Band o' the Week
Cow-punk-roots-rock band the Cheatin' Kind is hitting the House of Brews this weekend. Normally, this is the kind of event we list in our utterly comprehensive Calendar and forget about it. But we feel obligated to bring them more attention for one big reason: They wrote a song about the Double Down Saloon. (They were even scheduled to perform there earlier this month but they didn't have the puke insurance.) Granted, they call it the Double Down Bar & Grill, but that's no reason to banish them from our hearts. Plus, at least one member wears a corset, and we love them corsets!
Shopping
The Forum Shops new expansion officially opens with events Thursday through Saturday. That's one day of celebration for every 58,333 square feet of new retail space considered to be the most successful in the country. Naturally, there are more numbers to go along with the opening:
650,200 feet of wire and cable
130,500 feet of conduit
65,000 square feet of imported marble
15,000 square feet of tromp l'oeil painting
10,500 cubic yards of concrete
2,000-plus gallons of paint
102 Caesars in history
50 new stores (with room for 10 more)
1 chimera
0 cool talking, moving statues
Arnie for President ... and Lunch
According to a survey of more than 5,000 singles conducted by It's Just Lunch!, both George Bush and John Kerry are dogs. With 80 percent of respondents saying that physical attractiveness aids in getting into the White House, 19 percent said Bush was a hottie and only 5 percent could say the same for Kerry. But 34 percent were all over Gov. Arnold for the Oval Office.
It probably doesn't hurt that 49 percent of those polled vote Republican, 39 percent Democrat and 19 percent independent. Yes, we know it adds up to 107 but maybe the indecision is why some of these folks are single. If you think you can sway one of them to your side of the political fence, call (702) 436-4600.
DVDs
Ed Wood (R) (4 stars)
$29.99
Edward D. Wood Jr. helped define "cult classic." His magnum opus, Plan 9 From Outer Space, featuring a post-humous appearance by Bela Lugosi, was so ineptly constructed that it received the inaugural Golden Turkey Award as Worst Movie of All Time. Today, the same could be said for any one of a dozen pictures inspired by characters on Saturday Night Live. In this delightfully offbeat bio-pic, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp not only made sense of his bizarre career but demonstrate how even the shlockiest of movies can possess redeeming value. Image Entertainment also has unleashed its The Ed Wood Box ($39.99), including Glen or Glenda, Jail Bait, Bride of the Monster, Night of the Ghouls, The Haunted World of Ed Wood and Plan 9.
Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection (NR) (3 stars)
$26.99
Like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, cartoon critters Tom and Jerry never got no respect, especially from purists who favor the animated antics of Looney Tune and Disney. But since 1940, audiences have delighted in the MGM duo's long-running game of cat-and-mouse. This two-disc set includes 40 re-mastered cartoons, commentary and scenes from live-action collaborations with Gene Kelly and Esther Williams.
Van Helsing (PG-13) (2 stars)
$29.98
It's too bad for the makers of Van Helsing that Universal is releasing its special-effects-laden thriller at the same time as compilations of its The Mummy, Creature From the Black Lagoon and Invisible Man series. As easy on the eyes as Kate Beckinsale and Hugh Jackman are, they're no match for Stephen Sommers' blitzkrieg of over-the-top CGI action.