Audio Bijou is WIDR's own movie news, reviews, and music show.
True to 89.1's unique vision of music variety, Audio Bijou brings you music that ordinarily isn't heard anywhere else- that from movie soundtracks.
Music is an integral part of virtually every film, and there are new albums released every week. Audio Bijou brings you the best of them. Our musical selections range from compositions by new and innovative composers, the greats like John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein and others, and singles either specifically recorded for the movies or those which a film scene has forever altered in perception. There's a new theme every week. Always different. Always unique. Always interesting.
In addition to music, Audio Bijou also brings you the best in film commentary. From our analysis of the weekly box office results, to our weekly preview of the latest new releases and DVD's, to our insightful reviews, the talk is lively, intelligent, and entertaining.
There's also our weekly trivia question to test what you know or find out something new, the latest movie news, and information on upcoming releases.
Audio Bijou airs weekly at 7:00 pm Tuesday nights on 89.1 fm WIDR.
Audio Bijou brings you music that ordinarily isn't heard anywhere else
Movie soundtracks are as varied as movies themselves, and straddle every genre of music. Movies can generate and inspire pop music, or force a classic to be listened to in an entirely new context. Movie scoring attracts the best from classical contemporary, avant gaurde and popular music from all over the world. Everyone from Danny Elfman to Eddie Vedder, from John Williams to Phillip Glass bring their unique voices to film composition. On the Audio Bijou, we sort through the latest releases to bring you the best new music and revisit classics to re-examine the broad history of eight decades of film scoring.
Trivia is fun! And every week we bring you a new and challenging question. How many people has Rambo killed? What famous director cameoed in a Star Trek movie? Which one of their regulars has starred in the most Coen Brothers movies? Can you tell the difference between Isla Fisher and Amy Adams? Find out with our weekly Screen Test Trivia Question!
Insightful reviews, talk that is lively, intelligent, and entertaining
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we're on the radio, so our sense of entitlement is backed up by a broadcast tower and an FCC license. Plus we like to think of our 2 cents as being fairly informed and insightful. We bring a variety of backgrounds to our point of view, including degrees in film production, the visual arts, and creative writing. We're bonafied!
Director John Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr create a the perfect antidote to Spider-Man 3- a entertaining, intelligent comic book movie that hits all the right notes, in large part thanks to Downey's mature, funny, and self depricating turnm as billionare industrialist turned supoerhero Tony Stark. No teen angst, silly dance sequences or crying jags, just good solid fun.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Judd Apatow's entourage of collaborator's creates another in their string of gross out romantic comedies that have included The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad. Sarah Marshall may be better than any of them. Funny, tender and genuine, it perfectly captures the break up experience in a way that treats everyone involved as a fully rounded character rather than the bad guy. Plus it's hillarious.
Speed Racer
Veering between cheesy stupidity and cheesy fun, Speed Racer bombards its audience with enough candy coated whiz bang acceleration to finally force you into surrendering to your inner eight year old. The Wachowskis have created a unique aesthetic for their anime adaptation, which works when pushing forward their story of one race car driver against corporate corruption in a series of unique cross cuts and montages, and is less successful when showing the actual races.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The second installment is no better than the first, despite being darker and more action oriented. Even when it's fun, it's hard to get over the flat characterizations of the four chilkdren and the fact that the movie has school kids hacking and slashing in mideival combat. Nonetheless, it does have Dinklage.
Redbelt
Writer/ director David Mamet's story of a MMA teacher besieged on all sides by circumstance and conspiracy is well made and well performed with an engaging, inspiring story. The fight is the perfect metaphor for the instructer's other struggles, and shows that in fighting or life there is always an escape for the honorable man who fights the good fight.
Five Thumbs Up:this movie is so good the rest of your life will be a let down.
Four Thumbs Up:stop whatever you're doing and go see this movie.
Three Thumbs Up:worth two hours of your life
Two Thumbs Up:it's a rental. maybe.
One Thumb Up:if it's 2a.m. it's on cable and you're still up it might be better than an infomercial.
Zero Thumbs Up:or two thumbs up- right into your eye sockets to gouge them out so you never have to see this horrible dreck
Box office results, new releases, DVD's, and more
Every Tuesday new DVD's are released, the official box office tallies are posted, and we tell you all about it. We also scan the horizon of Hollywood for the latest news about new productions, technological development, and the business of show. Not gossip and scandal- news and analysis. Plus special reports, like Why You Shouldn't Base Your Term Paper on A Movie, The Movie was Better than the Book- Or Was It?, Comic-con: Not Just for Nerds, and more. Insightful, entertaining, and informative.
Our Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular comes to a close with our review of Crystal Skull.
Old shows don't die, they just fade away. Or get deleted from our server. Click the links below to check them out before they go to that big pile of old radio shows in the sky.
Zack Page-Wood is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in visual art as well as Grand Valley State University with certification in art education. He is both an educator and a freelance artist. He worked on the documentary film Swarm & Destroy, contributing to animations, title sequences, and creating the films promotional materials. He has been with WIDR since 2002 and acts as producer for Audio Bijou.
Jaakan Page-Wood is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in telecommuniactions and film. When there he was the founder and head of the MSU Film Club and worked on a number of student films as well as studying film in Edinburgh and London. He currently works as a director for WWMT Channel 3 as well as producing DVDs. He served as director and editor of the documentary Swarm & Destroy. He has been with WIDR since 2002.
Ben Stap is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in English. While there he worked on several student plays. After living and working in Chicago for a few years he has returned to Kalamazoo. He is the newest member of the Audio Bijou crew, joining the show in 2005.
