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(02/14/08 5:00am)
Vince Vaughn -- comedy's fleshy white everyman, object of admiration for dudes and bros the world over and eager heir to Will Farrell's throne -- should not be considered a sage giver of advice. \nBut sage advice about America, showbiz and even life is exactly what you get in the first minutes of Vince Vaughn's documentary about a comedy tour he organized, the heinously titled "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & Nights -- From Hollywood to Heartland." \nVince's earnest voice-over about "knowing yourself" to make good comedy is the first indicator that the next 90 minutes of pure boredom known as "Comedy Show" will be the least challenging, most rigidly formulaic of documentaries.\nYou'd expect something a little zany or irreverent from a movie about a group of rowdy male comedians. \nWhat you get instead is a half-hearted portrait of the challenges of stand-up comedy. \nWeaving predictably between biography and performance, "Comedy Show" focuses on four comedians hand-picked by Vince to go on the tour in hopes of finding fame and renown. They are Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Sebastian Maniscalco and Bret Ernst. \nThe documentary treads lightly when it comes to getting personal. Instead of the backstage drama that TV culture has come to embrace, we get Sebastian feeling mildly upset after a California audience boos his joke about flip-flops. Instead of a study in male camaraderie, we get the guys' distant, modest endorsements of each other as friends and comedians.\nBlandness aside, the film is at its worst when Vince is schmoozing with the crowd, disingenuousness oozing from the pores under his baggy eyes. But at its best, "Comedy Show" introduces audiences to one comedian who deserves to replace Vaughn in the pantheon of average white guys, and that guy is John Caparulo. \nA scratchy-voiced Clevelander, Caparulo is the only comedian on tour to have developed a distinct persona as a crabby, blue-collar guy who's perpetually out of luck. \nThe film aims for our hearts by way of laughter; instead, it just reminds us that Vaughn needs to make room for better comedians.
(02/07/08 5:00am)
In the race of characters to populate your nightmares, Daniel Day-Lewis' Daniel Plainview surges past Anton Chigurh of "There Will Be Blood" by a nose. Equipped with a shrewd business sense, unending drive and an intense dislike for most of the human race, Plainview is at once sympathetic, perplexing and terrifying. Few actors could pull off such a towering performance. In a film concerned mainly with delineating the rise and fall of the American dream, Day-Lewis' Plainview embodies all that was admirable and terrible in an America bending toward modern industry in the early 20th century.\nEnough talk of Day-Lewis -- he'll get his Oscar. The mastermind behind this gloriously wacked-out film is Paul Thomas Anderson, a man known for coaxing memorable performances out of the great (Day-Lewis), the good (Tom Cruise in "Magnolia") and the mediocre (Adam Sandler in "Punch Drunk Love"). Anderson's cinematic sensibilities perfectly complement this tale of an oilman locking horns with a man of God and his cache of behind-the-scenes collaborators strives to complement its director's talents.\nCinematographer Robert Elswit evokes the spirit of Néstor Almendros and Haskell Wexler's work in Terrence Malick's "Days of Heaven," adding touches of the grimy and mechanical to an otherwise picaresque landscape. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's propulsive, wrenching score crawls up your spine and can't be shaken off. Neither can the societal commentary peppered throughout Anderson's screenplay, based loosely on Upton Sinclair's novel "Oil!"\nPaul Dano's Eli Sunday, the Evangelical minister of a small and oil-rich California settlement, plays both foil and victim to Plainview's inherently atheistic plans for domination of the oil business, and three separate scenes between the men define the story. By the time the seismic final confrontation arrives, both men are broken in their own way, and one asserts his dominance over the other in a manner both poignant and primal.\nAnderson has debuted with four stone-cold masterpieces in a row, each tackling a wide range of subject matter, and each of great import to the evolution of modern cinema. Warning lights typically start flashing when a current filmmaker is compared to the likes of Altman, Kubrick or Malick, but at this point, it's entirely apt to toss Anderson's name in the ring. With "There Will Be Blood," he has fashioned a new kind of epic -- born not just of the blood, sweat and tears of his actors and collaborators, but of the lifeblood of America itself.
