Reviews

Whitehouse – Bird Seed

Whitehouse now comprise just William Bennett and Philip Best, but the title track of what may be their finest record is a harrowing 15-minute cut-up of voices talking emotionally about child abuse, rape and murder with discreet accompaniment, assembled in Chicago by outgoing third member Peter Sotos and guest producer Steve Albini.

Meanwhile Back In Communist Russia – My Elixir: My Poison

Second time around for intense Oxfordshire post-rock quartet

Faith No More – This Is It: The Best Of…

Excellent retrospective from demented one-time stadium rockers

Will Sergeant – Weird As Fish

Bunnymen guitarist's experimental 1978 demo

The Recruit

DIRECTED BY Roger Donaldson STARRING Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan Opens March 28, Cert 12A, 114 mins When Colin Farrell signs up as a trainee CIA operative in Roger Donaldson's slick spy caper, he has more to deal with than weapons instruction, role-play exercises and psychological evaluation. He also has to cope with shameless grandstanding from Al Pacino giving another of those shouty, screen-hogging, over-the-top performances that have now become his trademark.

The Vikings

Enduringly popular epic, directed with vigorous panache by Richard Fleischer. Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis are terrific as the feuding half-brothers, sons of hugely-bearded Viking warlord Ernest Borgnine, and there's an admirable amount of rowdy quaffing, hearty pillaging and general mayhem.

Spy Kids 2—The Island Of Lost Dreams

The sequel to Robert Rodriguez's maniacally good Spy Kids, with budding-Bonds Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara up against a rival team of adolescent agents and the monsters of mad scientist Steve Buscemi's fantasy island. Suggesting a Ray Harryhausen movie invaded by the screwball surrealism of a Looney Tunes cartoon, it ups the first film's formula of candy-coloured cool stuff for kids and in-jokes for grown-ups. Quite fantastic.

Dark Side Of The Loons

Glam's loveable Black Country bovver boyz expose the grim realities of the rock'n'roll lifestyle

Hot Hot Heat – Make Up The Breakdown

This month's New Strokes. Disappointing

The Cardigans – Long Gone Before Daylight

Follow-up to MTV-friendly Gran Turismo
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