The week of 4/19/2011
group edited by: Troy Anderson
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THE KING’S SPEECH 
Director: Tom Hooper
Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay
Special Features:
The King’s Speech is a great movie with a terrible script. Seriously, people. Fuck this half-hearted attempt at investigating British history with the enthusiasm of a high schooler just discovering that life existed before 1980. Hooper’s masterful direction and amazing cast helps to lift the material out of the pedestrian realm. However, I’m still left wondering how the British Chewers feel about a movie that plays like Forrest Gump with a British smile. I have a feeling that we’ll find out in the comments below. The Blu-Ray is an amazing disc from Anchor Bay, as they cautiously take on the prestige of the Weinstein Company’s recent run. Scenes in the therapist’s office play a little soft, but the transfer quickly bounces back.
KES 
Criterion
- New, restored digital transfer, approved by director Ken Loach and director of photography Chris Menges, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- Making “Kes”, a new documentary featuring Loach, Menges, producer Tony Garnett, and actor David Bradley
- The Southbank Show: “Ken Loach” (1993), a profile of the filmmaker, featuring Loach, Garnett, directors Stephen Frears and Alan Parker, and other Loach collaborators
- Cathy Come Home (1967), a feature directed by Loach and produced by Garnett, with an introduction by film writer Graham Fuller
- Original theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by Fuller
SHORT CIRCUIT 2 
Director: Kenneth Johnson
Image Entertainment
Special Features:
• Nothing
Short Circuit 2 is the perfect film to help end my run on The Special Edition. This simple tale about a sentient robot built upon the legacy of a better film only served to crush Johnny 5 into the geek consciousness. Indian stereotypes, Michael McKean and lackluster direction left fans wondering if Ally Sheedy was the glue that held the first movie together. My money’s on El DeBarge, but nobody cares what I think. The A/V Quality is pretty sharp, but it lacks any major punch-up. In the end, this column dies this week regardless. I’ve already checked out and I hope that you guys check out what comes next!
RABBIT HOLE 
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Lionsgate
Buy it at Amazon!
Special Features:
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
Rabbit Hole is a great film about how a dead kid can damper a marriage. The guy who did Shortbus takes us out of the world of gross sexuality and into the world of grieving parents. There’s less oral sex, but even more emotional circle jerking. Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest act circles around the rest of the cast, but Nicole Kidman keeps getting singled out. Why? Well, because we’re supposed to believe that she’s a great actress because she convinced herself that Tom Cruise wasn’t in the closet for more than a decade. Solid flick with a rather flat transfer on Blu-Ray.
Music
Section By Jeb D.
CANNIBAL COURTSHIP
Dengue Fever
If Dengue Fever’s mad amalgam of psychedelic rock, 70’s soul, surf guitar and retro Asian pop works best in small doses, well, this is their first album in three years, and they’ve put the time to good use: the heady mixture of influences has been distilled down into a sound that is still uniquely and recognizably theirs, but with the influences more blended than jumbled together. Even for longtime fans, Cannibal Courtship is filled with delightful surprises and innovations, like the Sly Stone funk at the bottom of “Only A Friend,” and the folk-pop harmonies of the title song. One development I’m less than thrilled about is guitarist Zac Holtzman’s choice to take on more of the lead vocals: while it may be true that anyone can sing rock and roll, that doesn’t mean “just anyone,” and Holtzman’s flat, affectless voice conveys enthusiasm, but not much more. In plenty of bands, that wouldn’t be a big problem, but Dengue Fever is fronted by Asian pop priestess Chhom Nimol, and any time taken away from her stunningly evocative singing feels like a cheat. The contrast between their voices, though, has always made for some fascinating duets on previous songs like “Tiger Phone Card,” and this album is no exception, especially on the delightfully whacked-out”2012 (Bury Our Heads).” But Dengue Fever’s always at their best when Nimol steps out front, and her singing on the bluesy “Sister in the Radio” is among the most powerful I’ve heard this year. Toss in the weirdly suggestive “Mr. Bubbles,” and the driving spy-flick sounds of “Durian Dowry,” and you’ve got the pan-Pacific party album of the year.
