Chicago 10 Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture) takes history to Toontown as he chronicles the antiwar protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Instead of talking heads and '60s tunes, his rousing documentary merges archival footage with mo-cap, all set to Rage Against the Machine and other angry bands. — Jennifer Hillner
C7 Films
Darkon It's easy to dismiss lines like "I always kind of felt like I was born out of time" as pathetic raisons d'être from delusional WoW adherents. But by the end of this intriguing doc about live-action role-playing culture (complete with a chest-thumping Braveheart-style combat scene), you're elated there's a niche for those who like to party like it's 1099. — Daniel Dumas
Derek and Simon: The Show Former Mr. Show star Bob Odenkirk's latest SuperDeluxe dotcomedy trails two LA archetypes — stonerish cad, geeky romantic — struggling to accomplish, well, anything. It's more short-form faux vérité filled with long pauses, awkward squirms, and Michael Cera-style deadpan. — Eva Kokopeli
Hot Chip Made in the Dark Since its 2006 breakout album The Warning, this Casio-pounding UK quintet has been perfecting its electro-funk by remixing everyone from Amy Winehouse to the Gorillaz. Their third LP builds on that rump-shaking rep, with a few slow jams to woo your valentine. — Steven Leckart
Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel Bradford Cox, lead singer of the defunct rock band Deerhunter, went solo and discovered his long lost Aphex Twin. The result is lush, sophisticated electronica — too bad about the high-school-yearbook album title. — Nancy Miller
Goldfrapp Seventh Tree The British dance party duo with a penchant for glam rock drop the glitz for their fourth album, revealing a sensual sound better suited to lounge lizards than club kids. The crystalline vocals and soaring harmonies are still there, just not the bumpin' BPMs. — Jason Jurgens
Rock On Dan Kennedy McSweeney's contributor Dan Kennedy took a job at a big record label in New York so he could rock and roll. Instead, he found himself cross-promoting Jewel with the Lady Schick razor. The decline of the major labels has inspired plenty of rancor, but Kennedy uses it as the basis for a hilarious — and damning — insider's memoir about how the suits managed to scuttle the ship and pad their expense accounts. — Jeff Howe
How to Fossilize Your Hamster Mick O'Hare Forget graduate school. New Scientist editor Mick O'Hare outlines how you can eat and drink your way to scientific discovery — from measuring the speed of light with a chocolate bar and a microwave oven to extracting your own DNA sample with dishwashing soap and hard liquor. It's a funny and very adult twist on the classic baking-soda volcano projects of our childhood. — Miyoko Ohtake
