Akira Kurosawa | Dreams

Probably Kurosawa’s most underrated film yet, it is one of his best. It shows a more reflective view of life as it is one of the latter films that he made. “Dreams” is a collection of eight short films that illustrate dreams the filmmaker had over the course of his life, starting from boyhood and extending into his adult life. Though the film has no central plot that weaves the stories together, man’s relationship with nature and the world around him seems to be the thread that connects them. The first three dreams are quite striking.

Irvine Welsh | Marabou Stork Nightmares

Welsh is not what one would call a conventional writer. Tending to write in Scottish dialect, he captures all the grace and beauty of the language (which happens not to have much). In Marabou Stork Nightmares Welsh enters the world of coma patient Roy Strang. The story exists on three levels in Roy’s mind. On the outer most level he is in the hospital, aware of his surroundings and the people around him. In the second level he recounts his life and what led to his comatose state. On the third level, deep within his own mind, he hunts the marabou stork in South Africa. In typical Welsh fashion the story takes some pretty disturbing turns before the end. This is not an easy read by any means.

Ween | Live at Stubb’s

Ween is a band that is way better live than they are on their studio recordings. Not to say that their studio releases aren’t without their charm, they are just one of those bands that can’t quite capture the energy of their live shows. That’s why Live at Stubb’s is a must have for the Ween fan or, for that matter, even the live music fan. Encompassing songs from God Ween Satan to White Pepper, the boys of Ween capture that elusive energy on three discs recorded over two nights in July of 2000 at Stubb’s, a barbeque restaurant/outdoor venue in Austin, Texas.

The Kid Stays in the Picture

They say the truth is stranger than fiction, and such is the case with Robert Evans. This documentary/autobiography, based on the book of the same name, follows the life of Robert Evans, the notorious Hollywood producer who had a hand in such classics as “The Godfather,” “Rosemary’s Baby” and “A Love Story.” What sets this apart from other films in the genre is that Evans himself narrates, telling his life the way it happened .... Or at least the way he remembered it happening.