Across the Margin • 3rd November 2025

Fairyland : A Review

A look at Andrew Durham’s debut film, Fairyland, adapted from Alysia Abbott’s 2013 memoir, Fairyland : A Memoir of My Father…

by: Jennifer Parker

Sometimes it takes a film like Fairyland to remind us that we don’t need the internet to inform us that childhood isn’t always fair, that diseases don’t have names before they are part of the zeitgeist, and that parents are imperfect. We just need a little bit of movie magic to suspend the here and now in a dark theater and allow ourselves to be spel...

Across the Margin • 20th August 2024

The Dare & The Groove

In celebration of The Dare’s latest release, a danceable track with a hint of griminess that has the ability within it to tap into the cultural zeitgeist…

by: Jennifer Parker

On August 7, 2024, singer / songwriter / producer Harrison Patrick Smith, who musically goes with the moniker The Dare, revealed a new song, “You’re Invited,” alongside a video directed by Jake Lazovick (listen here and watch here). It’s a track that is emphatically danceable with a hint of griminess that has the ability...

Across the Margin • 24th January 2024

Welcome To The Party Pal — 2024 Television Preview

Welcome To The Party Pal takes a look at the most anticipated television shows of 2024…

Listen on Apple Podcasts  •  Listen on your Spotify

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal looks forward to the year ahead and previews a slew of the captivating television shows set to air in 2024. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Ryan O’ Connell discuss heralded television shows returning for their latest season — those highly anticipated, beloved programs such as True Detective, Stranger Things, Th...

Across the Margin • 29th September 2022

Across The Margin : The Podcast — Harvard’s Quixotic Pursuit of a New Science with Patrick L. Schmidt

Across The Margin: The Podcast presents an interview with the author of Harvard’s Quixotic Pursuit of a New Science (The Rise and Fall of the Department of Social Relations), Patrick L. Schmidt…

On Apple Podcasts now!

On Spotify now!

This episode of Across The Margin: The Podcast presents an interview with the author of Harvard’s Quixotic Pursuit of a New Science (The Rise and Fall of the Department of Social Relations), Patrick L. Schmidt. In Harvard’s Quixotic Pursuit of a New Science, Schm...

• 29th April 2022

Album Review: Regards to the End

Wells’ captivating soundscapes have the ability to bring one deep within themselves, or even have the cathartic means to release one from the ruminations constantly running through their head.

Across the Margin • 1st November 2021

Film Review : Rachel Boynton's "Civil War"

A glimpse at Rachel Boynton’s latest documentary, Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are), a provocative film that delves into the divide between Americans’ views of the Civil War…

Across the Margin • 9th September 2021

Across The Margin : The Podcast — The Big Scary “S” Word with Yael Bridge

Across The Margin: The Podcast delves into the rich history of the American socialist movement through an interview with the Emmy-nominated director of The Big Scary “S” Word, Yael Bridge…

On Apple Podcasts now!

On Spotify now!

This episode of Across The Margin: The Podcast presents an interview with Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Yael Bridge. Bridge is the producer behind Left on Purpose, winner of the Audience Award at DOC NYC, and also Saving Capitalism, starring former Secretary of...

Across the Margin • 6th May 2021

Film Review: "United States VS. Reality Winner"

A glance at Sonia Kennebeck’s captivating new documentary, which premiered at SXSW, that examines the case against Reality Winner, the bold, low-level document leaker who incensed the overreaching wrath of the U.S. Government…

Across the Margin • 20th April 2021

Introducing: "Disintegration Loops"

An introduction to Disintegration Loops, a documentary about avant-garde composer William Basinki, through and interview with its director, David Wexler, and producer, Brad Coleman…

David Wexler‘s new documentary The Disintegration Loops, a 45-minute film constructed via Zoom, draws haunting parallels between New York-based avant-garde composer William Basinki’s 9/11-inspired art and the pandemic lockdown in New York City.

Across the Margin • 3rd March 2021

Introducing: Frampton Forgets The Words

An introduction to Peter Frampton’s forthcoming instrumental album comprised of all covers entitled Frampton Forgets The Words…

Guitar luminary Peter Frampton has a new album coming out on April 23rd entitled Frampton Forgets The Words, one that features all covers and no lyrics. It is uniquely captivating in that it grabs your attention immediately as although absent of words, the lyrics are somehow present in the music, almost as if the music sings the words.

Across the Margin • 17th September 2020

Welcome To The Part Pal Podcast — An Honest Liar / F for Fake

Welcome To The Party Pal Podcast (Osiris Media) explores the fine line between deception and entertainment in an episode that examines two films, An Honest Liar and Orson Welles’ F For Fake…

On Apple Podcasts now!

On Spotify now!

In this episode of Welcome To The Party Pal, host Michael Shields, with the help of film historian Christian Niedan, delves into the nature of truth, and of art, and of the fine line that exists between deception and entertainment. To do this properly, two documentar...

Across the Margin • 6th January 2020

Introducing: Roman Lewis

Across The Margin focuses its spotlight on a young, up and coming singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom, Roman Lewis…

There’s something different about UK singer, songwriter and guitarist Roman Lewis that’s hard to articulate. It isn’t his mop of curly but not too curly, medium long brown hair. Nor is it his effortless style that belies his eighteen years. He’s a tall, fair skinned, fluent in French speaking Brit with manners that would make any parent proud.

