Tropic Thunder is stupid-funny
Despite a few soft spots along the way, Thunder combines the dark absurdity of Stiller’s underrated Cable Guy with the unrestrained dumbness of his Zoolander .
By PETER KEOUGH | August 13, 2008

Out of Africa

Extra Golden swipe their visas
Writing about Extra Golden, you’re tempted to focus on the novelty: two indie-rock dudes taking off to Nairobi to jam with a pair of benga masters sounds like the premise for some awful Jack Black movie. (Please don’t please don’t.)
By MICHAEL BRODEUR | July 22, 2008

Crossword: ''Never A Good Sign''

Watch out for these

By MATT JONES | June 18, 2008

Kung Fu Panda

A colorful wuxia comedy
The thin script is light on length and surprise, heavy on tike-pleasing jokes and action.
By BRETT MICHEL | June 04, 2008

Shaggy frog

Interview: Michel Gondry goes lo-fi
Michel Gondry is not a household name.
By BRETT MICHEL | February 20, 2008

Be Kind Rewind

A shambling charmer
This isn’t Gondry’s best work — it’s too unstructured, labored when it begs to soar.
By BRETT MICHEL | February 20, 2008

Hot for teacher

Butthole Surfer Gibby Haynes joins the School of Rock
Jack Black may have popularized the notion of a fantasy school of rock, but for 3200 students at 40 schools around the country, the School of Rock is very real.
By JIM SULLIVAN | February 12, 2008

Primary concerns

2008 releases offer campaign reform
The last thing people are looking for when they go to the movies is a reminder of the political crapola they are trying to escape.
By PETER KEOUGH | December 28, 2007

Bride and prejudice

Margot has snob appeal
Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale marked him as the reigning bard of disaffected 16-year-olds from privileged, culturally elite, miserably broken families.
By PETER KEOUGH | November 20, 2007

Noah’s arc

Baumbach from Squid to Margot
William Faulkner conceived The Sound and the Fury from a mental picture of a pair of women’s underpants dangling on a clothesline.
By GERALD PEARY | November 20, 2007

Heavy metal overdrive

High on Fire, Middle East Downstairs, October 11, 2007
Metal can be one of pop’s funniest, loudest, most compelling genre exercises.
By RICHARD BECK | October 15, 2007

War zones

Fall films face terror at home and abroad
The party’s over. Time for the lessons to begin.
By PETER KEOUGH | September 12, 2007

Black lights

Cold War Kids + Muse, Agganis Arena, August 11, 2007
Grids pulsed behind them on three screens, and Matthew Bellamy keened softly, “You will burn in Hell.”
By ELLEE DEAN | August 13, 2007

The 100 unsexiest men 2007: 10-1

These guys couldn't turn on a radio

By | April 14, 2007

Warrior riffery

The Viking metal of Amon Amarth
American metal has lost its heart. Who is keeping the tradition of warrior metal alive?
By PHIL FREEMAN | February 27, 2007

The Holiday

A safe box office bet
A reminder to all producers: alluding to iconic romantic comedies in a bid for legitimacy can be a dangerous game, even when you have appealing stars. Watch the trailer for The Holiday (QuickTime)
By BROOKE HOLGERSON | December 06, 2006

Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny

For hardcore fans
I’m a Jack Black fan — let’s get that out of the way. Watch the trailer for Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (QuickTime)
By BRETT MICHEL | November 21, 2006

Rock and droll

High Fidelity ; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
High Fidelity tries to sell itself as kick-ass rock right from the curtain speech: you are to turn off your fucking cell phones, and if you don’t like that language you can “grab your husband and get the hell out.”
By CAROLYN CLAY | October 11, 2006

Crossword: 'High five'

Totally busted

By MATT JONES | October 11, 2006

Life, examined

Delving deeper with Mike Daisey
Solo performer Mike Daisey has been described as a cross between Noam Chomsky and Jack Black, Spalding Gray and Robin Williams and — my favorite — “Jackie Gleason meets Franz Kafka.”
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | September 26, 2006

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