The art of family entertainment is one of the most difficult to succeed at. To make a product that gives enjoyment and satisfaction to children and adults alike is something usually only the Muppets can achieve.

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There is a great dichotomy in the world these days; people who watch Jeopardy! and those who don’t. Oh wait, I mean trivia! People who like trivia and those who don’t. Personally, I don’t understand this. I love trivia. I mean, who doesn’t want to know that India’s highest military award is the Param Vir Chakra?

Wits and Wagers is the trivia game that makes trivia fun for everyone no matter how much you know or even how much you care about the trivia itself. (more…)

The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of the successful Wheel of Time series was recently released, which is a neat trick, considering the fact that the author of the series, Robert Jordan, passed on some time ago. Jordan’s widow asked Brandon Sanderson, a successful author in his own right, to complete the series. Sanderson intends that the series will be complete with book 14. (more…)

 
Let’s pretend it’s still possible to speak rationally about this movie.

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I saw this movie last weekend but since it has been out for a while now, instead of a traditional review, I’d like to talk generally about the body of work of the writer, producer and director of the movie, Judd Apatow.  (more…)

Third Eye Blind is a great band that has had a long absence from the scene, at least as far as creating anything new is concerned. (more…)

I saw Drag Me To Hell tonight. I laughed hard on multiple occasions. I jumped on several occasions as well. If you like the thrills, chills, screams, and laughs one gets on an October stroll through a haunted house/woods/hotel you’ll probably dig this movie too. Around every corner you can expect something frightening your pants off while simultaneously making you (and your date) giddy.

This is Sam Raimi at his best. Lots of insanely over the top horror/comedy/action packed into an hour and a half. You can learn about the plot (with spoilers) here. Let me just say that the crazy crap our heroine goes through had me howling in the theater. The movie has it all — witch snot, projectile witch vomit, and nasty gummy witch bites with lots of thick witch drool; all of which seem to end up in, on, or around our heroine’s mouth somehow… Not much blood in the movie unless you count the Monty Python-esque projectile nosebleed.

Perhaps what I really liked was that this isn’t a same ol’ same ol’ Hollywood movie (including the end). Drag Me To Hell isn’t quite a goofy as Raimi’s cult classic Army of Darkness because it pretends to be a real horror flick but there is no denying that this movie has tongue firmly planted in cheek throughout. The result is some good, icky, make-ya-jump fun.

Short review. It sucks.

OK, the longer review.

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Any Ezralites out there?

See the bottom of the post for some great links.

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I heard this song on an All Songs Considered podcast last week and I just had to hear more. It’s called “The Strangers” by St. Vincent.

The album, Actor, doesn’t come out until Tuesday, but NPR has been streaming it for a while now (here). I’m guessing it won’t be available after Tuesday, so hurry up and go listen. You won’t be sorry. Unless, of course, you have crappy taste in music. (more…)

Give it up for the best and most authentic show about firefighters since…well, ever. (more…)

Band of Skulls is a new 3-piece british band that has recently released its debut album, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey.  You can listen to the whole album on their website.  This band is getting a lot of attention right out of the gate and for good reason.  Bassist/vocalist Emma Richardson looks and sounds like a young Chrissy Hynde (but hotter).  Guitarist/vocalist Russell Marsden sounds like a cross between Caleb Followill and Jack White (but hotter).  Drummer Matt Hayward is intense without being overwhelming (but he’s not quite so hot).  This is definitely a new band you will want to check out and will keep listening to for a long time to come.  They are going to be huge (remember, you heard it here first).

When two Irish bands release new albums at the same time, you know it’s going to be a good week. (more…)

The Damnwells have been out of the spotlight for a while.  Since their last album, the stunning breakthrough Air Stereo, the band went on a grueling tour, had their van break down and was unceremoniously dropped by their label (not to name names, but it was Epic–feel free to send hate mail). (more…)

We talked about doing this as a podcast, and several other ideas were floated, but in the end we decided just to post this discussion between some of us about the best albums of the year.  Tell us about your own nominees or vote on the ones we mention.  Read the full discussion (with some small edits for clarity and content by an authoritative editor) after the jump.  Also relevant to this discussion are previous 2008  music posts located here, here and especially here: (more…)

I gave you earlier the bad of 2008. Now here’s the good.
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OK, everyone is doing their “best of” recollections. And I hear through the grapevine that a music edition is coming here one of these days to education those of us (me) who haven’t been keeping up on music. But this one is your general catch-all for the kudos and pet peeves of the year. What rocked your boat and what pissed you off. Entertainment-wise that is.

To start with I give you the bad. A followup post will give you the good.

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It’s rare to have two highly-anticipated albums come out on the same day, especially two albums by bands that have so much in common, and which actually turn out to be good.  Which is why this past week’s confluence of releases by Fall Out Boy and The All-American Rejects is so great: it showcases two pop/rock acts at the top of their game.

It also shows a couple of bands with a sense of humor: (more…)

I can’t believe we haven’t talked about this yet, so I’m going to kick it off.  (more…)

We got there right after the doors opened and snagged spots by the stage.

When you hear the music ringing in your soul
And you feel it in your heart and it grows and grows
It comes from the backstreet, rock & roll
And the healing has begun

The whole thing seems so surreal. I still can’t believe it happened. Van Morrison performed all of Astral Weeks at the Hollywood Bowl, two nights only, for an upcoming DVD release. And I saw it!
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Snow Patrol’s astronomically-themed new album A Hundred Million Suns was released today and, just like that, we have a new contender for album of the year. (more…)

This show was at the Wiltern, which is a sucky venue for a show like this. It`s a bigger-sized theater. I prefer my metal at small all ages clubs where if you`re against the stage you`re in danger of having the band step on you or stupid drunk guys spitting beer on you. None of this sitting-in-a-balcony, watching-from-afar crap.

So yeah, I got balcony seats. (more…)

I don’t know where to start!

OK. At the beginning…All I knew going into this show was that we had tickets way up in the balcony, it started at 7:30, and there were no opening bands.

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Speaking of the 80s, you will all remember a certain filmmaker from that time period who made mostly teen movies and was very successful in representing teens and their lives in what was considered at the time to be a new, more realistic way.   (more…)