Reviews

Backstage access to al-Jazeera during the recent conflict in Iraq

After a timid first season, Smallville gets evil and horny—at least in a nice, family viewing kind of way. Young Clark Kent comes across red Kryptonite and turns moody; cue much pondering on whether he's been sent to Earth as saviour or destroyer. The love interest with Lana warms up, but in "Heat" Clark, like everyone, falls for a sexy new teacher. Educational.

Muddled straight-to-DVD sequel to the 2000 classic. As in part one, a class of schoolchildren are sent to an island to fight or die for the pleasure of their elders. But this time they're battling the survivors of the first film, who've formed a guerrilla army dedicated to overthrowing the sadistic adults responsible. After a promising start, it never recovers from the death of veteran director Kenji Fukasaku during the shoot.

Respectful, if bitty, retrospective, laying out the boogie man's career by linking archive performances with comments from the likes of Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt and Hooker himself. It could have done with more of the early years, and less of what Nick Cave once called "unfortunate guitar work from Carlos Santana."

Two-CD compilation of '80s coulda-beens

Indispensable double-disc compilation of Man In Black's Sun years

Elmer Bernstein's classic score to the 1960 western, perhaps the last hurrah of traditional, pre-graphic-violence heroism. The film tanked at first in the US before European plaudits prompted re-promotion, and the Oscar-nominated music wasn't officially released until as late as the '90s. The title theme's unmistakable, and the sleevenotes to this package reveal two cute ironies. That theme, licensed out, sold more cigarettes than any other tobacco ad. Second, Bernstein was outside a Barcelona café last year, sitting by one of those mechanical horses that kids ride. It played his tune.

Overblown epic by post-rock Coldplay

Ex-Blur man rediscovers Britpop roots

Startlingly different double-CD debut from precocious teen songsmith