So, about that new Björk album, "Medulla": It's a wowzer. Björk steps back from the electronica trip-hop feel of much her earlier work, and unveils an album of sounds almost entirely created by the human voice. It's like Ladysmith Black Mambazo meets Sigur Ros meets Radiohead, but really, since it's Björk, it's pretty much impossible to compare to anyone else. The Icelandic pixie isn't for everyone, and if you're not already a fan of her poignant Nordic wail, you probably won't dig "Medulla." But I love it so far, and think it's one of the best, boldest records of the year.

You hear a variety of sounds here -- ulating cries, looming choirs, bizarre "beat box" grunts and bass beats, even a "human trombone" in one song -- all mixed with Björk's floating croon. It's utterly alien, not the kind of tunes you want to crank up at a party, but this experiment really works at creating a whole new world of music. There are a few ghostly hints of instruments here, a dash of piano or an occasional drumbeat, but it's as close to an a capella album as you can get. It also has an eerie, fragile warmth that makes it feel more emotional and honest to me than earlier Björk albums like "Post" or "Debut." I've seen reviews calling it "challenging," but it's more rewarding than work.

Highlights abound, such as the fantastic "Where Is The Line," where Björk is joined in the infectious chorus by the Icelandic Choir, former "Faith No More" singer Mike Patton and more as noise builds up into an apocalpytic kind of release. Or there's "Who Is It" or "Oceania," more traditional song structures livened up by dashes of odd sound. Björk also moves between singing in English and Icelandic throughout "Medulla." "Ancestors" feels like a seance between the dead and the living, with bizarre grunting "throat singing," moans and croaks as the song breaks down, reforms itself and breaks down again. The final song, "Triumph of the Heart," has a joyful release that sums up the sheer happiness most of this record has. "Medulla" is an album of layers, rewarding repeat lisening with new textures and tones. I think Björk's work has been all about combining a tribal beat-pounding passion with a celestial awe, and "Medulla" does her best job yet of achieving that. It's a little marvel.

(Addendum: A really fascinating profile of Björk's recording of "Medulla" in Iceland appeared in The New Yorker magazine by Alex Ross a few weeks back. Can't find a link to it online but it's definitely worth seeking out.)

Here's a Thursday video review!
‘Dogville’
Rarely have I seen a movie more cynical about human nature than “Dogville.”
Directed and written by the controversial Danish director Lars Von Trier, “Dogville” is the kind of intellectual art film that polarizes viewers. It’s full of ideas and allegory, philosophy and pain.
It tells the tale of Dogville, a tiny isolated Rocky Mountain town with a community of proud but struggling “humble folk.” When the stranger, Grace (Nicole Kidman), wanders into town, on the run from mysterious men, she is at first feared by the wary townspeople.
But young writer Tom (Paul Bettany) befriends her, and eventually Grace is accepted by the people of Dogville. She begins doing part-time work for the citizens to thank them for their kindness. But the charity soon turns into slavery, as Dogville is revealed to have a bitter side for the unsuspecting Grace.
Despite being a slow-moving three hours long, “Dogville” still sucks you in, because you want to see what happens next, but then slaps you in the face for daring to care about the characters.
It betrays the viewer, and in that way is ultimately far more disappointing that your standard subpar Hollywood clunker.
“Dogville” takes the not exactly fresh idea that small-town life has a seamy, corrupt side, and drives that topic into the ground. Overblown, sarcastic “Our Town”-style narration by John Hurt rapidly becomes intrusive and finally excruciatingly smug.
Kidman gives a great performance as the wounded, pained Grace, perhaps one of her finest roles yet. In truth, she gives Grace more weight than the movie deserves, and she’s the main reason the movie is worth seeing. She’s the beating heart of this cold film, and too many of the other actors are playing one-note caricatures.
What throws the viewer at first glance is the look of “Dogville.” Von Trier sets it on a nearly bare soundstage, with chalk lines representing homes and walls. He shoots with a stark digital film lighting, giving the movie a hyper-real feel. The closest comparison I can make is to watching a filmed play, and it’s a stark, eye-catching vision.
Bettany as the dithering, head-in-the-clouds philosopher, Tom, becomes incredibly annoying over three hours. Even the great Lauren Bacall is wasted in a nothing role.
I appreciate “Dogville’s” technical experimental feel and the solid acting talent involved. But the arrogance of Von Trier’s thesis overwhelms the depth of his talent.
A climactic speech by a character played by James Caan argues a nearly fascist viewpoint that the strong should destroy the weak. Perhaps Von Trier means it as satire. But it sure doesn’t feel like it.
Some critics have called the movie “anti-American.” Indeed, Von Trier really goes over the top with a ironic use of David Bowie’s classic “Young Americans” over the closing credits. But I’d argue it’s “anti,” period.
Von Trier has always been an edgy filmmaker. His “Dancer In The Dark,” starring Björk, was equally vivid, but had a sense of joyful possibility that “Dogville” lacks. “Dogville” is thought-provoking, and for the right audience it might play better than it did with me.
But ultimately it’s a movie with no hope, and while I don’t regret seeing it, it’s one I cannot recommend.
*1/2 of four.

