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(10/19/06 4:00am)
You'd think that someone who wears a clock around his neck would never be late, but it's almost 10 minutes past the time Flavor Flav's publicist Greg J told me the rapper would call, and there's still no word from his camp.\nAfter several minutes that seem like hours and nearly jumping out of my seat every time the phone rings, the call I've been waiting for finally comes through. It's Flav.\n"Hey Flavor Flav, what's up?"\n"Not too much, Chris. I'm just hanging out like a coat hanger in a closet right now."\nThrough the phone, Flavor Flav is just as personable, funny and friendly as he comes across on his hit TV show, VH1's "The Flavor of Love," now wrapping up its second season. But the 47-year-old hype man for the highly influential rap group Public Enemy prides himself on that. He says women love him because of his "realness."\nIronically, it was a stint on another VH1 reality show, season three of "The Surreal Life" which brought Flav back to the public eye after a long absence. While filming that show, Flav met met actress Bridgette Nielsen, leading to another reality show, "Strange Love," chronicling their relationship and eventual parting of ways.\n"After things didn't work out with Bridgette Nielsen, we decided to film it as I find my next love," says Flav, describing what lead to the creation of "The Flavor of Love." \nThe show has created a current of interest that is even making waves on the IU campus. His signature clock necklace and viking hat have been spotted on some tailgating Hoosiers full of the man's party spirit, and is expected to also be a Halloween costume craze this year. It's obvious that Flav's 80s style has not kept him frozen in time but made him a retro icon. \nIn the premise of "Flavor of Love," 20 women move into Flav's mansion, vying for his affection, as he dismisses them for various reasons such as gold digging and posing for Internet pornography. Flav gives each woman a nickname such as "Toasteee" or "Payshintz" because of his self-admitted poor memory. In a direct parody of "The Bachelor," Flav presents each woman with a clock at the elimination ceremony rather than a rose, proclaiming "You know what time it is."\n"Time is very important to me and I need to have a girl who understands that," Flav says, explaining the prevalence of clocks in his life.\nSince bursting onto the scene with Public Enemy, Flav is rarely seen on stage or TV without one of his trademark clocks.\n"The clock I've got on right now I've had since 1987," Flav says. "Thirty-six million people have touched it. Some day, it's going to be in the rock and roll hall of fame with all my other things."\nSince the first season debuted in January, "The Flavor of Love" has been a runaway success for VH1. The first season finale was the highest rated program in the channel's history, and reruns of all the episodes are played all hours of the day.\n"I was well-known beforehand, but more people definitely recognize me since the show," Flav says.\nAt one point during the interview, a group of women who passed the car Flav was apparently sitting in screamed in excitement at seeing the rapper in person.\nThe show has been a boon to Flav's popularity. He is currently working on the next Public Enemy album as well as a talk show and animated series. On Oct. 31, his first solo self-titled album will be released. Flav calls it a "collector's item," claiming this will be his only album.\nBut while the contestants on "The Flavor of Love" might adore Flav for his "realness," viewers love the show for the over the top moments, such as in season one when one contestant, Pumkin, spit in the face of another contestant, New York, after being eliminated, nearly leading to an all-out brawl between the two. Flav claims these moments are completely unscripted.\n"It's all real," he says. "The girls don't fight over me. They fight over each other."\nNew York, the runner-up in season one, was brought back midway through the second season and has gained a reputation as the conspirator, pitting contestants against each other and negatively referring to nearly every woman in the house as a "lesbian" at various times. Flav is well aware that New York is viewed as being a little bit off-kilter, but says she's actually worse in person.\n"She's crazier," Flav says. "Her mom's crazy, too. She needs to stop whatever she's taking."\nIn one episode of season two, New York's mother visited the house and faked a terminal illness to try and get New York to leave, then repeatedly told Flav "You're trying to destroy me."\nBut perhaps the most memorable moment in the series came in the first episode of season two when a rather large woman who Flav nicknamed Sumthin defecated on the floor of the mansion.\n"I think there was too much alcohol in her system, and she couldn't control herself," Flav says. "I thought it was a dog at first, but I looked at the poop, and it looked too much like a human's. Then I went up to the bathroom and this gorilla came out of there."\nFlav has had some ups and downs with the women in his life, but if he could have anyone he wanted appear on "The Flavor of Love," he says it would be fellow VH1 star Paris Hilton.\n"I've got a crush on her," he admits.\nSeason one concluded with Flav picking a contestant nicknamed Hoopz, but it was revealed in a reunion special several weeks later that things weren't working out between the two and a second season would begin soon. Right now, we know Flav chose Deelishis as his main squeeze, but if things don't work out there, Flav isn't ruling out the possibility of more "Flavor of Love."\n"There may be a third season if things don't work out with me and the winner of season two," he says. "We'll see"
(10/19/06 4:00am)
Want to learn a thing or two about time management? Have a chat with the members of Bloomington's own Magnolia Electric Co. If you can get a hold of them.\nThe group has released four albums within the past year, the most recent being September's Fading Trails. They are in the middle of a 43-city, 52-day tour. Each band member is in a variety of other bands, some with each other. \nAnd now they are returning to Bloomington, where the band was formed. But that doesn't mean they're stopping anytime soon. They're just returning for a concert.\n"I can't wait to play the hometown, we haven't in awhile, and I like the idea of home actually being my home instead of a floor and a sleeping bag when the show is over." Magnolia guitarist Jason Groth writes in an e-mail interview. "It will be great."\nThis Saturday, Oct. 21, the band will be playing at the Art Hospital, 1021 S. Walnut St. The doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are six dollars. \n"I will be at the show, for sure," senior Josephine McRobbie says. "I've seen Magnolia Electric Co. several times, both here in Bloomington and in Austin, Texas, and they are fantastic live. Plus (lead singer Jason Molina's) band is a collection of Bloomington's best musicians."\nFading Trails, as well as the band's other albums, was released on the Secretly Canadian record label, which was started 10 years ago in Bloomington. Magnolia lead singer Molina was the label's first release, and he has stayed with them ever since.\nPrior to Magnolia, Molina played under the name Songs: Ohia. The name was derived from Molina's use of a ukulele on many of his self-released cassette recordings. As an homage to the use of the Hawaiian instrument, he named the series of recordings after the ohia, a Hawaiian tree. \nThe name change from Songs: Ohia to Magnolia Electronic Co. came upon the 10-year anniversary of Molina's contract with Secretly Canadian.\n"We were all in the band when it was called Songs: Ohia. The last Songs: Ohia record was called Magnolia Electric Company, and my impression is that the name change reflected the fact that the band has solidified, in the past, Jason Molina would record and tour with different people constantly and this band has remained the same for four years," Groth writes.\nThe band is currently comprised of Jason Groth on rhythm guitar and back-up vocals, Pete Schreiner on bass, Mike Kapinas on keys and trumpet, Mark Rice on drums and lead singer Molina playing guitar. Magnolia's music and style is sometimes compared to Neil Young, and Groth acknowledges some influence from the folk musician.