More a visceral excercise in disorientation than a plot-driven action thriller, Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy combines the psychology of color with the subtlties of revenge tragedy to achieve a remarkably dense filmic experience. Jagged, expressionistic set designs and frenetic cinematography evoke the paranoia of Park’s psychically tortured protagonist Oh Dae-su, channeling the spirits of Terry Gilliam and David Cronenberg. Suffering in the film’s opening sequences a meaningless incarceration of fiteen years, Oh is released into an unstable freedom in which he seems to be aided by strangers in his quest for revenge against his nameless captors.

As Oh, Choi Min-Sik carries this character study with all the requisite depth; the audience’s interest is fixed on this aged yet youthful face as the former family-man encounters bewilderment, rage, shame, and redemption. Oh’s complexity emanates from the ironic contrast between lust and familial piety, a tension which sustains his will for vengeance. The film suggests the moral vacuity of film noir until its final act, when, cleverly, its true nature as an archetypal morality tale is revealed as Oh’s fragilely pieced-together reality disintegrates.

More off-putting than off-beat, certain sequences involving the carpenter’s approach to dentistry or seafood are only the starkest moments in a film which challenges its audience’s ability to comprehend what it is seeing (and stomach it, too). Even though the convoluted structure and shot compositions are appropriate to Park’s artistic aims, the film is frequently perplexing and at times purely abstruse. If, however, the viewer invests enough into Oldboy, the elemental impact of the climax and epilogue is more than rewarding.

Island/UME will be releasing an expanded version of DJ Shadow’s 1996 release Endtroducing…. Scheduled for release on June 7th, the deluxe release will include a bonus disc including a live track, previously unreleased demos, and alternate versions of singles.

DJ Shadow recently produced the track “Over You” on the Lyrics Born album Same !@#$, Different Day released this month. Shadow has indicated on his website that he hopes to release a new album of his own material by the end of 2005.

*DJ Shadow: www.djshadow.com

New York art/folk/performance group Dufus will be returning to the UK in May. Led by Seth Quankmeyer Faergolzia, the group is still celebrating the release of its latest album Ball of Design released on ROIR late last year. Joining Dufus on tour is Rough Trade artist Jeffrey Lewis.

UK Tour Dates
05.05: Brighton @ The Freebutt
05.06: Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms
05.07: Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club
05.08: Birmingham @ Jug of Ale
05.09: Manchester @ Jabezclegg
05.10: Newcastle @ St. Joseph’s Centre
05.11: Hull @ the Adelphi
05.12: Oxford @ the Cellar
05.13: Lancaster @ Feedback @ Korners Bar
05.14: Leicester @ Pride of Liecester
05.15: London @ Windmill, Brixton
05.16: London @ Bush Hall

*Dufus: www.dufus.tv
*Jeffrey Lewis: www.thejeffreylewissite.com

Weezer is giving fans in select cities a chance to hear their new album Make Believe before it is released on May 10th. Select music stores across the US will be playing the 12-track album from beginning to end and offering chances to win tickets to upcoming concerts.

04.26 (6-8pm): Seattle, WA @ Sonic Boom (206-297-BOOM)
04.27 (7pm): Norridge, IL @ Rolling Stones (708-456-0861)
04.29 (1pm): Boston, MA @ Virgin Megastore (617-896-0950)
04.30 (3pm): Minneapolis, MN @ Down in the Valley (763-544-0033)
04.30 (1pm): Utica, MI @ Rock-A-Billy’s (586-731-0188)
05.04 (7pm): Fords, NJ @ Vintage Vinyl (732-225-7717)
05.07 (7pm): Philadelphia, PA @ Spaceboy Music (215-925-3032)

Tour Dates
04.26: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
04.27: Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater
04.29: San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theater
04.30: Indio, CA @ Coachella
05.03: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
05.04: Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
05.05: Detroit, MI @ State Theater
05.06: Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
05.08: Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom
05.10: Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05.11: New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
05.12: New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
05.14: Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle

Make Believe Tracklist
01. Beverly Hills
02. Perfect Situation
03. This Is Such A Pity
04. Hold Me
05. Peace
06. We Are All On Drugs
07. The Damage In Your Heart
08. Pardon Me
09. My Best Friend
10. The Other Way
11. Freak Me Out
12. Haunt You Every Day

*Weezer: www.weezer.com

Chicago group Troubled Hubble are scheduled to release their Lookout! Records debut on May 17, 2005. Making Beds In a Burning House‘s thirteen tracks were produced by former Dismemberment Plan guitarist Jason Caddell continue the band’s light, energetic style. The band has just come off a March tour, but has a few shows scheduled for April and May including a CD release show on May 16th.

Making Beds In a Burning House Tracklist
01. 14,000 Things To Be Happy About
02. Bees
03. I’m Pretty Sure I Can See Molecules
04. Safe & Sound
05. To Be Alive And Alone
06. Ear Nose & Throat
07. Ear Nose & Throat Pt II
08. Even Marathon Runners Need To Nap
09. Floribraska
10. The Do That Build The House
11. Get Lost
12. Jackpot Stampede Deluxe
13. Nancy (Bonus Track)

Shows
04.21: Dallas, TX @ Trees w/ Ok Go
04.22: Austin, TX @ Flamingo Cantina w/ Magnet School, The Lord Henry, Black Tie Dynasty, The Scattered
04.23: Lubbock, TX @ Space 1110
04.29: Champaign, IL @ Cowboy Monkey w/ The Ending, I:scintilla, Nadafinga
04.30: Bloomington, IL @ BBC w/ Park, Felix Culpa, Inspector Owl
05.16: Batavia, IL @ Kiss the Sky Records (CD Release Show)
05.18: Minneapolis, MN @ The Ascot Room w/ Robbers on Highstreet
05.19: Milwaukee, WI @ Mad Planet
05.20: Columbus, OH @ Little Brothers w/ Robbers on Highstreet
05.21: Dekalb, IL @ The House

*Troubled Hubble: www.troubledhubble.com
*Lookout! Records: www.lookoutrecords.com