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Style Magazine

Then & Now

Aug 31, 2012 03:47AM ● By Style

ALBUMS

THEN:

Soul ExplosionThe Daktaris

It looked and sounded like it came from Nigeria, and members implied they were part of a real-deal ‘70s afrobeat band. As it turned out, it was Nigeria by way of Brooklyn (The Daktaris disbanded soon after and members went on to form Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra). No harm no foul; the “fake” was laughed off, but the album still stands. There’s no denying the quality of this groovin’ afrobeat.

NOW:

AntibalasAntibalas Afrobeat Orchestra

These Brooklyn-based afrobeat maestros have been around since 1998, gaining the national spotlight in 2010 after providing music for the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Fela!. Antibalas is their first album in five years, and trust us when we say their jazz/funk/afro/cuban beats are delicious and infectious!


BOOKS

THEN:

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Before the smash hit Broadway musical, before Kristin Chenoweth brought Elphaba to life on stage, there was the novel. For fans of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked is a delight – to be able to revisit Oz “behind the scenes,” before Dorothy barged in and turned everything upside down. View Oz through the eyes of Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West, and ponder what it means to be “wicked.”

NOW:

Monster by Dave Zeltserman

Monster is a retelling of Frankenstein – from the monster’s point of view. Zeltserman, an award-winning up-and-comer in the horror world, remains faithful to the framework of the original Mary Shelley classic, but colors between the lines with shades of revenge and desperation that make for a gripping retelling of a classic favorite.


DVDs

THEN:

Independence Day

Better than Deep Impact (it won’t make you cry), Independence Day is the ultimate in ridiculously enjoyable Earth vs. alien movies. Not to mention, its cast includes Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Randy Quaid and stately everyman Bill Pullman. “We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!” says Pullman as President Whitmore. C’mon, it’s a classic.

NOW:

Battleship

Think naval Independence Day. Yes, it’s a very silly premise, and yes, it really does have direct tie-ins to the board game. But, amidst all of that is a fun, suspend-your-disbelief sci-fi movie. Plus, if you hold on for the climax, there’s a fantastic payoff for the “Hawaii under attack” scenario.

 

Flicks with StyleHotel Transylvania

A human invades a monster’s “human free” vacation area and falls in love with Dracula’s daughter in the newest 3D animated movie from Sony. In theaters September 28.

Justin Buettner

To read Justin Buettner’s thoughts on recent movie releases, Click Here.

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