\n"There have been times when I realize I'm playing a riff or something from a Neil Young song, and, live, we occasionally play off it," Groth writes in an e-mail. "But we also throw in Black Sabbath, and we don't get those comparisons that often."\nThe band's latest album, Fading Trails, is a stunning mix of rock and slow-paced country, with song titles such as "Lonesome Valley" and "Memphis Moon." The lyrics are full of references to wolves, deserts, highways, ghosts and heartbreak.\n"I think it incorporates sounds from everything that Magnolia and Songs: Ohia has done in the past, from the mid-fi demos to the super hi-fi, Steve Albini recorded tracks," Groth writes in an e-mail. "I like how much it varies throughout."\nMagnolia's range of music is almost impossible to pin down, even for the band.\n"I'm not sure how to describe it other than rock and roll. Other people have said it's country rock, others southern rock, to me that's all just rock and roll," Groth writes.\nThe band's Bloomington show is one of the final cities that the band has played on their long and successful 50 date cross-country tour, which might have been dull if not for some playful antics between Magnolia and the band Shearwater. \n"We had a prank war that started by us putting discarded fruit on their antennae and escalated, quickly, to high speed chases and vegetable fights," Groth recalls.\n"They also covered the top of the van with Fruity Pebbles and, unbeknownst to us until it got really hot, stuffed a fish and beef briskit in the chassis. You can imagine what it smelled like when we hit 105 degrees in Phoenix a few days later."\nAlthough the band is touring as Magnolia right now, members have not solely limited themselves to this music venture. Drummer Rice, bassist Schreiner and guitarist Groth make up anotherBloomington-based band The Coke Dares.\n"The three of us in The Coke Dares need to get a couple albums done, so we'll be busy for a while," Groth says. \nMembers of Magnolia are also incorporated with The Impossible Shapes, Ativin, and Panoply Academy. Clearly, they're busy men.\nBut what's next for Groth when the tour finally ends? \n"I plan on coming back to Bloomington and sleeping for a weekend. And then it's back to work for a week"
(10/19/06 4:00am)
Three episodes into its third Season, ABC's "Lost" is showing no signs of becoming the next "X-Files." Sure, the show has its share of mysterious happenings, quirky characters and purposely unexplained plot devices, but, along with being one of the consistently highest-rated (Nielsen, as well as critically) shows on television, "Lost" has finally cemented in place a cult fanbase as in awe and reverence of the show's undeniably attractive cast as it is with its ever-deepening lore.\nStill, there are many "Lost" fans for whom the constant pileup of new unanswered questions has become more frustrating than intriguing. So far this season, we've learned Henry Gale's real name, that James Ford possesses less mechanical knowledge than an average polar bear, and most importantly, that the Others hold regular book club meetings. But what about all the questions, most still lingering from Season One, that the producers and writers have chosen to leave unanswered? Below are 10 of the show's most puzzling, unexplained mysteries, followed by my most educated guess as to their solution as a loyal member of the cult of "Lost."\nQuestion: What exactly is that scary monster made of black smoke prowling the island, killing pilots and ripping trees out of the ground?\nLikely answer: The black smoke is a function of island security that's been given the name Cerberus (as seen on Locke's blacklight map, in reference to the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell in Greco-Roman mythology). As for its composition, Cerberus is made of metallic particles controlled by the island's electromagnetic properties. It was engineered by the Hanso Foundation's Electromagnetic Research Initiative, but its reasons for discretion in choosing victims is unknown.\nQuestion: What is the real significance of Hurley's infamous numbers? 4 8 15 16 23 42... 4 8 15 16 23 42... 4 8 15 16 23 42.\nLikely answer: The numbers are part of the Valenzetti Equation, a mathematical theorem proposed by a Princeton University mathematician named Enzo Valenzetti. Essentially a doomsday equation, Valenzetti designed his theorem to predict the exact number of years until the extinction of the human race. Used in conjunction with the Dharma Initiative's and Hanso Foundation's experiments to elongate and enhance human life, the numbers have become a mantra to those who understand their significance.\nQuestion: Why is there a giant stone statue of a disembodied four-toed foot on the other side of the island? Was there an ancient civilization there at one time?\nLikely answer: The foot is the remainder of a much larger statue built by an ancient civilization wiped out by a extinction-level event in the island's past. The statue was broken apart and mostly washed out to sea by the same tsunami that brought the Black Rock (a slave ship from Season One) to rest in the Dark Territory.\nQuestion: Concerning the Others, what exactly are these people up to, anyway? Are they members of the Dharma Initiative, or is that project defunct, leaving these poor souls behind?\nLikely answer: As recently explained by Ben Linus, most of the Others have lived on the island for their entire life, yet remain connected to the outside world via media outlets. They have no formal connection to the Dharma Initiative, yet understand the importance of the Initiative's experiments, and have continued some of them in its absence. They live in their own village or villages around the island, and have taken it upon themselves to initiate some of the "good" crash survivors into their attempt at a utopian society. Their experiments on those like Walt and Claire are extensions of former Hanso projects, and done presumably to better (and populate) their own society.\nQuestion: How are the Others so connected to the outside world when no one in the outside world can find the island (except when the occasional cataclysmic discharge of electromagnetic energy is released)?\nLikely answer: Once the Dharma Initiative participants abandoned their posts, they kept up communication with the Others and fed them information from the outside world in order to further assist what projects the Others were continuing. Powerful corporate figures such as Charles Widmore, having access to personal information about anyone they chose to investigate, provided the Others with information about the castaways. The Others know how to leave the island if they desire, but would rather live their lives free of the constraints of the modern world. They understand the implications of the Valenzetti Equation, and would rather ride out the end of human existence on their own island.\nQuestion: Does the island have the ability to heal people? If so, why was Rousseau so concerned about the island's ability to make people sick? Is there a correlation between the power that returned Locke the use of his legs and the property that wiped out Rousseau's entire team?\nLikely answer: As told to Rose by Isaac of Uluru, there are places on Earth that emanate a certain energy that can be used to heal sickness and injury. The island is one of those places, and it's powerful electromagnetic fields somehow healed Locke's legs, Rose's cancer, and Jin's sterility. As for the "sickness," it is a false threat concocted by the Dharma Initiative to keep its subjects in check. Rousseau's insistence that it killed her team is due to her evidenced mental instability.\nQuestion: Looking roughly 90 episodes into the future, how can "Lost" possibly come to a satisfying and coherent end?\nLikely answer: It can't, at least not for everyone. There's no way to end a confounding, detailed series like "Lost" without pissing off a certain contingent of its fans. What the writers can do is tie up as many loose ends as possible, conclude as many multi-season character arcs as time will allow and go so far as to either prove or disprove the Valenzetti Equation's forecast. "Lost" will end either with the resolution of each remaining character's validation as a "good person," or with the end of the world as we know it. The former sounds like the best way to end a series of this type, but the latter should never be removed from the realm of possibility.
