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(05/10/07 4:00am)
The first "Spider-Man" soundtrack was fairly eclectic, but is best remembered for the execrable "Hero" by Nickleback's Chad Kroger. "Spider-Man 2's" soundtrack was a big, steaming lump of pop-punk and emo straight from the bowels of MTV. So, it was a considerable surprise when word got out that "Spider-Man 3's" soundtrack would be indie-rock dominated. And not just by crossovers like Snow Patrol, The Killers and Wolfmother -- but also such unquestionably indie acts as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Walkmen and The Flaming Lips. So, are we talking about the next "Garden State"?\nWell, no, unfortunately. For a dude who swings from skyscrapers and pummels supervillains, Spidey gets a pretty dull soundtrack, albeit one that's better than the last two.\n"Signal Fire" begins things badly, with Snow Patrol sounding like Coldplay but not as butch. The Killers' "Move Away" offers far more gusto but is undermined by Brandon Flowers' lyrics about people pulling their skin off. Finally, Yeah Yeah Yeahs produce the album's first decent rock song, the stompy, punky "Sealings" (from the "Driver: Parallel Lines" videogame soundtrack), while Wolfmother's "Pleased To Meet You" is a somewhat bland blues rocker. In "Red River," The Walkmen provide a lively example of their barroom-Dylan sound, and, for "Stay Free," Black Mountain does an OK Shins impression. Then, The Flaming Lips offer up "The Supreme Being Teaches Spider-Man How To Be In Love," an exceedingly strange track even for them, with lyrics about Spider-Man fighting Muhammad Ali. And, Simon Dawes' "Scared of Myself" sounds like Elvis Costello doing rock opera.\nSuddenly, Chubby Checker's "The Twist" appears -- apropos of nothing! \nAnd we're back to indie rock again, with Rogue Wave's pretty strummer "Sightlines," and Coconut Records' lo-fi twee-core, "Summer Day." Next, Jet shock the listener by copying The Beatles instead of AC/DC, and Sounds Under Radio apes Snow Patrol. The Wasted Youth Orchestra evokes Elliot Smith doing chamber pop, and The Oohlas close things out with a nice Spector wall-of-sound revival, "Small Parts"\nDespite the soundtrack's highlights, its unremitting glumness gets quite monotonous. Next time, let Venom pick the music.
(04/26/07 4:00am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – What film critic Roger Ebert couldn’t say Wednesday night at the opening of his Overlooked Film Festival, his smile said for him.\nA tracheostomy has left the 64-year-old unable to speak. But at his first public appearance since surgery last June, Ebert smiled widely as he walked through the Virginia Theatre, accepting handshakes, hugs and a couple of standing ovations from movie buffs and friends.\nLast November, confined to a Chicago hospital bed, Ebert considered canceling the festival, said his wife, Chaz Hammelsmith Ebert. But festival officials told them a number of passes already had been sold, and he committed to coming to the festival in Champaign and nearby Urbana, his hometown.\n“You know, I think it did him a world of good,” she said in an interview backstage. “It helped to energize him.”\nEbert, considered the dean of American film critics, has been largely out of action since last summer. He has written occasional reviews, but hasn’t appeared on the “Ebert & Roeper” TV show.\nEbert on Wednesday showed the effects of that first surgery, in which doctors removed a cancerous growth from his salivary gland and right jaw, taking part of the jaw in the process. Two weeks later, a blood vessel burst near the site of the operation, forcing an emergency operation.\nHis mouth often hung open Wednesday night, just above his heavily bandaged neck. And he walked slowly through the 86-year-old movie house where, he said through his wife, he watched “Gone with the Wind” and his father saw Marx Brothers films.\nIn an e-mailed note to reporters and a column in the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this week, Ebert spoke frankly about his appearance, saying he’d been warned by friends that showing up would invite both unflattering photos and unkind coverage.\n“So what?” Ebert wrote. “I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how \nit looks.”\nHe wrote that he now awaits another operation that he hopes will restore his speech.\nFestival organizers set up a brown, leather recliner at the back of the theater for Ebert. He wrote in his column that he needed it for back pain, but said through his wife Wednesday that the recliner served another purpose.\n“I will fulfill a lifelong dream to have my own La-Z-Boy chair in a movie theater,” she read from a statement, to laughter and applause.\nTraditionally, Ebert introduces the movies at his film festival, then leads discussions about them afterward. This year he lined up actors, directors and others involved with the movies to introduce them.\nEbert has been a film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967. He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1975, the same year he teamed up with Gene Siskelof the rival Chicago Tribune to launch their movie-review show. Siskel died in 1999. Ebert has co-hosted the show with fellow Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper since 2000. Film critics and filmmakers have been subbing for Ebert during his recovery.
