Monthly Archives: September 2024

’Whiplash’ Still Keeps Tempo


“Whiplash” crashes back onto the big screen, a thunderous reminder of why it’s one of the most electrifying films of the past decade.

Damien Chazelle’s 2014 masterpiece is a visceral exploration of the pursuit of greatness, set against the backdrop of a cutthroat music conservatory. Miles Teller delivers a career-defining performance as Andrew, a young drummer pushed to his limits by J.K. Simmons’ terrifying maestro, Fletcher. Simmons’ portrayal earned him a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, one of three Oscars the film claimed that year.

The film’s rhythm is as precise as a metronome, building tension with each beat until it reaches a crescendo of sweat, blood, and cymbal crashes. Chazelle’s direction is relentless, mirroring the grueling journey of his protagonist. The editing, which also garnered an Oscar, is a masterclass in pacing, each cut as sharp and purposeful as a drumstick strike.

What sets “Whiplash” apart is its unflinching look at the cost of excellence. It dares to ask: How far is too far in the pursuit of perfection? The answer, like the film itself, is both exhilarating and deeply unsettling.

The jazz performances, captured with stunning clarity (earning the film its third Oscar for Best Sound Mixing), serve as both backdrop and metaphor for the psychological warfare unfolding on screen.

Chazelle’s screenplay, though snubbed at the Oscars, is a tightly-wound spring of tension and release. The verbal sparring between Andrew and Fletcher crackles with intensity, each exchange a duel of wit and will.

It’s in these moments that the film transcends its music school setting, becoming a broader meditation on mentorship, ambition, and the fine line between pushing someone to greatness and breaking them entirely.

As it returns to theaters on September 20th, “Whiplash” proves it hasn’t lost a step. Its questions about art, ambition, and abuse remain as relevant and thought-provoking as ever. The film’s final sequence, a bravura display of filmmaking and performance, still has the power to leave audiences breathless.

“Whiplash” is a reminder of cinema’s power to move, challenge, and exhilarate. It’s not just a film about jazz; it’s a jazz composition in cinematic form – bold, improvisational, and utterly unforgettable.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Stealth Tree

Two frogmouth birds

A few factslaps about frogmouth birds:

  • Masters of Camouflage: Frogmouths are experts at blending into their surroundings. Their mottled feathers resemble tree bark, which helps them avoid predators by making them nearly indistinguishable from branches.
  • Not Owls, But Close Relatives: Though often mistaken for owls due to their nocturnal habits and similar appearance, frogmouths belong to a different family called Podargidae. They are more closely related to nightjars.
  • Wide, Frog-like Mouths: Their name comes from their wide, flattened beaks, which resemble a frog’s mouth. This adaptation helps them catch insects in flight or snap up prey on the ground.
  • Diet: While some species focus on insects, larger frogmouths can catch small vertebrates, such as mice or frogs.
  • Daytime Masters of Stillness: During the day, frogmouths often adopt a motionless posture that makes them look like a broken branch. They even stretch their bodies and align themselves with the tree’s texture to enhance the effect.
  • Silent Hunters: Unlike owls, frogmouths don’t rely on acute hearing to catch prey. Instead, they use their sharp vision at night and snatch insects with their wide beaks.
  • Monogamous Birds: Frogmouths are generally monogamous and share parental duties. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, and after hatching, they continue to care for the young together.
  • Geographical Range: Frogmouths are found primarily in Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, thriving in various habitats from forests to urban areas.
  • Call: Their vocalizations are quite soft and often sound like a low, humming noise or soft growls, very different from the hoots of owls.
  • Not Agile Flyers: While they are strong hunters, frogmouths are not particularly adept at flying. They tend to sit still and wait for prey to come near, using short bursts of flight when necessary.

Open Letter to A Puppy: Teddy


Dear Teddy,

This is my first letter to you, but I trust it will find you. I know it will. 

You’ve been on my mind. That’s probably because I recently visited and met with a mini-you. Eight weeks and female, just as you were to be when I heard about you a decade and a half ago.

But you were the last to leave the litter, and when the choice came to get my money back or get you, well, you know what I chose. And I’d do it a million times over.

You were my first puppy in reconstruction. And flipping through memories, I can see it in various stages through recollections of my Golden.

Here is you in that tiny studio above a commercial garage in Westwood. Here is you, at the dog park. Here is you, diving into the pool in Encino. Here is you, trying to keep a squeak toy from Esme by spinning her clockwise, then counterclockwise.

Here is you, holding Esme’s entire head in your mouth. Here is you, offering a ball to Aunt Lessie. Here is you, getting a kiss from Dad.

Here is you.

I tear up when I think about you. And then the right song will hit, and I am a wreck.

Jadie and Charlie worry when I look sad. I wish I could let them know it’s the most beautiful sadness there is; filled, tip to toe, in love.

Because you will always be more than my reconstruction pup. You will always be my second chance, my hand up, my bootstrap incarnate.

Thank you for the rescue. 

Now, if you’re wondering how I know this letter will reach you, it’s because I know exactly where you live, young man:

Theodore Ruxpin Bowles, ℅ my ❤️.