Doc Corner: Spike Jonze's 'Beastie Boys Story' + 'Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert'

By Glenn Dunks

If live experiences are one of the things you are missing most about being in isolation, then documentaries can be one small way of getting that groove back. Beastie Boys Story and Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert probably won’t be enough to recreate the experience—certainly, both are limited in their creative and technical scopes, nor are they the sort of concert extravaganzas that the subjects have released before—but for music-loving watchers, they may just offer at least something that approximates the joy of being among the throngs of others enthralled in musical rapture.

Beastie Boys Story in particular feels like a greater missed opportunity given it is directed by none other than Spike Jonze (he also directed the stage-show that it captures). But the band at its core are so interesting in their history and captivating in their stage presence that is almost doesn’t matter. Almost.

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Showbiz History: Dev Rises, Emma Wins, Walken Dances

8 random things that happened on this day in showbiz history. Does this bring back any memories for you? 

1616 Playwright William Shakespeare dies. 400+ years later his work is still constantly performed.

1928 Shirley Temple born in Santa Monica...

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Shirley Knight (1936-2020)

by Nathaniel R

Two-time Oscar nominee Shirley Knight has passed away at 83 years of age of natural causes. Knight began her enduring screen career with guest starring roles in TV series of the 1950s in her early twenties and by 1959 she'd made her credited big screen debut as a nun in the violent B movie Five Gates to Hell (1959). It didn't take her long to achieve the pinnacle of Hollywood accolades, though, with nominations for Best Supporting Actress for just her third and fourth movies (the family drama Dark at the Top of the Stairs in 1960 and the Tennessee Williams adaptation Sweet Bird of Youth in 1962...

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Eight Random Streaming Recommendations

We're aware that we've been talking about the Criterion Channel a lot in these here parts but we recognize not all of you are subscribers (yet). So here are eight random suggestions of things to watch on streaming services if you're scrolling zombie-like through your endless quantity-not-quality options.

There's good undiscovered stuff if you know where to look!

Okay, ready? Here are 8 things we like available now...

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Beauty Break: Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! We've been flashing to that indelible image of Kirsten Dunst laying in the grass in The Virgin Suicides since that movie just turned 20 (Kiki has been reminiscing on her Insta). After the jump a minigallery of stars reclining in nature...

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