(04/12/07 4:00am)
Being the great son that I am, I headed back home last weekend to spend Easter with the fam, only to find out I'd be spending the weekend alone. Of all my friends from home, only one opted to make the trip back. And when I called her to see what she was doing, I was notified that she'd be spending her whole Friday night watching her recently purchased "The Complete First Season of Beverly Hills 90210." Sounded good enough to me, I had nothing else to do, but halfway through the night hanging out at the Peach Pit just wasn't cutting it for me. Maybe I couldn't handle that not one seemingly hot rich person didn't have some sort of hidden demons or those disgusting insanely patterned sweaters they loved so much or how awkward Tori Spelling looked back in her teens or how frustrated I got when Brenda couldn't locate Dylan at a hotel (come on, even Zack Morris had a cell phone). I took off early, but wasn't ready to call it a night. I knew there was no chance of any human contact, and suddenly it hit me -- a way to contact my celebrity friends I'd never even thought of before: MySpace. Everyone's on MySpace these days, surely my favorite celebrity friends would be, too. I put my pajamas on, pulled out my laptop and got in bed to have a slumber party with my friends.\nOne problem: I don't have a MySpace account. I'm a devout Facebook follower and have always viewed MySpace as the trashier version. But if I wanted to conduct my experiment, I'd have to cross over to the dark side and make an account. After going through the initial setup, I took out my camera, parted my hair slightly to the left over my eye, held my camera out in front of me, turned my head to the right and titled my chin slightly up to take the obligatory emo profile picture. \nWho would I friend first?! Since I'd been waiting in agony for the last week for the new "Entourage" episodes to start, I figured I'd start with Vinny, Drama, Turtle, E and Ari. Upon locating the "Entourage" page, my brilliant plan suddenly didn't seem so smart. The guys already had 67,586 friends. Clearly I wasn't the first person to have this idea. After adding the group as a friend, I was told I'd have to wait for their confirmation. What the hell? I felt so rejected. At least with Facebook an actual person has to check you out to see if they want to confirm the friendship; here I was trying to look good for a computer. So I moved on to Turtle's profile to find under his dislikes "I hate 'Viking Quest.'" I laughed about this for about five minutes and then noticed my friend request had been confirmed. Sweet.\nNext I decided to hit up Lindsay Lohan. Now Linds and I have hit a rough patch in the last few years, what with all her coke-whore partying, but back in her "Mean Girls" prime, I had quite the crush on La Lohan. No luck, all I could find was a bunch of fan Web sites. I settled for a made-up profile of Cady Heron, but clearly the 12 year-old girl who made this had no idea what she was doing.\nZach Braff's profile was exactly what I was looking for. Not only did he confirm he'd be back for a seventh season of "Scrubs" (YES!!!!!), but his blog was actually pretty funny and made me feel like I was having a conversation with the guy. Plus, he's friends with a bunch of super cool trendy indie musicians, most of whom were on the "Garden State" soundtrack, so I put on my square-rimmed glasses and clicked on one of their profiles. Being a huge Ben Folds fan, I opted for him.\nUnfortunately Ben's profile taught me what I would be learning for the next several hours from other people's profiles. Most celebs only use MySpace for PR purposes. They put up music clips, announce tour dates, offer merchandise, etc. My favorite comedian Sarah Silverman is still plugging her 2-year-old (but still amazing) movie, "Jesus is Magic," Kelly Clarkson offered no news of when we'll all be able to rock out to her new CD, and Britney Spears' profile is as blank as her scalp.