PROM NIGHT: Donna's senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life. After surviving a horrible tragedy, she has finally moved on and is enjoying her last year of high school. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her past. But when the night turns deadly, there is only one person who could be responsible...a man she thought was gone forever. Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of an obsessed killer, and survive a night "to die for." Starring Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, James Ransone, Brianne Davis with Johnathon Schaech and Idris Elba. (SCREEN GEMS) Rated PG-13.

SMART PEOPLE: SMART PEOPLE is the darkly comic story of Lawrence Wetherhold, a widowed, acerbic and self-absorbed literature professor played by Dennis Quaid, who has alienated his son and turned his daughter into an overachieving, friendless teen. He dalls for Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker) one his former students, while at the same time his ne’ er-do-well brother (Academy Awared ® nominee Thomas Haden Church) unexpectedly shows up at his door, triggering in him the need to change and reconnect with his family before he can make any steps forward in his life. Ellen Page (“Juno”) and Ashton Holmes (“A History of Violence”) also star.  (MIRAMAX FILMS) Rated R.

STREET KINGS: For acclaimed novelist James Ellroy, the sunny exterior of Los Angeles will never shed enough light to illuminate the darkest parts of itself.  In the City of Angels, moral codes designed to govern are difficult to uphold-especially by those determined to harm and protect us.With STREET KINGS, David Ayer, one of LA’s native sons, wields his camera onto the streets that are not found on picture postcards but on a city of contradictions and often-tragic consequences. Keanu Reeves stars as Tom Ludlow, a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife.  When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him. Academy Award® Winner Forest Whitaker plays Captain Jack Wander, Ludlow’s mentor and superior.  The stellar cast also features Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Cedric the Entertainer, Amaury Nolasco, Terry Crews, Naomie Harris, Martha Higareda, Common and The Game. The screenplay is based on an original story by James Ellroy and written by James Ellroy and Kurt Wimmer and Jamie Moss.  Ayer, known for bringing gritty realism to films such as TRAINING DAY and HARSH TIMES, is directing. (FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES) Rated R.

UNDER THE SAME MOON (Expands to Ann Arbor and Lansing): UNDER THE SAME MOON (LA MISMA LUNA) earned a standing ovation at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival for its poignant, emotionally rich tale of a mother and son living on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border connected by an enduring love.  In her feature film debut, director Patricia Riggen weaves their parallel stories into a vividly textured tapestry of yearning and devotion that portrays a child’s courage and tenacity, and a mother’s sacrifice.

Nine-year-old Carlos aka Carlitos (Adrián Alonso, THE MASK OF ZORRO) is one of the countless children left behind by parents who come to the U.S. seeking a way to provide for their families. His mother, Rosario (Kate del Castillo, BORDERTOWN) has worked illegally as a domestic in Los Angeles for four years, sending money home to her son and mother to give them a chance at a better life.

When the death of his grandmother leaves young Carlitos alone, he takes his fate into his own hands and heads north across the border to find his mother. As he journeys from his rural Mexican village to the L.A. barrio, Carlitos faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles with a steely determination and unfettered optimism that earn him the grudging respect and affection of a reluctant protector, a middle-aged migrant worker named Enrique (Eugenio Derbez, PADRE NUESTRO). The unlikely pair finds its way from Tucson to East L.A., but the only clue Carlitos has to his mother’s whereabouts is her description of the street corner from which she has called him each Sunday for the last four years. Unaware that Rosario is only hours away from returning to Mexico to be with her son, Carlitos and Enrique desperately comb the vast unfamiliar city for a place he has seen only in his imagination.  (FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES) Rated PG-13.

The band, lead by deeply baritoned singer Adam Turla, creates mesmerizing vocals throughout the entire record and probably shows it off best on new tracks “Rumbrave” and “Steal Away.” On some of the songs, you just can't help feel there is a little Johnny Cash running through Turla’s voice. Not many times are you going to hear me rave about the use of cello in modern music, but cellist Sarah Balliet’s work creates a eerie dynamic that gives the music its edges on songs like “Ball And Chain” and “The Black Spot.”

Formed in 2000, this is Murder By Death’s fourth record. The album honors classic archetypes, such as Homer’s literary cornerstone “The Odyssey.” The band worked with Grammy winner producer Trina Shoemaker, whose worked the tables for Queens of the Stone Age and Iggy Pop. Even though the band’s sound is now light years away from the everyday modern rock radio scene, the band has guest vocalists such as My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way and Thursday’s Geoff Rickly on previous records.

Murder by Death had been touring with Clutch earlier this year and is now out on their own tour that will take them to the end of May. If you're in the Carolinas or Florida, they'll be in your area for the next few weeks before circiling around the south and midwest (with a May 1st date in Grand Rapids) before heading to the West Coast. 

