by Richard Cherecwich
STEVEN LEE BEEBER; THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES AT CBGB’S: A SECRET HISTORY OF JEWISH PUNK; AVAILABLE NOW
CBGB’s closed its tattered doors for good last month, but the club will always be regarded as a punk-rock temple. Steven Lee Beeber compares the club to a temple as well, but more along the lines of one you would attend for Rosh Hashana services.,LITERATURE
by Richard Cherecwich
STEVEN LEE BEEBER; THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES AT CBGB’S: A SECRET HISTORY OF JEWISH PUNK; AVAILABLE NOW
CBGB’s closed its tattered doors for good last month, but the club will always be regarded as a punk-rock temple. Steven Lee Beeber compares the club to a temple as well, but more along the lines of one you would attend for Rosh Hashana services. Beeber’s new book, The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s, documents the hidden history of punk’s Jewish tradition and shows that key members of punk’s old guard came from Jewish backgrounds, including the well known (Beastie Boys) and the lesser known (Joey Ramone, born Jeffry Hyman). Forget cowbell, punk needs more shofar.
JAMES PATTERSON; CROSS; AVAILABLE NOV. 13
Master thrill-crafter James Patterson (Along Came A Spider, Kiss the Girls) returns with Cross, his 12th book starring forensics expert Alex Cross. This time around, Cross has to track down a serial rapist who’s targeting Washington, D.C.-area college students. The twist is that the rapist had a hand in Cross’s wife’s death over a decade ago. Expect plenty of suspense, intrigue, rape, gore and single parenting. Wait, single parenting? Perhaps this book is best left for the 40-and-over demographic. Wait for the film adaptation, which will undoubtedly star Morgan Freeman.
FILM
by harry Vaughn
THE RETURN; IN THEATRES TOMORROW
That’s strange… The Return looks a lot like The Grudge and, oddly enough, The Grudge 2. Come to think of it, it’s also reminiscent of Saw III, Saw II and Saw. It should also be mentioned that The Return bears a strange resemblance to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Not only that, but you could swear that The Return features the same borrowed elements the recent Amityville Horror remake borrowed from The Ring and The Ring 2. And lets not forget Cabin Fever and Wrong Turn, and while we’re at it, House of Wax and Hostel… how much more can you beat a dead horse?
A GOOD YEAR; IN THEATRES TOMORROW
Does Russell Crowe kind of freak you out when he tries to be all soft and sentimental? It’s like watching a junkie live life without his crack: Crowe just doesn’t do well without his ferocious temper. Likewise, Ridley Scott making a present-day romantic comedy feels as appropriate as Kubrick directing French Kiss. Who knows, maybe this film about a man going to back to France to connect with his past might hit a tender chord with its audience. It’ll probably leave you wondering why Crowe isn’t fighting in the coliseum and why Scott isn’t pursuing the magnificent Blade Runner terrain of his past.
MUSIC
by ben Collins
RON ARTEST; MY WORLD; AVAILABLE NOW
Remember that time NBA player Ron Artest went into the stands in Detroit and punched a fan in the face? Remember when he shaved the “words” “TRU WARIER” in the hair on the back of his head to promote his record label? Remember when he told that group of fifth graders that, if someone starts trouble, it’s ok to “end it” with fists? Remember that off season when he got a job at Circuit City just to get the employee discount when he was already getting $8 million a year from the Chicago Bulls? Remember his rap album? You won’t.
OASIS; STOP THE CLOCKS EP; AVAILABLE NOV. 13
Imagine putting out a two-disc “Best Of” album and a quarter of the songs on it were from the band’s previous albums. Well, that’s what Oasis is doing, and it is even prepping the release with an EP of its own this week. Sure, four of the songs are from What’s the Story Morning Glory?, but you’ve probably heard enough “Wonderwall” from Ryan Adams, your roommate and your 7-year-old cousin who just learned how to play guitar to make your very own Stop the Wonderwall EP. By the time the LP comes out in three weeks, “Acquiesce” will have been released on four different Oasis albums. And this is some late-’90s, barely-better-than-Jet-era Oasis action.
DVD
by tali Dumdai
STRANGERS WITH CANDY; AVAILABLE NOV. 14
This film adaptation is a prequel to the critically acclaimed television series of the same name, and it certainly upholds the abnormal sense of humor of its origin. Leading up to the television series, the film covers lead character Jerri Blank’s alcohol and drug addictions, parole, reunion with her family and her decision to head back to high school. With a hot-shot cast including Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert (all co-writers) and supporting cast members Allison Janney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ian Holm, this film surpasses any question of credibility.
JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE; AVAILABLE NOV. 14
It’s the basic high school melodrama: boy dates girl, boy cheats on girl, girl finds out—tears and jeers ensue. Only in this movie, boy dates three girls and all three girls find out, thus begining a story of revenge. Contrary to other high-school flicks, though, this film boasts a few recognizable names: “Desperate Housewives” hunk Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow of The Pacifier, singer Ashanti and Sophia Bush of television’ s “One Tree Hill.” Oh, and Jenny McCarthy plays the new girl’s mom. While this movie is lacking in the originality department, it’s a great flick to watch while lounging around, reminiscing about those sketchy high school years.