Montreal’s Stars are majestically good. Though we’ll forgive them for the misstep that was Do You Trust Your Friends (2007), a collection of “remixes, re-imaginings and re-interpretations” from various folks on the Montreal scene, their previous two efforts - Heart (2003) and Set Yourself on Fire (2005) - aren’t just worth their weight on vinyl. Almost three and four years later, both records sounds as fresh, beautiful, elegant, dynamic and engaging as they did when they were first released.

They’ve got a stellar lineup, with dualing vocals from Torquil Campbell (keyboard & trumpet) and Amy Millan (guitar), as well as Pat McGee on drums, Evan Cranley (bass, guitar and tombone) and Chris Seligman (keyboards, French Horn and programming).

One of their strengths is the switching off of vocal duties between Torq and Amy, not just singing different songs, but Stars are at their best when the two are switching off choruses in the songs. The soundscapes are melodic, swaying, with layers of swirling horns, thumping basslines, and broken off drum lines. Like the best fiction, the songs often crest and fall with the drama of the love lorn lyrics.

So you can say we’re pretty darn excited around here by the upcoming release of In Our Bedroom After the War, the band’s fourth full-length album. The band’s label Arts & Crafts, home to such Canadian Indie popsters like Broken Social Scene, Apostles of Hustle, Feist and Los Campesinos, has given the world the first single off the new album.

“The Night Starts Here” (Mp3) is slightly disappointing. It sounds unmistakably like a Stars song, but truth be told, it’s kinda anticlimactic, not nearly generating the kind of “buzz” I’d hope, not nearly equal to the best songs from the band’s catalogue. It’s got programmed drum beats, the dualing vocals and some fuzzed out guitars (like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-lite). And yet, and yet … it just falls flat for me.

Which is to say that, expectations are still sky high given past output and the album artwork! It’s entirely appropriate that they’d have an impressionistic painting on the cover, since their music could best be described as impressionistic.

In Our Bedroom After the War will be released on 9.25.07 on Arts & Crafts

(Thanks to The Gum for the heads up)

Director Marc Foster and Will Ferrell get most of the credit for creating the decidedly satisfying Stranger Than Fiction.  However, has it not been for the superb screenplay by newcomer Zack Helm, there wouldn’t have been any movie.

Helm is slowly developing a reputation as a whimsical Charlie Kaufman.  Off-beat, for sure, but he doesn’t quite create the mind-bending, head-tripping, thought machines that Kaufman does.

Now, Helm has a new movie he wrote and directed starring Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman (for whom it seems the cancellation of Arrested Development was the best thing ever).  Dustin Hoffman stars as the magical Mr. Magorium, owner of a magical children’s toy shop.  Natalie Portman, looking as radiant and whimsical as ever, plays his employee, who inherits the toy shop.  Bateman is the straight-laced accountant.

It has a Willy Wanka sheen over the whole thing, but honestly, is there ever a bad thing having whimsy and magic in the world.  Everyone loves a good pixie dusting, right?

Now, if only an MIT scientist could figure out a way to clone Natalie Portman so I can keep her in my shirt pocket, she’s just too damn adorable for her own good.

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is scheduled to hit theaters on 11.16.07, a nice little birthday present to me.

The video game industry has been around for almost 30 years now, and only recently, say within the past six years, has the acceleration of the video game technology resulted in some mind blowing stuff. In an odd way, much like the movie industry, video games have been awaiting their watershed moment. Coincidentally it took almost 40 years from the time the motion picture was invented until Orsen Welles delivered cinema’s undisputed masterpiece Citizen Kane.

What that has to do with Rockstar Games’s Grand Theft Auto IV is only tangent. But after watching this trailer, and with the launch of Nintendo’s Wii, it seems as if within the next decade that the video game industry will also too have it’s watershed moment. When the possibilities of the medium are unleashed upon an unsuspecting generation, forever altering the course of the medium.

