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(04/16/08 4:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Beer may be its namesake, but Upland Brewing Company should also be as renowned for its restaurant as for its beer.Amidst unassuming surroundings, Upland Brewing is an off-the-beaten-path gem that has my friends and I already planning our return. The decor is simple, and the atmosphere is casual and fun, with a view of the brewery from anywhere in the main dining room. But it’s the menu that really makes this place work.Pub grub is an oft-ignored genre of food, especially since most drunks will eat just about anything. Upland, however, takes its kitchen as seriously as it does its brewery, with an eclectic mix of tasty beer-inspired foods.There’s the award-winning ales, which pair nicely with traditional pub fare, including soft pretzel bites served with spicy beer mustard; burgers of buffalo, beef, chicken or black beans; and brewery fries that are finger-sized rods of potato softness surrounded by light, crispy beer batter. Those are some of the best fries I’ve had in recent memory – the kind you actually eat slow enough to taste rather than just stuffing into your mouth between bites of burger.Beyond the basics, though, are loads of vegetarian options that go beyond salads and starters, including a contender for best Bloomington sandwich: the Portobello melt, featuring huge grilled mushroom caps, with Swiss cheese, onions, tomatoes and red peppers stuffed between slices of focaccia. There are also pastas, fish dishes, bratwurst, schnitzel and sandwich offerings, including a hand-pulled pork sandwich that was full of smoky flavor, though a little dry for my taste. Paired with a cool, ginger coleslaw and crispy chips, the meal was filling but not stuffing.As the weather (hopefully) warms up, Upland’s patio is a perfect spot to share a drink with friends or sit down for a full meal. The view is less than perfect, but the friendly, attentive service and wealth of options more than make up for it.Plus, enough can't be said about the brewery’s menagerie of beers that constantly expands. From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. this Saturday, the brewery will celebrate the release of its latest – the Infinite Wisdom Tripel.The party will include a performance by local band Muzaic, with proceeds from the beer's sale benefiting local radio station WFHB. Giving back to the community is something Upland is known for, with contributions to a variety of charities. And if that doesn't persuade you to make dinner plans, then you obviously have no heart. Or stomach.
(03/26/08 7:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you’ve ever watched “The Karate Kid” and thought, “This needs more babes and beatings,” check out “Never Back Down.” With a cast of poor-man versions of Hollywood stars – oh, that guy sort of resembles a young Tom Cruise on steroids, and is that one of Kate Hudson’s cousins? – you’ll think you’re watching a combination of “The O.C.” and “Ultimate Fighting Championship” starring kids from the local high school.As if the plot matters, Jake is a sullen teenager who moves with his mom and younger brother from the Midwest to Orlando, Fla., following the death of his father. After being tricked into attending a party where mixed-martial-arts fights go down – think “Fight Club” meets an “American Pie” sequel – Jake is set on a path that leads him to Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou in a wasted role), who becomes Jake’s Mr. Miyagi.As he trains, Jake gains much more than strength. He learns to control his anger, he gets the girl (whose name is inexplicably Baja, as in Baja Gordita) and he comes to the conclusion that problems can be solved and pride proven by beating up his enemies. Even though the script was probably only 20 pages long, I expected more in the way of consequence and resolution. But who needs dialogue when you can fill in with about 30 nondescript pop-punk gems?Even trying to take this movie for what it is – an orgy of violence strung together by a thin plot and anemic dialogue – doesn’t work. The fight scenes offer nothing new, shot using the lamest techniques this side of YouTube. In addition to the aspirin-commercial trick of zooming into X-ray vision on the fighters’ bones, the director also tries to make a really outdated statement about the power of technology by employing handheld-camera shots, cell phones and YouTube videos of fights as transitions.Clearly marketed toward angry, out-of-shape pubescent boys with daddy issues, “Never Back Down” appeals to the lowest common denominator. But even pissed-off, 14-year-old boys won’t be impressed by this one. No, not even by the fight-movie-cliche musical training montage.
