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(11/04/04 4:04am)
The first half of Jonathan Glazer's ("Sexy Beast") "Birth" is quite interesting and sets the stage for what could be a fascinating film. The story opens with a long steady shot of a man jogging through Central Park who then unexpectedly drops dead, most likely of a heart attack. This is followed by a shot of a baby's first breath of life. \nThe idea of life after death is covered in many film genres, however there are very few movies that deal with the idea of reincarnation. "Birth" asks the question, what would you do if a child entered your life claiming to be a dead loved one?\nNicole Kidman stars as Anna, a woman who is engaged to be married and is finally at peace with the unexpected loss of her husband Sean. In the first 10 minutes we see her full of joy at an engagement party and completely in love with her snooty fiancée Joseph, played wonderfully by Danny Huston ("21 Grams"). All this changes, however, when a young child, also named Sean (Cameron Bright,) enters Anna's apartment during a birthday party and tells her that he is her husband Sean and that she should not marry Joseph. \nAt first Anna does not believe what the young boy tells her, but after the boy brings up personal information about her prior life with Sean, Anna begins to have second thoughts. As the movie progresses we see her fall in love with her late husband all over again, even though he is living in the body of a 10-year-old boy. \nKidman gives a very strong performance in this movie and is convincing as a woman confused with a sudden change in her life. A certain amount of curiosity and suspense grows in the first half of the movie, but diminishes as the rest of the story unfolds due to a number of logistical errors, the biggest being the role of young Sean's parents.\nWhile the film wonderfully explores Anna's feelings toward young Sean's entrance in her life, we do not see how the boy's mother and father deal with their son's strange transformation. This side of the film, although a side story, would be interesting to see considering it's not every day your child claims to be the husband of a 40-year-old woman.\nTo add to this dilemma, there is also the issue of the time that Sean spends with Anna and her family during most of the film. Throughout Anna's search for answers, young Sean attends the family functions, spends a night at the stranger's apartment and even shares a bath with Anna, all while his parents are at home somehow not wondering where their son is.\nJonathan Glazer, whose previous work includes many of the British rock band Radiohead's music videos and the creepy 2000 film "Sexy Beast," brings a certain amount of style to the film, and the story is interesting. However, somewhere along the lines the suspense is lost, and the film bails out with a sub-par ending.
(10/28/04 4:00am)
Check out what's going on this weekend to celebrate Homecoming and Hallaween.
(10/28/04 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Well, it's that time again. Pumpkins are being sold all over town, the candy industry is preparing for its biggest day of the season and somewhere a posse of young hoodlums is compiling a stash of toilet paper and fresh grade-A eggs. Yes, it's time for everyone's favorite holiday, Halloween.
Ever since I was little, I have always enjoyed this festive holiday. I mean, as a kid, how could you not like it? It's the only day in the year (that I know of) where children are expected to eat as much white-sugar-laced treats as possible, encouraged to knock on the doors of perfect strangers and then ask them for food and trained to scare as many people as possible, including those younger than you.
These days Halloween has changed. Sure we still dress up in our silly costumes, but the candy we used to hoard and trade with our friends has transformed into cheap beer and fluorescent-colored mixed drinks served in red plastic cups.
Now this change did come gradually (and in many ways is welcomed); however, there is one part of Halloween that will never die -- the power of a good scare. While some prefer the sights and sounds of a good old-fashioned haunted house, I turn to movies for my fix.
I like the adrenaline rush you get when you first see a successful scary movie. However, the key word here is "successful," as there are many horror movies that just aren't scary.
Often solid horror films are killed by lack of a good storyline, butchered by the critics or do not even make it to the theaters. However, the good ones go down in history and are the ones that we remember the most. So I felt it would be appropriate to compile a list of the good, the bad and the ugly side of scary movies.
THE GOOD:1. The Alfred Hitchcock Line-up: No list of horror movies would be complete without the grand master of fear himself. While most people have seen or know the key parts of "Psycho," it is the other Hitchcock classics that helped to start this genre of film. Movies like "Vertigo" and the wonderful "Rear Window," don't rely on fancy effects or over-the-top gore for their scares. Instead these films tell interesting stories that are psychologically frightening.
2. "Wait Until Dark": This is another classic thriller that is often overlooked. This 1967 masterpiece stars Audrey Hepburn as a blind woman who has to fend off a group of criminals looking for something in her apartment. The movie is a non-stop thrill ride that should not be missed.
3. "Halloween" and "Nightmare On Elm Street": While both films were followed by a series of awful sequels, they helped start the "slasher" genre of horror movies, launched the careers of both Jamie Lee Curtis ("Halloween") and Johnny Depp ("Nightmare,") and are both pretty scary.
4. "The Exorcist": It's a shame that so many people find this movie more amusing than scary. I remember first seeing this when I was younger and freaking out. The creepy music combined with the great performance by Linda Blair makes this tale of possession an instant classic.
5. "The Shining" & "Misery": There are a dozen or so Stephen King film adaptations of his horror novels, but these two stand out as his finest in my mind. I recently caught "The Shining" on the IU movie channel and was reminded of the brilliance that Stanley Kubrick brought to this "cabin fever" thriller.
6. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974): This is definitely a love/hate film. The low-budget look combined with gritty cinematography, eerie sound effects, Texas setting and the fact that it was loosely based on real-life events makes this one creepy film. The recent 2003 remake had an interesting look to it, but featured a stupid plot and bad acting.
7. Some Other Gems: "28 Days Later," "Suspiria," "Night of the Living Dead (1968,)" "Seven," "Sixth Sense," "Candyman," "Alien" and "The Silence of the Lambs."
