Frankie

** (out of four) Close the nominations. Contest over. The worst musical score of 2012 goes to “People Like Us,” which delivers such manipulative twinkle-twinkle-jangle-string-section compositions that even the few moments of this melodrama that would have felt authentic turn to corny mush. Cue the dramatic orchestration to express my discontent for composer A.R. Rahman (“Slumdog Millionaire”). On the plus side, the movie's two-star rating belongs almost exclusively to a four-star performance from Elizabeth Banks, breathing vibrant personality into a movie...

Strange things sometimes happen to me, and my mother recently reminded me of where this particular curse-blessing (a curse because they often suck, but a blessing because then I can write about them) may have originated. My mom is currently teaching a seminar on bathrooms. You did not read that wrong. My mom, a respected scholar in her field, is teaching a class on bathrooms at the liberal arts college where she works (I mean, how has this not been on “Hannity” yet?). I assume next semester, she'll lecture on Sour Patch Kids or wainscoting.

Zero stars (out of four) The examination of class in “Answers to Nothing” consists of Ryan (Dane Cook) briefly looking at a homeless person. The examination of race boils down to an African-American woman (Kali Hawk), who says she hates black people, deciding to look on the bright side. As for the discussion of infidelity, there isn't one. Ryan simply cheats on his wife Kate (Elizabeth Mitchell) - he's so sleazy he tells the romantic story of his grandparents' love while receiving oral sex from his mistress Tara (Aja Volkman)

** (out of four) Close the nominations. Contest over. The worst musical score of 2012 goes to “People Like Us,” which delivers such manipulative twinkle-twinkle-jangle-string-section compositions that even the few moments of this melodrama that would have felt authentic turn to corny mush. Cue the dramatic orchestration to express my discontent for composer A.R. Rahman (“Slumdog Millionaire”). On the plus side, the movie's two-star rating belongs almost exclusively to a four-star performance from Elizabeth Banks, breathing vibrant personality into a movie...

Strange things sometimes happen to me, and my mother recently reminded me of where this particular curse-blessing (a curse because they often suck, but a blessing because then I can write about them) may have originated. My mom is currently teaching a seminar on bathrooms. You did not read that wrong. My mom, a respected scholar in her field, is teaching a class on bathrooms at the liberal arts college where she works (I mean, how has this not been on “Hannity” yet?). I assume next semester, she'll lecture on Sour Patch Kids or wainscoting.

Even in small roles, Elizabeth Banks often has a major impact on her movies. Consider her memorable, unbridled scene in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” in which she teaches Steve Carell's character about the, uh, talents of a handheld showerhead, or the fact that the romantic trajectory of “Wet Hot American Summer” results largely from Banks' character tasting like a burger. “It's true,” the 38-year-old actress says with a laugh. “I think that Paul [Rudd]'s character just wanted a little side strange.” Now, of course, Banks takes up far more screen time,...

I attended high school in Chicago's upper-class Lincoln Park neighborhood, surrounded by brownstone mansions and designer boutiques. Though I was no stranger to the concept of violence-- we went through metal detectors and had police officers on staff at Lincoln Park High School--I never thought that one of my classmates, Frankie Valencia, would be brutally shot and killed by a gangbanger outside of a Halloween party. And I definitely couldn't have imagined that one of his best friends, Ricky Pike, another classmate of ours, would also be senselessly lost to gun...

When Joy McCormack's son was murdered after a Halloween party in 2009, she was lost: not only in trying to rationalize why this senseless act occurred, but also in the horrific aftermath of navigating everything from emergency rooms to courtrooms. "I looked in the phone book, I looked online, but I could find no resources to help me," McCormack said. "I was so outraged and so shocked. I thought, 'How could this be happening to me? What's going on? Why is no one helping me?' " McCormack's son--Francisco "Frankie" Valencia--was a...

You know how The Roots band leader Questlove kind of always seems to be in Chicago deejaying at a nightclub nearby? If you didn't previously think that these sets were not to be missed, i'm telling you: Don't miss a Questlove DJ set if you can help it. Headlining an all-star lineup of DJs at the live Turntable.fm showcase at SXSW on March 15--with A-Trak and Diplo--Questlove led a group of dance-hungry kiddos (like myself at the time, let's be...

Long time comic-book readers know that it can be pretty tough to come up with something new to say in the medium. On top of that, the market is glutted with superhero books, most notably from Marvel and DC Comics , which makes getting noticed on store shelves quite a challenge. So how does an independent comic book creator get their ideas noticed in today's market? Mark Millar would like to present his magazine CLiNT as the answer to that question. Published by Titan Magazines , CLiNT is comprised of comic...

Even in small roles, Elizabeth Banks often has a major impact on her movies. Consider her memorable, unbridled scene in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” in which she teaches Steve Carell's character about the, uh, talents of a handheld showerhead, or the fact that the romantic trajectory of “Wet Hot American Summer” results largely from Banks' character tasting like a burger. “It's true,” the 38-year-old actress says with a laugh. “I think that Paul [Rudd]'s character just wanted a little side strange.” Now, of course, Banks takes up far more screen time, showcasing killer...

Zero stars (out of four) The examination of class in “Answers to Nothing” consists of Ryan (Dane Cook) briefly looking at a homeless person. The examination of race boils down to an African-American woman (Kali Hawk), who says she hates black people, deciding to look on the bright side. As for the discussion of infidelity, there isn't one. Ryan simply cheats on his wife Kate (Elizabeth Mitchell) - he's so sleazy he tells the romantic story of his grandparents' love while receiving oral sex from his mistress Tara (Aja Volkman)

*** = Recommended shows On sale 10 a.m. Friday 311, Slightly Stoopid, The Aggrolites, Friday, Aug. 17 ($46, all ages) at Charter One Pavilion. American Idol Live!, Saturday, July 7 ($29.50-$65, all ages) at Allstate Arena. ***Straight No Chaser, Sunday, Dec. 9 ($29.50-$49.50, all ages) at Chicago Theatre. On sale noon Friday ***Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, Edison, Dark Time Sunshine, Saturday, July 28 ($19-$21, 18+) at Metro. Liars, Thursday, July 19 ($16, 18+)

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, the Pitchfork 2013 lineup is complete. Today the festival announced that artists including M.I.A., Solange, Lil B, Low, Yo La Tengo and Toro Y Moi would join previously announced acts like R. Kelly, Bjork, Belle and Sebastian and Joanna Newsom at this year's bash (July 19-21 at Union Park). The final batch of artists isn't quite as exciting as some of the previously announced artists (El-P, Killer Mike, Chairlift, Sky Ferreira, Tree), but Autre Ne Veut and Phosphorescent are particularly strong additions,...