Thoughts out on the page

Is THE DARK KNIGHT really that good? Will it hold up? With it's re-release on the horizon, I see it only making maybe an additional $20-30M tops, falling well short of TITANIC's record. Really, it's not "well short," I know. But those keeping tabs get the gap. I've watched it twice now, and I still think it's solid - really good even - but its current aura as best movie ever will die down.

Better question: Will this earn Oscar nominations? I think so, especially for Ledger and the technical categories. As for the rest of the big ones, I see a possible screenplay nod and maybe a director nod for Nolan, but that'll be a bit of a stretch for the Academy I think.

Does it deserve these nominations? At this point, sure. Ledger deserves it, as does Wally Pfister. But I'm still not on the all-out, gung-ho, balls-to-the-wall, hype train. It's an awesome time at the movies. A long, awesome time.

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MOVIE-RELATED, I assure you:

Did everyone see the premiere of SOUTH PARK? They went after Spielberg and Lucas, and thank God for it. I've been saying it since it came out, but I don't have the forum those two do. The movie really does blow. Hard. It's really bad. I'll watch it again on DVD when it's out next week, but I have a good memory of last summer. There isn't much merit at all. If it takes an image of Spielberg raping Indiana Jones to remind you, then so be it. But the episode, no matter how hilarious, just reminds you how disappointing it all was.

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I'm in the middle of Steven Soderbergh's fascinating HBO series K-STREET, which aired a few years ago. It's about James Carville and his wife's fictional lobbying firm and it's dealings with Washington D.C. insiders during the presidential primary (so far; I'm not sure if it goes further down, say months). It's wild to me that this is all fiction. In the first episode, former presidential candidate Howard Dean (as himself, of course) gets a nice chunk of screentime along with Carville and Paul Begala (who, if this was acting, is quite good). I'm three episodes in with seven to go. Looking forward to it. It's fun to see Soderbergh play around.



Speaking of that guy, I finally saw some footage of this CHE epic. The trailer for the first film, THE ARGENTINE, is up around YouTube. Just type the title, Soderbergh, Benicio Del Toro and trailer, and it'll pop up. At first glance, it looks great, maybe on the level of TRAFFIC, which Soderbergh hasn't quite reached since (although most of what he's done has been excellent - BUBBLE, OCEAN'S trilogy, etc.) He's a workaholic, which means good things for us.

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I will be seeing BODY OF LIES tonight or tomorrow. Whenever this weekend, so long as I see it. It looks awesome, I think. Two guaranteed, solid actors with a proven (if inconsistent at times) director in a William Monahan script (dude wrote THE DEPARTED; this is kind of like that, just set in the Middle-East). Trailers all look dynamite. I'm only building myself up for disappointment. But this shouldn't, right? Too many good tools and parts to fudge it all up. If they do, Hollywood's got to re-think just who has the most authentic chops. Monahan can overdo it, even with THE DEPARTED. His KINGDOM OF HEAVEN was a bit much most of the time. Safe to say I prefer the Scorsese teaming. Still, looking forward to this one. BANG!

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On DVD, I've got THE HUSTLER, BRUBAKER (Robert Redford prison movie), Sidney Lumet's crime epic PRINCE OF THE CITY and one my dad recommended several years ago that turned up at my public library, WESTWORLD (with Yul Brenner). Hope to get these watched this weekend.



Watched THE FOOT FIST WAY this week. All it's cracked up to be by its distributors Will Ferrell and Adam McKay? No. Those are two dudes who thought it was funny. Lately, I've wondered just how funny they actually are. But for Danny McBride purists, it's a must-must. Overall, it's very funny. Sometimes it just can't get over how low budgeted it is. At times, that can give a movie a certain charm. Here, it kind of hurts the experience. I'm not sure how much more money they really needed for that story, though.

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Show remains on extended hiatus. Radio station refuses to fix its on-air recorder, therefore we can't produce podcasts. No recorder, no show. Stay tuned.