(03/06/08 7:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Like a bad wine, no amount of aging can soften the stink of a bad movie. Though “Penelope” sat on the shelves for about two years after its production, it is now painfully clear that the people in charge were merely delaying the inevitable flop of this fractured fairy tale.Certainly not without its merits, “Penelope” is a lovely movie to look at, and the leads are as charming as anyone can be reciting subpar dialogue. But no amount of eyelash batting by Christina Ricci nor sexy smirking from James McAvoy can save this one.Ricci plays the title character, a 25-year-old woman trapped in her own home. Through a long-standing curse on her high-society family, Penelope (Ricci) has come to possess a pig’s snout and ears. Legend has it the curse can only be broken by one of her own kind, so her mother has spent the last seven years ushering in one blue-blooded suitor after another to speak at Penelope through a one-way mirror. Of course, at first sight of the pig nose they immediately jump out the window or run away. That is, until one man (McAvoy) sticks around. From then on, a series of liberating events help the pig-faced girl to strike out on her own and appreciate herself.Though the premise is promising, the movie falls flat. The main problem is that too many stories are being told at once, and they are all over the place – a journalist (Peter Dinklage) will stop at nothing to snap a picture of Penelope, she becomes a celebrity, her mother won’t accept her, gambling is bad, etc. Add in the filmmakers’ strained attempts to make the movie look so whimsical that every element seems at once appropriate and anachronistic, and you have the makings of a straight-to-DVD release.Unfortunately for Reese Witherspoon, who acts in and produces “Penelope,” this is only her second offering post-Oscar. (The other was “Rendition,” which was also a disappointment.) If she doesn’t want to go the “Catwoman” way of Oscar winner Halle Berry, Witherspoon should chuck this from her resume and consider a new agent.
(03/05/08 5:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When confronted by the push-up bra, plastic surgery and painted-on pants, we forget what Dolly Parton is at heart – a talented writer/musician and smart businesswoman who practically invented the pop-country style of stars such as the Dixie Chicks. Now, after a 17-year hiatus from mainstream country, the “dumb blonde” is back to remind you she’s the queen of country.Dolly hasn’t exactly been on a hiatus from making music, but she’s mostly stayed out of the spotlight by returning to her roots and recording bluegrass tunes, with 2001’s Little Sparrow and 2002’s Halos and Horns. Though not necessarily triumphant, her return to the pop-country that she made famous is certainly a proud and welcome one.Backwoods Barbie is the first on her label Dolly Records. Fortunately, Dolly has no Diddy-style star searches planned; she’ll be the label’s only artist.Other than unnecessary oohs and aahs from backup singers and the sometimes mechanical sound of the instruments, the album sounds as good as anything on the country charts today. Nine of the tunes are originals, with the best being “Only Dreamin’” – a wistful lament of lovers lost and the title track. It’s a self-aware nod to her penniless past, about which she reminds us: “Don’t let these false eyelashes lead you to believe that I’m as shallow as I look, ’cause I run true and deep.” There are also two covers on the album worth noting. The countrified version of the Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy” is a mix of synthesizers and banjos that finds Dolly dissolving into a breathy and unhappy down-home disco. Nonetheless, she more than makes up for it with her version of Smokey Robinson’s “Tracks of My Tears.” She can’t hit the high notes like Smokey, but as she croons, “Take a good look at my face / You’ll see my smile looks out of place / If you look closer, it’s easy to trace / The tracks of my tears,” it rings as true as it would if she’d written it herself.The album certainly doesn’t represent Dolly at her best. It isn’t even her best in the last decade, but it’s a testament to her talent that she can stay in the business for nearly 50 years and still matter.
