Revenge of the Nerds: Part ThreeClick here for part twoFrom A. O. Scott's review of Juno:Ms. Cody, Mr. Reitman and Ms. Page have conspired, intentionally or not,to produce a feminist, girl-powered rejoinder and complement to Knock-ed Up. Despite what most products of the Hollywood comedy boys’ club would have you believe, it is possible to possess both a uterus and a sense of humor. From John Anderson's take on women in 2007 film:One of the more prominent roles of the year is the mail-order blow-up doll Bianca in Lars and the Real Girl,which really has to say it all. Because she certainly won't...It's like real life: When a woman walks into a room ful

Read more »

Three of an Imperfect PairBlack Lips, Good Bad Not Evil, Vice[G]arage-flavored punk rock with a Southern ac-cent, a messed-up and bluesy undertow, and the gleefully destructive impact of a 15-year-old with a bag of firecrackers.-- Mark Deming on the Black LipsThe fourth record from the Black Lips was the musicaldiscovery of the year. I'm just not sure which one—whichyear, that is. I discovered the infectious single "Veni VidiVici" in 2007; I discovered Good Bad Not Evil in 2008.In either case, it's the most satisfying blast of garage-punk tohit the streets since the Dirtbombs' Dangerous Magical Noise.Not that anyone would con-fuse this Atlanta quartet

Read more »

There Will Be DissentHere are some (slightly edited)messages I sent a friend, now thatI've had time to digest both titles.I'm sorry to inform you that my biggest cinematic disappoint-ment of the New Year is...There Will Be Blood. I realize I'm part of a tiny minority. I enjoyed muchof the film—especially the supporting performances, the cinema-tography, and Jonny Greenwood's striking score—but I just can't abide that ham-fisted final act. And I'm a P.T. Anderson/Daniel Day-Lewis fan (though the jury's still out on Paul Dano).Click here to hear Daniel Plainview's infamous milkshake line.I'll spare you any more negativity. Instead, I have some-thing pos

Read more »

But I Might Die TonightHowlin Rain, Magnif-icent Fiend, Birdman/American [3/4/08]I've always believed your records should be something completely different from your live show. To me, it should be like a big Hollywood movie experience, where you don't want to see all the details, all the lit-tle things that make it come together, you just want the result to hit you.-- Ethan Miller on Magnificent FiendHowlin Rain "Roll On The Rusted Days" (mp3)from Howlin Rain(Birdman Records) Buy at Amazon[I'll post an mp3 from the new album as soon as it becomes available.]Magnificent Fiend , the second record from singer/guitar-ist Ethan Miller's Howlin Rain, is a t

Read more »

We Are Stardust, We Are Golden There is not one good or authentic country & western song in the entire movie, but there's still Debra Winger riding the mechanical bull like it was meant to be rode and that's enough.-- Don Graham, Giant CountryMechanical Bull, A Million Yes-terdays, Woodstock MusicWorksThe name conjures up images of Debra Winger in Urban Cowboy (you know, simulating sex on the barroom fixturein question). I'm not sure that's such a good thing, althoughyour mileage may vary. Nonetheless, this Woodstock sextetdoes put a citified spin on country, so it seems somehow fitting.Yet describing Mechan-ical Bull's second full-length as count

Read more »

Rude BoysYoni Gordon and the Goods, Bur-ied in the Basement, self-releasedI dreamed I saw Billy Bragg last night, and he spoke these words so true / He said, "The songs that you sing, they won't mean anything, if singing songs is the only thing you do."-- "I Dreamed I Saw Billy Bragg Last Night"The first thing I noticed about the sophomore release from Yoni Gordon and the Goods—after admiring the nifty cover—is that it sounded instantly familiar. I can't say whether the Somerville, MA trio were influenced by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, or simply by the same artists that inspired those Brooklyn rock-ers, i.e. Elvis Costello, the Jam, the Clash, and Bi

Read more »

This Is the New YearSo this is the new year and I don't feel any different.-- Death Cab for Cutie, "The New Year" (2003)Reviews and assignments I'm working on this month.Amazon DVDs: War & Peace [five-disc set] (the Beeb version with Sir Anthony Hopkins), Erik the Viking (with Tim Robbins), With a Song in My Heart: The Jane Froman Story (with the in-comparable Susan Hayward), Canvas (with Marcia Gay Harden and Joe Pantoliano), Desires of a Housewife (with Sharon Stone and Timothy Hutton), Eagle vs Shark, Kurt Cobain: About a Son (for my SIFF review of the latter, click here), and To Kill a King.Amazon Theatricals: Teeth (psycho-sexual horror), The

Read more »