We'll miss Paul Newman

Today's Tusk piece:

We’ll miss Paul Newman
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
October 3, 2008

Was there ever a tougher film presence than Paul Newman? Fire away with your John Waynes, Lee Marvins, Charles Bronsons, James Cagneys and such. But give me Butch Cassidy, “Fast” Eddie Felson and Reggie Dunlop anywhere, anytime. On second thought, “tough” doesn’t quite express Newman’s on-screen persona. Where his characters emitted a seemingly tough physical bravado, the image was often deceptive. The “lover, not a fighter” tag suited him better. His brains and talk did the dirty work his fists didn’t need to. But his sucker-punches never seemed unfair. That he’d already outsmarted you made you forget you’d been punched in the mouth or kicked in the groin in the first place. You still liked him after the fight. That was Paul Newman, and there wasn’t or isn’t a more likable figure in entertainment.

Last Saturday, the icon passed away at 83 after a quiet bout with cancer at his home in Westport, Conn. Sadly, we as film lovers lost a giant who rarely let us down while he filled the screen. His last live-action theatrical role, “Road to Perdition,” earned him his final Oscar nomination and further confirmed that the aging actor still had plenty of the pluck, grit and know-how of which we’d grown incredibly fond.

Personally, I thought he’d left the game a few years early. I still felt like he had one or two great ones left in him, which I’m sure he did. But Newman always called his own shots, and he’d decided he was done with acting. His rebels on film were ones we often believed in to lead the way. Into what, who knows, but we would follow. Off screen, Newman enjoyed a considerably quiet life with his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, where they served as notable philanthropists (his salad dressing franchise Newman’s Own resulted in excess of $200 million in donations to various charities).

Dating all the way back to the mid-1950s (“Somebody Up There Likes Me,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”), Newman has energized every film he was in, perhaps never better than when he teamed up with his old buddy Robert Redford. Along with director George Roy Hill, Newman and Redford collaborated on two of American cinema’s most purely entertaining offerings in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) and “The Sting” (1973). Later on, Newman (sans Redford) would reteam with Hill to release an unsung sports masterpiece, which I’ll touch upon in a few lines.

In no particular order, I want to remember my favorite Paul Newman movies. While I have yet to see what some, including my father, deem the actor’s finest film to date, “Hud” (1963), today I feel an obligation to rush out and soak it in. Just a few months ago, I finally caught his pitifully wonderful courtroom drama “The Verdict” (1982) where he plays a lawyer who takes on medical malpractice. Why it took up until his reprisal of Eddie Felson in Martin Scorsese’s “The Color of Money” (1986) for him to nab his first and only Oscar, we’ll never know. Excluding a few silly ventures in the last decade or so, Newman usually picked his projects carefully and wisely. Without delving too far into his catalogue –it’d take too long – let’s look at some of the great ones.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – For years, I regarded this hilarious western adventure as my favorite film, and nearly every time I watch it I feel the same way. As a child, I always wanted to side with Redford’s brooding, hot-shot gunslinger the Sundance Kid. But as you march on through the years, you develop a greater appreciation for Newman’s Butch, a genius ahead of his time who just knew there were things to steal in Bolivia. He put it best, “I have vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.”

The Sting (1973) – An Oscar-winner for best picture among others, this predated Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” series as a slick heist yarn that continues to age well. Newman’s interplay with Robert Shaw during a poker game on a train might serve as the late actor’s slyest work to date.

Slap Shot (1977) – Rounding out his impressive trilogy with director Hill is this aforementioned highly profane sports gem. If there's any movie I'll reach for that'll help me remember Newman most fondly, it will definitely be this whack-job about a pathetic minor league hockey team that finds success using fighting and violence during games. If you haven't seen it, make it a top priority.

Cool Hand Luke (1967) – Stuart Rosenberg’s subtle prison dramedy boasts a beautifully heartbreaking moment where Newman, plucking a banjo, woefully sings “Plastic Jesus” after the passing of a beloved family member. Tragic, but awfully poetic.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) – Speaking of unsung masterpieces, this Coen Brothers gem often flies under the radar, thanks partially to what many consider to be an dreadful title (not me). Newman’s supporting work as the vicious, conniving, greedy corporate man Sidney J. Mussburger stands as some of the actor’s funniest and most menacing work ever.

