FILM REVIEW: Horton Hears A Who · Mar 17, 9:43am

“Horton” is a visual spectacle, for sure, and the climactic scene featuring Horton versus the monkeys is a nail-biter. And the use of REO Speedwagons I Cant Fight This Feeling Anymore as the climactic song well, lets just say I wasnt expecting that twist.

CONCERT REVIEW: Anais Mitchell and Catie Curtis at Valley Players · Mar 5, 9:23am

And that is Caties great genius her knack for spinning deceptively simple tunes, hooky without being predictable or cheesy. Her lyrics have a way of easing their way into your brain, traveling along with you like new friends…

CONCERT REVIEW: Springsteen in Montreal · Mar 3, 4:10pm

True confessions. I havent been to a rock and roll show in twenty years. I mean a real rock and roll show the kind of pulse-pounding adrenaline-charged experience that finds you in the midst of thousands of amped-up fans swaying to that primal 4/4 rhythm, chanting lyrics or nonsense words na na na na at the top of their (our!) lungs.

RADIO SHOW: February 11, 2008 Green Mountain Globalocal · Feb 11, 8:46pm

Lewis Franco – Featured Vermont artist!

RADIO SHOW: January 21, 2008 Green Mountain Globalocal · Jan 21, 8:46pm

Featured Vermont artist: Bluegrass Gospel Project (BGP).

WMRW - Play List for January 7. 2008 · Jan 8, 6:14pm

Featured Vermont artist: Dan and Willy Lindner.

FILM(S) REVIEW: MLK Day Human Rights 2008 · Jan 7, 6:34pm

What is astonishing about these thirteen films, however, is not their edginess – so often a hallmark of independent documentaries – but their intimacy and accessibility

MUSIC REVIEW: Kelly Joe Phelps' "Tunesmith Retrofit" · Dec 3, 8:30am

What makes Kelly Joe Phelps latest project so compelling is its subtle anti pop sentiment. Nothing but stripped down soul music here tender wordsmithing delivered with a voice that sounds like the gravel stripped right off the road, and some of the most phenomenal guitar chops on the acoustic scene today.

FILM REVIEW: No Frontier For Old Men · Nov 30, 1:09pm

The Coen brothers film arrives at an oddly appropriate time. We live at a historical moment where vague clichs freedom, democracy, human rights, free market run point for what is, in reality, an incredibly violent world. No Country for Old Men travels directly into that vague and nebulous territory a place where choices have consequences, a society where trivial dialogue between strangers masks latent violence that erupts with sudden fury.

MUSIC REVIEW: Wagtail's "One Clear Moment" · Nov 13, 8:29pm

The good news: whoever arranged the line-up on One Clear Moment knew exactly what they were doing. Timing is everything on an album like this.

CD REVIEW: Lewis Franco - Swinging in Daddyland! · Nov 2, 9:14am

Former Northern Power employee-turned-singer/songwriter Lewis Franco is one of Vermonts best-kept musical secrets.

CD REVIEW: Aztec Two Step - Days of Horses · Oct 16, 8:21pm

The great classical composer Frederick Chopin once observed that nothing is more beautiful than a guitar except, possibly, two. This sentiment captures Aztec Two Step to a T.

FILM REVIEW: No End In Sight · Sep 20, 5:21am

The message of Fergusons film is oddly banal: the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq turned out to be a mistake (sorry, everybody!), and there is no end in sight.

WMRW low power FM: 9.17.07 GMGL · Sep 17, 9:27pm

Featured Vermont musician: Josh Brooks.

WMRW low power FM: 9.10.07 GMGL play list · Sep 10, 9:34pm

Monday, September 10, 2007 – Patches of fog on the road, chilly and cool. Harvest in the air. Colin McCaffrey our featured Vermont artist tonight.

WMRW low power FM: 8.27.07 GMGL play list · Aug 28, 7:43am

Monday, August 27, 2007 – Full moon fever; clear, cool, and quiet outside the studio.

FILM REVIEW: The Bourne Ultimatum · Aug 21, 11:38am

Missed surfing the summer movie blockbuster wave these past three months? You are in luck the best action film of the season just hit the multiplex.

FILM REVIEW: What a Way to Go-Life at the End of Empire · Aug 2, 1:27pm

I dont like happy chapters, Bennett says towards films end, because there is no list of quick and painless fixes. If there is going to be a happy chapter, we will have to write it together with the rest of the community of life.

YOUTUBE MOVIES - Happy watching! · Jul 22, 8:53pm

RWMs video highlights now at You Tube.

BOOK/FILM REVIEW: Wild About Harry - Pottermania Comes to Mad River · Jul 22, 8:53pm

And whats not to like? Rowling is a compelling storyteller, and the books richly drawn world and nuanced characters are indeed magical. Over at our place, weve read the books multiple times over the past many years, listened to the marvelous performances of the stories by thespian Jim Dale on audio CD, and me, anyway seen all of the films.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals · Jul 18, 12:47pm

This past month, I conducted an e-interview with all four members of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals to get their thoughts on music, life on the road, their new CD, and breaking into the big time. And the mainstream media has finally taken notice of our Valley up-and-comers. If you are a TV watcher, check out Grace and the boys appearing on Jay Lenos The Tonight Show on Thursday, August 2, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on August 3, and Good Morning America on August 7.

CD REVIEW: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' "This Is Somewhere" · Jul 1, 4:13pm

If This Is Somewhere doesnt put Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on the musical map globally, then Ill eat my mandolin pick. The world needs more music like this foursome serves up: intelligent, soulful, honest, and, ultimately, hopeful.

