Reviews

Glamour, guts and surrealism. Nino Rota, who died in '79, won Oscars for his haunting Godfather scores, but his greatest collaborations were with his compatriot Fellini. Films such as La Dolce Vita, 8½, Roma, Amarcord and La Strada were among the highlights of their three decades of artistic alliance. Few if any have merged imagery and music to such effect: you could argue that Fellini's idiosyncrasies were such that Rota's job was hardest of all. The Prague Philharmonic here whistle through his warm, sure work.

New kid from Walsall puts fresh leather on troubadour boot

The Zephyrs' desolate sound describes their war-torn history. First Scottish label Southpaw folded the same week it released their last album. Then a literal-minded rock revival forced their soporific sea shanties off the radar. Now signed to Setanta, things are looking up for the Edinburgh-based quintet who, with this third album, have created an unhurried portrait of emotional disquiet.

35 B-sides and rarities, with two unreleased tracks, on two CDs

Anthologising nearly-lost gems from Lora Logic's arty post-punk outfit

Canadian fuckwit becomes God. The end is nigh

Wes Craven directed this fairly faithful adaptation of DC's horror comic muck monster: a scientist caught in a chemical explosion in a Louisiana swamp gets transformed into a vegetable superbeing. Sadly, the script's clunky and the make-up SFX are tatty beyond belief—notably, the rubber suit that makes ol' Swampy look like a giant walking turd. Result; a travesty.

Reworked by Claude Chabrol after the death of screenwriter Henri-Georges Clouzot (The Wages Of Fear, Diabolique), L'Enfer sees poor François Cluzet suspect pretty wife Emmanuelle Béart of infidelity then gradually lose it as paranoia and doubt undermine his entire existence. Beautiful, but painful to watch.

The Rolling Stones recently cancelled what would have been their first ever visit to China. But Morcheeba made the trip earlier this year and their visit is commemorated on From Brixton to Beijing WARNER MUSIC VISION . Live footage, film of the band tobogganing down the Great Wall and a cameo appearance by Lambchop's Kurt Wagner contribute to an intelligently produced DVD that is several cuts above your average point-and-shoot tour diary.

Low-key return by former Spencer Davis Group and Traffic star