Switchblade Comb

The Chicago duo freestyle rap for five minutes in the Black Cab.

Directed by Richard Ayoade.

From Vampire Weekend; out now.

LA underground hip-hoppers People Under the Stairs annouced a couple week’s worth of shows in anticipation of their new record FUN DMC dropping this September.

People Under the Stairs - 2008 Tour Dates:

08.03 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
08.04 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD
08.06 - Southpaw - Brooklyn, NY
08.13 - El Mocambo - Toronto, ON
08.15 - St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
08.16 - Headliners - Toledo, OH
08.17 - Peabody’s Down Under - Cleveland, OH
08.19 - Pop’s Nite Club - St. Louis, MO
08.20 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL
08.21 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN
08.22 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE

People Under the Stairs - “Plunken ‘Em”

Featuring backup vocals from P.O.S.

Yay Michael Cera and a Can’t Hadly Wait-ish vibe.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist hits theaters October 3.

Tropic Thunder opens August 13.

Well, this just became my most anticipated movie ever.

I hold up no living author higher than Japanese literary legend Haruki Murakami, and Norwegian Wood is my favorite of his novels. The book first gained Murakami national recognition in 1987, and while absent of his trademark whimsical surrealism, its deep emotion and nostalgia more than make up for it.

Murakami’s always been protective of his work, thus far only allowing the stunning Tony Takitani, but now French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung is headed to Japan to helm this. Judging from his previous work (Cyclo, Vertical Ray of the Sun), it seems to be in good hands. I hope.

Cyclo - Scene

Wong Kar-wai has gone back and re-edited his most love-it-or-hate-it work, which one would assume hits theaters next year.

Still no U.S. distributor for this Steven Soderbergh epic, which could very well be the best film of 2008 if it makes it to theaters in time.

Uh . . .

Off of Are We Not Horses?, out now.

Cheech and Chong 2008 “Hey, what’s that smell?” Tour Dates:

09.12 Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
09.13 Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
09.19 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
09.20 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
09.26 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
09.27 - Miami Beach FL - Fillmore Miami Beach/Jackie Gleason Theater
10.24 - Westbury, NY - Capitol One Bank Theatre at the Westbury
10.25 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
10.31 - Houston, TX Verizon - Wireless Theatre
11.01 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
11.07 - Wallingford, CT - Chevrolet Theatre
11.08 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
11.14 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
11.15 - Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall
11.21 - Sacramento, CA - Memorial Auditorium
11.22 - Berkeley, CA - Berkeley Community Theatre
11.28 - San Diego, CA - Copley Symphony Hall
11.29 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
11.30 - San Jose, CA - Center for the Performing Arts
12.06 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheater at Universal City Walk
12.12 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
12.13 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box
12.19 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Resort Casino
12.20 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre

Cheech and Chong - “Up in Smoke”

Adapted from a Clive Barker story and directed by Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus), Midnight Meat Train was doomed from the start. Being one of the rare few outputs of the American horror scene that isn’t a teenage-catering PG-13 remake, the studio got worried so much that it cut the run down to 100 theaters across the country. The film, despite glowing reviews, has effectively been buried.

If this is anything like the Barker run of the early 90s, it can’t be missed. So horror fans of the Twin Cities, starting this Friday, Midnight Meat Train is playing in one single theater near you - the Brookdale 8, an otherwise budget theater. Go out and root for the underdog!

Midnight Meat Train
Friday, Aug. 1 - Thursday, Aug. 7
Brookdale 8
Brooklyn Center, MN
Times Vary Every Day - Check HERE

Support good horror cinema, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a dying breed.

Midnight Meat Train - Trailer