THIS is a CLOSE-UP?

It's called the Cherry Blossom 14, bright and shining and new, snug atop a hill in the greater metropolitan western Traverse City area. Heck, it even has the first IMAX screen north of the tree line, so that the biggest of the gleaming Hollywood baubles (like Star Wars: The Blitz of the Marketing Mouse ) can dazzle and delight like they do in th' big city. And while I'm happy as hell to not drive three hours for a major IMAX flick anymore, let's take a moment to pay respects to what we've lost in the process, for as one theater opens, two theaters roll the credits for the final time. Granted, not many tears will be shed for the loss of the Carmike Horizon 10 and the Carmike Grand Traverse 9 -- they were shabby and staid, behind the times on concessions and seating -- but anytime you move from 19 screens to 14 screens (actually, 13 screens and one IMAX), you're going to lose some programming diversity, especially given the current theater programmer's procl...

Everyone loves year-end lists. Piecemeal and subjective as they may be, it's always a quick and easy route to jog the memory for moments of pleasure and empathy. Back in the record store days, it was a time that I looked forward to most of all, so let's continue with the tradition here in my little corner of the blogosphere, such as it is. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear From the hairiest ersatz lothario this side of 1975, Josh Tillman's delightful creation lists between cynical takes and hopeful stabs with verve and swagger and just a slice of I-can't-even exasperation. One of the best adult love albums of this or any year. FFS – FFS It’s always nice when expectations are exceeded, and this amalgam of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks was greater than the simple sum of parts at almost every turn. In fact, there are times when the hybrid vigor is such that the songs take flight to a new and uncharted land that is FFS alone. Artful hooks, witty tur...