Josh Bell
Story Archive
-
TV
An existential failure: AMC’s new 'The Prisoner' lacks the original’s verve
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 The 1960s British TV series The Prisoner is hugely influential in the world of sci-fi and secret-agent TV shows and movies. How does AMC's new version stack up?
-
Music
So fun, too fast: Kelly Clarkson at The Joint
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 Does any pop star have more fun than Kelly Clarkson?
-
Christmas in November
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 Jeffrey K. Howard of Vegas Film Critic and KVBC Channel 3 joins Josh to talk about Robert Zemeckis’ new motion-capture take on A Christmas Carol.
-
Noise
Slipknot
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 The final performance on Slipknot’s latest tour, Halloween night at the Pearl, was as intense as would be expected.
-
Film
A Christmas Carol
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 Listen, Robert Zemeckis, I think we need to have a talk. Remember when you used to make those cool popcorn blockbusters full of real actors and cutting-edge special effects and lots of heart?
-
Film
The Fourth Kind
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 In 2000, Dr. Abigail Tyler uncovered supposed evidence of widespread alien abductions in Nome, Alaska. In 2009, the movie about Tyler is just another lame thriller.
-
This is it?
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 Greenspun Interactive Senior Editor John Katsilometes, author of The Kats Report blog, joins Josh to talk about the Michael Jackson memorial concert film This Is It.
-
Fangoria Trinity of Terrors Day 3: All about zombies
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009 Josh on George Romero's newest zombie fllm. Could it be his best since "Day of the Dead"?
-
Film
Intimate horror at the Blacklist Festival
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 Short horror films, beer and creepy art. What's not to like?
-
Film
A makeshift memorial for MJ
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 "This Is It" is an inadequate epitaph for the King of Pop.
-
Reviews
Trick 'r Treat
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 Trick ’r Treat deserves points for avoiding cheap thrills and excessive gore, but its limited old-school charms are not nearly as impressive as its inflated reputation suggests.
-
Entertainment
Horror heaven
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 In Vegas, Halloween often means slutty comments, but for those craving spooks, there's Fangoria.
-
Music
U2 showcases classic past, passable present
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 Do we really need stadium concerts anymore? Probably not, but if we have to endure them, then U2 is certainly the band for the job.
-
Dining
In defense of chain pizza
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 Josh Bell isn't a foodie, but he's willing to defend Papa John's.
-
Reviews
"A Serious Man" proves to be seriously impressive
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 The Coen brothers are in top form with newest flick, A Serious Man.
-
Music
Taking Dawn takes Vegas
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 Taking Dawn's throwback hard-rock act is clearly going places.
-
Music
Steel Panther
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 Steel Panther's Feel The Steel is so bad it isn't even funny.
-
television
Checking in on the fall’s new shows
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 For the most part, shows have garnered more buzz than ratings, and pilots that seemed encouraging have developed into series not nearly as entertaining.
-
Music
The Sounds bring big pop to a small venue
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009 Justin Timberlake might have been playing just across the casino, but Swedish retro-poppers The Sounds didn’t seem to have any trouble drawing a crowd to the House of Blues last night.
-
Music
Fountains of Wayne rocks the comps
Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 “Hello, guest list,” Fountains of Wayne frontman Chris Collingwood said by way of introduction as his band took the stage at Wasted Space last night.
-
Movies for (and about) brats
Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 Brian Black joins Josh to chat about Spike Jonze’s long-awaited adaptation of the classic children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, plus the weepy Clive Owen parenting drama The Boys Are Back.
-
Entertainment
Heavy metal, like clockwork
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 Thanks to the relative dearth of women in heavy music, Lacuna co-lead vocalist Cristina Scabbia has become the biggest sex symbol in metal, and the audience made its (perhaps slightly creepy) appreciation known.
-
Reviews
The Boys are Back
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 Minor conflicts arise, but The Boys Are Back is so uneventful that it often seems like we’re watching Joe parent in real time.
