Robocop lives again! | Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema Michel Gondry is one of the few major directors who still relies on almost entirely visual humor in his films. Be Kind Rewind has numerous instances of pure daffiness and a few nuggets of outright brilliance. Yes, Martin Lawrence still has a flourishing cinematic career. Wonders never cease. For the first couple of episodes, Californication relied a bit too much on David Duchovny banging......

Hope that video camera fires bullets, Mr. Secret Service! | Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Mediocre political thriller Vantage Point topped the box office this weekend, grossing a solid $24M in its opening frame. It was the only new film to do significant business as hold-overs held the next five spots. Jumper dropped precipitously in its second weekend (-54%) but still managed to make $12.65M ($56.2M). Family picture The Spiderwick Chronicles showed considerably more......

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Hollywood's latest exercise in Rashômon-style storytelling is Vantage Point. As most of you no doubt realize because you've seen the trailer a quarter of a million times, Vantage Point deals with the attempted assassination of the President from a multitude of perspectives. As the movie's tagline says, "8 Strangers. 8 Points of View. 1 Truth." Critics have been flaming it with Variety's Justin Chang providing some choice barbs. I......

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema If you think you know what Be Kind Rewind is all about, you're probably mistaken. The film's advertising would lead you to believe that it's a raucous comedy about two losers forced to re-make classic films on a zero budget to hilarious effect. While that's certainly a major plot point, it only exists to serve what I think is the film's subtext. Namely, Be Kind Rewind is a......

Photo courtesy of Focus Features Even on the best days, the Sundance Film Festival is an extremely hectic place to be. Screenings and events often overlap and are spread all over town, and even though the public transportation is good (and free!), it can still be a nightmare to get someplace quickly. Cabs can be hard to come by and parking (when available) is expensive. Furthermore, there are always going to be lines waiting......

The critically acclaimed Black Star album not only introduced the world to two gifted emcees, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, it also opened the world's eyes and ears to the sounds of Cincinnati native, Hi-Tek. Born, Tony Cottrell, Tek has since gone on to become one of hip hop's elite producers working with the likes of everyone from 50 Cent to Snoop to Common to Nas to The Game. Today, the follow up to one......

Jennifer Lopez's twins will receive the royal treatment- the mommy to be was seen picking up onesies that read "Prince" and "Princess" - NY Daily News A new feud perhaps? Jessica Simpson reportedly "went nuts" after hearing that her faux BFF Eva Longoria was haning out with ex John Mayer - Page Six Paris Hilton an Oompa Loompa hero? The heiress gave comfort and protection to a dismayed and injured performer dressed as an......

Let's face it, 2007 was a mediocre year for movies. Although there are still a couple months left for 2007 to prove it's cinema value, overall it was a disappointing year. Sure Hollywood gave us "300", "Zodiac", and "Once", but we also got "The Number 23", "Norbit", and "Code Name: The Cleaner". So I have my eyes set on 2008, which seems to have a wonderful slate of features for us to see at......

Large crowds, temps close to 100 degrees and pepper spray in the air. Ahh yes, just another night in San Bernardino. The premiere hip hop (+ one Rage Against the Machine) festival Rock The Bells rolled through the 909 this past weekend and what was billed as a celebration of respect and unity turned into a bit of a mob scene. There was something for every hip hop fan on the bill. Your backpackers......

Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, Nas, the Roots, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Sage Francis, Brother Ali @ Hyundai Pavillion John Densmore & Tribal Jazz @ LACMA (5pm) Poison, Ratt @ Gibson Hookah, Saccharine Trust, Ghidra @ Mr. T's Bowl Minnie Driver, Mark Olson, AM @ The Hotel Cafe Cheap Trick @ Hollywood Bowl Very Be Careful @ The Bordello Danger Kitty @ The Canyon Scissors for Lefty, Gran Ronde......

Every day people attempt and succeed at suicide. Some of those people are very bad and we're better for it, but most should be given reasons to stick around one more day, because things WILL improve. Hopefully. Maybe. Probably. No it will get better. Relax. It will. What's keeping us alive is knowing that Jack Black has teamed up with Michel Gondry, kickass director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Mos Def,......

LA’s Stones Throw Records are quickly becoming the most important purveyors of independent hip-hop in the new millennium, much like East Coast indie stalwarts Rawkus were in the late 1990s. There is, however, one particularly notable difference between the two. While both labels are known for their independent spirit and bohemian rosters of hip-hop artists (Stones Throw with Madlib and his many aliases, MF Doom, J Dilla, et al and Rawkus was with Mos......

Tonight - Tuesday - January 9th, 2006 Lakers @ Grizzlies (KCAL, 5:00 p.m.) Ducks @ Predators (PRIME, 5:00 p.m.) "Dateline NBC" (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) The one-track minds at NBC have dug up yet another polygamist murderer "Rome" (HBO, 8:00 p.m.) HBO is rerunning Season One in preparation for the season two debut on Sunday. Look for my upcoming DVD review on the Season-One set. "House" (FOX, 9:00 p.m.) House is back - and he......

Femi Kuti will be forever known as the son of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, but at the Hollywood Bowl Sunday night, the son proved once again that he can live up to his father’s legacy – and then some. Part of KCRW’s World Music Series at the Bowl, the mix of American jazz-funk and the African rhythms that characterize the London-born, Nigerian-raised Kuti’s music energized even the generally laid back LA crowd.......

So how would you end a weekend in which you have the number one movie in the country? Well, if you're Mos Def, you cold rock a party like it was Krush Groove. The Mighty Mos Def and Talib Kweli closed the main stage (to a much smaller crowd than Nine Inch Nails which, we think, had to do with Goldenvoice not naming Mos and Talib in the adverts or the program) with an......

Well, we've survived the first leg of awards season so far. The Golden Globes are over, Industry-types are off to Park City for Sundance and the Oscar nomination/winner odds-making begins in earnest. Now is the time for out-of-town journalists to do their legwork about town in order to find new ways to describe the luxuriousness of Wolfgang Puck's Oscar Ball menu or give readers a verbal blueprint of this year's location for the Vanity......