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(10/12/06 4:00am)
Nate Powell makes comic books. And do not insult him by calling them "graphic novels." He begins with a scene, develops characters and allows imagination to carry him away from the autobiographical and into an accessible story line that turns and tells truths with intelligence and purpose, despite the preconceived notion that comic books are a distasteful and unintelligent medium.\n"There's something about the consumer value of literature — where if it has pictures in it, that automatically devalues the idea," Powell says of the genre, "And it's really sad."\nThrough his comic book creating, Powell adds to his already aesthetic-centered life a contribution to what he sees as a real art and not just popular culture.\nThe life of a comic book writer is likened to that of any struggling artist, in that it commands a day job and a lot of setbacks. Powell's latest release, "Sounds of Your Name," was published by Microcosm Publishing out of Portland, Ore. However, all four thousand copies were tainted by a rare printing malfunction, which led to "grainy and imperfect" illustrations on all 360 pages.\nBecause of the error, the book is sold at less than half-price and comes with a hand-signed apology from Powell and Microcosm and an $8 discount for the republished version of the book. The book will be re-released whenever Powell and his publishers have enough money to republish it. The day when that will occur isn't exactly clear to Powell, but he'll have no trouble keeping busy in the meantime, he says. \nLike many other artists before him, Powell's training involved travel. Powell moved all over the country before graduating from the Visual Arts College of New York with a degree in cartooning. Years later, he moved to Bloomington, where he grew addicted to early morning walks and the local art scene, as well as the social community. \n"One of the things about Bloomington, I find, is that all of my friends who move from Bloomington, move to 'Bloomington' somewhere else," he says. "They get a sense of inertia here occasionally, but they don't really want to move away. They want the same town, just in another state."\nPowell has juggled multiple forms of artistic expression ever since first coming to Bloomington. After settling in, he started his own record label and got a full-time job assisting adults with disabilities. Somehow, when he's not playing with his band, designing cover art for albums, or doing freelance artwork, he finds the time to regularly produce comics.\n"I have a perfect product of art in my life," Powell says. "I've been writing comics at the same time as my theatric, puppet-based band has been touring."\nNearly all the profit he makes from comics goes into his record label.\nHe likens his band "Soophie Nun Squad," whose performance features puppets and song-and-dance routines, to "The Muppet Show." \n"It's lots of costumes and props, very jubilant," Powell says. \nThe concept of "Soophie Nun Squad" sharply contrasts the ideology of his comics, which include narratives of teenage angst and tragedy. While his comic books are filled with harsh language, his ultimate goal for his band is to develop it into an all-ages musical art-based narrative.\n"This is the theater where I can communicate best. I remember the way I thought when I was six, and it's exactly the same as the way I think now," Powell says of his aspirations for the band.\nMeanwhile, his current comic project is a 200-page book titled "Wormwood," which he expects to be released in 2008. One year ago, he had a dream that prompted him to begin working on the Bloomington-based story, which is comprised of fictionalized characters based on actual people in his life and events that occurred during his residence in town. For the release, he has been in discussion with Vertigo/DC Comics, publisher of "V for Vendetta." \nFrank Miller, one of the most respected writers in the industry, the creator of "Sin City," and the author of several "Batman" novels, is one of the thousands of fans of Powell's writing. On the back cover of "Sounds of Your Name," Miller states that Powell "wittily, even surgically, cuts to the bone." He goes on in praise of Powell's graphic style. "Observant, intimate cartooning," he calls it, "anchored with a nice, punchy use of black."\nThis, Powell's most recent comic release, is an anthology of most of his older works, but this week he is heading to a comic book convention in Washington, D.C., to debut a 44-page book titled "Please Release." It is being published by Top Shelf Productions, and has an initial print run of between four and eight thousand.\nPowell is very aware of a bias against comic books as "real" art, but the criticism of his genre does not affect his approach to writing or his content.\n"It's just accessibility versus acceptance. The commonly 'accepted' comics are accepted by the culture, but not accepted as art," Powell says, in reference to superhero comic books and anime, which are associated with fantastical plots and characters.\n"A lot of the difficulty in embracing comic books as literature comes because of difficulty with the format. Having access to the format allows access to the art and allows people to make their own opinion of it." \nPowell expects "Please Release" to be available at Vintage Phoenix Comics and Collectibles and Boxcar Books in Bloomington sometime within the next two weeks, though the official release date is in November.
