Adam Goldberg could be considered the Woody Allen of his generation, having brought neuroses to the screen with greater comedic effect than most other modern actors.


He's expressed his angst-ridden need to dance in Dazed and Confused, made a failed relationship seem all too real in 2 Days in Paris and driven Chandler Bing nuts in a memorable run on Friends.


In the new indie film Untitled, Goldberg plays a classical musician whose postmodern, atonal compositions are far too abstract for most ears. Strangely, he seems to take comfort in the fact that no one understands him. His and other characters' stories work as a subtle parody of the New York art world.


We caught up with Goldberg -- who makes his own music in a project called LANDy -- on the phone from his LA home last week. Q&A after the jump.

Old 97's singer Rhett Miller will host a concert at the Granada Theater to raise money for cystic fibrosis research. The show takes place Nov. 14, and features sets by Miller, the O's and Shibboleth. Gordon Keith hosts.


Wanna go to the show? Be the first to e-mail hhauk (at) quickdfw.com with the subject line "Rhett" and we'll get a pair of tickets out to you. And if you don't make the cut today, come back Monday 'bout this time for another chance.


UPDATE: Tix gone. See you Monday!

What makes a masterpiece? How about great performances by Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, a slew of memorable quotes ("Would you like me to seduce you?" "Plastics!") and a wonderful Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack. Hard to believe the Mike Nichols-directed classic The Graduate came out 42 years ago. See it again at midnight (also Saturday at midnight). Inwood Theatre, 5458 W. Lovers Lane. $10. www.landmarktheaters.com.

Destroyer, a.k.a. Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Bejar, makes changes to his sound with every new group of collaborators that comes along. His latest releases are the '70s-rock influenced 2008 album Trouble in Dreams, and the 2009 EP Bay of Pigs, which had more of an electronic feel. Opening will be local rising stars Sarah Jaffe and RTB2. 7 p.m. Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. $12 and $15. granadatheater.com.

You'll remember Jamie Kennedy from his short-lived comedy show The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, the Scream movies, Three Kings and more recently from his stint alongside girlfriend Jennifer Love Hewitt in The Ghost Whisperer. Don't let those roles fool you, though -- Kennedy delivers hard-core adult laughs with an easygoing manner. 6:30 and 9 p.m. (also various times Saturday and Sunday). Addison Improv, 4980 Belt Line Road, Suite 250. $22. 972-404-8501. improv.com.

Deadmau5 performs at 8 p.m. House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. $20-$50. ticketmaster.com.

There's a new CD on the way from A Revolution of Kings, the Denton three-piece alt- rock band. In their band bio, the guys brag, "We like to rock and/or roll. We also might eat your babies." OK! With the Timeline Post, Exeter and Rivalmen. 9 p.m. Andy's, 122 N. Locust St., Denton. $5. 940-565-5400. myspace.com/andysbar.

Teenage Cool Kids' latest album, Foreign Lands, is one of the most satisfying local records of the year -- a little more than half an hour of lo-fi rock arrangements, infectious melodies and dreamy "oohs." Fans of headliner Health should arrive early. With Times New Viking and the Axemen. 8 p.m. The Lounge on Elm St., 2810 Elm St. $14-$18. paradeofflesh.com.

See Saturday and Sunday events, including Kevin Smith, David Cook and Snoop Dogg, after the jump.

Here's a weird bit of news. The folks at Eventful.com, which asked movie fans to "Demand It!" to bring Paranormal Activity to town, are giving fans another chance to be involved. Register your name here and your name will end up in the credits of the Paranormal DVD (which I will not be buying -- the movie was creepy enough in the theater, why would I watch it at home?!). Read the fine print before you give your name away -- the company can legally use it wherever and however they want to "in perpetuity," if they please. If you're dying to be tied to the Paranormal phenomenon forever, however, go for it.

And Amazon has two artists with Dallas ties in its top 100 albums of the year: St. Vincent's Actor at No. 40, and Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted at No. 72.

See more here.

Old 97's singer Rhett Miller will once again host a concert at the Granada Theater to raise money for cystic fibrosis research. The show takes place Nov. 14, and features sets by Miller, the O's and Shibboleth. Gordon Keith hosts.


Wanna go to the show? Be the first to e-mail hhauk (at) quickdfw.com with the subject line "Rhett" and we'll get a pair of tickets out to you. And if you don't make the cut today, come back tomorrow 'bout this time for another chance. G'Luck.


UPDATE: Today's pair gone. Check back tomorrow morning.

Fort Worth band the Orbans will play this KDGE-FM showcase immediately after finishing the sessions for a new full-length album. It's hard to say whether the guys will have any unreleased songs worked out for the stage, but at least they'll be warmed up, right? 8 p.m. Trees, 2709 Elm St. $5. 214-741-1122. treesdallas.com.

DJ Sober spins at Top Notch Thursdays upstairs at The Cavern, 1914 Greenville Ave. 10 p.m. Free. thecaverndallas.com.

Downstairs at The Cavern, check out American Mantra, Most, the Future Unlived and One Red Martian. Doors at 8 p.m. 1914 Greenville Ave. $6. thecaverndallas.com.

'80s Dance Night at Hailey's. Doors at 9 p.m. 122 Mulberry St., Denton. Free. haileysclub.com.

I visited the Cavern's second-floor lounge for some karaoke Tuesday night, which is a great place for singing and cheap drinks. Come to find out the Lower Greenville bar is expanding their karaoke night to Wednesday happy hour, with terrific drink specials, too. So before you sign up for that retro-tastic Toto song, grab a longneck or a well cocktail for $2.50. Unlike the Tuesday 10 p.m. karaoke, Wednesday night's gig begins at 7 p.m., which is much friendlier to worker bees who don't want to stay out too late.

