Various Artists, Holiday Hootenanny

Various Artists, HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY (MoPop)
Holiday compilations are one of rock’s toughest hat tricks, whether they tackle traditional fare or attempt to craft new seasonal nuggets. This mixed bag benefit for Detroit’s Capuchin Soup Kitchen by some Motown standbys and newbies is far better than most, a sparkly, fun yuletide jaunt that deserves your coin!

The Shining, 2-Disc Special Edition

THE SHINING 2-Disc Special Edition DVD
Warner finally rectifies the early Kubrick DVD travesties with deluxe reissues. The Shining looks better than ever, and the commentary is genuinely illuminating. Disc 2 features Vivian Kubrick’s making-of and 3 new featurettes, including a fascinating interview with composer Wendy Carlos. Plus! At last! Nice packaging!

The Sopranos, Season 6, Part II

THE SOPRANOS, Season Six, Part II DVD
The brilliant (yes, it was) ending to TV’s greatest series gets a rip-off DVD send-off, stretched to fill four discs (at the usual $100), while lacking in bonus features. No doubt Chase & Gandolfini had no interest in filming eulogies, but that’s no excuse. Still, essential television worth every penny.

Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN
Friends, family, colleagues and fans gather ‘round campfires to reminisce about my favorite rocker of all time in this moving (yet even-handed) documentary featuring some amazing archival footage. Bono’s always annoying presence is distracting, as is Johnny Depp's, but not devastating. And yep, I bawled at the end.

The Sarah Silverman Program, Season 2

THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM season 2 (Comedy Central)
In season 2, the show has hit its stride, a hilariously profane, but still smart take on every taboo issue imaginable. Sarah’s abortion countdown was the funniest thing I’ve seen on TV this year. And Brian and Steve are my favorite couple on the tube.

Where's Dennis?

WHERE’S DENNIS? THE MAGAZINE CARTOON ART OF HANK KETCHAM Edited by Shane Glines & Alex Chun (Fantagraphics)
For fans of Dennis the Menace creator Hank Ketcham, this collection of early cartoons and spot illustration work is essential. You can see Ketcham’s singular style evolve: his masterful line, brilliant use of broken images and incredible ability to draw clothing. A few too-small reproductions aren’t enough to detract.

Eastern Promises

EASTERN PROMISES
David Cronenberg sidles up alongside Coppola and Scorsese in crafting a mob movie that delivers on all levels, humanizing horrible people, shocking with visceral violence (the steam bath scene is everything you’ve heard) and painting the world in mesmerizing shades of gray.

Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings

CLEAN CARTOONISTS’ DIRTY DRAWINGS by Craig Yoe (Last Gasp)
As R. Crumb’s introduction points out, most of these drawings aren’t exactly “dirty,” rather simple “good girl” art by cartoonists ranging from Adams to Caniff to Kirby to Toth. Still, a gorgeous, fascinating compilation by the Arf! Museum curator, my only complaint being a lack of annotation to many drawings.

30 Days of Night

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
While this vampires-in-Alaska tale features some really striking imagery (a high overhead shot of snowy carnage is beautiful and terrifying), some bad casting and a screenplay that insults the intelligence of the audience dims the overall impact of what could’ve been a really good movie.

Journeyman

JOURNEYMAN (NBC)
The best part of this time-travel tale (aside from its female lead) is the delicate (and tricky) balance of sci-fi, drama and comedy. The San Francisco setting also adds character to a series that I’m happy to say gets better with each episode.

The Pretenders: Learning to Crawl reissue

the Pretenders, LEARNING TO CRAWL Reissue (Rhino / Sire)
Last year’s fantastic bonus-laden 2-disc reissues of PRETENDERS I & II make this first post-original-lineup slab feel even more tepid than it did in 1984. A mere handful of mostly middling bonus tracks can’t raise this disc above just okay (and what came after was just bad).

