Waterloo to Anywhere MUSIC by Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Pretty Things may be an awful band name, but it's an apt description of the 11 tracks on Waterloo to Anywhere, the latest from former Libertines Carl Barat and Gary Powell. The album has the grimy feel of stale cigarettes and half-empty bottles of Carlsberg, fashionly disheveled and relentlessly catchy throughout.
Famously produced by Mick Jones of The Clash on their Libertines' debut, Up the Bracket, the boys continue to mine the sound of that touchstone band, all skinny power chords and mush-mouth vocals, wrapped up in tight, three-minutes-and-a-cloud-of-dust punk spasms.
Barat, no longer tethered to former band mate and British tabloid sensation Pete Doherty, harbors resentment on Waterloo to Anywhere. Doherty's well-documented affection for heroin, crack and Kate Moss prevented the Libertines from ever having much success stateside beyond the praise of critics, who loved the band's sloppy,
London-punk sound. "You're a legend in your mind but a rumor in your room," Barat spits on "Bloodthirsty Bastards," no doubt aimed at his one-time mate.
Waterloo to Anywhere is the sound of a band purging its past, finding solace in the dirty, pretty things around them. Catharsis never sounded so good.
Dave Ruigh
Lego Star Wars 2:
The Original Trilogy
XBOX 360/XBOX/PS2
What happens when you mix two classic elements of any 20-something's childhood? In the case of Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy the result is instant nostalgia. Travelers Tales has crafted a game that is true to the original trilogy but at the same time has enough series in-jokes and Lego-inspired goofiness to satisfy any member of The Official Star Wars Fan Club.
The game plays like standard adventure fare. You assume the role of Luke, Han, Chewie or other series favorites as you run, jump and shoot your way through every major scene from the classic trilogy. You'll rescue Princess Leia, bomb the Death Star, trip up AT-ATs on Hoth and even give the Emperor his due — all in full Lego glory and without a
single Jar Jar sighting.
Still, Lego Star Wars 2 is a kids' game and, like most games made for preteens, it's simple, repetitive and easy. It is also quick to beat (each episode can be finished in about an hour) and while completists will find plenty to do scouring the levels for mini kits, power blocks and other secrets, the less devout will find themselves quickly bored.
If you grew up watching A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, then Lego Star Wars 2 is at least worth a rent, if only for the Lego rendition of the infamous "Luke, I am your father" scene.
Trevan McGee
The Black Dahlia
MOVIE
After almost 100 years of producing feature films, Hollywood should be able to make a movie about itself.
Instead, The Black Dahlia is a celluloid knot of absurdity. Clearly, Hollywood has yet to master its own art. The Black Dahlia is almost two hours of pure, unadulterated nonsense: a murder that is hardly addressed, a buddy cop movie without humor, action or intrigue, a romance without any, well, anything.
Josh Hartnett stars as "Bucky" Bleichart who, along with his partner and friend Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) discover a gruesome murder behind the apartment complex of a young, untalented actress (Mia Kirshner). The murder then fades into the background for almost an hour of failed "character development" before
By this point, no one cares. They came to see a murder mystery and instead got a soap opera. Adding insult to injury, Hartnett has pathetic stage presence and stumbles through the movie. He doesn't solve the murder; the perpetrators gleefully unravel the whole mystery at the end. One would think evildoers know not to do that anymore.
a series of events tied by a very frayed string force Bucky back into the murder investigation.
There is brilliant cinematography and direction by Brian de Palma, but that isn't enough to save this steaming heap of film.
Andy Hunt
Man of the Year
MOVIE
Man of the Year is one of the more perplexing movies at the box office lately. It can't decide what movie it wants to be, and a terribly misleading marketing campaign dooms the film.
On one hand, Barry Levinson has crafted a sharply biting political satire reminiscent of his former works (Wag the Dog). Criticizing the nature of what politicians say to the people and, to a larger extent, the election system (the presidential debate scene is truly brilliant) it is, in the beginning, a comedy, but the audience knows that serious information is being thrown its way.
Unfortunately, the comedy portion, which is the only part the previews mention, soon fades to a political thriller involving electronic voting machines and evil CEOs intent on sweeping fine details such as, say, a major voting glitch, under the rug so that its stock can continue to soar. One scene involving co-star Laura Linney is even filmed like a horror movie.
The marketing, which neglects to mention about half the movie, is unforgivable. In hindsight this tactic is obvious — the political
thriller portion can't stand on its own feet.
Unfortunately, this "political drama" starts turning the characters into one-dimensional figurines as the movie eventually becomes a boring presidential courtship without the paparazzi and then a boring chase without any action.
Thefilm,starringRobinWilliams
who sometimes transcends his role as the funnyman, tries to make a pointed attack on political targets before election day. As a comedy it might have struck Washington, but the conventional drama remains stuck to it like a hanging chad.
Andy Hunt
All the King's Men
MOVIE
Based on the beloved novel, the drama All the King's Men displays wonderful! performances but is accompanied by a soggy and disengaging plot. The film follows the life of an ambitious Louisiana man, Willie Stark, as he climbs the ominous ranks of politics. Sean Penn gives an inspirational and commanding performance as the up-and-coming governor. His speeches are the film's highlights. Jude Law plays an unbiased journalist, Jack Berg, who later serves as Stark's investigator of his enemies. His simple and poignant narration describes the tarnishing of an idealistic every-man. In spite of Penn's powerful performance, Law's quiet witness steals the show. The always-solid Kate Winselt and sincere Mark Ruffalo fill out the cast as brother and sister to a former Southern governor.
The film disappoints somewhat as an energetic beginning quickly turns into a chain of dull political schemes. Its weakness is its inability to match
politician. Overall, this uneven but well-acted southern saga lacks that comforting southern charm.
the wonderful acting of the cast with an interesting plot. Similar to the classic Citizen Kane, this flick shows the death of the American dream — the transformation of a good-hearted man into a conviving and devious
Sarah Tucker
ALL RATINGS ARE OUT OF A POSSIBLE FIVE STARS.★★★★★
10.19.2006 JAYPLAY