THE MORPHIZM ARCHIVE


INTERVIEWS/FILM/MUSIC
OBSERVATIONS/POLEMIX

 

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"They Have Problems"
Sure, Ben Gibbard and his various bands Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service might not be overtly political. But these are scary times, and if you don't like what the artist is doing, Ben's got a message for you . . . . MORE
"Off the Scale"
Tom Morello can't take it anymore. The former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and current axe master for Audioslave is ready for regime change. Now. But will America keep covering their ears, or are they finally ready for some truth? . . . . MORE
"The Ship is Sinking"
It is fitting that the music of And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead is often compared to apocalypse. Because their new album Worlds Apart seems convinced we're going to hell in hurry -- but not for the usual reasons. Our interview elaborates . . . MORE
"Money, Timidity, Fear"
After taking a wrecking ball to comedy with Bob Odenkirk and Mr. Show, David Cross has made a name for himself in both Hollyweird and the SubPop universe. But he's saving his best for the 2004 election . . . . MORE
Fast Talker
The Latin American wing of cinema has finally hijacked America's attention. Or is it kidnapped? If you're talking about his film Secuestro Express, first-time Venezualan director Jonathan Jakubowicz favors the latter . . . MORE
"Make You Uncomfortable"
Nicolas Cage has taken roles that would make other actors empty their lunches into their limos. Though some of his films tread that popcorn line, Cage claims independence in Morphizm's latest, In Their Own Words. . . . MORE
"That First Shock"
With the release of the Uh Huh Her, Polly Jean Harvey is once again baring her talented soul for the sake of her angst-filled art. And Morphizm is proud as hell to have the 50-foot Queenie on board for In Their Own Words. Read it and weep . . . MORE
"Good Therapy"
How did Ice Cube go from Amerikkka's Most Wanted to box-office gold for the Rated PG set? Because it's art, baby! You have give yourself up to it, even if no sucka gets gaffled at the end. Our interview explains. . . . MORE
Americans Aren't Interested
Canadian hip-hop? Does such a thing exist? You bet your ass it does. And now that K-Os is making sonic waves, expect narrowcasted American radio to take notice. Our interview explains . . . MORE
"Sea of Trivia"
If you're looking to fit in during a War on Terror, the last thing you do is make a film about a guy who wants to kill the president. But if you're Assassination of Richard Nixon director Niels Mueller, you make the movie you want to make, and hope Sean Penn is in it . . . MORE
True to Reality
Moises Kaufman, the self-described "hardest-working Jewish Latino gay artist in New York," boldly dug deep into the roots of homophobia and murder on The Laramie Project, right before winning a Tony Award for I Am My Own Wife. But is he still Wilde at heart? . . . MORE
"It's All Good"
For years, William Shatner has negotiated the fine between integrity and parody, and come up smelling like a rose every time. But will his latest album, Has Been, erase the camp factory he produced with his hippie-happy release, The Transformed Man? Read the interview and find out, suckers . . . MORE
  
"It's Amazing I've Survived"
Bill Plympton's latest self-drawn exercise in physiological agency and madness takes the animator back to high school in search of hormones and Volkswagen-humping mascots. Our interview elaborates . . . . MORE
    
Pink Peril
What do a toilet and a vagina have in common? They both need to be thoroughly cleaned with Lysol. At least, according to Lynn Peril's collection of femorabilia found in her book, Pink Think . . . . . MORE
 
Jusify Your Existence
They are the reigning kings of mood music. But don't call them Sigur Ros. Because unlike their contemporaries, Scotland's Mogwai can kick out the jams. It's a good thing they quieted down enough to talk to us . . . MORE
"The Future Does
Not Exist"