(11/29/07 9:18am)
Monroe County Coroner David Toumey has declared IU Student Media Director David L. Adams, an 18-year member of the Indiana Daily Student newsroom professional staff, dead from accidental drowning.\nAdams, who was pronounced dead at 10:37 p.m. on June 2, was found facedown in a koi pond in his backyard.\nThe autopsy report was released Monday at 12:05 p.m. and was performed at Terre Haute Regional Hospital by Vigo County Coroner Dr. Roland Kohr. The autopsy was performed in Terre Haute because the Monroe County Coroner’s Office does not have forensic pathologist. \nToumey said nothing in the autopsy indicated Adams had any heart problems or other previous medical conditions that might have contributed to his death. Toumey also said there was no indication of foul play at the scene.\n“Based on the statements given to me by his partner and statements given to me by police, it is my belief that he was outside (and) may have slipped and fallen,” Toumey said.\nToumey said it only takes a few minutes to drown. He said he believed Adams fell face first into the fish pond and there may have been “a certain level of intoxication present at that time.”\nToumey said he was not sure if that had anything to do with the drowning. He said he would know in four to six weeks, when the toxicology report comes back to his office. He estimated Adams was in his pond 15 to 20 minutes before he was removed from the water.\nAlthough Toumey said he did not list them on the autopsy report, Adams had minor cuts and bruises. Those abrasions may have been sustained while Adams was being pulled out of the fish pond, Toumey said.\nAdams rescued the Arbutus, IU’s yearbook, from financial crisis and was a staunch advocate of First Amendment rights and independent student press that is free of censorship and administrative control. \nHe was 59 years old.
(10/24/07 4:47am)
The Dalai Lama’s weeklong visit to Bloomington began Tuesday with a high security entourage for the Buddhist spiritual leader, who is being considered a head-of-state official. \nSecurity will be especially tight during the leader’s fifth Bloomington visit because of the Chinese government’s anger that he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal last week. \nThe Dalai Lama dedicated the newly renamed Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, located at 3655 S. Snoddy Road, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday. News media was to submit personal information, including social security numbers and addresses, to confirm the safety of the visiting Tibetan spiritual leader.\nBut before the ceremony, the Dalai Lama headed an ecumenical service at St. Paul’s Catholic Center. Security was high as some members, who were scheduled to attend the event, could not get in without permission from U.S. Secret Service officials. \nMongolian journalist Gombo Zoljargal, working for Mongolian National Television during both events, was escorted off the premises of the church parking lot. The IU Police Department officer who took him off the grounds told another police official that Zoljargal worked for “Mongolian National TV” and that he needed to be removed because “we didn’t want to take any chances.” \nZoljargal later said in an interview, while reporting at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, that he asked police why he was being taken off the grounds. He said security treatment was “very bad” to him and that the Cultural Center invited him to report the news. Zoljargal defended himself, saying he did not understand why it was a problem and wanted police officials to be aware of his true nationality.\n“I am Mongolian, I am not Chinese,” he said. \nZoljargal was referring to tensions between China and the United States. Tibetan communist leaders were upset after the Dalai Lama received the Congressional Gold Medal on Oct. 17.\nLisa Morrison, director of media and public relations for the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, said authorities have “heightened awareness (with security) for potential issues because of the controversy with the Chinese government.”\nAccording to a Reuters report, Zhang Qingli, Tibetan Communist Party boss said, “If the Dalai Lama can receive such an award, there must be no justice or good people in the world.”\nCapt. Jerry Minger of the IUPD said the State Department is handling security precautions and instructing all officers of any security issues.\n“They are doing the interior security and interior perimeter,” Minger said. “IUPD is covering all outside perimeter issues.”\nMinger said that every time the Dalai Lama visits Bloomington, talks occur “well in advance to coordinate a variety of logistical, security and contingency plans.”\nMorrison said she could not comment on particular precautions regarding the Dalai Lama because of his head-of-state status.\n“We are as prepared as we would ever be, absolutely,” she said.
(10/11/07 4:00am)
James Brown - "Lost Someone" from Live at the Apollo 1962\nThe hardest-working man in show business showed his versatility and presence in this nearly 11-minute rendition of one of his many classic songs. The young James Brown has the crowd hanging on every word and screaming with delight as he begs his lost love to come back to him.
(10/04/07 4:00am)
Fear, paranoia and infestation abound in this skillful adaptation of Broadway play "Bug" from playwright (and screenplay adaptor) Tracy Letts. Director William Friedkin, who also directed "The Exorcist," provides the audience with all they need to know in the opening two shots of the film: The first is only about two seconds long and consists of a slain man laying in a room covered in tin foil. The second is an aerial shot of vast farmland with a tiny, rundown motel in the middle. As the camera descends on the motel, a transparent shot of a ceiling fan is superimposed onto the shot, and you hear helicopters. \nWithin the first two minutes of the film, the audience is alerted to the threatening nature of life in this motel -- of something bigger, of invasion. Friedkin's camera work is economical and intentional. Though this film reveals itself as a work for the stage in its reliance on symbol and focus on character rather than plot, Friedkin's fixation on images reveals the motifs central to his audience's understanding of this film.\nStructurally, "Bug" is a descent from reality to total paranoia, but it is also an ascent from isolation to union. This movement is executed with commitment and love by Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, an actor who garnered very favorable reviews for his work in the stage version. Judd plays the lonely and ordinary Agnes White, a trailer-trash resident of Rustic Motel in the farmlands of Oklahoma whose room becomes infested; and Shannon portrays Peter Evans, the unsuspecting friend of a friend who Agnes takes in to stave off loneliness. His paranoid worldview fills the voids in Agnes' empty life.\nThis film is scary. The depths of delusion the human mind can reach and the consequences thereof are terrifying. But "Bug" is less about scaring and more about deception and truth, the vulnerability of loneliness and how paranoia is an infestation.\nThe special features are OK. Friedkin's commentary oscillates between insight and plot retelling. There is a conversation with Friedkin about the film industry and the way it has evolved since the 1960s. There is also a little feature called "Bug: An Introduction" in which the cast gushes about Letts' play, the film and the characters; but that's not to say it isn't fun to watch.
