MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

"Michael Clayton" (Rated R, dir. Tony Gilroy)
George Clooney stars in the title role as a "fixer" for a major corporate law firm in New York. He specializes in cleaning up the firm's dirtiest, most difficult messes. He faces a crisis of conscience when he realizes his firm has been in the wrong on a significant case.

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Rated PG-13, dir. Shekhar Kapur)
Shekhar Kapur’s sequel to his critically acclaimed 1998 historical drama “Elizabeth” finds the titular monarch (Cate Blanchett) embroiled in conflict with Spain’s warmongering King Philip II and a tragic romance with Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen).

"We Own the Night" (Rated R, dir. James Gray)
Two brothers, an NYPD officer (Mark Wahlberg) and the manager of a mob-owned nightclub (Joaquin Phoenix), team up to fight the Russian mafia, each for his own reason.

"The Final Season" (Rated PG, dir. David Mickey Evans)
Sean Astin (of “The Lord of the Rings” fame) headlines as the coach of a perennially underperforming baseball team that has one last season left before the school is merged into a larger district.

"Why Did I Get Married?" (Rated PG-13, dir. Tyler Perry)
Eight married college friends reunite at their annual retreat in Colorado, but two additions to their group throw the entire dynamic upside-down.

Kumars’ Pick: I find Tyler Perry’s humor insufferable, and though Sean Astin was remarkable in the “Lord of the Rings” films, I have no desire to see him in one of those mind-numbing triumph-of-the-underdog sports films. So that rules out two off the bat. Make that three — as much as I love Mark Wahlberg, “We Own the Night” looks like the recycled love-child of plot points from "25th Hour" and "The Departed.” As much as I respect those films, I have no desire to see their ideas carelessly rehashed and presented as original. As for "The Golden Age" — the original “Elizabeth” was a well-made political thriller, but not particularly deserving of the Oscar love it got. This stands as one of those inexplicable (and oddly delayed) sequels to films that neither needed nor particularly merited a follow-up. I shudder to consider what would have happened had someone else taken up the reigns as director — as it stands, Shekhar Kapur will at least deliver a sequel as pretentious and lushly designed as its original. Your best bet this week, however, is "Michael Clayton" — nothing with George Clooney can ever be completely devoid of quality, and the critical reception so far has been remarkable. The only tragedy is how long it's taken to open in our neck of the woods, but that's just part of life in C-U. After all, we haven't even gotten "The Darjeeling Limited" yet.

NEW CD RELEASES IN STORES THIS WEEK

Beirut, “The Flying Club Cup”
Zach Condon’s prolific New Mexico group takes their listeners on a surreal journey through early 20th century France. “The Flying Club Cup” (the band’s fifth release in under two years) abandons Beirut’s usual instrumentation of ukuleles and trumpets for a much more epic, classical sound.

9th Wonder, “Dream Merchant Vol. 2”
Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder drops his first compilation album. The record showcases his soulful style, with tracks featuring artists like Mos Def, members of Boot Camp Clik, and former bandmates Little Brother.

Band Of Horses, “Cease To Begin”
Reconciling with a cross-country move and the loss of guitarist Mat Brooke, Band Of Horses is back with another record. According to the band’s lead vocalist Ben Bridwell, the new album has more of a “country-ish … down home” feeling than their 2006 debut.

Radiohead, “In Rainbows” (Digital only)
More than four years after “Hail To The Thief,” Radiohead will release their new album as a digital download from inrainbows.com on Wednesday. Remarkably, the band is allowing each buyer to name their own price for the download. Fans can also pre-order the new album in the form of an all-encompassing discbox (and receive this week’s download as well), or can wait for the standard CD release early next year.

Erin’s Pick: All of it.

NEW DVD RELEASES IN STORES THIS WEEK

"28 Weeks Later" (Rated R, dir. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo)
About half a year after the events of Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller “28 Days Later,” the first wave of refugees from ravaged Britain return. The only snag here is that one of them’s still got the virus.

"Evan Almighty" (Rated PG, dir. Tom Shadyac)
Critics had a field day tearing apart this sequel to the man-as-God comedy “Bruce Almighty.” This time around, Steve Carell is Evan Baxter, an ordinary man commanded by God to build an ark. Yes, it’s supposed to be clever.

"Reign Over Me" (Rated R, dir. Mike Binder)
Don Cheadle stars as a successful dentist whose structured life and passive perspective is thrown into chaos when he is sucked into the life of Charlie (Adam Sandler), an old college roommate who emerged from the 9/11 attacks a disturbed, dysfunctional widower.

Kumars’ Pick: “Reign Over Me,” the only one of this week’s major releases that I caught in theaters, is a perfect example of intellectual and artistic mediocrity at its most grating. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that even rewatching that film would be preferable to subjecting oneself to “Evan Almighty,” which was roundly panned by critics with even the most pitifully lowbrow of tastes. I’m sure “28 Weeks Later” isn’t the captivating, nerve-wracking thriller-societal commentary hybrid it could have been with Danny Boyle’s signature brilliance, but the continuation of the first film’s concept gives this the edge over the others. I’m mostly saying this because I want someone else to check it out and let me know if it’s any good.

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Friday, Oct. 12: The Allen Lounge Featuring Mhondoro, 7 p.m., Allen Residence Hall, free.
As part of a concert series exploring global cultures, Mhondoro will put on a free show of popular Zimbabwean music. The group explores several genres local to the country, including Chimurenga, Jit, and Sungura.

Saturday, Oct. 13: Tally Hall, Elsinore, Caulfield and the Magic, 9 p.m., Courtyard Café, $7.
Last spring, Michigan’s Tally Hall visited the Courtyard Café shortly before their appearance at the South By Southwest Music Festival. This week, they’ll return, sharing the stage with C-U favorite Elsinore and Missouri alt-country group Caulfield and the Magic.

Erin’s Pick: Again, I’m going to go with both. The Mhondoro show sounds fun and educational, and I didn’t get to see Tally Hall last spring. Additionally, any all-ages Elsinore show qualifies as a must in my book. Plus, both of this week’s shows are on weekend nights, so they’re more accessible than last week’s shows might have been. I think this deserves a “Hoorah.” Ready? Hoorah! OK.