New DVDs (and some I forgot about)

Little Fish. Starring Cate Blanchett, Sam Neil and Hugo Weaving. Former heroin junkie Tracy has spent four years clean, is mending her family relationships, and starting a business. Tracy tries to stay straight when three men from her past, including her brother and a former boyfriend, start dragging her back into the crime world.

Strange Brew. Starring Bob and Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas). Released in 1983. Bob and Doug stick a mouse in a beer bottle and visit the Elsinore brewery hoping to get free beer. The scheming brewmaster takes advantage of their stupidity to frame them for the owner's murder. The brewmaster is then free to set upon his plans to take over the world by releasing his mind control beer on Toronto's Oktoberfest. What a hoser.

The King. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and William Hurt. Elvis leaves the Navy and heads to Texas to find his biological father, David, who he never met. David is now a successful Baptist pastor who wants his sinful past to stay hidden, and Elvis to do the same. After his rejection by David, Elvis befriends his half-sister Malerie and starts to make unwanted in-roads into David's life.

American Dreamz. Starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid and Mandy Moore. A comedic parody of American Idol with the president joining the popular show to improve his own ratings.

Edmond. Starring William H. Macy, Mena Suvari, Denise Richards, Julia Stiles, Bokeem Woodbine. A David Mamet story (which explains why Joe Mantegna and Rebecca Pigeon also appear). Edmond uncharacteristically gets his fortune told and learns "he is not where he is supposed to be". After a fight with his wife, Edmond goes to bar, talks to a racist, and starts losing the self-control his life has had.

Beerfest. From the makers of Super Troopers and Club Dread. Beer guzzling brothers Todd and Jan travel to Germany during the heights of Oktoberfest to spread their grandfather's ashes. Stumbling across the secret Beerfest drinking competition they decide to enter as the American team to show their German relatives that they too can "swill beer and embarass themselves just as well as anyone".

Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest. Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgard, Bill Nighy. Something about pirates, sword fighting, ships, Keira Knightley, and some sort of octopus man.

Uno Bianca. Italian crime thriller. A team of detectives have been tracking and chasing a gang of armed robbers. When a resulting gunfight kills their officer, the cops take their methods and chase to the extreme. Based on a true story of crimes in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy in 1991.

New DVD I Missed

Shadowboxer. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Helen Mirren. Mikey has been raised by assassin Rose as a killer, and as her lover. When Rose and Mikey are hired to kill a pregnant wife the cancer stricken Rose decides to go on the run with the girl and Mikey.

New Music

Rock

Imaginary Kingdom by Tim Finn. Native New Zealander Tim Finn and his brother Neil are best known through their bands Split Enz and Crowded House. They also did two albums together as the Finn Brothers. Here's part of the review for Imaginary at Allmusic "To say that this album is magical is an understatement! Imaginary Kingdom is an atmospheric and joyous collection of beautifully written songs that embrace the listener with warmth and emotional honesty. Piano moves back to centerstage again and Finn's vocals are a wonder to behold." If you'd like to read more gushing go to the fan forums at Frenz of the Enz.

Modern Times by Bob Dylan. You likely know who Dylan is. This is his latest album and is supposed to be above par, better than that slump he was in for several years back in the '80s.

Endless Wire by The Who. Half a Who released this new studio album in conjunction with their latest tour. Endless Wire has garnered good reviews and, since Townshend songs and Daltrey's voice are still there, the core of the Who plays on. Also includes a five song DVD from a July, '06 concert in France.

Folk-Pop

9 by Damien Rice. Irishman Rice's music provided part of the soundtrack for the film Closer and The Blower's Daughter is his most recognizable tune. This CD just narrowly missed a disastrous coffee spill, check it out from the Library before the next java attack.

Children's

Sing A Long: Crunchy Munchy Music by The Wiggles. I read that Yellow Shirt is leaving the band due to a chronic illness. Enjoy his last vocal appearance on this album by the Australian band. Incidentally, Tim Finn recorded an old Split Enz song, Six Months in a Leaky Boat, with the Wiggles a few years ago.