Nobody’s Fool (1994) – That same year, Newman turned in what may have been his swansong in Robert Benton’s poignant drama about a failed father who does his best to make things right, even if he’s no good at that either. Another Oscar-nominated role in another highly underrated addition to the great actor’s stellar repertoire .



P.S. - What's YOUR favorite Paul Newman movie???


HAPPENING IN TUSCALOOSA, AL
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DJ Logic tonight at the Mellow Mushroom: Another special occasion at the Mellow Mushroom will boast a nationally renowned turntable maestro along with several Tuscaloosa bands for what ought to be a memorable night downtown. Widely credited for helping to bring jazz into hip-hop's sphere of influence, DJ Logic (yes, that one) hails from the Bronx in New York and has toured all over this country with other talented folks (like Medeski, Martin and Wood), and usually makes an annual pit stop at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. Featuring the likes The Great Big No, Fractalnaut, Glove Box Heat and Mobscene Mike, this is just the Mushroom at it again, taking another big step in the right direction. Keep 'em coming! Show starts pretty early at 7 p.m.

Moundville Native American Festival: Today and tomorrow, you head head down south on highway 69 where one of Alabama's top 20 tourism events and a Cultural Olympiad Event will taking place at University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park. There, Native American performing artists, craftspeople, and musicians will fill your heads with entertainment and knowledge about the rich culture and heritage of Southeastern Native Americans. Stay ready for some southern Indian choral music, traditional Cherokee daning and Muscogee stories all within the beautiful landscape of Moundville. Quite a sight to see, especially for those of us who haven't been back since our fifth grade field trip.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist at the Cobb Hollywood 16: Another spirited attempt at giving this generation its own "Sixteen Candles," or perhaps the more appropriate "Before Sunrise," this romantic comedy about an all-night first date between to high schoolers should make a strong case for early cult status, thanks in large part to Michael Cera's presence. Cera, who's already proved his worth in hits like "Arrested Develpment," "Juno" and "Superbad," keeps increasing his stock with every project he's a part of. So far, he and his agent are making plenty of good decisions, something lots of young actors his age rarely do. This cast also features Kat Dennings (Catherine Keener's daughter in "The 40 Year-Old Virgin"), Jay Baruchel and Andy Samberg.

Thoughts on BURN AFTER READING

Seen it!

*** (out of four)
letter grade: B+

These are certainly much kinder responses than I had to THE BIG LEBOWSKI, although I don't think BURN is nearly as good.

Finally, we've had ourselves another authentic Coen Brothers experience - much more so than THE LADYKILLERS and even NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (which I really feel was a major departure, albeit a progressive one). Maybe it has something to do with the fact that those were adaptations. A true-to-the-game Coen Bros. experience just feels better when it's their original script.

What might have really done it for me, in terms of it feeling like the real deal again, is Carter Burwell's score, which echoes previous gems like FARGO and BARTON FINK.

I like this better than THE LADYKILLERS, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY (though I liked it) and O BROTHER (relax, His Starkness - you're getting married). Repeat viewings are really going to enhance this movie, which is already a ton of fun.

One aspect that doesn't quite catapult it to the top of the catalogue might be the entire point of the movie (which means I'll probably like it even more for this reason once I watch it a few more times, which I will). The stakes just didn't feel high enough for the characters, even if they resulted in a few deaths, the highest stakes imaginable. Like Mr. Strickland and the CIA man suggested, the whole situation was a giant clusterf*ck, where the big picture wasn't quite as dire as everyone (aside from the Russians) seemed to think it was. The CIA sequences might have been my favorite in the movie. I don't get your beef. Corey's Greek-chorus comparison is appropriate. That they were so dry probably sold it better than broader delivery would have. JK Simmons was used very well here, unlike how he was in the Coens' sh*t sandwich.