(10/12/06 3:15am)
Nate Powell makes comic books. And do not insult him by calling them "graphic novels." He begins with a scene, develops characters and allows imagination to carry him away from the autobiographical and into an accessible story line that turns and tells truths with intelligence and purpose, despite the preconceived notion that comic books are a distasteful and unintelligent medium.\n"There's something about the consumer value of literature — where if it has pictures in it, that automatically devalues the idea," Powell says of the genre, "And it's really sad."\nThrough his comic book creating, Powell adds to his already aesthetic-centered life a contribution to what he sees as a real art and not just popular culture.\nThe life of a comic book writer is likened to that of any struggling artist, in that it commands a day job and a lot of setbacks. Powell's latest release, "Sounds of Your Name," was published by Microcosm Publishing out of Portland, Ore. However, all four thousand copies were tainted by a rare printing malfunction, which led to "grainy and imperfect" illustrations on all 360 pages.\nBecause of the error, the book is sold at less than half-price and comes with a hand-signed apology from Powell and Microcosm and an $8 discount for the republished version of the book. The book will be re-released whenever Powell and his publishers have enough money to republish it. The day when that will occur isn't exactly clear to Powell, but he'll have no trouble keeping busy in the meantime, he says. \nLike many other artists before him, Powell's training involved travel. Powell moved all over the country before graduating from the Visual Arts College of New York with a degree in cartooning. Years later, he moved to Bloomington, where he grew addicted to early morning walks and the local art scene, as well as the social community. \n"One of the things about Bloomington, I find, is that all of my friends who move from Bloomington, move to 'Bloomington' somewhere else," he says. "They get a sense of inertia here occasionally, but they don't really want to move away. They want the same town, just in another state."\nPowell has juggled multiple forms of artistic expression ever since first coming to Bloomington. After settling in, he started his own record label and got a full-time job assisting adults with disabilities. Somehow, when he's not playing with his band, designing cover art for albums, or doing freelance artwork, he finds the time to regularly produce comics.\n"I have a perfect product of art in my life," Powell says. "I've been writing comics at the same time as my theatric, puppet-based band has been touring."\nNearly all the profit he makes from comics goes into his record label.\nHe likens his band "Soophie Nun Squad," whose performance features puppets and song-and-dance routines, to "The Muppet Show." \n"It's lots of costumes and props, very jubilant," Powell says. \nThe concept of "Soophie Nun Squad" sharply contrasts the ideology of his comics, which include narratives of teenage angst and tragedy. While his comic books are filled with harsh language, his ultimate goal for his band is to develop it into an all-ages musical art-based narrative.\n"This is the theater where I can communicate best. I remember the way I thought when I was six, and it's exactly the same as the way I think now," Powell says of his aspirations for the band.\nMeanwhile, his current comic project is a 200-page book titled "Wormwood," which he expects to be released in 2008. One year ago, he had a dream that prompted him to begin working on the Bloomington-based story, which is comprised of fictionalized characters based on actual people in his life and events that occurred during his residence in town. For the release, he has been in discussion with Vertigo/DC Comics, publisher of "V for Vendetta." \nFrank Miller, one of the most respected writers in the industry, the creator of "Sin City," and the author of several "Batman" novels, is one of the thousands of fans of Powell's writing. On the back cover of "Sounds of Your Name," Miller states that Powell "wittily, even surgically, cuts to the bone." He goes on in praise of Powell's graphic style. "Observant, intimate cartooning," he calls it, "anchored with a nice, punchy use of black."\nThis, Powell's most recent comic release, is an anthology of most of his older works, but this week he is heading to a comic book convention in Washington, D.C., to debut a 44-page book titled "Please Release." It is being published by Top Shelf Productions, and has an initial print run of between four and eight thousand.\nPowell is very aware of a bias against comic books as "real" art, but the criticism of his genre does not affect his approach to writing or his content.\n"It's just accessibility versus acceptance. The commonly 'accepted' comics are accepted by the culture, but not accepted as art," Powell says, in reference to superhero comic books and anime, which are associated with fantastical plots and characters.\n"A lot of the difficulty in embracing comic books as literature comes because of difficulty with the format. Having access to the format allows access to the art and allows people to make their own opinion of it." \nPowell expects "Please Release" to be available at Vintage Phoenix Comics and Collectibles and Boxcar Books in Bloomington sometime within the next two weeks, though the official release date is in November.
(10/12/06 3:11am)
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.