(10/19/06 3:47am)
Three episodes into its third Season, ABC's "Lost" is showing no signs of becoming the next "X-Files." Sure, the show has its share of mysterious happenings, quirky characters and purposely unexplained plot devices, but, along with being one of the consistently highest-rated (Nielsen, as well as critically) shows on television, "Lost" has finally cemented in place a cult fanbase as in awe and reverence of the show's undeniably attractive cast as it is with its ever-deepening lore.\nStill, there are many "Lost" fans for whom the constant pileup of new unanswered questions has become more frustrating than intriguing. So far this season, we've learned Henry Gale's real name, that James Ford possesses less mechanical knowledge than an average polar bear, and most importantly, that the Others hold regular book club meetings. But what about all the questions, most still lingering from Season One, that the producers and writers have chosen to leave unanswered? Below are 10 of the show's most puzzling, unexplained mysteries, followed by my most educated guess as to their solution as a loyal member of the cult of "Lost."\nQuestion: What exactly is that scary monster made of black smoke prowling the island, killing pilots and ripping trees out of the ground?\nLikely answer: The black smoke is a function of island security that's been given the name Cerberus (as seen on Locke's blacklight map, in reference to the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell in Greco-Roman mythology). As for its composition, Cerberus is made of metallic particles controlled by the island's electromagnetic properties. It was engineered by the Hanso Foundation's Electromagnetic Research Initiative, but its reasons for discretion in choosing victims is unknown.\nQuestion: What is the real significance of Hurley's infamous numbers? 4 8 15 16 23 42... 4 8 15 16 23 42... 4 8 15 16 23 42.\nLikely answer: The numbers are part of the Valenzetti Equation, a mathematical theorem proposed by a Princeton University mathematician named Enzo Valenzetti. Essentially a doomsday equation, Valenzetti designed his theorem to predict the exact number of years until the extinction of the human race. Used in conjunction with the Dharma Initiative's and Hanso Foundation's experiments to elongate and enhance human life, the numbers have become a mantra to those who understand their significance.\nQuestion: Why is there a giant stone statue of a disembodied four-toed foot on the other side of the island? Was there an ancient civilization there at one time?\nLikely answer: The foot is the remainder of a much larger statue built by an ancient civilization wiped out by a extinction-level event in the island's past. The statue was broken apart and mostly washed out to sea by the same tsunami that brought the Black Rock (a slave ship from Season One) to rest in the Dark Territory.\nQuestion: Concerning the Others, what exactly are these people up to, anyway? Are they members of the Dharma Initiative, or is that project defunct, leaving these poor souls behind?\nLikely answer: As recently explained by Ben Linus, most of the Others have lived on the island for their entire life, yet remain connected to the outside world via media outlets. They have no formal connection to the Dharma Initiative, yet understand the importance of the Initiative's experiments, and have continued some of them in its absence. They live in their own village or villages around the island, and have taken it upon themselves to initiate some of the "good" crash survivors into their attempt at a utopian society. Their experiments on those like Walt and Claire are extensions of former Hanso projects, and done presumably to better (and populate) their own society.\nQuestion: How are the Others so connected to the outside world when no one in the outside world can find the island (except when the occasional cataclysmic discharge of electromagnetic energy is released)?\nLikely answer: Once the Dharma Initiative participants abandoned their posts, they kept up communication with the Others and fed them information from the outside world in order to further assist what projects the Others were continuing. Powerful corporate figures such as Charles Widmore, having access to personal information about anyone they chose to investigate, provided the Others with information about the castaways. The Others know how to leave the island if they desire, but would rather live their lives free of the constraints of the modern world. They understand the implications of the Valenzetti Equation, and would rather ride out the end of human existence on their own island.\nQuestion: Does the island have the ability to heal people? If so, why was Rousseau so concerned about the island's ability to make people sick? Is there a correlation between the power that returned Locke the use of his legs and the property that wiped out Rousseau's entire team?\nLikely answer: As told to Rose by Isaac of Uluru, there are places on Earth that emanate a certain energy that can be used to heal sickness and injury. The island is one of those places, and it's powerful electromagnetic fields somehow healed Locke's legs, Rose's cancer, and Jin's sterility. As for the "sickness," it is a false threat concocted by the Dharma Initiative to keep its subjects in check. Rousseau's insistence that it killed her team is due to her evidenced mental instability.\nQuestion: Looking roughly 90 episodes into the future, how can "Lost" possibly come to a satisfying and coherent end?\nLikely answer: It can't, at least not for everyone. There's no way to end a confounding, detailed series like "Lost" without pissing off a certain contingent of its fans. What the writers can do is tie up as many loose ends as possible, conclude as many multi-season character arcs as time will allow and go so far as to either prove or disprove the Valenzetti Equation's forecast. "Lost" will end either with the resolution of each remaining character's validation as a "good person," or with the end of the world as we know it. The former sounds like the best way to end a series of this type, but the latter should never be removed from the realm of possibility.
(10/19/06 3:44am)
The dreaded 'Request Invitation' button - Whitney's Notes
(10/19/06 3:44am)
Want to learn a thing or two about time management? Have a chat with the members of Bloomington's own Magnolia Electric Co. If you can get a hold of them.\nThe group has released four albums within the past year, the most recent being September's Fading Trails. They are in the middle of a 43-city, 52-day tour. Each band member is in a variety of other bands, some with each other. \nAnd now they are returning to Bloomington, where the band was formed. But that doesn't mean they're stopping anytime soon. They're just returning for a concert.\n"I can't wait to play the hometown, we haven't in awhile, and I like the idea of home actually being my home instead of a floor and a sleeping bag when the show is over." Magnolia guitarist Jason Groth writes in an e-mail interview. "It will be great."\nThis Saturday, Oct. 21, the band will be playing at the Art Hospital, 1021 S. Walnut St. The doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are six dollars. \n"I will be at the show, for sure," senior Josephine McRobbie says. "I've seen Magnolia Electric Co. several times, both here in Bloomington and in Austin, Texas, and they are fantastic live. Plus (lead singer Jason Molina's) band is a collection of Bloomington's best musicians."\nFading Trails, as well as the band's other albums, was released on the Secretly Canadian record label, which was started 10 years ago in Bloomington. Magnolia lead singer Molina was the label's first release, and he has stayed with them ever since.\nPrior to Magnolia, Molina played under the name Songs: Ohia. The name was derived from Molina's use of a ukulele on many of his self-released cassette recordings. As an homage to the use of the Hawaiian instrument, he named the series of recordings after the ohia, a Hawaiian tree. \nThe name change from Songs: Ohia to Magnolia Electronic Co. came upon the 10-year anniversary of Molina's contract with Secretly Canadian.\n"We were all in the band when it was called Songs: Ohia. The last Songs: Ohia record was called Magnolia Electric Company, and my impression is that the name change reflected the fact that the band has solidified, in the past, Jason Molina would record and tour with different people constantly and this band has remained the same for four years," Groth writes.\nThe band is currently comprised of Jason Groth on rhythm guitar and back-up vocals, Pete Schreiner on bass, Mike Kapinas on keys and trumpet, Mark Rice on drums and lead singer Molina playing guitar. Magnolia's music and style is sometimes compared to Neil Young, and Groth acknowledges some influence from the folk musician.\n"There have been times when I realize I'm playing a riff or something from a Neil Young song, and, live, we occasionally play off it," Groth writes in an e-mail. "But we also throw in Black Sabbath, and we don't get those comparisons that often."