(01/31/08 5:00am)
Just as people don't need any complicated plot coming in and mucking up their porn, I didn't need some sappy, convoluted plot unraveling during my step movie. For those who don't know, step-dancing is the energetic footwork-intensive style of dance coming out of Chicago that has taken the nation by storm. \nWhat looked like a high-energy step-fest from the previews turned out to be a poorly written movie that was sending a moral message at every turn -- remember where you come from, don't do drugs, education is the way to move up in the world, etc. \nFor those who actually care about the plot of this one -- the recycled yarn used in "How She Move" is that Raya is a smart, hard-working student who must quit private school and come home when her older sister dies from a drug overdose. Somehow, the dead sister is to blame for the fact that the family lacks the money to pay for Raya's schooling, but this was never completely explained. \nAs Raya tries to find her place among old friends she left behind, she must also find a way to make enough money to go back to private school in steps, or more accurately, through step. Raya hears of the Stepmonster competition. With prize money of $50,000 looming, she will do anything to get to the contest and win, no matter whom she has to step on -- pardon the pun -- to get there.\nThe plot is innocuous enough, but the movie spends way too much time getting to the dancing. By the time Raya has gone through her problems at school, at home and in her personal life, there's precious little time to showcase the Stepmonster acts. Plus, the man in charge of filming obviously had no idea how to effectively shoot stepping. And as if the bad writing, so-so acting and soft-core step weren't terrible enough, the film quality and lighting are sub-par too.\nA movie about step should provide ooo's and aaa's, not Z's.
(01/24/08 5:00am)
Considering the straight-to-DVD-caliber comedies that are released each year, "The Ten" stands out like a fresh daisy in a pile of rhino crap. From the writer-director who brought you "Wet Hot American Summer," this movie borrows the same brand of perverse, non-sequitur hilarity. And as director David Wain's mother says in the audio commentary, "The Ten" is funny about 70 percent of the time.\nPaul Rudd stars as Jeff Reigert, your average all-American adulterer who is torn between his hot wife Gretchen (Famke Janssen) and girlfriend Liz, played by Jessica Alba, whose presence in this movie is completely inexplicable. For no apparent reason, Reigert's duty is to introduce the movie's audience to each of its 10 stories related to the Ten Commandments. In between widely varied vignettes, Rudd deals with his issues -- an effective way to tie the movie's pieces together.\nThe great thing about this movie is that for the stories that miss -- like Winona Ryder falling in love with a ventriloquist dummy -- there are at least two more that hit -- such as old heroin addicts explaining the lying rhino, which wears short shorts and whose No. 2s produce fresh flowers. \nWith all these different scenes and various types of humor, this movie will definitely need more than one viewing to get all the laughs. \nThe bonus offerings on the DVD are nothing unique, except that the cast and crew of this movie are hilarious. An otherwise ordinary commentary turns into a must-listen, as Wain, co-writer Ken Marino and Rudd are joined by a jazz bassist and Wain's parents via satellite from Cleveland, Ohio. The deleted/extended scenes, which showcase the ensemble's improvisational talents, are almost as funny as the film. The only complaint is that there is no play-all function for these extras. A clip of "Wainy Days," a making-of feature and an interview with Wain, Marino and Rudd round out the extras. \nAlthough the humor of Wain and his buddies may not be everyone's cup of tea, the bottom line is that this movie is funnier and more original than most of the so-called comedies that trickle through the theaters.
(01/10/08 5:00am)
Too bad the title "There Will Be Blood" was taken by that Daniel Day Lewis flick. In this shocking slasher film set to song, so much gore is spilled that the dripping red blood should get top billing.\nWhat might surprise some is that behind this murder and mayhem is a classic musical by Stephen Sondheim. But this is no "West Side Story," folks. The joyous story line and epic song styling of other musicals is absent in "Sweeney Todd," but with the pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp for the nth time, it's no surprise that the dark humor and despair are done masterfully.\nDepp plays Benjamin Barker, a.k.a., Sweeney Todd, a barber convicted of a crime he did not commit. Sent away from London and his wife and daughter for 15 years, Sweeney has returned to Fleet Street, to the room above the meat-pie shop of Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), to avenge the loss of his wife and daughter by any means necessary. The means just happen to be slashing the throats of his patrons. Oh, and there's something about the meat in those pies, as well.\nAs Mrs. Lovett, the baker of the worst pies in London, Carter is fair. Playing a weirdo with wacky hair seems to suit her quite nicely. Sacha Baron Cohen also makes a notable, if brief, appearance as a swindler and seller of magic hair tonic. But, as usual, it is Depp who commands the audience's attention. \nIn his complex channeling of Sweeney Todd, there are glimpses of the morose teenager he played in Edward Scissorhands, but Todd is far more sinister than I have ever seen Depp. Even as he carries the tunes beautifully and elicits laughter from the audience, a shroud hangs over his head that is at once disturbing and endearing -- making a movie that is worth your time and money, even if you aren't the "musical type."\nDon't be intimidated by the compositions. Aside from a few lame songs and a sappy side love story, you almost forget you're watching a musical, as the tunes are dark and humorous and Depp brings such a fantastic interpretation that this is a must-see and a no-brainer contender for Oscar gold.
