Thursday, March 28, 2013

Visit My New Website! by Mark Blankenship

Hey everyone! The Critical Condition is closed, but you can keep up with all my writing and filmmaking, plus contact me at markgblankenship.com.

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:57AM
Monday, March 26, 2012

Join Me at Logo TV’s New Now Next! by Mark Blankenship

Hey everyone! Perhaps you noticed that I stopped updating The Critical Condition last month. I am delighted to say that my long pause is being followed by a great opportunity. As of today, I…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:47PM
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

“Warrior:” The year’s most philosophically terrifying Oscar nominee by Mark Blankenship

No joke: The worldview in Warrior, the fighting movie that scored an Oscar nomination for Nick Nolte, makes me shiver. It’s terrifying. And I just wrote about why at NPR’s Monkey…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:02AM
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Elizaveta’s music is weird… and I like it by Mark Blankenship

You guys, Elizaveta’s music is weird. Her album Beatrix Runs, which was physically released yesterday after arriving in digital form a few weeks ago, fuses opera, chamber pop, and elec…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 01:31PM
Tuesday, February 14, 2012

When Watching a TV Show Is Like a Screwed-Up Relationship by Mark Blankenship

You know how sometimes you feel like you’re in an actual, romantic relationship with a TV show? A few days ago, my friend Casey and I G-chatted about that, and we started thinking abou…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:25PM
Thursday, February 2, 2012

“Top Chef” Meets Pee-wee (God help us all) by Mark Blankenship

Last night, Pee-wee Herman was the guest judge on Top Chef. And I don’t mean that “Paul Reubens, the actor who plays Pee-wee Herman” was a guest judge. No. I mean that Paul…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:28PM
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Best Food Writing I’ve Read in a While by Mark Blankenship

As I was making my daily internet rounds this morning, I came across an especially delightful essay in the New York Times by Leslie Kaufman. Titled “My Sons, the Sous-Chefs” it c…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:24AM
Thursday, January 26, 2012

Two of My Favorite Musical Theatre Songs (And Why I Love Them) by Mark Blankenship

I don’t have a particular reason for writing this post today, except that I’ve been meaning to write it for a while. In late 2010, I had the good fortune to see this embedded per…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:49PM
Monday, January 23, 2012

My Dream Oscar Ballot by Mark Blankenship

The Oscar nominations are being announced tomorrow morning, and unlike most recent years, I’m not really jazzed about the frontrunners. I mean, I liked The Artist well enough, and I di…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 06:33AM
Thursday, January 19, 2012

5 Film Artists Who Have Squandered Their Goodwill by Mark Blankenship

Last night, while I was waiting for Top Chef, I decided to watch Devil on HBO On Demand. In case you don’t know this masterpiece, it’s mostly set in the elevator of a Philadelphi…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:06PM
Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Let’s discuss the Wikiepdia blackout (and all it suggests) by Mark Blankenship

It’s not just that I’m a Wikipedia junkie. It’s more than that. Although I am a Wikipedia junkie. At 12:07 this morning, I reflexively went to the site to look up some rand…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:09AM
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Year in Songs 2011: #10-1 by Mark Blankenship

[#40-31; #30-21; #20-11] [Last year's countdown] Here they are: The best of the best, the most of the most, the… you know. 10. “Countdown” by Beyonce As a nation, I still d…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 02:39PM

The Year in Songs 2011: #30-21 by Mark Blankenship

[#40-31] [Last year's countdown] Welcome back! Let’s keep things rolling with some very, very cute boys. Oh, and some good songs, too… 30. “I Won’t Let You Go” by James Morrison Oo…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:26PM
Saturday, January 14, 2012

All the content is back! by Mark Blankenship

Hey everyone! As you may have noticed, all of the content is back on the site. WOOOOO! The only things are missing are the three most recent posts—the last three entries in my music co…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 09:28AM
Friday, January 13, 2012

Update on Technical Difficulties by Mark Blankenship

Hi everyone! First of all, I want to thank you all for your incredible emails of support regarding the sudden disappearance of posts from the site. I am flummoxed that they are still appeari…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:44AM
Thursday, January 12, 2012

Technical Difficulties by Mark Blankenship

Hello everyone. For no apparent reason, my site crashed today, deleting every post I’ve written in the last 18 months. All of them. Gone. I will keep you updated about what this means …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:35PM

