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(11/29/06 10:45pm)
Anyone who swore off fast food after seeing "Super Size Me" two years ago is probably hooked on the stuff once again. Now it's up to "Fast Food Nation" to scare the crap out of us all over again.\nAuthor Eric Schlosser and director Richard Linklater ("School of Rock," "Dazed and Confused") have turned Schlosser's non-fiction book into a story line examining the social and health risks on a personal, smaller level by following several characters immersed in the fast food world. Greg Kinnear takes center stage as a marketing exec for Mickey's (the fictional McDonald's of the film), who heads out to Colorado to inspect the company's meat providers after he learns there's feces (yep, you've probably eaten poop-covered food at some time in your life) in the meat. Wilmer Valderrama (wait, since when can he actually act?) and Catalina Sandino Moreno play a married illegal immigrant couple who come to America to work in the slaughterhouse. The likeable Ashley Johnson is Amber, who works the register at Mickey's.\nLinklater wisely practices subtlety instead of turning the film into a whistle-blowing, take down the corporation kind of overblown production. However, this restraint often robs the film from the sharp bite its subject matter provokes. The understated approach thankfully also prevents some revulsion as the health problems are mostly discussed rather than shown. That is until the end when we are introduced to "the killing floor" of the meat plant. This scene will make you want to give up meat altogether, not just fast food. The cow heads are always positioned ever so slightly as to allow eye contact with the animal as the fall into the shredder.\nThe film doesn't offer any easy answers. Everyone pretty much accepts that they're stuck in their crappy situation, and the individual is screwed when facing big business. Not all hope is lost, though, as Ethan Hawke shows up as Amber's nonconformist uncle to preach the importance of self-sufficiency and slam corporate America.
(11/29/06 10:43pm)
When I first saw the trailer for the latest James Bond movie "Casino Royale," I was more than a little bit skeptical. The generic action scenes and Chris Cornell theme didn't exactly fill me with confidence.\nAnd Bond was blonde. I mean, they could blow $150 million on another Bond movie but somehow couldn't squeeze $10 into the budget for a bottle of black hair dye?\nBut just five minutes into "Casino Royale," all my doubts evaporated. Daniel Craig is now the definitive James Bond, a calculated spy and general smooth operator both at the card table and in the bedroom.\nThe plot revolves around a multi-million dollar poker showdown between Bond and terrorist banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a mathematical genius who cries blood. In typical fashion, there are enough twists, turns and betrayals to keep things interesting to the end.\nUnlike past portrayal's of the iconic character, Craig's Bond isn't very cocky; in fact, he comes off as a little cold, which fits in with the much darker tone of the film. \nLongtime fans will be shocked by the sheer brutality used to torture Bond later in the film, a far cry from the ornate and slightly goofy shark and laser-engineered death traps featured in past films in the series.\nLe Chiffre even remarks about how ridiculous such devices are, just one of the many smart allusions in the script to past flicks.\nIf I have one complaint, it's that this new, darker Bond almost takes itself too seriously. I don't think anyone wants to see return to some of the campier Bond movies of the '70s and '80s, but would it have killed the filmmakers to add a scene for John Cleese's gadget-making Q character seen in the past couple movies?\nIt's a small complaint for such a tightly written story, however, and hopefully something which will be rectified in the inevitable sequels featuring Craig (who has signed on to star for at least two more sequels).\n"Casino Royale" is easily the best James Bond movie since 1995's "Goldeneye" and one of the best-- period-- in the four-decade old series. But on top of that, it's just an all-around great film that just about any action fan should be able to watch and enjoy.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
When I first saw the trailer for the latest James Bond movie "Casino Royale," I was more than a little bit skeptical. The generic action scenes and Chris Cornell theme didn't exactly fill me with confidence.\nAnd Bond was blonde. I mean, they could blow $150 million on another Bond movie but somehow couldn't squeeze $10 into the budget for a bottle of black hair dye?\nBut just five minutes into "Casino Royale," all my doubts evaporated. Daniel Craig is now the definitive James Bond, a calculated spy and general smooth operator both at the card table and in the bedroom.\nThe plot revolves around a multi-million dollar poker showdown between Bond and terrorist banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a mathematical genius who cries blood. In typical fashion, there are enough twists, turns and betrayals to keep things interesting to the end.\nUnlike past portrayal's of the iconic character, Craig's Bond isn't very cocky; in fact, he comes off as a little cold, which fits in with the much darker tone of the film. \nLongtime fans will be shocked by the sheer brutality used to torture Bond later in the film, a far cry from the ornate and slightly goofy shark and laser-engineered death traps featured in past films in the series.\nLe Chiffre even remarks about how ridiculous such devices are, just one of the many smart allusions in the script to past flicks.\nIf I have one complaint, it's that this new, darker Bond almost takes itself too seriously. I don't think anyone wants to see return to some of the campier Bond movies of the '70s and '80s, but would it have killed the filmmakers to add a scene for John Cleese's gadget-making Q character seen in the past couple movies?\nIt's a small complaint for such a tightly written story, however, and hopefully something which will be rectified in the inevitable sequels featuring Craig (who has signed on to star for at least two more sequels).\n"Casino Royale" is easily the best James Bond movie since 1995's "Goldeneye" and one of the best-- period-- in the four-decade old series. But on top of that, it's just an all-around great film that just about any action fan should be able to watch and enjoy.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
