juliecampbell522

Quick Hits: July 15

Content warning: this post contains a reference to suicide. Die Hard, one of the most perfect movies ever made, was released on this day in 1988. Based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, Die Hard made Bruce Willis a superstar and ushered in a new era of action heroes – flawed,Continue reading “Quick Hits: July 15”

Live Aid

On Saturday, July 13, 1985, an estimated 1.9 billion people across the globe gathered around their television sets and radios for Live Aid, a benefit concert for famine relief in Ethiopia. An additional 150,000 saw the event live from Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The roots of Live Aid go backContinue reading “Live Aid”

Quick Hits: July 10

The trailer for No Man of God was released yesterday. The film portrays the interviews that took place in the 80s between Ted Bundy and FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier, who was a member of the famed Behavioral Science Unit. As a cinephile and a true crime buff, I’m pretty excited to see this one. OnContinue reading “Quick Hits: July 10”

Beauty and the Beat at 40

On July 8, 1981, I.R.S. Records released the debut album by The Go-Go’s, Beauty and the Beat. Beauty and the Beat would eventually hold the top spot on the Billboard album chart for six weeks, yield two top-twenty hits – “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat” – and become the second biggest-sellingContinue reading “Beauty and the Beat at 40”

Quick Hits: July 7

Robert Downey Sr. – actor, filmmaker and father of Robert Downey Jr. – has died at the age of 85. Downey was a leading figure in the counterculture cinema of the 1960s, writing and directing such low budget features as Putney Swope, Pound and Greaser’s Palace. As an actor, he also appeared in bigger budgetContinue reading “Quick Hits: July 7”

Quick Hits: July 5

Happy birthday, Robbie Robertson! Known primarily for his work with The Band, Robertson is a musician, songwriter, film composer, actor and author. He is responsible for writing some of rock’s all-time greats, including “The Weight”, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and my personal favorite, “Up on Cripple Creek”. Robertson has also collaborated withContinue reading “Quick Hits: July 5”

4th of July

Initially published in 2021, this post has been edited for content and clarity. “Hey guys, one more thing. This summer, when you’re being inundated with all this American bicentennial Fourth of July brouhaha, don’t forget what you’re celebrating, and that’s the fact that a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males didn’t want to pay theirContinue reading “4th of July”

Quick Hits: July 3

First of all, a personal note: June was kind of a crazy month – a vacation, a virus, helping my parents with a move, and a (requested) schedule change at work. I only posted seven times in June, less than my minimum goal of two posts per week. I intended to post pieces for PrideContinue reading “Quick Hits: July 3”

Quick Hits: June 23

Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the release of Joni Mitchell’s Blue. Generally regarded as the greatest album ever by a female artist, Blue is a gorgeous, heartbreaking ode to the ups and downs of romantic love. Mitchell wrote and produced the entire album herself, which was inspired by her relationships with Graham Nash, JamesContinue reading “Quick Hits: June 23”

Quick Hits: June 19

This week marked the 40th anniversary of the release of Duran Duran’s self-titled debut. The band observed the milestone by releasing a new single, “Invisible”, which I can’t stop listening to. These gents have aged like fine wine. On this day in 2015, Pixar released Inside Out following a premiere at Cannes in May. FeaturingContinue reading “Quick Hits: June 19”