Saturday, June 14, 2008 • MaineCoastNOW.com • THE COURIER-GAZETTE • Page B3 POP CULTURE ‘Zohan’ is kind of funny, kind of dumb THE TOP TEN ’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I like stupid THE Ihumor. I really do. But I POPCORN find it is best served with a strong plot and a side of REPORT MOVIES ... sophisticated comedy. Movies 1. Kung Fu Panda that are more stupid than MEGAN 2. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan humorous really just don’t do it 3. Indiana Jones and the RICHARDSON for me. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull “You Don’t Mess with the 4. Sex and the City Zohan,” Adam Sandler’s latest 5. The Strangers movie, is unfortunately far too Rated PG-13 6. Iron Man stupid to be good, although I 7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Dumb but kind of funny, will admit to laughing at some Prince Caspian of the jokes. right? 8. What Happens In Vegas… Sandler stars as Zohan, an Turturro was great as 9. Baby Mama Information courtesy Israeli assassin who is sent to Zohan’s nemesis, and Sandler www.imdb.com kill a terrorist named the fans — and by that I mean fans 10. Made of Honor Phantom (John Turturro). of his most sophomoric and However, Zohan no longer outrageous stuff — will proba- Adam Sandler stars in “ You Don’t Mess With the Zohan.” wishes to live the life of a bly love this movie. He is his counterterrorist and decides to usual over-the-top self in the soon discover, does Zohan) with his name in the credits. MUSIC ... fake his own death so that he film, and yes, he did make me were funny, if obvious, jokes. In the end, “Zohan” just can flee to America to pursue laugh. His character is easily The strong sexual undercur- really doesn’t have a strong 1. Usher, “Here I Stand” his dream of becoming a hair- laughed at; Zohan’s preference rent of the film might be offen- enough plot to carry all the 2. Soundtrack, dresser. Zohan finds work in a for feathery 80s hairdos and sive to some, but viewers silliness. Instead of a fun sum- “Sex And The City” salon run by the beautiful Dalia elderly women (the salon should really be expecting it, mer movie, the film often felt 3. 3 Doors Down, (Emmanuelle Chriqui). caters to old women and so, we considering that the film was like a less clever version of “3 Doors Down” written by Sandler, SNL writer “Borat.” 4. Bun-B, “II Trill” Robert Smigel and Judd Megan Richardson is from 5. Leona Lewis, “Spirit” Apatow, whose writing credits Northport and is a reporter for include “Walk Hard” and The Republican Journal and 6. Frank Sinatra, “Knocked Up.” All three writ- The Waldo Independent. She “Nothing But The Best” ers have a taste for the inappro- also works at The Colonial 7. Duffy, “Rockferry” Information courtesy priate. Theatre in Belfast. 8. Mariah Carey, “E=MC2” www.Billboard.com. The film’s biggest problem 9. Al Green, “Lay It Down” may be that there were too 10. Death Cab For Cutie, many cooks in the comedy- “Narrow Stairs” writing kitchen. Smigel’s SNL MEGAN’S RATING: flavor can be felt in the movie. In fact, Zohan would be a hilar- RATINGS: ious addition to SNL’s cast of WONDERFUL characters. Sandler’s writing GOOD BOOKS ... presence is definitely strong, MEDIOCRE too. It’s Apatow, who I usually HARDCOVER FICTION find comically brilliant, who POOR disappointed me with this one. TERRIBLE 1. “Blood Noir,” Rob Schneider stars in “ You Don’t Mess With the Zohan.” I expected more from a movie by Laurell K. Hamilton 2. “The Host,” by Stephanie Meyer Rocking from Disturbed to Hanoi Rocks 3. “Odd Hours,” by Dean Koontz 4. “Love the One You’re With,” isturbed: Indestructible (Reprise CD, 49:18). TOM’S by Emily Giffin DFormed in 1996 in PICKS 5. “Sunday at Tiffany’s,” Chicago, the four-man Disturbed by James Patterson and is posed to rank atop the hard Gabrielle Charbonnet rock mountain. After three plat- inum-plus albums with producer 6. “Chasing Harry Winston,” TOM VON Johnny K, frontman David by Lauren Weisberger MALDER Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan 7. “The Front,” (lead producer; sounds like he by Patricia Cornwell has more freedom here) and and bass. Instead of the usual drummer Mike Wengren decided verse-chorus-bridge song struc- 8. “Devil May Care,” to produce album number four ture, Orrall uses melodic inter- by Sebastian Faulks themselves. ludes to replace choruses. 