This was an interesting little tidbit that I ran across in my morning news trawl. Apparently, a previously unpublished manuscript by Beat writer Jack Kerouac was discovered in a warehouse somewhere. It was shelved by the publisher at the writer's request and was forgotten for 50 years.
Batman: Animated Series Vol. 3: 28 episodes of one of the best animated series of all time featuring one of the best adventure characters of all time and all in a nicely packaged DVD season set - I'm not seeing any negative points here, are you? And if that isn't enough for ya, the set also features commentary on three epiosdes by series creator Bruce Timm, producer/director Boyd Kirkland, writer Paul Dini and composer Shirley Walker (her first time in the commentary track, I believe).
Samurai Jack - Season 2: I think I've waited for this almost as long as I waited for Stargate SG-1 Season 2. This set is a looooong time coming and, while I don't know what the hold-up was, I'm glad to finally see it hitting the store shelves.
Super Friends - Season 2: Honourable mention this week goes to the Super Friends Season 2 set. I'd only shell out for this one if the price is right, but after watching some of my kids episodes on DVD, it kind of got the nostalgia flowing and I now have a whole new soft spot for this series.
Gorillaz - Demon Days: The softmore album from the animated rock/hip-hop/pop group Gorillaz is no less a surprise than their first album. Instead of giving listeners more of the same, they trade in the eclecticism for a smoother, more melodic offering which has the sound of maturity to it. I seem to recall one of the band members saying that Noodle had more to do with the structure of the album than anyone else and, whether this is true or not, it feels like there's a singular force behind it all driving the songs. I'm not 100% sold on every song on 'Demon Days', but the good far outweighs the bad and just gets better the more you listen to it.
Audioslave - Out of Exile: I don't actually own the first Audioslave album but I know a few people who do and have heard it on many occasions. I liked what I heard and it is based on that liking of their debut effort that I give them a mention here for the second album, 'Out of Exile'. I haven't heard a single track off of it yet but Cornell usually takes a few albums to settle in before he decides to take quantum leaps with his songwriting, so I'm willing to bet this one is more of the same, but a good kind of same, you know? If I have the time and the inspiration, I'll probably be checking this one out in the near future.
Angel: Live Fast, Die Never - Music from TV Series: Last week I said that there were no new albums worth mentioning but I was wrong. Really wrong, as a matter of fact. It took many years for this compilation to see the light of day, but now you can have a sampling of the official score of the show created by series composer, Robert Kral.
Not to movie screens (in case you thought I had some tidbit of news you didn't) but to next gen video game consoles. As a big Indy fan, this is great news. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb were both great games and I am really looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.
THE GOON #12: I haven't bought a lot of issues of The Goon but I have been considering picking it up again, especially now that Powell is interested in exploring continuing, multi-issue storylines. It would also be appropriate since I'm really turning away from the super-hero set of late and just looking for some fun and interesting reading.
JLA: CLASSIFIED #7: Giffen...DeMatteis...Maguire...Need I say more? Some people are not comfortable with this book since it just might possibly exist within their precious DC continuity, but not being bound by such ridiculous limitations, I am having a ball reading the final adventure of the 'Bwa-ha-ha' Justice League. Sales on the book are strong and it looks like Giffen and DeMatteis are going to leave their particular corner of the DCU with their fans wanting more. A far better way to go than simply overstaying your welcome.
I was also at a local used bookstore today and I turned down a copy of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. It was a good price, but just not good enough for the condition it was in. I've never actually read the story but I've heard nothing but good things about it, and not all of it from Steve Niles. I'm still kicking myself a little for not grabbing it, but I'm sure I'll get around to it at some point.
I'm trying to stay away from the 'just links' posts these days, but I really liked this review of the new Gorillaz CD, 'Demon Days'. It's more substantial than the average blurb review and the writer obviously gave some thought to the piece and the album. Check it out if you're curious.
MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN #1: I've been looking forward to this adaptation for a while now. This mini is more of a Director's Cut of the film than a direct adaptation since it 'corrects' a lot of things the production had to compromise in order to get the movie made. Night shots, for example, which were a problem for the film, will not be for the comic and we will get to see the story as it was meant to be. Heck, for some of us, it's getting to see the story at all since Bruce is only screening it at signings for his new book, "How to Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way". 
BATMAN STRIKES #9: Almost a year in for the new Batman animated title and I think we've seen the Joker about 4 times, with the Penguin being the next most-used villain (or is that on the TV show, they're starting to blur together). Still, considering this is Batman's third year in the crime-fighting gig, it would make sense that he didn't have a full-fledged rogue's gallery just yet. And these are one-shot stories, not the 11 part multi-title crossovers you get in the mainstream DCU, so it takes a lot more to get tired of the characters here than it does over there.
Weezer - Make Believe: Here's another fine effort from geek rockers, Weezer. On a first time run-through I found that "Make Believe" is a little more melodic than the Weezer I'm accustomed to, but there's nothing there that really breaks any new ground or shakes up the status quo. Then again, when has Weezer ever been about shaking up the status quo?