I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With

I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH
Slight, yes, but refreshingly bittersweet and charming auteur work from CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM’s hilarious Jeff Garlin. Tons of great cameos (Amy Sedaris is amazing) are the icing on this lingering cupcake, an antidote to predictable stupid mainstream rom-coms starring the OC blonde and someone shaggy Kutcheresque lad.

Matt Pond PA, Last Light

Matt Pond PA, LAST LIGHT (Altitude Records)
Sigh. I miss the strings. Not a bad record by any means, but the first time I’ve felt that this band has passed its peak. Time will tell.

Superman: Doomsday

SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY
More emotionally resonant, action packed and true to the character than SUPERMAN RETURNS, this loose adaptation of the “Death of Superman” juggernaut of the early ‘90s is a worthy addition to the Man of Steel’s pantheon (altho’ Anne Heche’s rough Lois takes some adjusting). Remember: “adaptation” is the key word.

Halloween

HALLOWEEN
“Hey, I know! Let’s remake one of the most iconic horror movies ever made, one of the most groundbreaking films in any genre, and take out everything that made it work: suspense, style, mystery and simplicity. We’ll go balls out!” Not scary and more superfluous than Gus Van Sant’s PSYCHO.

Helvetica

HELVETICA
For anyone even slightly aware of design, this documentary about the ubiquitous font is engaging and eye-opening, forcing a fresh look at everyday surroundings. Those who don’t give a poop about such matters, however, will fall asleep about ten minutes in.

Flash: The Greatest Stories Ever Told

FLASH: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD (DC Comics)
Not bad for anyone who’s ever encountered DC’s speedster in other media and wondered about his comic book origins, but for the learned fanboy, this is another collection with tangible holes and a frustrating lack of historical perspective. A second volume is necessary (and a third?).

Mad Men

MAD MEN (AMC)
Wait, lemme see if I get it… the Sixties were sexist, simplistic, stylish and smoke-filled? Just not subtle. This retro Ad-man soaper is luscious to the eye, but mind numbingly predictable and didactic. Still, it’s worth watching for the production design and some great casting (Christina Hendricks is perfection).

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND
An embarrassment to fans of superheroes and of romantic comedies, as well as all women, and actually, all human beings. A crass, predictable, unfunny attempt to cash in on the superhero movie boom that fails on all levels. Okay, the shark scene is pretty cool. But that’s it.

Freaks and Geeks

FREAKS AND GEEKS (SHOUT! Factory)
Not nearly as groundbreaking nor realistic as I’d been led to believe, this just-okay high school sitcom is mostly laudable for the incredibly hilarious Martin Starr as geek Bill. Attention to ‘80s detail aside, the show’s just not nervy enough and falls too often on feel-good happy endings.

The New Adventures of Old Christine

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (CBS)
At least the unlikable characters on SEINFELD were comically unlikable. This bleak, angry, only sporadically funny sitcom paints a pretty ugly portrait of middle age that smacks of bitterness more than bemusement. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (and a decent supporting cast as well) deserves better than this.

Inside Man

INSIDE MAN
Wait… was this supposed to be a surprise ending? The movie’s called INSIDE MAN. There’s a kernel of a great film lost somewhere in Spike Lee’s ego-driven attempt at a mainstream bank heist thriller, but it’s not nearly as clever as it thinks and trademark Spike flourishes are distracting.

The New Adventures of Superman

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN
It was in these cartoons that I first discovered Superman, so objectivity is hard, but I will say they hew pretty closely to the comic books of the mid-60s, both in design and tone. Alternately goofy and dramatic (really!), with swell music and bad jokes! Up, up and away!

The New Adventures of Batman

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN
The amazingly hideous cover art is indicative of the ineptitude on display in this sad ’77 sequel series to Filmation’s cool ‘60s Batman cartoon. By 1977, superheroes could only teach, not hit, and these cheap, cheezy stories are rife with lazy storytelling, limp villains and weak animation. For kids only.

Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series

SPACE GHOST AND DINO BOY: THE COMPLETE SERIES
The cartoons on this set, sublimely silly and gorgeous to look at, take a back seat to the ostensible bonus feature (worth the price alone), an 80 minute documentary on the legendary Alex Toth, cartoonist / animator who sits in the Comics Pantheon alongside Kirby and Eisner.

