How do you say "circling vultures" in Spanish? | Photo courtesy of Paramount Vantage I'm still a bit surprised that Into the Wild was so completely overlooked during awards season. Sure it meandered a bit, but the acting and directing were all top-notch. And how on earth was Eddie Vedder's "Hard Sun" skipped over by the Academy in favor of three--three!--songs from Enchantment? This may sound weird, but I liked everything about Mr. Magorium's......

Photo courtesy of Miramax When was the last time an actor executed a more profound career turnaround than Casey Affleck? Gone Baby Gone is his second superb performance of the year. If you don't see it for him, see it for Amy Ryan's breakout, Oscar-nominated turn. The mere presence of the divine Anne Hathaway makes Becoming Jane worth renting. James McAvoy was better in this than in the over-hyped (but still good) Atonement. No......

As a devoted fan of Wet Hot American Summer, I feel it's my duty to give top-billing to the equally hilarious The Ten. I'm not sure there was a more surreal comic moment last year than Liev Schreiber's competition with his neighbor over--what else--CAT-scan machines. I almost resent Ricky Gervais for not sticking with Extras a few more years. There are now only three funny shows left on TV. Between grief and Good Luck......

So, yeah, Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and Superbad are the big releases this weekend. Honestly, I liked both movies well enough, but neither deserves the #1 slot in the weekly rundown like Battlestar Galactica: Razor does. Since new episodes of the best show on television won't air until March 2008, we'll have to make do with this 2-hour movie that follows the adventures of the Pegasus after the treacherous Cylon attack against the......

Two of the four big summer three-quels hit DVD shelves today. Neither is worth your money. Better to spend it on La Vie en Rose, featuring one of the best performances in years by the amazing Marion Cotillard. Better yet, make it a French double-feature and pick up Paris Je T'Aime, too. If you haven't yet, invest a weekend watching Berlin Alexanderplatz. And, yes, it will take the whole weekend. Christmas and South Park......

There were probably worse movies released this year than Mr. Brooks (see Norbit, The Game Plan). However, Mr. Brooks was undeniably the most absurd. Everyone plays against type--to hilarious results. This is definitely a must-rental, but only if you plan to get really stoned. The final episodes of The Sopranos are finally available. What really happened to Tony during the much-hyped finale? I think it was all a dream inside an autistic boy's head.......

Surf's Up was actually better than Happy Feet but, as my grandpa used to always tell me, the second Penguin-themed animated movie never does as well as the first. 28 Weeks Later may lack the novelty of 28 Days Later, but it's just as tense and terrifying. The fate of Robert Carlyle is truly awful. Amazingly, even Steve Carrell can be unfunny sometimes. YHWH is truly powerful. John Dahl never gets the rich praise......

Ten years from now we may look back at 300 as the movie that heralded the final shift away from the star-driven, mega-budget blockbuster paradigm. In an increasingly risk-managed world, why not spend 60 million dollars on a whole movie instead of 25 million on Tom Cruise or one of the Wills? Hot Fuzz signals the definite arrival of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg that was so strongly hinted at in Shaun of the......

Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party - Ultra Payloaded (Sony) R. Kelly - Double Up (Jive) Transformers: The Movie - Original Soundtrack [20th Anniversary Edition] (Sony Legacy) Richard Thompson - Sweet Warrior (Shout! Factory) Moonbabies - Moonbabies at the Ballroom (Hidden Agenda) The Smithereens - Green Thoughts [REISSUE] (American Beat) Cary Brothers - Who You Are (Bluhammock) Madagascar - Goodbye East, Goodbye West (Western Vinyl) Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith - Sittin' in a Tree... (Ye......

New Releases May 1, 2007 Dirty Dancing: 20th Anniversary Edition [Soundtrack] [Original Recording Remastered] [Extra Tracks] (RCA) Feist - The Reminder (Cherry Tree) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (Universal) Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond (Fat Possum) Joan Armatrading - Into the Blues (429 Records) Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism, Pt. 2 [Enhanced] Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (Hip-O) Angelique Kidjo - Djin Djin (featuring Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Ziggy Marley,......

The Ataris - Welcome the Night (Sanctuary) David Bowie - Station to Station [VCT] (Virgin) David Bromberg - Try Me One More Time (Appleseed) Bobby Conn - King for a Day (Thrill Jockey) Dean & Britta - Back Numbers (Rounder) Delorean - You Can't Win (Yep Roc) John Denver - Essential John Denver (RCA) Dr. Dog - We All Belong (Park the Van) Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue [30th Anniversary Edition]......

I still want a hula hoop. But I'll settle for a sweet stash of new music and reissues. Here are the newbies for this festive holiday week. [via All Music] Rock America - Silent Letter/Alibi (Beat Goes On) Bananarama - Really Saying Something: The Platinum Collection (WEA International) Beloved, The - Platinum Collection: Sun's Rising/Halcyon (WEA International) Bronski Beat/Communards - Age of Consent/Platinum Collection (WEA International) Emma Bunton - Life in Mono [Bonus Tracks]......

Ciara - The Evolution (comes with limited-edition DVD; LaFace) Billy Cobham's Glassmenagerie - Stratus (MVD Audio) Danny Elfman - "Charlotte's Web" soundtrack (Sony Classical) Dreamgirls soundtrack (two-CD deluxe edition also available; Columbia/ Sony Music Soundtrax) "Fast Food Nation" soundtrack (Park the Van) James Horner - "Mel Gibson's Apocalypto" soundtrack (Hollywood) Lil Scrappy - Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live (Reprise) Brian McKnight - 10 (Warner Bros.) Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (Interscope) Eminem......

"We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark...and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it." It's hard to believe that 25 years have passed since the Blues Brothers first appeared on the silver screen, but they have. Harder still to believe that this movie holds up so well, and packs a powerhouse assembly of Blues and Soul music that have never been seen since in a film other than a......