FILM REVIEW: Spiderman, Shrek and Pirates 3?! · May 29, 2:33pm

But you know as well as I do that NO one goes to summer movies because of the witty script, scintillating acting, or smart plot twists. No, we go for much better reasons. Like digitized special effects! Slapstick comedy! Potty humor! Mindless cartoon violence! Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom in pirate pantaloons!

RADIO PLAY LISTS: WMRW's "Green Mountain Global Local" · May 14, 9:00pm

Chedck out the latest WMRW “Green Mountain Global Local” Play Lists.

CD REVIEW: David Wilcox's "Vista" · May 11, 2:53pm

But its Wilcoxs writing that is so compelling, a contemporary mlange of songs that explore love (both lost and found), redemption, the tensions involved in living a spiritual life (his music is shot through with biblical themes, though he also is at his most scathing when writing about organized religion and holier-than-thou Bible thumpers), as well as songs that are about plain old fun. And, though he occasionally lapses into clichd lyrical phrasings, when he is on, there are few better writers.

BOOK REVIEW: Peter Barnes' CAPITALISM 3.0 · May 7, 9:03pm

Progressives who flay corporate power, Marxists who dislike capitalism in any form, libertarians who savage the role of the state, and other critics might find much to criticize in Barnes book. But this reviewer finds much of practical value in Capitalism 3.0s eloquent and accessible arguments, despite my healthy distrust of large multinational corporations.

BOOK REVIEW: Bill McKibben's DEEP ECONOMY · May 7, 9:00pm

And then, theres what McKibben calls the wild card. New research from many quarters, he writes, has started to show that even when growth does make us wealthier, the greater wealth no longer makes us happier. News flash. And one that bears repeating, in the face of the constant barrage of 3,000 commercial messages a day, conditioning us to equate individual fulfillment with consuming stuff.

NEWS STORY: Shelburne middle school premieres their MemeFILMS · Mar 29, 9:35am

“I learned what you see isn’t always picture perfect,” said 13-year-old Jacqueline Spitler, an eighth-grader who participated in the media study program. “A lot of my questions were answered about how ads are made.”

CD REVIEW: The Sibleys' "Will You Walk With Me" · Mar 27, 9:12am

Id never heard of the Sibleys before this spring. But listening to their latest CD makes me want to hear more.

CD REVIEW: Bruce Cockburn's "Life Short Call Now" · Mar 19, 9:09pm

I first heard Bruce Cockburns now-classic Dancing In The Dragons Jaws CD when I was in college, and, like many others, was immediately struck by his unique combination of guitar virtuosity (among other techniques, Cockburn helped to popularize both open tunings, which allow a solo acoustic performer to create a drone-like bass sound, and the use of the left hand thumb as a bottom strings bass walker) and refreshingly honest songwriting.

CD REVIEW: Anais Mitchell's "The Brightness" · Mar 5, 4:25pm

There is so much ambience to this CD (it feels like a live concert recording without the audience), so much going on tucked way back at the margins and underneath, and yet, each song sounds so spare. And vulnerable, And beautiful.

NEWS STORY: Tackling the Beer Barons in Barrington · Feb 7, 8:22pm

Last Friday morning, Mr. Williams talked to Barrington High School students about how beer companies like Budweiser have made a science out of targeting underage television viewers with aliens, dogs and, most famously, talking frogs. The beer industry spends about $5 billion on advertising each year “desperately trying to get your attention,” he told the assembly of freshmen and sophomores.

MULTI-MEDIA REVIEW: Free Vermont Media · Feb 7, 8:17pm

Do you dream of a free Vermont? So do we, and the stories told in the media we consume can help us re-imagine what an independent Vermont might look like.

INTERVIEW - VT Vox Populi: Eating Locally at the "Farmer's Diner!" · Feb 7, 8:15pm

A. Our goal of spending 70 cents of every food dollar within 50-75 miles is radical for a business in a global economy where greed a.k.a. maximizing profit and externalizing costs is commonplace. But to regular citizens, I dont think we are radical. Great tasting food and a good cause, but not radical.

MUSIC INTERVIEW: Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem · Dec 6, 12:39pm

Saturday night, meanwhile, finds Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem at the Valley Players Showcase (8:00), bringing us their wonderfully boundary-less music a mix of swing, bluegrass, country, folk, jazz, and Americana just in time to celebrate the holidays. After listening to a rough mixes of some new tunes late last week, I caught up with Rani for a chat about her music and life in general.

BOOK REVIEW: A Possible Explanation - Peggy Sapphire's Poetry · Nov 29, 8:41pm

Theres no way to know, of course, what the real answers are, but in imagining the possibilities, I found I was imagining my own.

FILM REVIEW: Borat! · Nov 20, 9:24am

Cohens defenders may argue that, in his own inimitable way, the satirist holds a mirror up to American (and global) culture and finds it wonderfully and disturbingly messy, even as he rudely mocks the very people he is attempting, perhaps, to understand. Perhaps.

FILM REVIEW: Happy Feet (Anneka Interview) · Nov 20, 9:22am

Q. Would little kids like four-year-olds like this movie? A. No. Because it was scary, and it was almost two hours, so they would probably get restless and make noise.

MUSIC REVIEW: Crooked Still plus Interview · Nov 20, 9:15am

It is difficult to finger, at first listen, what it is about the music of Crooked Still that captivates.

MUSIC REVIEW: Ellis Paul and Antje Dovekot · Nov 6, 3:47pm

As a fellow New Englander and songsmith, Ive known Ellis Pauls music for more than ten years. While I was playing the open mics in greater Boston during the mid-1990s, neighbor Ellis was beginning to establish himself as one of the countrys finest new singer/songwriters, helped along by a deal with folk label Rounder Records and a burgeoning audience of loyal listeners, myself included. His work has been heard worldwide, including a wonderfully upbeat little number called The World Aint Slowing Down in the soundtrack for Renee Zellweger and Jim Carreys otherwise forgettable film Me, Myself, and Irene.