(09/06/07 4:00am)
Among us fans of contemporary British rock, it's a common refrain: "Why isn't this band big in America?" Granted, Super Furry Animals could never be "big" per se -- they're too weird -- but in a country where The Flaming Lips and Of Montreal are soundtracking commercials, one could reasonably ask why SFA isn't more popular. After all, for SFA "strange" hardly means "difficult," "overly-intellectual" or "unpleasant" -- their songs are catchy, beautiful and upbeat, even when they're about having "Ice Hockey Hair," speculate whether rocks are secretly alive or are sung entirely in Welsh. If you haven't yet, do yourself a tremendous favor and get a copy of their 2005 collection Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1.\nNow, that said, SFA's latest album, Hey Venus!, is unlikely to finally give them a breakthrough over here. Well, OK, that's partly because it's currently only available as an import -- but, more importantly, it's like a gorgeous six-figure sports car that only packs a tiny four-cylinder engine. That is to say, song after song is pretty and starts off promisingly but doesn't go anywhere. \nNot that it doesn't have wonderful moments. Opening track "The Gateway Song" packs more hooks into 43 seconds than most bands can manage in four minutes and, as the name suggests, leaves you gagging for more. "Neo Consumer" is a shining bit of pop-rock to pogo up and down to. And "Into The Night" offers the charmingly geeky aspects of prog rock (lyrics about flying through the universe, spacey effects) without the filler (12-minute drum solos, etc.).\nBut other tracks too often settle into a groove in their first 30 seconds that they never leave, simply repeating until things wind down. They're still lovely and, for most bands, this would still be enough -- but SFA are capable of so much more.
(09/06/07 4:00am)
5 to 8 percent of people are impervious to the effects of pepper spray. One WEEKEND reporter (who was not lucky enough
to be part of that 5 to 8 percent) took on the task of finding out what it feels like to get a shot of pepper spray in the face.
(08/02/07 1:22pm)
Blake Powers, the former starting quarterback for the IU football team, was arrested Monday on preliminary charges of Class A misdemeanor battery.\nAt 11:05 p.m., Monday, Powers, 22, a senior who is now a tight end, was in a black 2004 Jeep with an Illinois license plate while at the intersection of 10th and Walnut streets, said IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger, reading from a police report. While on North Walnut Street, the vehicle turned onto 10th Street, where Powers, who was seated at the rear-driver side of the vehicle, threw the water-filled balloon at IUPD Officer Paul Wampler, who was turning west at the intersection, Minger said. Wampler was in a private, unmarked vehicle, but was still in uniform.\nWampler had just completed a 3 to 11 p.m. shift and was returning home when the balloon hit his left ear. After being hit with the balloon, Wampler turned his vehicle around to chase the Jeep.\nAccording to the report, the suspects sped up and turned onto Grant Street, then onto Cottage Grove Avenue, where the Jeep turned into the driveway of a home on the 300 block of that road. The Jeep, according to Wampler’s report, attempted to drive into the backyard of the residence but could not because a fence was in the way.\nOnce the vehicle stopped, Wampler got out of his car, and as he was approaching the Jeep, heard one of the males say, “It’s a cop,” Minger said.\nIUPD Officer Garth Van Leeuwen, who had also just finished the same 3 to 11 p.m. shift, saw Wampler turn his vehicle around. He followed Wampler in another personal, unmarked vehicle.\nWhen Van Leeuwen arrived at the scene, he and Wampler advised all four men to step out of the vehicle. Van Leeuwen then told the men that they had hit Wampler with the water balloon. The men apologized to Van Leeuwen, maintaining that they did not realize they were throwing the water balloon at a police officer, Minger said.\nAccording to the report, Powers confessed to throwing the balloon as Van Leeuwen was reading the men their Miranda rights.\nMinger said the officers gave the men portable breath tests for alcohol and found no signs of intoxication. \nPowers was handcuffed and taken to the Monroe County Jail. The other three males were released.\nPolice found two buckets of water-filled balloons in the back seat of the Jeep and a bag with about 50 water balloons in the front seat of the car, Minger said.\nWampler complained of a ringing in his ear while filing the police report, Minger said.\n“They thought it would be fun to hit people or cars with the water balloons and didn’t think it would hurt anybody,” Minger said.\nJeff Keag, a spokesman for IU Athletics, released a statement about the arrest, saying, “We are aware of the situation and any team disciplinary action will be handled internally.”\nPowers’ arrest comes after senior linebacker Adam McClurg and senior offensive lineman Sean Edmundson were arrested for theft after refusing to pay taxi cab fare July 15 in Greenwood, Ind.
