This film seemed confused as to what it should be. There was some laugh out loud funny moments, via Jack Black. Other than that, the movie couldn’t decide whether it was a semi-serious comedy about ‘hood pride or downright stupid funny flick where Jack Black plays an hilariously dumb oaf. It could have gone one way or the other and been great.

Still, the movie takes place in the city of Passaic, NJ, right in my area, which I totally dug.

Impressed? Not particularly. Entertained? Sure.

The Clash might be my all-time favorite band, but I have never had the chance to see them live. As far as live albums go, this one was kind of mediocre, but to be able to hear The Clash as they played live in front of thousands in New York City was a real treat. The songs are fantastic, but it seemed too short, even at 16 songs. Also, the crowd did not seem enthusiastic enough. I could not figure out why. Turns out, they were opening for The Who that night, so there you are.

Finally, a juvenile film that pokes fun at one of the most taboo topics around, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Adam Sandler pulls out one of his best in years as he plays an anti-terrorism fighter who yearns to be a New York City hairdresser. The entire film revolves around people eating and talking about hummus, everyone’s favorite Middle Eastern/Mediterranean condiment or, as it is described in the movie, “a delicious, diarrhea-like substance.” The hummus scenes had me on-the-floor laughing.

I was a fan of the first movie and I think everyone should check that out first. The sequel was also hilarious. It was definitely a gross-out flick, but I appreciated the topic. Harold and Kumar takes on race, homeland security, immigration and American patriotism all while flashing tasteless full frontal nudity (male and female), dirty sex jokes and stoner humor. Neil Patrick Harris makes another appearance and the Asian-American duo even smoke a jay with the sitting president. Thumbs up.

I did not expect much, but I was very impressed with this movie. It’s a Kevin Smith flick that hearkens back to the days of Clerks and Chasing Amy (sub par acting and all). The film made every joke you can get away with when making a movie about amateurs making a porno, but none pushed the envelope to the point of being off-putting. I was a fan.

I feel like if I had watched this movie when it came out (when I was a pre-teen) I would have loved it, but I wasn’t impressed. I think Bruce Willis is fantastic and I’m into the whole sci-fi scene, but this film seemed too contrived.

W. is a biography of a president who is not only alive, but still in office. Watching the life story of someone as high-profile and still relevant as George W. Bush was strange.

Add in the fact that every significant event of his life was crammed into the two hour film and turned into a dramatic interchange between the main characters and the film just did not seem convincing.

That being said, I was very impressed with Josh Brolin’s performance and I felt that the movie did a good job of not being preachy. In the end, it did not make me feel any more or less sympathetic toward the man (full disclosure: I never voted for W.). There are a slew of books and documentaries already out on the subject and many of them either vilify Bush 43 and a few paint him as a saint. This film does neither.

The character is likable, but not lovable. Still, I felt it was too weird to get emotionally attached to a dramatized modern history lesson, one which has played itself out in the media over the last eight years. This movie offered nothing new to the W’s legacy other than a fabricated account of his issues with his father, his alleged “born again” Christianity and victory over alcoholism. C+, maybe B-

Dillinger Four is a band that grows on you. At first listen, sometimes I find the songs bland but, over time, I pick up on the nuances and subtleties and I am hooked.

Civil War is no different. The first stand-out track for me was “Gainsville.” I saw them at Starland Ballroom this weekend and they played that song and I immediately fell in love with it. The chorus (“It feels like summer in October…”) became the theme of my weekend.

Dillinger Four plays pop punk with balls. My friend once described them as “NOFX if NOFX were more badass.” They are silly and goofy while dangerous and revolutionary. Their songs are about the struggles of minimum wage, the hollowness/beauty of alcoholism and the bullshit of corporate and pop culture.

Unlike some of their contemporaries, you will not hear any Bush bashing. Just timeless, fist-in-the-air anti-corporate sing-a-longs. The guitars are thick, the tempo is frantic and the clash between Eric Funk’s raspy snarls and Patty’s guttural crooning give a great contrast.

Punk is not dead so long as D4 keeps pounding out the hits. And D4 is the kind of band you can listen to with your hipster friends and make them feel out-of-touch for a change.

I have been listening to Falco’s other band, mclusky, for years and I have been meaning to listen to Future of the Left. Well, I saw them play at Starland Ballroom last night and I was blown away. After the show, I had the chance to talk to the guys in the band and they were super nice guys. Naturally, I bought Curses! from the merch booth and wow…

Where do I start?

Future of the Left’s sound starts with sludgey, buzzing distorted bass guitar and pounding, heavy (yet danceable) drums. Add in feedback-fueled guitar and the occasional synthesizer.

Then come the vocals. Future of the Left screams and shrieks. The vocals have the elements of fucked up nursery rhymes. Add in snotty, sarcastic lyrics laced with inside jokes that you wish you were in on and… I’ve totally lost my train of thought.

In summary, Future of the Left is the best thing going on in rock music. Think the cleverness of the Pixies, the heaviness of Nirvana and snottiness of the Sex Pistols. Oh, and they’re welsh.