(12/06/07 5:00am)
Allow me to let a skeleton out of my literary closet. I have never read any of the "Harry Potter" books. Despite this, I have seen each of the silver-screen adaptations. In this fifth installment, the series is at its best. \nAlthough fans have been critical of the fact that this movie is the shortest of the five films and is based on the longest of the first five novels, the movie's pace is perfect and the plot leaves no holes, culminating in the most visually stunning and exciting battle in the entire series. \nRarely is there a dull moment as Harry enters his fifth year at Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic denies Harry's claims that the evil Lord Voldemort has returned, Harry is held back from joining the Order of the Phoenix -- an assembly of witches and wizards who are against Voldemort -- and the newspapers discredit Harry so much that many turn against him. \nHarry must also deal with a host of new characters such as Luna Lovegood, an ethereal kook, and Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Despite her affinity for kittens and Pepto-Bismol pink wardrobe, Umbridge is a witch with a "b" who is determined to squash Harry's efforts to raise a student army to fight Voldemort. \nThe series retains its cohesiveness in this installment, even with the fourth director now tackling the story. Unfortunately, we get no insight into the new director's take on Harry Potter's world. Even with a separate disc of extras, the skimpy four features are more average than special. \nIn one extra, actress Natalia Tena, who plays Nymphadora Tonks, takes us on a tour of the set. In another, filmmakers give a recap of past movies and speculate about the future of the series, which seems a bit silly now that the book series is complete. The coolest of the features is an interactive editing activity in which you can add music and sound effects to a camera shot of your choice. However, the novelty of this quickly wears. \nNow five titles in, it seems the people behind the DVD are resting on their laurels and relying on the Harry Potter name to carry their sales. This is a must-have for obsessive fans, but with only two movies left to be made in the series, most of you would be better off waiting until all they've all been released in a special boxed set.
(12/06/07 5:00am)
The IDS has more turnover than Menudo. When the guard changes each semester, the outgoing editors pack up their red pens and press passes, heralding the incoming staff of young'uns by tossing back a shot of bitterness with a you-don't-know-what-you're-getting-into chaser. \nAnd so it is with this last Last Word that I bid you farewell, fair readers. \nAll joking aside, it's been a great ride -- from toasting 80 years of Nick's to unraveling the tale of a house that screams college -- with sex parties, ghost hunts, jail time, ass-kicking roller girls and the Best of Bloomington filling our features from the semester's first issue to its 14th.\nWe've sacrificed ourselves by listening to some of the year's biggest disappointments from the music industry (Northern State, 50 Cent, Britney Spears) and watching some of 2007's worst movies ("Saw IV," "Rush Hour 3" "Mr. Woodcock"). \nHowever, we've also had the privilege to bring you the best of song (Jay-Z, Iron and Wine, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss) and screen ("Lars and the Real Girl," "Superbad," "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford").\nLike many of us, WEEKEND will start 2008 off fresh. Expect familiar favorites and some new features as well, perhaps even the long-awaited premiere of the new idsnews.com/weekend Web site. \n Though my job here is done, I hope you'll keep coming back for more. That's what she said.