Dave Matthews Band - Stand Up: I haven't given this album a total sit down and listen yet, but first impressions leave me thinking that Stand Up owes more to Dave Matthews' solo effort, Some Devil, than it does to its predecessor, Busted Stuff. The tone of the album is a bit quieter, the arrangements are little simpler, and things feel pretty scaled back overall.
Sloan - A Sides Win: I know I've mentioned this disc before, but seeing as you yanks are getting it a week later than us up here in Canada, I figured I'd cheat a little and mention it again, officially, in The New Music.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: This is probably the DVD I'm most likely to buy this week seeing as I'm a bit of a Wes Anderson fan. It's not the best film in Anderson's ouvre, and it lacks somewhat for the absence of Luke Wilson, but it still holds up compared to many of the films that hit theatres last year (anyone wanna talk Stepford Wives, meet me in back). The features look satisfactory with commentary and interviews with cast and crew, and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the ten David Bowie songs performed by Brazilian recording artist Seu Jorge
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers: I caught this made for cable movie when it originally came out on Movie Central (the Canadian equivalent to HBO) and while I found it somewhat unbalanced as a biopic, I found it to be an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
Assault on Precinct 13: This remake of the 1976 John Carpenter film of the same name was in and out of theatres so fast that it left heads spinning. From reviews I've read then and some I've seen recently, I can say that my expectations for this movie are beyond low. Like, less expectation to perform than House of Wax low.
Kim Possible the Movie - So the Drama: Kim Possible was one of the cartoons I turned to when I was having problems with the direction some of the DC/WB animated properties were going. It's a really well done 'toon with a great voice cast including Christy Romano (Cadet Kelly), Will Freidle (Batman Beyond), Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons), Gary Cole (Office Space) and many others.
I caught this link over at Tom Spurgeon's Comics Reporter. It's a nice interview with comic writer and man about Glasgow, Mark Millar. It's not a Journal-length piece or anything and it won't change your life, but it's better than anything you'll see in Wizard.
I ran across this little audio article on NPR which may be of interest to fans of Tom Waits. Basically, he's not very happy with anyone trying to cash in on his image and I can't really blame him. He's got such a unique delivery/style that when you hire a sound-alike for a guy like Waits, I think he has a valid complaint that it may damage his credibility with his fans.
Sloan: A Sides Win (singles 1992-2005): I can't believe I forgot to mention this disc in my New CD Roundup a few posts back. One of my favourite rock bands, Sloan, have just released a great singles collection (May 3rd) and is, in my opinion, a really nice cross section of their 10+ year career in music.
I have to say hats off to the engineers who designed the packaging for Canada's favourite Macaroni and Cheese, Kraft Dinner.
A couple of weeks ago, they had one of those cool episodes, though, and I thought it was worth mentioning. I was watching the episode, 'Onyx', which starts off really cheesy (Lex gets split in two with one Lex being good and one being evil) but manages to drag itself out from under its own weight to showcase some really great Superman moments.
act (I almost gave up around this point), you get to see Lex discover Clark's secret, get a kryptonite ring, violate Clark's sanctuary, offer Clark a position at his side to take over the world...and we get that moment that we, as viewers, ache for in this show; Lex standing across from Clark, his kryptonite ring slowing young Supes down but not putting him out and he hisses at Lex, "I'll never join you!" Classic drama, punchy dialogue and then Lex goes full-on bad-guy on the Kents and caps the scene off by saying, "You were right about me all along, Mr. Kent. I am the villain of the story."
did a really nice job of portraying a post-bifurcated Lex, and played up the duality and conflict the character would be feeling after everything he had been through. You also never know for sure how much he remembers about his time in splitsville, so you're left with that 'ooooo' feeling that you love to go out of a story on.
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1: Much too rich for my blood (as all the Star Trek DVD collections are), but if I had the c note to spend on this set I probably would. Season 1 had some good moments, particularly the pilot, "Broken Bow" (accompanied by a commentary in this set - yay!), which really gave me a lot of hope that this prequel series would be a success. Time and poor management by executive producers Brannon Braga and Rick Berman showed us otherwise.
Spaceballs Special Edition: Pure guilty pleasure and probably Mel Brooks' last truly funny movie. MGM is obviously rolling this one out to cash in on the Episode III buzz, but if it means a decent movie is getting the Special Edition treatment (and a real Special Edition treatment) then I can't complain.
ROGUE #10 - I practically ignored this book (and why wouldn't I?) until issue #7 came along and Tony Bedard and Karl Moline jumped on board. Bottom line is I would love Karl Moline's work on any title, and this is really no exception. I only hope it doesn't get cancelled with #12 as the rumours seem to imply it will. Writer Tony Bedard claims that it's still up in the air, so here's hoping he can pull this arc off successfully enough to save this book from the axe.
The Hold Steady - Seperation Sunday: This band was dubbed one of the top 20 greatest bands you weren't listening to last year by Spin magazine, and I've always meant to check them out since reading that. The few bits that I've heard don't really distinguish them as being the second coming or anything (in fact, they sort of sound like a punkier, drunker Men at Work), but after getting my hands on some full tracks I may change my mind. Probably won't buy it outright, but I'll put the feelers out on this one.
