the life before her eyes

Evan Rachel Wood is quite good in The Life Before Her Eyes, a drama about grieving and rebirth, but Uma Thurman is part of the film's major problems.

battlestar galactica: six of one

After the promising season premiere, Battlestar was a lot less engaging last Friday. My recap is at Vulture.

prom night

The remake of the 1980 horror film stars Brittany Snow and a guy from The Wire. It did surprisingly well over the weekend, but is it any good? My review is at Screen International.

andrew sullivan

You should read his blog every day, but you should really read this posting.

who you calling bald?

Like the rest of us, rock stars have to worry about losing their hair. Well, not all of them: Some do just fine without their lovely locks.

the sword

The Austin metal band is back with a new album, Gods of the Earth. Some people think they're joking with their Norse imagery and Sabbath-size riffs. They're not joking, folks -- they're here to rock.

the return of harold and kumar

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle was a fun surprise that did decent business, so of course a sequel was inevitable. Sadly, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is less funny and a whole lot cruder.

street kings: keanu reeves tries to walk like a man

Street Kings, which opens Friday, is a perfectly competent thriller, but it's the sort that perpetuates all the tired cliches about bad cops, codes of honor and this-is-a-man's-world bravado. My review appears in The Village Voice.

another reason to love obama

On his first date with future wife Michelle, he took her to see Do the Right Thing.

battlestar galactica: he that believeth in me

So, the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica aired Friday. What did I think of it? Click here.

george clooney has a ball in leatherheads

Leatherheads has its faults, but for the most part, it's a stylish, smart period comedy. Elsewhere in my Consumables column, I take a listen to the new Death Cab single and Cadence Weapon album, and sing the praises of The Bank Job and Paranoid Park.

battlestar galactica for newbies

With Battlestar Galactica gearing up for its fourth and final season tonight, here's a handy cheat sheet of the show's political subtext. If you've never seen the program, hopefully this rundown will at least get you caught up.

harmony korine at the silent movie theatre

Every Saturday in April, the fine folks at Cinefamily will be screening the films of Harmony Korine, including Kids, Gummo and the forthcoming Mister Lonely. For L.A. Weekly, I discuss Korine's oeuvre, warts and all.

battlestar galactica's col. tigh speaks

Michael Hogan, the terrific actor who plays the tortured Saul Tigh on Battlestar Galactica, spoke to me recently about the upcoming season, life as a Cylon, and the song he wants playing at his funeral. The details are all at Vulture.

stephen malkmus

The former Pavement leader is back with his fourth solo record, Real Emotional Trash. If you like twisty guitar epics than can stretch to 10 minutes, it's the album for you. (And even if you don't, you should still give it a shot.)

run, fat boy, run

Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg seems destined to be a star, but movies like Run, Fat Boy, Run won't do much to help the cause.

black tide

These Miami teens love their old-school heavy metal. Light From Above is their first album: They have all the moves down cold, but they haven't found a personality yet.

usc makes the big dance

The Trojans, led by freshman sensation O.J. Mayo, go to Omaha Thursday to play the Kansas State Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament. I preview the matchup -- at least on the Trojan side of things -- at Deadspin.

who are these "gutter twins" you speak of?

Songwriters Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan, formerly of, respectively, the Afghan Whigs and Screaming Trees, have teamed up as the Gutter Twins. Their first record together, Saturnalia, is out now, and it's an interesting mash-up of their differing dark styles.

never back down

Can Hollywood capitalize on the trendy sport of mixed martial arts? The new teen drama Never Back Down suggests that, in a pinch, they'll simply try to redo The Karate Kid. My review appears here.