Category Archives: Recs & Reviews

Review: Strictly Ballroom

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 9, 2010

“All the world’s a stage. . .” Since the dawn of motion pictures, few have taken Shakespeare’s words more to heart than Australian writer and director Baz Luhrmann. On the heels of special edition-style releases of his other works (William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and last year’s hit Moulin Rouge), it is only fitting that [...]

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Review: The Spanish Prisoner

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 9, 2010

Don’t talk to strangers. When you travel, never agree to carry a package for someone you don’t know. Money is the root of all evil. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. They say all clichés and sayings are based on at least a kernel of truth. If only we’d pay closer attention. The [...]

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Review: The Matrix Revisited

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 9, 2010

The Matrix Revisited, a special documentary that is available alone and packaged with the original movie, allows viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the first movie’s creation, as well as brief glimpses into what promises to be one of the more unique, multimedia franchises created in the last few years. The bulk of the disc is [...]

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Review: High Fidelity

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 8, 2010

Most of us know, or have met, someone like Rob (John Cusack), the main character of High Fidelity. Rob’s love of music is more than an extreme hobby. He owns a record store that specializes in vinyl and spends his days arguing top-five lists with his two employees, Barry and Dick. Unfortunately, his girlfriend, Laura, [...]

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Review: The Fast and the Furious

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 8, 2010

If you live in an area that is even remotely urban, you see them: the kids that pull up next to you at stop lights, in what used to be just an ordinary Honda, Mitsubishi or Acura. Engines revving, stereos blaring, the value of the accessories on their fully-loaded rides far outweighs the vehicles’ initial [...]

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Review: Dogtown and Z-Boys

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: May 9, 2010

When I was asked if I’d be interested in reviewing Dogtown and Z-Boys, I thought to myself, “Sure. I don’t know anything about skateboarding, but it looks interesting.” * I was in for a surprise. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one. This documentary, directed by Stacy Peralta, edited by Paul Crowder and narrated by [...]

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Review: Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: May 9, 2010

At age 18, most works of entertainment and elements of popular culture are well past their expiration date. Time’s passing causes even original stories to seem clichéd. Special effects, at best, look old-fashioned or, at worst, are seen as campy. It was with a little trepidation that I placed my shiny new copy of Blade [...]

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Review: U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: May 1, 2010

There are several species of U2 fans. The die-hards who own every album since 1980′s Boy. The music collectors who own the band’s critical and artistic highlights (one or several of the “early” albums, plus The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby). And those who are “stuck in the moment”: favoring a particular era in the [...]

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Review: Pearl Jam – The Bootleg Albums

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: May 1, 2010

Pearl Jam has always been in touch with its fans. From the early days when Seattle bands broke onto the national scene to their infamous battle over ticket surcharges, they’ve developed a reputation for being stubborn and for speaking out in their fans’ best interest. In the ultimate gesture of fan service, they are now [...]

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Review: Lenny Kravitz – 5

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: May 1, 2010

Lenny Kravitz‘s music has always been heavily influenced by the 1970′s, emphasizing thick arrangements and a full, analog sound. With 5, an album that was released in 1998 and continues its slow burn on the charts, he moves further along this path with fantastic results. The opener, “Live,” is full of fat bass sounds, punctuated [...]

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