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.