(08/01/07 10:33pm)
Blake Powers, the former starting quarterback for the IU football team, was arrested on preliminary charges of Class A misdemeanor battery. \nAt 11:05 p.m., Monday, Powers, 22, a redshirt senior and now a tight end, was in a black 2004 Jeep with Illinois license plates while at the intersection of 10th and Walnut Streets, said IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger, reading from a police report. While on North Walnut Street, the vehicle turned onto 10th Street, where Powers, who was seated at the rear-driver side of the vehicle, threw the water-filled balloon at IUPD Officer Paul Wampler, who was turning west at the intersection, Minger said. Wampler was in a private, unmarked vehicle, but was still in uniform.\nWampler had just completed a 3 to 11 p.m. shift and was returning home when he was hit by the balloon on his left ear. After being hit with the balloon, Wampler turned his vehicle around to chase the Jeep. \nAccording to the report, the suspects sped up and turned onto Grant Street, then onto Cottage Grove Avenue, where the Jeep turned into the driveway of a home on the 300 block of that road. The Jeep, according to Wampler’s report, attempted to drive into the backyard of the residence, but could not because there was a fence in the way. \nOnce the vehicle stopped, Wampler got out of his car and approached the Jeep and heard one of the males say, “It’s a cop,” Minger said.\nIUPD Officer Garth Van Leeuwen, who had also just finished the same 3 to 11 p.m. shift, saw Wampler turn his vehicle around. He followed Wampler, in another personal, unmarked vehicle. \nWhen Van Leeuwen arrived at the scene, he and Wampler advised all four men to step out of the vehicle. Van Leeuwen then told the men they hit Wampler with the water balloon. The men apologized to Van Leeuwen maintaining that they did not realize they were throwing the water balloon at a police officer, Minger said.\nAccording to the report, as Van Leeuwen was reading the men their Miranda rights, Powers confessed to throwing the balloon. \nMinger said the officers gave the men portable breath tests for alcohol and found no signs of intoxication. Powers was handcuffed and taken to the Monroe County Jail. The other three males were released.\nPolice found two buckets of water-filled balloons in the back seat of the Jeep and a bag with about 50 water balloons in the front seat of the car, Minger said.\nWampler complained of a ringing in his ear while filing the police report, Minger said.\n“They thought it would be fun to hit people or cars with the water balloons and didn’t think it would hurt anybody,” Minger said.\nJeff Keag, a spokesman for IU Athletics released a statement about the arrest saying, “We are aware of the situation and any team disciplinary action will be handled internally.”\nPowers’ arrest comes after senior linebacker Adam McClurg and senior offensive lineman Sean Edmundson were arrested for theft after refusing to pay taxi cab fare on July 15 in Greenwood, Ind.
(07/30/07 12:17am)
A Bloomington attorney filed court papers July 19 asking a for a special prosecutor to investigate the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.\nDavid E. Schalk, a criminal defense attorney, according to a motion filed at the Monroe County Circuit Court, is asking for a special prosecutor to investigate “possible criminal activity by members of the Office of the Monroe Prosecuting Attorney including Robert T. Miller and Joseph Lozano” for removing Schalk as defense attorney from a trial.\nSchalk’s claims are in response to documents filed July 9 by County Prosecutor Christopher Gaal, asking the County Circuit Court to appoint a Special Prosecuting Attorney to investigate Schalk's attempt to “orchestrate an independent controlled buy of a controlled substance in an effort to discredit” a witness that was to testify against Chad Pemberton, one of Shalk's clients. Schalk was then removed as Pemberton’s defense attorney by Circuit Court Judge Marc R. Kellams. \nPemberton was charged with two counts of dealing methamphetamine, both felonies, the documents said. Pemberton’s court date was set for July 2 but was stalled due to Schalk’s removal.\nIn the papers filed by Shalk on July 19, he contends that the purpose of the independent-controlled buy would have shown that a confidential informant, whom Schalk was trying to prove was also an active drug dealer on the side, would have helped in clearing Pemberton of his case. Schalk contends in the papers filed that if he could prove that the confidential informant was dealing drugs on the side then the informant also had good reason to give false information to protect himself.\nSchalk is also accusing Miller and Lozano of “abuse of prosecutorial power,” according to the documents.\nAccording to the documents, Miller and Lozano filed papers to prosecute Schalk in order to delay the July 2 speedy trial of Pemberton. Schalk contends that because he would not agree to extend the July 2 trial date, Miller and Lozano threatened to prosecute him.\n“Threatening David Schalk didn’t work so they took their case to the judge, showing him the situation they had created with their threats,” Schalk wrote in a brief in support of motion to expand the duties of the special prosecutor or to appoint a separate prosecutor.\nSchalk, according to the documents, said Miller and Lozano’s idea was to scare Schalk so that he would be afraid to defend himself against an "improper prosecution" and that Pemberton's case would be sacrificed so Schalk could protect himself from any harm.\n"The deputy prosecutors’ (Miller and Lozano’s) ploy worked; the Court removed David Schalk as Chad Pemberton’s lawyer and continued the trial beyond the speedy trial deadline," Schalk wrote in the motion.
