Lambchop & Alejandro Escovedo

Rock legends Lambchop & Alejandro Escovedo put on a double-bill show for Duke Performances Friday night and it was amazing.
Lambchop started out slow with some soft jams, heavy on the instrumentals and then picked up spped at the end. Kurt Wagner's creativity and musicianship cannot be defied.

Alejandro Escovedo started out heavy on the guitar riffs, true rock n' roll in black shirt and skinny jeans, rocking with his instrument. His encore was low-key and touching. These two, long-lasting alt-country bands continue to put on a good show.

The Box: Squandered Potential, the Search for a Real Plot

"The Box" is a wonderful example of a plot with a lot of potential that goes nowhere. What is today's obseesion with the circular plot? What's so bad about true plot and character development? Flirting with ideas of extraterrestrial life and the philosophies of Sartre's No Exit, "The Box" fails to ever even scratch the surface of any truly inventive sci-fi ideas. Set in 1976, the movie ends up feeling like a simple, and failed, attempt to revive a "Twilight Zone" episode. The most entertaining part of the movie is seeing snippets of 1976 headlines and pop culture that run through the background of the film. Props to the production designer, Alexander Hammond. At least he was doing his job. I can't say so much for the director Richard Kelly or Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. The suspense of the movie continuously falls flat. A Richard Matheson tale has so much more potential and creative flexibility than we see on the screen with "The Box." Instead, Kelly decides to avoid creating a truly mind-bending and original idea and simply takes a mere half-hearted stab at the sci-fi/horror genre.

This Is It

Michael Jackson is a star among stars. No one has ever engendered as much international fascination and sensation as Jackson has with his music, dance and personal life. This Is It continues the observation of the truly dangerous double-edged sword this degree of fame creates. As Jackson and his enormous crew dance, sing and jam their way towards an epic concert run, I couldn’t help but be caught up in the entertainment magic of Jackson and his iconic moves. 

At the same time, however, musings about prescription drugs, mounting debt and all the other dramas that cloud Jackson’s memory continued to interrupt my simple fan enjoyment of the spectacle. The documentary can’t hide Jackson’s gaunt frame or muffle the questions many filmgoers have concerning his last months, but it can ignore these peripheral issues. And it does. And that’s a good thing.

Instead, director Kenny Ortega offers a final, unadulterated glimpse of Jackson, focusing on the roles that fit the artist best: dancer, musician and performer. This Is It proves that, even at 50, the King of Pop would not be outperformed. The rehearsal footage hints at what would have been a show of spectacular choreography and special effects. Skilled dancers and musicians surround Jackson at every moment, anxious and excited to be in the presence of the entertainment legend. The footage further serves as a tribute and consolation to the crew, whose months of rigorous, behind-the-scenes practice so sadly resulted in a show that never was.

This Is It’s ultimate success is its ability to capture the total possession with which Jackson approached his art. The man was his music, and nothing could ever be too perfect. It’s not easy being King. Ch'mon!