 2014: 'The Trip to Italy' Review

The Trip was such a pleasant surprise -- funny but also quite touching -- that I was concerned about this sequel. But although it's not as stellar, The Trip to Italy is pretty darn good, too. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Dead Snow; Red Vs. Dead' Review

I have a fondness for film festivals' midnight-movie sections. At my first Sundance, I reviewed Dead Snow, a horror movie about Nazi zombies, and I was only too happy to check out the sequel at this year's festival. And, hey, it's big dumb fun, just like I hoped. My review is live at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Calvary' Review

I liked The Guard, the debut feature from writer-director John Michael McDonagh. But his second film, Calvary, is on a different level. It's about a priest (Brendan Gleeson) forced to look back on his life after an anonymous parishioner threatens to kill him in a week. This is a despairing, eloquent movie about the search for some sort of lasting value in this world. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'The Voices' Review

Ryan Reynolds gives one of his best recent performances in The Voices, the new film from Persepolis director Marjane Satrapi. In this dark comedy (or is it really a horror film?), he plays a sweet weirdo who has much darker stuff going on in his head than we initially realize. The Voices' risky mixture of tones succeeds. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Young Ones' Review

Michael Shannon is one of the reasons to see the futuristic, vaguely post-apocalyptic Western Young Ones, but he's not the only reason. A wonderfully pitiless tale of a land consumed by punishing drought, the film starts to become almost hypnotic in its bone-dry bleakness. If that's your thing, you'll like this. I reviewed Young Ones for Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'I Origins' Review

As someone who wasn't that high on Another Earth, I was wary going into I Origins, writer-director Mike Cahill's new film. Happily, I Origins corrects several of the problems that kept dragging down Another Earth. It's another dish of sci-fi humanism, but it's far more intriguing and thought-provoking. A few people here at Sundance have compared I Origins to elements of Upstream Color, which is sort of accurate but also misleading. (For one thing, Upstream Color is far superior.) What the two films have in common is a curiosity about the mysteries of life, expressed through trippy (albeit somewhat realistic) science-fiction language. My review of I Origins is live at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Wish I Was Here' Review

The above image probably tells you everything you need to know about Wish I Was Here. The new film from actor Zach Braff, who last made Garden State, is too pleased with its own plucky individuality. And yet, I was also rather moved by it. Was I also irritated from time to time? Oh, yes. My very, very mixed review of Wish I Was Here is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'God's Pocket' Review

John Slattery, probably most famous for Mad Men, directs his first feature with God's Pocket. I have to say, I'm starting to actively dread Sundance premieres of films directed by first-timers who are usually actors. I've had too many bad experiences to count. God's Pocket isn't bad, but it is also not good. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Laggies' Review

A big Lynn Shelton fan, I've wanted her to break through in a major way after Humpday and Your Sister's Sister. I was less disappointed by her follow-up film, Touchy Feely, than others were, but her latest, Laggies, is the one where I start to lose hope. More polished and tightly scripted than her earlier, better films, it stars Keira Knightley as a woman who refuses to grow up -- and decides to befriend a teen girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who thinks she's super-cool. It's a cute, slight idea, but I wanted more. Here's my review.

Sundance 2014: 'Frank' Review

Frank, you may recall, was on my list of most-anticipated Sundance titles. Michael Fassbender playing an eccentric musician who walks around in a fake head? Could be intriguing, right? And the finished product is, indeed, somewhat intriguing. But it largely struggles to find its groove. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2014: 'Whiplash' Review

Whiplash, the opening night film at Sundance, features great performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. And it's about an intriguing subject, following an ambitious aspiring drummer as he goes mano-a-mano with a maniacal instructor. What's the cost of genius? The movie explores that question with appropriate thoughtfulness, even if its resolution isn't as satisfying as I might have liked. My review is up at Paste.

Van Morrison - "Wonderful Remark"

I have no memory of this Van Morrison song being in The King of Comedy, but apparently it first surfaced on the soundtrack of that Scorsese movie. How about we all enjoy it together right now?

Sundance 2014: 10 Films I Can't Wait to See

I'm off to Sundance early tomorrow morning. I've lost track of how many years I've been going now, but I always feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety about the festival. There are always gems to be found, but there are also duds, often populated with actors that you like. Here's a preview of 10 movies I'm excited for at this year's festival -- actually, it's 12. (You'll see what I mean when you click on that link.)

Update: Now that Sundance 2014 is over, here's my rundown of the festival's best and worst films.

Bruce Springsteen - 'High Hopes' Review

For this week's Playboy column, I wrote about Bruce Springsteen's new album High Hopes. But more specifically, I got into my issues with the Boss since his 21st-century renaissance. I've always loved the guy, but in the past decade or so, it's been significantly harder to do so. I go into my reasons here.

My LAFCA Awards Presentation for 'Blue Is the Warmest Color'

On January 11, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association held our annual awards banquet. During the event, an individual critic presents an award for a film, performance or craftsperson. (Our full list of winners is here.) I was honored to give our Best Foreign-Language Film prize to Blue Is the Warmest Color and its director, Abdellatif Kechiche. I've been championing the movie since Cannes, so this was a thrill.