(07/24/07 5:13pm)
Alyssa Lampkins woke up at 5 a.m., Saturday, to tend to her show pigs at the Monroe County Fair. Fourteen hours later, she was crowned 2007 Miss Monroe County.\n“I was expecting to be someone of the court, and then I didn’t hear my name called.” Lampkins, a 16-year-old junior at Bloomington High School South, said. “When they said I was queen, I was really, really shocked.”\nThe record-setting 33 contestants faced off for the title of Miss Monroe County, going through one-on-one interviews with contest judges before the actual competition. During Lampkins’ interview, she was asked what celebrity she wanted to be most like. She said she told the judges Carrie Underwood, the Grammy award-winning country singer, because she “strives to achieve, and that’s what I do.”\nContestants went through one round each of swimwear, professional wear and evening wear. Lampkins said she felt most uncomfortable during the swimwear portion of the competition.\n“Because I’m not always comfortable in a swimsuit,” Lampkins said. “I’m used to going to the beach and stuff and not being out in front of a lot of people.”\nLampkins’ mother Cindy was one of the nearly 1,000 people in the capacity crowd in attendance Saturday. Cindy Lampkins said she was surprised when Alyssa told her three months ago that she wanted to compete in the pageant, because Alyssa is not a “frou-frou” type of girl.\n“Alyssa likes barrel racing, horses, showing her pigs and she’s a down-home country girl,” Cindy Lampkins said.\nAlyssa’s family supported her with pink shirts that read, “Alyssa Lampkins is our Fair Queen.” Family and friends said the idea came from Alyssa’s cousin Misty Edwards.\n“I was just thinking of something to embarrass her and to let people around the fair know we were here for her,” Edwards said. “We knew she was going to win though.”\nWhile Lampkins won the 2007 Miss Monroe County competition, Juli Johnston, first-runner up, had the crowd's support. Johnston, a 17-year-old senior at Bloomington High School South, said she made a risky choice for her evening gown but wasn’t sure if it was what cost her the win.\n“This is my first year running,” Johnston said, “so I didn’t know they yelled that loud for other people too.”\nBut Cindy Lampkins knew why her daughter was the obvious winner.\n“She sets goals for herself, and she achieves them,” Cindy Lampkins said. “Alyssa sets her mind to do something, and she follows through with it. Good outcome or bad outcome, she still tries her best.”\nKate Middleton, 2006 Miss Monroe County and an IDS staffer, crowned Lampkins when she was announced the winner.
(07/23/07 1:44am)
The 2007 Monroe County Fair kicked off with the Truck Mud Run at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the Grandstand area of the Fairgrounds.\nThe event was promoted by Paul Karch, owner of Extreme Performance of Evansville.\nThe race began with nine competitors in the mud sling, a Class Six event open to all participants. A mud sling is a competition in which entrants race one-by-one in high-performance vehicles down a mud track. The winner is the competitor with the fastest time.\nGary Hoy, who placed fourth in the class, was the first competitor to go. He revved his engine and pulled up to the starting line slowly, timing his takeoff. Spectators waited with anticipation as they cheered for Hoy to pull off down the 150-foot track.\nThen, with eardrum-shaking revving, Hoy took off and flung the fresh, wet mud into a huge tarp blocking the fence behind him. The crowd cheered loudly as the first race kicked off.\nRichie Bryant, 10, of Solsberry, Ind., attended the event with his father, John. Richie said when the mud hit the tarp, he “thought that was pretty cool.”\n“I really liked it,” Richie Bryant said, “mostly because they sling the mud and most of the cars have NOS.”\nNOS, or nitrous oxide, increases a vehicle’s horsepower and torque so that the high-performance vehicle can have increased speed.\nAaron Baker of Salem, Ind., said he has been racing in mud slings for eight years.\n“People love it for the loud noise,” he said. “That’s the main reason.”\nThe smell of gas and oil filled the air as the race continued and the crowd stood up to cheer each competitor. The revving of an engine could be felt in one’s chest with each new run.\nKarch said this was his company's fourth year doing the event.\n“Anybody can take their old pickup truck and come and play,” Karch said. “You don’t have to be real talented to compete in this sport.”\nSome vehicles, Karch said, had $30,000- to $40,000-worth of high-performance parts. Others had minimums of $4,000 in parts.\n“It’s just a good all-around family sport,” Karch said. “Anybody can bring their stock truck in here or highly modified four-wheel drive and sling a little dirt and have fun at the fair.”\nThe event lasted late into the evening as the Grandstand stadium area filled with hundreds of patrons throughout the five-hour event.\nMary Suriago, Karch’s mother-in-law, was in charge of collecting money in the pit area. While Suriago, who is from Spencer, Ind., said she is not an ardent fan of the sport, she still found herself yelling encouraging words to a racer.\n“I would like to drive it one time,” she said. “I don’t think I’d win, but I’d give him a run for his money though.”
