Matteo Garrone's new film "Gomorra" at LandmarkTheatres : Feb 27 - Mar 26

Matteo Garrone's film is an adaptation of the book by Roberto Saviano of the same name
- that not only won Saviono significant literary praise, but lifelong Police protection... if that
says anything. Reports from Cannes is that the film completely stripped away Hollywood's
fixation with the glamour and romanticism of organized crime in Italy, showing instead the
depth of its reach into the lives of the populace and the extent of its corruption of everything
from the exploitative sweatshop clothing industry, to everyday politics to 'waste disposal'.
Making it the Grand Prix winner at Cannes this past year.

Link to Landmark Theatres "Gomorra" site

Nuri Bilge Ceylan's new film "Three Monkeys" at Landmark Theatres : Feb 20 - Mar 19

Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's newest looks to expand both on the style and timbre
of "Uzak" and "Climates", his previous two films, which were gorgeous slow-burning,
balancing acts of alienation and the hushed quest for understanding in crumbling social/
emotional relationships. All of his work is heavy on the atmosphere, either through the
amount of screen time given to the meticulously selected landscapes, or the use of digital
filters and saturation creating that 'timbre' mentioned above. "Three Monkeys", looks to
be a good bit more heavy on both the gloom and suspense, while adding the element of
the supernatural to the already heady drama of a family's guilt, responsibility and
comprehension of mortality in their grappling with life after the death of a child.

Link to Landmark Theatres "Three Monkeys" site

Money Will Ruin Everything... Again. : 10 Years of Rune Grammofon

On January 15th Norway's Rune Grammofon releases their second volume of collected music
journalism, progressive graphic aesthetics and (of course) aural adventures - following some
5 years after the sonic/graphic/conceptual brilliance of the first book/collection:

Link to Rune Grammofon's 'Money Will Ruin Everything I' site

"It´s been a long, long time but finally it´s here. Originally planned as an update and slightly
revised edition of the long deleted 2cd / book of the same name released in 2003 to celebrate
5 years of Rune Grammofon, this has now turned into a completely new and absolutely
gorgeous book, quite simply a must have. Completely redesigned and improved with all new
art from Kim Hiorthøy, more pages, slightly bigger and with 4 different types of paper, it features
graphic works, photos, video stills, used and unused sleeve art, complete discography and more.
The essays on the musical and visual profiles of the label from the first book are included, as is
the original interview Kim did with label founder Rune Kristoffersen in 2003."

As much as Rune here claims the 'superior' quality of of the new audio content in this new edition,
I still feel the original is more diverse. Nonetheless, "Ruin II" is again an essential, incomparable
document of adventurous new musics from Norway and the Scandinavian beyond. Free Jazz,
Folk Noise, Cinematic Ambiance , Rock Jamz, , Modern Classical as Ligeti Revival... Rune has
it all. The stars of their Norwegian roster include the titan-like Supersilent and it's various splinter
groups and off shoots; Humcrush, Deathprod and Arve Henriksen's solo works. Electronic works
by Alog, Skyphone, Svalastog and Phonophani, Vocal Improv by Maja Ratkje and her all-lady
avant group Spunk, blasting Free Jazz by Scorch Trio and Shining, Unclassifiable Improvisation
by Box, Moha! and Jono El Grande and some new territory for Rune; that of more traditional song
musics by Susanna and her Magical Orchestra. Making for hours of Nordic A/V exploration:

Link to Rune Grammofon's 'Money Will Ruin Everything II' site