By Erin Hayes

Gargoyle staff reporter


Posted Monday, Feb. 26, 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. (Erin's partner in putting together this guide, Jono Baron, was in the Mississippi Delta on the Habitat for Humanity trip last week, so she's still flying solo.)

MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

“Zodiac” (official site)

This film follows California police forces and reporters as they madly pursue the Zodiac killer, a serial murderer who relentlessly boggles the minds of anybody and everybody on the case through his mysterious, riddled letters. Based on the true 1970s case (as well as the book by Robert Graysmith, a former employee of the San Francisco Chronicle who was involved in the action), and directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Se7en”), “Zodiac” has already been compared to great works such as “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Opens Friday at the Beverly 18 and Savoy 16.

“Black Snake Moan” (official site)

Craig Brewer (writer of 2005's “Hustle & Flow”) is back, this time with a bizarre Southern romance-drama. When a religious black man (Samuel L. Jackson) finds a half-naked, beaten white woman with a history of sexual abuse (Christina Ricci) lying unconscious on the road, he decides to take her in. But, there's a catch: He is convinced that he can, and will, “cure her of her wickedness,” so he chains her to his house, imprisoning her on his property until he is satisfied that she is “right” again.

Opens Friday at the Beverly 18 and Savoy 16.

“Wild Hogs” (official site)

John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Tim Allen, and William H. Macy star in this comedy as a group of middle-aged friends who are tired of their work-dominated, suburban lives and thirsty for a little adventure. To round out the midlife-crisis concept of the movie, they decide to embark on a motorcycle road trip. When they get out into the real world, however, it may turn out to be more dangerous and strange than they could have foreseen.

Opens Friday at the Beverly 18 and Savoy 16.

Erin's Pick: “Black Snake Moan.” The trailer for “Wild Hogs” told me everything I needed to know; overall, it was humorous, but I probably got about as much enjoyment out of those two minutes or so of film as I would have out of the whole movie, which doesn't seem like it will have any depth or development worth looking at. Plus, I can see that it resorts to homophobic gags to elicit laughs from the audience, and I don't find that amusing in the least. “Zodiac” looks engaging, but honestly, it hasn't piqued my curiosity enough to motivate me to spend my money on it yet. “Black Snake Moan,” however, has had me wondering for the past couple of weeks what it could possibly be like. Whoever was in charge of promoting it is a genius; by including as little actual plot and information in the trailer as possible and simultaneously amassing as much sexual and racial charge as possible, they have grabbed my attention, and I will likely see this movie while it's in our theaters.

NEW CD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, Feb. 27)

Dean & Britta, “Back Numbers”

Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips were members of the influential Nineties indie outfit Luna. They've collaborated a number of times, most notably on 2003's “L'Avventura,” which featured a mix of originals and covers, all done in the manner of a dreamy, ethereal Velvet Underground. They also scored the 2005 film “The Squid and the Whale.” Wareham has always been good at putting his spin on other artists' work — check out Luna's version of Guns N' Roses' “Sweet Child O' Mine” on their 1999 album, “The Days of Our Nights.” Expect more quirky choices on “Back Numbers.” Like “L'Avventura,” this album is produced by the legendary Tony Visconti, who worked with David Bowie and T. Rex during the height of their popularity in the 1970s.

Radio Moscow, “Radio Moscow”

Hailing from our neighbor state of Iowa, Radio Moscow exude a strong vintage vibe, blending psychedelic guitars with bluesy vocals and robust bass lines. This debut album takes the listener on a trippy journey back to the Swingin' Sixties, and will simply make you want to rock out, in the truest sense of the phrase.

Erin's Pick: “Radio Moscow.” This record is going to be very entertaining; nothing less, nothing more. Radio Moscow strike me as immensely better than other current, vintage-inspired American rock bands (such as The Living Things), especially with respect to the quality of their guitars. At times, RM's guitarist, Parker Griggs, channels Jimi Hendrix with energetic and unpredictable guitar riffs, while at others he works with the drummer, Keith Rich, to bring an element of proto-punk to the table. Satisfying and talented, Radio Moscow have certainly won me over.

NEW DVD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, Feb. 27)

“Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny” (official site)

Based on the popular HBO series, Jack Black and Kyle Gass have moved onto the big screen in their full-length feature, “Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny.” The film follows their search for a legendary guitar pick that is supposedly responsible for every rock guitar virtuoso's musical aptitude to date. During the quest, they struggle through tests of their own courage and friendship. The DVD itself has surprisingly few features — the only notable one being a commentary by Black and Gass. But despite this fatal flaw, the DVD will still attract old fans of the series.

“Stranger Than Fiction” (official site)

“Stranger Than Fiction” follows Harold Crick (played by Will Ferrell), who suddenly finds his life being narrated. It turns out as the film progresses that this is actually an attempt by a novelist to finish what could be her most brilliant work yet. But Crick isn't satisfied with the ending, which looms dangerously in front of him. Unfortunately, the DVD has very few additional features.

Erin's Pick: None this week. Save your money for the big concert Saturday. (See below.)

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Friday, March 2: New Ruins, Tractor Kings, The Kyle Sowashes, Tunnels, 9 p.m., The Iron Post, $5; $7 at the door. The Kyle Sowashes pay us a visit from Columbus, Ohio, bringing their old-school indie pop jams with them. Local installments Tractor Kings and New Ruins join Tunnels, the latest creation spawned by our thriving music scene. Members of two of the most prominent local bands (The Beauty Shop and The Living Blue) have come together to form Tunnels, making the group a good candidate for local stardom.

Saturday, March 3: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley, 7:30 p.m., U of I Assembly Hall, $56.50. Red Hot Chili Peppers, one of the most successful rock bands of all time (they've sold more than 50,000,000 albums and had seven of their CDs go multiplatinum), come to the U of I on their tour following up their 2006 record, “Stadium Arcadium.” Joining them are Gnarls Barkley, the power duo made up of Danger Mouse (renowned DJ and producer) and Cee-Lo (seasoned soul singer), who were widely acclaimed in 2006 as one of the best new groups, nabbing two Grammy nominations. This pop music extravaganza will undeniably be one of the biggest shows to come through Champaign-Urbana in 2007.

Erin's Pick: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley! Remember how last year that Kanye West show in October was THE SHOW, the biggest concert of the year, featuring an artist who was not only extremely popular but also quite talented? Well, that's what this show is for the ‘06-‘07 school year. Although the Red Hot Chili Peppers have definitely lost a lot of their old edge, they are one of those acts that people of our generation will want to tell their grandkids about (and will regret not seeing when they could have, should they fail to do so). Also, Gnarls Barkley should pump up the show by making up for the raw energy that was lost by RHCP. I have been looking forward to this concert for months, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds. Be there or be square, mate.