Anyone who swore off fast food after seeing "Super Size Me" two years ago is probably hooked on the stuff once again. Now it's up to "Fast Food Nation" to scare the crap out of us all over again.\nAuthor Eric Schlosser and director Richard Linklater ("School of Rock," "Dazed and Confused") have turned Schlosser's non-fiction book into a story line examining the social and health risks on a personal, smaller level by following several characters immersed in the fast food world. Greg Kinnear takes center stage as a marketing exec for Mickey's (the fictional McDonald's of the film), who heads out to Colorado to inspect the company's meat providers after he learns there's feces (yep, you've probably eaten poop-covered food at some time in your life) in the meat. Wilmer Valderrama (wait, since when can he actually act?) and Catalina Sandino Moreno play a married illegal immigrant couple who come to America to work in the slaughterhouse. The likeable Ashley Johnson is Amber, who works the register at Mickey's.\nLinklater wisely practices subtlety instead of turning the film into a whistle-blowing, take down the corporation kind of overblown production. However, this restraint often robs the film from the sharp bite its subject matter provokes. The understated approach thankfully also prevents some revulsion as the health problems are mostly discussed rather than shown. That is until the end when we are introduced to "the killing floor" of the meat plant. This scene will make you want to give up meat altogether, not just fast food. The cow heads are always positioned ever so slightly as to allow eye contact with the animal as the fall into the shredder.\nThe film doesn't offer any easy answers. Everyone pretty much accepts that they're stuck in their crappy situation, and the individual is screwed when facing big business. Not all hope is lost, though, as Ethan Hawke shows up as Amber's nonconformist uncle to preach the importance of self-sufficiency and slam corporate America.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
I won't lie. I'm a sucker for anything cute. Once a critter's eye-size-to-face ratio reaches a certain point, I'll follow it anywhere, giggling contentedly as I go. I'm like a Catholic schoolgirl.\nOr I was, until I saw "Happy Feet." Do not be taken in by the lies, my friends. Do not be swept away by the singing and the dancing and the pretty penguins, or even by the Robin Williams, for the sad truth of the matter is that this movie has little going for it besides fancy computer animation and bouncy, flightless waterfowl.\nThe premise of the film is pretty simple: Unlike all of the other emperor penguins in the entire colony, young Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) is born without the ability to sing and is instead cursed with the inability to keep his tapping feet still and quiet. He is told he will never fit in with the rest of the colony, as their entire civilization is based on finding one's own "heart song" and singing it out. He'll never know the joy of romance, as the penguins mate through music. At one point, he's even banished from the group.\nI was hopeful in the beginning. I found myself feeling quite sorry for poor Mumble, and I was optimistic enough to believe that the movie would carry some real meaning. But the "happy feet" lose their rhythm partway through the film, when the storyline veers violently off course and becomes some sermon on happy-feely environmentalism. Yuck.\nThe problem is that the movie loses its focus. Other big animated films this year have managed to concentrate on a few key themes. Disney/Pixar's "Cars" was mostly about slowing down to enjoy the important things in life. Sony's "Monster House" focused on the fear of the unknown realm of adulthood. Even Dreamworks' flop "Flushed Away" stuck pretty stubbornly to a theme of cheap animation.\nWhen halfway through "Happy Feet" Mumble sets off on a quest to stop the humans from ravaging the Antarctic food chain, I lost interest. The movie stopped being about Mumble and his struggle to find acceptance, and I stopped caring. The film's great soundtrack faded into the background, there were too few dance sequences after that point, and we become disconnected from nearly all of the characters. What a shame.\nIf I wanted some suit to waddle around and squawk at me about how my wasteful habits are destroying our ecosystem, I would have rented "An Inconvenient Truth." I wanted the singing, dancing penguins to say something meaningful and personal to me, and I was thoroughly disappointed.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
