By Jono Baron & Erin Hayes

Gargoyle senior editor & staff reporter


Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2007, The OG, arts

THE BLOCKBUSTERS JUST keep coming. At the beginning of May it was “Spider-Man 3.” Then “Shrek the Third” came out last week, breaking box-office records for animated films. Now it's time for the third installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” which opens nationwide on Thursday. If you were underwhelmed by last summer's sequel to the original, the early reviews of “At World's End” should have you smiling in anticipation. With just one more week left in the school year, here comes our final entertainment guide of 2006-07.

MOVIES OPENING IN C-U THIS WEEK

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End” (official site)

The anticipated conclusion to the “Pirates” trilogy is finally appearing in theaters this week. The film takes place directly after the last one, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.” Elizabeth (Keira Knightly), Will (Orlando Bloom), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) must go up against their greatest rivals in order to save Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Fans will love this film, which is supposed to be better than the first sequel. Look for an appearance by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards as “Captain Teague,” rumored to be Jack Sparrow's father. If true, the casting is pure genius: Depp's Sparrow is a pitch-perfect imitation of the real-life Richards. (For more about Depp and Richards, check out Rolling Stone's new cover story.)

Opens Thursday at the Beverly 18, Savoy 16, and Boardman's Art Theatre. For showtimes at all three theaters, click here.

“Bug” (official site)

Starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, “Bug” follows a Gulf War veteran suffering from hallucinations in a motel room with a lonely waitress. Shannon's character, Peter Evans, believes bugs are everywhere, and although it seems obvious to Agnes White (Judd) that he's not in his right mind, everything around them does seem to be getting increasingly disturbing — for real. “Bug” is the latest film by William Friedkin, one of the great American directors of the 1970s. He won an Oscar for the cop classic “The French Connection,” and he scared a generation with “The Exorcist.” He was mentioned in the same breath as Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, and Lucas. But that was more than 30 years ago. Does he still have the right stuff?

Opens Friday at the Beverly 18 and Savoy 16. For showtimes at both theaters, click here.

Jono's Pick: “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.” I'm not a huge Depp fan and I hate Orlando Bloom, but there's no denying it — I love this trilogy already, and it's still only two-thirds of the way through! Seriously, this film looks sweet. The second one was definitely lacking compared to the first, but I figured the idea was to set the story up for a third film anyway, and here it is. If I'm right and everything goes well, it'll represent an awesome, stunning, action-packed conclusion to an already great idea. I'm there, man … I'm there.

NEW CD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, May 22)

The Used, “Lies For The Liars”

Utah's sweethearts drop their third studio album. Unlike their previous works, however, this record sees them experimenting with guitar styles (using a lot less pure melody and a lot more power chords) as well as vocals (relying less on despairing high notes, and more on gritty shout-singing, calling Avenged Sevenfold to mind). “Lies For The Liars” is also their first record sans drummer Branden Steineckert; instead, most of the drums on the record were done by Dean Butterworth of Good Charlotte.

Boom Bip, “Sacchrilege EP”

One-man electronic band Boom Bip moves away from the ambient effects and lush instrumentation of “Blue Eyed In The Red Room,” instead opting for a more angular, beat-driven sound laced with shrill synth à la Goblin. According to a press release, this EP is “a link with his past work” but also “harkens towards the sound of his next major project, Neon Neon with Gruff Rhys [of Super Furry Animals]”.

The Bravery, “The Sun And The Moon”

New York alt-rockers The Bravery abandon the synth-saturated sound of their 2005 debut, opting instead for pianos, strings, and other acoustic instruments. The record was produced by Brendan O'Brien, the man responsible for Rage Against The Machine's “The Battle Of Los Angeles” (not to mention his work with Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Quarashi).

Erin's Pick: Boom Bip. I thought The Bravery might have been on to something, riding with the New Wave revival. And sure, I bobbed my head when they played “An Honest Mistake” on MTV, just like most people probably did. So, leaving that sound behind is probably not a good move for them; it was the only thing that made them distinctive. In terms of The Used's new record: They can do a LOT better. That leaves “Sacchrilege.” The title is one of the wittiest I've come across in a while, and the music has the smarts to back it up. Plus, if you're new to Boom Bip (like me), this is probably a good starting point, since it's not as expensive as a full record, but yields several multilayered, intensely danceable tunes.

NEW DVD RELEASES (in stores Tuesday, May 22)

“Apocalypto” (official site)

This latest film by Mel Gibson takes place toward the end of the Mayan Empire. In an attempt to keep their kingdom from crumbling, the rulers have stepped up sacrifices, but their newest recruit, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), isn't going to go without a fight. The DVD includes featurettes on the Mayan language and the history behind the film.

“Letters From Iwo Jima”(official site)

Along with “Flags of Our Fathers,” this film is one of two World War II films directed by Clint Eastwood that take place in the midst of the fight for Iwo Jima. This particular movie gives a Japanese perspective of the onslaught from the war front and examines the Japanese psyche during the carnage. Unlike “Flags of Our Fathers,” this DVD includes an incredible number of additional materials in a five-disc set that's bound to please anyone.

“Epic Movie” (official site)

This year's big spoof feature was “Epic Movie.” Taking its cues from the biggest blockbusters of the year, both comedic and otherwise, “Epic Movie” distorts as many plotlines as possible in a great display of comedic satire.

Jono's pick: “Letters From Iwo Jima.” I still haven't had a chance to check out “Flags of Our Fathers” and I've wanted to desperately since I heard about it. I've always been a huge fan of Japanese films, and although Eastwood's obviously American-bred, I'd love to see the Japanese companion to the story as well — probably more. I'm definitely checking this out once the school year is over.

LOCAL SHOWS & CONCERTS

Friday, May 25: American Nobody, 8 p.m., Iron Post, $5. Colorado folk-rocker Brian Granse, aka American Nobody, graces the stage of the Iron Post, only two hours after an appearance on local radio station WEFT.

Friday, May 25: Staci Anderson, Chris Carneau, Lynn O'Brien, 10 p.m., Iron Post, $5. Missing The Point collaborator Staci Anderson gives her acoustic pop a go, supported by Chris Carneau and the jazzy pop tunes of Lynn O'Brien.

Erin's Pick: American Nobody. Check out his MySpace, and listen to “Love Overrated.” That was enough for me. Granse's earthy voice and hand-clappin'-good simplicity make for some solid pre-finals fun (and believe me, we all need it).