Directed by Martin Scorsese Written by John Logan Martin Scorsese works with talented people on both sides of the camera and The Aviator is certainly no exception to this axiom. While the skillful performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, portraying Howard Hughes and Katherine Hepburn, are the most obvious …

Saxophonist Stan Getz and vibes player Cal Tjader were mutual admirers of each other’s work and had wanted to record together for some time. Finally in 1958 they found themselves both in San Francisco; Getz was booked at the Black Hawk in San Francisco, and Tjader was taking time off. …

Directed and Screenplay by Michael Radford Based on the play by William Shakespeare. For those of you who didn’t read the Cliffs Notes in school, here’s a brief synopsis: Bassanio needs to raise some money in his efforts to woo Portia of Belmont. His good friend, Antonio, is short of …

Book the First: The Bad Beginning The author, Lemony Snicket, lets the reader know right from the start that The Bad Beginning isn’t going to have a happy ending, so if that’s what you are looking for, then you “would be better of reading some other book.” Snicket is very …

Directed by Fritz Lang Screenplay by Fritz Lang & Thea von Harbou The Criterion Collection Criterion has re-released and restored Lang’s marvelous film M(1931). Peter Lorre plays Hans Beckert, a serial killer of children on the loose in Post WWI Germany. The film isn’t a mystery because early on we …

Irons’ previous work as a former drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam does nothing to prepare the listener for Attention Dimension. An appropriate title because if you listen long enough and attentively enough, your mind will travel to another dimension. The album starts off with “Jackie Groove,” …

The story of The Cure begins.

With more countries around the world gaining nuclear capabilities, U2’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is a manual on how to deal with the inevitable future world conflicts. The simple, obvious lessons about love, peace and faith are nothing new; Bono has sung these stories many times throughout the …

Umphrey’s McGee Key Club, West Hollywood, California 10.21.04 Umphrey’s McGee play what they want for as long as they want, and a live setting is a great showcase for their free-flowing musical jams that have more in common with progressive rock than the Grateful Dead. The sold-out show at the …

Directed by Alireza Raisian Screenplay by Kambuzia Partovi Story by Abbas Kiarostami A photographer, Mahmoud, is driving along a rural road, slowing down to take occasional pictures. He gets out of the car and we see that his wife has been riding alongside him in the passenger seat. This slow …