Jay-Z is the Michael Jordan of rap.\nAfter a long reign on top, Michael Jordan retired, tried his hand at playing baseball and being an executive and returned, slightly shamed and not quite as skilled to the game. After Def-Jam's crushing failure with Rick Ross' ill-conceived "Port of Miami," Jay-Z, the self-proclaimed MJ of rap, was forced out of retirement and Kingdom Come is his slightly shamed, not-quite-cutting-it attempt to breathe life into his talent-starved record label. \nKingdom Come is almost completely about an aging Jay-Z's insanely large bank account. Jay-Z also talks a bit about other rappers' lack of skill (compared, of course, with his stellar rap abilities), weed and women, including a stripper who will always have a special place in his heart, but for the most part, it's all about having more money than God. Juxtaposed with rap's humble beginnings as party music in the projects of New York City, Jay-Z's approach will sit well with Republicans everywhere.\nAn entire generation of yuppies will be glad to hear "30 Something," Jay-Z's ode to being nearly 40. In this song, Jay-Z, now 37, claims 30 as the new 20, boasts about his good credit, being able to buy his favorite basketball team and nightspot, and being young and hip enough to know what clothes, cars and watches are cool, but old enough to manage his money.\nEven more ridiculous than "30 Something" is the pairing of "I Made It" and "Anything." "I Made It" reminisces about his rise from young boy freestyling over a cheap boombox to rap icon. The hook pays tribute to his mother, who encouraged him all the way. The next song "Anything," is about getting nasty with a stripper. Mom must feel great! \nIn his defense, Jay-Z's flow is more polished than ever, his beats are worlds above those on The Black Album, and lyrical content aside, Kingdom Come is a pretty solid album. The complete package is pretty mature, but it's clear that Jay-Z has lost touch with his roots. If this were his freshman or sophomore effort, it would be a very impressive display of great promise, but for a seasoned veteran with 10 albums under his belt, Kingdom Come is as pathetic as MJ's batting skills.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
Like many music fans, I was curious to check out Damien Rice's debut, O, back in 2003, having heard some good things about it. After giving Rice a chance and understanding what type of music he is attempting to create, I liked what I was hearing. \nSo it was an automatic decision to pick up his latest effort, 9, when it was released. Upon the first listen, I found myself slightly surprised at how effectively he stayed true to his "sound," while continuing to impress my ears. Rice uses back-up vocalist Lisa Hannigan to perfection on the first track, "9 Crimes," also the album's first single. On "Elephant," he titles a previously untitled track that had been played live for a few years. By analogizing love, death and loss, Rice once again proves he's one of the hottest new songwriters out today. \nHe even finds a way to bring the subject of yoga to the forefront on "Dogs," the album's fifth track, "She lives with an orange tree/The girl that does yoga." Cellist Vyvienne Long adds a fulfilling wall of sound on "The Animals Were Gone." Rice continually laments what may be a recent break-up or hardship, or perhaps it's all fiction. On 9, it doesn't seem to matter because he does it so well that you have to believe him. \nRice's lyrics bleed sincerity. They seep into your heart and force you to hear what they are saying. Only great lyrics jump out of the speakers with such force, and truly great writers who can create them are rare. When one such rare songwriter compounds his prose with an exotic lineup of talented musicians, words like masterpiece and perfection find themselves in the discussion. \nI can't possibly recommend this album more strongly. It will not leave any listener disappointed, unless you were looking for the latest Ryan Cabrera-style artist.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
Perhaps it's due to the extensive marketing for their (supposedly disappointing) compilation, Stop The Clocks, but with every listen to ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's So Divided, I can't help but think of Oasis. It's not that the two sound similar per se. Rather, with So Divided, Trail Of Dead seem to have taken Oasis' road to success (for better or worse): forget originality, artistic merit or profound lyrics; just crank out visceral, well-crafted, satisfying rock that the listeners will like. Thus, before purchasing So Divided, you should consider where you fall in this dichotomy (don't worry -- there's no right answer).\nThe consensus among critics is that, stung by the poor reception of 2005's ambitious Worlds Apart, Trail Of Dead decided to craft something more crowd-pleasing. And, indeed, So Divided is. For one thing, non-song tracks are kept to a minimum (these are the mostly-crowd-noise introduction and "Segue: In The Dreams of the Unreal" which, like Radiohead's "Fitter Happier," is doomed to be deleted from one's playlist after the second listen). For another, propulsive drums, hooky riffs and fist-pumping choruses abound. "Stand In Silence," "Wasted State of Mind," "So Divided" and the Shins-esque "Eight Day Hell" simply demand stadiums full of head-banging, chanting fans.\nHowever, the flip-side is a lingering sense of déjà vu -- one is continually left asking "where have I heard this before?" It's not that Trail of Dead apes anyone specifically (no one that sprung to my mind, anyway), but that the songwriting employs such shop-worn elements. The blues riff in "Naked Sun" is so old, it was probably on Moses' desert-crossing mix-tape. And "Cold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory" is an amalgamation of acoustic guitar/piano rock-ballad clichés. Worst, in as much as the lyrics have any meaning, it's standard whining about the hardships of touring.\nBut, then again, avant-garde noise-rock is much harder to sing along to...
