A&E
Music
CD Reviews
January 27th, 2011
The Get Up Kids There Are Rules (Quality Hill) Broken Records Let Me Come Home (4AD)> Destroyer Kaputt (Merge) Read more »
Music
With a Little Help From My Friends
In anticipation of his Vegas stop, Slash talks about two local musicians who make his tour complete
January 27th, 2011
Slash’s upcoming show at Mandalay Bay—in which he opens for Ozzy Osbourne—will be a homecoming of sorts for two key members of the band backing the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist: local transplants Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz. (Myles Kennedy, the lead singer of Alter Bridge, provides vocals.) Read more »
Stage
Contraband Comedy
Not bound by Strip propriety, Comics Under the Influence offers down-and-dirty laughs
January 27th, 2011
The Black Door, tucked in a hidden strip mall just south of Hofbräuhaus, is the sort of scruffy joint that Las Vegans cling to as proof that their city belongs to them, not to the tourists. Its “rock ’n’ roll meets faded lounge” vibe is a fitting complement to Comics Under the Influence (CUI), a late-night comedy set that has been holding court at 11 p.m. Thursdays since June. Read more »
Movie Review
No Hit-Man Is an Island
The Mechanic’s assassins may be trigger-happy, but they’re shooting blanks
January 27th, 2011
If you learn one thing from The Mechanic, the buddy action remake of the 1972 film of the same name from Simon West (ConAir, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), it’s to be more cautious on Craigslist. Answer an ad for what seems like a routine spark-plug installation and you might end up volunteering to drown a Colombian dignitary in his lap pool. See, “mechanic” is code for an elite assassin, the kind of guy who scowls and wears mock turtlenecks and likes to walk away casually from burning buildings. Read more »
Movie Review
Nowhere to Go But Down
Having achieved cinematic greatness, Natalie Portman teams with Ashton Kutcher for a rom-com bomb
January 27th, 2011
Movie Review
Can’t Get it ‘Rite’
This Exorcist knock-off is a sin and should be exorcised
January 27th, 2011
The Rite posits that the Catholic Church is doing a record number of exorcisms these days. While the demon boom might be good for the Vatican coffers, it doesn’t pay off for moviegoers. Based on journalist Matt Baglio’s book about his experiences apprenticing with a Catholic priest to become an exorcist, director Mikael Håfström’s would-be horror movie is a disconnected study in entropy. Read more »
Music
North Country
Canadian singer Corb Lund brings Americana to Las Vegas
January 27th, 2011
A born troubadour, Corb Lund tells stories effortlessly. Sitting in a Colorado roadside diner before boarding the tour van, he’s optimistic about making authentic art in what feels like an inauthentic Internet era. It’s the same calm assuredness you encounter in his songs. Read more »
Stage
Rock Rock Jokes
Now at Harrah’s, Defending the Caveman is as enduring as the gender issues it lampoons
January 27th, 2011
From San Francisco to Broadway to international performances in more than 30 countries, Defending the Caveman has always been nomadic. Although Las Vegas is a rare permanent encampment for the how, it has had its own bouts of intracity wanderlust. Read more »
Movie Review
No Hit-Man Is an Island
The Mechanic’s assassins may be trigger-happy, but they’re shooting blanks
January 27th, 2011
Movie Review
Season of the Witch (PG)
☆☆☆☆☆
January 20th, 2011
This movie is so bad you’d think it was a vicious prank. A mockery without humor, Season is a diabolical failure on every level of production, music and special effects. A 14th-century knight (Nicolas Cage) and his war buddy, Felson (Ron Perlman), are forced to transport a demonically possessed girl (Claire Foy) to an abbey where she will be judged as a witch. You’ll be sorry you wasted your time and money. Read more »
