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R. Kelly on the Stairs: SpoutBlog Week in Review

Under discussion:
Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007)

Under discussion:

Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007)

Assessing the first IFC-produced chapter of Trapped in the Closet, I wrote that “From the first shot, it’s immediately apparent that Trapped’s production values have been elevated somewhat since Chapter 12 was released two years ago” and expresed concern that this and other noticeable changes “could have profound implications on Trapped’s signature, quasi-Brechtian manner of storytelling.” Then IFC TV’s general manager was like, “No you didn’t.”
We played our part in hyping Hannah Takes the Stairs by posting Matt Dentler’s interview with one of Hannah’s many love interests, Mark Duplass.
“Star-making is not just a hobby of the delusional rich, as it is in Sunset Boulevard; it’s not quite the cosmic structuring myth that it becomes in A Star is Born. It’s sexual fetish, and as such, it’s somehow simultaneously frivolous and primal.” With Anthology Film Archives paying tribute to Vincente Minnelli’s melodramas, I took a closer look at The Bad and the Beautiful.
I wouldn’t die for Elvis, but I did pull together a list of links to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death.
On the podcast, Kevin and Paul got their hearts broken by No End In Sight, and I wondered if celebrities should break up with their causes after watching The 11th Hour.
“Screw the script–that voyeuristic long shot of Molly Ringwald on the stairs is how John Hughes became the voice of (highly commercial) teen alienation.” In the latest installment of The Micro Five, I take a look at dancing-in-the-library scene from The Breakfast Club, plus four other 80s musical interludes.
I got the day’s second Xanadu reference out of Andrew Grant who, along with his Benten Films partner Aaron Hillis, dished pop cultural preferences for The Media Diet.