-
The worst movie of the year
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 Writer and critic Michael T. Toole joins Josh to tear apart Couples Retreat, the worst movie of 2009, plus the slightly less bad The Burning Plain and the overhyped but effective low-budget horror movie Paranormal Activity.
-
Screen
A short take on short films
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 With CineVegas out of the picture, we need events like the Las Vegas Latino Short Film Festival more than ever.
-
Music
Kiss
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 I know, it’s hard to believe, but Kiss’ latest collection of original material sticks successfully to the basics, essentially ignoring the last 25 years of musical history and just rocking out ’70s- and ’80s-style.
-
Reviews
Couples Retreat
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 Couples Retreat has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
-
Reviews
Paranormal Activity
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 Paranormal Activity is at heart another haunted-house movie, albeit one that takes the time to think about the true nature of haunting.
-
TV
ESPN’s 30 for 30 brings depth to unsung sports stories
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 30 for 30 proves that TV about sports can be artistic, thoughtful and moving.
-
Music
The Clydesdale
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 A little more of Overton, and a little less goofing off, would have made Clementine as rewarding an experience as The Clydesdale’s excellent live shows.
-
Music
Alice in Chains
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 Black Gives Way to Blue doesn’t sound much different from the two solo albums guitarist Jerry Cantrell released a few years back, continuing the Alice in Chains legacy of sludgy, sometimes catchy hard rock.
-
Music
Kylie Minogue's pop spectacle worth the (22-year) wait
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009 “Does anyone know roughly off the top of their head how long it’s taken me to get here?” Kylie Minogue asked the packed house at the Pearl Saturday night on the second stop of her first-ever North American tour. Yes, Kylie. Too long. Too damn long.
-
Zombies, roller skating and gymkata!
Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 Comedian and filmmaker Jason Harris) joins Josh to chat about zom-rom-com Zombieland and Drew Barrymore’s roller-derby movie Whip It, plus the forgotten classic gymnastics/karate movie Gymkata, part of Josh’s reader-submitted film festival.
-
Film
At the cinematic mercy of others
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 People often tell Weekly film critic Josh Bell that he's paying attention to the wrong movies, so he gave them a chance to pick what deserved coverage, whether that was an underrated favorite or a terrible movie selected for sheer torture value.
-
Film
Whip It
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut Whip It plays like one pictures a sleepover at Barrymore’s house might unfold.
-
Screen
Zombieland
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 Zombieland takes everything Shaun did cleverly—the meta-movie references, the love amidst the apocalypse, the forging of a makeshift family to combat unspeakable horrors—and amps it up with distracting, empty visuals and lazy, repetitive jokes.
-
A&E
Farewell, CineVegas
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 Even with CineVegas in limbo, its legacy will remain.
-
Music
Miranda Lambert
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 Miranda Lambert is still exploring all the facets of her craft, and she’s got plenty of ground left to cover.
-
Showing some local love
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 Las Vegas Weekly Managing Editor Ken Miller joins Josh to chat about local feature film Thor at the Bus Stop, plus existential comedy Cold Souls and Anna Wintour documentary The September Issue in theaters.
-
Entertainment
Journey to the center of sci-fi
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 Add 50 movie theater seats to a comic book and memorabilia store and you have the city's unlikeliest movie theater. Who wants to catch a showing of Blade Runner?
-
Entertainment
Cold Souls
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 Cold Souls owes a lot to Charlie Kaufman’s work, particularly Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but director Sophie Barthes’ film generally suffers by comparison.
-
Film
The September Issue
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 Legendary Vouge editor Anna Wintour inspired Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada, but The September Issue shows she isn't quite as cruel as the devil.
-
Music
Pearl Jam
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 Pearl Jam has nothing left to prove, and that can be liberating. After you’ve sold millions of albums and essentially defined an entire movement, you can afford to do whatever you feel like doing, even if that's going into dad-rock territory.