THE LAST
The Unthanks
Though they approach music making from a traditionalist’s background, the latest album from Northumbria’s Unthanks sisters is a major step forward out of a received “folk” genre, and into something wholly their own. That’s not to say that it isn’t influenced by British folk music– indeed, the sound they have crafted mingles traditional and original songs so seamlessly that only an archivist could tell the difference– but the arrangements and instrumentation have taken a huge leap, with expertly-deployed strings, sympathetic piano, acoustic guitar, and the occasional fiddle, bass, or drum, all in service of an expansive approach to the music that leaves plenty of room for their vocal harmonies. And, in contrast to what we generally expect from such pairings, there’s nothing “sweet” about the sisters’ singing: darkly beautiful, thickly accented, clear, strong, and unblinking in the face of the stories of death, desertion, and betrayal (sexual and social) that make up most of their material. The cover choices are equally impressive, including Tom Waits’ “No One Knows I’m Gone,” Jon Redfern’s heartbreaking tale of the Iraq war, “Give Away Your Heart,” and you really do need to hear the amazing things they do with King Crimson’s “Starless.” The album’s finest moment comes on the penultimate “Close the Coalhouse Door,” with its quietly shattering story of death in the mines: “Close the coal house door, there’s bairns inside.”
AGADEZ
Bombino
Oh, fuck yes. Last year’s amazing Volume 3 of the “Guitars from Agadez” series, by Group Inerane, is still vinyl-only, but the hero of 2009’s “Volume 2,” Niger’s Bombino Motcar, is back on CD, with a full-on studio production, rather than the live recordings he has released previously. I’ll admit that I miss some of the crazy audience enthusiasm that we often get when Tuareg music is recorded in a live Saharan setting, rather than a studio in Massachusetts, but I wouldn’t want the guy stuck in some kind of “field recording” ghetto for the rest of his career. The album features plenty of the rapturous, psychedelic guitar drone that characterizes the “desert blues,” but Bombino’s starting to stretch out: “Tar Hani” shows that he’s absorbed the lessons of funk just fine, and there’s a hint of Motown in the vigorous handclap backing of “Teneri.” But the real stunner is the album’s nine-minute centerpiece, the ominous “Iyat Idounia Ayasahe,” with Bombino’s frenzied playing building to a Zep-like crescendo. No,I don’t know what any of the songs are about, but his expressive vocals and mesmerizing guitar are very much in the modern musical and cultural tradition of the pain-wracked lives of the peoples of the Sahara.
SKALA
Mathias Eick
Norwegian trumpeter Eick actually got his start as a guitarist, and on this latest outing, he stretches out to add vibes and double bass to his personal repertoire, but the signature remains his evocative trumpet; along with Poland’s Tomasz Stanko, he’s the closest we have today to the spirit of Chet Baker. The album’s compositions, all originals, are evocative of specific times and places, including the dark cityscape of “Edinburgh,” the lush pastoral of “June,” and the driving “Oslo,” propelled by the twin drumming of Torstein Lofthusand and Gard Nilssen. I particularly enjoy the slightly fractured waltz of their tribute to Joni Mitchell, and “Day After” has the jaunty swagger of 70’s Steely Dan. Eick expands the core band (including pianist Andreas Ulvo and bass guitarist Audun Erlien) with strong, sympathetic contributions from players as diverse as saxophonist Jan Garbarek , keyboardist Morten Qvenild,and classical harpist Sidsel Walstad.
Other Notable 4/19 Releases
Glee: The Music presents The Warblers. I understand this album comes out on Tuesday. That’s already more than I want to know about it.
tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l. I can’t deny the fact that Merrill Garbus is a fantastically talented magpie, grabbing bits and pieces of everything she’s ever heard, and the result is something like Carole King fronting The Go! Team. I can, however, grit my teeth at the cutesy band-name, and “Look at me!” typography.
Steve Miller Band, Let Your Hair Down. Bonus ball following last year’s Bingo! If you only buy one white-boy blues album this year, make it Gregg Allman. If you buy more than one… shouldn’t you be watching your spending?
Lenka, Two. Lenka says “I want to write more songs about being in love.” Who says innovation is dead?
Gorillaz, The Fall. When you or I have spare time, we eat too much, watch too much TV, take naps. When Damon Albarn has spare time, he knocks out best-selling albums in between tour dates. That’s why he gets the big bucks.
The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart. The harmonies are just on the wrong side of too sweet, the melodies just on the wrong side of too syrupy, the lyrics just on the wrong side of too sentimental. Not a standout in a crowded Americana field.
Tracy Nelson, Victim Of The Blues. You don’t need to know that Nelson and her husband recently lost their home and recording studio in a devastating fire, to feel the emotional depth that permeates the 20th album from this veteran blueswoman. Who the hell is Steve Miller, anyway?
Brian Setzer, Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL! The man’s chops are undeniable, his relevance less so.
Del The Funky Homosapien, Golden Era. Haven’t heard it yet, but it’s gotta be three albums of fun (one new, two previously unavailable on CD).
Les Nubians, Nu Revolution. More gorgeous vocals laid over the lushest funk grooves.