Serj Tankian might be the headbanger behind System of a Down, but he also has an ear for world music. Especially the kind that his Serart companion, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, can play on something as boring as a crockpot. As Serj says in our interview, the instrument that brings you joy can set you free. . . MORE
"I Want To Be Challenged"
M. Night Shyamalan has redefined the way American suspense films are built and executed, but that doesn't mean he's getting comfortable and lazy. Our interview explains . . . . MORE
"Life's Too Short"
Viggo Mortensen hasn't gone Hollyweird, but he can't exactly go out to a quiet meal with the family either. Still, he's resolute about maintaining the indie atmosphere at Perceval Press, his low-budget publishing outfit . . . . MORE
As Dumb as I Am
Brendon Small can do it all. But whether he's wisecracking his way through the eight-year-old auteur that bears his name, rocking your stand-up circuit, or laying down a pitch-perfect rendition of Van Halen's "Eruption" on the guitar , he keeps it humble as pie . . . . MOR
On Relatability
Josh Weinstein and Bill Oakley might have spent their early years at institutions such as SPY Magazine, The Simpsons, and Futurama, but that doesn't mean they were ready to watch Mission Hill fly right over the heads of prime-time viewers. Let's just thank God for Ted Turner . . . MORE
"It Should Be Cool to Care"
Call them electro, call them post-rock, call them whatever. Just don't call Trans Am a boring interview. They're taking dead aim at Liberation in 2004, and that means no Bush, no Atkins diet, and especially no Friendster . . . MORE

Black Heart Talking
Black Heart Procession's earnest exercise in moody catharsis, Amore Del Tropico, has made even the die-hard Three Mile Pilot fans sit up and take notice. So like any good artist, Pall Jenkins says he's ready to take his experimental record onto the silver screen. Or at least a DVD . . . MORE
Internetwork Yourself
That giant sucking sound you hear is the gaping void left behind in Public Enemy's wake. But they haven't abandoned us -- they've just taken their revolution into cyberpsace. As Chuck D explains, contrary to what the latest NASDAQ says, the Internet is still the place to be. . . . MORE
Mimetic Rivalry On a Planetary Scale
In violent times, you turn to philosophers of violence. Ones who try to make the world understand why it's so eager to kill itself. Enter Rene Girard, who has some thoughts on September 11 . . . MORE
Something That Makes People Think
From handily winning DJ throw-downs to jazzing with Herbie Hancock and Blue Man Group, Rob Swift has been spreading the turntablist ethic far and wide. But with the release of his latest solo effort, Sound Event, he's topped his own tough standards. The interview awaits you . . . MORE
The Freedom to Wait
Terence Malick might have cut him down to size in The Thin Red Line, but Polanski's harrowing film, The Pianist, has given Adrien Brody a well-deserved Oscar win. But, as Brody says in our interview. learning Chopin and shedding pounds just comes with the job. The one he loves . . . MORE
"Those Kids Were Fast as Lightning"
Feel-good kid movie about soccer or potent exegesis on interracial politics? How about both? Gurinder Chadha's Bend It Like Beckham is already a UK smash and is catching on in the States. But, as she says in our interview, it's just the part of the continuing multicultural dialogue the world needs to have . . . MORE
Something Genuine
Pigeonholing the Shipping News is impossible, but that doesn't mean our interview didn't give it the old college try. After all, these are the music pioneers that laid out a set of rules for composition only to end up breaking them all into pieces to form the moody masterpiece, Three-Four . . . MORE

Stick a Fork in Them, They're Dead
The Dead Kennedys were one of punk rock's last outposts for anti-corporate integrity. That is, until the rest of the band sued Jello Biafra and stole the DK catalogue. What the hell happened? Funny, we asked Jello the same thing in our interview . . . MORE

The Mercy of Viewers
With a neglected cinematic subject like the Armenian Holocaust as the centerpiece of his latest film, Ararat, director Atom Egoyan isn't exactly killing at the box office. But he explains in our interview, it is in times of tyranny that overlooked stories like these need to be told . . . . MORE

In The Afterlife
The Squirrel Nut Zippers were supposed to be one tonic that could solve a bland musical landscape's various ills, but they were headed for the serious strife sooner than they thought. Ex-Zipper Tom Maxwell dishes the dirt on a brilliant opportunity missed. And what came next . . . MORE