\nThe band's latest album, Fading Trails, is a stunning mix of rock and slow-paced country, with song titles such as "Lonesome Valley" and "Memphis Moon." The lyrics are full of references to wolves, deserts, highways, ghosts and heartbreak.\n"I think it incorporates sounds from everything that Magnolia and Songs: Ohia has done in the past, from the mid-fi demos to the super hi-fi, Steve Albini recorded tracks," Groth writes in an e-mail. "I like how much it varies throughout."\nMagnolia's range of music is almost impossible to pin down, even for the band.\n"I'm not sure how to describe it other than rock and roll. Other people have said it's country rock, others southern rock, to me that's all just rock and roll," Groth writes.\nThe band's Bloomington show is one of the final cities that the band has played on their long and successful 50 date cross-country tour, which might have been dull if not for some playful antics between Magnolia and the band Shearwater. \n"We had a prank war that started by us putting discarded fruit on their antennae and escalated, quickly, to high speed chases and vegetable fights," Groth recalls.\n"They also covered the top of the van with Fruity Pebbles and, unbeknownst to us until it got really hot, stuffed a fish and beef briskit in the chassis. You can imagine what it smelled like when we hit 105 degrees in Phoenix a few days later."\nAlthough the band is touring as Magnolia right now, members have not solely limited themselves to this music venture. Drummer Rice, bassist Schreiner and guitarist Groth make up anotherBloomington-based band The Coke Dares.\n"The three of us in The Coke Dares need to get a couple albums done, so we'll be busy for a while," Groth says. \nMembers of Magnolia are also incorporated with The Impossible Shapes, Ativin, and Panoply Academy. Clearly, they're busy men.\nBut what's next for Groth when the tour finally ends? \n"I plan on coming back to Bloomington and sleeping for a weekend. And then it's back to work for a week"
(10/19/06 3:33am)
Has life ever become so chaotic you wished you could just pause things? Or how about fast forward through things you disliked? It's a thought that has crossed the minds of many and one that director Frank Coraci ("The Waterboy") has been thoughtful enough to bring to life.\nOnce again Coraci teams up with Adam Sandler, who plays Michael Newman, a workaholic husband and father of two. Always caught up with his work, Michael is barely able to find time to spend with his wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and two kids. In fact, Michael is so busy with work, he doesn't have the time to learn the newest technologies, which is why Michael finds himself at Bed, Bath & Beyond looking for an all-in-one universal remote control so that he'll no longer get confused between which remote works the TV and which works the garage door. Michael is directed toward the back of the store, known as "beyond," where he meets Morty (Christopher Walken). Morty, a goofy inventor-type, gives Michael a "universal remote" to solve all of his problems. He gives Michael the remote for free. However, he forewarns Michael the remote cannot be returned. Michael takes the remote and heads home, where he first uses it to turn on the TV -- easy enough. But when the dog starts barking in the middle of the night while Michael is working, he points the remote toward the dog and learns the real magic behind his remote: He can lower the volume of the dog's barking. And away we go.\nAs Michael continues to explore what other uses for which the remote can be used, he realizes he has the key to solving all of his problems in the palm of his hand; it is a universal remote to "control your universe".\n"Click" is a heartwarming movie that stresses the importance of life and making the most of what you have while you have it. And though "Click" is one of Sandler's heavier and more serious movies, it still produces a few good laughs. The movie features a strong supporting cast of Kate Beckinsale, David Hasselhoff, Walken and Henry Wrinkler (who plays Sandler's dad).\nThe DVD's special features -- deleted scenes, the making of, and a comical featurette with Sandler in a fat suit -- may fall short, but for those looking for an enjoyable movie for the entire family, there's no need to look further.
(10/19/06 3:29am)
Last week, Jimmy Buffett was stopped by officials in a private French airport for carrying Ecstasy. Though Buffett loves a party, the alleged drugs were simply vitamin supplements. \nThe Margaritaville Maestro casually admitted that the "drug" bust was really just a buzzkill. \n"My vices these days consist of boat drinks, beer, wine and the occasional hot fudge sundae," the singer posted on his blog. \nWith that in mind, the changes in attitude in Take the Weather With You is an album where nothing remains quite the same. It is tempest brewing together the genres of Buffet's Dixieland past with his current St. Barts state of mind. \nYounger Parrotheads might have expected a sequel to the pop-tinged License to Chill, but Take the Weather With You is a throwback for earlier Buffett fans. The album floats downstream from the island sounds of the Coral Reefer Band, mixed with the Reggae-billy that Buffett invented. It's margaritas in Nashville, with a twist of New Orleans. \nTake the Weather With You has more Opry influence than his recent country collaborations. The first single, "Bama Breeze," still brings Buffett to the bar, but this time, it's for a nostalgic look down the the bottle to his earlier drinking days. Country bars will still play the song, but it won't invoke the same sing-along response as the modern Buffett standard, "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" promises. \nThere are a few songs that extend beyond Buffett's Dixie roots. "Wheel Inside the Wheel" is Buffett's tribute to the Big Easy. With lyrics meant for rebuilding spirit and inspire rebuilding sung over wailing saxophone, it's an anthem in honor of the city's storied past. "Party at the End of the World" is the only track without an obvious southern influence. The title is a double entendre, another clever moment from the king of island kitsch. It invites listeners to join him in Tierra Del Fuego, the southern-most point before hitting Antarctica, right before the earth spontaneously combusts. \nAs always, Buffett spells out his formulaic method of cold drinks, good friends and good music for good times. Take the Weather With You is another chance to pretend you are on the Caribbean sands with a Corona. Take a cue from Buffett: Listen to the album when you tailgate. Sing along and put you arm over your buddy's shoulder. Even though it's 40 degrees out, the sun is shining, and you still have a drink in your hand.
(10/19/06 3:27am)
It's been three years since Robert Randolph and the Family Band released its debut album, which earned critical success and garnered a large fan base. The Orange, NJ. band concocts a potpourri of musical styles, including rock, blues, funk, jam, soul, and gospel. RRFB lives and dies by its frenzied concerts, and Unclassified provided rousing material to bolster those early live shows. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Colorblind.\nA significant change this time around sees a less prominent pedal steel guitar, which is a mortal sin for anyone who has ever heard Randolph play. A couple party numbers include the club-bouncer "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That," which beats to the rhythm of an Outkast tune, while the sexy, suave "Angels" could serve as an aphrodisiac at the same club.\nI would say "Jesus is Just Alright" is the most satisfying song, but that would be too easy. Or would it? After 45 primarily disappointing minutes have passed, "Diane" serves as the Doobie Brothers classic's only competition. Eric Clapton and Randolph shred their way through a slow mid-section on "Jesus," trading licks like they were vying for a Battle of the Bands top spot.\nRobert Randolph and Dave Matthews have collaborated before on DMB's 2005 summer tour. The two acts might be phenomenal stage performers, but they mix worse than oil and water when it comes to songwriting. "Love is the Only Way" is one of those songs that, if played live, will force the audience to clap along because the band seems enthused about the new joint effort.\nAside from the gleaming pedal steel work on "Thankful 'N Thoughtful," listeners have nothing to be thankful for because the song title represents the only lyrics, which can solely be described as thoughtless.\nThe man who once busted out moves on stage that rivaled those of Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson has lost the raw energy on his second trip to the studio. The blistering attitude on Unclassified that catapulted listeners into a possessed state has been exorcised from Colorblind. Unlike Hendrix, Randolph doesn't wrathfully attack his guitar; unlike Jackson, he doesn't scream at listeners to induce hysteria. His live performances are guaranteed to drop jaws and make heads spin, however. Save your money and go see him at the IU Auditorium on November 8.