Five Things That Are Cool
1. Björk's fabulous new CD "Medulla." Voices unleashed! Full review to follow whenever I get off my butt and do so.

2. Finally watching Richard Linklater's 1995 film "Before Sunrise." Intimate, witty and verbose romance with a great Viennese backdrop, as strangers meet and fall for each other in a whirlwind 24-hour romance. More authentic than 99% of Hollywood's romantic comedies, and excellent performances by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

3. The first "Thursday Next" novel by Jasper Fforde, "The Eyre Affair." A lighthearted sci-fi time travel detective tale that takes place in a world where the lines between fiction and reality are blurry. Creative as all get-out, full of literary references and cunning characters. Look forward to reading more of the series.

4. Richard Thompson's cover of Britney Spears' "Oops! I Did It Again." Teen pop undergoes soulful guitar-wizard alchemy, becomes amazingly poignant and sassy tune.

5. Babies who are starting to grow teeth! (Teeth not shown due to extreme wriggliness.)

The comics blogosphere is full of the snark. But nobody does it quite like Tim at The Hurting, whose snarkarama "Comic Remixes" will either make you laugh until the beverage of choice comes shooting out of your nose. Or they'll get Tim sued. Not quite sure which.

Check out his "remix" of Avengers #500 here, of Astonishing X-Men #4 here and his "Identity Crisis #3" remix here. (Hint: they're funnier if you read the actual comix, but not always.)

This 'n' that:
• Had a fine Labor Day trip over to the coast, where we went to our favorite seaside haunt of Bandon. We visited the really fun West Coast Game Park, a 'walk-through safari' like a combination between a zoo and a petting zoo. Lots of fun because they had huge herds of tame llamas, deer, goats, Barbary sheep and more just wandering around and you could pet them all freely. Peter was quite google-eyed. The goats tried to nibble on the stroller but didn't like it. I got to pick up a baby leopard and hold it which was groovy indeed. A nice outing and we had a brief walk on the windy beach and I ate seafood.

• Finally got to watch some episodes of the new Justice League Unlimited cartoon on the Cartoon Network this weekend. So far I'm liking it; unlike the previous "Justice League" series this one features a rotating cast of characters. A nifty "variety show" of superhero action; who would ever have imagined you could see such C-list superfolk like The Question and B'wana Beast on a cartoon? And it's a charge to see the Green Arrow get animated. Fun stuff!

• Man, September is the cruelest month for those of us looking to save a little cash. After 50 years of waiting or so, the first three Star Wars movies worth a damn come out on DVD Sept. 21 (yeah, I know they're not quite the "originals," but hey, I still own those on VHS if I want to see a version where Greedo doesn't shoot first). The geekgasm comprehensive "Clerks X" three-disc anniversary DVD comes out Tuesday. Then Elvis Costello's groovy new album "The Delivery Man" follows. Finally, after nearly 20 years, the seventh and final book in Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series (fittingly called "The Dark Tower") arrives Sept. 21. Urk! What a month!