Across the Margin • 2nd December 2019

First Look : American Jihadi

An in-depth look at the recently released podcast series American Jihadi, about an all-American kid from the Bible Belt who went on to become the head of the terrorist organization Al Shabaab…

Omar Hammami is infamously remembered as the “terrorist next door.” You know, the all American kid from the Bible Belt who was raised as a Baptist, converted to Islam as a teenager, radicalized, upped and moved to Somalia, and became the head of the terrorist organization Al Shabaab.

At Large Magazine • 11th September 2019

Nate Mercereau

It isn’t unfair to describe Nate Mercereau as a multi-instrumentalist virtuoso, songwriter and producer— he is, it just seems as if it isn’t enough. Nate’s debut album, Joy Techniques uses often forgotten guitar synthesizers circa 1970s and 80s to create a raucous jazz sound that is uniquely his and he does it all sans keys.

At Large Magazine • 11th September 2019

Mwenso and the Shakes

Mwenso and the Shakes — Interview with Band Leader and Vocalist, Michael Mwenso

Oh, the dog days of summer, you know, those hot August afternoons where the air in NYC has texture—back sweat, front sweat, and everything in-between sweat.

At Large Magazine • 21st August 2019

Countdown to Lollapalooza 2019

You have less than ten thousand minutes until Lollapalooza 2019 — and it’s summer. Take advantage of these long days! If you haven’t noticed, we are in an explosively creative moment in music and if you can’t get yourself to Lollapalooza in Chicago next weekend then you must not deprive yourself of the music that will be hitting the stages in Grant Park and stream away. Who knows, maybe you’ll love one enough to buy it on vinyl?

At Large Magazine • 15th May 2019

Dirty Bomb

— A Little Known Holocaust Story and Interview with Actor Ido Samuel Dirty Bomb — A Little Known Holocaust Story and Interview with Actor Ido Samuel

Ido Samuel is not the first actor to radically change his body for a part but he is one who bore the responsibility of a story so much bigger than himself that he didn’t feel like he had a choice. Written and directed by Valerie McCaffrey, Dirty Bomb is a short film being made into a feature about a group of Jewish scientists...

At Large Magazine • 15th May 2019

State of the Union

– An Interview with Nick Hornby State of the Union – An Interview with Nick Hornby

For the record, I’m a closet binge watcher but I suggest exercising some self-control and do as the director, Steven Frears (The Queen, A Very English Scandal) intended and consume State of the Union in two-episode doses. I can binge watch with embarrassing tenacity and beg of you to slow down!

Across the Margin • 4th May 2019

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3 Deconstructed

ATM’s GOT Guru sifts through the ashes of the Battle of Winterfell, and expounds upon the significance of, and the takeaways from, an episode aptly entitled “The Long Night”…

by: Geoffrey Golia (aka — ATM’s #GOTGuru) and Michael Shields

MCS: Well hot damn! After eight meticulously crafted, building, and often haunting, seasons leading directly up to the battle with the Army of the Dead, it appears that with one slick AF assassin jump-stab-drop-stab move by Arya, The Night King and his legion o...

At Large Magazine • 15th April 2019

The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story

Pilgrim Media Group and Lance Bass Productions’ YouTube Original Documentary The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story

What’s remarkable about the YouTube Original Documentary The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story is that deceased, convicted criminal Lou Pearlman participated in making the film. Not the ghost of Lou Pearlman, but Pearlman himself...

At Large Magazine • 10th April 2019

Brainiac

Tim Taylor died in a horrible accident in 1997 ending the music of Brainiac but not their story. Their music, alien from what people had heard before, so aurally disruptive that you still have to ask, “what is that? Do I like it? Why do I want more?” Taylor classically trained as a cellist from the age of four so Stravinsky echos in my mind...

At Large Magazine • 5th April 2019

Screwball

Once upon a time, the land of Miami Florida was the Whoville of the geriatric set. The weather was perfect or nearly so for the residents of this sunny land. Every year, giant winds and inconvenient amounts of rain would come and the grandmas and grandpas would flee north and visit their children in other villes only to come skittering back the moment the clouds cleared...

At Large Magazine • 4th April 2019

SXSW 2019 Music Festival

Last month 1,964 musicians played at South by Southwest 2019 and I think I’ve recovered. SXSW is my own version of March Madness and I think next time I’ll take a lesson from the college basketball fans and make a bracket. SX is probably the worst best place for the commitment-phobic and the decision adverse...

At Large Magazine • 23rd March 2019

Emily Wells

EMILY WELLS’ NEW ALBUM

THIS WORLD IS TOO ____ FOR YOU

OUT NOW ON THESIS & INSTINCT

Every time I listen to any of Wells’ music, I hear something new. There’s a purpose and deceptive simplicity to each note, each combination of sounds. It reminds me of something only found in nature. There’s a liquid quality to her compositions. More choreographed than composed the notes sound like they’re dancing and swirling around the instruments. Wells is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, singe