1. EMPIRE – APRIL 2007
The biggest and best movie magazine in the world. Made in the UK. Huge. That’s all you need to know.
This issue’s strong points:
- Interestingly enough, a lot of the best stuff in this issue is kinda hidden. Although it’s barely mentioned on the cover, the pinnacle is their fantastic and lengthy David Lynch interview.
- I also dig the piece on how Four Weddings and Funeral came out of nowhere and made a huge impact on the industry.
- The picture-filled piece on Sunshine really helps to make this film out to be something kinda special, and I really hope it is.
- Reviews are rock solid as always with the notable exception of…
This issue’s weak points:
- Three frickin’ stars for Ghost Rider in a page-length review? Really?
- The FF: ROTSS cover story is kinda bland. Granted there’s not but so much you can do given the source material, but too bad.
- The other main features are ok, but this issue was a step down from the action extravaganza a month ago.
Overall: 7.5 out of 10
2.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY #926
Sure, their film reviews are hated by geeks. Yes, they
follow trends incessantly. And yes, music coverage is generally an
afterthought. But it’s surely the most fun weekly read out there, and
they have television on lock. Plus, they’ll surprise with every now and
then with a great piece on overlooked entertainment industry plebs like
personal assistants and bodyguards. When it’s on, it’s an incredible
value. When it’s not…wait a week.
This issue’s strong points:
- Surprisingly solid postmortem on 300‘s success, and it never hurts to get some new quotage from Snyder on the future of Watchmen, either.
- Terence Howard is, hmm…..how do you say it?….delightfully nutty. This guy almost never gives an interview devoid of a heady mixture of madness and religious conviction, although some would say I’m being redundant.
- Really enjoyed the piece on the ongoing legal fracas over Sahara. Hell, something good had to come out of the film other than Matthew McConaughey’s enjoyably anachronistic performance.
- Reviews this issue are pretty good, actually.
This issue’s weak points:
- They pick who’s going to win amongst the American Idol top 12. I already know the answer: Not people who enjoy talented vocalists. And I say that not as a kneejerk critic of the show, but as someone who’s actually heard the dull crop this year. An article about the remarkably weak field would’ve been more interesting.
- Not too much else is awry here. This is one of the better recent issues.
Overall: 8.0 out of 10
3.
KING MAGAZINE – MAY 2007
Maxim, FHM, and Stuff
keep it coming month after month in terms of over-Photoshopped
genera-hotties in yawnworthy layouts. But what about those of us who
want women of color, backshots, and, most importantly, to keep it
gully? King magazine is our only monthly destination for the real.
This issue’s strong points:
- Loved the layout on WWE "diva" Layla El. Gal looks completely different and yet even hotter here.
- As is obligatory around March each year for every mag that’s even remotely hip-hop oriented, they do some Biggie coverage to commemorate his passing. Only the multi-faceted and personal interviews with his associates here smoke pretty much all of the others including sister (and dedicated hip-hop) mag XXL. Well done.
- Good, if slightly too brief Sean Bell article. This story sadly keeps getting rewritten in the black community every few years and only the names of the officers/victims and the methods change.
- Covering Chris Tucker’s new standup material is actually a great way to take a look at where the guy is at in the head these days. A very pleasant surprise of an article.
This issue’s weak points:
- Vida Guerra cover, layout and interview is just wack. I really don’t care about her beef with Game. I’m sure plenty of other rappers and athletes have bragged about smashing that, and it just makes her look bad to sink to their level by doing dis articles, dis records, and whatever else. Did I mention her pictures are wack in this issue?
- Jesus H., you fucks. A layout for muhfuckin New York? Are you shitting me? And more than one page of it? I don’t eeeeeeever want to see the "Covers You’ll Never See" feature again that clowns different chicks not hot enough to appear in your mag. In fact, I noticed it was missing from this issue. A sad day.
- All in all, it’s a decent-to-good issue….if somehow your mailman or newsagent does their civic duty and immolates the New York pages. That chick is about as attractive as nut cancer.
Overall: 6.0 out of 10
4.
INTERVIEW MAGAZINE – APRIL 2007
The title of this baby can sometimes be ironic when the ads and pictorials overwhelm their meager interviews by celebrities with other celebrities. But when she’s good, you get unique perspectives that you can’t find elsewhere.
This issue’s strong points:
- Very candid and fascinating piece with Chris Rock being interviewed by Elvis Mitchell. It’s a BS-free look at much of Rock’s career, but not even Elvis could summon the mighty spectre of Pootie Tang. Ah well.
- They don’t even care to mention it on the cover but the Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Jeff Daniels conversation is greatness.
- I actually enjoyed the massive portfolio of great rock photography. Some pure iconic shit here.
This issue’s weak points:
- Liv Tyler’s the cover because….she’s the "lead" in Reign Over Me that they don’t even acknowledge in the frickin’ trailer?!? James Mangold gives it a go, but the interview is a dud, too.
- Quentin Tarantino is a very, very talented guy….at filmmaking. Alas, he is a piss-poor interviewer, so aside from nice pictures, his conversation with Rose McGowan is a huge disappointment.
- Overall, not too shabby. Despite the bust of the two aforementioned feature pieces, there are some good back-and-forths here you just can’t get anywhere else, and it’s never focused on pimping the latest project these people have going on, so that’s even better.
Overall: 6.5 out of 10