Because, this looks amazing. Irregardless of whether or not you agree with the ultra-violent storylines and the controversy surrounding the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the makers of this game have clearly taken a giant leap forward in terms of graphics and immersion into a fictional world. One can only imagine the possibilities.

Grand Theft Auto IV drops on 10.16.07

Having worked in restaurants in many different capacities over the years has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I’ve got plenty of juicy stories, lies and exaggerations. However, I wouldn’t be doing my duty as “The Wine Guy” if I were to deviate and spill the beans. Sorry Oysterites. You can read all about them though if you pick up my newest romance novel. The title is still in the works and it’ll certainly be juicier than Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.

Navigating through a new wine list can be intimidating and unknowledgable or pompous servers, sommeliers and bartenders certainly don’t help either. I bet it would feel good to put them in their place, on occasion. That’s not the point of this article, although you might get a few tips on how to if you read on!

You probably have noticed recently how most restaurants, whether they are fine-dining or casual, have really revamped their wine lists and selling techniques. At The Olive Garden, for instance, you can taste any of their wines before you purchase; even their wines by the bottle. A lot of other corporate restaurants have also adapted the ‘taste before you buy’ policy although they don’t extend it to wines by the bottle.

I’ve even found a new retail store/restaurant called “The Grape” where you can taste ANY of their non-reserve wines even if you are purchasing them for off-site consumption. These are just a few examples, as I’m sure you’ve noticed a lot of changes in your neighborhood restaurants and retailers as well.

First let’s expose a few secrets that will help you in your future dining experiences. We all know that wine is marked up in restaurants anywhere from 150% to 300% of the wholesale cost. Ironically, what most of you don’t know is that the higher priced wines are actually the best deals since they have the least mark up. The worst deals in the restaurant are usually the wines by the glass.

Most people think that wines by the glass are a great way to enjoy your dinner without spending much money. What you don’t know is that most restaurants charge you per glass what they pay per bottle. Generally, if you’re going to have a glass or two it’s actually worth it to buy the bottle; especially since a lot of states allow you to take an remaining wine home. A restaurant will open a bottle one day and might not finish it for three, four or five days. I can guarantee you that most wine served even hours after it was opened, even if there is a cork in it, or it was vacuum pumped, has not gotten better but worse. You might not notice it because you’ve never had the wine before, or you’re still forming a sensitive wine pallette.

Don’t you want the experience to taste as good as it can? Correct me if I’m wrong but restaurants don’t charge less per glass if the bottle has been opened for a day or longer. I only drink wines by the glass that I know the restaurant is selling a lot of, or has just opened. If I’m dining with a few people, I’ll generally push for the bottle.

Don’t be afraid to ask your server or bartender if they have just opened a particular bottle or would open a fresh bottle for you. Certainly don’t be afraid to ask for a sample of a wine which catches your fancy. Especially if it’s one you’ve never tried before. Wine loses its youthful vibrancy quicker than you think.

Oh, and as far as putting people in their place … well, ok. Here are a few questions that you can ask your pretentious server/sommelier that they probably won’t know.

1) What grapes are used in Amarone? A: Rondinella, Molinara & Corvina Veronese.

2) Have you ever had a wine from the Basque country? (For this one it doesn’t matter if they answer yes or no. Although a no response will put you up a little higher on your pedestal.) A: Wow, that one varietal, Hondarrabi Zuri, is somewhat reminiscent of a Vidal Blanc meets Torrontes or a Viognier meets Vermentino. Good luck finding it!

3) Name one grape that is made into a white, rosé and red wine? A: Pinot Noir.

Until next time friends.

Thanks to The Head Researcher for pointing this out to us. He picked this up from a Phantasy Tour thread. I guess one of the filmmakers was out promoting it.

Here’s the gist.

“It’s a documentary about an American and a Russian that rode on horseback from Argentina to Alaska. It took them five years (88-93, I belive) and lead them through fourteen countries. The best part is, they shot over 250 hours of video of their trip. There are some pretty amazing moments in there.