(10/12/06 3:06am)
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 3:03am)
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 3:01am)
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 2:59am)
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 2:56am)
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 2:54am)
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 2:49am)
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.
(10/05/06 7:54pm)
Joshua Gold began forging notes to get out of school in the fourth grade. He was that guy in your X201 class who rolled into lecture once in a blue moon and called you 10 minutes before a group meeting to say he couldn't come, regrettably ("I've just been really, really sick the past semester or so"). On the eve of I-Core, he dropped out of the Kelley School of Business because, let's face it, who really has the time or energy to study while in college?\nHis resume: lifeguard, pool hand (inspired by a suggestive "Desperate Housewives" episode) and full-time New Jersey Shore beach bum (an occupation he chose during the summer he "didn't feel like working").\nOh, and owner, manager and salad preparation artist of Bloomington's novel eatery, Mixed Greens.\nThe restaurant, which opened in June 2005, serves an array of salads, wraps, smoothies and other health foods. It offers a breakfast menu and an assortment of Splenda-fied treats for those who want to indulge without the extra calories. Since opening, the restaurant has drawn health conscious students, locals and business people to its hip 10th Street and College Avenue location. It's open seven days a week, has a delivery service and on average pulls a couple hundred orders a day.\nNeedless to say, Gold is seeing the green in more places than his salad bar. \nAlthough Mixed Greens is a niche all its own, Gold is just one of the student entrepreneurs in Bloomington. Baked!, Straight2YourDoor.com and Btownmenus.com and Proof Magazine are other businesses run by ambitious students who have sacrificed their free time, social life, and school work to put all of their energy into these enterprises. \nGold, 21, would be a senior were he currently enrolled in any classes at IU. He had aspirations of starting his own restaurant for years and a heart that just wasn't in school. Growing up, his prodigious independence and natural ability as a businessman opened doors for him to make a quick dollar, selling anything from baseball cards to pool supplies. After making a stop at the Mixed Greens in his Morganville, N.J., hometown to curb a case of the munchies two summers ago, he knew it was the one he'd want to mirror his business after. \n"I was hungry and asked my mom if there was anything new in town," he says. "She told me about this place, Mixed Greens. The second I went there, I told the owner I wanted to franchise it because I knew it was the one that would work in Bloomington."\nFrom the beginning, Gold has run a one-man show. While the New Jersey Mixed Greens was his inspiration, Gold didn't just want to copy it: He wanted to expand it, make it bigger and better. He revamped the basic business plans that were handed to him and began negotiating leases with building owners in Bloomington the instant he had the basic logistics figured out. \nWith a loan from his parents (that he affirms he will be able to pay back within the next two years), he started construction for Mixed Greens last year. After getting all his ducks in a row, including picking out paint and primer and working with advertisers and researching prices, his restaurant was ready for the public. However inspiring his story may be, it wasn't an easy ride. Despite experiencing rejection from local landlords and being cast aside as an untrustworthy and inexperienced kid, he finally bought the location he's at now. \nGold reports multiple headaches. He paid twice as much as he should have for the space he owns and hears endless empty promises from different people with whom he works. He missed his spring break. He stayed in Bloomington all summer instead of going home, logging about 80 hours a week. At home he faces the mountains of paperwork he is finally whittling down now that the restaurant has been running smoothly for a few months. Other student entrepreneurs, such as Straight2yourdoor.com's Jason Moldoff, have experienced similar sacrifices. \nMoldoff, an IU alumnus, has been running the food delivery service since last year, and he says his personal sacrifices are extensive. Playing basketball, going to the gym, watching TV and frequenting Bloomington's restaurants for dinner were nothing more than happy memories. His amount of sleep and grade point average declined, and hardships with his girlfriend became the norm. \nMoldoff and student Seth Fishman modeled Straight2yourdoor.com after national companies like Takeout Taxi. Their Web site serves as the liaison between the customer and restaurants that don't traditionally deliver. With Fishman's recent resignation from the business, he is running Straight2yourdoor by himself. \n"Personally, if I found the right person I'd prefer to have a partner," he says. "But if you don't have someone as dedicated as you, it's much better to work alone." \nThere are certainly benefits to working alone. Gold says that the profit he would normally have to cut to a partner go to luxuries like flat screen TVs for the restaurant and top of the line kitchen appliances. \n"It's difficult to run a business and be a student," he says. "You'll never be able to completely run and nurture it while doing both, but you can sustain it and grow it slowly."\nWhile they are two \nseperate entities, Straight2yourdoor.com\nis teaming up with Btownmenus.com in an effort that will help both businesses.