The Strip: News and notes for guys

THINGS I WISH MY KIDS WOULD ASK ME

Editor's note: Barry Courter has a 21-year-old son who is a junior in college and a 16-year-old daughter.

Q: Dad, the landlord is being a jerk and I know it's because I'm a college student. What should I do?

A: You might be right. I'd suspect that many landlords, through years of experience, have a prejudice towards young tenants. Be honest. Be up front and be nice. If the toilet leaks, call immediately and nicely explain the situation before the floor rots away. If you broke it, admit it. She will suspect you did anyway. Once you've established a pattern of honestly and working with her, things will get better.

VIRAL VIDEO: BETTY WHITE

Thanks to the Internet, we're getting a little taste of what Betty White's first hosting gig of "Saturday Night Live" might be like. NBC introduced a promo with the legendary comedian during Gabourey Sidibe's episode over the weekend. (Find it by searching "Betty White SNL" at Hulu.com) In it, ts reports that she is dating a younger man. White will host the May 8 "SNL" with musical guest Jay-Z -- maybe they will rap together -- and guests Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch. With that group around, White's debut should be better than Sidibe's. -- Curt Wagner

SCREEN SCENE

NOW SHOWING: "A NIghtmare on Elm Street"

One of the most iconic horror franchises of all time gets the remake treatment courtesy of Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes company, the same folks that previously brought us updated versions of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Friday the 13th." Jackie Earlie Haley dons the porkpie hat and razor-ship fingernails previously worn by Robert Englund, who portrayed boogeyman Freddy Krueger for three decades. The plot is simple: a group of interchangeable teen actors are visited by Freddy in their dreams and die horrible deaths. Let's face it, the movie will only surprise us if they somehow managed to score a cameo from Johnny Depp, who headl984 original. -- Ethan Alter

-- McClatchy Newspapers

POP PICKS

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Gogol Bordello, "Trans-Continental Hustle" (CD)

It's impossible to take your eyes off Ukrainian-born Eugene Hutz, the wild, shirtless, mustachioed ball of sweaty charisma who arrived in the US in 1991. Hutz's strangled voice spits out garbled English as he prowls the stage, assaults his acoustic guitar, leans menacingly over the audience, spins in circles on one foot, and bangs on fire buckets. Violinist Ryabtzev is the Kenickie to Hutz's Danny Zuko. He's an elegant mover, all silver beard and jaunty beret and tasteful footwear, and his streaking violin provides the rocket fuel in these songs' arrangements. Indeed, a Gogol Bordello show is part concert, part manic cabaret -- a wild blend of "Les Miserables," Bad Brains, "Stomp!" and the craziest Russian wedding ever. -- Steve Leftridge

WATCH: The Secret in Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos) (DVD)

This film lingers on themes of police corruption, grief, the often astjustice of the justice system, and love lost. Hitchcockian tension, a breathtaking chase, and ambiguous victims and villains seamlessly coexist alongside existential musing on how to handle what life throws at you and, ultimately, what makes it worth living in the first place. The bright ending, which feels tacked-on, also reinforces the story's strongest message of not dwelling on what has already happened. -- Tricia Olszewski

-- PopMatters.com

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