Detours represents a true stepping-aside for Sheryl Crow. The past year of turmoil and joy in her personal life have brought an air of unpredictability to this recording; it's not what many may have expected. It is, however, a strong, emotional, and extremely personal statement of where she is right now. The political climate, environment, surviving a health scare and heartache, and the most tender lullaby for her new son are all part of Detours, a reminder that even the road less traveled exacts a price along with its rewards.

Counting Crows have now released their seventh album, continuing their tradition of blending classical rock arrangements with contemporary, sophisticated lyrics. Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings examines a 12-hour time frame, the excesses and inner need to connect, then regret and a hint of redemption. It's angry at times, pounding, loud, and then, surprisingly, reflective and somber. In short, it's a journey, and one that makes a real statement for the band at this point in their career.

These are two of 2008's strongest releases so far. Flock over and check them out!

This is one of the most unusual films to release in a long time. I'm Not There is a biography of Bob Dylan, starring, as Bob Dylan, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw. Each portray Dylan during different periods of his life.

Cate Blanchett took home the Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for her performance in which she really seems to undergo a transformation. You could almost swear she wasn't there.

It seems that there are those who really LOVED the film and those who really, um, DIDN'T. It comes out on dvd on Tuesday, May 6th, so you can check it out for yourself.

(I'm curious to find out what Bob Spitz thought of it. Spitz, who'll be here on the 18th to talk about his new book, The Saucier's Apprentice, wrote Dylan: A Biography. We'll have to remember to ask him...perhaps, while he's here.)

We’re talking about country superstar George Strait. If you just said, “George who?” you’re not alone. Even if you don't know much about country music, he really is worth a try, with clever, touching, and catchy songs like “Ocean Front Property,” “You Look So Good in Love,” and of course, “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

The name of his latest release is Troubadour, with a more introspective mood than usual, but still an excellent selection of upbeat two-step numbers, a ballad or two, and plenty of showcases for Strait's warm, mellow voice. Don't let the country tag keep you from hearing one of the premiere vocalists of his generation...either Troubadour or 50 Number Ones is a great place to start!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a serious film based on the serious book of the same name. Jean-Dominique Bauby, the world-renowned editor of French ELLE magazine, suffered a stroke and was paralyzed by locked-in syndrome at the age of 43. This is his story, told from his point of view. Despite knowing beforehand that this is a true story, you may not be able to resist the urge when it is over to double-check that fact. I know I did. It seems impossible. What a brutal yet beautiful film! I will refrain from saying more except to say that it is an experience you should not miss.

Onto the other end of the quality spectrum...27 Dresses. "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." Is it proverb? An old dance hall number? A Listerine commercial? Wherever the saying comes from, this movie (please do not call it a film) about a girl...who's kind of plain...and her name's Jane...who's been a bridesmaid 27 times...and, oh, puh-leez(!)...it had me worried for my worry lines from all the wincing I was doing. The characters were so dumb, the dialogue even dumber, and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...it didn't. In fact, there was a moment. And then another moment. So, as much as I'd love to jump on the bashing-bandwagon for this movie, the bottom line is, it's not ALL bad (let's face it -- it's not really fair to compare this kind of movie-fluff with something like "Diving Bell"). Hint: If you get as far as the really bad "Benny and the Jets" karaoke scene, the worst is over.

Also coming out tomorrow is The Golden Compass and it's a visual treat. There are fabulous sets, really great and gorgeous costumes, and fantastic special effects. And, as long as we're talking about visual treats, don't forget that Daniel Craig and Sam Elliott star.

The best of the bunch is, without a doubt, The Visitor. It was well worth the visit to the city to see this one!

A Connecticut college professor, attending a conference in New York, finds that a couple have taken up residence in his Manhattan apartment. The story that develops is a rich one; not only does it draw the viewer in, it draws laughs, smiles, and interest from the audience. There were also some audible sniffles and loud gasps from this Manhattan movie crowd. It's really a wonderful film and I can't wait to see it again. Hopefully, it will be playing up this way soon! No matter...I'm hoping to have The Visitor on our Summer Film Series schedule.

Here's what else I've seen.

What's the difference between "based on a true story" and "fact-based"? I'm not so sure, but something tells me to take notice. Therefore, I report that The Bank Job is based on a true story and 21 is fact-based. Both, however, are quite entertaining (moreso, The Bank Job), and both are, on a deeper level, quite troubling.

The Counterfeiters (also based on a true story) is about the Nazi counterfeiting operation (the largest in history) and is absolutely fascinating. Smart People and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day were quite enjoyable, but Under the Same Moon, despite some really fine performances, was painfully preachy and heavy-handed it its agenda.

It's been interesting viewing...a little bit of this, a little bit of that..and a whole lot of fun. See you at the movies!

Juno explores inter-generational relationships -- Juno’s parents with each other and her, Juno and her peers, and now the new baby she is carrying. Appropriately, this soundtrack mixes vintage tracks with new, often-obscure artists. It’s a risky move. Fans of Buddy Holly and Mott the Hoople aren't necessarily the likely audience for the film...likewise, it's hard to know what fans of Moldy Peaches and Cat Power would make of the older artists on this album.

If you liked the film, you're going to like this album, plain and simple. The songs worked well within the story and were, in fact, a big part of Juno. If you didn't see the film -- or hated it -- there's still plenty on the soundtrack to enjoy, no matter what generation you call your own!