\nBtownmenus.com, created by juniors Peter Margulies and Michael Rolland, was what happened when the two friends were sick of ordering from the same places. Motivated by frustration with the lack of options and the opportunity to start something new, the pair made a phone call to a friend at Penn State who was involved in a Web site on which students could view restaurant menus and place online orders for. \n"We knew of this Web site where students could go look at menus from restaurants all over town, see what was open or closed, and then place their order online," Margulies says. "We decided that we wanted to do the same kind of thing and started talking to restaurants around town into being a part of our site." \nA year later, Margulies and Rolland are running a successful business and telling their stories to classes as guest lecturers all over campus.\nThe majority of their time is spent wheeling and dealing with the some 60 restaurants they feature on their Web site. When other students are sleeping soundly until class, Margulies says he is up every day running around town visiting clients, building and maintaining a good reputation, and as always, trying to find ways to expand. \nGaining experience is the common denominator in all of these student-run businesses. While some of these entrepreneurs might have visions of expanding their businesses or leaving them all together when a better offer arises, they have made a name for themselves by pursuing a dream and working to make it happen.\nAnd when other college students and twentysomethings are worrying about where to party or how to balance time between working out and studying, these young businessmen's concerns are keeping the wings they are delivering to clients hot, that perpetual leak in the restaurant bathroom and building a reputation among students, locals and clients. \n"I don't mind the lack of sleep," says Gold, who considers four hours of sleep average. "What sucks the most is sometimes when I get up and turn the shower on, I'm so exhausted that I pass out again, and by the time I wake up the shower has been running for two hours and there's no hot water left."\nBut when he cashes his paycheck on Friday and can add "restaurant owner" to the list of jobs and activities on his resume, a cold shower is not a bad price to pay.
(10/05/06 7:54pm)
This little town amid the cornfields wasn't always a hub for world music. It was made that way by three men who wanted to manifest the spirit and folk tradition that embody the crossroads of America. \nThere were three men in the Bloomington music community that met to discuss the creation of such a music festival, which would bring music of every culture to the town, back in 1996. Three and a half months later, the they had assembled 14 acts from around the world representing what they felt were the best and brightest stars in global music. Only one task remained: Naming the festival.\nLee Williams, a former disco-age DJ, became one of the festival's cofounders and is now its director. He described the naming task as twofold. \n"We wanted to have it in some way be representative of south central Indiana music, but we also wanted it to tie in to the outside world," he says.\nHowever, this crucial task was soon completed when one of the members of the naming committee suggested a double entendre of sorts that incorporated an international symbol of peace, with an Indiana folk music legend.\nThey would call it "Lotus Fest."\nNot just a flower
(10/05/06 7:45pm)
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." Yeah, I wrote that. Sounds deep, huh? Ok, I didn't really write it. I got it off some crappy Web site, but as current film and television trends suggest, as a twenty-something, I would be easily capable of ripping that quote down and taking shameless credit for it.\nLast week I went to see "The Last Kiss." Zach Braff plays a guy who has a quarter-life crisis and seeks one last fling with college co-ed Rachel Bilson. Upon their first meeting, Bilson spews the prophetic words, "The world is moving so fast now that we start freaking long before our parents did because we don't ever stop to breathe anymore," and then places her hand on Braff's heart. Umm... whatever happened to "Hi, my name is Kim, nice to meet you?" Nope, these days we must waste no time with conventional conversation. The world is moving too fast.\nAfter the movie, "Grey's Anatomy" was on, where resident voice of God, Meredith Grey, is always on hand overcoming obstacles and issues. She may not have the answer to all of life's problems, but give her a cool indie rock song to speak over, and she'll provide hope in the form of the almighty voice-over. Then, on "Six Degrees" it was Jay Hernandez's turn to inform us of the magic of New York -- where anything and everything can happen, and everyone is thrilled to be living life to the fullest. Within seconds, Erika Christensen hopped on a speeding street cleaner, threw off her clothes, and screamed into the wind, because hey, ain't life grand? To top it all off, "Garden State" was showing on a movie channel.\nWhat the hell? Why do these people get to live such deep, meaningful lives, while I'm stuck here watching Borat in my pajamas? This was going to change. From that moment, no word would leave my mouth that would not be worthy of a Grey's voice-over. No moment would be wasted lying around doing nothing. There would always be some cool song playing in the background wherever I should venture. I would spew more feeling than a 14-year-old emo kid, blogging away on MySpace after a Jack's Mannequin concert. I have the capability to do so. After all, Rachel Bilson's character was a college sophomore (Hey, me too!) at a Big Ten school (Hey, me too!), who enjoys stalking fathers to be (Hey, me -- er -- scratch that one.)