(07/19/07 4:00am)
"The Last Mimzy" offers a good-hearted pastiche of sights and sounds but fails to trigger substantial visual or emotional resonance. Loosely adapted from the 1943 short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett, itself a reference to Lewis Carroll's majestic nonsense poem "Jabberwocky," the modern "Mimzy" centers on the attempts of Noah Wilder (Chris O'Neil) and Emma Wilder (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) to save humanity. \n"Mimzy" opens in the far future, after humankind has successfully prevailed over an unspecified environmental and spiritual disaster. New Earth abounds with wildflowers, looks somewhat like a Swiss cough drop commercial and is populated by refined schoolchildren. Their yogi recounts the story of a master scientist who saved the planet by dispatching Mimzys, toy-rabbits-cum-guiding-emissaries, through wormholes to contact altruistic kinder from Earth's past. \nThe last and final Mimzy, along with its accoutrements of strange rocks and opaline prisms, comes into the possession of Noah and Emma. Soon after, the children develop superhuman intelligence: Noah the ability to speak to bugs and scribble Tibetan mandalas ex nihilo, Emma the more global gifts of heightened intuition and compassion. \nTo a lesser degree, "The Last Mimzy" also grapples, albeit superficially, with the relational dilemmas of David (Timothy Hutton) and Jo (Joely Richardson), the children's parents. Much of this domestic intrigue was cut during editing, but the remnants are available among the DVD extras, along with some benevolent computer games and interesting featurettes on mandalas, quantum mechanics and nanotechnology.\nNevertheless, purists should be cautioned against the movie's promiscuous use of distorted camera angles, at once panoramic and claustrophobic, and its subtle patriarchy (Emma whimpers and plots, while her brother builds a bridge to the future -- "Wonderland" or "Narnia" this movie is not). And while "The Last Mimzy" has a number of poignant moments, it is simply too sanitized to merit higher marks.
(07/17/07 1:26am)
Authorities confirmed a body found Wednesday afternoon in the northeast portion of Griffy Lake to be that of Miles Halstead, 17, of Bloomington, Ind.\nHalstead’s family contacted police the day before to report him missing. Upon completion of an initial search, authorities discovered Halstead’s bicycle near the lake.\nNicole Meyer, Monroe County chief deputy coroner, conducted the autopsy on Halstead and said he was positively identified through dental records. Meyer also said the cause of death at this time was determined to be accidental drowning. A final determination on the cause of death will be made once toxicology reports come back in six to eight weeks.\n“We have not ruled if it was a suicide, and there are no signs of foul play,” Meyer said. “But everything found is consistent with drowning.”\nFriends came to the dog park on North Dunn Street near the site where Halstead’s body was found, which was taped off by authorities. Witnesses reported seeing Halstead’s body in the water, northeast of the dam Thursday afternoon.\nIU senior Tim Meador, 23, was hiking with his two dogs when he and another witness saw Halstead’s body, he said.\n“I just saw a body floating in the water,” Meador said.\nMolly Arnholter, 16, of Bloomington, said she believed the body found belonged to Halstead because of the nature of questions police asked her. She said she and Halstead had stopped dating the day he went missing.\n“I heard the sirens, so I knew that they had found him,” she said.\nArnholter said Halstead’s friends called her to ask if she knew of Halstead’s whereabouts.\nShe said his friends told her Halstead had gone to the lake.\n“So I came here, found his bicycle and I searched for him,” Arnholter said. “And then I camped out here. I never found him. I went back this morning and then I heard the sirens, so I came by.”\nOn Friday afternoon, Sgt. Jeff Canada of the Bloomington Police Department said there was no indication that the teen’s death was a suicide, and that the case is now closed.\n“There was no evidence of foul play,” Canada said. “It was an accidental death consistent with drowning.” \nCanada said Halstead’s family reported him missing at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.\nAccording to reports, the Bloomington Police Department received calls at about 1 p.m., Thursday about Halstead’s body being found. Halstead was then retrieved from the lake nearly four hours later and put into a transport vehicle as authorities blocked the scene with a blue tarp.\nPolice said Halstead’s body was already at “some stage of decomposition.”\nThe Monroe County Dive Team, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington Police Department, Monroe County Coroner’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and Bloomington Fire Department all assisted on the scene Thursday.