Duff Mckagan’s Loaded, Taking. Not my money, you’re not.
Eliza Doolittle, Eliza Doolittle. Perky clever or perky annoying? Your mileage may vary, but It’ll do till Lily Allen gets back, and I’ll take it over Katy Perry, thanks.
VIDEO GAMES
edited by: Justin Clark
sales info: Judas Booth
PORTAL 2
Valve
360, PS3, PC, Mac
4/19
$59.99
More portals. More GlaDOS. More Jonathan Coulton. JK Simmons. Stephen Merchant. The National. Co-Op. WHO ARE YOU TO RESIST??
Now, would you kindly NOT run this shit into the fucking ground this time, internet? Please?
MORTAL KOMBAT
Warner Bros. Interactive
360, PS3
4/19
$59.99
Mortal Kombat ebbs and flows. Ed Boon knows how to strip his game back down to brass tacks really well, before he gives in to the impulse to bloat it up once again with needless bullshit. But the times when he hits the refresh button on this series have been sweet, and this newest attempt to bring the series back to its roots is quite a welcome contrast to the resurrection of Street Fighter of late, if for no other reason than the world needs games where you can slice a guy open with your fucking razor hat.
SOCOM 4
SCEA
PS3
4/19
$59.99
Ordinarily, the release of a new arrives at my doorstep with all the fanfare of a ham sandwich at a Bar Mitzvah, but the game’s surprising new gimmick, of a Korean female soldier stealthing her way into dangerous areas, holding her own against her asshole peers while not just becoming a guy written with tits but a full fledged, strongly written character at least perked my eyebrow a split second. Then I remembered it’s a SOCOM game, and promptly fell back to sleep. And dreamt about making a ham sandwich.
PRINCE OF PERSIA CLASSIC TRILOGY HD
UbiSoft
PS3
4/19
$39.99
Legitimate gripe: This is a PS3 only affair, meaning us poor 360-loving folk are shit out of luck. Illegitimate gripe: the games don’t look as good as the God of War Collection or Sly Cooper. Fact is, those are just plain prettier games. And that’s FINE. However, the other fact is that these are BETTER games. Even the nu-metal creative vomitstorm that is Warrior Within is still a strong, thrilling, often exhilarating experience, and its two brothers stand even taller. The visual upgrade isn’t worth the $40 so much as having three of the greatest hack-and-slash platforming puzzlers ever made.
THE CONDUIT 2
Sega
Wii
4/19
$49.99
At this stage of the game, trying to appeal to a hardcore audience on the Wii is like trying to give condoms to the Duggar family. We’re way past the point where the intended recipients care abou t this thing you’re trying to provide, no matter how useful or fun it could be, and it’s just sad to watch ones efforts go to waste. Regardless, Sega still took a lot of the shit slung towards the first game to heart, and seems to have crafted something objectively better. So, I guess, the one hardcore gamer still holding out for a Madworld sequel will enjoy the bone he’s being tossed here.
FINAL FANTASY IV: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Square Enix
PSP
4/19
$39.99
Basically, one of the better Final Fantasies, albeit the one that’s been re-released all to hell, bundled with its obscure mobile game sequel/epilogue. I’m okay with that. At least Square had the good taste not to go titling it 0.04 Final Fantasy: Mundis Totalis: Friendship and Taquitos in the Chocobo Moonshadow 24/7 or some such bullshit.
OOOHHHH: ON THE DLC TIP
ARCANA HEART 3
Aksys Games
Playstation Network
4/19
TBA
Arcana Heart is basically BlazBlue: Catfight Edition, and just cannot cut a break here. There was a PS2 version of this that came and went off shelves like a fart in a spring breeze, a second game that never even saw American shores. Now we have this release, which will be download only from the PSN, but rumors have swirled around it may end up costing around $30. Not to mention, it’s coming out on the heels of one of the busiest game weeks of the year thus far. If Aksys was hoping this thing would maybe find its audience this time around, they’re about to have their hopes brutally dashed.
ROCK BAND TUESDAY
Anberlin – Breaking
Mastodon – Blood and Thunder X
Ohio Players – Fire
Ohio Players – Love Rollercoaster X
Relient K – Must Have Done Something Right
Tommy Tutone – 867-5309/Jenny X
$1.99/160 MS pts per track
X-Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansion available for 99 cents/80 MS pts
Amberlin and Relient K are probably the bees knees for those whose testicles have not yet become low hanging fruit. More motherfucking Mastodon is always welcome. The Ohio Players tracks are great picks, though as gameplay, I can imagine those getting tiresome quick. Also, too many vocalists are gonna fuck up once they realize Anthony Keidis is nowhere to be found in that version of Love Rollercoaster. 867-5309 is what it is, really. You either love it, or you weren’t around in the 80s.