INTERVIEW - Pastor/Horror Author Steve Burt · Oct 20, 9:52am

Q. You are a United Church of Christ pastor who also has had tremendous success writing short stories in the horror genre, especially for young adults. How do you account for and balance these two seemingly diverse career paths? A. I enjoy both “callings”. And while I’ve only pursued ministry as an adult, I’ve loved Weird Tales, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Tales from the Crypt since I was a pre-teen.

FILM REVIEW - Who Killed The Electric Car? · Sep 6, 8:58pm

Directed by Chris Paine and narrated by Martin Sheen, Who Killed the Electric Car? takes an engaging and provocative look at the rise and fall (twice now) of electric car technology in the United States.

FILM REVIEW: Kicking Asp - Snakes on a Plane · Aug 28, 9:49am

After a disappointing summer season of relatively forgettable action films, Snakes is a welcome diversion.

FILM REVIEW: Talladega Frights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby · Aug 28, 9:47am

Is this film good? If you like Ferrells satirical style, which shifts from provocative to nasty and back again with ease, you may like this one. The movie is loud, in-your-face obnoxious, and the jokes flow fast and furiously (to reference another Hollywood driving film), though most are, at best, semi-funny, while others are just downright dull.

INTERVIEW: Anais Mitchell-Music For a post 9/11 World · Aug 2, 1:19pm

A 25 year old Vermont native and former waitress, Mitchell is the first songwriter Ive heard who is able to weave together the most private and personal moments deeply human with the most public images of our post-9/11 global landscape.

FILM REVIEW: "America - From Freedom to Fascism" · Jul 14, 3:10pm

Even for someone who is familiar with the Oz-like spectacle going on behind the curtained faade of our imperial two-party political system, Russos film is a real eye-opener. The war on terrorism, he concludes, is the war on your freedoms.

FILM REVIEW: Pirates of the Caribbean - Take 2 · Jul 11, 3:44pm

Will Pirates make much of an impact on you? Nah. But thats OK. Heck, it is the height of summer. Eat, drink, and be merry. Yo ho ho, and avast, matey!

CD REVIEW/INTERVIEW: Colin McCaffrey's "Tired of Town" · Jun 24, 7:03pm

With his modest and understated manner, and fabulous musical chops blues, old timey, folk, jazz, rock, contra McCaffrey is an artist who is always interesting to hear.

FILM REVIEW: The Great Warming · Jun 22, 9:23am

Aside from ignoring global peak oil (a glaring omission), Taylors film is a realistic and hopeful one. Hopefully the movie-going public concerned about these issues can make room for more than just an inconvenient truth this summer and fall.

FILM REVIEW: XMen 3 · Jun 16, 11:29am

And then there is the sheer pleasure that comes with watching Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman and other good-looking human specimens cavort on the silver screen in black latex jump suits.

FILM REVIEW: An Inconvenient (Half) Truth and Over the Hedge · Jun 16, 10:27am

But to not directly and honestly address our uncertain energy future seems incredibly irresponsible for a world leader of Al Gores stature.

Focusing on "The Big Picture" - Mad River Valley Theater Owner Has Grand Plans · May 30, 3:49pm

But the Mad River Valley is a relatively small community, and there are movie theaters within a thirty-minute drive of the Valley. How might Big Picture succeed where other owners of the space have failed? The only way to make it work, Becker believes, is by actively partnering with a number of community stakeholders to offer a diverse array of multimedia activities for all age groups and interests.

FILM REVIEW: United 93 Legitimates Official "Conspiracy Theory" · May 8, 10:18am

I dont profess to know the truth about what actually happened on 9/11, but Im reasonably convinced that the official 9/11 conspiracy theory story, helped along by propaganda pieces like United 93, are deliberately muddying the waters at a time when what we need more than anything in our troubled country is clarity, honesty, and a new vision for our common future as we confront global Peak Oil, rampant militarism, electoral fraud, corporate corruption, and a war that will not end in our lifetimes (to quote the U.S. Vice Resident).

MEDIA in the Middle East: Our 3 Week Trip To Jordan · Apr 28, 8:08pm

Our hope is to use the lessons learned from our pilot MEDIA program to continue to build relationships with Middle Eastern partners so we can offer future cross-cultural MEDIA programs for students of all ages. This remarkable experience, (one in which we worked for 12 days without a break!), combined a bewildering mixture of culture, education, history, leadership, and multimedia skills. We remain excited about the prospects for future work between Vermont, Jordan and other communities in the greater Middle East.

Thank You For Smoking - FILM REVIEW · Apr 26, 7:12pm

Thank You For Not Smoking functions as a semi-serious if vaguely unsatisfying celluloid meditation on the trade-offs of human (and corporate) cynicism and greed.

Rob Goes To Jordan with Project Harmony: Cross-Cultural Media Education · Apr 7, 10:55am

The Media Education and Democracy in Action (MEDIA) Youth Leadership Exchange Program represents Project Harmonys first program in the region. The program enables Project Harmony to bring its unique blend of Internet technology, cross-cultural learning, and civic engagement to the Middle East. MEDIA is a program of the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under its Linking Individuals, Knowledge, and Culture initiative.

Challenging the Corporate Vice Peddlers: Burlington Free Press Article · Apr 7, 8:41am

“This is one minute, an eternity in television, in which we’re walking an 8- to 12-year-old audience through how to use a cancer stick socially,” said Rob Williams, a Champlain College professor and local media educator. “It’s called product placement, where products are written into story lines of TV shows.”