THE BIGGEST, BADDEST, HEAVIEST, PUREST COEN BROTHERS MOMENT: the Princeton reunion party. That felt like a mash-up of several of their films; a scene that belongs with their best ones.

Quite frankly, the script just doesn't have the firepower of their previous efforts. Looking back at HUDSUCKER, FINK, MILLER'S CROSSING and RAISING ARIZONA, it's certainly hard to top their previous achievements, but we can have high expectations, can't we? Plenty of the dialogue was fun, but I didn't find a ton of it to be as unique as what they've written before. Most of Osbourne Cox's lines and actions were great, though.

SPOILER STUFF (no kidding)

Regarding the closet. While I think it's appropriate to laugh here, it was maybe the scariest scene in the movie (other than the Princeton reunion). That damn smile right before stuck with me until the end of it all. Personally, I think the Coens are getting a little to good at violent shootings - they're right up there with Spielberg if you ask me (SCHINDLER'S LIST and MUNICH are BRUTAL). Poor Chad.

And for that matter, Poor Ted (Richard Jenkins), too. One of the best and saddest lines in the movie: "You've changed, Linda! And that's sad." Maybe more viewings (spotting a theme here?) will change my mind, but I can't decide what I think about the inclusion of this character. Or maybe not so much the inclusion but the amount of screen time he gets. He's a wonderful, pathetic character, but there are times when I don't feel like he really belongs in the bigger picture. For a clinic in how secondary characters with minimal screen time are used to their fullest potential, take another look at FARGO. Every actor deserved attention from the Academy. I mean EVERY ACTOR. Even the snow-shoveling eyewitness. It's still their masterpiece. Maybe by far, which says something.

Another favorite scene: Clooney's last moments. Yet another Coen Bros. character that deserves a movie onto himself. I really am still scratching my head over his secret basement project.

In no way is this movie close to their sh*t sandwich. It's really good and will likely get better.

Lame movie season deserves your patience

Last Friday's Tusk piece:

Lame movies til November
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
September 5, 2008

The end of summer until around mid-November marks perhaps the darkest days of the theatrical movie release calendar, rivaled only by January through April.

Ben Stiller's kind-of-funny Hollywood send-up 'Tropic Thunder' unofficially closed out an overall decent summer at the multiplexes, putting more of a positive spin on it based on such strong performances from key titles ('The Dark Knight,' 'Iron Man,' 'Wall-E'). Although domestic ticket sales so far total $3.9 billion, up a little more than 1 percent from last year's record summer (yes, the summer of 'Speed Racer,' 'The X-Files: I Want to Believe' and 'The Love Guru' broke records).

Shifting our attention away from the financial end of America's favorite movie season, are we happy with another remake-adaptation-sequel-r

idden summer Hollywood seems to churn out from an assembly line each year? Looking back, you'd almost lost the 'sequel' tag, as only a few of the major releases followed successful (enough) predecessors ('Indiana Jones,' 'Chronicles of Narnia,' 'The Dark Knight,' 'The Mummy,' 'Hellboy,' 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,' 'The X-Files'). Wow, never mind. Sequel city once again.

Makes you wonder just how much fresh, original material studio heads demand from their creative workforce. Quick answer is none at all, so long as they see dollar signs. If it's fresh and original, see that it's within an already established, $100 million (at least) domestic grossing franchise. Creativity-shmeativity. Oh well.

On the docket for summer 2009? More sequels. Another 'Terminator,' 'Harry Potter,' 'Transformers,' 'Fast and the Furious,' 'Ice Age,' 'Star Trek,' 'X-Men' and 'Da Vinci Code' (its prequel, 'Angels and Demons'). This doesn't even touch on the cartoon/comic/TV adaptations which we're all totally or somewhat familiar with ('G.I. Joe,' 'Land of the Lost,' 'The A-Team' – sigh).

Does this excite you? Do you feel your sources for escapism are in good hands? Will we really have to rely on Pixar ('Up') and Sacha Baron Cohen ('Bruno' — brace yourselves) yet again for the profitable originality that sets an example Hollywood can't seem to follow? God save us until we must endure next year's studio repetition stripped of a now mythical paradigm Tinseltown generates every once in a while: new ideas.