One in a Series of Enabling Devices
From Bickle to Lamotta to Christ and now to Bob Crane, Paul Schrader has always had an eye for men on the verge of nervous breakdown. While his latest film interrogates the other type of home movies, we interrogate Paul in our interview . . . MORE

We've Come to Break Down the Walls
With an inspired East-West fusion, Cornershop has now secured its place in the UK indie scene. So why does Tjinder Singh still think that the women belong in the back? Perhaps this interview will explain . . . MORE
No Ordinary Guy
For close to two decades, the punk legends Fugazi have been churning out compelling music, a trend thankfully continued with their latest release, The Argument. So we count ourselves lucky that Guy Picciotto had the time to talk for so long . . . MORE
"Imagery & Infuence"
From The Crying Game to his recent film, The Good Thief, Neil Jordan knows how to make films about the kind of class struggle you don't see on the evening news. He also knows, as he says in our interview, how to remake a movie classic, as well as help Nick Nolte, save some serious face . . . . MORE
The Instinct is to Go Somewhere Different
If you're looking for an artistic intersection between worlds, try Calexico. With Feast of Wire, they might have released the best album of the year. Now if only someone could tell Joey Burns how to play Metal Gear, everything would be right with the world. And our interview . . . MORE
Z-Boy in the Hood
These days, kids would rather grow up to be Tony Hawk than the President of the United States. Which means it's time for another cultural history lesson, this time courtesy of director Stacy Peralta and his skater documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys. The pool is yours, Stace . . MORE
What Hasn't Been Homogenized?
Writer/director John Sayles has been making thoughtfully political films for more than two decades. His newest film, Sunshine State, takes on corporate tourism in Florida; meanwhile, our interview takes up two pages. Wake up and smell the strip malls . . . MORE

She's Notorious
Comedian Margaret Cho might talk about colonic irrigation and getting sexually probed by short lesbians in The Notorious C.H.O., but we still asked her about racial politics, her daring honesty and the September 11th backlash in our interview . . . MORE

A High-Wire Act
That about sums up how film legend Peter Bogdanovich has lived his life on the many sides of the camera. Now his latest tussle with Hollywood scandal, The Cat's Meow, has hit the big screen while his latest interview has landed here . . . MORE

Pall is Your Co-Pilot
The best band you've barely heard of during the last ten years is Three Mile Pilot. But you'll hear of them now that we got a chance to interview, Pall Jenkins, whose Black Heart Procession is continuing the very strange tradition of essential artistry overlooked. . . . MORE

"So That We Can Have a Cinema"
The media usually trots out stereotypes like Long Duc Dong when it feels like dealing with Asian America, but thanks to Justin Lin, there is light at the end of the tunnel. As Lin says in our interview, change is coming for you. Whether you want it or not . . . MORE

"Poisoned By Money"
You call yourself a journalist? Well, while you've been busy interviewing porn stars on the O'Reilly Factor, the BBC's Greg Palast has been writing books about how Katharine Harris stole your election and how Enron unplugged your lights. . . . MORE
  
Cosmic Gamers
It's strange to think that the Thievery Corporation were raised on the DC hardcore scene. Then again, they're not your everyday chillout colossus, something the Flaming Lips and David Byrne already know. Now you do too. Our interview explains . . . MORE
Predictability is a Disease
Forget that Adam Reed and Matt Thompson, creators of Adult's Swim's Sealab 2021, are top-notch pomo cut-and-paste artists with a predilection for animated interracial love fests and homicidal maniacs. After reading this hilarious interview, you'll just wish you had their cushy jobs . . . . MORE
  
Morphizm Q&A: Harvey Birdman
Talk about your Sisyphean tasks. Just try nailing down a superhero attorney while he's busy defending animated mobsters like Fred Flinstone, potheads like Scooby and Shaggy and radicals like the UnaBooBoo. See how much you like it. In fact, we couldn't get Harvey to the interview until we bought him a caseload of Tab, the freakin' prima donna. Ah well, read it anyway . . . MORE
  