(07/16/07 12:02am)
Suspect gets away after car chase\nPolice are looking for a man who resisted arrest from police using a vehicle on July 12.\nAt around 6:19 p.m., police attempted to stop a vehicle on the 1600 block of South Rogers Street for speeding. The driver of the vehicle refused to pull over and led officers on a small pursuit south on Rockport Road, Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report. The suspect then stopped his vehicle and proceeded to run on foot. Officer Joseph Crider chased the suspect but was unable to locate him. Police have information on the suspect and are following up on the case.
(07/14/07 2:42am)
Authorities have confirmed a body found Thursday afternoon in the northeast portion of Griffy Lake to be that of Miles Halstead, 17, of Bloomington, Ind.\nPolice were contacted Wednesday when Halstead’s family reported him missing. At the completion of an initial search, authorities discovered Halstead’s bicycle near the lake. \nNicole Meyer, Monroe County chief deputy coroner, conducted the autopsy on Halstead and said he was positively identified through dental records. Meyer also said the cause of death at this time was accidental drowning. A final determination on the cause of death will be made once toxicology reports come back in six to eight weeks.\n“We have not ruled if it was a suicide, and there are no signs of foul play,” Meyer said. “But everything found is consistent with drowning.”\nFriends showed up to the dog park near the site where Halstead’s body was found on North Dunn Street, which was taped off by authorities. Witnesses were leaving after reportedly seeing Halstead’s body in the water, northeast of the dam on Thursday afternoon.\nIU senior Tim Meador, 23, was hiking with his two dogs, when he and another witness saw Halstead’s body, he said. \n “I just saw a body floating in the water,” Meador said.\nMolly Arnholter, 16, of Bloomington, said she knew it was Halstead because of the nature of questions police asked her. She said she and Halstead stopped dating the day he went missing.\n“I heard the sirens, so I knew that they had found him,” she said.\nArnholter said Halstead’s friends called her to ask if she knew of Halstead’s whereabouts.\nShe said his friends thought Halstead had gone to the lake.\n“So I came here, found his bicycle and I searched for him,” Arnholter said. “And then I camped out here. I never found him. I went back this morning and then I heard the sirens, so I came by.”\nFriday afternoon, Sgt. Jeff Canada of the Bloomington Police Department said there was no indication that the teen’s death a suicide and the case is now closed. \n“There was no evidence of foul play,” Canada said. “It was an accidental death consistent with drowning.”\nCanada said Halstead’s family reported him missing at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. \nAccording to reports, the Bloomington Police Department received calls about Halstead’s body being found Thursday at about 1 p.m. Halstead was then retrieved from the lake nearly 4 hours later and put into a transport vehicle as authorities blocked the scene with a blue tarp. \nPolice said Halstead’s body was already at “some stage of decomposition.”\nThe Monroe County Dive Team, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington Police Department, Monroe County Coroner’s Office, Monroe County Sherriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and Bloomington Fire Department all assisted on the scene on Thursday.\nGriffy Lake prohibits swimming at all times due to conservation efforts, although dogs are allowed to swim in the water.
(07/05/07 5:14pm)
In a report released by Purdue University on Monday, an independent accident reconstruction firm determined several details surrounding the death of Purdue student Wade Steffey.\nSteffey, a Bloomington native and Bloomington High School South graduate, was found dead in a high-voltage utility closet March 19 at Purdue. His death was ruled an accidental electrocution after it was discovered he was trying to retrieve a jacket left inside his dorm. The high-voltage utility closet door he entered was unlocked and not labeled as dangerous.\nThe report concluded that Steffey was intoxicated at the time of his death, and according to the autopsy and toxicology reports, Steffey’s blood alcohol content was below the level considered lethal but above the legal limit for intoxication.\n“Effects of intoxication vary,” the report read, “but at any level above 0.08 percent body coordination difficulties, poor judgment, shortened attention span and difficulty with fine motor control are present.”\nRimkus Consulting Group Inc., who performed the investigation and released the report, was hired by Purdue attorneys Stuart & Branigin in March, according to a press release.\nIn a chronology of events in the report, Steffey arrived at a dorm room at 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, where he was observed consuming alcohol by several people in the dorm. The report also states there were no witnesses who said they saw Wade Steffey consuming alcohol at the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity party on Purdue’s campus, where Steffey was last seen by friends.\nThe report then says that, when Steffey left the party, he called a friend at 12:20 a.m. and inquired as to what he was doing. But seven minutes later, Steffey called a resident of Bloomington, who stated later that Steffey wanted someone to open the front door. The caller did not recognize Steffey’s voice and assumed it was a wrong number. She later learned Steffey was her son’s friend.