(11/29/07 5:00am)
A catfight in the rain, a belt-and-baby-oil beat-down in a bathroom and a saxophonist on the run from money-collecting goons -- everything you could want in a Christmas movie, and "This Christmas" has all that and more. \nBacked by a talented ensemble cast that will also satisfy everyone's eye-candy desires, "This Christmas" features a handful of plotlines playing out during the Whitfield family's holiday gathering. The matriarch with six children Ma'Dere (Loretta Devine) is delighted when her entire family manages to come together for several days of Christmas activities. \nPeople-pleaser Lisa (Regina King) tries to get the rest of the kids to sell their shares of the family dry-cleaning business while her husband jets off to have an affair. Workaholic Kelli (Sharon Leal) is successful but without a man and college gal Mel (Lauren London) is home from her seventh year of school with another new degree and another new boyfriend. Claude (Columbus Short) is on leave from the Marines but is hiding something, just like his brothers Quentin (Idris Elba) -- a jazz musician running from a $25,000 debt -- and "Baby" (Chris Brown), who has a secret dream that he must hide while he still lives under his mother's roof. \nAlthough they might seem confusing, the different stories play out nicely, with enough attention to each to satisfy but not so much as to let the movie get bogged down in any one story line. However, if character development and a slow unravel is what you're looking for, move on. \n"This Christmas" was exactly what I expected to be, a fun movie with decent acting and great holiday music. When the credits roll, you're left with a neatly resolved package that's wrapped up tighter than a present beneath the tree. And even though you might feel a little silly watching the entire cast do a Soul Train dance line (for the second time during the movie), it reminds you not to take everything so seriously and just sit back and enjoy.
(11/15/07 5:00am)
Vince Vaughn has done it again. And again. And again. And again. \nThe major criticism of Vaughn's work is that he always plays the same character -- a lovable oaf whose wink-and-a-one-liner combination can charm the pants off anyone. Vaughn started the trend with his breakout role in "Swingers" and, save a few detours, he has stayed on that same character path. \nVaughn's latest turn as the title character in "Fred Claus" is more of the same. The movie opens on the birth of Nicholas Claus in a fairy-tale cottage long ago. When the huge baby pops out and says, "Ho ho ho," the family is delighted, and Frederick promises to be the best big brother ever. However, as Nicholas becomes known for his giving nature, Frederick grows bitter. \nFlash forward to present day. Fred is a repo man; Nick (Paul Giamatti) is Santa Claus. Fred hates his family, but through a series of events he is forced to visit the North Pole for the first time. Throw in an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey), a love-struck elf, an orphan who wants a puppy and an injured Santa, and you have a recipe for fun. \nThe movie's problem is that it contains so few surprises. Sure, Vaughn's one-liners keep the movie rolling, but there is no spark. Had "Fred Claus" gone the way of "Bad Santa" instead of pimping the same old Santa myth and the importance of family and forgiveness, it might have been a winner. Instead, it's a mediocre feel-good flop. \nEven the "special" effects are lame. Take, for example, a laughable scene in which a trail of light darts through stock film shots of skyways to show that Santa's sleigh is traveling around the world. The most disturbing effect, however, is the superimposing of average-sized actors' faces on the heads of little people. Ludacris as an elf-DJ is both creepy and distracting. \nI wasn't expecting "Fred Claus" to be a revelation in the film industry or in Vaughn's career, but I just hope at this point he's exhausted every possible role in which he says, "Let's get hopped up and make some bad decisions." Kids will love "Fred" and parents won't mind seeing it with them, but if Vaughn doesn't change his momentum, this could be the nail in the coffin of his career.