\nI already knew the key components of my quest: Deep voice-overs, cool music (Thanks, Cameron Crowe), aimless walks while looking depressed, lots of rain and eventually, a climb atop some sort of hill after I overcome my barriers, only to scream at the top of my lungs. But there was one thing I was missing: A female companion to make the journey that much more meaningful.\nSitting in my political theory class, I looked at the girl sitting next to me. She was cute and even had a trendy Natalie Portman-ish haircut (not "V for Vendetta style," I'll leave turning into a political revolutionist for next week). This was my chance. While my professor rambled on about Aristotle, I leaned over to her and whispered, "Don't you just feel like they're always teaching us the wrong thing? I mean, yeah, this stuff is interesting, but shouldn't they be teaching us how to laugh, learn, cry and above all things -- how to love?" She looked at me strangely, then buried herself back into her notes. Looks like this would be a solo mission.\nNext, it was time for the slow walk. To a viewer, I would look nearly frozen while everything behind me flew by. To help with the background music, I turned to the shuffle function on my iPod. The first song that came up was "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys. I tried again only to get Smoky Robinson's "Merry Christmas Baby." Future attempts were just as dismal until Green Day's "Time of Your Life" came up. An obvious choice, albeit, cliché, but it'd have to do. As I walked, I realized the trip back to my place took 15-minutes. In 15-minutes, I could cover several plot points. What I needed was a three-minute montage of photos of me and my friends striking funny poses, close-ups of us laughing, and then some sort of freeze-frame with us lying all together. Instead, the next best thing came: the bus. Not only would taking the bus back let me be lazy, but I'd be able to put my head against the window and stare insightfully.\nThroughout the week, I tried to think deep thoughts, but nothing ever came. A road trip would allow me to roll down the window and sing at the top of my lungs, but it was the middle of the week, and missing class was not an option. After all, if in five years I'm going to question where I am, I need the education to get stuck in the dead-end job I hate. Looks like I'll never get to know what it truly means to be a trendsetting, emotion-pouring, fun-loving, problem-solving youth.\nAfter spending hours at the library, I emerged at 2 a.m. only to find it was raining. I put my iPod on, and the song "I Like it," started. "Gonna ride this merry-go-round/ And dance like the night is never ending/ Gonna get so high on life/ You won't be able to bring me down," Natalie Maines belted. This was it, standing in the pouring rain: my life-affirming moment. And then it came to me. It's not worth trying to be something you're not. TV characters are deep because writers get paid to make them that way. If we're always trying to strive for something better than what we have, we'll never appreciate the small things. TV is an escape, and a good one at that, yet we shouldn't try to constantly escape. We'd be escaping from the only thing that's real in our lives. \nHey, wait a minute, that sounded like a voice-over. Mission accomplished!
(10/05/06 7:41pm)
Curious George is a good little monkey, but sometimes, he forgets. And sadly, it looks as though the creators of the "Curious George" DVD also forgot something important, at least to me. They forgot to include a director's commentary.\nNow I understand that its a kid's movie, and kids do not care about director commontaries. But I also know that I used to have a stuffed Curious George. Although I am not sure the current whereabouts of my stuffed friend, I am intrigued by how they turned a classic character into a fun and entertaining movie.\nAnd really, just because the kids might not be interested is no excuse to skimp on commentary.\nEspecially when I bring up my other complaint about the DVD: advertisements. Pop in the DVD and a browser window opens to the Curious George Movie page. True, there are fun games to play, but leave your stinkin' paws off my browser -- oh, wrong monkey movie. I finally get to the root menu of the DVD and click on extras -- only to find a Volkswagen commercial and an ad for Shea Homes -- because they care about the kids, right?\nBeyond those complaints, it is a good DVD. There are a number of games and activities -- I learned some new words, got to paint and learned how to draw George. My drawing almost looked like it might possibly be similar to a drawing of the cute little monkey.\nThere are a few shorter interviews on the DVD that discuss various aspects of the movie, the most interesting of which happens to be the one sponsored by Volkswagen in which they explain the use of rounded edges and bright colors. For the overhead street scenes, when George is playing in the back of the truck, not only is the truck "monkey-friendly," meaning no sharp edges, but the truck is red so that it will stand out from the other vehicles. It sounds like an educational psychologist was asked how children maintain focus, so two thumbs up for the attention to detail.\nThe variety of games will bring me back to play them again, especially the "Where is George?" game because I still can not figure out where the little monkey is hiding.\nTwo thumbs up for the movie, I made sure to see it on opening night and enjoyed it enough to buy the DVD.\nThe DVD is successful, but of course it could be better. The kid in me is satisfied with the number of activities, but the academic in me always wants to know more.