BOOK REVIEW: Guitar - An American Life · Apr 3, 10:14am

Brookes is a writer in love with the guitar, and it shows, As luthier (defined as a guitar maker who charges more than $1,000 per guitar) Rick Davis remarks early on in the book, a passionate guitarist on the hunt for THE perfect instrument often displays the eternal and infinite capacity of the consumer to confuse making a purchase with falling in love.

Uncovering the "Beer Barons" At Work · Mar 27, 11:03am

“The alcohol industry studies all these social demographics trends, scratches their heads and says, `How can we construct a very appealing marketing message that taps into these very real demographic changes?,’” says Rob Williams, a professor of history and media studies at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt.

BOOK REVIEW: Crashing the Gate · Mar 20, 10:27am

While Zuniga and Armstrong have written a vital book about the high-tech promise of people powered politics, we all might do well to remember the words of famed Boston Democrat Tip ONeill: all politics is local. The face-to-face conversation and organizing efforts that take place in pubs, schools, churches and communities have never been more important in an age where relationships are continually mediated. While Crashing The Gate offers a useful roadmap, then, it is but one part of a much larger 21st century political story all of us are authoring.

Anais Mitchell To Open Valley Players March 2006 Showcase! · Mar 6, 8:24pm

Not since Lucinda Williams Car Wheels On A Gravel Road have I heard such spine-quivering lyrics from a female artist. Ive heard it said, too many times to count, that the events of 9/11 have changed everything. Now, Anais Mitchell has done something remarkable and new, capturing the truth of that now-cliched and banal utterance in some of the most stripped-down, beautiful and honest music Ive heard in a long time.

Nothing About Grover's REMAIN - CD review · Feb 22, 12:45pm

Rounding out their sound with bass and percussion, Nothing About Grover may be poised to emerge as one of central Vermonts most popular upcoming acts, judging by the advance buzz the band has received at Burlington clubs like Nectars and Club Metronome.

After the Fog (Of War): An Interview with Vermont Filmmaker Jay Craven · Feb 16, 11:02am

It seems fitting to stop and reflect on the meaning of U.S. wars with those who have served in them, and a new film called After The Fog, co-produced by Jay Craven, does just this. Stitching together the personal testimony of 11 U.S. war veterans, After The Fog is an intimate and human look at the consequences of war, told by those who fought.

New DVD Explores the "Good Old Days" in Lamoille County · Feb 16, 11:01am

WMRW Low-Power FM: Measuring the True Value of Community Radio · Feb 13, 3:49pm

As WMRW begins its winter fund drive it takes a mere $6,000 a year to keep the station up and running I wanted to find out how much a truly independent non-commercial community radio station might be worth?

Electile Dysfunction: We've Been "Fooled Again" · Feb 6, 10:13pm

This is a story that, if published by any credible journal of record in any sort of systematic investigative manner, would rock our republic to its very foundations, and probably sell piles and piles of newspapers in the process.

LPFM Latest Play Lists: Green Mountain Global-Local · Feb 6, 10:05pm

WMRW (http://www.wmrw.org) is a low-power FM community radio station created by citizens of the Mad River Valley and launched in October 2004. My neighbor and friend, Dan Eckstein, and I host a Monday night music program called Green Mountain Global-Local, featuring Vermont musicians in a global music context. Feel free to peruse our play lists!

"The Joy of Telemark Skiing" - A "How To" DVD · Feb 6, 9:04am

The Joy of Telemark Skiing is, well, a joyful film. Hall, Bridgewater and the other skiers who share their wisdom also share a passion for the sport, and that excitement permeates the entire film, from the opening basics to the fabulous footage of telemark skiing in Washingtons Cascade mountains, Denalis Ruth Glacier, and yes, our own Mad River Glen.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl: Author Interview · Feb 2, 11:09am

Why We Fight: Sundance Award-Winning Film! · Jan 10, 5:05am

Syriana: Hollywood's Most Radical Film Of The Year · Jan 1, 8:31am

Syriana is probably the closest Hollywood will ever come to presenting on honest picture of our Peak Oil dilemma. Dont miss it.

Adaptive Magic: Harry Potter and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe · Dec 19, 9:44am

If the popularity of these two films increases kids awareness of some of the most deftly-crafted childrens literature of our time, if a comparative conversation about the merits of book versus film deepens our collective understanding of the trade-offs of each medium, and if both books and films expand our creative imaginings about the world in which we live (and these are big ifs), then both our authors and our filmmakers have provided us with two huge holiday treats.

Good Night and Good Luck! · Nov 14, 10:58pm

To say that George Clooneys new film Good Night and Good Luck is one of the most important films of this year is to be guilty of significant understatement. Not since Michael Manns 1999 thriller The Insider has a Hollywood film director made a media-focused mainstream movie this important or timely.

Sociology Served Up Straight: Alan Stracke's Work · Nov 10, 7:51pm

Alan Stracke (call him White Beard) teaches sociology at Champlain College, which is to say he is deeply interested in stories, and how different cultures use story-telling to make meaning in and about the world. Rather than adopt a traditional textbook method that might render living stories inert, imprisoned amidst the black and white of the glossy but tightly-bound pages of a very heavy and often-dull text, Stracke has produced, with his partner Lynda Reid, a fascinating new sociological resource book called A Storytellers Journey Into Sociology.