(10/19/06 3:24am)
"First there came the screams... "\nNot a bad intro for a horror novel, but it also captures the first thing that anyone new to The Blood Brothers will have to deal with: Can you get to like the high, screeching vocals of Jordan Billie and Johnny Whitney or not? Because, make no mistake, the two produce shrieks akin to AC/DC's Brian Johnson being fed into a chipper-shredder. However, just as the Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine buried pop goodies under walls of feedback and white noise, Billie and Whitney's voices provide the challenge one must face in order to better appreciate the band's treasures.\nAnd there are treasures indeed. Five albums in, and the Brothers continue to turn out smart, hooky, multi-faceted punk metal that is oh-so-very pissed off. For its part, Young Machetes manages to straddle a fine line between the relentless sound of 2003's Burn Piano Island Burn and the (relatively) softer, more deliberate style of 2004's Crimes -- the result being somewhat schizophrenic, but often exhilarating. Thus, the album flies from punishing hardcore head-bangers (opening tracks "Set Fire to the Face on Fire" and "We Ride Skeletal Lightning," for example) to swinging, big-bass tunes just slightly reminiscent of Spoon's indie-funk ("Lazer Life," "1, 2, 3, 4 Guitars," "Lift the Veil, Kiss the Tank") to songs that incorporate these elements plus more (the sudden turn into piano and Dresden Dolls-esque drama-queen vocals in "Camoflage, Camoflage"; the nearly-disco post-punk of "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds").\nIf you've looked at the grade though, you've probably worked out that there are, nevertheless, a couple of weaknesses to the Brothers' approach. For one thing, just as white noise can be monotonous, so too can their signature vocals -- once listeners get used to Billie and Whitney's caterwauling, they can get a bit bored with it (to their credit, The Brothers change things up frequently enough to keep this from becoming a big problem). Another is the inherent difficulty with producing "relentless," "punishing" music: It wears the listener out. And while there are some people who could listen to Young Machetes over and over again for days and still feel vibrant, chances are that they represent psychological anomalies. For the rest of us, as good as Young Machetes is, it's like a big shot of caffeine which powers you up in the short term, but leaves you drained later -- and after a couple of listens, the album risks gathering dust on the shelf.\nBut upon re-discovering it, you'll be in for a treat all over again.
(10/19/06 3:19am)
"The Grudge 2" follows the spread of the curse that haunted Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in "The Grudge." The ghostly mother and child are back, but they are less frightening this time around, as they don't have many new tricks. For example, the little boy still meows, but it is no longer as disconcerting as in "The Grudge." His mother's long black hair is still showing up unexpectedly to remind those who have seen her that she will not leave them alone. What's new in this film is that the curse is somehow spreading beyond those who enter the house in Tokyo, where Karen Davis (whose role in this film is minimal) as well as those who did not survive the previous film were exposed to the vengeful ghosts. \nThe film entwines three separate plots. The strongest of the three is concerned with Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn), Karen's sister, who travels to Tokyo to help her sister who is in the hospital and suspected of murder, after the traumatic events of "The Grudge." Aubrey is, of course, targeted by the grudge. What makes her story interesting is that in her quest to stop the curse, she uncovers some back story which does not fully explain the grudge but, at the very least, adds an interesting layer to audiences' understanding of the curse. Unfortunately, Tamblyn's screen presence is lackluster in this film, and despite the films calculated effort to inspire sympathy for her character, she falls pretty flat.\nOutshining Tamblyn is Arielle Kebbel ("John Tucker Must Die"), who plays a schoolgirl lured into the house on a bet from popular classmates. She is a much more sympathetic character and plays her role well. Sadly, her character's action is rather tired and seems for the most part to exist in order to provide the film with filler.\nThe other story line involves an American family which seems to be involuntarily reliving the family conflicts that set the curse in motion. The three storylines eventually converge, if only weakly, for a rather uninspired climax. \nOne cannot help but wonder if the film is divided in such a manor because the screenwriters were unable to come up with an idea for a single plot that could sustain an entire film. On the other hand, the film succeeds in communicating its central idea -- that the curse still exists and is spreading more rapidly than ever. If only it were more entertaining than that.
(10/19/06 3:10am)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if someone like Jon Stewart were president of the United States? Some may argue the world would break out in chaos, while others might say, "Hey, it can't get any worse than our current situation." Writer and director Barry Levinson tries to show what it might be like if a comedian were elected as president. Even if it is a bit far-fetched from reality, most of America, and most politicians, should find this movie enjoyable. \nTom Dobbs (Robin Williams) hosts a late night political talk show, one very similar to Stewart's "The Daily Show". While Dobbs spends his time in front of the camera criticizing the government and its current politicians, an audience member suggests that he run for president in the upcoming election. Ever since that was aired, millions of people expressed their support and encouragement for Dobbs to run, and without much thought, he enters the political race as a candidate for the independent party.\nOf course, this comes as news to Dobbs' long-time manager, Jack Menken (Christopher Walken). But without hesitation, Jack and Tom's producer, Eddie (Lewis Black), work to prepare Tom for his running.\nI found it very refreshing to watch Williams in this film. Seeing that his past few films ("R.V.," "The Night Listener") were disappointments, "Man of the Year" is able to demonstrate that Williams certainly hasn't lost his touch as a funnyman. Also, Walken delivers a fantastic performance, and Black, who often makes appearances on "The Daily Show," was appropriately cast in a role that shares the same views as he does in real life.\nOne disappointment I found with this film is that after about a half hour of jokes, the film took a serious turn. As Laura Linney's character becomes more involved, the film becomes more of a thriller and more serious. However, I would not hold back from recommending this movie; I just think that you need to go into it with the mindset that it's not going to be a hilarious comedy full of non-stop laughter. "Man of the Year" is likely to offend some, but I'm pretty sure both Democrats and Republicans will find this mockery of the government entertaining.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
Many people have been successful with their chosen careers, have turned around and then failed to realize that success isn't always transferable. \nIt seems simple: Dane Cook should stick to stand-up comedy and Dax Shepard should stick to "punking" celebrities. And above all, Jessica Simpson should stick to, well, being Jessica Simpson. It's obvious director Greg Coolidge, who helped with the "Employee" screenplay, put in more effort coming up with corny one-liners than he did casting this movie.\nDane Cook stars as Zack, a young guy living with his grandmother, and works as a box boy at the Super Club. Though Zack is a slacker who has always been content going unnoticed, he becomes fed up when his fellow employee, Vince (Dax Shepard), wins the employee-of-the-month award for the 17th consecutive month. However, it isn't until an attractive cashier, Amy (played by Simpson), is transferred to the store that Zack decides to become more involved at work. After sneaking a look at Amy's file, Zack learns Amy has a thing for guys who are employees of the month, and he immediately starts to put in effort to impress her.\nAt first, Zack uses the support from his buddies and fellow employees to compete with Vince and his supportive sidekick Jorge (Efren Ramirez) to win not only employee of the month, but Amy's affection. But as Zack spends more time with Amy, he sees beyond her good looks and to how much the two really have in common.\nThis movie is predictable. Even though there were a lot of cliché one-liners, I'll admit that there were some moments of the movie that were actually funny. Cook, though better as a comedian, stands out as Zack, but is practically outshined by co-star Shepard. The supporting roles played by Andy Dick, Harland Williams and Efren Ramirez are humorous but nothing out of the ordinary. And Simpson is just not cut out for acting (something made clear after her box office flop, "The Dukes of Hazard"). Simpson seems uncomfortable on the big screen, and throughout most of the movie, she speaks with her jaw locked, barely opening her mouth to say her lines; lucky for her, she has her good looks and low-cut tops to keep the audience's interest.\n"Employee" is good for a few laughs and about two hours of entertainment, but, despite what those predictable commercials say about this formulaic film, don't go run to see it.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