(11/15/07 5:00am)
What Pixar's first film "Toy Story" did to show the plight of the common child's toy, "Ratatouille" does for the rat. OK, not quite. But Pixar does continue its trend of giving the audience the viewpoint of characters not often seen in film. And, as usual, the result is practically flawless.\nRemy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) is a rat with a heightened sense of taste and smell. Having seen the late French chef Gusteau on TV, he decides he wants to be a chef, but his father relegates him to being the clan's poison checker. After a run-in with a shotgun-weilding nearsighted old lady, Remy is separated from his family and rides on Gusteau's book "Anyone Can Cook" through the sewer pipes to Paris. There he stumbles on Gusteau's failing restaurant and becomes the acclaimed ghost chef for fumbling garbage boy Linguini.\nAdd in a handful of colorful humans -- a suspicious head chef, a quiet cook rumored to have killed a man using only his thumb, a badass motorcycle-riding woman and a bitter critic who was responsible for Gusteau's downfall in the first place -- and you have a successful recipe for laughs. \nThankfully, director Brad Bird decided everything had to be shot from Remy's perspective, a tactic that not only fosters cohesiveness but also simplicity of action and character-building. In the extras, Bird says some scenes had to be cut or modified because they did not maintain Remy's viewpoint. This and all other extras are completely enjoyable, including a delightful Pixar short titled "Lifted" and a hilarious mock-doc named "Your Friend the Rat." \nThe most intriguing part of the extras, however, are the deleted scenes, which are flat, black-and-white hand drawings that hardly resemble how the film looks in completion. It's amazing to think the artists start out with such simplistic 2D renderings and end up with a world more beautiful than reality.\nIt is this beauty, a calculated imperfection on the part of the artists and filmmakers, that creates such a mixed feeling of familiarity and fantasy for the audience. Certainly, the story line is cute and somewhat new, but the film's strength is in the execution. It's been more than a decade since "Toy Story," and Pixar is still managing to capture our attention and, what's more, keep it.
(11/01/07 4:00am)
Who is Carrie Underwood? \nA former winner of "American Idol," a small-town twenty something with a debut album that garnered her three Grammys, and a singer with a sophomore effort destined to be as successful. But don't expect any insight into the singer's soul with Carnival Ride, a mix of cheeky pop-country punches amidst standard countrified tales of lost love and regret.\nUnlike her rock-pop "Idol" counterpart Kelly Clarkson, who bared her soul on June's My December, Underwood hasn't broken out of the mold "American Idol" thrust her into in 2005. Whether channeling Miranda Lambert's gruff drawl ("Last Name"), Faith Hill's theatrical croon ("Just a Dream") or the string-infested stomp of the Dixie Chicks ("Flat on the Floor"), Underwood is merely interpreting songs, albeit beautifully. With its rich, sparkling tone and subtle twang, her voice floats on top of the music, somewhat detached from the lyrics. There's little indication that any of her songs have personal meaning, which makes perfect sense considering her start on "American Idol."\nWhat the album lacks in originality it makes up for with a mix of well-executed, heel-stomping anthems and sugary sweet ballads, with the best of these categories being "Flat on the Floor" and a cover of Randy Travis' "I Told You So," respectively. The one song the album could have omitted is "The More Boys I Meet," where Underwood champions (wo)man's best friend, singing, "I close my eyes and I kiss that frog / Each time finding / The more boys I meet, the more I love my dog." However, a Ride with Underwood is worth this bump in the road. \nTake into account that her first album Some Hearts went platinum six times -- a feat not achieved by a debut country artist since the monster smash Blue by Leeann Rimes in 1996 -- and it's undeniable Underwood is pop's reigning princess. Whether she'll ascend to the level of a queen like Dolly or Reba remains to be seen. She may not be much of a personality yet, but a performer? You bet.