Wal-Mart America - The High Cost Of Low Price · Nov 8, 11:16am

Think of Robert Greenwalds powerful new film Wal-Mart: The High Cost Of Low Price as one giant field trip across the United States at a time when corporate multinational retail box store power dominates the landscape. Anyone with even a passing interest in matters economic knows a bit about Wal-Marts rap sheet, as well as the lure of low prices always. But Greenwalds film both contextualizes and personalizes the wide variety of trade offs Americans have made in allowing Wal-Mart to own and operate the very fabric of our 21st century economy.

Sonic Mini-Movies: The Music of Kris Delmhorst and Peter Mulvey · Nov 7, 10:50am

To have an opportunity to listen to two of Americas finest emerging singer/songwriters together in one place is a not-to-be-missed treat. Youll leave laughing, crying, thinking, and understanding that the worlds sonic landscapes are better explored for these two in it.

An Unreasonable Woman: A Book That Inspires! · Nov 7, 9:14am

Books like an “Unreasonable Woman” come along only rarely. Diane Wilson is a working class heroine with heart, an activist with the guts to do something about the problems confronting her (and all of us, really). The world is a better place for having her and her story in it. If you are not moved after reading this book, it might be time to forgo reading altogether.

Lucy Kaplansky's "Red Thread" · Oct 11, 11:07am

Lucy Kaplansky may be the best singer/songwriter youve heard but never heard of. The Chicago native possesses one of the sweetest voices buttery-smooth, velvety, playful – in the acoustic folk world.

Project Censored 2006: (Un)covering The Empire · Oct 8, 2:43am

During times of great upheaval election fraud, militarism, terror attacks, corporate corruption, and war it is sometimes useful to take refuge in the wisdom of stories told to us as children. In J.K. Rowlings wildly popular Harry Potter series, for example, the Daily Prophet (the wizarding worlds daily newspaper of record) serves as little more than a mouthpiece for the Establishment, stenographically serving up news that reflects the spin of the Ministry of Magic, while chipping away at the reputations of those who challenge the Ministrys power. Helped along by mentors such as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Harry and his young school mates, wizards-in-training all, begin to realize that what passes for official news in The Daily Prophet is often nothing more than carefully constructed public relations propaganda designed to manipulate wizard hearts and minds.

Grace Potter: "The Bringing It back Home" Tour! · Oct 3, 7:38am

Q. Whats in store for those of us planning to attend the Bringing It All Back Home Tour? A. The top priority for the BIABHT is to bring Vermont a string of high energy shows filled with new and old material we have worked on all summer long from the road. After visiting so many amazing places, we have been seriously inspired, but also reminded of how much we love Vermont, a place where we have the most loyal and energetic fans. As a result of this love, we are going to give our fans everything we got.

Lord Of War: Where's There's A Will, There's A Weapon · Sep 28, 7:43am

Not since director David O. Russells Three Kings (1999) has a Hollywood film tackled uncomfortable truths about the way the world really works. Niccol and Cage delivers the goods, making Lord of War a story driven by cynical sound bites and moments of cinematographic brilliance.

Fleeting - James Kinne's Music In Mad River · Sep 13, 9:37am

Theres a new singer/songwriter in Mad River Valley, and his name is James Kinne. Kinne, a New York City native, began playing drums at age 10, and brings a wealth of musical talent and experience to our little Vermont community. A brief bio is in order to appreciate the depth and experience of this mans musical mojo.

Finding the Doorbell-An Interview with Cindy Pierce · Sep 11, 7:25am

By day, Cindy Pierce is co-proprietor of Pierces Country Inn and mother to three young children. By night, however, she is emerging as one of New Englands funniest comic story-tellers, a performer who draws her tales from her own lifes various (mis)adventures in a way that makes audiences laugh and shake their heads in astonished agreement.

Peak Oil: The End Of Suburbia · Sep 5, 6:17pm

Exxon will not solve the Peak Oil dilemma for us, and neither will the federal government, awash in energy money and in denial about the unique and epochal nature of our situation. Only in smaller communities might we make our way out of this oil-soaked mess. As gas prices skyrocket to $3.00 a gallon and above these next several months, Suburbia serves as a road map for defining the problem it is now up to us to discover solutions.

Freedom and Unity · Aug 28, 7:38pm

For anyone wishing to understand the promise of a unique place like Vermont, a new and comprehensive account of the Green Mountain States past is a useful starting place. Michael Sherman, Gene Sessions, and P. Jeffrey Potashs book Freedom and Unity: A History of Vermont offers the traveler a remarkable look at how the Green Mountain State came to be. Dont let the 700 pages intimidate. The book gracefully runs the reader through a comprehensive history of our little section of the globe a welcome addition to any historian or Vermontophiles library.

Vermont 's "Voices": What Do 1200 Teens Have To Say? · Aug 9, 10:36am

But even more impressive is the multimedia work of our Vermont youth. After months of research, discussions, workshops, and interviews, The Voices Project has successfully tapped into the minds and hearts of Vermont teens to illuminate their struggles, hopes, fears, and ideas for the future.

Musician Gregory Douglass - "Stark" Raving Fabulous! · Aug 9, 10:33am

Ive said this before about Douglass, but it bears repeating. Few performers I know are able to consistently deliver such a potent triple threat of compelling lyrics, emotive vocalization, and fine musicianship on both guitar and piano. If you dont believe me, give Stark a close listen.

"The Island" Deserves to Be Marooned · Aug 9, 10:31am

By the end, the whole project becomes overly long, a bit tedious, and quite confusing, a feeble homage to dystopian films gone by that weakly attempts to break new ground. Even Ewan and Scarlett look a bit confused, at times, and who can blame them?

