If the marriage of music and movie is a science, the perfect placement of a needle drop is just as hard as splitting an atom. A needle drop—most often considered to be the use of a pre-existing song in a movie or show—can either elevate or cheapen a piece of…

I hope I’m not the only person here to have had a rather regrettable and naughty July. I’ve slept till noon on disgustingly hot mornings with all the usual symptoms: shirt grossly clinging to the slick of my back, cotton mouth, phone not actually plugged in etc., etc. All this…