One solution: revolution. Lose sequels, prequels, remakes, adaptations and narratives based on true stories (the factual content takes the air out of it when viewers can simply visit Wikipedia for a climax). Devote 2-5 years to nothing but spanking new, original inspiration that'll propel a new Hollywood movement, culminating in a golden age unseen since the glorious 1970s.

Sad part is radical thoughts like this will never happen unless studios see the guaranteed payoff.

Until next summer, we've got the critical darlings and big holiday releases that set groundwork for the battle for Oscars and other throwaway awards that matter not to the masses but to your friendly blogger with a soft-spot for independent art. No guarantees folks like us will see the best of what modern film has to offer, unless the Cobb Hollywood 16 shifts its philosophy and lands art-house titles sure to generate a little controversy if not golden statuettes.

Stop right there. We'll get there — together — but we've got another month and a half or so until the real party gets rocking, so we're stuck with some studio throwaways that hope to generate a little revenue until Thanksgiving, when the Oscar ad campaigns begin.

Unfortunately, what we get this time of year is less than stellar. Take the last couple of weeks, where eight new movies opened up and subsequently bit the dust both critically and financially ('The House Bunny,' 'The Rocker,' 'Death Race,' 'The Longshots,' 'Traitor,' 'College,' 'Disaster Movie,' 'Babylon A.D.'), though a few of them did clear $10 million.

All that we can really rely on in the coming weeks is Joel and Ethan Coens' sure-to-be surreal comedy 'Burn After Reading,' the follow-up (starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt) to last year's best picture winner 'No Country for Old Men.' The new one looks more along the lines of their cult masterpiece 'The Big Lebowski' than anything in recent memory.

Other than that, some titles from notable directors (Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Fernando Meirelles, Neil LaBute) will surface here and there until the 'movies that matter' hit the streets come winter time. I'd like to include 'Righteous Kill' here if I didn't think stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino hadn't lost all interest, ambition and will when it comes to the craft they mastered years back and deserted years later.

In the meantime, I'll certainly settle for some of the early autumn offerings, but my Netflix queue better ready itself for a busier workout than it's gotten since late spring. I'm just sayin'.

SUFFICIENT Comedy Trio (I guess)

To close out this overall so-so summer, Hollywood served up three hard-R comedies all full of tasteless filth and naughty words, as spouted out by a slew of our favorite funny people. All opening within almost one month of each other, STEP BROTHERS, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and TROPIC THUNDER each had the creative firepower that promised to knock last summer's strong comedy quartet (KNOCKED UP, HOT ROD, SUPERBAD, THE BROTHERS SOLOMON) off of the top of its recently-claimed mountain.

Did it?

Almost.

Based on my rating system, EACH of these movies lands a *** (out of four), solidifying an nearly disappointing label of funny enough. Given the fact that the following names couldn't guarantee memorable comedic experiences in the theaters has to be letdown however you look at it: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Danny McBride.

What happened? Honestly, I'm reluctant to hand out overall positive reviews for each of these titles; frankly, I feel like they're more deserving of the dreaded **1/2 (not good when applicable to comedies). But each film delivered enough laugh-out-loud moments to justify a satisfied reaction.

Which is the best movie out of the three? Honestly, they are EQUAL. They're all good enough and flawed enough in similar ways, most notably in the storytelling department (which doesn't require a whole lot from crude R-rated comedies; but each story had enough potential to tell a good one).



I'll put it to you like this: STEP BROTHERS is better than TALLADEGA NIGHTS but nowhere even remotely near ANCHORMAN.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is about as good as SUPERBAD but not on THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN or KNOCKED UP's level (even FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, perhaps this year's best comedy thus far, is better). Saddest part about PINEAPPLE though is that it probably never could have lived up to what remains one of the best trailers I've ever seen (didn't do itself any favors leaving M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" off of its soundtrack).