Wedding Crashers: Yucking It Up With Sexual Predators · Aug 9, 10:30am

Wedding Crashers is just the movie America needs right now! gushed one national reviewer enthusiastically. Maybe so, if we need (once again) a crash course fromHollywood in lying, cheating, stealing, posing, and sexual predation, all in the allegedly harmless name of good clean fun.

Crossing the Rubicon: 911, Peak Oil and US Empire · Jul 20, 11:30am

Most people I know have some intuitive sense that the stories told about the way the world works in our culture of daily news (and I use the term loosely) are suspect. The real stories about power and the ways power is exercised lie buried beneath the surface. But how deep, to quote The Matrixs Morpheus, does this rabbit hole go?

War Of The Worlds · Jul 20, 11:29am

But, from the films outset, Spielberg does (at least in my mind while watching) this whole riff on Peak Oil, subtly nuancing the fact that the world is running out of precious fossil fuel resources, and suggests (at least in my mind while watching) that, while Americans were concerned about imagined threats OUT THERE, the real threats to our civilization proved of our own making.

Batman Begins! · Jun 27, 6:07am

If you go to Batman Begins expecting escapist summer entertainment, you will be disappointed. In fact, the action portion of the film functions more as throwaway, designed (as always) to lure audiences to theaters and sell popcorn. Underneath the hood, Nolan and his cast have served up a Batman that speaks to our paradoxical times: confident yet haunted; monied yet hungry for meaning; violent, yet conflicted about the consequences of vigilantism in a world seared by injustice.

Mr. And Mrs. Smith: Brangelina Blows Up The Burbs · Jun 15, 1:33pm

It is tempting to dismiss the new Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt vehicle Mr. And Mrs. Smith as nothing more than mindless summer fun, in which Tomb-Raider Lara Kroft (sans padding), our sexy femme fatale and Girl, Interrupted, mixes it up with Fight Clubs Tyler Durden, the newest incarnation of Achilles, our hero of Troy.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Marketers · Jun 6, 10:29am

In the end, Lucas films have become what Mel Brooks warned us about in his brilliant Star Wars satire Space Balls: a gigantic high-tech marketing juggernaut designed to move unnecessary plastic objects, Pepsi, and Burger King stuff.

Amazing Grace: Soul Music With Spirit! · May 31, 8:24pm

If this CD doesnt garner Potter and the Nocturnals the national attention and wide airplay they so richly deserve, then things are even more wrong with the world than we may realize. Fortunately, the Nocturnals are young enough, smart enough, and talented enough to understand that if they bide their time, pay their touring dues, continue to make great music, and build their grassroots listenership, they will change the world and make us all a bit more light of musical spirit in the process.

Vermont Sojourns: An Interview with Bill McKibben · May 16, 8:51am

For those who would rather saunter than read, or, like Mr. Thoreau, enjoy the two in equal measure, writer Bill McKibbens new book Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across Americas Most Hopeful Landscape: Vermonts Champlain Valley and New Yorks Adirondacks offers an anecdotal account of an extended sojourn McKibben undertook from his Ripton, Vermont home to the wilds of New York states Adirondacks.

ACMEVermont Interview with Robin Rieske: "Remote Control or Self Control?" · May 2, 11:19am

We don’t often question what we are hearing or seeing, nor do we critically think about what information or stories are being told to us. Media Literacy teaches us to hone our critical thinking skills as well as helping us to understand the pervasiveness and influence of media on our lives, our attitudes and our behaviors.

Uncovering "The Hidden Jar" · May 2, 11:16am

Good news, Vermont acoustic music lovers! Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, the band EKIS is back and better than ever.

High Wire Live! The Music of Willy Porter · May 2, 11:15am

For acoustic music lovers, attending a Willy Porter concert is a quasi-religious experience. The Wisconsin native is, simply stated, one of the most remarkable singer/songwriters on the international music circuit today.

Musical Mayhem! An Interview with Rani Arbo · Apr 18, 8:45am

Their first two albums Cocktail Swing and Gambling Eden are about as different as two musical projects can be. The first is all about fun a collection of Mayhem-infused ukelele numbers and old timey standards (I know, it sounds crazy, but it works) – while their second possesses a more contemplative Americana-focused vision and a philosophical depth that might intimidate the Buddha himself.

Green Mountain Jukebox: The Work of Big Heavy World · Apr 11, 9:37am

A lot of what makes Big Heavy World unique is that we are really the only entity in this state that is doing what we’re doing. Big Heavy World’s mission is to promote and preserve Vermont-based musical artistry. No one else is doing this at the level that we are right now. As a non-profit organization, we have a genuine, vested interest in disseminating the music that originates in this state, because we see its value as an artistic contribution.

WMRW-Building a community radio station! · Apr 11, 8:41am

Instead of selling stuff songs, ad space, Arbritron ratings, listener mind share we are interested in sharing stuff music, opinions, information, entertainment, stories about Valley residents and the lives we are living. WMRWs mission statement reads as follows: WMRW-LP, Community Radio for the Mad River Valley, strives to inform, entertain, involve, educate, and connect the diverse Mad River Valley community through independent, volunteer, non-commercial radio programming. It is an ambitious mission, rooted in the notion that community radio, if done right, ought to truly reflect the diverse nature of the communities it serves.

Free FOOD FOR THOUGHT Study Guide! · Apr 4, 8:10am

We live in a society where so many of our food-related stories are told by a handful of giant transnational corporations with a vested interest in preserving a status quo that is ultimately unsustainable, explains ACME board president Dr. Rob Williams. If we are to work together to design and support sustainable local alternatives and cook up a more healthy relationship to food, we must begin with the food-related stories told in our commercial media culture.