Murder By Death plays the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. tonight and the Local 506 tomorrow in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional dates can be found at www.murderbydeath.com.

• August 1 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL
• August 3 - Verizon Wireless Music Center - Indianapolis, IN
• August 4 - Blossom Music Center - Cleveland, OH
• August 6 - Parc Jean Drapeau - Montreal, QC
• August 8 - All Points West Music & Arts Festival/Liberty State Park - Jersey City, NJ
• August 9 - All Points West Music & Arts Festival/Liberty State Park - Jersey City, NJ
• August 12 - Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
• August 13 - Tweeter Center For the Performing Arts - Mansfield, MA
• August 15 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON
• August 19 - Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver, BC
• August 20 - White River Amphitheatre - Auburn, WA
• August 22 - Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival @ Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA
• August 24 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
• August 25 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA
• August 27 - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre - Chula Vista, CA
• August 28 - Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA

With the exception of the festivals (Lollapalooza, All Points West, Outside Lands), pre-sale for the above dates will begin April 9 with general on-sale following April 12.

Support for the headline dates will be Grizzly Bear August 3-15 and Liars August 19-28 (as well as the first run of U.S. dates in May).

Bite Me – The Movie is making its theatrical debut this week at Emagine Novi. The film is a horror comedy with three big factors: the 80’s, office work and vampires.

The main character, A.C. pretends to be ‘cool’ at work, but is really a big ‘geek’. His cover is in danger of being blown (insert obvious innuendo joke here) during a weekend corporate retreat. A.C. has brought his best friend, Nick, on the retreat with him. Nick becomes a vampire. A.C. must try to hide his geekdom and the whole vampire thing from his coworkers which gets extremely hard to do with Nick turning many into vampires.

Bite Me promises to be hilariously entertaining. It plays on the 80’s being an era that was overly image conscious yet can boast some of the most hideous fashion choices ever made. It captures how the dynamic of office work tends to necessitate hiding your true self. That hiding of one’s true self nicely complements the vampire factor. Plus, vampires are always a good time.

The film was shot entirely in Michigan from December 2007 to February 2008. Locations include Downtown Detroit, Canton, Novi, Livonia, Farmington Hills and Roseville. Shooting took place over 13 days.

Show times are this Thursday, April 10 at 730pm and 10pm and Friday, April 11 at 1120pm. Along with the film’s debut will be a trailer and a short film. The trailer is for Day of The Dead 2: Super Zombies, a Keith Samland film. The short is Sock Puppet Zombies Attack by none other than…me. Then stick around after the film for Q & A. You may also meet many of the cast and crew of the film. Mr. Samland is also slated to be present at one or more of the screenings. I will be present at Friday’s show time.

Nine Inch Nails 2008 touring lineup has been completed. Returning member Robin Finck and new addition Rich Fownes will join Trent Reznor, Alessandro Cortini and Josh Freese for a world tour beginning July in North America.

Finck has served in numerous touring configurations of NIN, from tours supporting The Downward Spiral (1994-1997) to The Fragile (2000-2001). More recently, he played in Guns N Roses. Fownes has been performing with UNKLE, and has been a member of With Scissors and The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster.

The upcoming tour will feature the live debut of material from the recently released Ghosts I-IV alongside songs spanning the entire NIN catalogue.

Confirmed dates thus far for NIN's 2008 world tour are listed below. Additional dates and on-sales will be announced shortly.

• 07/25/08 - Pemberton, BC - Pemberton Festival
• 07/26/08 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena at Seattle Center
• 07/28/08 - Edmonton, ALB - Rexall Place
• 07/29/08 - Calgary, ALB - Pengrowth Saddledome
• 07/31/08 - Winnipeg, MAN - MTS Centre
• 08/02/08 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
• 08/05/08 - Toronto, ONT - Air Canada Centre
• 08/07/08 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
• 08/08/08 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
• 08/12/08 - Knoxville, TN - Knoxville Civic Coliseum
• 08/13/08 - Duluth, GA - Gwinnett Arena
• 08/15/08 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
• 08/16/08 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
• 08/18/08 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
• 08/20/08 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
• 08/22/08 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
• 08/23/08 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills

The band, formed in 2003, has quietly gained a cult following with their debut release on Relapse Records, with the 11-track record delivering a sludge metal sound that sounds full of doomy-Sabbath esque metal, but giving it a modern send up. The album also delves into moments of prog-rock and draws comparisons to bands like Isis in some moments.

Lead singer John Baizley not only handles the bands vocals, but also creates the band’s intricate cover art. When Baizley isn’t with the band, he is a graphic designer and has created covers for various rock acts, including the MCB spotlight band Darkest Hour.

