Adventureland Sidney Kimmel
“Adventureland” is a teen angst movie set in 1987 about a recent college graduate who gets a job at a crappy adventure park to earn money in the hopes of moving to New York City. The movie, featuring a promising Jesse Eisenberg, does a good job of giving off a “real” feeling of a lame summer job that still ends up being a great time. With the bonus of a great soundtrack mixed with some crude humor and lots of emotion, this flick is bound to please most moviegoers.
B
C. VOGELS
 
 
Death Cab for CutieThe Open Door – EPAtlantic Records
Death Cab for Cutie released an EP with a full album to follow. The release, available on iTunes, has five tracks and a video of a song from their previous album. The band has successfully stayed true to their roots. Every album is similar to the next. While nothing unexpected is included on “The Open Door,” fans and casual listeners will find themselves tapping their feet to every track.
B+
A. NORSWORTHY
 
Dragonball     Evolution20th Century Fox
Good acting, likeable characters and an engaging story line are just a few elements that comprise a decent movie. Unfortunately, “Dragonball Evolution” has none of these qualities. In fact, throw in terrible CGI and a half-assed plot loosely based on the popular Japanese manga/cartoon to the list of this film’s offenses. It’s no secret that Hollywood screws up beloved franchises, but this one may be the worst of them all. Avoid DBE like the plague.F
B. LEJEUNE
 
Fast & FuriousUniversal Pictures
Although removing “the” from the title and bringing back Vin Diesel were brilliant ideas, the fourth installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise can’t live up to its expectations. The film, which is for some reason a prequel to the third movie, quickly loses any sense of logic. So what if you only care about the cars and crashes? Well director Justin Lin (“Tokyo Drift”) can’t seem to match the racing sequences of the first film, causing them to detract from the already anemic script.
D
B. BOURGEOIS
 
Neil YoungFork in the RoadReprise Records
After singing about war and fictional towns in California, Neil Young is now singing about a car. Not just any car. He’s singing about his LincVolt, a 1959 Lincoln that he has transformed to run off of alternative energy. “Fork in the Road” features classic Young singing about life on the road and the problems in America over raw yet polished guitars. Young’s singing is as good as it was on “Harvest” and “After the Goldrush.” “Fork in the Road” should be played as loud as possible whenever listeners get behind the wheel.A
J. CHENIER
 
Silversun PickupsSwoonDangerbird
Be prepared to swoon over Silversun Pickups newest release. The Los Angeles indie rock band’s first full length album “Carnavas” was an extremely tough act to follow and normally most bands who release a sophomore album following great success of their debut usually coast by on past glories or fall flat on their face. Not in the case of “Swoon.” Silversun Pickups have released a fantastic follow-up to their 2006 release, one that captures the best of “Carnavas” but transforms it into a deep and at times brooding album that goes from quiet and delicate tunes to huge awe-inspiring displays of loud momentum and power.
B
J. CLAPP
 
Editor’s Pick
Observe and Report
For fans of: The Foot Fist Way, Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Down
“Observe and Report” is a funny film, with Seth Rogen starring as a mall cop who dreams of becoming a “real cop” while trying to stop a streaker. But the film also has a dark side – Rogen’s character suffers from bipolar disorder and has delusions that often bring painful consequences at work. While the film sometimes suffers from confusion, it still has many funny points. If nothing else, see this movie to see the trailer for “The Hangover,” which looks to be one of the funniest hits of the summer.
S. AYCOCK