(11/29/06 5:00am)
"An Inconvenient Truth" is one of the scariest films ever made. That said, it's not a slasher movie... it's a documentary.\nThe film takes the viewer through former Vice President Al Gore's slide show on the effects of global warming on Earth. The slide show is inter-spliced with different montages of events in Gore's life that led him to become so adamant about this issue. He also provides examples of his time at college, and a certain professor that introduced the concept of global warming to him, which led to his lifetime commitment to it. He says in the film that he's probably shown slide shows regarding global warming "at least a thousand times."\nGore shows glaciers, mountains, Antarctica and Greenland. He shows the audience what these places used to look like, what they look like now and how they will be if we don't stop releasing the amount of carbon that we produce into the atmosphere. \nOne of the strongest points that Gore makes in his slide show is the affect of global warming upon typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes. He uses Hurricane Katrina to relay the message that a warmer ocean creates a stronger and more powerful hurricane and if we do nothing, these storms will only worsen and create more havoc. \nGore and the director do a fantastic job of showing just how prevalent global warming is to the world. One of the funnier lines that Gore states in the movie is that, "Maybe there are other, bigger issues to worry about besides terrorism." \nThe only weak part of the film is a sense that some of it is "cheesy." During the different montages, the director put in (what felt like) a hundred shots of Gore working away at his slide show on his trendy Mac laptop. These scenes of Gore industriously working added nothing.\nThis film will have a powerful and lasting affect on anyone who takes just an hour and a half out of their day to watch it. It may not be an ideal date movie, but it's certainly one that everyone needs to see.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
I've always found "Octopus' Garden" to be a pretty average song. I mean, as far as Abbey Road goes. Then I heard the version on Love. Slowed down and mashed up with "Good Night," all of a sudden, Ringo sounds majestic. And perfect. It's moments like this and the seamless transition from Rubber Soul classics "Drive My Car" to "What You're Doing" to "The Word," all in one track that make this the most important Beatles release in over 30 years.\nLove is the perfect word for this compilation album. George Martin -- "the fifth Beatle" -- has done it again. It's not a best-of Beatles love songs collection or a re-hash of old songs like the Beatles 1 album. It's a mash-up, similar to what Danger Mouse tried to do when he created the Gray Album, which combined Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album, only ... this one is good. Really good. And who better to take on the imposing task of messing with the master tapes of all-time classic Beatles songs than Martin, with help from his son Giles? \nFor the first couple of listens through, anyone with a passing Beatles knowledge will have fun picking out the individual drum parts, guitar riffs and vocals. But Love is not a novelty album. It's the perfect cure for fans that haven't put on a Beatles album in years because they have listened to them too much (if that's possible). Not one track is the same as how it was when originally released. Created for a Cirque du Soleil performance, I can't wait to see how the show matches up with the album, but unlike the new Tenacious D soundtrack, this album stands alone quite well. And it will likely stand the test of time as it only gets better with each additional listen. \nStarting with a haunting bare vocal version of "Because," the album has 26 tracks, but has nearly double that thanks to the many flourishes of parts of songs mixed in here and there. While some songs go nearly untouched, others are beautifully strewn together mixes. On first listen, the one that stood out is a combination of the sitar in "Within You, Without You" with the vocals of "Tomorrow Never Knows" before segueing into the full "Within You, Without You." Martin makes the whole process feel effortless. \nWhen IU Beatles professor Glenn Gass told my class that he used to have past classes create their own White Album by turning the two-disc classic into one unstoppable force of an album, I thought I'd give it a try. Before I drown in your E-mails saying it's sacrilegious to mess with the album, I want to say that at Thanksgiving I gave thanks for every minute of the White Album. OK, maybe not Yoko's input on "Revolution 9" or her voice on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." I'm not even trying to create a definitive version. Everyone has their own favorites. As Paul once said, "Come on, It's the Beatles White Album." But let's see if I can't create something interesting here -- in the spirit of Martin's beautiful Love.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
The streets were quiet, the parking lots were empty and there was hardly a soul in sight at Kirkwood and Indiana avenues. It was early evening the day before Thanksgiving.\nInside the Kirkwood Observatory, IU Astronomy department chairperson Catherine Pilachowski and graduate student Christian Johnson adjusted the 12-inch telescope. Twelve inches refers to the diameter of the telescope that won't be available to the eyes of the public again until spring break 2007.\nThe Kirkwood Observatory will be closed for the winter, but that does not necessarily mean you are cut off from the heavens for the rest of the season. The skies are always open, and if you know what tools to use and where to go, you can enjoy the universe all winter long.\nWith the Observatory closed, you might need to find your own viewing apparatus.\n"Pro astronomers use telescopes with mirrors that are three and a half meters in diameter," Pilachowski says. "A typical telescope for personal use is four to eight inches."\nPilachowski uses a 3.5-meter telescope at the WIYN observatory in Arizona for her research. WIYN stands for and is funded by Wisconsin, Indiana and Yale universities and the National Observatory of America.\nBut for amateur stargazers who do not have access to a three-and-a-half meter telescope, there is a more practical means to enhance their stargazing experience.\n"Binoculars are best for simple sky use," Pilachowski says.\nBinoculars are able to intensify the light that is collected by our pupils, which can only open about half a centimeter, Pilachowski says. Just like binoculars, telescopes collect light and allow us to see hundreds of stars that are too faint to be seen by the naked eye.