\nSteffey then made a call at 12:28 a.m. to a fax machine and to a resident in Ellettsville at 12:29 a.m. The resident also assumed the call was a wrong number but also later determined it was Steffey, who she had met in the past.\nThe report further states that Steffey was observed attempting to gain entry into Owen Hall, the residence hall where his body was found, at 12:30 a.m. The witness claimed that Steffey appeared to be intoxicated and refused to let him into Owen Hall. She observed Steffey for 20 minutes and saw him walking around the exit and making several telephone calls on his cell phone. The resident stated Steffey had red stains on the front of his shirt and appeared intoxicated.\nAt the same time, another female Owen Hall resident stated she also saw Steffey near the entrance of the dorm hall talking on his cell phone. She said he appeared to be intoxicated.\nIt is then believed that Steffey went around the building, where he tried to get in through the high voltage room, which was unlocked and not labeled \nas dangerous.\nThere, Steffey made contact with a 2,400-volt transformer with the tip of his left ring-finger. The point of electrocution was measured to have a diameter of 0.88 inches. The electric current entered his body and exited through his left arm and left thigh, killing him instantly.\nAccording to the report, the Indiana Electrical Code’s requirements with regard to accessing electrical vaults is that exposed, live parts such as the one with which Steffey made contact should be enclosed and accessible only by qualified personnel and behind locked doors. The report suggests those requirements were not filled, as it states, “the exterior door to the electrical vault was most probably not adequately secured.”\nThe report also states, “the campus police officer who investigated the door at Owen Hall stated that it was unlocked on the day Wade Steffey was found.”\nAccording to the report, when Steffey’s body was found, his shirt had both brown dust or dirt and a red stain on it. He was not wearing any shoes and there was a tear on the back of his shirt near his right shoulder. His belt was worn incorrectly as the back of the belt was facing forward and twisted into the belt buckle.\nSteffey’s body was shown in illustrations in the report with his left hand positioned on a transformer while his body was draped over a cable, nearly standing up.\nMorgan R. Olsen, Purdue’s executive vice president and treasurer, said Purdue now has "a complete picture of what led up to the unfortunate event.”\n“Unless new information comes to our attention, this study completes the investigation into the circumstances of Wade’s death,” Olsen said.\nA phone call to the Dale Steffey, father of Wade Steffey, was not returned by press time.
(06/14/07 4:00am)
Get acquainted with some of Bonnaroo's \nbiggest artists\nwhether you make it down to the festival or not
(06/13/07 11:22pm)
Hidden in the back roads of Bloomington lays an area for dogs – somewhat of a safe haven for "man's best friend" and pet owners alike. \nBloomington Dog Park, located on the corner of North Old State Road 37 and North Dunn Street, is a fenced, grassy park with plenty of room for dogs to get off their leashes and make friends with other sniffing, panting and playful pooches. \nThe park has a free gravel parking area where owners can leave their cars as they let their dogs roam free to swim in a runoff water pool that pours in from Griffy Lake. Owners also have the option of strolling along the lake and letting their dogs go for a swim to cool themselves off.\nAndy and Maggie Dippell of Indianapolis said they bring their dog Lily to the park whenever they can.\nWhen the Dippells lived in Terre Haute, they loved the dog park so much that they would drive for an hour just to take Lily there. Now that they live in Indianapolis, they still take the hour drive to the dog park.\n"She loves it! She loves it enough that we would drive an hour just to get here so she can play with other dogs," Maggie Dippell said. \nAndy Dippell said they prefer the drive to the dog park in Bloomington since they would usually have to pay for a smaller, more crowded dog park in Indianapolis. Along with the friendly dogs, the Dippells say the people at the park are friendly, too. The pleasant atmosphere is one of the reasons they have been coming to the park since they got Lily from the Humane Society in Terre Haute three years ago.\n"The people who come here are generally laidback, and their dogs are well-behaved," Andy Dippell said. "(At) the other dog parks you have to pay 50 bucks to get in, and those are usually all full-bred dogs – Lily doesn't get looked down upon here because she's a mutt."\nPatrick Kitchens of Bloomington and his dog Leroy, a 1-year-old chocolate labrador retriever, come to the park mostly for Leroy's "champion swimming," Kitchens said.\nKitchens said the dog park is special because it's so close to the urban living area. He said he loves letting Leroy off his leash to interact with other dogs for at least an hour in either the field, the trails alongside the lake or just in the lake itself.\n"Because he's so compulsive about his tennis ball, all he wants to do is just retrieve the tennis ball and go swimming," Kitchens said.\nDavid Jay Sparrow, his wife Sarry Anne and their 2-year-old son Jack have been bringing their 5-year-old yellow labrador retriever Colombia to the park for three years.\n"I've never been in a town that has anything quite like this, where they actually have a reserved place for dogs to do this – so that's a pretty special thing." David Jay Sparrow said.