Cavern, 1914 Greenville Ave. 214-828-1914

We first caught wind of New York singer-songwriter Mindy Smith back in 2003, when her cover of "Jolene" was the standout track on a Dolly Parton tribute album. She's continued to impress with her One Moment More and Long Island Shores albums. She's touring in support of her latest, Stupid Love. With Claire Small. 8 p.m. House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. $17. ticketmaster.com.

Hallucinatory Hump-Day with DeeJay CeePee at 10 p.m., upstairs at The Cavern, 1914 Greenville Ave. Free. thecaverndallas.com.

Dru Kaba and Sam Sameni host Old School Wednesday at Glo. 10 p.m. 2323 N. Henderson Ave. No cover. 214-824-2251. glo-lounge.com.

Break out your best yellow-and-black outfits, Stryper performs with Flight Patterns and Manic Drive at 8 p.m. at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. $30-$75. ticketmaster.com.

[event has been postponed due to illness, according to Stryper management]

DJ NoDad presents Decades at 10 p.m. Rubber Gloves, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton. Free. rubberglovesdentontx.com.

Singer Kyo's vocal range is the standout for the Japanese heavy metal band Dir En Grey. He goes from croon to full-on screech with surprising ease. 7 p.m. Trees, 2709 Elm St. $21.50. treesdallas.com.

Denton DJ Yeahdef presents his weekly '90s night. 10 p.m. Hailey's, 122 Mulberry St., Denton. $5 for under 21, no cover for over 21. 940-323-1160. haileysclub.com.

Disqo Disco at Fallout Lounge, hosted by Sydney Confirm DJs. 835 Exposition Drive. 10 p.m. myspace.com/disqodisco.

Futura Events presents Kenichi Tuesdays at Kenichi. $3 domestics, $4 hot sake, $5 wells and you-call-its and $150 bottles. With local DJs and go-go dancers. 10 p.m. 2400 Victory Park Lane. No cover for the downstairs bar, $5 for upstairs lounge. 214-871-8883. kenichidallas.com.

Rush Hour with Rudy Rush at the Addison Improv, 4980 Belt Line Road, Suite 250. 8 p.m. $20. improv.com.

New CDs in stores today: Carrie Underwood's Play On, Weezer's Raditude, Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits, Nirvana's Live at Reading. New DVDs: I Love You, Beth Cooper, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

[A bit to tide you over for the main course. See Ben & Skin's Hot Potato Salads column here.]

Bonus Topic: Turning into my dad

Ben: The other day I yelled and raised my fist at a car that drove down our street a little too fast. My dad would have been so proud. As further tribute, I plan on mowing our lawn in black socks and loafers until further notice. Man, we're getting old up in this piece. Almost too old to casually use "up in the piece" during conversation.

Skin: At least you're turning into someone who had it together. I'm turning into Jon from the soon-to-be-or-maybe-it-already-is defunct Jon and Kate Plus 8. I'm an irresponsible no-talent hack desperately seeking fame and attention. On Halloween, someone knocked on the door of the house we were at and asked if we were missing a little one. Just as I looked up from the live chat I was hosting at the site hey.hot.intern.I.bet.I.could.advance.your.career.com, I saw my kid running barefoot down the middle of the street. It was humiliating ... that I have yet to parlay my appearances in that Web chat into anything worth mentioning.

Ben: Interestingly, you sound nothing like the numerous oil paintings I've seen of your father. Based on your testimony here today, you appear to be turning into a male version of Britney Spears. Are you wearing leather pants right now? If so, how leather?

Skin: Fine Corinthian, Ben. Fine Corinthian. I must've bought a discount Bible, because the entire book of Corinthians is missing from mine. I find it odd that Khan had the exact same hair as Joe Avezzano. And as we all know, Spell Check hates Joe Avezzano.

There was what seemed to be a real trailer for this film floating on the Innanets for weeks. It was cool to get a peek at the wondrous world that director James Cameron had created for Avatar, but there wasn't much story line to be gleaned from it. At last, a true trailer has emerged and fills in the blanks of the old clip.

A distant planet holds a mother lode of a precious and pricey resource, but the only problem with mining it is that a native race lives on the land above it. Aussie actor Sam Worthington plays Jake, a soldier who takes the form of one of the natives in order to infiltrate it and, presumably, destroy it from within and allow the precious resource to be reached. Along the way, however, Jake-as-the-native falls for a female warrior and begins to have second thoughts about eliminating the natives.

The movie, to be released in IMAX 3D, has breathtaking CGI scenery and lush cinematography and special effects. I hope Cameron, who also wrote the movie, makes the natives compelling enough to root for, because otherwise I don't know that I'd be enraptured watching these aliens defend themselves and Jake fall for the lady native. After Titanic, however, I have no problem putting my trust in Cameron.


Release date: Dec. 18

Chance of box office success: Phenomenal. It is, after all, James Cameron's first foray into drama since Titanic. Although it will face stiff holiday competition from the also-debuting Nine, Rob Marshall's first musical since a mildly successful little film called Chicago. I still predict that Cameron's CGI-heavy adventure drama will prevail over Marshall's dancing divas.

Should you see it?: Chances are you will. Why not make an afternoon of it and see it with Nine?

Future-thinking Dallas rap duo Damaged Good$ sends out a link to its new single "Dopest/Flyest" today. Listen and download here. The song, a smooth-as-buttah love note featuring Johnny Moog, will be on the forthcoming free (!!!) album, $pread Luv Not Germ$. Think of the record as a progressive release, with a new song coming out each month to coincide with a local charity event hosted by Damaged Good$. A brilliant and generous move, especially since we're kicking off the holiday season.