Sweet Harmonies! The Bluegrass Gospel Project · Apr 4, 8:05am

For many music lovers, the bluegrass genre is an acquired taste. High-powered and fast-moving string action, that famous high wide and lonesome nasal twang, and an emphasis on old-timey spiritual themes all combine to make some listeners wary. Fortunately, Vermont and its environs are home to some of the most talented string musicians in the United States, and every once in a while, the musical stars align to create something magical, a sound that transcends the limits of the genre and beckons to the uninitiated.

Asking Progressive Writers To Publish Independently! · Mar 3, 6:31am

For the sake of opening up this discussion, I’d like to ask Amy Goodman why she published her last book, The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media that Love Them, with Disney-owned Hyperion.

Green Mountain Ghost-Busting! · Feb 25, 2:33pm

Surely, skeptics and stereotypers say, the Green Mountains are made up of nothing more than quaint cow-town communities, punctuated by Bennington, Rutland, Burlington and a few other small cities. The people are industrious, with their Birkenstocks, barnyards, and barristas, the hills are beautiful, the barnyard animals are plentifuland not much of interest goes on there, aside from the occasional puppet-driven political outburst from the direction of Glover.

Green Mountain "Press:" On Chelsea Green · Feb 21, 10:21am

In the end, any book publisher is defined by the collections of words contained in their storehouse. Vermonts Chelsea Green is re-defining itself as the mouse that roared, the little Green Mountain press with the courage to issue a provocative literary challenge to the status quo. We might do well to support them in any way that we can.

Getting "Fed Up" With BIG Food! · Feb 21, 9:20am

The bottom line: our decisions about food, at both the individual and organizational level, are deeply political ones, and there is many actions all of us can take to ensure a more sustainable and equitable food supply as we look to the many 21st century challenges ahead. If you are looking for an affordable and thought-provoking multimedia resource to further explore food-related issues in your home, classroom, or community, put down your fork and pick up a copy of Fed Up. It is a fine film!

A Muse You Can Use: Movies At The MountainTop · Feb 21, 9:18am

The MountainTop Film Festivals ten days of films work as a sort of muse, providing news you can use to make sense of some of the great dilemmas of our time.

Building A Green Mountain Global Musical Neighborhood · Feb 21, 9:16am

Im having one of those moments again, when the stars are aligning to bring some tremendous musical opportunities to central Vermont.

"Lift Me To Paradise:" A New CD Lands In Mad River · Feb 21, 9:15am

I first heard Manny Milkuhn belt out a couple of classics at the Purple Moon Pub one winter evening more than a year ago, when I took a break between sets and invited him up to play. He ended up throwing down several tunes, including the Woods Tea Company favorite about the Irishman, his kilt, and the ribbon (die-hard WTC fans know which tune I am talking about). He had so much fun singing that all of us in the crowd ordered another round and urged him to continue!

Finding Common Ground on Vermont's Route 100 · Feb 21, 9:12am

What makes the film special, other than the example it sets for any community seeking to tell its own stories through a collaborative educational process, is the balance of first person interviews (again, Ill not reveal any names here you must see the film yourself to witness your neighbors bearing testimony), on-screen narration, and archival footage (always interesting to see).

"Joe Hill" Orchestral Event in Burlington! · Feb 21, 9:10am

Acclaimed composer Wayne Horvitz has composed Joe Hill: 16 Actions for Chamber Orchestra and Voice, an ambitious musical tribute to Joe Hill (who was also, lets not forget, a songwriter) and his times.

Dont Think Of An Elephant!... · Jan 1, 7:14pm

Lakoff suggests four big guidelines: show respect; respond by reframing; think and talk at the level of values; and say what you believe. This seems like real good advice for anyone and everyone interested in moving beyond political and cultural divides, both real and manufactured, to honest conversation about creating a more democratic and sustainable 21st century world.

The First Great Acoustic CD of 2005 · Jan 1, 7:12pm

The depth and breadth of this latest musical project is stunning: with a subtle range, remarkable production values, and an intimate aesthetic that move the listener deeply.

A People's History of the U.S. - Never More Needed Than Now! · Nov 29, 3:06pm

Zinn argues that all of the most important positive historical transformations that have unfolded in the United States extending political rights, expanding economic opportunities, ending war and injustice – have not begun with powerful politicians (largely rich, white, and male), cagey corporations, and other elites who control the status quo for their own advantage, but with regular Americans who organize to demand the kinds of changes needed to make a society more democratic and humane. It is in the chronicling of ordinary peoples movements – abolitionists, suffragettes, union workers, farmers, students that Zinn finds his greatest hope and source of strength, and he argues that we should all look there, too. To quote a well-known ditty: We are the leaders weve been waiting for.

Jazz in Mad River: Adele Nicols' Debut CD · Nov 29, 3:00pm

Nicols is a jazz traditionalist in the best sense of the term, selecting tunes that spotlight some of the finest and most revered moments in the history of the jazz Fly Me To The Moon, for example. But, in true jazz fashion, she re-interprets many of the standards with a stripped-down and accessible ease that invites closer listen.

"Tuned Out" - The "News" In 21st Century America · Nov 29, 8:42am

Young Americans are beginning to recognize, as must we all, that Objectivity and Truth (note the capital letters) are suspect, that ALL news sources are biased, and, to be an informed citizen, one must obtain information from a wide variety of sources, preferably ones that offer alternative and detailed points of view on the days events and are not owned by giant multinational corporations.

Media Literacy Education for the New Millennium · Nov 8, 9:48am

The good news here is that Americans are beginning to understand that media ownership is a political issue, and that media literacy education can help us understand and change whats wrong about our media culture, even as we celebrate whats right about it.