The past few decades have proved that there’s plenty more to say, and England’s Radiohead continues to push forward as one of the most intelligent bands out there. Last fall, they made international headlines when their new album was released online only, with customers setting their own price to download it. They even invited fans to copy and share the album with each other. The result: more publicity and more listeners than the conventional release methods would have given them.

Now, In Rainbows is available as a "traditional" CD, with the music being called the band's best since their ground-breaking OK Computer in 1997. Atmospheric instrumentation, enigmatic lyrics, this is Radiohead: questioning, brooding, setting the times to music like nobody else. If rock is an attitude, not just a playlist, it's far from dead with bands like Radiohead leading the way!

...but I did spend some time with these:

As you know, I loved There Will Be Blood, and am glad that I got to see it in the theater (I'm also glad that I'd not just finished reading Upton Sinclair's Oil!, the book upon which the film is based, as I understand this could have impacted my enjoyment of the film...think Charlie Wilson's War).

I spent perhaps 15 minutes watching Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. The reviews for it were pretty good; Ebert even gave it two thumbs up! I don't know...I almost don't know what to say. I could talk about squandered talent and crude "humor," but all I can really say about it is...stupid...no, make that stoo-pid. I turned it off. Tell me if it gets any better after minute-16, okay?

I'm anticipating a couple of next week's very watchable (and re-watchable) dvd releases: the very sweet and very funny Lars and the Real Girl, and the shocking and brutal Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (aka Blaine's movie).

Here are a few pictures from the set:

Chris wrote the script for the film right here in the Library, and he had our Main Reading Room in mind when he wrote the library scene. He will be here for this event and will answer questions from the audience at the conclusion of the film.

We hope that you can join us for this special movie screening! It's sure to be unlike any movie event we've ever had at the Library.

Please note -- according to Chris, "Fog Warning" requires some forewarning -- "The audience should be forewarned that this is an adult suspense-thriller. Although Fog Warning has not been rated, the producers expect it to receive a R rating for language, violence and brief nudity."

In 2001, a group of musicologists and music-loving techies established the Music Genome Project, an effort to analyze tens of thousands of songs (ranging from chart-toppers to unknowns) based on every stylistic nuance possible, including melody, rhythm, lyrics, vocals, arrangement, and instrumentation, among others. Each song was assigned its very own "genetic makeup" - a musical fingerprint, if you will.

The result of all of this hard work came to fruition in 2005, with the introduction of PANDORA - the Music Genome Project's addition the Internet radio trend. I think it's one of the best Internet radio sites around.

You see, most Internet radio services assume that our musical tastes can be defined simply by genre, time period, or some other random aspect - even intended audience. When listening to one of these services, you're quite likely to hear a majority of songs that only somewhat resemble the kind of music that you like, as well as that same awesomely bad tune over and over again - and you're powerless to stop it.

The Music Genome Project, on the other hand, has realized that musical tastes actually have a lot more to do with the intricacies of style than anything else - certainly not image - and therefore should not be generalized; after all, no one's musical tastes are exactly the same. It has also realized that to provide excellent and individualized playlists, a service has to make use of listener feedback - and in a split-second, at that.

Here's how it works: Just enter the names of your favorite songs, artists, or composers, and Pandora will quickly scan its entire database to create your own personal radio stations of music with similar qualities. Once you begin listening to songs, you'll have the option to tag them with a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." Any thumbs down-designated songs will be not play on your personal radio stations again, and you're allowed to skip six songs per hour. Plus, Pandora will use both the positive and negative feedback to immediately adjust the playlists to suit your style. You'll discover new artists and songs to love, and - the real draw - you'll never have to listen to awesomely bad music again!

So try it out, and let me know what you think!

She may lean heavily towards standards, but there’s no mistaking the fresh sound of her voice and the way she can make a song her own. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Let’s Fall in Love,” all sound remarkably new here.

Of course, there’s always the dilemma with a collection like this: start here or explore her albums individually? With Diana Krall, we have the stand-alones or this one-stop, introductory title to choose from. Called "utterly distinctive, contemporary, and built to last" by The New York Times, Krall is a once-in-a-generation talent who may well still have a greatest hits collection in her.

I don't think there's ever been a story quite like this one. Based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel about guilt and redemption, it is convincing, intelligent, and emotionally powerful.

From "The Kite Runner":

"Now there is a way to be good again."

"For you, a thousand times over."

Goosebumps.

It's a backstage drama...a down-on-his luck actor with a drinking problem is tapped to star in a big musical. The actor's wife and the play's director struggle with each other for control of the insecure, fragile actor. Based on the 1950 play written by Clifford Odets, the film won two Academy Awards -- Best Actress (Kelly), and Best Writing (George Seaton). Excellent film with extraordinary talent...

...and, Hark!...news from the big city reaches me in my comfy suburban perch (thanks, Lynn!)...

The play returns to Broadway -- in previews, beginning April 3rd, and opening on April 27th in a "strictly limited engagement" at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Morgan Freeman, Frances McDormand, and Peter Gallagher are starring in this revival. Mike Nichols directs. This is news! Big news! Excuse me while I gather my composure.

I've ordered my tickets...this is a splurge I just can't resist.