CD: The Craft — Positive-thought hip-hop duo Blackalicious’ first album in three years blends some of 2005’s deepest beats and rhymes. It’s a sonic wonderland that recalls old-school landmarks by Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest.
CD: Children of Nuggets — Four-disc box picks up where the original Nuggets — an essential collection of ’60s garageland classics — left off. Bands like the Flamin’ Groovies, the Lyres, and the Smithereens make as much noise as their forefathers, but without the patchouli.
TV: Curb Your Enthusiasm — A near-death experience launches the fifth season of HBO’s best comedy (at 10 p.m. Sunday). Irksome star Larry David also gets shocking news from his dad and has a particularly revolting sandwich named after him. Guess which one he frets over most?
DVD: Desperate Housewives: The Complete First Season — Deleted scenes, bloopers, and unrated, extended episodes dig deep into the puzzle surrounding Wisteria Lane. Still unsolved: Why Eva Longoria wore that tacky swimsuit to the MTV Video Music Awards.
MOVIE: Flightplan — Jodie Foster’s questionable mothering skills (remember Panic Room?) are again put to the test when she loses her daughter at 30,000 feet. Somebody call Social Services!
BOOK: I Hope You Are All Happy Now — Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nicholas Zinner snapped hundreds of pics — of fans, hotel rooms, and the food he ate — while on tour last year. It’s a fascinating look at the monotony of the road.
DVD: The Outsiders: The Complete Novel — Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s beloved coming-of-age story helped launch the careers of Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, and Tom Cruise. More than 20 minutes of bonus material will have you jumping on couches.
MOVIE: Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride — This goth fairy tale about a meek lad (voiced by Johnny Depp) who accidentally marries a dead chick is told through the magic of stop-motion puppets. Somehow, the performances are less wooden than those in Transporter 2.
COURTESY FLUSH, PLEASE: Robots — We like CGI movies. We like robots. And we like CGI movies about robots (like this one, now on DVD). What we don’t like is Robin Williams reprising his motormouth-on-coke shtick for the umpteenth time. Dude, stuff a socket wrench in it, already!
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2005.