(10/05/06 7:37pm)
"The Lake House" attempts to be romantic. Its lame attempt is as feeble as the concept and rules it creates surrounding time travel. Yes, theories about time travel have their inherent paradoxes, and they can often be overlooked for the sake of a movie's theme and plot, but "The Lake House" is so unnecessarily convoluted and silly that it becomes a distraction.\n"Lake House" opens with a tragic accident in Chicago, which lays bare an impending plot twist without too much audience effort. A lonely doctor named Kate (Sandra Bullock) witnesses this accident, and after taking some advice from a friend, decides she needs some time off, and returns to the lake house her ex-boyfriend bought for them two years ago. She leaves a letter in the mailbox for the new tenant, telling him about paw prints by the front door that need to be painted over. However, the person who receives her mail through the same mailbox doesn't see any paw prints, and this is because he's living in 2004, exactly two years in the past. His name is Alex (Keanu Reeves), and his renowned architect father built the house when he was a young boy. Thus we learn about the significance behind the lake house, and how the lake house's mailbox is a flux capacitor.\nKate and Alex then quickly begin to form a romantic relationship through the letters they exchange by means of the lake house mailbox. Alex hesitates to look for Kate in his time because she wouldn't know who he was and because she would, at that time, be in a relationship. However, he does find her, and they share an intimate encounter although he keeps her future a secret. Now, the easy thing would've been for Alex to mention the encounter to the future Kate, so she'd remember and look for him, but he doesn't. In fact, the characters could've done a hundred different things to make the most of their magic mailbox, but I suppose they didn't want to be too hasty, even though they quickly became involved with each other, and their letter exchanges resembled the pace and informality of an Internet chat room. It would all make your head spin, were it not so easily dismissed.\nFollowing several ups and downs, Alex and Kate's relationship comes full circle at the end of the film, and Kate finds herself at a race against time to save the relationship she has with Alex. Unfortunately, the predictability of the ending made it lack intensity, and in the tradition of mainstream Hollywood cinema, it took no risks. There was no passion in any of the film at all, really, opting instead on catching Kate sulking while Alex fails to plan his actions with any thought or care.\n"The Lake House" is a remake of a Korean film named "Il Mare" which, like most remakes, is probably much better than its American successor. It also adopts themes about waiting and patience from the novel "Persuasion" by Jane Austen. The DVD doesn't have many extras except a theatrical trailer and some outtakes and deleted scenes. I'd skip on this one and rent the Korean version instead. Perhaps "The Lake House" would have worked better if it were a romantic comedy directed by the Farrelly Brothers, but that's not saying much.
(10/05/06 7:35pm)
My Morning Jacket are an amalgamation of many genres, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what they sound like. Phish, Coldplay, Beck, Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd... take your pick. If you like any of the above, then you happen to be in the right place. Okonokos is a sprawling live album, almost two hours worth of sonic landscapes and jams that will make your ears bleed in a soothing way. Southern rock took some shrooms and stumbled onto stage, and this is what you hear. It's some pretty amazing stuff. \nA lot of bands that perform live vomit out a carbon copy of their studio performances. In this case, things are exactly the same to the T. My Morning Jacket puts up their middle fingers to these bands by playing old songs in a brand new fashion. If you've heard the originals, you'll be caught off guard at times, but it's this changing of the guard that makes this album almost a brand new batch of songs. \nThe album is all about feedback and reverb. The recording is solid -- very clear, very clean, but what makes it stand out from other live albums is the haunting effect that is present in the echo of the vocals. There is still a feeling of raw emotion present, but it's nice to have a live album that doesn't sound like shit. \nThese guys have been around for eight years. I've seen bands put out live albums after two full-lengths. The Jacket have enough material under their belts for a couple double-live albums, and it never gets boring. The album is very relaxing at times -- a lot of texture and atmosphere, even hints of country rock. You will get engulfed in sound, maybe even lost, as this sonic scenery progresses. \nHippie music? Stoner music? Well, not necessarily. There is enough variety on this disc to satisfy almost anyone (I say almost anyone because if you're into Justin Timberlake or anything of that caliber, perhaps you're out of luck). The jams are a lot of fun; the quieter songs are haunting and relaxing. You really don't know what to expect. If you're a fan of the band already, you'll be blown away. If you're not a fan, you might become one.