After keeping a low profile throughout much of the latter part of 2007, the band has embarked on a tour with metal acts Converge and Genghis Tron. The current tour will wrap on April 20^th, but will hit Reggies in Chicago tonight. Once the band is done with this leg, they hop on the road with Coheed & Cambria for some shows in May before heading to Europe. For complete tour dates check www.yourbaroness.com.

The Rocket Summer @ St. Andrew's Hall - The Texas emo band is out touring endlessly behind their Do You Feel album. Just to show how talented he is, one man band Bryce Avary plays all instruments during his set. Emo up and comers All Time Low and Forever the Sickest Kids open up the show. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com

SATURDAY

Nada Surf @ St. Andrew's Hall - Ok, ok, “Popular” is one of those songs that really annoyed you over a decade ago, but the band has continued to create far less annoying music over the years. Their latest release, Lucky, was released back in February and continues to be a critical darling. And yeah, you might hear that old song too. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com

Eels @ Majestic Theatre - The Evening with the Eels promises to be over a 2 hour event into the world of Eels’ mastermind Mark Oliver Everett, or just “E” to his fans. The band recently released a greatest hits record in February, entitled Essential Eels Vol. 1. Tickets are $25 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com.

SUNDAY

Airbourne @ Small's - If you are into straight up rock in the vein of AC/DC, you need to buy this band's debut album Runnin’ Wild. Seriously, buy it. The Australian band lists guess who as one of their influences and if it seems like they are trying to put out an AC/DC record for the band. The 11 songs on the album are absolutely a trip back in time to when music was simply structured and more fun to listen to. Something tells us that these guys ain’t gonna be playing places like Small’s for very long. Tickets are $10 and are available at www.smallsbardetroit.com

Anti-Nowhere League @ Magic Stick - One of the oldest punk bands, the British group are out promoting their 2006 Pig Iron album. In case you need a quicker taste of the band’s raunchy lyrics, check out the Metallica cover of their song “So What.” It wont take long to see what we are talking about. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com.

Spoon @ Emerald Theater -The long time indie band has gotten a new lease of life in the past few years, thanks to more exposure and two decent sized singles, "The Underdog" and "Dont You Evah." After a bad deal with Elektra earlier this decade, the band has found a home with Merge Records, the home of the Arcade Fire.  The band continues to tour behind their Ga Ga Ga Ga album from '06. The Walkmen and White Rabbits open up. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com

AM: With the album’s release date looming, how does it feel to have an album that is not in limbo?

BL: It’s a wonderful feeling. I didn’t really think much about the last record cycle until recently. The cycle behind Rest In The Flames was an experience that there’s not much emotion behind the release and turnout of that album. The whole release process has been very encouraging this time around and it’s a new experience and really good so far.

AM: How does the new album compare sonically and lyrically to previous records?

BL: I think it’s a clichéd answer, but it’s better I think. I would like to think we’ve done something different this record. I think there are elements of each record in there; but there are definitely a mix of the moody and melodic moments of A Snow Capped Romance parts on it.

AM: What were some things you were trying to avoid with this album?

BL: We’re always afraid that we are going to repeat ourselves, so we always try and avoid that. But I think with every album, we try to create something honest and not fill it with too many messages. I guess on this record, I figured not too many people talk about peace and love these guys. I know it sounds kinda like a hippie, but that’s just the way I am. We touched on the war a little bit in a few songs, but that was the only thing that was different than usual.

AM: You guys have played Harpos and the Machine Shop a bunch? Any memories that stick out?

BL: If anything sticks out, it was the first time we played Harpos years ago. We had just come down from Alaska and being from there, we’ve hadn’t seen too many neighborhoods like this. For a band that from come from that part of the country, we didn’t know what we got ourselves into, but it turned out fine.

AM: You guys are part of the Mayhem tour this summer. Anybody you’re looking forward to seeing?

BL: I am a huge Machine Head fan and I am looking forward to seeing those guys. They’ve always been great when we toured with them. I’m kinda bummed about Sevendust dropping off the tour, because I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long time and was looking forward to being on tour with them.

AM: Since your band is named after a Jackie Chan movie, what’s your favorite one?

BL: I think it would be Rumble in The Bronx, it was the first one to be kinda big in the U.S.. Also, Drunken Master and Fists of Fury are really good too. It's funny, but I think the 36 Crazyfists movie is probably the most ridiculous Jackie Chan, but maybe that’s why it stuck with me and the band.

36 Crazyfists are on the road with Devildriver and Napalm Death. They hit Harpos on Friday, April 4th and the Machine Shop in Flint on Saturday, April 5th. Additional dates can be found at www.36crazyfists.com.