We heard about the story, then asked them to send us a few tapes, to see if they were any good. Turns out they were, so we asked them to send them all to us. The tapes were a mess, they had been sitting in a garage for 10 years. The guys were going to edit it themselves, but never got around to it.

The tapes were horribly labeled, so you didn’t know what was on a tape, what country it was from, or what year it was from. They shot on a variety of formats - SHVS, Hi-8, slides, photos, audio tapes, etc. Some of the tapes were fucked up and wouldn’t play, so we had to get them fixed. Once all the tapes were fixed, we had to dub them all to Beta, so we could import them into the Avid and start editing.

We tracked down the guys and did some interviews and shot some b-roll, just to flesh out the story. We whittled it down 2 hours and now we’re doing the festival circuit in hopes of getting distribution.

Sounds very cool.  What’s really cool though is you can watch the movie for free over at Independent Features.  It’s playing now as part of an online film festival and if it wins, the picture will likely get theatrical distribution.

If we get some time, we’ll try to watch it and let you know what we think.

While we’re at it. Most of you have probably already seen the Will Ferrell and Pearl vidoe “The Landlord.” This has been out for a few days., actually since Monday night. This time around Pearl plays a cop in the interogation of Will Ferrell. And she’s going to get a confession even if it’s NYPD Blue style. If foul-mouthed kids isn’t your cup of tea, well, then bug off.

It also marks the last time she’ll be in acting. The site released a press release from Pearl, saying “My ventures as an actor on the Internet have been rewarding and spiritually fulfilling, but now I must look to broader challenges as I approach my 26th month.”

The Washington Post has a brief look into the comedy website venture.

One should note, this is def. NSFW

A few weeks ago, a deleted scene from Knocked Up surfaced on YouTube. It was absolutely hillarious. Jonah Hill does an extened riff on Brokeback Mountain with Kathrine Heigl. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth checking out.

There was also the funny clip of Michael Cera getting fired from the movie. Which is kinda cool that they would make a fake clip just for kicks.

Now, over at the Will Ferrell and Adam McKay site, Funny or Die, you can check out another deleted clip from the movie. This one features all the guys from the cast debating the difficult decision of getting an abortion.

Seems those Led Zep reunion rumors might have been just that. According to Blabbermouth, Robert Plant laughed off the reunion rumors during a press conference.

Plant said he knew nothing of the reunion.

Speaking at a press conference for the upcoming Rockwave festival — which is scheduled to be held June 29, June 1 and June 3 in Athens, Greece — Plant insisted that he hadn’t heard anything about the rumored ZEPPELIN reunion and jokingly added, “If there was one, then there wouldn’t be enough doctors to support it!”

Sounds like the rumors were wrong, or that Bobby Plant could be trying to create a smoke screen and keep the tidal wave of expectations out at sea.

Before he scored Paris Hilton, Larry King put together an impressive lineup by getting Sir Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia Harrison together to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Cirque du Soleil’s show Love.

And then he couldn’t remember Ringo’s name, calling him ‘George.’  But it’s okay, Sir Paul set Larry straight.  Can you say awkward?   Here’s the transcipt.  Video evidence afterwards.  If you don’t want to sit through the entirely banal interview, just scroll over to about the six-minute mark.  I mean really Larry asking Paul and Ringo if they wake up and pinch themselves?  Or if George’s death was expected when he was obviously sick?  Geez, but what do can expect from a channel that bumps Michael Moore for Paris Hilton?  Not much.

KING: Where were you when — when John passed?
MCCARTNEY: When John passed I was in Sussex, at my home in Sussex. That’s where I was.
KING: Did somebody call you?
MCCARTNEY: Yes, my manager at the time called me. And it was just the shock of all shocks, you know?
KING: George, where were you?
MCCARTNEY: George!
KING: Ringo.
MCCARTNEY: No, this is Ringo here.
KING: Ringo, where were you?
STARR: I was in the Bahamas.
KING: I was getting to (INAUDIBLE) George.
STARR: I was…
MCCARTNEY: No, you weren’t, Larry. You said his name wrong.
STARR: Shut up, it’s my turn.
MCCARTNEY: I know, but he got your name wrong, Ringo, on national television.
STARR: I know. Give him a break.
MCCARTNEY: We can’t cut it. It’s live.
STARR: Anyway, I was in the Bahamas and the kids called and they said we’ve heard something, like John has been hurt.