The Greatest Show on TV
Now that we've watched brats complain about living together, gold-diggers chase millionaires and celebrities turn into puppets, how can we redeem ourselves? By watching Adult Swim, the only show on TV brave enough to push the envelope and take no prisoners . . . . MORE
"Something Else New"
John Singleton has been a busy man. With Four Brothers and Hustle and Flow , he's got films you should watch: MORE
Don't Get Comfy
The Mars Volta have confounded conventional wisdom on Frances the Mute. That's how they want it: MORE

"I'm Not a Fan of Boring or Ugly"
Rock n' roll is supposed to be about fun and games, right? So why is everyone so serious all the time, wonders Eddie Angel, guitarist for the masked marauders of surf music, Los Straitjackets, in our first interview . . . . MORE

Driving Ms. Huffington
Arianna Huffington jumped ship on the trickle-down set years ago. So why was anyone surprised when put out ads drawing concrete connections between oil consumption and oil wars? As she tells it, she's as surprised as anyone . . . MORE
"If I'm Not Having Fun, I Drop It"
Animator Bill Plympton has been crafting films full of corruption, paranoia, sex and bodies for over two decades. So why hasn't the DVD release of his latest, Mutant Aliens, received its deserved hoopla? That's what we asked Bill in our interview . . . MORE
The Religious Moment According to Viggo
Everyone's noticed Viggo Mortensen convincing turn as Aragorn in Peter Jackson's version of Lord of the Rings. But art and poetry fans have had their eyes on the renaissance man long before he spoke Elvish. And both camps will probably dig this interview . . . MORE
Under Siege
Everything might be hunky dory for the war hawks, but media theorist Mark Crispin Miller is shaking in his shoes. Whether it's North Korea, the war in Iraq, or the parrots on Fox News, Mark says we should be afraid. Very afraid . . . MORE
"It's Terrifying to be Connected"
If you want to make a man squirm, say the word "vagina". An uncomfortable irony, considering that most men (and most societies, Eve Ensler would argue) are centered around that very organ. But so is most of the world's violence. So how do we untie this tangled knot? That's exactly what we asked Eve in our interview. . . MORE
"Poisoned By Money"
You call yourself a journalist? Then we've got a man we'd like you to meet. See, while you've been busy interviewing porn stars on the O'Reilly Factor, the BBC's Greg Palast has been writing books about how Katharine Harris stole your election and how Enron unplugged your lights. . . . MORE

FILM

Spinning the Body Horror Web
From flies to twins to mugwumps and now on to spiders, David Cronenberg has mastered the art of taking the mind and body apart. But that primordial split is more destructive and understated in his latest release, Spider. Which is why it may just be the best film he has ever made. . . . MORE

The Wizard of Awe
Legendary animator Hayao Miyazake depressed everyone when he decided to hang up his brushes after the fascinating Princess Mononoke. But then he met a little girl too protected from the Real World. And so Spirited Away, was born . . . MORE

The Meaning of Life? Ask the Mole-Rat
After four years of hibernation, Fast Cheap and Out of Control, Errol Morris's masterpiece on mortality, savagery and innovation, returns to remind us just how hell-bent we are for immortality. And how we'll die anyway . . . MORE

"I Don't Know Dick"
Contrary to what the newly released DVD for Heavy Metal 2000 may have her say, one would think that cult goddess Julie Strain would know dick very well indeed. But it would be hard to tell by looking at her film, because it's far too busy blowing the shit out of everything . . . . MORE

Spike Takes His Time
He's a born and bred New Yorker with a chip on his shoulder the size of an American tragedy. So it makes sense that Spike Lee's latest film, 25th Hour, would put his motley crew of hustlers, grifters and soft-hearted sympathizers at the heart of Ground Zero's moral oblivion . . . MORE

