1. William Parker: For Those Who Are, Still (Aum Fidelity/Centering)
I have been an admirer and observer of William Parker for a quarter century, but nothing prepared me for the impact of this three-disc set's final CD, which features an orchestral composition, Ceremonies for Those Who Are Still, which ranks high among the best orchestral music of the 21st century, and I'm including classical composers. In other words, don't cringe while imagining the usual jazz-with-strings hack job. There are moments in Ceremonies for Those Who Are Still -- particularly when the choir is singing Parker's poems of life and loss and creation -- when the grandeur of the year's most fashionable jazz album, Kamasi Washington's The Epic (also a three-cd set) comes to mind, but the difference -- the reason Parker's set ranks much higher -- is that his orchestrations are vastly more contrapuntal, colorful, individual, and just plain daring.
I have been an admirer and observer of William Parker for a quarter century, but nothing prepared me for the impact of this three-disc set's final CD, which features an orchestral composition, Ceremonies for Those Who Are Still, which ranks high among the best orchestral music of the 21st century, and I'm including classical composers. In other words, don't cringe while imagining the usual jazz-with-strings hack job. There are moments in Ceremonies for Those Who Are Still -- particularly when the choir is singing Parker's poems of life and loss and creation -- when the grandeur of the year's most fashionable jazz album, Kamasi Washington's The Epic (also a three-cd set) comes to mind, but the difference -- the reason Parker's set ranks much higher -- is that his orchestrations are vastly more contrapuntal, colorful, individual, and just plain daring.
- 1/3/2016
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Rank the week of August 23rd’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Blitz
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #9439
Win Percentage: 51%
Times Ranked: 215
Top-20 Rankings: 5
Directed By: Elliott Lester
Starring: Jason Statham • Paddy Considine • Aidan Gillen • Zawe Ashton • David Morrissey
Genres: Crime • Crime Thriller • Police Detective Film • Thriller
Rank This Movie
The Beaver
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5199
Win Percentage: 52%
Times Ranked: 858
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Starring: Mel Gibson • Jodie Foster • Anton Yelchin • Jennifer Lawrence • Zachary Booth
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Psychological Drama
Rank This Movie
Win Win
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2107
Win Percentage: 61%
Times Ranked: 2455
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Paul Giamatti • Amy Ryan • Bobby Cannavale • Jeffrey Tambor • Burt Young
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Sports Comedy • Sports Drama
Rank This Movie
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5643
Win Percentage: 49%
Times Ranked: 725
Top-20 Rankings:...
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #9439
Win Percentage: 51%
Times Ranked: 215
Top-20 Rankings: 5
Directed By: Elliott Lester
Starring: Jason Statham • Paddy Considine • Aidan Gillen • Zawe Ashton • David Morrissey
Genres: Crime • Crime Thriller • Police Detective Film • Thriller
Rank This Movie
The Beaver
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5199
Win Percentage: 52%
Times Ranked: 858
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Starring: Mel Gibson • Jodie Foster • Anton Yelchin • Jennifer Lawrence • Zachary Booth
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Psychological Drama
Rank This Movie
Win Win
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2107
Win Percentage: 61%
Times Ranked: 2455
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Paul Giamatti • Amy Ryan • Bobby Cannavale • Jeffrey Tambor • Burt Young
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Sports Comedy • Sports Drama
Rank This Movie
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5643
Win Percentage: 49%
Times Ranked: 725
Top-20 Rankings:...
- 8/23/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard was so impressed with Will Smith's hard work as he prepared to play Muhammad Ali, he stepped into the ring to spar with the actor. The two-time welterweight champion kept a close watch on Smith, fearing he didn't have what it took to play his pal Ali. And when Leonard's best friend Darrell Foster was signed as Smith's trainer, the ring master decided to see just how good the movie star was. He says, "Darrell trained Will for one year to transform him into a boxer, and I was truly impressed with the way he turned his body into a machine. His reward for a year's hard work was to box me for a couple of rounds. As a boxer, he's got what it takes, but he's still no Ali. Ali's persona was always unreachable. Will gets as close as anyone, but I got to know Ali and there's a certain presence around him that makes him appear to be untouchable. He's bigger than life. I said to Will, 'To portray Ali is real attitude because Ali had confidence, style and skill and if you can come close to that, you're doing a great job.' Ali was bigger than boxing and I think Will understands that."...
- 11/2/2001
- WENN
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