• Get well soon, President Clinton.

Went ahead and signed up for the fall session of yoga class the other day. I started taking yoga back in January, but the class has been on summer break for a couple months. Unfortunately, my much-vaunted plans to actually practice my yoga "skills" during hiatus came to naught, between work, vacations, sheer laziness and dealing with the baby. So I need to work myself back into the game before Sept. 20.

I do really enjoy yoga, though. I have always been a flexible guy but as I enter my mid-thirties some of the get-up-and-go has got up and went, and I'd rather keep in shape now than have to start from scatch later. I've got a good instructor, who doesn't get too hippie-dippie about it all, and I think the structure of having the weekly class to go to is a good way to keep me into it. It's fun, a chance to test your physical abilities and get more in touch with your body's quirks. I've done better than I thought I might, although it helped that half the class I've been in were elderly ladies. Now that I've taken "beginning yoga" twice, I'm going to attempt "intermediate" and see if I can hack it. Twists and turns lie ahead...

'Tis Thursday, and we must have some video reviews posthaste!
‘The Human Stain’
Coleman Silk has a secret. It’s one he can’t reveal, and it’s cost him his career and his marriage.
In “The Human Stain,” based on the novel by Philip Roth, we’re surrounded by damaged characters. Silk (Anthony Hopkins), an honored professor at an eastern university, is fired over accusations of racism. Alone and shattered, he finds himself in an unlikely relationship with a cleaning lady, Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman). Faunia has her own secrets, including an ex-husband (Ed Harris) who may be trying to kill her.
Silk’s friend Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise) tries to act as his conscience and friend, but in the end Coleman must face his inner demons alone.
The central dilemma at the heart of “Stain” is, how important are our own identities? Will we sacrifice a crucial part of ourselves to get ahead, or abandon our dreams for a loved one? Both Coleman and Faunia have done that, and pay the price here.
“Human Stain” has a great story at its core, and the novel is a thought-provoking, gripping look at the nature of identities and the burden of guilt. But the movie fumbles it, draining away the layers and depth to give it a movie-of-the-week feel.
It’s a curiously lifeless film, with the actors playing stereotypes rather than people. Beautiful to look at, with rich wintry tones and everyone looking gorgeous, “The Human Stain” just fails to engage the audience emotionally.
Kidman, usually excellent, tries mightily, but you just can’t buy her as a shattered, drunken janitor. She’s the most beautiful alcoholic cleaning lady you’ve ever seen, and that works against the story. A scenery-chewing Hopkins is even more badly miscast, lacking in subtlety and unbelievable as the man he’s supposed to be.
However, as a younger version of his character shown in flashbacks, Wentworth Miller is excellent, giving real emotional heft to the choices Silk makes.
The movie “The Human Stain” seems to race through the plot, making the ending incredibly abrupt and unsatisfying. It’s a surface look at complicated problems. The novel also has a pivotal twist that just doesn’t translate to the screen with the impact it should have.
“The Human Stain” had the potential to be a good movie, but typical Hollywood bloat sinks it into the realm of forgettable. When all else fails, the time-honored cliché holds true: Read the book, and skip the movie.
(Rated R for sexuality, adult language)
** of four

