MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

"3:10 to Yuma" (Rated R, dir. James Mangold)
James Mangold directs this Wild West thriller about a broke rancher (Christian Bale) who takes an assignment transporting a dangerous outlaw (Russell Crowe) to an imprisonment facility. The allure of the criminal life gets the better of Bale when Crowe offers him a chance for grand adventure and a bigger reward than he could have possibly imagined.

"The Brothers Solomon" (Rated R, dir. Bob Odenkirk)
Will Arnett (of TV’s brilliant but short-lived “Arrested Development”) and 'Saturday Night Live"’s Will Forte team up to play sheltered, tactless brothers who must provide their ailing father a grandchild as per his dying wish.

"Shoot ‘Em Up" (Rated R, dir. Michael Davis)
Clive Owen returns to defending newborn babies, this time as Mr. Smith, a mysterious loner who must play cat-and-mouse with a determined criminal (Paul Giamatti), in this aptly titled thriller.

Kumars’ Pick: A real step-up from last week. “Shoot ‘Em Up” doesn’t look nearly as bad as it sounds on paper, especially with the immensely talented Owen-Giamatti combo and the luscious Monica Bellucci playing sexy sidekick to our favorite defender of procreation. “The Brothers Solomon,” despite starring the fantastic Will Arnett, looks the weakest of the bunch. After all, he couldn’t even save “Blades of Glory,” and this one looks particularly crass. “3:10 to Yuma” looks like a pretty good bet for bang-bang action and tasteful machismo on the part of the two most badass men in Hollywood who aren’t named Kiefer. The pre-release hype and the fact that James Mangold (“Walk the Line,” “Identity”) isn’t a particularly solid director might serve as hints that this Western has a good chance of disappointing, but I’d give it the edge over the Clive Owen vehicle.

NEW CD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, Sept. 4)

Calvin Harris, "I Created Disco"
Envision this: Pharrell Williams, Jamiroquai, and Daft Punk enter a room, collectively down 100 Pixy Stix, and proceed to jam the night away. That’s more or less the sound you’ll get from this Scot’s debut album, which has already sent two singles to the top of the U.K. charts.

Manu Chao, "La Radiolina"
International favorite Manu Chao continues his reign over world music. “La Radiolina” holds a bit of a stylistic change for Chao, containing songs with a more notable rock influence (as well as his first song in Italian), but stays true to his origins of Latin-American, Caribbean, French, and Middle Eastern music.

Heavy Trash, "Going Way Out With Heavy Trash"
Think Wayfarers, sideburns, and lots of pomade. Heavy Trash – Yep Roc’s incarnation of rockabilly – preserves the age-old genre, using twangy guitars, double bass, echoing vocals, and an irreverent, punk attitude.

Erin’s Pick: “La Radiolina.” Having used Manu Chao’s music to stave off hours of boredom-induced oblivion aboard a bus traversing the Spanish countryside, I think I can say that I have truly appreciated this man’s work in my day. His slower, reggae-influenced songs are calming (but not lacking in emotion or interest), and his quicker songs, such as “Mujer Golpeada” (“Beaten Woman”), use lively musical styles like merengue to make you want to dance, but can also carry a serious message. Basically, his music contains a healthy variety of tones, and spreads them within an even more multifaceted repertoire of language and style.

DVD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, Sept. 4)

"Delta Farce" (Rated PG-13, dir. C.B. Harding)
Critics trashed this comedy starring "Blue Collar TV" regulars Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in which three rednecks invade Mexico, mistaking it for Iraq. Hilarity ensues.

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (Not Rated, dir. Ken Loach)
The immensely talented Cillian Murphy (of “28 Days Later” and “Batman Begins” fame) headlines a cast of fresh faces in this critically lauded indie about two brothers caught in the middle of the civil war following Ireland’s violent secession from Britain.

"Georgia Rule" (Rated R, dir. Garry Marshall)
Almost as critically rejected as “Delta Farce” is this conventional feminine story about three generations of women, starring Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman, and Lindsay Lohan.

Kumars’ Pick: Really, the only new release that has even a moderate chance of being worth a $3 rental fee is Ken Loach’s “The Wind That Shakes the Barley,” which I lazily missed when it played at Boardman’s despite a strong recommendation from French teacher John Garvey. I certainly won’t pass up the opportunity to give this gem a go. Other than that, choosing between blue collar slapstick and saccharine feminism is really just like choosing between a drunk-driving, crack-fiend teen celebrity and Lindsay Lohan.

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Thursday, September 6: Brian Vander Ark, Ryan Groff, Cary Judd, 8 p.m., Courtyard Café, cost TBA. Cary Judd will open the evening, layering acoustic guitar over drum machine. Following him, Brian Vander Ark (formerly of The Verve Pipe) will perform his pop-infused piano rock, and local acoustic favorite Ryan Groff will complete the show.

Thursday, September 6: Poster Children, Headlights, Oh Astro, 8 p.m., Krannert Art Museum: Link Gallery, free. Poster Children are one of a few things everyone in C-U has to thank for the resurgence of downtown Champaign and our local music scene. Headlights are one of the most popular (and arguably best) things to come out of that scene in recent years, going so far as to land a spot at SXSW last spring. And, well … Oh Astro is absolutely unrelated, but has been described as sounding like “staring into a broken television screen.” An interesting lineup, this is.

Erin’s Pick: Much as I love Ryan Groff, I have to opt for the Krannert Art Museum show. My reasoning: Ryan Groff plays a lot of gigs. And I see him around town all the time, at pretty much any event that’s important in our arts or music scene. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to see him again. The Krannert show, on the other hand, will be hosting Poster Children, who I have never seen, and who are local titans. Plus, it’s free. I think the answer is pretty clear.