Canadian group produces a variety of albums
Published May 07, 2010
The Canadian supergroup The New Pornographers seem to have the incredible knack for exploring new musical avenues, always crafting and reworking a mix of bouncy melodies and quirky hooks so that no album sounds exactly the same as their last. “Together,” the band’s fifth installment, is filled with psychedelic riffs, topsyturvy piano and all-around, multi-instrumentalist talent to showcase.
The New Pornographers are headed by Carl “A.C.” Newman, who is backed up by, among others, Neko Case and Dan Bejar of Destroyer. These three leading members have released more than 20 studio albums under their names. Here, we see them combine to explore a number of new questions about life, and the answers they come to are interesting. Filled with trademark bright and frantic rhythms—featuring elements of chamber pop and prog-rock—the overall tone of “Together” is somewhat more muted than in years past. “Your Hands Together” illustrates this with it’s somber mood—Newman and Catherine Calder sing a duet in which they explore family relations, musing about the relationship between “togetherness” and mortality.
Visually-stunning horror remake divides reviewers
Published May 07, 2010
One thing that definitely can be said about the remake of “Nightmare on Elm Street” is that it’s visually stunning. The film uses the new technology to its advantage in updating the 1984 classic. This film delivers visually stunning thrills and chills that leave you on the edge of your seat. Like most horror movies the acting wasn’t too special, but it isn’t expected to be.
Visually-stunning horror remake divides reviewers
Published May 07, 2010
Thrilling, frightening and even a little bit funny… is how I would describe the previews before “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” The only thing dragging them down was the the heartless, predictable and entirely unnecessary film that proceeded them.
Wainwright exposes listeners to an introspective, personal view of his life
Published April 30, 2010
The career of Rufus Wainwright has been filled with peaks and valleys, an incredible talent lauded by critics yet scarred from relations with his famous parents. He’s blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime voice, and some of his peers have described him as one of the greatest singers of his generation (Martin Scorsese referred to him as “a one-man Greek chorus”), but he has battled with a horrific meth addiction that got so severe, he temporarily went blind.
Cast, cinematography fail to deliver
Published April 30, 2010
With its sexy cast and vibrant style, “The Losers” feels like a bomb that’s primed to explode. It’s a volatile mix of action and comedy, needing only an imaginative spark to set it off. I kept waiting for that big explosion, but unfortunately it never came. Instead of sizzling up the screen, “The Losers” fizzled like a dud firework.
Unique plot leads to typical ending
Published April 30, 2010
Artificial insemination, finding the man of your dreams, and a two legged dog. Oh my! All these things— and mor— make Jennifer Lopez’s new film, “The Back- Up Plan,” stand out from her other films. Lopez plays a single woman who opts for artificial insemination after dating for years and failing to find the right guy, only to see the man of her dreams breeze into her life just as she learns she’s pregnant. It seemed a realistic role for Lopez, as she is in her forties, but still could pass for much younger.
UWRF students speak out against sexual violence
Published April 16, 2010
UW-River Falls students, faculty and staff along with River Falls community members showed their support for sexual violence awareness at the 15th annual UWRF Take Back the Night (TBtN) held Wednesday, April 7, in the Falcon’s Nest.
Comedy entertains despite forced humor
Published April 15, 2010
“Date Night” is good for a fun, action-packed good time, but it could’ve been better, especially with actors like Tina Fey and Steve Carell at the helm. It was fun, funny and entertaining for what it was. The room for improvement is a result of the script, not the actorsthey made the best of it. Then again, this isn’t really a film expected to have much depth, so if taken as it is, it is pretty enjoyable.
A wholesome moral doesn’t equal a good film
Published April 15, 2010
It’s hard to hate a film like “Letters to God.” When you adapt a true story about a boy with brain cancer whose heavenly correspondences change the life of an alcoholic mailman, you pretty much get a free pass from criticism. Yeah it’s schmaltzy, and the production value is none too high, but when a movie is this wholesome and has such a positive message, does it even matter?
Romance expands Cyrus’ career
Published April 11, 2010
Hannah Montana gone punk pianist brat would be one way to sum up “The Last Song,” or at least Miley Cyrus’ character in the film. I spent a good part of the film in either disbelief of Hannah Montana being a punk or a general dislike of her snotty character. Fortunately, it eventually gets better.
Disasterous 3D effects, dull acting ruin 1981 cult-classic
Published April 09, 2010
A remake of the 1981 cult-classic, “Clash of the Titans” is a colossal waste of time. Although the original had a clunky story and cheesy special effects, it was also campy and fun. The remake is just as clunky and its special effects are just as cheesy, but the experience is altogether tedious. It’s too long, too serious and too boring to be any fun.
Rate the movies
What do you think about the latest films? Do you agree with our reviewers? Have your say by rating recent films.
Fame
The movie updates the 1980 musical about students at the New York Academy of Performing Arts. "Fame" is directed by Kevin Tancharoen.
2009, rated PG.
(1 votes)
Zombieland
Directed by Ruben Fleischer, "Zombieland" focuses on four people (played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) who have to fight to survive a zombie apocalypse.
2009, rated R.
(5 votes)
