COOL DRY PLACE
‘Sopranos’ deserves stellar send-off
By PETE BLAND of the Tribune’s staff
I came to "The Sopranos" late in the game, always somewhat skeptical of the seemingly ridiculous praise it received in its first couple of seasons on the air.

GAME OVER
Life’s too short to endure bad sequels
By PAUL DZIUBA
It’s being called the summer of sequels. "Spider-Man 3", "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" and "Live Free or Die Hard" are just a few of the films that are tacking on another entry to successful franchises this summer. However, for gamers such a release schedule would not cause the lifting of an eyebrow.

HOLLYWOOD HEADLINERS
By LIZ SMITH Tribune Media Service
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail," Abraham Maslow said.

Syracuse professor remains pop culture’s popular voice
By JOCELYN NOVECK of The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Last week was pretty slow in the world of pop culture news. But reporters sought out Robert Thompson just the same.

Music

Southern rock’s Maserati shifts into top gear with pure sounds
By MARY T. NGUYEN of the Tribune’s staff
A Maserati is an expensive car. It has both sport and luxury appeal. It exudes an aura both classy and tough, like the guy at the martini bar who orders a brewsky.

Bright twilight
Regardless of your student status, most Columbians eagerly anticipate the arrival of summer, whether it’s for the gorgeous weather or the increase in parking availability. No matter what you like about summer, summer doesn’t feel quite official until the city invites its residents to celebrate its arrival with the Twilight Festivals celebrated every Thursday in June and September.

Moving music
Next to dinosaurs (T. Rex, Mastodon) and food (Cake, Korn), cars might be next most common band namesakes. It works for Maserati and did work for bands such as The Cadillacs, the Valiants and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The Beatles don’t count. The trend emerged in the 1950 and ’60s with the boom of rock ’n’ roll. Some attribute the fad to starting bands naming themselves after cars they wish they could afford or drive. Here are some of the most notable, in make, model and music.

TicPick - BIG CANOE FUNDRAISER

New Releases

Film

Heroic, rough WWII story puts love ahead of nihilism
By SCOTT A. MAY
Nearly 20 years in the making, "Black Book" is an epic World War II drama that has become the highest-grossing Dutch film in history. The movie also effectively resurrects the faltering career of filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, which is reason enough to celebrate.

Belly laughs
Everything you’ve heard is true: "Knocked Up" is even more riotously and consistently hilarious than its predecessor, Judd Apatow’s hit "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," with even greater heart.

Nothing formal
There’s been a slew of animated penguin films, but "Surf’s Up" is so different from its predecessors, it’s hard not to be charmed.

New on DVD

Movie Guide

Calendars

Weekend Calendar

BEST BET
Seldom-seen paintings by Bingham on display

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