(10/05/06 7:34pm)
"I've talked about a lot things ... I've covered a lot in my 20 years," says Janet, on the opening interlude, "Intro (20)." "But I want to keep things light, I want to have fun." And so begins 20 Years Old, a nod to Jackson's 20 years in the biz since her debut album "Control" came out. \nWith the first several tracks, Janet infuses the same heavy dance beats and bump-and-grind style of her Rhythm Nation days. These "me" songs consist of Janet commanding someone to do the dirty, sexy deeds she's never been afraid to talk about. There's "Show Me" and "Do it 2 Me." After hearing any of those, and the fun "So Excited," one can't help but wonder why they weren't used as the album's first single, instead of the mid-tempo "Call on Me" featuring Nelly. \nNever heard it? No surprise. It's been pretty much absent from the airwaves and was overshadowed by the likes of Fergie, Nelly Furtado and Beyoncé all summer. After her last album, Damita Jo, tanked due to the overblown Superbowl fiasco, Janet's just itching for a comeback. \nThe first several tracks are vivacious, but about halfway through, the album slows down. Instead of being the life of the party, she sounds more content to be just another guest sitting in the corner, tapping her foot with the music. Janet whispers her way through many of these songs, telling her boyfriend she'd like to escape to a private room to do some snuggling and eventually, well, you know. She sings so softly it's hard to recognize that some of the more adult lyrics are actually a bit childish. "I get sensitive when you work/It feels so good when it hurts," she sings on "Take Care." On "Enjoy," we're told to "Just enjoy the simple things/Enjoy the day life brings." That's sweet, Janet, but I'm pretty sure I've seen that embroidered on a small pillow at Hobby Lobby. Luckily, the song's execution doesn't make it sound as corny.\nFor a powerful title like "20 Years Old," and such an extensive career, it's a little disappointing that Janet favors sexuality over self-reflection. There's nothing about how it felt to be hated by half the country for two seconds of television controversy. Or what it's like to be one of music's most successful artists. Nope, the only real mention of her career is joking about her guest spot on "Good Times" back in the 70s. You've got to hand it to Janet, though. No masterpiece, but maybe there's a worthy toast to 20 years in here somewhere.
(10/05/06 7:32pm)
For those unfamiliar with the Scissor Sisters, let's make something clear: If you cannot stomach disco, you should quit reading here. In both Ta Dah and their self-titled debut, the Scissor Sisters vigorously reject disco's death -- as if they're avenging the July 12, 1979 mass-destruction of disco albums at Chicago's Comiskey Park. They aren't just influenced by disco -- they produce hyper-disco; the disco-iest disco on the market, shamelessly geared toward butt-shaking. So, if you think "disco sucks," just assume this album's an "F".\nStill here? Got a pair of platform boots from the thrift store? Busy gluing rhinestones to a jean jacket with a Bedazzler? Got Barry Gibb tied up in your basement, you say? Okay, then you'll like the Scissor Sisters -- although I'd recommend their debut over this one.\nThat advice should come as no surprise to those familiar with the first album -- after all, how could they top their dance-tastic cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb?" And yet, while Ta Dah is a reasonably good follow-up, it falls short on other counts as well.\nFor starters, its first song is also its best. "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" -- co-written by Elton John, and featuring the rocketman himself on piano -- is an absolute floor-burner. The hooks are deadly, the chorus irresistible -- singer Jake Shears' protests against dancin,' when combined with a beat that demands it, produces a dizzy cognitive dissonance. If wedding DJs aren't playing it someday, then I weep for the world. Unfortunately, nothing else on the album quite compares.\nThen there's the fact that while the instrumental side generally screams "party," the lyrics sometimes are surprisingly grim. Plenty of great dance music doesn't exactly beam with sunny happiness -- Gang of Four, Hot Hot Heat, Primal Scream's "XTRMNTR," etc. Yet, in aiming for edgy, the Scissor Sisters hit creepy instead -- in particular, "I Can't Decide" (chorus: "I can't decide/Whether you should live or die"), with its sadistic murder fantasies, could well be on Hannibal Lecter's iPod. This works well for The Cramps, but kind of kills the mood here.\nFinally, though, there's the simple fact that in crafting a more sophisticated sound, Ta Dah loses something of the debut's intensity. Track after track on Scissor Sisters threatened to drag you onto the dancefloor -- Ta Dah is slightly more hesitant, dithering while some bigger, better-looking disco album asks you to dance, and you two end up making hot animal love in the backseat of its car. Damn you for ruining my senior prom!\n... Er, uh, so anyway -- buy it if you like disco.
