Quick Views

DVD:
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker: This was an excellent Bat-tale. Top notch animation and a great story on top of that. If you like Batman, any variety, you should check this one out. A story that holds together and gives us a glimpse into the life of a Robin. The DVD has some nice features, including an entertaining and informative commentary track. Highly Recommended.

The Last Minute: Directed by Stephen Norrington (Blade), this film gives us a glimpse into the rise and fall of an artist, of which we do not even know what he creates. What we do see is how art is treated as a commodity and how quickly you can fall. The narrative is a bit strange as the second half is very Oliver-esque. The style is flashy with a lot of camera tricks, non of which over power the film. Good performances, interesting story, not entirely successful, but worth a shot if you can find it. Recommended.

White Zombie: The first ever zombie film featuring Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi. The film is actually rather dull. This appeared in 1932 in the early era of the talkie, and probably would have played better as a silent. It is an interesting piece of horror film history, and we get Lugosi's interlocking hand trick, recreated by Martin Landau in Ed Wood. Also this DVD looks terrible, but remember the film is over 70 years old, so I guess it isn't too bad. Mildly Recommended.

Television.
Stargate: Atlantis: So far this series has been pretty good. It is going to take awhile to get used to the new characters, but it has a good future ahead of it. And considering the lack of decent sci-fi on television, I have to hope for this one. It is definitely worth checking out. Recommended.

Quintuplets. I find myself drawn to watch this show even though it is actually pretty bad. I watch it because I like Andy Richter and it makes me miss Andy Richter Controls the Universe that much more. I can't really recommend the series, as sometimes I am just a glutton for punishment and will probably continue watching it. Not Recommended.

Music.
The Cure: The Cure: The latest release from the 80's gloomsters is also a very good release. They are working with a new producer, Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with primarily metal acts such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Soulfly and Machine Head. They have collaborated on an album which still has the trademark doom sound, but comes across with a more aggressive guitar mix. It is very reminiscent of the sound from Wish and Blood Flowers. Recommended.

Audioslave: I know this has been out for awhile, but it is still a great album, one of the best rock releases of the past ten years. Who knew that combining the former lead singer of Soundgarden with the singerless remains of Rage Against the Machine would result in such an incredible album? The powerful voice of Chris Cornell combined with the tight machine that is Morello, Wilk, and Commerford produced a great rock album that is truly original. Highly Recommended.