This summer at Bonnaroo, in front of a crowd of roughly 80,000 people, a mellow Beck was joined by a troupe of puppeteers and marionette likenesses of him and his band. He was shy, soft-spoken and unemotional, barely moving at all. Meanwhile, the jumbo screens flanking the stage exploded with psychedelic videos of a puppet Beck and his puppet band. \nHe isn't the same wild dancing, falsetto singing Beck his fans fell in love with. He's a more subdued, stranger version of himself. \nBeck's ninth album, The Information, his second collaboration with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, reflects these changes in Beck's persona. The Information is a more mature, more varied and ultimately a more difficult version of his earlier albums. The grooves of Odelay and Midnite Vultures, the country twang of Mutations, the heavily orchestrated sounds of Sea Change and the Gameboy blip bleeps of Guero -- all of these elements show up in his latest record. Also, Beck embraces the simple beats of grime hip-hop, the lush minimalism of indie rock and the ominous drones of Radiohead.\nThe foreboding atmospheric sounds that permeate through the album, courtesy of Godrich, are at first off-putting. This awkward feeling eventually gives way to a feeling of fulfillment. The Information shows that Beck is growing with his audience. He challenges listeners by quickly shifting between opposing moods and genres. At times, the changes sound forcefully mashed-up to incorporate as many different feels as possible. "Cell Phone's Dead" sounds like a mix of Paul Simon's world music forays, The Streets' awkward rapping and Parliament Funkadelic's bottom-heavy funk. Somehow Beck manages to make this work.\nThe album art also contributes to the confusing elements of the album. There is no printed art. Each CD comes with a set of stickers to decorate the blank cover. This disconnected artwork fits well with the patchwork qualities of the album.\nThe Information is confusing but worthwhile. It's Beck's most intricate and far-reaching album. It won't sit well immediately, but ultimately, it's just as well-crafted as Odelay or Midnite Vultures.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
I'll put it plainly: The Hold Steady are one of the great underground bands of the noughties, and you should get to know their music immediately.\nNow, many of you probably aren't familiar with The Hold Steady yet and, since Boys And Girls In America is their third album, the effort might seem somewhat daunting -- especially when you learn that songwriter Craig Finn has populated their albums with recurring characters, themes and locations. \nBut don't worry, their sound -- big, red-meat, middle-American bar-band rawk -- carries a similar appeal as classic Springsteen. And, on the other stuff -- I'm here to help. So, consider this a very quick and dirty layman's guide:\nThe first thing to know is that every song is a story about "The Scene" -- a world of punk rock, wild parties and lurking violence, all fueled by massive consumption of alcohol and hard drugs. And while The Scene has offshoots in such far corners as Modesto, Calif. (B-side "Modesto Is Not That Sweet") and Western Massachusetts (Boys And Girls' "Chillout Tent"), its capital is Minneapolis, whose bars, squats, churches and shopping malls feature prominently. Now, for all their hedonism and mad adventures, the characters inhabiting The Scene pay a steep price -- ending up physically, emotionally and/or spiritually damaged by their experiences. But then, you only live once -- and like surfers swept up in a tempest only to be battered against the rocks, they get one hell of a ride in-between.\nIn 2004, Almost Killed Me laid out The Scene's basics. In 2005, Separation Sunday was The Scene's version of a Catholic passion play (and introduced three characters: the aging, religious hipster Hallelujah Holly; the shifty street hustler Charlemagne; and the mysterious Denverite Gideon). Now, true to its title, Boys And Girls takes on the subject of love and relationships in The Scene -- which, in a mere 40 minutes, The Hold Steady cover to a stunningly broad extent. From the frustratingly distant lover of "Chips Ahoy!" to the dependence and manipulation of "You Can Make Him Like You" to the sweet (and somewhat goofy) stolen moment between strangers of "Chillout Tent," they go way beyond the typical lust and break-up tropes, even incorporating such secondary themes as addiction, loss of innocence and the divine's appearance in everyday life. And while I suspect that fans will fight interminably over whether Boys And Girls measures up to Separation Sunday (its use of back-up singers will be a major issue of contention), it's nevertheless a satisfying addition to The Scene's chronicles.\nBut most importantly: It really, really rocks.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
Throughout the Decemberists' career, they've fit each record into a series of sailors' tales -- stories featuring gloomy memories of mariners' travels. For the Portland, OR, band's fourth LP (its first on a major label), the U.S.S., or should I say, "Her Majesty's Decemberists" returns from the Pacific Rim to share the tale of the Crane Wife.\nIn short, this Japanese folktale introduces a poor man who attains love and wealth through an act of compassion but loses it in an eventual turn toward greed. Lead singer Colin Meloy's rendition is far more eloquent than mine. His lyrical nimbleness and ability to poetically weave stories through brooding melodies are as strong as ever in this work, rivaling indie storytelling greats like Drive-By Truckers.\nThe Decemberists have always seemed most comfortable dealing with somber subject matter, but never has one of their albums been so absorbed in misery and death than The Crane Wife. Nearly every song, even the upbeat efforts, has a strict return to the mortality theme, like a man whose entire life is sprinkled by inescapable dreary memories.\nThe band was able to adequately tell these stories in prior albums, like Castaways and Cutouts and Picaresque, without compromising the work's flow. In these albums, the band throws listeners through a well-mixed roller coaster of climaxes and bleakness. The Crane Wife appears to be conceived as a piece of chaotic genius, but it came out simply chaotic. The opening 20 minutes of the album include a three-movement, nearly 13-minute epic of a song, "The Island." It's quite the chore for any listener, but hearing Meloy's tale of a pillager finding love is almost worth the effort.\nOverall, Crane Wife's greatest departure from earlier Decemberists' works is its heaviness. Producers Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, the former of Death Cab for Cutie, turn up the amps but are careful not to completely overpower the band's signature accordion and steel pedal guitar. Still, the band's strengths play to these delicate, brooding tones, and songs with too much electric guitar, like "The Perfect Crime No. 2," come across a bit clumsy.\nThe Decemberists succeed in matching their new Capitol Records contract with more palatable compositions -- not to say that they are selling out. In fact, indie fans can take solace in knowing the album's utter disjointedness makes it one of their least accessible works. And it's probably just as well because they're at their best when sailing under the radar.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