THE BAD:1. "Friday the 13th" saga: I think there are about 50 of these movies, and while I haven't seen the majority of them, I was not impressed by the first three. Call me what you want, but I think Jason is fairly boring.
2. Sorry Chucky: This horror series still baffles me. The original "Child's Play" spawned four ridiculous sequels, including the long-awaited fifth installment, "The Seed of Chucky," which answers the question on everyone's mind: can maniacal children's dolls make babies?
The Ugly:1. "Leprechaun": This is the worst of the worst. Since the first film, which starred a young Jennifer Aniston, the vengeful Leprechaun searched for his gold in Las Vegas, outer space and most recently "on the streets" in installments five and six, which I believe use the slogan "Lep in the hood, up to no good." These films are the epitome of bad horror and should be avoided at all costs.
There you have it. So wherever you are on Oct. 31 don't forget that it's Halloween. Everyone's entitled to a good scare.
(10/28/04 3:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Well, it's that time again. Pumpkins are being sold all over town, the candy industry is preparing for its biggest day of the season and somewhere a posse of young hoodlums is compiling a stash of toilet paper and fresh grade-A eggs. Yes, it's time for everyone's favorite holiday, Halloween.
Ever since I was little, I have always enjoyed this festive holiday. I mean, as a kid, how could you not like it? It's the only day in the year (that I know of) where children are expected to eat as much white-sugar-laced treats as possible, encouraged to knock on the doors of perfect strangers and then ask them for food and trained to scare as many people as possible, including those younger than you.
These days Halloween has changed. Sure we still dress up in our silly costumes, but the candy we used to hoard and trade with our friends has transformed into cheap beer and fluorescent-colored mixed drinks served in red plastic cups.
Now this change did come gradually (and in many ways is welcomed); however, there is one part of Halloween that will never die -- the power of a good scare. While some prefer the sights and sounds of a good old-fashioned haunted house, I turn to movies for my fix.
I like the adrenaline rush you get when you first see a successful scary movie. However, the key word here is "successful," as there are many horror movies that just aren't scary.
Often solid horror films are killed by lack of a good storyline, butchered by the critics or do not even make it to the theaters. However, the good ones go down in history and are the ones that we remember the most. So I felt it would be appropriate to compile a list of the good, the bad and the ugly side of scary movies.
THE GOOD:1. The Alfred Hitchcock Line-up: No list of horror movies would be complete without the grand master of fear himself. While most people have seen or know the key parts of "Psycho," it is the other Hitchcock classics that helped to start this genre of film. Movies like "Vertigo" and the wonderful "Rear Window," don't rely on fancy effects or over-the-top gore for their scares. Instead these films tell interesting stories that are psychologically frightening.
2. "Wait Until Dark": This is another classic thriller that is often overlooked. This 1967 masterpiece stars Audrey Hepburn as a blind woman who has to fend off a group of criminals looking for something in her apartment. The movie is a non-stop thrill ride that should not be missed.
3. "Halloween" and "Nightmare On Elm Street": While both films were followed by a series of awful sequels, they helped start the "slasher" genre of horror movies, launched the careers of both Jamie Lee Curtis ("Halloween") and Johnny Depp ("Nightmare,") and are both pretty scary.
4. "The Exorcist": It's a shame that so many people find this movie more amusing than scary. I remember first seeing this when I was younger and freaking out. The creepy music combined with the great performance by Linda Blair makes this tale of possession an instant classic.
5. "The Shining" & "Misery": There are a dozen or so Stephen King film adaptations of his horror novels, but these two stand out as his finest in my mind. I recently caught "The Shining" on the IU movie channel and was reminded of the brilliance that Stanley Kubrick brought to this "cabin fever" thriller.
6. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974): This is definitely a love/hate film. The low-budget look combined with gritty cinematography, eerie sound effects, Texas setting and the fact that it was loosely based on real-life events makes this one creepy film. The recent 2003 remake had an interesting look to it, but featured a stupid plot and bad acting.
7. Some Other Gems: "28 Days Later," "Suspiria," "Night of the Living Dead (1968,)" "Seven," "Sixth Sense," "Candyman," "Alien" and "The Silence of the Lambs."
THE BAD:1. "Friday the 13th" saga: I think there are about 50 of these movies, and while I haven't seen the majority of them, I was not impressed by the first three. Call me what you want, but I think Jason is fairly boring.
2. Sorry Chucky: This horror series still baffles me. The original "Child's Play" spawned four ridiculous sequels, including the long-awaited fifth installment, "The Seed of Chucky," which answers the question on everyone's mind: can maniacal children's dolls make babies?
The Ugly:1. "Leprechaun": This is the worst of the worst. Since the first film, which starred a young Jennifer Aniston, the vengeful Leprechaun searched for his gold in Las Vegas, outer space and most recently "on the streets" in installments five and six, which I believe use the slogan "Lep in the hood, up to no good." These films are the epitome of bad horror and should be avoided at all costs.
There you have it. So wherever you are on Oct. 31 don't forget that it's Halloween. Everyone's entitled to a good scare.
(10/28/04 3:11am)
Check out what's going on this weekend to celebrate Homecoming and Hallaween.