High Tension

HIGH (HAUTE) TENSION
Here’s the thing: If your film is going to have a surprise twist, then everything that’s happened up till that point needs to still make sense, even within a horror context. Nice cinematography, makeup and sound design can’t save a completely inept script. Being French is no excuse.

Live Free or Die Hard

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD
The interesting “analog cop in a digital world” angle quickly gets lost in a sea of increasingly unbelievable, over the top action scenes. Too much suspension of disbelief results in a complete lack of true drama (unlike in the classic first film in this series).

Wonder Woman: the Greatest Stories Ever Told

WONDER WOMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD (DC Comics)
It’s curious that Wonder Woman has become the most popular female superhero of all because her comic book history is spotty at best. This tome serves better as a glimpse into the changing attitudes towards women over the past sixty years than as a collection of great stories.

Sicko

SICKO
Say what you will about Michael Moore’s methods or public image, he’s one powerful provocateur and we need him badly. Anything that keeps the discussion of America’s corrupt, broken fucked up health care system front and center is okay with me, and this may be his most powerful film yet.

All Wrapped Up!

ALL WRAPPED UP! By Kevin Akers (Chronicle Books)
This amazing collection of “groovy gift wrap of the 1960s” is a designer’s dream, with page after page of pop designs that make everything at your local Hallmark store look (even more) like crap! Fire up the scanner!

Ratatouille

RATATOUILLE
In general, I’m no Pixar fan, but I’d go see a Smurf movie if it were directed by Brad Bird. This sumptuous film’s loving attention to detail and pitch perfect balance of humor and passion only solidify my belief that Bird is one of film’s (not just animation’s) greatest artists.

Transformers

TRANSFORMERS
Loud and silly, with distractingly rampant and hard-to-buy product placement and all of those awful Maximesque hallmarks of a Michael Bay film. But my biggest beef is that most of the time, I couldn’t even tell what was happening onscreen. Then again, I’m too old to care about Transformers.
(for more, see here)

That Thing You Do!

THAT THING YOU DO! TOM HANKS EXTENDED CUT
I can never hate Tom Hanks, if only because he wrote and directed this underrated slice of pop history. The story of the fictional one hit Oneders, uh Wonders is notable for its great music, attention to period detail and exemplary sound editing. Worthy extras make this a keeper.

The Devil Wears Prada

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Wait, I’m not sure I get it… fashion is important art but it’s really awful and not important. Is that the message? There’s less to this film than there is even to the pretentiousness of its subject matter. It’s not even nice to look at (despite Anne Hathaway’s pulchritude).

Noisettes: What's the Time Mr. Wolf?

Noisettes, WHAT’S THE TIME MR. WOLF? (Universal Motown)
Few things sound better to these middle aged ears than the blilssful union of R&B and punk. The hole in my heart left by the demise of Lo-Hi has been partially filled by this Brit trio’s 39 minute slab of scratchy, soulful dynamism! I want more!

Arf Forum

ARF FORUM by Craig Yoe (Fantagraphics)
The third in Craig Yoe’s Arf series continues its studious but unpretentious look at the unholy marriage of art and comics (and sexy ladies). Fun, beautifully designed, filled with comics that deserve second (and third and more) looks, ARF FORUM should be on every fanboy’s shelf.

Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith: Sittin' in a Tree

Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith, SITTIN’ IN A TREE (Ye Olde)
Frank Smith is a band, not a gent, and their banjo-fueled Americana is a nice match for a one-off EP with the oh-so-underrated Juliana’s brand of lemon-flavored editorializing. It’s one of rock’s true crime stories that people can’t listen past Juliana’s “cute” voice and hear what’s lying beneath.

The Omen (remake)

THE OMEN
I caught this remake of Richard Donner’s near-flawless 1976 film on HBO and while it’s almost as superfluous as Gus Van Sant’s PSYCHO, I gotta say I was entertained start to finish. Only Julia “Pancake-face” Stiles is bad in an otherwise taut thriller (and the decapitation scene is better).

