By Jono Baron & Erin Hayes
Gargoyle senior editor & staff reporter

Posted Monday, March 12, 2007, The OG, arts

EACH WEEK WE'LL look ahead to the next releases in entertainment, from movies opening in C-U to DVDs and CDs hitting the stores. Plus we'll give you the heads-up on the best local concerts and performances scheduled for the coming week.

MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

“Premonition” (official site)

Sandra Bullock's character, Linda Hanson, leads a perfect life until she receives word of her husband's death in a car accident. But Linda wakes up the next morning to find that her husband is alive and well, and everything is still “perfect.” Of course, this wouldn't be a psychological thriller if everything were really well — as it turns out, Linda's awakening forces her to fight an all-out war to preserve her husband's life and win in the battle against fate.

Opens Friday at the Beverly 18 and Savoy 16.

“Dead Silence” (official site)

From the creators of the “Saw” comes this new, fairly generic horror film. Jamie and Lisa Ashen are newlyweds. When Lisa is mysteriously murdered, Jamie must spend the rest of the film searching for the true reasons behind his wife's death before it's pinned on him. He digs into the past of their hometown, Ravens Fair, and uncovers the spooky legend of Mary Shaw, a ventriloquist who went mad and was killed years ago but whose dolls seem to have returned from the grave.

Opens Friday at the Beverly 18 and Savoy 16.

Jono's Pick: “Premonition.” While I don't really go for Sandra Bullock as an actress, and the plot sounds like a twisted episode of “Star Trek” (I would know — I used to watch it all the time), this doesn't mean the film is going to be completely disappointing either. Even though surrealist dilemmas surrounding the notion of death are overused by now, they still allure me — the unknown is always an adventure, right? That's why this plot has become so clichéd anyway. I don't know if “Premonition” will ultimately be worth $6.50, but if nothing else, a generic psychological thriller definitely beats yet another generic horror film.

NEW CD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, March 13 / Tuesday, March 20)

Aqualung, “Memory Man”

Aqualung (aka Matt Hales), an English singer-songwriter, releases his second album in the U.S. His melodic piano rock and sweet falsetto fall in line with echoing ambient instrumentation, creating a sense of distance and space while simultaneously propelling him to the forefront of modern Britpop. This sophomore release finds Hales reaching beyond his comfort zone of viscous, atmospheric tunes; he utilizes a variety of new sounds, from radio interference to heavy guitars.

Mobb Deep, “The Infamous Archives”

Hardcore rap duo Mobb Deep (composed of producer Havoc and MC Prodigy) take listeners on a journey through the best and oldest works of their career. This robust, double-disc collection of 30 songs (primarily from the mid-to-late '90s) brings the harsh nature of ghetto life into focus. “Archives” highlights the duo's signature, dynamic “street” tone, which made them an irreplaceable staple of the hardcore rap scene. The album also features collaborations with the likes of Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, and Onyx.

Joss Stone, “Introducing Joss Stone”

British soul singer Joss Stone follows up her 2004 Grammy-nominated record “Mind, Body & Soul” with this entirely self-written album. In a January interview with Harp Magazine, Stone revealed the new record's attitude of self-expression, declaring the album to be “truly me,” and stating that “this is who I am as an artist.” The album mixes several old-school sounds, such as Motown and '70s R&B, with hip hop, and it features collaborations with such artists as Common and Lauryn Hill. (This CD will hit stores March 20, but we'll be on spring break then, so this is our last chance to give you advance notice.)

Erin's Pick: “Memory Man.” I'm a sucker for a good love ballad (“Wonderwall”!), and I'm a sucker for Britpop (Oasis!). The first single from this record, “Pressure Suit,” fits both of these categories, and while I wouldn't dare equate it to the eternal greatness of Oasis' most clichéd classic, I am head over heels for it. Matt Hales ingeniously leads the song on his beautiful vocals (which, at times, call to mind harmonies of Radiohead songs like “Let Down”), climbing through a series of eruptive choruses and emotional lyrics to create one of the most graceful and convincing pop songs I have heard in a long time. I listened to it about 20 times on repeat Sunday night, and I'm still not remotely tired of it. To use the words of John Darnielle, this track is “lovely stuff,” and if it is at all indicative of the record as a whole, “Memory Man” will undoubtedly be worth my money.

NEW DVD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, March 13)

“Casino Royale” (official site)

“Casino Royale,” the latest entry in the James Bond Saga, is finally ready to be delivered to your home theater. For many, “Casino Royale” represented a fresh breath of creativity to the Bond movie franchise, with a new star (Daniel Craig as Bond), a more stripped-down, simple plot (without the vast multitudes of strange inventions and gadgets we've seen, especially since “Goldeneye”), and an overall artistic feel in terms of cinematography, acting, and even just subject matter. This DVD does justice to all of these wonders that made the film as popular as it was upon its release, with features ranging from behind-the-scenes looks at Craig's introduction to playing Bond to shorts on the “Bond Girls” over the years to music videos. At a reasonable price of less than $20 with all these features, “Casino Royale” looks like a great buy.

Jono's Pick: “Casino Royale.” Everything you need to know is here in my review from when the film was first released. I've loved Bond flicks for about as long as I can remember — in fact, one of the first films I do remember is “Goldeneye,” which remains one of my personal favorites to this day — but to me, 2002's “Die Another Day” represented the Bond series in decline. When I saw that “Casino Royale” was being released specifically to correct this error in the system, I was ecstatic. Daniel Craig was already a favorite actor of mine since seeing “Layer Cake,” and I knew he could do justice to the role (even if his hair was indeed a bit too light). In the end, I saw this movie three times. Now that it's out on DVD, I know that I can buy it … and watch it practically limitlessly. Is this DVD worth it? I certainly think so. Are you going to buy it? I certainly think you should.

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Thursday, March 15: Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour, 6:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, $26.75 students; $29.75 public. Kevin Lyman, the creator of the famous Warped Tour, has done it again. This year's Taste of Chaos tour boasts a lineup of some of the most important acts in the world of post-punk, post-hardcore, screamo, and goth rock. The tour is headlined by The Used, and other acts include 30 Seconds To Mars, Senses Fail, Saosin, Chiodos, Aiden, and Evaline.

Thursday, March 15: Zmick, MetroVox, Ramblers, 8 p.m., Courtyard Café at the Illini Union, $3 students; $4 public. Chicago indie/alternative band MetroVox bring their mesmerizing guitars and haunting vocals south to Champaign, as local progressive-rock/jazz-improv group Zmick round out the set with Ramblers.

Erin's Pick: Taste of Chaos. I've got to say, Bert McCracken (lead singer of The Used) is one of the most incredible vocalists of our day. He's known for the passion he puts into his work; he has to keep a wastebasket nearby during recording sessions because he occasionally screams so hard he vomits. His yelling, however, serves only as emotional accentuation to the prevailing, crystalline melodies he manages to hit almost unfailingly, despite years of wear and tear on his vocal chords. From the band's live performances I've seen on DVD, it is apparent that this level of commitment and skill does not stop in the studio. McCracken puts the same amount of heart and soul into every note or scream, regardless of the setting, and if I have the privilege of seeing this present-day rock legend live, I will be one happy girl.