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Arts & Entertainment

A Rash You Won't Regret

I unenthusiastically put on the new Hives album, The Black and White Album, expecting to hear more of the same.

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Unofficial Soundtracks

Jay-Z's American Gangster - despite sharing the title and cover art with the titular Ridley Scott feature - came about after he was shown an early cut of the film.

by 34TH STREET

Brazilian Ear Wax

Join Kurt Cobain, Of Montreal, and David Byrne as a fan of Brazilian psychedelic pop band Os Mutantes.

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Going South - To Rock Bottom

Southland Tales Directed by:Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Justin Timberlake, Seann William Scott Rated: R From the writer/director of Donnie Darko comes Southland Tales, which tells the story of a 2005 nuclear attack on Texas.

by TOM HIMES

The Defibrillator

Marvin Gaye Trouble Man 1972 There was a time - before the days of Zach Braff and his sleepy iTunes playlists - when movie soundtracks were worth buying.

by CHRIS AHEARN

All You Need is Love... and Pepto Bismol

Love In the Time of Cholera Directed by: Mike Newell Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Javier Bardem Rated: R Director Newell, who previously helmed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, tells this touching story about the disease of love.

by KIRA MURATOVA

Literary Story, Visionary Film

Beowulf Directed by: Robert Zemeckis Starring: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie Rated: PG-13 Watching Beowulf in IMAX 3D is enthralling.

by SEAN KELLY

Take Four: Prepare for Battle

War and Peace Although almost unknown to American audiences, this Soviet adaptation of the epic novel was the most expensive movie ever made ($500 million when adjusted for inflation). The Battle of Borodino scene shows over 120,000 extras from the Soviet Army on screen.

by KEVIN KOPLAN

Like Prozac for the audience

Though the world of feel-good movies is remarkably vast, one would think that there would be little room for a film whose title represents a particularly violent form of suicide.

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'Lions,' and politics, and war - oh my!

Lions for Lambs tackles three intertwining stories that explore many of the harsher realities of our world today.

by ERIN SHIPLEY

Drop dead, Fred

Fred Claus tries to tell an updated version of the Santa Claus story by bringing in Santa's relatives and adding some modern flourishes, but it ends up being a formulaic cash-in on the holidays that only those under the age of six will enjoy. In order to drive home an anti-corporate message, the film has Santa answering to a board of businessmen (the script never explains why Santa has to answer to a board) and an efficiency expert (Spacey), who wants to shut down the North Pole and outsource to the South Pole.

by KEVIN KOPLAN

Get in touch with your roots

The Roots may well be Philadelphia's premiere hip-hop outfit. The Roots still defy convention by fusing soul, jazz, and funk, even 20 years and eight albums into the game.

by ASHLEY BRADLEY

let's freakout like crazy people

While the unlucky few stayed in with Mom and Pops last Saturday night, the love of thumping basslines, party anthems, and body shaking grooves brought Penn students and local dance freaks to St.

by 34TH STREET

The Defibrillator

The first thing Charles "Black Francis" Thompson sings about on Doolittle is "slicing up eyeballs." Having previously fed myself a strict diet of lighthearted, whimsical, gloriously wussy indie pop, I was a little shocked.

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In the lion's den

Early on in Robert Redford's interview, a reporter asks him a difficult question: What do you think your role is in repairing the world?

by ERIN SHIPLEY

Backstreet boys Redux

The story of the Backstreet Boys is, at heart, the story of our childhood. And it all comes rushing back this week, when the erstwhile teen idols release their newest album, Unbreakable.

by 34TH STREET

Defibrillator

Morrissey Viva Hate 1988 It was a sad day for witty, angst-filled teens everywhere when The Smiths called it quits in 1987.

by NICKY BERGER

99 Problems, but this film ain't one

If you haven't yet heard about American Gangster, you're probably living under a rock (or maybe just in Hill). The film's hype and star power (not to mention Jay-Z's decision to make a concept album based on it) set expectations high.

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Bee-ing Jerry

Is there a particular message people will get out of this? There is a message that I tried to install in there, but I don't think people are getting it.

by KEVIN KOPLAN

Extraplanetary parenting

Adapted from a novel by David Gerrold, Martian Child aims to please with its amiable eccentricity, but ultimately falls short due to the filmmakers' meddling with the original story. John Cusack plays David, a widowed science fiction writer who decides to adopt a young boy, Dennis (Bobby Coleman), who truly believes he is from Mars.

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