Criticize This!

COMIC BOOKS #38: Mighty Avengers, Thor, Countdown, and more!

Graphic Novel:
Daredevil: The Devil, Inside and Out

Series:
Mighty Avengers #12
Thor #8
Countdown #1
Death of the New Gods 8 of 8

COMIC BOOKS is written, shot, and edited by Michael Goldberg

New on DVD - April 29, 2008

A scene from The Diving Bell & Butterfly

The Diving Bell & Butterfly Criticize This! pick of the week - An amazing film based on the true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby after he suffered a stroke and was left trapped inside his body paralyzed. Read the book beforehand (which was written by him blinking his left eye) to get a real sense of what he went through.

The Golden Compass - Creepy, controversial fantasy film based on the book of the same name. Starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Also available on Blu-Ray.

27 Dresses - Annoying romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl stars as a woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times (but never a bride). Also available on Blu-Ray.

MOVIE REVIEW: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

As far as romantic relationships go, it's pretty much the worst-case scenario. The woman/man of your dreams dumps you, you take off for some much needed r & r to help purge them from your mind, and they show up at the same vacation spot.

An unlikely scenario, to be sure, but that's the premise of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, an amusing and at-times clever comedy from producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad).

New in theaters - April 25, 2008

Baby Mama - Single career woman Kate (Tina Fey) decides at 37 that she'd like to have a baby. When she's told by her doctor her chances of getting pregnant are extremely slim, she opts to have a surrogate carry her child. That surrogate is free spirit Angie (Amy Poehler). When Angie shows up at Kate's place with nowhere to live, Kate grudgingly invites her to stay, paving the way for a battle of wills between the two couldn't-be-more-different women.

DVD REVIEW: Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story

"Box Office Smash hit!"  "Two Thumbs Way Up!"  "Prevents diarrhea!"  These phrases (I've got more!) would never be used to describe Walk Hard, but let's not be too harsh.  At one and half hours, The Dewey Cox Story is an entertaining satirical mockumentary of a musician who happens to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Cash with a thumb to his nose.  That's precisely the image I had of the movie going in, and that opinion changed a little.  For the better.

The parallels to Johnny Cash's life are blatant:  A young boy feels responsible for his brothers death and his father (effectively) disowns him.  He turns to music, his only outlet.  Married at an early age, our star has children, but due (probably) to some childhood issues, turns his back away from them and instead to his new duet partner, just to reconcile most of his relationships before the end of the movie.  Mix in some drugs, sex and a tour bus full of fart humour, and you've got yourself a set list from Saturday Night Live.

New on DVD - April 22, 2008

Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in The Savages

The Savages Criticize This! pick of the week - Great writing, acting, and directing help make The Savages a film worth multiple viewings. Starring Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Charlie Wilson's War - Interesting look at Texas congressman Charlie Wilson and his dealings in Afghanistan. Tom Hanks stars as the title character but Phillip Seymour Hoffman steals the movie as CIA agent Gust Avrakotos.

Cloverfield - Horrible shaky-cam monster movie. Enough said. Also available on Blu-Ray.

COMIC BOOKS #37: Captain Marvel, Dresden Files, Superman and more!

New Releases:

Batman & The Outsiders #6
Superman #675
Tangent Comics: Superman's Reign #2 (OF 12)
The Dresden Files
Captain Marvel #5

COMIC BOOKS is written, shot, and edited by Michael Goldberg

CT! WEEKLY - April 20, 2008

-Is it really hard times for the porn industry?

-Bill Cosby is releasing a hip-hop album. Yup.

-Interesting read on the behind-the-scenes battle of The Incredible Hulk.

-Great NPR interview with Uma Thurman.

-Cinematical reviews Zombie Strippers! Can't wait to see it (check out the trailer).

-Pitchfork has a nice Spoon interview.

-10 Scenes of Brutal Violence Guaranteed to Make You Laugh (I'm still laughing at #1).

CT! WEEKLY is a list of the top movie, music, television, game, gadget (and anything else entertaining) news of the week. If you have any news we can use drop us a line at info@criticizethis.net (or post a comment below).

New in theaters - April 18, 2008

88 Minutes - Al Pacino, a college professor also working as an FBI forensic psychiatrist, receives a death threat saying he has 88 minutes to live. In that time he must go through the list of potential suspects, among them a disgruntled student and a former lover, to figure out who has it out for him and foil their plot.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - After an emotional breakup with Sarah, Peter heads to Hawaii to forget about their relationship. But it won't be that easy, as Sarah is staying at the same exclusive resort with her new boyfriend. The latest film produced by Judd Apatow promises the same kind of laughs as Knocked Up and Superbad.

DVD REVIEW: Robyn Hitchcock - Sex, Food, Death…and Insects

If Robyn Hitchcock is an unknown entity to you, a title like Sex, Food, Death…and Insects may read like the ramblings of an idiot or LSD casualty - at the very least, a fetishist of some sort. But Hitchcock is no idiot. Rather, much like the film director of the same last name, he is an auteur - albeit a musical one - of sorts. As far back as his days with The Soft Boys, which first hit the scene in the mid-‘70s, Hitchcock has sung about such things as sex and death, and in the most peculiarly way; as though he were some kind of alien that had just encountered such subject matter for the first time. Thus, all self-respecting alternative rock fans need to be aware of Hitchcock. He’s the spiritual link between pre-punk power-pop days and Flaming Lips modern weirdness.

Loosely revolving around the recording of Hitchcock’s Olé! Tarantula CD, this Sundance Channel original primarily focuses on Hitchcock’s songwriting prowess, as it also includes a few of the famous admirers that helped him make the disc. Peter Buck, REM’s guitarist, is perhaps Hitchcock’s highest profile fan. He is seen on screen performing with his friend, as well as attempting to explain the artist’s unique appeal. But understanding Hitchcock’s appeal is a little like explaining why some folks like black licorice. Scott McCaughey (REM, Minus 5), Chris Ballew (Presidents Of The USA), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin – yep, one of those old-sters), Nick Lowe, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings are also along for the quirky ride.