\nBloomington resident Aleisha Kropf and her six-year-old daughter came with friends to enjoy use of the telescope at the Kirkwood Observatory on its last night of the year. Kropf says her daughter enjoys learning about the stars and planets.\n"I like to follow her interests," Kropf says.\nAnd sometimes Kropf has to leave Bloomington to follow her daughter's interests.\n"We usually go out of the city to stargaze," she adds.\nKropf says she goes north of campus to Griffy Lake to stargaze, but even there, the city lights can inhibit her experience. To really escape the city lights, Kropf will go to the campgrounds at Hardin Ridge, which is near Lake Monroe.\nPilachowski agrees that people would have to get away from the downtown lights if they want to enjoy the night sky. As the light from stars larger than our own sun shoots through space, it is often drowned out before it ever reaches human eyes because of the artificial light from ever-expanding urban centers. People are becoming much less connected with the night sky, Pilachowski says.\n"(They) should take time out to look; it's full of amazing things," Pilachowski says.\nGriffy Lake can be a fairly dark place for those stargazers who reside within the Bloomington city limits, she says. She also says that some of Bloomington's city parks such as Bryan and Southeast are good places to explore the night sky.\n"I've never been to Karst," Pilachowski says, referring to Bloomington's west side park. "My guess is Lowe's and those other stores are pretty bright, but it might be good."\nBut having good tools or a good location won't help if you don't know what you're looking at. To keep track of what to watch for in the sky, magazines and Web sites can be helpful. Pilachowski suggests Sky and Telescope magazine, Astronomy magazine and Night Sky as good resources for amateur stargazers. Web sites like nightskyinfo.com and weatherunderground.com produce nightly sky charts. Star charts show what the sky looks like in the four different seasons, and Johnson says they are also a good resource for amateur stargazers.\nAnother way to learn more about stargazing is to attend a "star party" put on by an astronomy club. Star parties are usually held in state parks, and the members of the astronomy club that are sponsoring the party bring out their telescopes and knowledge to share with anyone who is interested, Johnson says. He has attended such parties before.\n"I was surprised at the numbers," Johnson says, referring the amount of people who came to share their interest in stars.\nTwo nearby astronomy clubs are the Stone Belt Stargazers in Bedford and the Indiana Astronomical Society in Indianapolis. Pilachowski says both groups are eager for new members who want to become familiar with what's out in the night sky.\nBut sometimes even the time of year can be against a stargazer. As seasons change, so does the show in the night sky. Kropf says that she and her daughter went stargazing quite a bit last fall, but the season can make stargazing difficult. Binoculars are generally great for looking at the planets, but not at this time of year, Pilachowski says.\n"Right now the only planets we can see with the naked eye are only up during the daytime because they're near the sun," Pilachowski says.\nBut she says more planets will gradually become visible again next spring. Mars will be visible in the mornings.\nUntil then, stargazers can enjoy Orion's Belt, which can be found by looking to the south in the early morning. As winter sets in, Orion will become an evening constellation. Pilachowski says that those who can find it should use a pair of binoculars to look at the middle star in the sword.\n"The middle star of the sword is not a star at all; it's a nebula," Pilachowski says.\nAccording to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Web site, a nebula is a cloud of dust particles and gases in space. The term nebula comes from the Latin word for cloud.\nAfter aiming the telescope for guests at the Kirkwood Observatory toward a few more star attractions such as the red giant Enif and the globular cluster M15, Pilachowski and Johnson closed things up for the night and for the winter. They'll have to wait it out till spring for the ultimate light show experience.
(11/29/06 5:00am)
Comedian Michael Richards said Sunday he did not consider himself a racist, and that he was "shattered" by the comments he made to two young black men during a tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club.\nRichards appeared on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep Hope Alive," as part of a series of apologies for the incident. He said he knew his comments hurt the black community, and hoped to meet with the two men.\nHe told Jackson that he had not used the language before.\n"That's why I'm shattered by it. The way this came through me was like a freight train. After it was over, when I went to look for them, they had gone. And I've tried to meet them, to talk to them, to get some healing," he said.\nRichards, who played Jerry Seinfeld's wacky neighbor Kramer on the TV sitcom "Seinfeld," was performing at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory last week when he lashed out at hecklers with a string of racial obscenities and profane language. A cell phone video camera captured the outburst, and the incident later appeared on TMZ.com.\nRichards told Jackson the tirade was fueled by anger, not bigotry. He said he wanted to hurt those who had hurt him.\n"I was in a place of humiliation," he said.\nRichards' publicist, Howard Rubenstein, said Saturday that Richards has begun psychiatric counseling in Los Angeles to learn how to manage his anger.\n"He acknowledged that his statements were harmful and opened a terrible racial wound in our nation," Rubenstein said. "He pledges never ever to say anything like that again. He's quite remorseful."\nJackson, who has called Richards' words "hateful," "sick," and "deep-seated," said the comedian's inclusion on the show was a chance for a broader discussion about "cultural isolation" in the entertainment industry.\nRichards noted that the racial epithet he used is frequent in the entertainment industry--- and acknowledged that it could have consequences.\n"I fear that young whites will think it's cool to go around and use that word because they see very cool people in the show business using that word so freely," he said. "Perhaps that's what came through in that ... the vernacular is so accessible."