Rummaging through my DVD collection to pick out the best films of the past decade, a few heavy-hitters become apparent. "Saving Private Ryan," "Magnolia," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "The Thin Red Line" come immediately to mind, but besting all comers is the Coen brothers' black comic masterpiece "Fargo." Supposedly based on actual events, "Fargo" is nothing if not surreal, yet it anchors itself among the mundane world of the Midwest, showing how murder and greed can corrupt even the most genial locales.\nThe plot is deceptively simple. Mild-mannered car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), in dire financial straits, opts to have his wife kidnapped by hired thugs. They believe the ransom is $80,000, while Jerry tells his rich father-in-law Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell), who will be paying the sum, that the total demanded is far more. Jerry plans to pocket the remainder after giving the thugs their share. Once the first of many bodies piles up, none of this matters.\nSteve Buscemi and Peter Stormare play Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud with a criminal-mindedness that rivals Travolta and Jackson in "Pulp Fiction." While not nearly as likable as that pair, the duo play perfect foils; Carl, a high-strung, loquacious opportunist, and Gaear a calm, silent murderer. Our hero, though, shows up half an hour into the film with morning sickness. Marge Gunderson, a local police chief investigating a few mysterious murders, exudes a totally sincere Minnesotan charm that led Frances McDormand to an Oscar for Best Actress.\nThere are several sequences in "Fargo" with an impact that ranks among the best of modern cinema. The kidnapping of Mrs. Lundegaard is dark comic gold, and Marge's meeting and subsequent revelation involving an old high school friend are positively queasy. Carl's demise via axe and wood chipper, as well as unanswered questions concerning the eventual fate of Wade's body and the Lundegaards' son Scotty, are gut-twisting. Carter Burwell's modestly epic orchestral score and the snowy cinematography by Roger Deakins complement most scenes unforgettably.\nDespite its dark subject matter, "Fargo" has a huge heart by way of Marge and her husband, Norm. During Marge's final exchange with Gaear, she postulates, "There's more to life than a little money, ya know. Doncha know that? And here ya are. And it's a beautiful day." None of the bad guys know that. Jerry, Carl and Gaear are metaphors for a world consumed by its own passive-aggressiveness, and Marge is the ever-elusive panacea. "Fargo" will stand the test of time as an iconic example of when black comedy, social commentary, a pitch-perfect casting job and screenplay all come together.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
Christopher Buckley, the author of "Thank You for Smoking" - the novel on which the movie was based - has a knack for developing character... er, a character that is. I'm referring to Nick Naylor, the main character.\nNaylor is one of the most charismatic characters I've seen in a movie in a long time, while the rest are more or less flat -- which still works since Naylor is so interesting he makes up for the rest (not to mention they provide a nice contrast to the centerpiece). And Aaron Eckhart is perfect for the role, born to play it. For a relatively unheralded actor, Eckhart may now be forever associated with Nick Naylor.\nThe reason I've said Naylor 53 times already is because he is essentially what "Thank You for Smoking" is about. Naylor (I'll try not to say it again for a few paragraphs) is the top lobbyist for big tobacco. He manipulates words so well that he spins evil deeds into acceptable actions, teaches his son how to argue and gets people with cancer to side with the tobacco industry. Needless to say, he spits a good game. The film follows him around as he travels across America, finding ways to spin bad publicity the other way. He's virtually untouchable, until a series of events (including a few romps with a zombie-faced Katie Holmes) alters his life significantly.\nFor a DVD that took awhile to come out (the movie finished running in early summer), it doesn't have a spectacular amount of features. It has director and cast commentaries, deleted scenes, a Charlie Rose interview with director Jason Reitman, Aaron Eckhart and David O. Sacks, a making-of featurette and an 'America: Living in Spin' featurette. The DVD is only 20 bucks in most places, so for the amount you're getting, it's still a good deal. \nThe movie is a funny, exceedingly clever satire that forces you to think and makes some interesting points. Naylor is a character with the ability to get whatever he wants, and even though his job should make him a terrible person, he talks so well, even you as a viewer will end up identifying with him.\n"Thank You for Smoking" was worth seeing, and anything worth seeing is worth having.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
When describing his life's work, director Martin Scorsese once made the astute observation that cinema is "a matter of what's in the frame and what's out." After seeing his latest masterwork, "The Departed," thrice already, I think I can better understand what he meant.\nDon't fret. This is not a glowing review of "The Departed" from a longtime Scorsese devotee. I'll leave that to my esteemed colleague in this issue's Reviews section.\nThis is, however, my attempt to decipher what exactly makes Martin Scorsese, after more than 20 feature films and 40 years in the business, the greatest American film director alive today.\nFace value would suggest this is an easy task. He makes great films, and why not leave it at that? Many of Scorsese's peers, from Spielberg to Malick to Altman, are alive and making great films, too, and yet these directors' films, despite all their inherent style and impact, don't feel quite as vital and organic as a Scorsese picture. This is a filmmaker whose relative failures ("Bringing Out the Dead," "Cape Fear," "Kundun") still runneth over with their maker's wellspring of talent and ideas.\nMy knowledge of Scorsese's filmography begins in the mid-to-late 1970's. I've never seen "Boxcar Bertha" or "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," and it's been years since I watched "The King of Comedy." After watching "The Departed" last weekend, I was inspired to revisit the majority of my Scorsese DVDs. What I began to notice after re-watching "GoodFellas," "Mean Streets," "Casino," "Taxi Driver," Raging Bull," The Aviator" and "Gangs of New York" is how so many aspects of those films showcase Scorsese's personal filmmaking flair in such a way that it resonates with audiences long after they leave the theatre (or power off the DVD player).\nIf anyone deserves as much credit for making Scorsese's films tick, it's his longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker. From her dizzying, almost schizophrenic work in "GoodFellas" to the wonders she works in "The Departed," Scorsese and Schoonmaker's work over the last quarter century has defined the pacing of modern films. Rather than simply editing scenes together in a coherent, logical way, Schoonmaker, instead, cuts for a specific aesthetic effect; often interpolating multiple scenes at once to highlight their combined correlated effects. Working on her first feature film with Scorsese, 1980's "Raging Bull," her cutting of Robert De Niro's boxing scenes made the viewers feel like they were the ones being beaten bloody. In short, the editing in a Scorsese film often achieves that rare effect of making audiences feel the action and the emotions of the characters, for better or worse.\nAlways responsible for the soundtrack selections and music cues in his films, Scorsese has an ability surpassing any director other than Quentin Tarantino for using music as a means to enhance scenarios that would otherwise be mundane or perfunctory. From the traditional Irish immigrant songs used to further authenticate "Gangs of New York" to the drug-fueled amalgam of classic rock that accompanies Henry Hill's run from a helicopter in "GoodFellas," every song is chosen for calculated effect. The cathartic usage of the Dropkick Murphy's Woody Guthrie cover "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" in "The Departed" is further proof that when it comes to making the most of music's massive effect when combined with film, very few if anyone has as sharp an ear as Scorsese.