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 | Bruce Willis With a Beard Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
The name lends itself to many interpretations, mostly negative. But I’ll refrain from the silly puns because the title actually does fit the film. It follows successful film producer Ben (Robert De Niro) who, by the end, is asking himself that exact question – [b]What Just Happened?[/b] OK, so maybe I will have to invoke the lame pun because that’s also the question I was asking myself -- and I wasn’t sympathizing with De Niro’s character.More |  | Released on Deaf Dumb and Blind, 9/9/08 Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Contrary to what the name invokes, this group is not from Japan and they’re not a duo. The group is comprised of Brighton, UK’s David Best (vocals, guitar), Steve Lewis (synths), Matt Hainsby (bass) and Lee Adams (drums). The group are self-proclaimed fans of 70s Krautrock groups and 80s synth-based bands.More |  | Chill Out, Man! First time writers and directors Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky paint a beautiful portrait of a seemingly real life Garden of Eden, where those of us fed up with the struggles of the everyday escape to be free. It just so happens that this idyllic place is Northern California’s Humboldt County, the pot smoking capitol of the country. But this isn’t just another weed movie filled with one liners from stoners. No, this is a film about the glaring truths of life and taking the good with the bad.More |  | Keira Knightly in Old Fashioned Dresses! [b]The Duchess[/b] treads the same tired ground that so many films have been before -- and with forgettable results. Too bad we’ve seen this story told over and over. And over. Co-written by Director Saul Dibb (his second film after Bullet Boy), Jeffrey Hatcher ([b]Casanova[/b]) and Anders Thomas Jensen ([b]After the Wedding[/b], [b]Open Hearts[/b]) the film is immediately doomed by too many clashing visions.More |  | Watch With Plenty of Liquids Despite its title, [b]Choke[/b], is a nice, deep breath of fresh air during the fall film season, as Oscar-bait films start taking over from the summer blockbusters. Following the success of 1999’s [b]Fight Club[/b], [b]Choke[/b] is the second adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s work. Once again you can expect group therapy sessions (in this case for sex addicts), oddball characters, hilariously uncomfortable scenes and, of course, many unsuspecting twists and turns along the way.More |  | Released on Matador Records, 9/23/08 Rachel “Rabob” Hughes and Nathan “Nabob” Shineywater are back and making soothing ambient sounds for your everyday life. The duo broke through with 2006’s [b]Brightblack Morning Light[/b], making many year-end lists. What Brightblack Morning Light does so well is to stay quiet and in the background, yet not far enough that you don't notice them. Simply, they're not necessarily the band you want playing during a raucous road trip, but they'll be perfect for unwinding at the end of the day.More |  | Released on Bar-None Records, 8/19/08 When I hear Hotel Lights, I imagine the silhouette of a large, lonely building indistinguishable from its background, except for the dim, yellow light barely escaping its sockets. It’s depressing to think of all the isolated people trapped inside, but the seeping lights somehow give you hope that someone’s surviving. [b]Firecracker People[/b], Hotel Lights’ sophomore effort, is the manifestation of this light, offering that glimmer of hope yet only if you’re willing to pay attention. And the music is just as serene as that picture in your mind. It’s soft and consoling, conjuring up starkly beautiful images but with conviction and soul.More |  | Drink Up! We all know there’s an oil crisis, but a [i]water[/i] crisis? According to documentarian Irena Salina, that’s exactly our next problem. Salina crafts a documentary scanning the globe getting down to the core of this crisis. She enlists scientists and experts as well as everyday people already affected by the impending dilemma.More |  | Prepare to be Offended Dana Marsch (or however you want to pronounce it) exclaims towards the end of [b]Hamlet 2[/b], “my life is a parody of a tragedy.” Except that it’s completely entertaining to watch. A hit at Sundance, [b]Hamlet 2[/b] is not actually a sequel to the famed play by The Bard, but chronicles the making of such a ludicrous idea. It turns out that it may not be such a terrible endeavor.More |  | Released on Secretly Canadian, 9/9/08 Damien Jurado is a veteran of the indie rock scene and it shows on his ninth studio release, [b]Caught in the Trees[/b]. Unfortunately, he appears [i]too[/i] comfortable and the album passes by with only mere glimpses of Jurado's innovativeness and capability as a singer/songwriter.More |
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