Jason Shawhan

Tunisia

Media prophet. Film critic. Cohost of @JJLpodcast . Catsitter. Very Gay. DJ (https://t.co/iAHxgygd8b). (He/Him). Black lives matter. http://jshawhan.bsky.soc

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Articles

A Meditation on 1972’s Underappreciated ‘Play It as It Lays’

1 week ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

For a film that so expertly captures the sun-blasted anomie of Southern California and its habit of desaturating whatever shades and emotions trespass into its path, it’s the bookending moments in labyrinthine, verdant gardens that shape the emotional space we find ourselves in. One of the greatest and most difficult-to-see films of the 1970s, Play It as It Lays is finally receiving its laurels in the form of a 4K restoration, with four upcoming screenings at the Belcourt.
Let’s Get Physical: ‘The Keep,’ Bruce Vilanch and More

2 weeks ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

Join us for a brief journey through some of what’s new and interesting in the world of physical media, from sexploitation classics and lost films maudits to historical moments in American cinema. The Keep (Vinegar Syndrome UHD/Blu-ray)The fact that this even exists is still staggering.
Nostalgia Is the Noose: ‘Hell of a Summer’ Is Comfy, Sharp Comedy-Horror

3 weeks ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

There is a very specific kind of horror performance that makes legends — an insecure and uncertain character portrayed with the kind of sure hand that only an actor’s complete confidence in the film can yield. The apotheosis of this kind of turn is Crispin Glover in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, but you’ll also see it in Hank Harris in Hellbent, Stephen Geoffreys in Fright Night or Nicolas Cage in Vampire’s Kiss.
Rachika Nayar, ANOHNI and More Thrill at Big Ears

3 weeks ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

It is not an exaggeration to say that Knoxville’s Big Ears Music Festival is one of the most impressive in the world, and most certainly one of the coolest things that happens annually in the state of Tennessee. There is such an overwhelming array of performers, styles and experiences available that you could talk to 10 people in attendance and it’s possible none of their concerts would overlap.
‘Misericordia’ Is a Sly, Smart Peek Into Reality’s Messiness

4 weeks ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) is an interesting fellow. He’s got one of those faces that seems reminiscent of several different people at the same time (in this case, young Edward Furlong, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Snakeman), and he has the very relatable condition of not being able to access or express exactly what it is he wants from life and others. He responds to kindness and loss, and he has some degree of moral study or experience that has stuck with him throughout his life.
Now It's Dark: Revisiting David Lynch’s Filmography

1 month ago | nashvillescene.com | D. Patrick Rodgers |Jason Shawhan

In 2017, ahead of the Showtime premiere of Twin Peaks Season 3, Scene editor-in-chief (then managing editor) D. Patrick Rodgers and senior film critic (then regular film critic) Jason Shawhan revisited the catalog of legendary auteur David Lynch. We compiled our thoughts on each of Lynch’s 10 films, along with a weirdness rating system devised via unscientific social media polling and our own opinions.
‘The Monkey’ Tops the Current Wave of Interesting, Grotesque Horror

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

Writer-director Osgood Perkins has, with just a quintet of films — all of them superb — made himself one of the most distinctive and thought-provoking creators in horror. He can do slow-burn drama, gothic fantasy, grungy glam and tragic timeslips with unsettling ease, juggling theme and mode but always focused on the way people engage with the most unfortunate of circumstances.
Talking About Russ Meyer With David Gregory and Erica Gavin

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

There are opportunities you just don’t pass up. As the great philosopher Tom Jones once said, “Tomorrow is promised to no one,” and when a chance at joy comes your way, especially at this moment in history, you’re well-served by grabbing hold and not letting go until it thunders. And that’s how I found myself talking to Vixen herself, the legendary Erica Gavin. It begins with David Gregory, the head of Severin Films (if you’re into physical media, you’re doubtless familiar with Severin).
The 2024 Jim Ridley Film Poll

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

We undertake the Jim Ridley Memorial Film Poll both to honor the memory of our late, beloved editor, and to gather the opinions of critics, filmmakers, artisans, playwrights, musicians, teachers, exhibitors, podcasters and various and sundry gadabouts across three continents (so far) and figure out where cinema is at. The Top 25 of 20241. The Substance2. Anora3. I Saw the TV Glow4. Challengers5. Hundreds of Beavers6. Nickel Boys7. Dune: Part Two8. Sing Sing9. Love Lies Bleeding10. The Brutalist11.
Nashville Scene’s Year in Music 2024: Medium Build

Dec 10, 2024 | nashvillescene.com | Jason Shawhan

Nick Carpenter’s Medium Build project had a huge year, including making a major label debut with fifth album Country, and then finishing up with a massive European tour in the wake of a new EP called Marietta. Carpenter’s nomadic background — his journey has taken him to the Marietta EP’s titular Atlanta suburb as well as MTSU; Anchorage, Alaska; and East Nashville — has given him quite the continuum of experience, and it’s all there in the music.