Christian Zavisca

Daniel Johnston's new album

Alt-rocker Daniel Johnston is set to release his first recording in six years. A free download of the song "Freedom" is available here. He's also a cartoonist; Johnston's Web site features some interesting pieces.

Slant Magazine interviewed the documentarians Jeff Feuerzeig and Henry Rosenthal, who describe their sometimes bizarre interactions with Johnston while producing "The Devil and Daniel Johnston." Johnston lives with bipolar disorder.

Thanks to my Twitter friend @quartjar for alerting me to the new album.

I'm watching the Watchmen

I've watched the "Watchmen" movie a couple of times and still can't decide if I like it or not. I'm a fan of the book, and perhaps that's a bad thing when it comes to evaluating the movie.

Zack Snyder's film is great to look at, and the opening sequence, set to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin,'" is a particular triumph. But the movie as a whole felt leaden and humorless to me. Snyder is mostly faithful to the graphic novel, but his glossy, slo-mo-and-fast-forward "Matrix"-style touch might not be the right approach for this material.

I'm thinking that "Watchmen" belongs on a shelf with the second "Star Wars" trilogy as movies that are visually arresting but ultimately lacking in the soul department.