Russell Crowe in Land of Bad teenager ( Nico Parker ) who , while caring for her brother along with her audacious mother ( Laura Linney ), strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist ( Woody Harrelson ) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time .
Bob Marley : One Love Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green Rated NYR • February 14 - In Theaters
This film celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity . On the big screen for the first time , discover Bob ’ s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music . It was produced with the Marley family and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician , Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita , and James Norton as record producer / Island Records founder Chris Blackwell .
Madame Web Directed by SJ Clarkson Rated NYR • February 14 - In Theaters
In a switch from the typical genre , Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing ' s most enigmatic heroines . The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb , a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities . Forced to confront revelations about her past , she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures ... if they can all survive a deadly present . Stars Sydney Sweeney , Isabela Merced , Celeste O ’ Connor , Tahar Rahim , Mike Epps , Emma Roberts and Adam Scott .
Land of Bad Directed by William Eubank Rated R • February 16 - In Theaters
Air Force drone pilot Reaper ( Russell Crowe ) supports a Tier- One special ops team in the South Philippines when he has only 48 hours to drastically shift a mission gone terribly wrong into a wild rescue operation . Top-level extractors Cpt . Sugar ( Milo Ventimiglia ) and Sgt . Abel ( Luke Hemsworth ) are joined by a green Air Force officer , Kinney ( Liam Hemsworth ) before they redeploy on the battlefield to retrieve their captured man and a mysterious asset , both now hostages . As the eyes of the ground mission , Reaper becomes Kinney ’ s lifeline when the enemy discovers the team , and the situation becomes a hellish full-scale battle . In the Land of Bad , you don ’ t leave anyone behind .
Drive-Away Dolls Directed by Ethan Coen Rated R • February 23 - In Theaters
This comedy caper follows Jamie ( Margaret Qualley ), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend , and her demure friend Marian ( Geraldine Viswanathan ), who desperately needs to loosen up . In search of a fresh start , the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee , but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way . Beanie Feldstein , Joey Slotnick , Bill Camp , Colman Domingo , Pedro Pascal , Matt Damon , and CJ Wilson also appear .
18 illinoisentertainer . com april RSD 2024 ing track , “ Functional ,” is a mellow but good-humored solo piece for Monk that rambles with an upbeat and affectionate tone for nearly ten minutes . The partnership between Monk and Coltrane ended following the Five Spot residency , but the creative growth for both was apparent . Coltrane acknowledged this , telling Down Beat in 1960 , “ Working with Monk brought me close to a musical architect of the highest order . I learned from him in every way .”
This quality reissue has been cut from original master tapes and pressed onto 180-gram vinyl . The LP arrives in a replica of its original tip-on sleeve . Care is clearly taken to thrill the jazz audience and reclaim the standing of Original Jazz Classics . ( craftrecordings . com )
– Jeff Elbel
9
PEARL JAM Vs .
( Epic / Legacy )
Pearl Jam ’ s 1991 album Ten arrived one month before the seismic shift of Nirvana ’ s Nevermind and two months prior to Soundgarden ’ s Badmotorfinger . The three albums carried the grunge movement into the musical mainstream . All three were explosive successes and tough acts to follow , with reputations and the possibility for longevity riding on the performance of the follow-up . Nirvana ’ s In Utero arrived in August of 1993 and eventually achieved 5x platinum sales . Pearl Jam ’ s Vs . was released in October of that year , and the sophomore slump was avoided . Thanks to the band ’ s consistent work in the studio and on the road , Ten is the top seller among the front-running Seattle bands , and Vs . has reached 7x platinum sales . It was the age of the CD in ’ 93 , but the 30th anniversary of Vs . is being celebrated with a 2xLP vinyl reissue . The band charges out of the gate with the snarling and feral grunge-punk energy of “ Go .” Jeff Ament ’ s bass is a guttural rumble accompanying Dave Abbruzzese ’ s whip-crack snare as Eddie Vedder pleads with his vehicle not to break down when he needs it most . Driven by bracing tandem guitar riffs from Stone Gossard and Mike McCready , “ Animal ” features an angry and howling Vedder vocal that ’ s entirely appropriate for the subject . In the song ’ s coda , Vedder
repeats the line “ five against one ,” signifying the quintet ’ s collective resolve in the face of any opposing force . Some fans debated whether the brutal song and its chorus , “ I ’ d rather be with an animal ,” were a point-of-view condemnation of rape . The breezy acoustic jangle of the third track , “ Daughter ,” eases the way for a tragic portrait of a misunderstood child who suffers abuse as an unfortunate and unfair consequence of her learning disability . Gossard and McCready approach “ Glorified G ” from extreme ends of the musical spectrum , with riffs rooted in dissonant funk and country , respectively . The withering anti-gun culture song stemmed from band conversations after Abbruzzese purchased a firearm . The heavy twang of “ Dissident ” tells the dark tale of a woman who shelters a political refugee but betrays the man to the authorities and then has to live with her choice . The grim “ W . M . A .” confronts racism in the law enforcement profession . With its swinging folksy acoustic guitar rhythm and Ament ’ s rumbling fretless bass , " Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town " is another song in which Vedder ’ s moody baritone vocal gives voice to a female character , describing the tragedy of a life spent going nowhere . “ Hearts and thoughts , they fade away ,” repeats Vedder as the song concludes . “ Leash ” gives voice to youthful rebellion . It ’ s supportive without claiming to hold answers . " I ' m no guide , but I ' m by your side ," sings Vedder .
Vs . made a resounding impact in 1993 . It was rich with a broad range of musical ideas and themes that offered character and depth . The album suggested that the band could be around for the long haul , and the band would reinforce that assessment with Vitalogy the following year . Listening to Vs . remains a visceral and lively experience 30 years later . The reissued album is stamped on heavyweight black vinyl and mastered at 45RPM for high-fidelity playback .
– Jeff Elbel
9 SIMPLE MINDS Acoustic In Concert
( Mercury / UMG )
This Blu-ray + CD set offers the pristine video and sound of Scottish rockers Simple Minds ’ 2016 performance at London ’ s Hackney Empire , originally broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 ’ s In Concert series . The set list features the retooled and retrospective arrangements from that year ’ s Acoustic album , omitting only Sons and Fascination track “ The American ” from the main album and Graffiti Soul track “ Light Travels ” from the 2xLP release . During the show , Simple Minds ’