At no point during this movie does one ever really feel like the movie knows what's going on, let alone the audience watching it. "Rollerball" (Metro-Goldwyn Mayer) suffers from so many poor qualities that it can't find any way to exist as an action movie,...

When most people think of the word "retro," they might envision shag carpeting, plastic furniture and platform boots. At the NIU Art Museum Gallery in Chicago, the current show by the same title contains more subtle imagery. "Retro" will remain in the...

Before Sevendust's sold-out show last Friday at the House of Blues, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago, the Weekender got the chance to sit down with Clint Lowery, guitarist and backing vocalist. Weekender: You guys recorded "Live and Loud" in Chicago. What's...

Before I get into what a terrible movie "Collateral Damage" was, I have something I need to say: If I'm in the mood for an old-school action flick, the Slys, the Jean-Claudes and the Seagals of the industry just aren't going to cut it. I need the one...

G-D-E-C are the chords to nearly every punk rock song ever made. The band The Ataris even wrote a song about it called "Four Chord Wonder." So there needs to be something more that separates one punk band from the other. Local punk hero Amazing Transparent...

"Group Therapy," Concrete Blonde's first original album since 1994, is reminiscent of the band's earlier works in a way that brings any fan right back to the place he or she was mentally upon first discovering what a great band this is. The first track...

An alternative, grunge rock band meets a blind, bluesy, soul street singer. The result? Detroit-based Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise. Together since 1992, "New Ground" is its third release. It may prove hard to meld the sounds of a 30-something...

"He's the exact opposite of everything I really hate." Rarely do quotes encapsulate a movie, a plot or a philosophy. But with this off-the-cuff remark from Enid (Thora Birch), a girl who is the epitome of all that's sarcastic, witty and aimless about...

Attention future Oliver Stones and Cameron Crowes: Now's your opportunity to get your foot in the door with the fourth annual Scriptapalooza screenwriting competition. The deadline for the competition is April 15, but entries postmarked by March 1 get...

In Jessie Nelson's film "I Am Sam," a mentally-challenged man fights for custody of his daughter. He has an obsession with the Beatles and relies on their lyrics for a naive wisdom of the world. This set-up could have led to disaster with a soundtrack...

Going out to the bar for a few hours usually is a relaxing and enjoyable experience - unless you're a bartender. Junior finance major Brent Warren has worked at Fatty's Pub and Grille, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, for a year and a half. The difficulty for...

In 1997, the Chemical Brothers brought us "Block Rockin' Beats." The two words, digital and underground, would mean more than an '80s defunct rap group. With the Chemical Brothers' new album, "Come With Us," the question posed is, "where are we going...