\nMy MySpace adventure had clearly peaked. Most of the biggest celebrities (Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Will Ferrell) don't even have profiles, and only a few seem to actually have any involvement with their own site. But then I realized maybe I was shooting too high. For the ultimate MySpace experience, I should be stalking, er, checking up on celebs who scream the epitome of MySpace. I found all the hoochiness I'd been seeking on Fergie's profile. Paris Hilton would surely be dishing dirt on her site, although surprisingly she fell into the album promotion category, which upset me, a.) because it was a wasted opportunity for celeb trash talking and, b.) I completely forgot she released an album, which sucks, because, um, well, I kind of thought "Stars are Blind" was awesome. Teeny Boppers/"High School Musical" stars Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu were all about letting fans know how "deep," "grown-up," and "mature" they are. Fall Out Boy's site felt more like Postsecret.com than a band's Web site. Even K-Fed's still pushing for a career on his Web site. (But where's the look at me now, I'm better than Britney banner across the page?.\nAfter hours of scrolling and clicking, I decided to call it a night. I learned that MySpace is more of an outlet for celebs' publicists, and if I wanted to actually pretend to be their friends and learn things about them, I should stick to their appearances on Letterman and Conan and stay updated through Us Weekly.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After 81 years of war paint and feathered headdresses, the University of Illinois’ controversial American Indian mascot is performing his last dance, but Chief Illiniwek’s image and regalia will continue to be a subject of negotiations.\nThe mascot, whose fate was decided by school officials last week, will take center stage at Assembly Hall for one last performance during Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game between Illinois and Michigan.\nRemoving the chief frees the university of NCAA sanctions after the organization deemed Illiniwek – portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home football and basketball games and other athletic events – an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the school from hosting postseason athletic events.\nThe sanctions, issued in 2005, will end after Wednesday night’s appearance.\n“We knew we were going to have to do something to get off the list,” Lawrence Eppley, chairman of the University of Illinois board of trustees, said after the decision was announced.\nStill, the students who currently portray the chief and their predecessors want the chief’s image and the mascot’s related history to be celebrated by the university, perhaps in a museum.\nAnd merchandise containing images of the chief continues to be made by suppliers and sold by vendors at Assembly Hall and sporting goods stores. No deadline has been set to stop making Illiniwek paraphernalia, which the university is paid for the rights to use.\nThe chief, who debuted in a homemade American Indian costume during an Illini football game in 1926, has been a subject of controversy for decades.\nSupporters see the dancing mascot and his elaborate costume as an honored symbol of both American Indian tradition and Illini sports. Detractors, including some American Indians and university academics, say the chief and his dance are racist and insulting.\nUnder the plan announced last week, the university will still be able to use the name Illini because it’s short for “Illinois,” and the school can use the term “Fighting Illini” because it’s considered a reference to the team’s competitive spirit, school officials said.\nNeither of those ideas sit well with the activists who opposed the chief. They say they next want the university to end the use of the names.\nGraduate student Dan Maloney, who dons the costume at men’s basketball and football games, was to portray the chief for the final dance Wednesday.\nMaloney, along with assistant chief Logan Ponce, a sophomore, even launched legal action to keep the mascot out of retirement, but a judge rejected their request.\nLast Friday’s decision by the school meant that Ponce had already appeared as the chief for the last time.\n“My last performance, my parents were here for that,” he said. “If it was my last, I was happy with it.”