‘Secret Window’
Mort Rainey is a successful author going through a bad time. His wife’s divorcing him, and a drawling stranger has just shown up at his front door, accusing him of “stealing my story.”
When Shooter (John Turturro) bangs on the door of Mort (Depp), he seems like a kook. But it becomes apparent Shooter is much more dangerous than that, as Mort’s life begins to fall apart in the face of Shooter’s escalating threats. Can Mort prove he’s innocent of stealing Shooter’s story? More importantly, is he?
Based on a short story by Stephen King, “Secret Window” shows flashes of promise before it disintegrates with a dismal ending.
It’s reheated King, strongly reminiscent of his other, better works like “The Shining,” “Misery” and “The Dark Half.” More of a thriller than a horror movie, “Window” has a few bright spots but not enough to make it gleam.
A mildly mediocre movie is partially salvaged by the talents of Johnny Depp. Depp carries huge chunks of the movie by himself, and makes the mental frustrations of a struggling writer gripping drama. It’s a good turn in a lazy story. Turturro is also menacing fun as the hillbilly Shooter, a creepy joke of a character who gradually grows in significance.
Writer and director David Koepp, who wrote the screenplay to 2002’s chilling “Panic Room,” has a firm grip on mood and tone. It’s a beautiful-looking movie, staged with flair.
But “Secret Window” is a classic case of solid build-up, poor follow-through. It’s hard to imagine the climax not coming as a limp disappointment to many viewers.
It’s a story filled with red herrings, twists for the sake of twists, and story threads that lead nowhere. If someone really did steal this “Secret Window’s” story, it wouldn’t be much of a crime.
(Rated PG-13 for violence, scary situations.)
** of four

As the last gasp of summer blockbuster stragglers such as “Alien Vs. Predator” and “Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2” stumble through the multiplex, it’s time to start looking ahead.
Autumn is when movies supposedly get “serious” and start polishing up their Oscar bait. But in reality, fall’s movies are like any other time of year — a mixed bag, with a fair amount of clunkers and some great gems lurking ahead.
As I look at the Associated Press’s list of fall films, here’s the top five that I’m most anticipating. (Keeping in mind, of course, that not all movies turn out like you’d think.)
1. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou — It’s by Wes Anderson, the mind behind “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” it’s about an eccentric undersea explorer, and it stars Bill Murray. It may not be a mainstream hit, but I’m looking forward to it more than anything else this fall.
2. Ocean’s 12 — The sequel to “Ocean’s 11,” this promises to be another snappy action flick for adults like its predecessor.
3. The Incredibles — Combining the Pixar animation team behind “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo” with a great concept about outcast superheroes, this will be one of the fall’s biggest hits. It should also be terrific fun for kids and adults.
4. The Aviator — Big-time Oscar bait from Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the young Howard Hughes. Sounds more focused than Scorsese’s troubled “Gangs Of New York” was.
5. Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow — Another big question mark. Featuring cutting-edge computer animation and real-life actors Jude Law, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow in a pulpy tale of mad geniuses and killer robots. Hard to tell from the previews if this will be a big hit, a cult classic or a massive belly-flop.

This is Peter Nicholas' latest trick. He's not really able to do it alone, hence the supervision from Mom, but it's still a nice little milestone for a 6.5-month-old. Peter has been all about the walking since Day 1, nearly, and we're starting to think he might just skip crawling entirely. His nickname is "Thumper" as he likes to work his little legs out by repeatedly whacking them against whatever surface is nearby, causing little "thump thump thump" sounds to be heard throughout the house. This weekend we're finally getting off our keisters and doing some much-needed babyproofing, as it's only a matter of time now before the rolling and thumping becomes skittering and crashing. Wheee!

Token Republican convention blogging -- I'll admit it, I'm not planning to watch minute one of the GOP convention. I can get the gist of it from the AP Wire stories and Internet coverage. Besides, it's true what "they" say, most of us have made up our mind already and no amount of 9/11-evoking (or perhaps shameless opportunism) is going to make a difference at this point. So this is probably my sole post on the subject of the Bush orgy going on in Democratic stronghold NYC this week.

But I do love this: So President Bush says Saturday in one interview that he didn't "think you can win" the war on terror. Today, he's saying that in fact "we will win" that war. And they call Kerry a flip-flopper?

(Like more "Bush-flopping" ammo? Go here. Want something even goofier and an antidote to all that repulsive Kerry-is-a-traitor bashing? Go here. It's got monkeys!)