WHAT’S NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK:
American Dad! Vol. 6
Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition)
Born To Raise Hell
Captain Planet And The Planeteers: Season One (Shout! Factory)
Chicago Overcoat
Clannad: After Story – Complete Collection
Claymore: The Complete Series (Anime Classics)
Darker Than Black: The Complete First Season (Anime Classics)
Darkness (With Bonus Movie: Lost Souls)
Down To You (Budget Reissue)
Duplex (With Bonus Movie: Fifty Pills)
The Ernie Kovacs Collection (Shout! Factory)
Falco (2008 Biopic)
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air: The Complete Sixth Season
From Dusk Till Dawn (With Bonus Movie: Full-Tilt Boogie)
Fubar: Balls To The Wall
Gashole
Gaumont Treasures, Vol. 2: 1908-1916 (Kino)
Glee: Encore
Goemon
Gulliver’s Travels (2010)
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1 (With Exclusive Dobby Bookend)
Harry Potter Years 1-7, Pt. 1 Giftset
Hyenas
I Want What I Want
If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don’t Rise (HBO)
Ingrid Bergman In Sweden: 3-Film Collection – Intermezzo/A Woman’s Face/June Night (Kino)
Ip Man 2: Legend Of The Grandmaster (One-Disc Standard Edition)
Ip Man 2: Legend Of The Grandmaster (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition)
Jews And Baseball: An American Love Story
Kes (Criterion Collection)
The King’s Speech
The Little Rascals: The Boys Of Our Gang
The Little Rascals: Classic And Hidden Episodes
The Lone Ranger: The Lone Ranger/The Lone Ranger And The Lost City Of Gold (Double Feature)
The Lone Ranger: 10 Legendary Episodes
Lorna Doone (1990)
A Mind To Kill: Series Three
Miramax Double Feature – Bionicle 2: Legends Of Metru Nui/Bionicle 3: Web Of Shadows
Miramax Double Feature – Children Of The Corn II: The Final Sacrifice/Children Of The Corn III: Urban Harvest
Miramax Double Feature – The Crow: City Of Angels/The Crow: Wicked Prayer
Miramax Double Feature – Deception (1993)/People I Know
Miramax Double Feature – Dracula 2000/Cursed
Miramax Double Feature – Equilibrium/Renaissance
Miramax Double Feature – The Faculty/Phantoms
Miramax Double Feature – Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth/Hellraiser: Bloodline
Miramax Double Feature – The Neverending Story III: Escape From Fantasia/A Wrinkle In Time
Miramax Double Feature – Pokemon 4Ever/Pokemon Heroes
Miramax Double Feature – Texas Rangers/Dead Man
Miramax Triple Feature – The Prophecy/The Prophecy II/The Prophecy 3: The Ascent
Miramax From Dusk Till Dawn Series – From Dusk Till Dawn/From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money/From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter/Full-Tilt Boogie
Miramax Hellraiser Series – Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth/Hellraiser: Bloodline/Hellraiser: Inferno/Hellraiser: Hellseeker
Miramax Psycho Killer Series – Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later/Halloween: Resurrection/Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers/Mother’s Boys
Miramax Romantic Comedy Series – My Boss’s Daughter/Wishful Thinking/About Adam/Down To You
Monamour (Two-Disc Special Edition)
No Code Of Conduct (Budget Reissue)
One Piece: Season Three, 5th Voyage
Princess Blade (Two-Disc Widescreen Special Edition)
Rabbit Hole
Salon Massage (Mya)
Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure
Simon And Laura
Somewhere
Square Grouper: The Godfathers Of Ganja
Street Kings 2: Motor City
Tennessee’s Partner (Widescreen Edition)
To Paris With Love
UFC 126: Silva Vs. Belfort
Upstairs And Downstairs
Wishful Thinking (Budget Reissue)
WHAT ELSE IS NEW ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK:
Born To Raise Hell
Code/The Contract (2-Pack)
Dead Man Walking
Earth From Above: Amazing Lands (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Questar)
Earth From Above: Life (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Questar)
Earth From Above: Stunning Water (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Questar)
Fubar: Balls To The Wall
Glee: Encore
Goemon
Gulliver’s Travels (2010) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Gulliver’s Travels (2010) (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Harry Potter Years 1-7, Pt. 1 Giftset