"911" and U.S. Media: Unanswered Questions · Nov 8, 9:45am

“The video I’ve compiled features more than 40 instances of visual evidence, any one of which qualifies as an individual act of treason—-25 minutes the Bush administration and the media don’t want you to see.”

GED 502 - Integrating ML Education Into Classrooms · Nov 2, 12:35pm

St. Michaels College GED 502 Syllabus Integrating Media Literacy Education Into Classrooms written by Suzanne DeBrosse and Rob Williams, Ph.D. FEEL FREE TO COPY AND USE!

Smokin' Grass: New Bluegrass Gems · Nov 1, 7:22am

For any lover of good music, we can all point to past moments when it appears that the musical stars are all in alignment; moments when we simply cant conceive of notes falling together the way they do; moments when we cant believe our incredibly good luck, to be immersed in an aural experience so invigorating as to take away the breath, to cause an astonished jaw to drop, to bring on that knowing glance with your smiling neighbor, the one who loves music as much as you do – did you just hear THAT?

Weapons of Mass Deception: The "News Dissector" and the Iraq War · Nov 1, 7:18am

Danny Schechters WMDs is the first full-length filmic treatment of a subject as explosive as the Iraq War itself how the U.S. news media engineered public support for a controversial war instead of doing its job. “Just as there is an investigation now into the failure in the intelligence community,” notes Schechter, “we need an investigation into the failure of the journalistic community.” His new film is a provocative starting place for such a task.

Last (F)Licks: Independent Film and the 2004 Election · Nov 1, 7:15am

“Its not just the money. Its not just the oil. Its much, much worse,” proclaims the tag line of Miller’s new DVD. If you are an undecided voter, these films may provide some last minute insights before you cast your ballot on November 2. And, depending on how the election swings, they may have longer shelf lives than their creators intended.

How To Steal The Presidency: It's Hard Work! Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election · Oct 2, 5:16am

Maybe this is why, after getting his snitzers handed to him by John Kerry in Coral Gables, Mr. Bush remains insistent that he will win the state again in just a few weeks’ time. Only trouble is, he didnt win in Florida the first time. It’s hard work for us all acknowledging the truth.

"The Passion" Play DVD Stay-Away: Why I'm Not Seeing Mel's Movie · Sep 27, 9:37am

And it is The Passion of the Christs marketing, perhaps, that raises the strangest of paradoxes for me. The Jesus I fell in love with proved a true spiritual radical, one who threw the money-changers from the temple, challenged the rich young man to give away all he owned, and suggested that the wealthy trying to enter heaven had much in common with camels going through needles eyes. Now, the radical story has been packaged as a gruesomely violent (I hear) two-hour plus spectacle for commercial consumption, with ongoing debates about whether or not the film was Anti-Semitic. What of Jesus’s message of hope and humility, of turning the other cheek, of living simply and lovingly, and of redemption in the midst of a broken and sinful world?

Few'll Ignite Sound: The Music of Ember Swift · Sep 27, 9:30am

To be candid, this bunch of Canadian progressive musicians make Michael Moore sound like a GOP Madison Square Garden moderate. No subject is too controversial or untouchable: deforestation, gay rights, imperial foreign policy, fossil fuel SUV politics, domestic violence, and one of the most important issues youll never hear about during this 2004 election season the U.S. media monopoly. In a new song called All In The Family, Ember sings of the hijacking of the airwaves, and Big Media corporations who have bought up all the primetime property from under our very noses.

REEL REPORTING: Seven Must-See Films For This Election Season · Sep 27, 9:23am

Something remarkable unfolded in U.S. art houses, homes, and multiplexes this past year. Politically-minded movies have exploded into the public consciousness, fueled by frustrated citizens desire to discover deeper truths about the state of the world. Tired of the “Foxification” of our corporately-owned news culture, and fed up with the nonsense cranked out daily by commercial shout shows and reality television (an oxymoron if ever there was one), people have turned to independent films to satisfy their need to know.

Neo-Conned! - "Hijacking Catastrophe": · Sep 1, 9:08am

“Hijacking Catastrophe” offers the most provocative exploration of post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy to date. It may be the most important documentary film of this presidential election season. Don’t miss it.

"Orwell Rolls In His Grave": Casting Stones at the U.S. Media Goliath · Aug 23, 7:50pm

Director Robert Kane Pappas’ new film “Orwell Rolls in his Grave” is the latest independent effort to tackle a sweeping subject the troublesome issue of media consolidation. Unlike Robert Greenwalts Outfoxed or Michael Moores Fahrenheit 911, Pappas doesn’t target a particular news channel or public figure. Instead, he goes after Big Picture problems created by Big Media. Repetitious sound bites from George Orwell, backed by sinister synthesized music, provide a framework for Pappas to explore his assertion that our U.S. media oligopoly, ownership by a few powerful elite players, has created a form of cultural thought control where inconvenient truths can be disappeared by those who own the means of storytelling.

"Control Room": Losing The Truth In The Desert · Aug 23, 7:48pm

Somehow, we feel, there is an Arab and an American point of view, or that the Truth lies somewhere between Al-Jazeera and Fox. This is almost as dangerous as thinking there is only one objective version of events, for it radically simplifies the complexities of history, at a time when we desperately need much more complexity and less binary good/evil” thinking.

"Fahrenheit/911": Burning Bush (Moore or Less) · Aug 23, 7:47pm

Heres a terrifying irony. In a world marinating in corporately controlled images, only a movie like Moores, full of carefully choreographed (and often distorted) moments, can disrupt the flow. When all is said and done, this is both blessing and curse. In a land dead to the power of words, the one-eyed movie-maker is king.