Is it too much to find Pete Best?  Cause, not sure if Larry knows this, but he’s also the third living former member of The Beatles?  Probably too much salt in the wound for poor Petey.

So I was trying to find the Meatloaf cameo from the Spice World movie.  And instead I found this retardedly humorous video someone made of Chuck Norris lip synching to “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”

And yes, that was the sound of Chuck Norris roundhouse kicking me to the back of my head.   I just don’t get why Chuck Norris won’t cry and cure cancer?  He’s so selfish.

So tell me what you want, what you really really want?Posh must be bored or hoping Beck’s move to L.A. will help her be in a position to regain her former glory. And that includes help from Baby, Scary, Sporty and Ginger. Because what the Spice Girls want the Spice Girls get!

Yup, the original British girl group phenomena are going to play eleven tour dates in December and January.

You could now call them the Spice Mums. Beckham said the tour will be designed to accommodate the band members’ seven children. Bunton is pregnant with her first child.

“Our priority is going to be our families. We want to have fun,” said Beckham, who has three sons with her husband, soccer star David Beckham. “That’s one of the many reasons for this, for our children to see what we used to do.”

“Imagine you got divorced and you’ve got back together with your ex-husband,” Halliwell said, explaining how she felt about the reunion.

“She just appreciates the fact we’ve let her back in,” joked Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham.

The group said the shows would be in Los Angeles on Dec. 7; Las Vegas on Dec. 8; New York on Dec. 11; London on Dec. 15; Cologne, Germany, on Dec. 20; Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 23; Beijing on Jan. 10; Hong Kong on Jan. 12; Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 17; Cape Town, South Africa, on Jan. 20; and Buenos Aires, Argentina on Jan. 24.

Well then.  Not sure what the world did to deserve this, but we’ll roll with it.   Remember this hit from back in ‘96?

NBC will air the final episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip tonight at 10 p.m.  It’s been an up and down ride for Aaron Sorkin’s behind the scenes show.  The highs were high and the lows, well, how much pontificating about the rift between the liberal left and the religious right can a show have?  In truth, this was a show that was never really given a shot, what was up with that Monday 10 p.m. time slot?

Pulled abrubtly from the schedule for the much  more inferior Black Donnelly’s and then given a late summer slot to dump the remaining episodes, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip should have worked.  It should have been a big hit, with the stellar cast and the premise.

I think audiences didn’t really know what to do with it, especially once they figured out the show was a drama and not a comedy.  And Sorkin didn’t help matters by essentially turning a show about the real world lives of sketch comedians into a cheesy romantic comedy between Matthew Perry’s Matt Albie and Sarah Paulson’s Harriet Hayes.

If anything, NBC, rather than cancelling the show, should have give Sorkin a half season, at the very least, to see if he could right the ship and find a nice little groove to work with.  Maybe even give the show a more desirable time slot, like say Sunday at 9 p.m.

The final few episdoes have proven just how powerful television can be when it’s clicking.

The storyline of Tom Jeter’s (Nate Cordrry) brother being a kidnapped airman has resonated on various levels, whether it be the noteriety of celebrity in this culture, or the effect that Bush’s foolish policies can have on the average citizen.  It has reflected the current duality of this culture in ways that the media will never be able to.  That’s the brilliance of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, unfortunately it’s taken too long for Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme to get there.

So tonight, we bid adieu to Aaron Sorkin’s latest show.  As Marlon Brando once said, “I coulda been somebody.  I coulda been a contender.”

The complete series will be available on DVD come this October 16.  It’ll be in the neighborhood of $50-$60 bucks for all 22 episodes.  It’ll include commentary from Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, along with a behind the scenes featurette.