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From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, American Beauty moves with a mesmerizing confidence and acuity epitomized by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine of the story, and his very first lines hook us with their teasing fatalism–like Sunset Boulevard's Joe Gillis, Burnham tells us his story from beyond the grave.

It's an audacious start for a film that justifies that audacity. Weaving social satire, domestic tragedy, and whodunit into a single package, Alan Ball's first theatrical script dares to blur generic lines and keep us off balance, winking seamlessly from dark, scabrous comedy to deeply moving drama. The Burnham family joins the cinematic short list of great dysfunctional American families, as Lester is pitted against his manic, materialistic realtor wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening, making the most of a mostly unsympathetic role) and his sullen, contemptuous teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch, utterly convincing in her edgy balance of self-absorption and wistful longing). Into their lives come two catalytic outsiders. A young cheerleader (Mena Suvari) jolts Lester into a sexual epiphany that blooms into a second adolescence. And an eerily calm young neighbor (Wes Bentley) transforms both Lester and Jane with his canny influence.

Credit another big-screen newcomer, English theatrical director Sam Mendes, with expertly juggling these potentially disjunctive elements into a superb ensemble piece that achieves a stylized pace without lapsing into transparent self-indulgence. Mendes has shrewdly insured his success with a solid crew of stage veterans, yet he's also made an inspired discovery in Bentley, whose Ricky Fitts becomes a fulcrum for both plot and theme. Cinematographer Conrad Hall's sumptuous visual design further elevates the film, infusing the beige interiors of the Burnhams' lives with vivid bursts of deep crimson, the color of roses–and of blood.

Sam Sutherland

This album consists of eight songs Anita O'Day performed in Tokyo on January 12, 1964. This is a completely new discovery, different from the performance taped on December 30, 1963 for a TV broadcast. The latter recording was released on videotape and LP formats in 1985 by Polydor Records of Japan. The five additional tracks are from the American Stars of Jazz TV program hosted by Bobby Troup. The songs are taken from two sessions broadcast in 1956 and 1957.

The Rolling Stones - Crossfire Hurricane (2013) [DVD9] {Eagle Rock}
DVD9 -> 7.18 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 16:9 | English (Dolby AC3, 2 ch / Dolby AC3, 6 ch / DTS, 6 ch) | ~ 134 m | ISO Image
Subs: English, Deutsch, Espanol, Francais, Italiano, Nederlands, Portugues
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 38 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 Eagle Rock / 50 Years | EREDV962
Rock / Classical Rock / Blues Rock / Documentary

Crossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, is released as part of the ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations of The Rolling Stones. This superb new film tells the story of the Stones unparalleled journey from blues obsessed teenagers in the early sixties to their undisputed status as rock royalty. All of The Rolling Stones have been newly interviewed and their words form the narrative arc that links together archive footage of performances, news coverage and interviews, much of it previously unseen. Taking its title from a lyric in Jumpin Jack Flash, Crossfire Hurricane gives the viewer an intimate insight into exactly what it s like to be part of The Rolling Stones as they overcome denunciation, drugs, dissensions and death to become the definitive survivors. Over a year in the making and produced with the full co-operation and involvement of The Rolling Stones, Crossfire Hurricane is and will remain the definitive story of the world s greatest rock n roll band.