new orleans LOUISIANA

werner HERZOG’s bad lieutenant: port of call new orleans is full of debauchery, iguanas, lucky crack pipes, and a maniacally hilarious nicholas cage. nothing is more fun than cage’s dementedly cracked lieutenant who is quickly burying himself deeper into a depraved state. he is on the case of a multiple homicide when his hooker girlfriend played by eva mendes adds to his woes by getting him on the hook for $50k owed to some gangsters. HERZOG and cage are both one of a kind characters and likewise this debased procedural stands alone. “do fish have dreams?”

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columbus OHIO

will foster’s guinea worms have an amazing 2-lp compilation out from columbus discount records. culled from the cdrs the guinea worms recorded over the last decade, this collection spills over with juicy cuts. plenty of loud tunes packed with catchy wordplay such as the scorcher “haymaker,” the meandering “come here baby,” the hilarious “accidental space tourist“and the lurching “maggot therapy.” as will foster sings “do the right thing. do the frank lloyd wright thing”

zambia AFRICA

shadoks zambian psych reissues are must haves for the upcoming summer. plenty of fuzzzed out grooves for the scorching months ahead. amanaz’s africa recalls moby grape and late velvet undergound with tracks like “i am very far” and “big enough.” while witch’s lazy bones is full of wah wah and sunny beats on tracks like “strange dream,” “off ma boots,” and “little clown.”

los angeles CALIFORNIA

noah BAUMBACH’s misanthropes are always a breath of fresh air amongst the redundant landscape of the overwhelmingly quirky, twee protagonists of current american cinema. the movie is a great exploration of generation x’s directionless slacker at 40. ben stiller’s greenberg has set out at his 41st birthday to “do nothing deliberately” following a mental breakdown. he is hilariously contrasted against 26 year old florence played by mumblecore’s finest, greta gerwig.

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paris TEXAS

wim WENDERS’S beautiful road movie paris, texas has been re-released to dvd by criterion. the movie’s gorgeous southern american landscapes provide sumptuous atmospheres for the quiet ramblings of harry dean stanton’s travis as he tries to reconnect with his family. [CONTINUED WITH TRAILER]

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portland OREGON

another great issue of yeti magazine complete with luc sante’s real photo postcards, illustrations by nicholas gazin, interviews with zolla jesus, bishop perry tillis, and elaine radigue as well as a cd full of fuzzed out gems from tyvek, ty segall, mantles, woven bones, and little claw.

san bernadino CALIFORNIA
criterion releases the stunning restoration of douglas SIRK’S magnificent obsession done by martin scorsese’s film foundation to dvd. rock hudson in his breakout role plays vapid bob merrick whose recklessness indirectly causes the death of a local doctor and sends him on a bizarre spiritual trip. the lush colors and visuals are gorgeous, a major achievement of technicolor and melodrama.

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FRANCE

jason’s low moon collects five of his shorter pieces including the titular new york times serial into his first hardcover book. continuing in his spare style and his impeccable timing he uses techniques that are reminiscent of silent film as he builds suspense and bizarre laughs at every twist with these stories of murder, sex, and deadpan talking dogs.

new york NEW YORK
the stylish gangster film the hit by stephen FREARS features tim roth, john hurt, and terrence stamp. roth and hurt’s ruthless hitmen hunt stamp in the idyllic spanish countryside and then must drive him back to paris. before tarrantino’s hitmen ever uttered a philosophical musing frears had his thugs waxing existential laments during this thriller of a road trip. [TRAILER]

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new york NEW YORK

the third set of PENGUIN’S beautiful great ideas series is finally available in the united states. the covers feature designs in shades of green by the fantastic david pearsons. this set of twenty pocket paperbacks includes foucault, plutarch, kierkegaard, camus, proust, tolstoy, and freud.