The Not-So-Straight Story
The world has been a sunnier, more optimistic place since David Lynch put his brutal stamp on cinema and sound with Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. But the master of narrative disaster is back and back big with his latest film, Mulholland Drive . . . . . MORE

Willful Blindness
Thanks to Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser, a new cinematic adaptation of Graham Greene's hard-hitting novel, The Quiet American, has finally made it to the screen. No thanks to waffling studios, narrow-minded talk shows, and a public afraid of harsh realities, Phillip Noyce's film has finally found an audience. . . MORE

Western Syndrome
It might look like Nolan's Memento all over again, but Gaspar Noe's film, Irreversible, is an unflinching if confusing look at how human depravity can cause society to rewrite its Bill of Rights in pursuit of an elusive justice. But does it go too far in its desire to shock, or is the West too desensitized to care? . . . . MORE

What Works Together
From Run-DMC to Jurassic 5, hip-hop has always been about synergy. And its spark has always originated from the turntable. And according to some amazing DJs in Doug Pray's documentary, Scratch, its endpoint is across the universe . . . MORE
It's Alive!
With his strange, but very funny Little Otik, Czechoslovakia's legendary Jan Svankmajer is poised to ditch the ghetto tag of animator and take his place as a visionary who just so happens to use animation in his films. . . MORE
American Ugly
One Academy Award later, director Sam Mendes is still pumping out neo-noir tales of domestic dysfunction, this time in the form of the father-son road show that is Road to Perdition. After all, who else could trun drop-dead gorgeous Jude Law into a psychopath? . . MORE

Persistence
It was just a matter of time before Holocaust survivor Roman Polanski revisited that nightmare of his youth. And although a Palme D'Or from Cannes --and perhaps an Oscar -- might soothe, his newest film, The Pianist, nevertheless feels like an old wound opening . . . MORE

Love at First Punch
He's barely over thirty but Paul Thomas Anderson has spent a good deal of his life rewriting the rules of cinema. Who else could insert Adam Sandler into a magical realist revision of the hackneyed romantic comedy like Punch-Drunk Love? . . . MORE

Dreamworking the Hollywood Dystopia
With mainstreamers like Spielberg and Cruise on board Minority Report, it's hard to imagine the film would have room for Philip K. Dick's panopticon future. But everything seems to be messed up just fine . . . MORE

Everyday Things
With breakout films like Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan has become the master of Sci-Gothic cinema. Now Signs takes on crop circles, religion and that sinking feeling you get when you know the end of the world is nigh . . . MORE
My Own Condition
Slavoj Zizek, channeling Sigmund Freud most likely, once called it the feminine depression. Guys might call it a chick flick. But no matter the misogynist label, The Hours boasts a high-powered lineup of three canonical actresses at the top of their game. Cue the Academy Award . . . MORE
There's a (Digital) Riot Goin' On
For fans of George Lucas' mytho-science fiction canon, Stars Wars, Episode II: The Attack of the Clones may be just the film they were waiting for when they were unsuspectingly tortured by Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace . . . MORE
She's Got Big Balls
And we understand the irony in that headline, trust us. Margaret Cho's DVD release of I'm the One That I Want takes no prisoners in its sweeping condemnation of mainstream media, pugnacious networks, and Soon-Yi. And that's just for starters. . . MORE
Coming to a Theater Nowhere Near You
Forget Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. The strangest thing to hit the silver screen involves a trio of directors whose movies include family dysfunction, microphone enemas, and Satan in the form of very large breasts. Grab your bon bons! . . . . MORE
Bring the Payne
If the western is dead, then perhaps the Midwestern can take its place. And no one knows that peculiar condition better than About Schmidt's director, Alexander Payne. And no one knows peculiar conditions like Jack Nicholson. Sounds like a marriage made in cinema heaven. . . MORE
Watch Out For Those "Sammies"!
Sure, sure, most red-blooded Americans want their payback, especially if they can see it spill out on the big screen. But Black Hawk Down is a weaker sort of war movie -- and not just because it's a Jerry Bruckheimer production . . . MORE
Domestic Disturbance
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