Matt Pond PA: If You Want Blood

Matt Pond PA, IF YOU WANT BLOOD (Altitude)
Yay! New Matt Pond PA! It’s like a refreshing summer shower washing away the oppressive stickiness of the humidity of human existence! Or somesuch simile. This band can really do no wrong in my ears, so I should really recuse myself from reviewing them.

Knocked Up

KNOCKED UP
How much do I despise this chickenshit ode to conservative values? This admittedly funny, yet risible and ultimately irresponsible fantasy that having a baby makes problems go bye-bye? A movie so afraid of offending middle America that it doesn’t use the word abortion ONCE? With every fiber of my being.

Comics Gone Ape!

COMICS GONE APE! By Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
The idea of a full book about primates in comics seems silly at first, but upon reading… okay, it’s still silly, but it’s as entertaining and often hilarious as hell, especially if you’re a fanboy with an affinity for the great comics of the Silver and Bronze eras.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
With the lowest expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. Bad casting (especially Gruffudd and Alba), rampant product placement (the Dodge Fantasti-Car?) and awkward humor aside, this was a fun, well-paced entertaining superhero flick! An enormous improvement on the putrid first film and, incredibly, far better than SPIDER-MAN 3!

Showcase presents the House of Mystery vol. 2

SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOL. 2 (DC Comics)
Lotsa filler in this volume in DC’s cheap B&W reprint series, including some art that just doesn’t work in black and white. Further proof that not everything needs to be comprehensively archived and a series of “Best of” compilations (preferably in color) would serve this title better.

ELO: Out of the Blue

Electric Light Orchestra, OUT OF THE BLUE reissue (Legacy)
Pure perfect pop from thirty years ago sounds just as good as it ever has, in a beautiful hardcover book package with bonus tracks, complete liner notes and a punch out spaceship! One of my first rock albums remains one of my favorites. Only complaint: where are the lyrics?

Troubletown Told You So!

TROUBLETOWN TOLD YOU SO! By Lloyd Dangle
My favorite political cartoonist tackles the Iraq War and the Bush Administration’s crimes against us at home. Dangle’s become angrier which results in some strips that are just informational rather than funny, and his pen seems to need a cleaning, but TT remains as vital as THE DAILY SHOW.

WKRP in Cincinnati Season 1 DVD

WKRP IN CINCINNATI SEASON 1 DVD
Yes, the music’s been replaced. Yes, some episodes are chopped up syndication versions. Regardless, this remains one of the funniest, best realized sitcoms of all time, and the pluses far outweigh the negatives. In a perfect world, this would be a complete SHOUT! Factory set, but the world ain’t perfect!

Batman Black & White volume 3

BATMAN BLACK & WHITE VOL. 3 (DC Comics)
The main problem with this collection of tales from BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS is that many of the artists don’t understand that drawing for B&W is different than for color. These short stories exhibit more storytelling experimentation than most mainstream comics, but the first two volumes are much better.

28 Weeks Later

28 WEEKS LATER
This sub-par sequel actually works better as an allegory for America’s military occupation of foreign lands than as a Zombies-on-speed horror film. A few nice moments, but the overall effect (enough with the jerky camera already!) is more tiring than exhilarating.

Spider-Man 3

SPIDER-MAN 3
The most bizarre comic book misfire in motion picture history? While I appreciate Raimi’s off-kilter sensibility, there’s very little super in this superhero film. Too many characters, too much crying and singing and waaaay too many ones and zeroes. A sad fall from grace for a once great franchise.
(for far more, see here)

the Venture Bros. Season 2

THE VENTURE BROS. Season 2 DVD
Reasons you should buy this set: It’s the funniest cartoon in decades, it looks great, Stephen Colbert’s on it, it’s got the most attractive DVD packaging of the year, it’s chock full of bonus goodies and inside jokes for fanboys and my pal Chris deserves your moolah.