(10/25/07 4:00am)
By Andrea Alumbaugh
(10/04/07 4:00am)
Salami can be used as rocket fuel. This is the most memorable thing I took away from my Saturday morning, afternoon and evening of what could only be described as a small-screen stupor.\nThe average American watches about four hours of television per day, according to Nielson Media Research. That's 28 hours per week, or 2 months of television-watching each year. To examine the effects of this pseudo-obsession, I was challenged to watch television for 24 straight hours. No sleeping and no leaving except for bathroom breaks and meals. I descended into the windowless cave of my childhood bedroom in Terre Haute and set out to watch television for an entire day, 9:30 a.m. Saturday to 9:30 a.m. Sunday. \nIn the interest of full disclosure, let me admit that I didn't make it. Twelve hours was plenty for me, and I fell asleep for about 2 of those 12 hours, embarrassingly similar to a turkey-filled uncle on Thanksgiving dozing in front of the Cowboys-Jets game. But it wasn't exhaustion that drove me to snooze. It wasn't even boredom. It was an escape, a way of doing something different from staring at the assault of flickering images, listening to "witty" banter and drolling laugh tracks. Under different circumstances, I could have just switched off the tube, walked outside and found something different to do -- displaced the medium with a different activity.\nMedia displacement is something assistant professor Julia Fox sees when she asks the students in her telecommunications classes to keep a diary of their media consumption, then challenges them to give up for 24 hours one of their top three most-used media -- whether that be television, a cell phone or an iPod.\n"It's amazing what students will go through to avoid being alone with their own thoughts," Fox said. \nShe added that sometimes students will displace one form of media with another. For example, a person who gives up use of their iPod during the challenge might spend more time on the Internet.\nIn her own research, Fox studies how people process and remember media messages, particularly television news messages. Through IU's Institute for Communication Research, she studies this by monitoring subjects' physiological responses to media messages.\n"There are a number of structural and content features that put people in approach or avoid mode (to what they're watching)," Fox said. \nIn my unprofessional ascertainment, I would say that I responded to most of what I watched with an avoidant feeling. I watched hundreds of commercials and promos, which advertised everything from other television shows to clothing, from window blinds to knife sharpeners. I watched makeover shows, detective dramas, tween comedies, movies and documentary programs. And I hated all of it. What I had previously considered a mindless leisure activity became a brain-draining chore.\nDuring the 12 hours I spent in front of the television, I was thinking of all the other things I could be doing -- spending time with friends, reading a book, being outside, listening to music. Anything but watching television.\nPerhaps part of this aversion I felt toward television resulted from the fact that my age group watches less television than any other age group. This is simply because college students are busy, Fox said. When they're not in class or studying, college students have such a large social network that watching the "boob tube" is not the top activity on their agendas.\nCollege students also differ from other age groups in how they process information from media messages. One example of this comes from a study conducted by Annie Lang, associate dean for research in the Department of Telecommunications, who has been conducting research for 20 years about how people process and learn from television.\nOne study Lang did looked at how college students versus people over 45 remembered things from messages that were fast-paced (think MTV's visual assault) and slower-paced (think documentary-type programs). Surprisingly, the study found that people over 45 and college students had the same ability to remember information from the fast-paced production, but college students were awful at remembering the slow-paced material.\nLang said this could point to college students' inability to focus attention -- a factor that I can attest to from my limited, 12-hour experience of nonstop television intake. No matter what I was watching, I was thinking about something else. Without concern or interest in what I was watching, I felt like an empty vessel -- a drooling, passive bump-on-a-log of a person. The pictures and noises washed over my brain and dripped out the ends of my hair, leaving me feeling nothing but boredom and anger at the wasted day.\nWhat made me fold after only 12 hours -- half the time I was supposed to dedicate to the slothification of my self -- was the sinking feeling of what I'd missed during my day of television. If the 12 hours of wasted time made me feel so out of the loop and brain-drained, think about the purported two months of television time the average American watches each year.