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth: Reznor and gang are back and it's been a while since I've bought one of his albums. We had a parting of ways some time back due to everything he was putting out started sounding the same to me. It wasn't bad music, just not what I expected from NIN. Anyways, I've had a little distance from them and I think it might be time to test the waters once again. From what I hear this album isn't exactly a trailblazer either, but I've been gone long enough not to notice.
Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm: I've always been a quiet admirer of Aimee Mann. The urge has never struck me strong enough to actually go out and buy one of her albums, but I've taken them out of the library and given them a listen to. She has the same sort of approach to her music as her husband has to his, and as a fan of Mr. Penn, I can say that it appeals to me when I hear that sensibility on her tracks. The bits I've sampled off of 'The Forgotten Arm' actually sound pretty strong, and I may just take the leap with this particular release.
John Williams - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: I'm a film score nut and what collection would be complete without the Star Wars soundtracks? The trailers for the film make this flick look pretty damn operatic, so I'm hoping Williams score reflects that. With any luck, we'll also see the return of some familiar themes. Williams really impressed me with how he managed to create two entirely brand new Star Wars scores without giving up more than a hint of the music we've come to know and love, so I hope this one is an all out orgy/celebration of the two trilogies coming together.
They Might Be Giants - A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants: I'm not a fan of greatest hits albums, but it's nice to see TMBG's presence on the racks again. These guys never fail to disappoint. This collection also distinguishes itself by including their Malcolm in the Middle theme (previously unavailable on disc, if I'm not mistaken), "Boss of Me" as well as the "Dr. Evil" theme from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Tullycraft - Disenchanted Hearts Unite: Okay, I admit it. The sentamentalist in me saw the title for Tullycraft's new album and said, "hmmm, sounds like it might be right up your ally, self." I've never heard anything from these guys before this, but what I've heard I kind of like. There's a quality to them that's reminiscient of Stars only less refined. It seems like a nice collection of poppy, hooky, earnest stuff. I'll check this out in one form or another, for sure.
Looks like the audio commentary by podcast phenomenon has been a catchy one. The SciFi was the first network, as far as I know, to use a podcast to deliver a comentary, and now Paramount (who are usually pretty slow to pick up on current trends) has followed suit with an Enterprise commentary for the episode 'In a Mirror, Darkly' by writer Mike Sussman.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I've managed to catch Hour 1 (of 6) of the new NBC mini-series, Revelations. I wasn't even going to watch it, to be perfectly honest, but my wife had told me that she read some reviews comparing it to The Exorcist and calling it 'great entertainment so we decided to give it a try.
Anyway, Seltzer is not known for his subtlety. He is the writer of films like the original Omen and the Melanie Griffith WWII spy vehicle, Shining Through, so I shouldn't be at all surprised by this. According to SciFi Wire, he was apparently offered a gig writing for Miracles, but found it too formulaic and not the deep challenging analysis of faith that he sought. I guess Revelations was his response to that.
As the title suggests, I've just finished reading William Peter Blatty's sequel to his bestseller, The Exorcist. Some of you may have seen the film (known as Exorcist III: Legion to cinemagoers), but like its predecessor, the meat and potatoes of the book lie not in the spinning heads and pea soup, but in the analysis of good and evil, God, faith and the greater unknown.
I can't say my expectations were too terribly high for this film seeing as I'm not a big Pacino fan, but after years of hearing that this one of the man's greats, I was hoping that it was better than just good. For the most part, those expectations were satisfied. I mean, I was entertained by the film (I stayed up 'til 4 a.m. to finish it so I had to like it on some level) and enjoyed seeing a young Pacino, post-Godfather, strut his stuff a little.
I don't know how much you folks know about the film industry, but this move by Warner Bros. is unprecedented and ballsy. Sure, money is the driving force behind the decision, but it's an amazing thing to see happen nonetheless. With a domestic gross of just over $75 million the 'official' released version of Exorcist: The Beginning didn't perform well enough to pay for itself, never mind it's sister movie helmed by Schrader, so everybody would like to make a little bit of green on this enterprise, but to have a major studio, and a control freak like James Robinson of Morgan Creek, admit that the first one wasn't good enough and that they were wrong for shitcanning Schrader's original vision for being too cerebral, is astounding.
I should have realised that the stronger sounding album would require a different kind of set-up, and likely lead to a brassier performance from the band. As Torq (the lead singer) said at the KCRW session, the punchier sound of 'Set Yourself on Fire' allowed them to perform on stage in a more traditional "four on the floor" kind of way (or five or six as is the case with Stars) and the audience really responded to it. About a half-dozen songs into their set, Torq thanked the audience for "making them feel like they were in a fucking punker band." The setting was pretty intimate so the band was really feeding off of the energy the crowd was giving out, and the crowd, in turn, fed off of them. It was one of those experiences that are just great to see and be a part of.
I'm really learning to enjoy my AMG New Release Newsletter. Case in point, I may not have known for some time about the new Garbage CD, 'Bleed Like Me', had it not been for that simple e-mail that I received on Monday, and this, their fourth studio album, has long been anticipated in the Jozic household.