TROPIC THUNDER doesn't hold up to ZOOLANDER, which might be Ben Stiller's strongest work to date (though I'm a CABLE GUY guy).



None of them transcend their respective predecessors in any way.

What's going to salvage these titles that had high quality written all over them PRIOR to their releases? REPEAT VIEWINGS. With comedies, the more and more we watch them, it seems the funnier they become. I'll give each of these the benefit of the doubt in that regard, but I'm still convinced that, after one viewing apiece, they didn't deliver.

BUT, they've all got plenty of laughs to keep your attention.

Only slightly recommended - and it hurts me to say that.

Can stoners make bank?

Can stoners make bank?
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
August 8, 2008

If a pack of lazy, blazing stoners can generate millions of dollars at the box office, what has four years of college actually done for me?

My third pick for a surefire summer bet, 'Pineapple Express,' opened nationwide Wednesday, and while it boasts recently established comedy megastar Seth Rogen and mogul-of-funny Judd Apatow's names on its poster, its chance at bringing in serious seasonal dough hinges on whether a mainstream audiences can accept pervasive drug use throughout a near two-hour running time.

Rogen and former Apatow crony James Franco (television's 'Freaks & Geeks') star as a pair of tokers on the run from a slew of ruthless killers.

While the Rogen/Apatow alliance has yet to falter, based on the success of last summer's pair of R-rated raunchy comedies 'Knocked Up' and 'Superbad,' the existence and evolution of the stoner comedy as a box-office champion has seen a flatline, neither going up or down and remaining almost painful ignored by audiences.

As a bit of a subgenre, stoner films tend to center around the fairly explicit use of marijuana, predominantly in comedies. In most cases, to fall into this subgenre, marijuana should act as the catalyst that sends the plot into motion, though sometimes it acts as a prevalent background artist.

Looking back at this classification's catalogue, several titles suggest that we as a collective audience tend to adore and even worship these films to the extent of leaving the DVDs in our players for weeks to months. But perhaps it's a generational thing.

Even within the realm of stoner comedies, an upper echelon for the headiest efforts exists while most sophomoric, self-evident releases teeter on the bar just above awful.

To suggest the stoner comedy can manifest itself as an art form isn't a joke. Even the most eclectic contemporary filmmakers dabble into the disoriented, hazy atmosphere in which dimwitted inhabitants wander aimlessly into misadventure. Joel and Ethan Coen's stoner odyssey 'The Big Lebowski' may arguably stand as the all-encompassing stoner masterpiece, chronicling the baked escapades of an unlikely hero, The Dude.

Fried fans of Richard Linklater's Austin-set thing of beauty 'Dazed and Confused' (1993) might beg to differ, pitching this '70s high school yarn as '‘American Graffiti' high on weed.' 'Dazed' and 'Lebowski' would sit atop my own list, were I to make one.

Locals shouldn't forget University of Alabama filmmakers' Chris Merritt and Matthew Stewart's 'Killer Weed,' a series about marijuana that turns smokers into zombies.

But real purists will reach back into the late '70s and early '80s, when Cheech and Chong reigned supreme among slackers who rolled massive joints their dogs digested (see 1978's 'Up in Smoke' if you feel the need to partake).

'Pineapple Express' marks what could be a first within the genre: a stoner action comedy. Car chases, shootouts, explosions, a Huey Lewis title song and inhalation will serve as the vehicles that send this movie from point A to point B.

But will the sum of its parts send 'Pineapple Express' to the top of the box office this weekend, possibly surmounting Warner Bros.' juggernaut 'The Dark Knight' as No. 1? Certainly, opening numbers will depend on its marketing campaign. So far, so good. A clever red-band trailer released last spring featured Rogen and Franco up to no good in a slow-mo mishmash of mayhem set to M.I.A.'s popping reggae/hip-hop track 'Paper Planes.'

With Rogen starring and co-writing with fellow 'Superbad' scribe Evan Goldberg, Apatow's Midas touch and strong early critical buzz, Columbia Pictures looks to have a hit on its hands. But why haven't stoner comedies fared all that well financially prior to this release?