(10/21/04 4:47pm)
In a recent trip to Washington D.C. to visit some family, I did what all good tourists do: I went to the movies. Well, that's not entirely true. I walked down the great mall, visited some museums, including the brand new National Museum of the American Indian, saw the many memorials that surround the Washington Monument and watched the second presidential debates with my two highly-conservative aunts. However, even though these were all memorable moments, it was the film I saw on my last night in the District that I've been thinking about the most.\n"The Motorcycle Diaries," Brazilian director Walter Salles' coming-of-age, road trip story featuring a young Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Gael García Bernal), was screened at this year's Toronto Film Festival but only opened to the public in select cities three weeks ago. The film, which is based on the real-life diaries of Guevara and his traveling companion Alberto Granado (Rodrigo De la Serna,) tells the story of the young Che as he travels through South America before he became the communist revolutionary that most of us are familiar with.\nAs I left the theater, I was reminded of how much I enjoy the less conventional, anti-Hollywood foreign films that we so rarely get to see down here in Monroe County. \nThis is not to say that all movies that come out of the United States are bad, but let's be honest, the majority are trash. Who could forget last year's hip-hop airplane comedy "Soul Plane?" We like our action movies loud and pointless and our romantic comedies sappy and dull.\nNow don't get me wrong, there is a fine line between entertainment and art. I love a good Jerry Bruckheimer extravaganza like everyone else, but I am more intrigued by an interesting storyline and engaging characters. I was fascinated with the different characters that the two travelers encounter in "The Motorcycle Diaries" and found myself wanting to see more.\nForeign films work for me because they show a side of life that we generally don't see in mainstream Hollywood movies. The stories are anything but ordinary, and the characters are not recycled like many we see in the U.S. A recent example of this is the wonderful French-Canadian film "The Barbarian Invasions," which dealt with death, a theme featured in many movies, but was unique in how it portrayed it. The actors' performances, combined with the wonderfully written script, helped draw me into the lives of the characters in the film.\nThese "world films" also influence what we see in the U.S. Many of the big players in filmmaking today got their roots from watching the work of people like Italian director Federico Fellini or Ingmar Bergman. Case in point: Martin Scorsese, who, besides being an important filmmaker in Hollywood, is also an avid film buff of works from all over the world.\nDo you think someone like Quentin Tarantino would have made "Pulp Fiction" or formed his film company A Band Apart (a name taken from the Jean-Luc Godard film, "Band of Outsiders") without growing up watching these types of movies? Can you imagine Bryan Singer being able to direct his crime mystery "The Usual Suspects," without first sitting down to watch Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon?" The answer is probably not.\nIt is also interesting to see a large number of foreign films being remade (generally unsuccessfully) in Hollywood to reach a larger audience. The 2002 movie "The Ring," along with the upcoming thriller "The Grudge," are both remakes of Japanese horror films. The Argentinean conman film "Nine Queens" was recently remade into the movie "Criminal," while Cameron Crowe's 2001 film "Vanilla Sky" was taken from the Spanish reality versus dream thriller "Abre los Ojos" (Open Your Eyes.) And the list could go on.\nAnother trend these days is bringing foreign directors to the U.S. to give them a shot at Hollywood. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, who made 2001's wonderful coming-of-age film, "Y Tu Mamá También," directed the last Harry Potter movie.\nSo why is all this happening? Why is there suddenly a stream of hot new actors and filmmakers coming from overseas to work in the states? The answer in my mind is that Hollywood desperately needs something fresh and new, and in many cases, we are getting our fix from abroad. \nSome of the most anticipated movies of this upcoming season happen to be foreign. The long-awaited film from Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, "Bad Education," (which stars Gael García Bernal of "The Motorcycle Diaries") hits theaters this winter. Other releases to look out for include the Chinese martial arts period piece "House of Flying Daggers," from the director of "Hero," and finally "Amélie" director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's wartime love story "A Very Long Engagement."\nWhile many of these may not make it to the Bloomington megaplexes (at least not right away,) they are worth checking out nonetheless, whether on video or at one of the many film screenings around campus.
(10/21/04 4:58am)
In the history of this country, there may not be a better example of the ability of one person to make a difference than Rosa Parks. While most people know of her accomplishments or have heard her name mentioned, the majority are unaware of her struggles during her life, before and after the one famous December bus ride.\nThe IU Black Film Center/Archive held a free screening of the Julie Dash film "The Rosa Parks Story" Tuesday night at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. The film chronicled the life of Rosa Parks from her childhood up until her heroic actions in on Dec., 1, 1955, which helped to launch the civil rights movement.\n"Can we imagine or fully appreciate what this woman did?" asked graduate student Jennifer Heusel. "I hope this film opens our eyes to prejudices of that time as well as today."\nThe screening was part of the archive's series of films honoring Africana Women filmmakers. This semester, the center is presenting a selection of works by independent filmmaker Dash, whose catalogue of work includes short- and full-length films, TV movies and music videos. \n"It's interesting how Dash presents this story," said Audrey McCluskey, the director of the BFC/A and associate professor of Afro-American studies. "She presents Rosa in a very humanized way. This changes the way you view her."\nThe film, which stars Angela Bassett as Parks, was made for TV in 2002. It tells the story of Rosa Parks' entire life, not just the day she refused to give up her seat in the front of a Montgomery. Ala., city bus for a white man. Dash begins the film with her upbringing as a child, moves on to her life as a married working woman and then slowly chronicles her interest and work with the NAACP in Montgomery. \nDash presents the famous bus scene, but it is not the focus of the film. Instead, Dash gives the audience a behind-the-scenes look at Parks, a story that was not told during the time. As the bus boycott erupts in Alabama, we see the struggles that Rosa faces at home and how her decision affected everyone in her life. She receives threats from the Ku Klux Klan, loses her job and has problems with her husband Raymond Parks, who is caught off guard by the sudden publicity their family receives. \nEileen Julien, an IU professor of French and comparative literature who came to the screening having never seen the movie, said she felt it gave her more insight into the dramatic events.\n"What we don't usually see are the costs of acts like this," Julien said. "I think it's a really powerful film."\nGraduate student Laila Amine presented the screening of two of Dash's short films, "Illusions" and "Praise House," in September. She said she felt that "The Rosa Parks Story" was a great film, but different than her other work.\n"(The film) gives focus on women, the main focus being the average woman," Amine said. \nThe presentation of the film was followed by a short discussion of the movie and the life of Rosa Parks. \n"In a sense, when people are ready for change, a figure rises," Julien said. "People were ready, and Parks played the part."\nFor more information on the next and final screening in this series, Dash's "Daughters of the Dust," contact the Black Film Center/Archive at bfca@indiana.edu. \n-- Contact staff writer C. Warner Sills at csills@indiana.edu.
