Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder

With Tropic Thunder, actor Ben Stiller reprises a role he hasn't played since 2001: director. Having conquered the comic world of male models with his last hit Zoolander, Stiller turns to poke fun at the industry responsible for his own fame. Though Tropic Thunder isn't as zany or quotable as Zoolander, it's an accessible comedy about the movie business that boasts an all-star cast and proves undeniably entertaining. Plus, it just may have saved Tom Cruise's career.

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The Smittens, The Coolest Thing About Love

With their latest album The Coolest Thing About Love Vermont band The Smittens mixes a little cynicism and experience into sweet Twee. [read more...]

David Gordon Green, Pineapple Express

Around this same time last year, writing buddies Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg conquered the August heat by entertaining audiences with high-school comedy Superbad. Their latest project, Pineapple Express is a darker and more violent buddy comedy than Superbad in which the heroes are chasing the perfect high and being chased by rival drug lords, giving new meaning to the paranoid pothead.

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Joshua Radin/ Erin McCarley, Fillmore, San Francisco, 8/21/08

But the reason I am writing this review is not to exorcise my utter loathing for this tepid lump of badness. It is because the opening act, Erin McCarley, was brilliant. I always have this perverse love for shows where the supporting musician outshines the headliner. It’s the appeal of the underdog, it is the geek getting the girl. So, Erin McCarley. [read more...]

Microcastles: Deerhunter gets a little less Cryptic

With their October 28th release, Microcastle, Atlanta band Deerhunter has picked up the scent of a maturing aesthetic while retaining their enigmatic style. [read more...]