(10/05/06 7:28pm)
There are people out there who risk their lives to save others; people who are called to duty when things become too dangerous for even the army or navy. Those people serve as rescue swimmers on the United States Coast Guard, which, before the release of "The Guardian", never got the recognition it deserved. Kudos to director Andrew Davis ("A Perfect Murder") who, along with some help from writer Ron L. Brinkerhoff, brought to the big screen a legitimate portrayal of just how much risk rescue swimmers go to on a nearly daily basis.\nThe film starts out fast-paced. In one of the first scenes, we watch Senior Officer Ben Randall (Kevin Costner), lose members of his team and his best friend while on a mission. After the incident, Randall is then given the choice of retiring or moving from Kodiak, Alaska, to Florida to become a teacher and train young students who aspire to be rescue swimmers.\nSince his marriage to wife Helen (Sela Ward) has nearly dissolved, Randall chooses to move to Florida. While training a group of young hopefuls, Senior Officer Randall seems to see a lot of himself in student Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher). And though Randall often singles Jake out, the two are able to create a bond as they learn they have more in common than just their love for rescue swimming.\nKevin Costner is remarkable as Officer Randall. It seems that within the past year, he has made quite the comeback. And I must admit that on the contrary to what you may think (anyone seen "Dude, Where's My Car?"), Ashton Kutcher can, in fact, act. And the supporting cast is strong as well, as we are able to get a realistic look at how much work is put into becoming a member of the USCG.\nI gained a lot of respect for the USCG after watching this movie because, until "The Guardian", I had no idea that the job was so intense and dangerous. I also expected to get nauseated from all of the scenes filmed in the water with large waves, but that wasn't the case at all. "The Guardian" was tastefully shot and put together, and though the ending left me with mixed emotions, I was to happy to have seen it.
(10/05/06 4:00am)
There are people out there who risk their lives to save others; people who are called to duty when things become too dangerous for even the army or navy. Those people serve as rescue swimmers on the United States Coast Guard, which, before the release of "The Guardian", never got the recognition it deserved. Kudos to director Andrew Davis ("A Perfect Murder") who, along with some help from writer Ron L. Brinkerhoff, brought to the big screen a legitimate portrayal of just how much risk rescue swimmers go to on a nearly daily basis.\nThe film starts out fast-paced. In one of the first scenes, we watch Senior Officer Ben Randall (Kevin Costner), lose members of his team and his best friend while on a mission. After the incident, Randall is then given the choice of retiring or moving from Kodiak, Alaska, to Florida to become a teacher and train young students who aspire to be rescue swimmers.\nSince his marriage to wife Helen (Sela Ward) has nearly dissolved, Randall chooses to move to Florida. While training a group of young hopefuls, Senior Officer Randall seems to see a lot of himself in student Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher). And though Randall often singles Jake out, the two are able to create a bond as they learn they have more in common than just their love for rescue swimming.\nKevin Costner is remarkable as Officer Randall. It seems that within the past year, he has made quite the comeback. And I must admit that on the contrary to what you may think (anyone seen "Dude, Where's My Car?"), Ashton Kutcher can, in fact, act. And the supporting cast is strong as well, as we are able to get a realistic look at how much work is put into becoming a member of the USCG.\nI gained a lot of respect for the USCG after watching this movie because, until "The Guardian", I had no idea that the job was so intense and dangerous. I also expected to get nauseated from all of the scenes filmed in the water with large waves, but that wasn't the case at all. "The Guardian" was tastefully shot and put together, and though the ending left me with mixed emotions, I was to happy to have seen it.