MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

"Feel the Noise" (Rated PG-13, dir. Alejandro Chomski)
A run-in with local Harlem thugs forces aspiring rapper Rob (played by former B2K frontman Omarion) to flee to Puerto Rico, where he discovers hip-hop and Latin flavor married in the music of reggaeton.

"The Heartbreak Kid" (Rated R, dir. Bobby & Peter Farrelly)
The Farrelly Brothers’ latest offering is a remake of the 1972 romantic comedy “The Heartbreak Kid.” In this update, Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller), upon deciding that he is too picky regarding women, sparks up a romance with and impulsively marries Lila (Malin Akerman), realizing on his honeymoon that he can’t stand her.

"The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising" (Rated PG, dir. David L. Cunningham)
This adaptation of Susan Cooper’s classic "The Dark Is Rising" fantasy series finds an unsuspecting young man (Alexander Ludwig) thrust to the cross-dimensional forefront of the culmination of an ages-old battle between the forces of good and evil.

Kumars’ Pick: Nothing looks particularly quality this week, especially with the Farrelly Brothers’ standards having declined considerably since the days of “Kingpin” and “There’s Something About Mary.” “Feel the Noise” looks like another vapid, bland attempt at reining in a profitable urban audience a la “You Got Served” — which, incidentally, starred the members of B2K, including Omarion. I sense a trend. "The Dark Is Rising" series of books is really quite fantastic, in theme and quality. I’m still reeling from the injustice of the “Chronicles of Narnia” film, so forgive my skepticism in saying that “The Seeker” is likely to suck.

NEW CD RELEASES IN STORES THIS WEEK

Dashboard Confessional, “The Shade Of Poison Trees”
Chris Carrabba’s popular emo band returns to its original sound. The record will be entirely acoustic, and although it harkens back to Dashboard’s earlier days, it reflects a certain maturity through its lyrics.

Sunset Rubdown, “Random Spirit Lover”
Originally a Wolf Parade side project, Sunset Rubdown continues to establish itself as a separate entity. “Random Spirit Lover” will be the band’s third album (though its first on Jagjaguwar), and has been said to top their positively-received previous record, “Shut Up I Am Dreaming.”

The Most Serene Republic, “Population”
Canada’s Most Serene Republic drop their sophomore effort. The band (which, by the way, recorded a split single with C-U’s own Headlights) blends influences of jazz, pop, and progressive rock, topping it all off with a healthy dose of lo-fi production.

Erin’s Pick: Well, I’m not going to lie to you. Dashboard Confessional will always have a special place in my heart. They got me through some tough times, man. Anyway, what’s interesting is that all this hype about a return to their old sound is kind of true. I was pretty disgusted by what I heard from their last album, but this one seems to touch on that special place for me. Even so, I don’t think I’ll buy it. I have the older albums if I need them, and I don’t listen to them much anymore anyway.

NEW DVD RELEASES IN STORES THIS WEEK

"Jindabyne" (Rated R, dir. Ray Lawrence)
Laura Linney (“The Squid & the Whale”) and Gabriel Byrne (“The Usual Suspects”) star in this adult drama about a group of men whose fishing trip is interrupted by the discovery of a dead woman’s body.

"1408" (Rated PG-13, dir. Mikael Haefstroem)
John Cusack stars as skeptical horror novelist Mike Enslin, who gets more than he bargained for when he checks into the famously haunted Room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel for his latest project. “Ghoulies and ghosties don’t exist,” he says, but the room has something to say about that.

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (Rated PG-13, dir. Tim Story)
The Marvel comics superheroes return to fight the Silver Surfer, the intergalactic herald of destruction, in a battle for the survival of our planet.

Kumars’ Pick: Again, nothing looks particularly quality. I’ve seen “1408” and find it a sufficiently scary and surprisingly tasteful supernatural thriller, but even the cream of the horror crop these days isn’t necessarily worth a rental fee if you’re not a fan of films that go bump in the night. Despite featuring Jessica Alba’s remarkable figure quite prominently, the first “Fantastic Four” film was more or less the cinematic equivalent of a particularly odious fart, and I have no reason to believe that “Rise of the Silver Surfer” would prove to be a significant improvement. That leaves us with “Jindabyne”, which must at least have a decent screenplay if it got Gabriel Byrne to crawl out of his hole. God, it must be so much less depressing previewing music. Erin, can we trade?

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Wednesday, Oct. 3: Smoking Popes, The Safes, Urinal Mints, 8 p.m., cost TBA.
A classic pop-punk group (and known influence to bands like Fall Out Boy and Alkaline Trio), Smoking Popes make the trip from Chicago to Champaign, accompanied by fellow Chi-town pop-punkers The Safes and Indiana’s Urinal Mints.

Thursday, Oct. 4: Agent Mos, Armageddon, Duckman, Tone, Cypha, Text, Scottswood, 9th Degree, Shaolin, Jonah, MCK, Code Red, 7 p.m., Club E’llusions, $5.
Agent Mos (Champaign-Urbana’s 2006 Hip-Hop artist of the year) and Chicago political hip-hop group Armageddon join forces with other local acts to support comprehensive sex education. All proceeds from the show will go to Planned Parenthood’s Teen Awareness Group (TAG).

Sunday, Oct. 7: Eleni Mandell, Post Historic, 8 p.m., Courtyard Café, cost TBA.
Chicago’s Post Historic provide an alt-rock opening for LA singer-songwriter Eleni Mandell.

Erin’s Pick: Darn it, these all look like worthwhile shows. Especially the Wednesday and Thursday ones. But, if I have to pick, I’ll definitely go with the TAG Hip Hop Benefit Show. This will be for a few reasons:

1. I work for TAG, and am therefore on staff for the show.

2. The acts will be awesome, and will bring together people from different “scenes”. For example, Agent Mos is a prominent figure in the Urbana-Champaign Hip-Hop Congress (UC HipHop) and will therefore attract many university hip-hop fans and other members of the organization, while Duckman is more prominent on the punk scene, and will attract those members of our community.

3. I’ve been meaning to see Agent Mos and/or Duckman for a while now, and now I have a great excuse.

4. The show is all-ages and open to everybody — it’s totally accessible! As you might guess, Club E’llusions isn’t usually open to minors on a Thursday night, so I think this show might be a cool opportunity in that respect (especially because that club’s not really on my scene and I don’t go there even when they do have teen nights).