Recent marijuana-driven yarns such as 'Super Troopers,' 'Grandma's Boy,' 'Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny' and the 'Harold and Kumar' pair haven't shot up into the $100M stratosphere, but sometimes these theatrical numbers can deceive us. Usually, these releases don't get monster, blockbuster budgets to begin with, therefore a profit never falls too far out of the line of sight. 'Super Troopers' and the 'Harold and Kumar' movies both fared well monetarily, doubling and sometimes tripling their budgets (not to mention their substantial performances when released on DVD).

Sometimes, the trick for studios is to find that built-in cult audience prior to theatrical release, well before it reaches video stores. What 'Pineapple Express' has going for it is that it looks like a solid movie that should draw heady word-of-mouth. Along with Rogen, Apatow and Franco (trust me, give him a chance) plenty of talent, including indie director David Gordon Green and funnyman Danny McBride (in a supporting role), has jumped on board to give this thing an extra hit of street cred.

But this movie either hopes parents won't catch on or will show a sense of humor this time around. After all, one message the movie has dished out in its marketing campaign is that where there's weed, there are bad guys with guns.

Myself, I'm banking on the promise I made earlier this summer. In between two other hard-R comedies ('Step Brothers' and 'Tropic Thunder'), 'Pineapple Express' should bring the funny stuff that'll keep people laughing and laughing — the kind of people who tend to laugh for no reason at all.

The Binary Blitzkrieg tonight at Mellow Mushroom: Rockers Model Citizen return to our town for the first night since I don't know when (this will be my first time seeing the longtime favorites, but don't tell anyone). The show will also feature last week's pick Squirrelhouse, a sneak peek at an upcoming performance from the Pink Box Burlesque and a live taping of 'Well That's Cool,' a video podcast to be posted on the hosts' Web site, wellthatscool.com.

KrautFest at the Mellow Mushroom Wednesday: Former WVUA 90.7-FM station manager and everyone's favorite German techno- enthusiast Tim Neunzig will bid farewell to Tuscaloosa in style, hosting an event that'll feature several rocking acts upstairs at the Mellow Mushroom (doing a few things right this week, it seems). Druid City Rockers, Mansfield, Me, THREE and one of the town's more entertaining bands, Skullduggery. Neunzig, known as DJ KrautDawg by many, will spin plenty of popping beats and rockin' tunes between acts. Things will get going as early as 8 p.m., with a $2 cover, where one of those bucks heads straight to non-profit organization Empower Alabama.

Nobody likes a spoiler

Today's Tusk piece:

Nobody likes a spoiler
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
August 1, 2008

Has anyone ever spoiled the end of a movie for you? I'd guess that a sudden something comes over you – a certain wave of violent rage and cynicism, and a constant rush of regret for what you'll do to someone in a matter of seconds. Has anyone ever spoiled the end of a movie for you? I'd guess that a sudden something comes over you – a certain wave of violent rage and cynicism, and a constant rush of regret for what you'll do to someone in a matter of seconds.

Do you get that, too? Just me?

Maybe in the real world we can't wring the necks of thoughtless herds of blabbering faces chattering about the climax of a movie while you stand in line for the next show. At that moment, you unleash it: a dark, insidious glare – or look of death – in the doomed direction of a bozo who indirectly or subconsciously felt the need to ruin your evening. Next time, make sure they see your disgusted face, one that can't find the strength or mercy to forgive and move on.

Reverse the scenario now and ask yourself, 'Have I ever spoiled it for anybody? Couldn't I follow that unwritten rule of the multiplex that says I keep my yapper shut until I get in the car unless I'm convinced everyone surrounding me has seen what I have?'

Surely you and I have committed the same cinematic sin of spoiling, whether we knew it or not. Either way, do those of us who didn't make the midnight showing a favor, and come to grips with the sickness that could spread an epidemic on any night at the Cobb Hollywood 16, and hold off on spilling the beans. We want that sweet shock value, too – we just might have needed a few days to actually make it into the theater.

