marvel comics - fear itself

it's not that i dislike marvel's latest crossover event.. it's just that i wanted to like it more. marvel has been good about keeping up with current events and reflecting that in their comics, but fear itself doesn't go far enough. it is a very tense time in the world with economic breakdowns and war... but the fear itself story line seems compartmentalized and cut off from the larger world. i want empathy and connection from a book supposedly reflecting modern culture in way that you can analyze. it's worth reading just don't be expecting grand statements on the world. - ben hunt

x-men 2

x-men first class may have been one of the best of of this summer, but i still say x-men 2 was one of the better sequels ever made. it took everything right about the first one and amplified it while getting rid of the cheesiness of the first one. in my mind that was done by giving the movie a darker tone and being more real world with the dialog. the script and execution of the film making showed a true love of the source material and a deep respect for the medium of comics. 2 things every comic book movies need to be successful.

henry rollins - fanatic vol 1

Henry rollins never ceases to amaze me. music, film, writing, radio host, the guy has done it all. and still has hours left over to listen and research music. fanatic is detailed guide to the music he played on his radio show Harmony in My Head. it is a truly informative and humorous way to be introduced to hundreds of elusive songs and bands. rollins has done his homework with this one, he gives a background on each song and info on how to find it yourself if you are so inclined. that's rollins for you. always making the rest of us look lazy..

misery - the movie..

stephen king works best when he's working with a simple, terrifying premise. On paper misery is just that.. a writer in a car accident is cared for by his number 1 fan, who just happens to be psychotic. he can't leave and she goes more and more insane when she learns he has killed off her favorite character. horrifying? absolutely. in the film adaption, rob reiner stays true to the movie and manages to bring the horror of the book to life in an undiluted way. but it is really kathy bates who plays annie wilkes to complete madness personified. her performance earned her an academy award and scared everyone who saw the movie. Well done.

tori amos - night of hunters by special guest reviewer jenny joy white.

over the course of her career, tori amos has heard her calling. every experience that tori takes you on is there on its own right, a wonderful and creative adventure. Night of hunters has this creativity plus lyrics that take you back to "core" tori.

As for the contributions on this album by her daughter Tash, as a huge fan amos it is crazy in in a good and exciting way to say that "job's coffin" has been the track that i can't seem to get enough of. Her vocals hit with same power as her mother's. Over the years tori, trough her music, has talked of her struggles and challenges of parenthood, now her daughter shares center stage to become part of her mother's creation. Tori has become ethereal and it takes the album to a whole new level.

Also of note is the contributions of Kelsey Dobyns, tori's niece, which are very complimentary to tori's melody. in the end this album is a family affair.

whether you are listening to tori singing alone or with the others, from start to finish it is a fantastic work of art.

witkin

it is true that joel peter witkin's work is grotesque and at times horrifying, but what many overlook is the detail and care and, dare i say it, beauty, of his photos. you don't have to have a taste for the morbid to see how much preparation his work takes. he sees beauty in the dark side of life and in doing so takes a power away from the things that go bump in the night and plague the psyche.

harmacy

sebadoh' harmacy has always been my favorite of lou barlow's albums. it's not as noisy or inventive as some of his other work, but it's catchy and raw enough to stand with landmarks of 90s indie rock. even though these songs are hummable they still have edge. i'm just waiting for the rest of you hipsters to notice how good it is.