\nMost modern directors use violence for exploitative purposes. Scorsese, contrarily, employs his bullets and blood with operatic effect. When Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver" finally reaches his breaking point, his rampage against a pimp and his brothel plays out like a Greek tragedy of gore. The depiction of Howard Hughes' plane crash in "The Aviator" uses the eccentric icon's own blood as a metaphor for his grandiose failures, and the opening battle in "Gangs of New York" is the closest thing Scorsese has ever filmed to a pure bloodbath; the red vino spurting from the immigrants' veins becoming part of the foundation on which New York City was built.\nBuilding strong relationships with actors must be in the repertoire of any great director, and Scorsese's aptness for this has been evidenced by his close relationships with both Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Aside from coaxing brilliant performances out of these men at every turn, he also built their careers, for which they both owe him major debt. Based on his turns in "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull," De Niro went on to a legendary career that only led him back to Scorsese for his best roles of the 1990's in "GoodFellas" and "Casino." DiCaprio, once given credit only as a teen idol, used roles in "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," and his finest performance ever in "The Departed" as a springboard to a seriously respected dramatic career. With his ability to draw memorable performances out of all of his stars, as well as forge lasting relationships with the best of them, Scorsese has proven himself an actors' director of the highest order.\nMuch has been made of "The Departed" being a return to form for Scorsese, as if to say his only great films are crime yarns. While the crime genre is where he appears to feel most at home, it is certainly not his fallback. Whether working in the realm of biopics ("The Aviator," "Raging Bull"), comedy ("The King of Comedy," "After Hours") or documentary ("The Last Waltz," "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan"), Scorsese brings the same intensity to every project, and can truly be called a renaissance man in the filmmaking realm.\nMy search to pinpoint what makes Martin Scorsese our greatest living American director seems to, after all aspects of sight and sound have been analyzed, come to a halt more so in the realm of the intangible. What he brings to each and every one of his films can be felt, seen and heard on the screen, but at that same time it's sensed as more of a cumulative effect of all those things, with no particular single aspect rushing to the fore.\nIt could simply be supposed that, more than any living American director, Scorsese's deep love of the filmmaking craft finds its way into the frame most successfully. The difference between Scorsese and his contemporaries -- the single aspect of his films that elevates them above the level on which most other directors are working today -- lies in what's in the frame and what's out. \nWhen reminiscing about his youth, Scorsese is often quoted as saying "I just wanted to be an ordinary parish priest." For the sake of the film-going community, let us give thanks that he ultimately chose a different career path.
(10/12/06 4:00am)
If you were to fly a plane over the state of Indiana, every once in awhile, you might think you were in the movie "Signs." An aerial view of the terrain would show elaborate shapes and patterns like a giant patchwork quilt. \nThat's because autumn marks the season of corn mazes -- the human-scale labyrinths beaten through the stalks of farm crops. Though they might look like the crop circle handiwork of aliens from outer space, they're actually the fruits of hard Hoosier manual labor. \nMaze making has a long and winding past. From the Minoan temple at Knossos, prior to, and ever since then, many world cultures have joined in the fascination. Some traditions even had a spiritual aspect connected to the maze, which often incorporated dance and other ceremonies. In European history, garden mazes sculpted out of topiaries and tall hedges were often used to deter unwanted visitors or enemies from castles.\nBut today, mazes have seized even the Western world as an enjoyable family pasttime. Though spiritual and protective purposes may be left behind in previous chapters, there are still educational benefits in mazes, such as map-reading, problem-solving, orientation and logic. \nJust 40 miles from of Bloomington, visitors can scramble through the Poppin Corn Maze, part of the Family Pumpkin Patch in Greenfield, Ind. \nJay Hine and his family own and manage the Family Pumpkin Patch, which provides an array of fall activities, including hayrides, live entertainment, karaoke and the corn maze. \nJackie White, a volunteer at the Family Pumpkin Patch, says Hine incorporated the corn maze into the fall activities of the Family Pumpkin Patch in 2001. The maze provided three miles of paths that were cut into more than 12 acres of corn using GPS. \nWhile the maze was a hit, it only provided patrons with pathways that didn't make for a very challenging maze, White says. \nIn 2002, Hine attended a corn maze seminar and was introduced to the idea of cutting a design into the corn instead of just plain pathways. After the seminar, Hine signed with Shawn Stolworthy of Great Adventure Corn Mazes, which designs and cuts mazes into cornfields, White says. \nThe process of creating a corn maze starts early in the year. To begin, Hine and his family sit down together every January and plan an original design for that year's corn maze. \n"Shawn designs his own mazes as well, but this is a family-owned business and we like to get the whole family involved and come up with our own design," Hine says. \nSome of the previous years' designs that Hine and his family have come up with have included a basketball motif honoring Reggie Miller and, in 2002, when the FIBA Basketball World Championship games were played in Indianapolis, the logo was incorporated in the design.\nAfter creating a concept, Hine meets with Stolworthy in July, when the corn is low, to show him the design and start cutting the corn. \nStolworthy says he uses GPS technology to help with the cutting process. He begins by taking detailed aerial photographs of the area where the corn maze will be located. He then employs a computer program that superimposes GPS coordinates onto the photographs. To cut the corn, Stolworthy drives a tractor according to those GPS coordinates through the field as the last part of the process. The cutting process for the Poppin Corn Maze takes about 48 hours. \n"It's amazing that you can go from a couple aerial shots of a cornfield to a complete corn maze in just 48 hours with this kind of technology," Hine says. \nGloria Burris, also a volunteer at the Family Pumpkin Patch, said that only the corn that is cut is not usable, the rest of the corn is harvested after the corn maze is over, which is Nov. 1. \nThis year, in the spirit of Halloween and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel, the design is an elaborate pirate skull with swords as crossbones, a treasure map and treasure chest covering 4.6 miles of trails in 14 acres of corn. \n"The designs have been very successful, we have a different design each year, and everybody who comes just loves it," Burris says.\nTo play the game, volunteers give each maze patron a map of the corn maze and a punch card. In order to successfully complete the maze, one must find each of the 12 punch posts that are incorporated within the maze and have the card punched each time. \nMore than 5,000 people attempt to find their way out of the maze each year. \n"Some people can do it quickly, while others give up after getting lost a few times," Burris says. \n"We do rescue searches on Monday mornings," White jokes. \nBen Belchoirs, a senior at Butler University and an executive member of the Butler University Student Foundation, attended the maze with the rest of the club last weekend. It is the second year that the organization has come to the Family Pumpkin Patch for a retreat. \n"It's a great place for a retreat," Belchoirs says. "It provides a good opportunity for bonding within the organization, They have a lot of activities the members can participate in together, and afterwards, we can hold our workshops." \nThe Poppin Corn Maze is open on the weekends for five weeks each year, from Sept. 23 to Nov. 1. The maze hours are 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. \nFor more information and directions to the Family Pumpkin Patch, call (317) 281-1573.