(02/21/07 5:00am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois basketball player Jamar Smith – charged Tuesday with drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident – apparently believed a teammate in the car had died, authorities said.\nSmith, 19, was driving a 1996 Lexus shortly after 11 p.m. on Feb. 12 when it struck a tree in heavy snow. He then drove the car a little over a mile to the apartment complex where he lived in the small town of Savoy.\nBystanders called 911 after seeing the badly damaged car in the parking lot, with Smith’s passenger, teammate Brian Carlwell, still inside, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said. A number of other team members were gathered at the apartment, Rietz said.\n“It appears that Smith was distraught, as he believed Carlwell had died in the crash,” Rietz said in a written statement.\nSmith’s blood-alcohol level was .176 after the crash, more than twice the legal limit of .08, Rietz said.\nRietz said university police investigating the accident found that Smith and Carlwell had been drinking tequila and beer with others at an apartment in his complex, and left just after 11 p.m. The release doesn’t specify where they went.\nSmith lost control of the Lexus – registered to his grandparents – which hit the tree on the passenger side, authorities said.\nCarlwell, 19, suffered a severe concussion and spent four days at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana before being released last Friday. He was well enough to sit on the bench at Sunday’s game against Northwestern at Assembly Hall, and could play in the postseason, basketball coach Bruce Weber has said.\nSmith, a sophomore guard, was taken to the same hospital by unidentified coaches and university police, Rietz said. He was treated for a minor concussion and released early the next morning.\nWitnesses reported seeing the Lexus pull into the apartment parking lot, then saw a tall man wearing University of Illinois sweat pants leave the car and enter the apartment building, leaving an unconscious Carlwell in the car, Rietz said. Shortly afterward, the tall man returned with a second man, then left and went back in the building, she said.\nSmith was not in custody Tuesday, Rietz said. She said he is expected to appear in court at a date to be set. Smith’s attorney, Mark Lipton, was in court Tuesday and not available for comment, his office said.\nIn a written statement, Weber criticized his player but said he is still part of the school’s basketball program.\n“This was a case of extremely poor judgment by Jamar,” Weber said. “He remains a part of our family and needs us now more than ever.”\nAggravated driving under the influence is a Class 4 felony that carries a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. Leaving the scene is a Class 3 felony and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, Rietz said. Someone convicted of either charge, though, could be placed on probation, she added.
(02/14/07 3:05am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Authorities on Tuesday were investigating the accident that injured two Illinois basketball players -- one seriously -- when their car went off the road and slammed into a tree.\nBrian Carlwell, 19, was at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana on Tuesday in serious condition with a severe concussion, Illinois sports information director Kent Brown said. Carlwell previously was listed in critical condition.\nHis teammate, Jamar Smith, was treated at the hospital for a concussion and released after the accident, Brown said.\nPolice cited Smith, a 19-year-old from Peoria, for improper lane usage, Brown said. Campus police say further action is possible pending the outcome of the investigation.\nSmith, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, was driving the car sometime between 11:30 and 11:45 p.m. Monday on the fringe of the campus when it crossed the center line and struck a tree, said Brown and University of Illinois police Sgt. Vanessa Horsman.\n"We're trying to determine why he crossed the street and struck a tree," Horsman told The (Champaign) News Gazette.\nAccording to the National Weather Service, it was snowing heavily in the Champaign area Monday night, but it wasn't known if the weather played a role in the accident.\nBrown wasn't sure what Carlwell and Smith were doing before the crash.\nIllinois coach Bruce Weber spent the night in the hospital with Carlwell.\n"We just hope and pray Brian is going to be OK," Weber said before Carlwell's condition was upgraded.\nCarlwell's parents traveled from their home in Maywood in suburban Chicago to Urbana to see their son Tuesday, Brown said.\nBrown wasn't sure whether the rest of the team had been told of the accident or whether the Illini would hold their scheduled practice later in the day. Illinois practiced Monday night. The Illini are off until they host Northwestern on Sunday. It wasn't known whether either player will be available by then, Brown said.\n"The main concern here is the health of those guys, and not playing status or any of that has been determined," he said.\nWeber canceled his regular news conference, which was scheduled for Wednesday, according to a university news release.\nSmith averages 8.1 points per game for the Illini. Carlwell, a 6-foot-11 freshman center, averages 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.