(11/29/06 5:00am)
A few years ago, publicizing a concert meant posting a million fliers to telephone poles, getting ads in local newspapers and telling your friends to come via word of mouth.\nToday, it also means posting MySpace with messages, getting videos on YouTube and spreading the word via E-mail mailing lists.\nTelecommunications professor Mark Deuze is thrilled about this shift in advertising, and he wants his students to see its potential for innovative marketing strategies.\nThat's why his Telecommunications P451 class, (Topical Seminar in Media & Society) Creative Industries, a class about the changing media culture, has been working on a project all semester in which groups of students have been assigned the publicity of six local bands. \nThe project will culminate tomorrow, when these bands will meet at Rhino's Youth Center & All-Ages Music Club and compete in a show called "Rockshow Snowdown." The band that brings in the most people will get access to a recording studio in Bloomington.\n"In essence, it's like a 'Battle of the Bands' concert," Deuze says. "However, the student part of this is that they take on the PR duties. Every band gets assigned a team of three to four students, and they come up with creative ways to promote the band and Rhino's."\nDeuze came up with the idea for his class to do the project while attending a meeting for a service learning fellowship, which happened to be held at Rhino's on that particular day. \nRhino's is a youth club whose goal is to provide a place for youth in the Bloomington community ages 13 to 18 to come after school and engage in programs through which they can learn about and produce video, journalism, radio and mural arts, according to its Web site. On the weekends, the center functions as an all-ages concert venue, where the youth learn how to bring in bands and put on shows.\n"It reminded me of the places I used to hang out (at) as a kid," Deuze says.\nAt the meeting, Deuze met Brad Wilhelm, the director of Rhino's, and decided he wanted to do something to support the local music community and support it by doing something fun at the same time.\nThe cover charge for the event is $6, and proceeds go to Rhino's.\n"This project has generated a lot of interest, but it's generated a lot of interest from the local music industry, which is really cool. The people at Rhino's are excited about supporting us, and the bands are too."\nWilhelm says he is hoping that the project will raise money for Rhino's but also is glad that the event is providing the chance to develop a relationship between Rhino's and IU students. \nHe also hopes that it will show the bands some tools to promote themselves.\nWilhelm says, "Showing up not only helps support a really cool youth program, it also helps out the bands as well."\nIn using his class to help Rhino's, Deuze is also providing invaluable experience for his students in learning how to utilize the new marketing tools available.\n"Students do very different things with their media than my generation or their parents' generation," Deuze says. "They're more in control, less likely to go out and buy things than buy things online."\nNot only has this new generation switched from paper to computer, he says, it has also allowed for more niche markets.\n"Everybody can start a MySpace page, and there's a lot of stories of small bands making it big these days," he writes in an e-mail. "The idea of 'creative industries' is a new way of looking at media companies suggesting that the days of predictable superstars like Prince or Madonna are over."\nDeuze says students also get practice working with the bands and getting hands-on experience with PR. The students have been the ones to come up with the ideas of creating Facebook profiles for the event, MySpace profiles for the bands and putting videos up on YouTube.\nBut the groups have concocted a lot of original ideas outside of the expected networking sites as well.\nThe band Trio In Stereo's team is a media-savvy bunch: Two of their members are heavily involved at WIUX, and one is involved at IUSTV.\nTheir work with IU's radio and television stations has allowed them to get their band on "local priority" (where they are played at least once an hour) and put their band on the IUSTV show "Amp'd." \nTrio In Stereo team member and WIUX dee-jay Jon Coombs says his team will also be giving away tickets to the show later in the week on the radio.\n"We want to try to keep it fresh in people's minds," says Coombs.\nKate Bohn, a team member for Busman's Holiday, says her group has been mixing traditional forms of advertising with more innovative ones.\n"We made fliers, we also sent out a street team," she says. "We're getting t-shirts made, a CD in the line-up for WIUX, passing out things like pens."\nCody Burgess, a member of the metal/hardcore band Sentinel, says his PR team has also been advertising with handbills around local high schools, but they have been trying to make the most use out of electronic media. \nIn addition to MySpace and student radio play, they also have a Facebook group.\nBroken Stone publicity teammate Lyndsey Hall says her group has been putting fliers on cars at high schools and putting sample CDs in shops around Bloomington.\nShe says, "This way, if the people like the music they will see the flyer and know where they can come see the band.\nHaris Mohammad, a team member for Forever In Effigy, has a more eclectic idea.\n"Two to three days before the show starts, I'm going to dress up as something really strange," he says. "That will get more attention than fliers."\nWhile wearing his strange outfit, he plans to mill around places like downtown and in parking lots, places where he knows students will come.\nHolly Renshaw, a team member for The Romance, says her team's advertising strategies are based on the age of the audience they think will want to see their band.\n"We're really targeting the younger audience," she says. "Online marketing, recruiting fans, putting up fliers around high schools, having people tell more people."\nThe ultimate goal of everyone involved in "Rock Show Snowdown" is that as many people as possible come and have a good time.\n"Overall," says Renshaw, "I just want people to show up at the concert"
(11/16/06 5:00am)
Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe's second project together has none of the same energy or vitality of their last project, "Gladiator," and the pair's upcoming "American Gangster" looks to pack serious heat. For now, though, we have a relatively lighthearted melodrama in "A Good Year," a movie with a concept worthy of a Lifetime Original, but with a unique performance by Crowe that nearly transcends the simple, standard formula.\nThe plot, based on the novel by Peter Mayle, finds Russell Crowe's Max Skinner, a profit-driven British stockbroker, inheriting an expansive vineyard in France from his late uncle (a typically moving Albert Finney). Max is your average power player; obsessed with money and in disregard of the simple, nuanced things in life for favor of the hard bottom line. You might think you know where this is going, and you'd be right. After inheriting the vineyard, where he spent much of his youth, he becomes slowly enamored with life's simpler pleasures, and quaint life lessons are learned as Max begins to favor the big picture over the day's market closing numbers.\nThe film's saving grace is Crowe, who, for all the reasons audiences have to dislike his character, exudes a presence and star quality that make sense of why he's such a sought after actor these days. Carefully balancing Max's despicable qualities with a subtle humor and wit that make him alternately pathetic and sympathetic, Crowe delivers a fully realized character in the midst of a partially realized film. Also delivering is cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, who makes a case for the south of France as the most aesthetically gorgeous spot on Earth.\nThere are those who argue Scott should stick to action epics, and "A Good Year" mostly proves them to be correct. The movie is allowed to slip into a predictable pattern that films like Scott's own "Gladiator," "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Black Hawk Down" never ventured near, suggesting that Scott weaves his best tales amidst the blood and strife of man's conflict against the violent nature of mankind, not one man's conflict against himself.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
In the years since the invasion of Iraq, critics have occasionally complained about the dearth of protest music today. But it's out there -- it just doesn't sell well or get much mainstream airplay (you can decide which leads to which). And after digging around a little, you'll find modern music that could easily hold its own against what your boomer parents listened to -- including the two albums by The Evens.\nThe Evens are comprised of Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina -- and any punks not familiar with the former best trade in their facial piercings for popped collars. Having vented his spleen in the high-speed blast of Minor Threat, and the more oblique and sophisticated (but still noisy) Fugazi, MacKaye takes a different track with Farina -- the two make stripped-down, melodic, slightly-folky pop with lyrics that will, nevertheless, melt the face off anyone in their crosshairs. And if The Evens' self-titled debut was a heat lamp, Get Evens is a laser. The band's sound has been further simplified to a raw combination of guitar strums, judicious drumming and interchanging male-female vocals that could be performed anywhere from a local open-mic-night to a street-corner demonstration. It's beautiful. \nBut then this is teamed with lyrics like "How do people sleep amidst the slaughter?" ("Cut From The Cloth"), "You and yours and all your wars have run your last campaign -- you're FIRED!" ("Everyone Knows"), "You must be insaaaane" (repeated seven times in "All You Find You Keep") -- and the whole of the devilishly funny "Dinner with the President," where MacKaye and Farina ask why, despite being D.C. neighbors, they never get invited over to the White House. \nThe album's only real shortcoming is that it could benefit from a more personal touch -- it reels off a bit like a laundry-list of progressive gripes. But if your winter of discontent needs a soundtrack, consider warming yourself by The Evens' fire.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
This posthumous release tactic seems oddly familiar...does the name 2-Pac ring a bell?\nOl' Dirty Bastard, the spastic but loveable member of the world-famous Wu-Tang Clan, has a new record out, two years after his untimely death in the Wu-Tang studio. This is the third proper release from Dirty, and unfortunately, by far his weakest effort.\nHis first two releases saw the ODB spit lyrical humor, sometimes in an indecipherable manner: mumbling, screaming, half rapping, half singing, half making noise. Both records went gold. This release was meant to be put out by Ol' Dirty before his death, but at the same time, it seems like an effort to cash in on the fallen rapper.\nA Son Unique features many names in the mainstream hip-hop and R&B spectrum. Dirty stumbles around with perverted lyrics and a guest appearance from Missy Elliot on the boring "Lift Ya Skirt." Some songs simply take ODB's vocals and throw them in the song with a stereotypical MTV rapper (who the hell is Lil' Frame?). Even the collaborations with fellow Wu-Tang members (Ghostface Killah, RZA and Raekwon are featured on here) seem weak. And for the love of God, whenever I hear Macy Gray's voice, I want to punch a baby.\nI don't think there's a positive thing I can say about this release. \nIt's flat-out disappointing. Although I didn't have any real expectations for this release, I thought maybe I'd find one bumpin' track in the mix. Wrong. I don't think he could discern how bad this would turn out. He's probably rolling in his grave over this. Rest in peace ODB. Sorry you had to go out like this. I'll always remember "Hippa To The Hoppa" and "Shame on a Nigga"
(11/16/06 5:00am)
I hope Keith Urban cracks open a fortune cookie soon and reads the following message: "Give up on your music, and just be happy with your lovely wife." Nicole Kidman could undoubtedly support her husband if he decided to call it quits. My wish won't come true, though, which is a travesty; Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing digs Urban deeper into the hole that is his career. \nUrban seems an unlikely country star. We hear him sport the twang, but in interviews his native Australian accent remains thick. Yet he claims Nashville as his home. Regardless of such confusion, the album's laughable lyrics could serve as inspiration for a South Park ditty. In the generic "Once in a Lifetime," Urban sings "It's a long shot baby/Yeah I know it's true/But if anyone can make it/I'm bettin' on me and you." \nThe rest of the album doesn't shy away from romance, either. Even though "Won't Let You Down" begins with a solid first verse, Urban couldn't resist throwing in cheesy love lines in the chorus. He's a love lyric-aholic. Where did he go wrong? His early career promised so much. He was an award-winning country musician whose guitar skills placed him head and shoulders above his peers. Since an initial burst onto the scene, however, Urban's cookie cutter albums achieve mediocrity at best. \nLove, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing serves as a fitting counterpart for Urban's aptly named fan club, Monkeyville. There's plenty of square-dancin', toe-tappin', boot-slidin' and hay-rollin' goin' around for everyone, folks. \nThe only number that doesn't induce a yawn, "Raise the Barn," tips a hat to the people of New Orleans for their strength after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Now there's a topic to sing about, Keith. If only he could broaden his song-writing capabilities.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