For the masochists, let them peruse the nerdy Web sites and message boards that, without remorse, let them in on anything and everything. A select cluster of sad individuals who summon everything in their power to wreck a moviegoing experience does exist, and their collectively disturbing hobby tells you more than you should know about these people – the kind who will read the script before they've seen a movie, without getting paid for it.

Some either completely ignore, or simply don't look for the caution sign all articles must include in their headlines if they plan on delving deeper than some of us had hoped: 'SPOILER ALERT!'

Don't hesitate to inform your friends you've wandered out of the loop, but will find your way back soon enough, and make it clear with your serious face. Don't let them pull out some lame, slap-in-the-back-of-the-he

ad-worthy justification: 'Well if you really wanted to see it, you'd have done it by now.'

Are you a victim of spoilers? Who blew the defining moment of 'The Empire Strikes Back' in 1980? Was there any reason to venture out to 'The Planet of the Apes?' Who blew every single one of M. Night Shyamalan's plot twists for you? Did you know who Keyser Soze was before you'd seen 'The Usual Suspects?' Can anyone really watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie without having read (sometimes forcibly in academic settings) essays analyzing the specifics of the Master's dazzling denouements?

Certainly it applies to television as well. That joker in the office who hasn't yet discovered TiVO or DVR and deafeningly relives the final moments on the '24' or 'Lost' finales.

Those of you lucky enough not to have endured such spoilage, journey forth and see what you've always wanted to see. Directly address the hype and feel that stream of surprise trickle down the slope of your spine before some nimrod blurts out, 'He was dead all along!' Smack him if it makes you feel better...unless he's much bigger than you.

What about the sadists, you ask? The sickest lot of ‘em all who deliberately rob us of genuine shock and awe, or how the director intended us to see it; they slither and ooze among us, perhaps even closer than you might think. Take a look in the mirror.

For how many years now have you berated and condemned the deadly spoilers who walk the lobbies of innocent, unsuspecting moviehouses? You're a full-blooded spoiler-phobe who can't shake the idea that this whole time you hail from a long line of ashamed closet spoilers. Once you accept it, you can overcome it – forever.

If you must spoil, though, I'd advise you to think twice and become familiar with your surroundings. One slip of the tongue, and the next thing you know, you'll wake up and wonder what happened to you. For your own safety, spare us the trouble.

Artrageous Riverfront Arts Tour Thursday: Held on the first Thursday of each month, this event lets you tour local art galleries, stores and restaurants as well as catch the latest exhibits and demonstrations. Withhold digging deeply into your pockets and save a little petrol by taking the bus to boost your arty street cred. At these galleries, art buffs or first-timers can find an eclectic blend of diverse artists while enjoying live jazz and classical music, hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting at select galleries. Do your local artists a favor and get artrageous, you worldly people you.

'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' at Tuscaloosa's Bama Theatre: Released a bit early in 2008, this critical darling and throwback to screwball comedies made it to Tuscaloosa's Cobb Hollywood 16 for too short a period for anyone to know it ever existed. Now the choosy bunch at the Bama Theatre have reserved a week for this romance, starring 'Enchanted' star Amy Adams and Oscar-winner Frances McDormand ('Fargo'), who plays a middle-aged London governess who works for a highly social American actress. Sparse numbers of little gems like these run into rotten luck sometimes in terms of pesky January-March release dates; but thanks to our friendly Arts Council, we can take it all in now, and in such an ideal setting.

Squirrelhouse tonight at Egan's: Amidst the current clash between new and old management and listeners at the University of Alabama's college radio station regarding its changing format, local musicians who might feel a bit slighted still find the zeal to keep on truckin'. One band in particular I've heard recently on 90.7-FM will keep the dream alive tonight in one of the local artists' favorite abodes, Egan's. Squirrelhouse's catchy song 'Fours' (its newly aired studio version) still has a home on Tuscaloosa's radiowaves, which can't upset a talented bunch of native musicians looking for any and every push they can get.