(10/21/04 4:00am)
In a recent trip to Washington D.C. to visit some family, I did what all good tourists do: I went to the movies. Well, that's not entirely true. I walked down the great mall, visited some museums, including the brand new National Museum of the American Indian, saw the many memorials that surround the Washington Monument and watched the second presidential debates with my two highly-conservative aunts. However, even though these were all memorable moments, it was the film I saw on my last night in the District that I've been thinking about the most.\n"The Motorcycle Diaries," Brazilian director Walter Salles' coming-of-age, road trip story featuring a young Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Gael García Bernal), was screened at this year's Toronto Film Festival but only opened to the public in select cities three weeks ago. The film, which is based on the real-life diaries of Guevara and his traveling companion Alberto Granado (Rodrigo De la Serna,) tells the story of the young Che as he travels through South America before he became the communist revolutionary that most of us are familiar with.\nAs I left the theater, I was reminded of how much I enjoy the less conventional, anti-Hollywood foreign films that we so rarely get to see down here in Monroe County. \nThis is not to say that all movies that come out of the United States are bad, but let's be honest, the majority are trash. Who could forget last year's hip-hop airplane comedy "Soul Plane?" We like our action movies loud and pointless and our romantic comedies sappy and dull.\nNow don't get me wrong, there is a fine line between entertainment and art. I love a good Jerry Bruckheimer extravaganza like everyone else, but I am more intrigued by an interesting storyline and engaging characters. I was fascinated with the different characters that the two travelers encounter in "The Motorcycle Diaries" and found myself wanting to see more.\nForeign films work for me because they show a side of life that we generally don't see in mainstream Hollywood movies. The stories are anything but ordinary, and the characters are not recycled like many we see in the U.S. A recent example of this is the wonderful French-Canadian film "The Barbarian Invasions," which dealt with death, a theme featured in many movies, but was unique in how it portrayed it. The actors' performances, combined with the wonderfully written script, helped draw me into the lives of the characters in the film.\nThese "world films" also influence what we see in the U.S. Many of the big players in filmmaking today got their roots from watching the work of people like Italian director Federico Fellini or Ingmar Bergman. Case in point: Martin Scorsese, who, besides being an important filmmaker in Hollywood, is also an avid film buff of works from all over the world.\nDo you think someone like Quentin Tarantino would have made "Pulp Fiction" or formed his film company A Band Apart (a name taken from the Jean-Luc Godard film, "Band of Outsiders") without growing up watching these types of movies? Can you imagine Bryan Singer being able to direct his crime mystery "The Usual Suspects," without first sitting down to watch Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon?" The answer is probably not.\nIt is also interesting to see a large number of foreign films being remade (generally unsuccessfully) in Hollywood to reach a larger audience. The 2002 movie "The Ring," along with the upcoming thriller "The Grudge," are both remakes of Japanese horror films. The Argentinean conman film "Nine Queens" was recently remade into the movie "Criminal," while Cameron Crowe's 2001 film "Vanilla Sky" was taken from the Spanish reality versus dream thriller "Abre los Ojos" (Open Your Eyes.) And the list could go on.\nAnother trend these days is bringing foreign directors to the U.S. to give them a shot at Hollywood. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, who made 2001's wonderful coming-of-age film, "Y Tu Mamá También," directed the last Harry Potter movie.\nSo why is all this happening? Why is there suddenly a stream of hot new actors and filmmakers coming from overseas to work in the states? The answer in my mind is that Hollywood desperately needs something fresh and new, and in many cases, we are getting our fix from abroad. \nSome of the most anticipated movies of this upcoming season happen to be foreign. The long-awaited film from Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, "Bad Education," (which stars Gael García Bernal of "The Motorcycle Diaries") hits theaters this winter. Other releases to look out for include the Chinese martial arts period piece "House of Flying Daggers," from the director of "Hero," and finally "Amélie" director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's wartime love story "A Very Long Engagement."\nWhile many of these may not make it to the Bloomington megaplexes (at least not right away,) they are worth checking out nonetheless, whether on video or at one of the many film screenings around campus.
(10/20/04 5:16am)
The Latino Cultural Center will explore culture at 7 p.m. tonight in a film screening of the Mexican film "El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba," or "No One Writes to the Colonel," at La Casa, 715 E. Seventh St.\n"It's often hard to get a lot of foreign films here in Bloomington," said Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa.\nThe screening is part of a monthly film series at La Casa, aimed at showing movies from different places to help people learn more about the Latino community. "El Coronel" is based on a novel by Columbian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez and features a performance by Salma Hayek. \nThe 1999 film tells the story of an aging colonel who is waiting for a pension that was promised to him by the government, but has yet to arrive. While everyone in his village knows that he waits in vain, the colonel continues to sit by the docks in anticipation of the letter, according to the film description released by La Casa.\nCasillas said the group did some research to choose the film.\n"We looked at a Web site that offered a lot of different Latino films that you normally wouldn't find in the mainstream. This one caught our eye," she said.\nCasillas said the film is fairly unknown in the United States, but attracted the attention of La Casa because of Marquez and Hayek.\nThe film series is being shown in conjunction with IU's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, which, like La Casa, serves as an educational resource for the Latino student community.\n"(La Casa) has a mission that's similar to ours, which is to promote issues and increase awareness to the Latinos on campus," said Jordan Lauhon, a graduate assistant at CLAC.\nAccording to La Casa's mission statement, the group was started in 1973 as an educational center for all students to help bring political and cultural awareness to the Latino community. The facility features access to computers, a small library and a large screen television for student use and monthly film screenings.\nSophomore Adrienne Garcia is a regular at La Casa events, including many previous film screenings, and likes the center's welcoming atmosphere.\n"The environment is nice, kind of like a family setting," Garcia said. "You get to meet people and learn new things."\nThe movie is free and open to the public and may be followed by a discussion about the film. \nFor more information about La Casa or tonight's event, visit the center's Web site at www.indiana.edu/~lacasa or e-mail the center at lacasa@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer C. Warner Sills at csills@indiana.edu.
(10/19/04 4:16am)
The Black Film Center/Archives is presenting the story of civil rights activist Rosa Parks and the bus ride that ignited the Civil Rights movement. The film, directed by Julie Dash, explores the life of Parks and her effect on the country. The screening of the movie, "The Rosa Parks Story," will be held at 7 p.m. tonight in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center in room A201.\n"(Parks) is an example of the power of one person," said Audrey McCluskey, the director of the BFC/A and associate professor of Afro-American studies. "She proves that one person can make a big difference in the world."\nThe screening of the movie is part of the archive's series of films honoring Africana Women Filmmakers. This month the center is presenting the works of Dash, which include short and full-length films, television movies and music videos. \n"(Dash is) a phenomenal filmmaker because she has a different way of telling the story," said graduate student and presenter of the film Jennifer Heusel. "She's a completely independent filmmaker."\nIn terms of black women filmmakers in the United States, Dash is one of the best known, McCluskey said. McCluskey tried to seek out more alternative voices in African American films for this series.\n"Her work is very political and important," McCluskey said.\nThe film was made for television in 2002 and stars Angela Bassett as Parks. The film also explores how the movement affected Parks' personal life, according to the Internet Movie Database.\nDash, who is a native of Long Island, N.Y., began her filmmaking career in the early 1970s but became very well known for her 1991 film "Daughters of the Dust," which will be screened next month.\n"Her body of work is a symbol of hope and progress for African-American women," McCluskey said.\nThe movie is the second of three films by Dash being showcased in this series and earned her a Directors Guild of America nomination in 2002. Depending on the attendance, McCluskey and Heusel would like to follow the film screening with a discussion of Parks' life.\n"I hope we can get some discussion, not only of the film, but also of other current issues," Heusel said. "It would be interesting to see what questions come up."\nMcCluskey said she believes Parks is as influential now as she was in the 1960s.\n"This is a political climate we're living in," McCluskey said. "You can't gain anything without a struggle."\nFor more information on tonight's screening, contact The Black Film Center/Archive at bfca@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact Staff writer C. Warner Sills at csills@indiana.edu.
(10/07/04 3:06pm)
Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation," "Being John Malkovich") is one of the finest screenwriters working in film to date. While he has only five major movies under his belt, he continues to give us complex and interesting stories that stray away from the conventional sides of mainstream Hollywood. \nKaufman is best known for creating stories that dive into the minds of the characters (this literally happens in his first major film, "Being John Malkovich"). In "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Kaufman once again uses the inner realms of the human mind as the setting for the story. This time, though, he also creates a beautiful love story.\nThe film tells the story of Joel (Jim Carrey) who finds out his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet, in a great performance), through a new procedure offered by Lacuna, erased their entire relationship from her memory. Upset with the news, Joel decides to erase Clementine from his memory.\nWhile the doctors/mind technicians, played wonderfully by Tom Wilkinson ("In the Bedroom") and Mark Ruffalo ("You Can Count On Me"), start the procedure, Joel re-lives the memories for the last time and suddenly realizes how much he loves Clementine. The revelation leads to a race against the clock in Joel's mind to salvage the memories of Clementine before they are erased. \nThe DVD features a commentary by former music video director Michel Gondry ("Human Nature") and Kaufman, a short featurette about the film, some deleted scenes and a conversation between Carrey and Gondry.\n"Eternal Sunshine" is one of the best films so far this year, but for some reason failed to attract an audience in the theaters. It proves once again that Kaufman is getting more interesting by each movie and that Carrey is still a brilliant actor.
(10/07/04 4:00am)
Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation," "Being John Malkovich") is one of the finest screenwriters working in film to date. While he has only five major movies under his belt, he continues to give us complex and interesting stories that stray away from the conventional sides of mainstream Hollywood. \nKaufman is best known for creating stories that dive into the minds of the characters (this literally happens in his first major film, "Being John Malkovich"). In "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Kaufman once again uses the inner realms of the human mind as the setting for the story. This time, though, he also creates a beautiful love story.\nThe film tells the story of Joel (Jim Carrey) who finds out his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet, in a great performance), through a new procedure offered by Lacuna, erased their entire relationship from her memory. Upset with the news, Joel decides to erase Clementine from his memory.\nWhile the doctors/mind technicians, played wonderfully by Tom Wilkinson ("In the Bedroom") and Mark Ruffalo ("You Can Count On Me"), start the procedure, Joel re-lives the memories for the last time and suddenly realizes how much he loves Clementine. The revelation leads to a race against the clock in Joel's mind to salvage the memories of Clementine before they are erased. \nThe DVD features a commentary by former music video director Michel Gondry ("Human Nature") and Kaufman, a short featurette about the film, some deleted scenes and a conversation between Carrey and Gondry.\n"Eternal Sunshine" is one of the best films so far this year, but for some reason failed to attract an audience in the theaters. It proves once again that Kaufman is getting more interesting by each movie and that Carrey is still a brilliant actor.
(09/30/04 6:14pm)
When Peter Molyneux, the head of Lionhead Studios, unveiled his latest creation, "Fable," to the gaming world nearly four years ago, he promised it would be the best role playing game ever made.\nFour years ago that may have very well been true, but now that the game has finally hit shelves, and several features that would have made the game groundbreaking have been removed, it's now merely a very good RPG.\nThe graphics in this game are very bright, varied and stylish. The world of Albion is reminiscent of a European countryside, and it really comes alive as you walk through it. Unfortunately, this breathtaking scenery also confines the player to set paths, so there's not much more to see beyond what's immediately visible.\nMusic and sound effects are also quite good, though not even the Danny Elfman-composed opening theme is particularly memorable. The music and sound effects fit the scene, and that's about it. Voiceover work is of a particularly highquality, however, and many of the one-liners in a cockney British accent made me crack up the first time I heard them.\nBut stylish graphics and a worthy soundtrack can only take a game so far if the gameplay sucks. Luckily, "Fable's" gameplay does not suck. A system that keeps track of good and evil choices similar to another Xbox RPG, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," is just as entertaining here. For some reason, randomly killing villagers because they boo you just doesn't get old.\nCombat, while only requiring two buttons to swing a melee weapon, is quite fun, and knowing when to block and when to use more powerful attacks and magic adds a nice bit of depth. I certainly prefer it to the turn-based borefest of most modern RPGs.\nWhile "Fable" may not be the best RPG available (sorry, that definitely goes to "Knights of the Old Republic"), it's still a damn good game and well worth $50.
(09/30/04 4:00am)
When Peter Molyneux, the head of Lionhead Studios, unveiled his latest creation, "Fable," to the gaming world nearly four years ago, he promised it would be the best role playing game ever made.\nFour years ago that may have very well been true, but now that the game has finally hit shelves, and several features that would have made the game groundbreaking have been removed, it's now merely a very good RPG.\nThe graphics in this game are very bright, varied and stylish. The world of Albion is reminiscent of a European countryside, and it really comes alive as you walk through it. Unfortunately, this breathtaking scenery also confines the player to set paths, so there's not much more to see beyond what's immediately visible.\nMusic and sound effects are also quite good, though not even the Danny Elfman-composed opening theme is particularly memorable. The music and sound effects fit the scene, and that's about it. Voiceover work is of a particularly highquality, however, and many of the one-liners in a cockney British accent made me crack up the first time I heard them.\nBut stylish graphics and a worthy soundtrack can only take a game so far if the gameplay sucks. Luckily, "Fable's" gameplay does not suck. A system that keeps track of good and evil choices similar to another Xbox RPG, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," is just as entertaining here. For some reason, randomly killing villagers because they boo you just doesn't get old.\nCombat, while only requiring two buttons to swing a melee weapon, is quite fun, and knowing when to block and when to use more powerful attacks and magic adds a nice bit of depth. I certainly prefer it to the turn-based borefest of most modern RPGs.\nWhile "Fable" may not be the best RPG available (sorry, that definitely goes to "Knights of the Old Republic"), it's still a damn good game and well worth $50.
(09/23/04 4:00am)
In 1971, Melvin Van Peebles made "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," one of the first and most important independent films ever made. Thirty years later, writer, director and actor Mario Van Peebles ("Ali," "New Jack City"), Melvin's son, set out in his father's footsteps to make one of the best films on how films are made since Federico Fellini's "81/2."\n"Sweetback" is often said to be the first in a long line of "blaxploitation" films of the 1970s, setting the stage for movies like "Shaft," "Superfly" and "Coffy," when really the low-budget 1971 movie made way for the independent film market that we know today. \nIn "Baadasssss!," Mario plays his father and tells his story down to the last detail. The movie opens with the birth of the idea and the funding for "Sweetback," then moves into the nitty-gritty struggle that the filmmakers went through during filming and in post-production. The film crew is put in jail, funds disappear quickly and tensions build between Melvin and the people in his life, but still he manages to continue on with his dream.\nMario, who starred in the original "Sweetback" as a child in a controversial opening sex scene, brings a great deal of honesty and emotion to the role of his father, showing every angle of the story.\nThe DVD features some nice special features, including an interesting "making of" documentary, a commentary track by both Melvin and Mario and a Q&A segment with Melvin. For those of you unfamiliar with the original "Sweetback," "Baadasssss!" is still a very solid film, especially if you are interested in the raw side of independent filmmaking.
(09/23/04 4:00am)
With the upcoming release of "Diff'rent Strokes: The Complete First Season" on DVD, I thought it would be appropriate to take a second to analyze the new cultural phenomenon that is television on DVD.\nIt seemed only natural that TV shows would make the leap from constant F/X and TBS syndication to the luxuries of DVD. Why shouldn't they? DVD technology has enabled studios to take entire seasons of a show, condense it onto a nice three to four disk set, add some special features and sell it to the public at an inflated price.\nLately though, I've noticed an increase in bad television programs finding their way to the shelves at Blockbuster. Case in point, David Hasselhoff's 1980s talking car drama, "Knight Rider," which can be purchased on www.amazon.com for under $50!\nI might also add that on Amazon, out of the top 25 DVD sellers, 10 are television shows ("Knight Rider" unfortunately did not make this list, but apparently "Angel: Season 4" is quite popular with a cushy number 11 spot.)\nSo the question that comes to me is this: who is buying all of these DVDs? I mean let's be honest, are there really people out there sitting down to dinner and an episode of "Mr. Belvedere"? Are people curling up before they go to sleep for two to three episodes of "ALF"? Being lulled to sleep by the clever alien creature that dines on cats? Frankly, if you ask me, the network execs behind this "bad TV" resurrection are going too far.\nThis is not to say all TV DVDs are bad. In my opinion, the fact that you can sit down and watch an entire season, without annoying commercials, is refreshing. For me, these DVDs introduced me to shows that I missed when they aired on television, often because I lacked the interest or because I was unable to watch them.\nSince I grew up in a home without cable, I was not fortunate enough to watch HBO programs like "The Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under," two of the best shows on television, but got hooked the minute they hit the shelves of my neighborhood video store.\nDuring freshman year, my roommate introduced me to the highly-underrated sports sitcom/drama "Sports Night," after he bought the complete series on DVD and went on a 13-hour, overnight stint of nothing but episode after episode (I was only able to catch certain snippets of the show as I slipped in and out of consciousness, but liked what I saw.)\nHowever, these examples do not make up for some of the shows being released today, mainly those 1980s sitcoms that, unlike fine wine and soft cheese, do not improve with age. So I decided to compile for you a list of some shows worthy of DVD treatment and some that should stay forgotten, doomed to be syndicated on Nick at Nite.\nWhat to look forward to:\n1. "Seinfeld": Sure you can catch episodes of the best show of the '90s five times a day on TBS and local networks, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to sit down and take in the "Soup Nazi" episode, sans commercials? (See also co-creator of Seinfeld Larry David's recent opus HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm")\n2. "Arrested Development": This underrated gem was one of the best new shows of last year, but failed to gain an audience. A "Family Guy"-esque DVD resurrection may be just what this dysfunctional family sitcom needs.\n3. HBO Lineup: "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under" and "Sex and the City" are already on DVD, but what about HBO's other brilliant shows like "The Wire," "Entourage" or "Carnivalé"?\n4. "Twin Peaks: Season Two": The first season of David Lynch's early '90s cult drama was released a couple of years ago on DVD, but what happened to its second and final season?\n5. Some of the rest: "Chappelle's Show: Second Season": Sure we can all quote in entirety the Rick James sketch, but season two as a whole was smarter and funnier than season one. Who could forget the dark side of Wayne Brady? "The Cosby Show": A guilty pleasure. "The Simpsons": Just keep them coming, Matt Groening.\n \nFinally, those shows that I never want to see in stock at the neighborhood Borders:\n1. "Webster": Obvious "Diff'rent Strokes" rip-off.\n2. "Night Court": Is it just me or wasn't the main character, in reality, Mr. Clean?\n3. "Perfect Strangers": Sure Balki was funny for a while, but who in their right mind would pay to watch this daft sitcom?\n4. "Small Wonder": ABC's 1980s robot child sitcom is probably the worst show ever made, but surprisingly had a four season run.\n5. "The A-Team" & "Magnum P.I.": Oh wait, both of these were released on DVD last month.
(09/23/04 3:09am)
With the upcoming release of "Diff'rent Strokes: The Complete First Season" on DVD, I thought it would be appropriate to take a second to analyze the new cultural phenomenon that is television on DVD.\nIt seemed only natural that TV shows would make the leap from constant F/X and TBS syndication to the luxuries of DVD. Why shouldn't they? DVD technology has enabled studios to take entire seasons of a show, condense it onto a nice three to four disk set, add some special features and sell it to the public at an inflated price.\nLately though, I've noticed an increase in bad television programs finding their way to the shelves at Blockbuster. Case in point, David Hasselhoff's 1980s talking car drama, "Knight Rider," which can be purchased on www.amazon.com for under $50!\nI might also add that on Amazon, out of the top 25 DVD sellers, 10 are television shows ("Knight Rider" unfortunately did not make this list, but apparently "Angel: Season 4" is quite popular with a cushy number 11 spot.)\nSo the question that comes to me is this: who is buying all of these DVDs? I mean let's be honest, are there really people out there sitting down to dinner and an episode of "Mr. Belvedere"? Are people curling up before they go to sleep for two to three episodes of "ALF"? Being lulled to sleep by the clever alien creature that dines on cats? Frankly, if you ask me, the network execs behind this "bad TV" resurrection are going too far.\nThis is not to say all TV DVDs are bad. In my opinion, the fact that you can sit down and watch an entire season, without annoying commercials, is refreshing. For me, these DVDs introduced me to shows that I missed when they aired on television, often because I lacked the interest or because I was unable to watch them.\nSince I grew up in a home without cable, I was not fortunate enough to watch HBO programs like "The Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under," two of the best shows on television, but got hooked the minute they hit the shelves of my neighborhood video store.\nDuring freshman year, my roommate introduced me to the highly-underrated sports sitcom/drama "Sports Night," after he bought the complete series on DVD and went on a 13-hour, overnight stint of nothing but episode after episode (I was only able to catch certain snippets of the show as I slipped in and out of consciousness, but liked what I saw.)\nHowever, these examples do not make up for some of the shows being released today, mainly those 1980s sitcoms that, unlike fine wine and soft cheese, do not improve with age. So I decided to compile for you a list of some shows worthy of DVD treatment and some that should stay forgotten, doomed to be syndicated on Nick at Nite.\nWhat to look forward to:\n1. "Seinfeld": Sure you can catch episodes of the best show of the '90s five times a day on TBS and local networks, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to sit down and take in the "Soup Nazi" episode, sans commercials? (See also co-creator of Seinfeld Larry David's recent opus HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm")\n2. "Arrested Development": This underrated gem was one of the best new shows of last year, but failed to gain an audience. A "Family Guy"-esque DVD resurrection may be just what this dysfunctional family sitcom needs.\n3. HBO Lineup: "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under" and "Sex and the City" are already on DVD, but what about HBO's other brilliant shows like "The Wire," "Entourage" or "Carnivalé"?\n4. "Twin Peaks: Season Two": The first season of David Lynch's early '90s cult drama was released a couple of years ago on DVD, but what happened to its second and final season?\n5. Some of the rest: "Chappelle's Show: Second Season": Sure we can all quote in entirety the Rick James sketch, but season two as a whole was smarter and funnier than season one. Who could forget the dark side of Wayne Brady? "The Cosby Show": A guilty pleasure. "The Simpsons": Just keep them coming, Matt Groening.\n \nFinally, those shows that I never want to see in stock at the neighborhood Borders:\n1. "Webster": Obvious "Diff'rent Strokes" rip-off.\n2. "Night Court": Is it just me or wasn't the main character, in reality, Mr. Clean?\n3. "Perfect Strangers": Sure Balki was funny for a while, but who in their right mind would pay to watch this daft sitcom?\n4. "Small Wonder": ABC's 1980s robot child sitcom is probably the worst show ever made, but surprisingly had a four season run.\n5. "The A-Team" & "Magnum P.I.": Oh wait, both of these were released on DVD last month.
(09/23/04 2:43am)
In 1971, Melvin Van Peebles made "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," one of the first and most important independent films ever made. Thirty years later, writer, director and actor Mario Van Peebles ("Ali," "New Jack City"), Melvin's son, set out in his father's footsteps to make one of the best films on how films are made since Federico Fellini's "81/2."\n"Sweetback" is often said to be the first in a long line of "blaxploitation" films of the 1970s, setting the stage for movies like "Shaft," "Superfly" and "Coffy," when really the low-budget 1971 movie made way for the independent film market that we know today. \nIn "Baadasssss!," Mario plays his father and tells his story down to the last detail. The movie opens with the birth of the idea and the funding for "Sweetback," then moves into the nitty-gritty struggle that the filmmakers went through during filming and in post-production. The film crew is put in jail, funds disappear quickly and tensions build between Melvin and the people in his life, but still he manages to continue on with his dream.\nMario, who starred in the original "Sweetback" as a child in a controversial opening sex scene, brings a great deal of honesty and emotion to the role of his father, showing every angle of the story.\nThe DVD features some nice special features, including an interesting "making of" documentary, a commentary track by both Melvin and Mario and a Q&A segment with Melvin. For those of you unfamiliar with the original "Sweetback," "Baadasssss!" is still a very solid film, especially if you are interested in the raw side of independent filmmaking.
(09/09/04 4:00am)
Four years after her debut album Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, Jill Scott returns to the music scene with the beautifully-written album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2.\nIt is hard to call Beautifully Human a follow-up album (despite its title) because of how different and unique her new songs are this time around. \nAfter first making herself known with her work on fellow Philadelphia natives The Roots' fourth album Things Fall Apart, Scott, along with other artists such as D'Angelo and india.arie, helped to bring back the R&B sound of the '60s and '70s while also adding their own modern flavor.\nScott's combination of poetic lyrics and her jazzy voice help set her apart from other contemporary artists, including Erykah Badu, whom Scott is often confused with. Her style is reminiscent of jazz greats such as Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughn as well as '70s soul artists such as Minnie Riperton, who is thanked in the albums linear notes.\nSongs like the album's first single "Golden" and the addictive "Fact Is (I Need You)" feature catchy hooks and smooth beats that resonate long after the first listening. Other highlights include the '70s funk-inspired "Family Reunion" and the short but sweet love riff, "Nothing."\nMusically, Beautifully Human is one of the better albums released so far this year and will hopefully bring some well-deserved attention toward this Philadelphia gem. Jill Scott's sophomore album shows a great deal of growth and maturity in her sounds and proves that R&B is still alive and strong as ever.
(09/09/04 2:51am)
Four years after her debut album Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, Jill Scott returns to the music scene with the beautifully-written album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2.\nIt is hard to call Beautifully Human a follow-up album (despite its title) because of how different and unique her new songs are this time around. \nAfter first making herself known with her work on fellow Philadelphia natives The Roots' fourth album Things Fall Apart, Scott, along with other artists such as D'Angelo and india.arie, helped to bring back the R&B sound of the '60s and '70s while also adding their own modern flavor.\nScott's combination of poetic lyrics and her jazzy voice help set her apart from other contemporary artists, including Erykah Badu, whom Scott is often confused with. Her style is reminiscent of jazz greats such as Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughn as well as '70s soul artists such as Minnie Riperton, who is thanked in the albums linear notes.\nSongs like the album's first single "Golden" and the addictive "Fact Is (I Need You)" feature catchy hooks and smooth beats that resonate long after the first listening. Other highlights include the '70s funk-inspired "Family Reunion" and the short but sweet love riff, "Nothing."\nMusically, Beautifully Human is one of the better albums released so far this year and will hopefully bring some well-deserved attention toward this Philadelphia gem. Jill Scott's sophomore album shows a great deal of growth and maturity in her sounds and proves that R&B is still alive and strong as ever.