Kechiche was in attendance for our event, as was his lead actress Adèle Exarchopoulos, who tied for Best Actress with Blue Jasmine's Cate Blanchett. Each presenter is advised to take no more than 90 seconds. (We prefer having our winners speak, not us long-winded critics.) Here was what I had to say about Blue Is the Warmest Color from the podium....

Good Evening.  

Since it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, Blue Is the Warmest Color has been one of the year’s most discussed and debated movies. But for those of us who fell in love with director Abdellatif Kechiche’s romantic drama, all the noise surrounding this film has never threatened to drown out the gentle, beautiful story that he and his actresses Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux have crafted.  

Loosely adapted from a graphic novel, Blue Is the Warmest Color is about a young woman named Adele’s coming of age. But it’s also a love story, one filled with tenderness and eroticism that gives us a full sense of two individuals growing together and coming apart over the course of several years. Wise and melancholy, this film hurts like real life. And yet watching Blue Is the Warmest Color is invigorating: Kechiche has taken the seemingly mundane building blocks of everyday experience — falling in love, finding our purpose — and he’s created something singular and profound.   

This movie is the triumph of an observant, curious filmmaker, but it’s also a triumph for his actresses and their committed, compassionate performances. Like so many of the best films, Blue Is the Warmest Color transcends language just as it transcends geography. Man or woman, straight or gay, whatever our nationality, we saw ourselves up there on the screen in Adele and her girlfriend Emma’s journey. We share in these characters’ happiness, we worry when they hit tough times, and when the film is over, we wish them nothing but the best — even if that means they won’t end up together.   

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating the director of our Best Foreign Language Film winner, Mr. Abdellatif Kechiche.

(Photo of Mr. Kechiche and me courtesy of the very talented Shiloh Strong.)

Deafheaven - "Irresistible"

Deafheaven's Sunbather almost made my Top 10 of 2013; it's a beautifully punishing metal album. But the track I picked is its gentlest: a piano-driven instrumental called "Irresistible." Which is an apt title.

2014's Must-See Movies

Now that I've got your attention with my shamelessly SEO-friendly headline, here's a list Will and I put together of 20 movies we're excited to see this year. Uma Thurman and I would like to wish you a happy film-going 2014.

In Defense of 'Girls'

Does Girls need defending? It's a critically-acclaimed show that gets plenty of attention from the Emmys and the Golden Globes. And yet a large, vocal percentage of people really despise Lena Dunham's comedy-drama. Girls returns on Sunday, so for Playboy I dig into the reasons why I think the show, though sometimes exasperating, is quite good. Hope you enjoy -- and, as an added bonus, here's Saturday Night Live's parody from the beginning of the season.

2013 Pazz & Jop Poll Predictions

Next week, The Village Voice announces the results of its annual Pazz & Jop music poll. (Amazingly, this is my 14th year of submitting a ballot.) Last year, I did a pretty impressive job of predicting the Top 10 in the albums list. So, let's try again this year.....

1. Kanye West, Yeezus
2. Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City
3. Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
4. Arcade Fire, Reflektor
5. Lorde, Pure Heroine
6. Disclosure, Settle
7. Chance the Rapper, Acid Rap
8. HAIM, Days Are Gone
9. The National, Trouble Will Find Me
10. My Bloody Valentine, MBV

If I'm right and Kanye wins, it'll be the fourth time he's topped the poll, tying him for the most times by any artist in the poll's 40-year history. (Bob Dylan has won Pazz & Jop three four times. Outkast, the Clash and Elvis Costello have won it twice.) The published results are expected to be live by January 15. I'll talk about my own Top 10 then.

(Update: Well, the list is out now. I got six of the Top 10 right, including the top three in order. I just had a feeling that Beyoncé was going to be a surprise entry -- I wish I'd had the guts to include it. And I thought about putting in Wakin on a Pretty Daze as well but went with Trouble Will Find Me instead. Dumb, dumb, dumb. If you're interested in seeing my ballot, it's right here.)

My Interview With Rita Moreno

At this year's Screen Actors Guild awards, Rita Moreno will be receiving the Life Achievement Award. For Backstage, I spoke with the EGOT winner to discuss her career, her struggles as an older actor, and what she wishes she had done differently when she got her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for West Side Story.

Stephen Malkmus - "The Hook"

More and more, the career arc of Stephen Malkmus is resembling that of Paul Westerberg's: You start off as the leader of an influential indie band, and then you go solo when the band collapses, releasing albums that rarely are embraced with the same enthusiasm as the stuff you put out in your 20s. (I'd add that they also share in common solo careers that, despite some rough patches, have their underrated pleasures.)

Malkmus returns on January 7 with Wig Out at Jagbags. In honor of the occasion, here's a track from his 2001 solo debut, Stephen Malkmus. Is this the best indie rock song ever about the life of a pirate? Maybe -- definitely the funniest.