Hotel Rwanda
Ip Man 2: Legend Of The Grandmaster (One-Disc Standard Edition)
Ip Man 2: Legend Of The Grandmaster (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition)
Kes (Criterion Collection)
The King’s Speech
The Last Legion
Leaving Las Vegas
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Monamour (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Rabbit Hole
Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo) (Limited Edition With Bonus Clutch Purse)
Short Circuit 2
Somewhere
Street Kings 2: Motor City (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Street Kings Ultimate 2-Pack – Street Kings/Street Kings 2: Motor City
Sweetie (Criterion Collection)
Tokyo Gore Police
THE SALES
NEW RELEASES
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 $14.99 $22.99
DVD SALE
$3.99
Spongebob: Tales from the Deep
Dora the Explorer presents Easter Shit
$5.99
Red
The Last Song
Salt
From Paris with Love
Prince of Persia
$6.99
Coraline
How To Train Your Dragon
Megamind
Ramona & Beezus
Shrek: The Final Chapter
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
$7.99
Wubbzy’s Egg-Cellent Adventure
VeggieTales Easter
Easter with Max and Ruby
Elmo’s World: Easter Felt
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Easter Madness
$9.99
Archer: Season 1
Entourage: Season 6
Family Guy: Season 7
$13.99
Tangled
Toy Story 3
Bambi
Beauty and the Beast
Despicable Me
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Chronicles of Narnia: Dawn Treader
BLU-RAY SALE:
$9.99
Marley and Me
Serenity
American Gangster
Mamma Mia
It’s Complicated
$12.99
Coraline
How To Train Your Dragon
Megamind
Ramona & Beezus
Shrek: The Final Chapter
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince $17.99
Tangled
Toy Story 3
Bambi
Beauty and the Beast
Despicable Me
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Chronicles of Narnia: Dawn Treader
TV on DVD SALE:
Glee, Sunny, Office and tons of stuff.
NEW RELEASES
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 $13.99 $17.99 $22.99
DVD SALE
$9.99
Twilight: Eclipse
Megamind
$13.99
Skyline
Burlesque
Unstoppable
Jackass 3
The Black Swan
The Fighter
Paranormal Activity 2
BLU-RAY SALE
Twilight: Eclipse
Skyline
Megamind
Burlesque
Unstoppable
Jackass 3
The Black Swan
The Fighter
Paranormal Activity 2
Chronicles of Narnia: Dawn Treader
Despicable Me
VIDEO GAME SALES
Best Buy:
Mortal Kombat: $59.99 (360/PS3)
Portal 2: $59.99 (360/PS3)
SOCOM 4: $59.99 (PS3)
– Free $10 BB Gift Card with purchase of Mortal Kombat, Portal 2, or SOCOM4
– Save $30 on any of the following 3 PS3 games with purchase of SOCOM 4:
Killzone 3: $59.99 (PS3)
Gran Turismo 5: $59.99 (PS3)
Little Big Planet 2: $59.99 (PS3)
Target:
Mortal Kombat: $59.99 (360/PS3)
Portal 2: $59.99 (360/PS3)
SOCOM 4: $59.99 (PS3)
– $17 each: Toy Story 3 (Wii/NDS/PSP), Plants VS Zombies 360/NDS), Wipeout (Wii/NDS)
– $27 each: Medal of Honor (360/PS3), Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (360/PS3), Country Dance (Wii)
– $37 each: Masters – Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 (360/PS3/Wii), Halo Reach (360), Just Dance 2 (Wii), Epic Mickey (Wii), Flingsmash (Wii), Sonic Colors (Wii)
– $47 each: Call of Duty Black Ops (360/PS3/Wii), Fight Night Champion (360/PS3), WWE All-Stars (360/PS3/Wii), Marvel VS Capcom 3 (360/PS3), Kinect Sports (Kinect)
Toys R Us:
Mortal Kombat: $59.99 (360/PS3)
Portal 2: $59.99 (360/PS3)
– Free $15 TrU gift card if you buy either Mortal Kombat or Portal 2
– Free $50 TrU gift card if you buy both Mortal Kombat and Portal 2
– 2 for $50 on ‘Hot’ 3DS games ($39.99 each, must buy 2 for offer, cannot be combined with other offers)
K Mart:
Mortal Kombat: $59.99 (360/PS3)
Portal 2: $59.99 (360/PS3)
SOCOM 4: $59.99 (PS3)
Prince of Persia Trilogy: $39.99 (PS3)
– Get $15 gaming coupon when you purchase $40 worth of gaming software
– Get $60 gaming coupon when you purchase $120 worth of gaming software
– Save $10 on select Wii Disney games
– Free Just Dance Kids when you buy Just Dance 2 on Wii. yaaaaaay
– Free Epic Mickey controller when you buy Epic Mickey on Wii. double yaaaaaaay