9. “Phantom Prey,” Recorded at Groovemaster The album opens with the by John Sanford in Chicago, the album soars gentle, folkish “Perfect Music,” from the start, with the title which includes an Italian verse 10. “Snuff,” by Chuck Palahniuk track, written in support for the sung by Mistress Stephanie. The Disturbed are, from left, guitarist Dan Donegan, singer David U.S. troops in the Middle East, There’s a nice melody on Draiman, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist John Moyer, who opening with air raid sirens and “Stinky,” but Orrall’s vocal is joined the other three in 2004. HARDCOVER NON-FICTION the sounds of bombing. The distorted. The first song with a drums. Their first hit (not driver was Vince Neil, the singer song features a solid riff and driving rock beat is the wonder- included here) was “Fast Train” of Motley Crue), just after the 1. “What Happened,” good vocals by Draiman. A ful “Lemon Drop Man”; it is in 1971. This concert was band had singed with Columbia by Scott McClellan later song, “Enough,” laments guitar led with horns and four recorded after the release of the Records and recorded its fifth 2. “Audition,” by Barbara Walters the causes of the Middle East backing vocalists. Also strong band’s ninth album, “Nature of album. (Vocalist-sax player war. Arguably the album’s best and rocking are “Candy” and the Beast,” which contained the Michael Monroe and guitarist 3. “Are You There Vodka? track, it also has a good the almost punkish “Super band’s most successful U.S. Andy McCoy reformed the band It’s Me, Chelsea,” melody, as does “Inside the Tarana,” with “From This single, “Between You and Me.” in 2002.). This 14-song concert, by Chelsea Handler Fire,” whose twisted lyric has Moment On” is a semi-rocker Nine of the album’s 11 songs recorded April 23, 1984 at the 4. “The Post-American World,” the devil encouraging the sung from a female’s perspec- are performed in the concert, Palais in Nottingham, England is singer to take his own life as a tive. The softer “Palm Leaf which I believe was originally a bit rough — filmed by a video by Fareed Zakaria way to join his dead girlfriend. Effigy” is about screwing up a released on VHS in 1981. Other crew that had been doing a trash 5. “Stolen Innocence,” The girlfriend may not be dead relationship (“I drove a stake songs include a cover of King punk all-dayer at the venue — by Elissa Wall with Lisa Pulitzer in the angry “Deceiver,” but through the heart of the st Crimson’s “21 Century but catches the band in all its 6. “My Stroke of Insight,” she might as well be as moment when she first trusted Schizoid Man.” By now Jim sleazy, yet melodic rock glory, Draiman wrote the song about me”), while “Baby Together” is Clench had been replaced by including covers of The by Jill Bolte Taylor an ex that he calls “a master of done is soul style. About the Steve Lang on bass and a third Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” and 7. “The Downhill Lie,” deception.” Donegan’s guitar only misstep is the too-light guitarist, Brian Greenway, was Creedence Clearwater Revival’s by Carl Hiaasen dominates “The Night,” while “Heaven Only Knows.” brought on board in 1977. “Up Around the Bend.” Also 8. “The Revolution,” by Ron Paul Draiman spits out his words in The album comes with pho- Goodwyn, citing exhaustion, included are their hits: “Perfect Insanity.” Wengren’s tos of sculptures by Italian led the band into an 18-month “Tragedy,” “Don’t You Ever 9. “The Great Derangement,” drums highlight the introduc- artist Virginio Ferrari from the hiatus after this tour. Grade B+ Leave Me” and “Underwater by Matt Taibbi tion to “Haunted,” which is 1960s, and a foldout poster Hanoi Rocks: The World” (the alter has the line 10. “Counselor,” by Ted Sorensen taken over by staccato guitar with video stills of various Nottingham Tapes (Cherry “Welcome too the jungle,” (Donegan also solos on the works by Chicago artist Marco Red DVD, 58 min.). Formed in which Axl Rose of Guns ‘n’ blistering “Torn”). Finally, Ferrari, Virginio’s son, cooking 1979 in Helsinki, Finland, Hanoi Roses used so famously as a “The Curse” is a heavy rocker recipes from his mother Marisa Rockas was a glam band influ- song title). Grade B+ that soars. Draiman told the rest Ferrari and a prose piece by enced by The Stooges, early Tom Von Malder can be of the band he was “in the Orrall. Grade B+ Alice Cooper Band and The reached at tvonmald@courier- SUDOKU mood to purge” before going April Wine: I Like to New York Dolls. In turn, they pub.com. into the studio; the rest of the Rock: Live in London 1981 influenced the likes of Guns ‘n’ band was equal to the slamming (Cherry Red DVD, 67 min.). Roses and Manic Street attack and a great hard rock One of Canada’s most success- Preachers.