The Year in Songs 2011: #10-1 by Mark Blankenship

[#20-11; #30-21; #40-31] [Last year's countdown] The time has come… the time to get down with our baddest selves, to weep our most beautiful tears. It’s time to unveil the year&#…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 01:53AM
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Year In Songs 2011: #20-11 by Mark Blankenship

[#30-21; #40-31] [Last year's countdown] The countdown continues! Get ready for some devastating ballads and a few happy songs that are so happy you’ll probably freak with all the happ…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:26PM
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Year in Songs 2011: #30-21 by Mark Blankenship

[#40-31] [Last Year's Countdown] —- Welcome back! Let’s keep things rolling with some very, very cute boys. Oh, and some good songs, too… 30. “I Won’t Let You G…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:13PM
Monday, January 9, 2012

The Year in Songs 2011: #40-31 by Mark Blankenship

Now that I’ve absorbed the music I bought with Christmas gift cards, I am ready to anoint my top 40 songs of 2011. As you know, this countdown is mandated by my DNA, so I am delighted …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:39PM
Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Two Great New Rock Songs (One Disappointing New Pop Song) by Mark Blankenship

My official music round up will come in early January, after I sort through the albums I get for Christmas. For now, though, I have call your attention to a pair of phenomenal new songs and …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:06PM

I Surprise Myself by Liking “Young Adult” by Mark Blankenship

Young Adult was a happy upheaval of my presumed taste in movies. Typically, I think of myself as someone who dislikes bone-deep cynicism, who finds it cheap and lazy. Yet the cynicism in You…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:03PM
Friday, December 16, 2011

I’m All-In for the “Rock of Ages” Trailer by Mark Blankenship

Over at Monkey See, I just explained why I’m all in on the Rock of Ages trailer. I truly believe this is going to be an amazing movie. The wigs alone will be worth the price of popcorn…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 02:26PM
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Thoughts On Seeing a Silent Movie, or Hush Up and Watch “The Artist” by Mark Blankenship

So… The Artist: It’s a lovely silent movie about silent movies themselves, following George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a superstar who’s distressed to realize he has no plac…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:45PM
Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Reasons “Shame” Is My Least Favorite Movie of 2011 by Mark Blankenship

There was never a chance I was going to enjoy the movie Shame, but I was hoping I’d at least respect it. In case you haven’t heard, Shame is the NC-17 tale of Brandon Sullivan (M…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 02:16PM
Thursday, December 8, 2011

Lessons from This Week’s “Holiday Carol Wars” by Mark Blankenship

This week, two tiny tempests have been created by two holiday carols, and both dustups teach the same lesson. On Monday, news broke that a music teacher at a Michigan elementary school had s…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:07PM
Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Year In Movies: My Contribution to the NY Times’ Round-Up by Mark Blankenship

This weekend, the New York Times Magazine will publish its Hollywood Issue, and the content went online early this morning. I’m pleased to say that I’m part of a fun “year …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 12:02PM
Monday, December 5, 2011

Why The Mariah Carey-Justin Bieber Christmas Duet Makes Me Mad (A Holiday Hymn) by Mark Blankenship

I took deep breaths, counted to ten, and even slept on it… and  Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey’s remake of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” still makes me angry. So…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 04:01PM
Friday, December 2, 2011

When I was 9, I Wrote a Short Story That Predicted My Future by Mark Blankenship

Recently, my mom mailed me some odds and ends from my childhood—old photos, favorite books, bits of writing, etc. Imagine my amazement when I uncovered “Cinderella in ’88,&…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:41PM
Thursday, December 1, 2011

Saucy Reactions to the Grammy Nominations by Mark Blankenship

Hello everyone! Forgive my lengthy absence. Life has gotten wild recently. But I’m back today with Roommate Joe to discuss last night’s announcement of the Grammy nominees. Take …

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 11:19AM
Friday, November 4, 2011

Is Beyonce Losing Her Chart Mojo? by Mark Blankenship

You all know that I love Beyonce’s music and that “Countdown” is a particularly beloved jam. That’s why I’ve been concerned by the lackluster sales of her recen…

SOURCE: The Critical Condition at 03:55PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards