Not wild about 'Van Wilder'

National Lampoon's Van Wilder-Music from the Motion Picture\nVarious Artists\nArtemis Records/ Ultimatum Music\nThe guys from National Lampoon have been behind such great comedy films of the past as "Animal House," and all the '80s Chevy Chase "Vacation" movies. For the past couple of years they have consistently produced crap like "Senior Trip" and "Vegas Vacation." Their new film "Van Wilder," about a college student who never wants to leave, has some promise, but if the soundtrack hints at what we can expect, we shouldn't expect much.\nLike most soundtracks, the album consists of various artists, some good and some bad. This is the downfall of any soundtrack, especially one for a college/comedy/love story. Since the film will have parts that are fast paced and happy, some audio tracks will upbeat. When the love angle starts, there will automatically be some slow, romantic music. Going from one end of the spectrum to the other quickly is not good for the ears. \nThe soundtrack did have promise because many of the bands on the album are similar in sound, and the CD was able to rack up a good forte of talent with such bands such as The Living End, Jimmy Eat World and Sum 41. It was good the producers were able to get these bands because they put forth some of the only good songs on the CD. \nLike any soundtrack there will ultimately be some songs that are immediate favorites, some that are occasionally listened to and some that will be skipped over again and again. Some other songs by Sugarcult, N.E.R.D. and Transmatic are pretty good, but these few mediocre songs do not compensate for some of the other bands' lousy efforts. But this is the life of a soundtrack, and since most movies need background music, why not slap all the songs on a CD and try to make some more cash? Let's hope the movie is better than its soundtrack. \n

\n\n