There's something about "Cars" that I just can't put my finger on. It has nowhere near as an original concept as some past Pixar films. The story's nothing new; a hot shot egocentric rookie learns the errors of his ways through small town values and the guidance of a crotchety old wise-man, who used to be a hot shot egocentric rookie himself. The humor isn't quite as razor sharp. Yet "Cars" is so pleasant and at ease with itself, it's just as enjoyable as its Pixar siblings. \nOwen Wilson voices Lightning McQueen, said hot shot race car who is heading to California for a big race against his rival. On the way he gets in trouble with the local law town of Radiator Springs, a boonies sort of town off the highway that Lighting accidentally destroys. Here he encounters Doc the local judge (Paul Newman) who wants nothing to do with McQueen's renegade personality. Sally (Bonnie Hunt), another sports car who escaped the hustle and bustle of city life for the more peaceful country life, decides it'd be better to keep Lightning around for some community service. As Lightning freaks out about the possibility of missing his race, he slowly learns the value of friendship and family.\n"Cars" may take some getting used to as every character is, well, a car. Unlike "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo," the plot doesn't revolve around objects in the (relatively) human world coming to life and speaking. Everything in the world of "Cars" from the bees to the cows is a car; no humans exist. \nUnfortunately some of "Cars"' visual magnificence will be lost when viewed on smaller home systems. Yet the picture is still crystal clear and the animation is magnificent. The film preaches to get out and enjoy the beauty of Route 66 and middle America, but seeing it animated so well defeats the purpose of a week long car trip.\nThe cast, also including Cheech Marin, George Carlin and Tony Shalhoub, does a stellar job as Pixar continues choosing the right voice for the character, not the big names that look best on top of the title. Somehow Larry the Cable Guy as the well-meaning hillbilly Mater (the Dori to Lightning's Nemo) manages to steal the show.\nSpecial features include a new animated short, "Mater and the Ghostlight," and the spectacular short "One Man Band" that played before the film during its theatrical run. Be sure to watch the hilarious end credits where past Pixar films are re-imagined as car movies. Whatever it is that "Cars" has -- charm, spirit, whatever -- it works. Like a finely tuned engine.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
If you're looking for an exciting way to spend a weekend night, I suggest watching a documentary about crossword puzzles. Seriously. \nDirected by Patrick Creadon, "Wordplay" is a behind-the-scenes look at the masterminds of The New York Times' crossword puzzle and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Creadon does the best thing he can to actually make this movie interesting: He tells the stories of the people involved. \nCreadon focuses on the editor of the Times crossword Will Shortz, who is originally from Crawfordsville, Ind. and graduated from IU with a degree in enigmatology (the study of puzzles). Shortz presides over the toughest crossword in the country at the Times. \nA large portion of the beginning is Creadon going around and talking to famous people who do the Times crossword on a daily basis. \nJon Stewart challenges Shortz to make the puzzle harder. Former President Bill Clinton, Senator Bob Dole and Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina each chime in about how much they enjoy the puzzle. \nThe latter part of the film is centered on the best crossword puzzlers in the country as they prepare for and compete in the national championships. \nMost of the people competing in the tournament are just, well, weird. They range from your everyday businessman to people on the verge of Trekkie status. \nNo matter how bizarre, the people make the movie. As the tournament came to a close, I actually rooted for the eventual winner and felt awful for the guy who blew his chance at victory. \nThe DVD special features add a lot to the content. There's commentary from Creadon and Shortz, extra interviews, plenty of deleted scenes and five of Shortz's best crosswords included. \nCreadon created a lens into a place about which not many people know. Obscurity of subject makes a good film, even when it's about nerds doing crosswords.
(11/16/06 5:00am)
Let me start my review of "Need for Speed Carbon" by saying there is nothing particularly bad about it.\nYes, the FMV cutscenes are ridiculously cheesy and completely unnecessary, but they're also easily skipped over and don't really get in the way of things.\nThe tuning and street racing is solid, but that is also my biggest complaint: There's very little difference between the racing in this game and that of "Need for Speed Underground" which came out three years ago.\nDrag racing is out but it's been replaced with tight "canyon duel" races with bosses and extremely finicky drift races (which were actually the easiest part of the past few "Need for Speed" games). The trade-off is negligible. Canyon races are a decent addition to the series while the new drift courses will have you pulling your hair out as much as the most frustrating drag races.\nAlso new to this edition is the use of a partner during races who will give you speed boosts or take out other racers. Sometimes, this comes in handy, but a lot of the time, he's not really necessary or rarely, gets in the way.\nMuch like the rest of the game, the neon-heavy graphics (which are little above average for a 360 game) and hip-hop soundtrack are what we've come to expect from the series, and little more. None of the songs will have you hitting the mute button, but they won't exactly have you tapping your toes either.\nOverall, the few new features in "Need for Speed Carbon" make it feel more like an expansion pack than a new game, but since it's building on an already great formula that's not as bad as you might think.\nIf you're a big fan of the NFS series like me or never played one before, this is an addicting title. Otherwise you might want to wait for a price drop or next year's inevitable sequel.