(09/27/07 4:07am)
Her friends call her Blogger. In friends’ cell phones, preceding the 646 Manhattan area code, is the name Blogger. It’s even yelled out to her as she walks up the hill to her room in McNutt. “Blogger!” \nAnd when she brings out the camera and starts filming for Seventeen magazine – forget about it.\nCaitlin Keating, a 19-year-old freshman who grew up in New York City, is one of 15 women across the country participating in Seventeen magazine and MySpace.com’s “Freshman 15.” The premise of the ‘15’ is simple: 15 female college freshmen write daily MySpace blogs concerning college issues.\n“Seventeen really wanted to give its audience a chance to get a real behind-the-scenes look at what college is all about,” said Elizabeth Dye, special projects director for Seventeen magazine. \nDye also said 24 percent of all freshmen drop out during or after their first year of college. \n“It’s a very big statistic that we thought, ‘What can we do to change that?’” she said.\nTo help the magazine’s 13 million readers connect to the “Freshman 15,” the bloggers film weekly 30-second videos and monthly hour-long videos, along with posting photos online and pitching story ideas for the publication.\n“It’s a lot of work, so I have to remember to do it every day,” Keating said. “... I’ll come back from class and have all this work to do, but I’ll have to think of what to write in the blog.”\nFor Keating, the work is worth the reward. Not only does she get paid to do something she likes, but she also feels “personal satisfaction” from helping the girls who read the blog.\n“Even yesterday, I got probably five to 10 messages from girls because they saw that I go to Indiana in the magazine so they thought they could ask me questions about IU,” Keating said. “… I can help them with something that no one else can because I’m actually getting the experience.”\nWhile it may seem intrusive to put most of one’s entire life on the Internet, being “out there” is nothing new to Keating. Born like a teenager, she was mature for her age, said her mother Carrie Boretz Keating.\n“She would walk down the streets of New York at the age of two and people would stare at her … like, ‘Look at that strut,’” Boretz Keating said. \nBut a toddler swagger that belied her years would appear to be a trend for the girl who lives in a self-described world where “no one really acts their ages.”\nPhotographed drinking champagne at the age of 15 for the pages of New York magazine as part of an article about money-obsessed teenagers, Keating has been the topic of examination since before she could drive. In the article, “The Teenage Economy,” David Amsden wrote, “A charmingly laid-back girl, Caitlin says she has always felt older than her peers, secretly detached and has a tendency to view her surroundings through a vaguely anthropological lens.”\nIt is this same lens through which Keating described her and friends’ escapades for her first Seventeen magazine blog, which she wrote as a high school student. Her first foray into the blogosphere, the online diary of sorts detailed the club-hopping lifestyle of flush teens with seemingly unlimited access to the city.\n“I know that I live in this bubble … I was sort of observing myself and my friends in this disgusting world that we live in,” Keating said. \nFor fans of the “Gossip Girl” book series – stories about rich, privileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York City – Keating’s story may seem familiar. It did to editors at Seventeen when they propositioned her to be the magazine’s real-life “Gossip Girl” when she was a high school student. However, this second blogging opportunity for Seventeen was short-lived. Following the July 2006 murder of a New Jersey teen after a night of clubbing, Keating said the editors scrapped the idea, fearing readers might take the information as advice.\nNot long after, however, Keating found out about the “Freshman 15” blog and applied. When choosing a group of women from about 1,000 applicants, diversity was important, Dye said.\n“We needed girls who represented big towns, small towns and girls who could be open and honest about their lives,” Dye said. “Certainly, where they came from was important, but it was more about where they were going. Caitlin expresses herself extremely well. She’s a great writer, and these things are important, too.”\nThe hook of Keating’s blog is that she’s a city kid thrown into the middle of a cornfield – well, not quite, but her transition from New York City to Bloomington has been somewhat of a “culture shock,” she said. \n“She was such a New York City kid, so it was good for her to lose that distinction,” Boretz Keating said, adding that it has been good for her to see her daughter challenged and uncomfortable. And though she is not one to be protective, she admits she reads the blog every day, and it has been nice to have such a unique perspective on her daughter’s life.\n“It helps me really get more of an insight into her life there, even though we do talk many times a day through e-mail and text and everything,” Boretz Keating said.\n“My dad doesn’t read it, but mom will call me and say, ‘You missed class today, Caitlin? Don’t miss class,’” Keating said.\nKeeping up with classes is especially important for Keating because it could determine her future. If she gets the required 3.3 grade point average to get into the Liberal Arts Management Program, she’ll do that. If she only makes a 3.0, she’ll apply to the Kelley School of Business. Either way, she said, there’s a good chance that she will end up working in the magazine business like her parents. Her mother is the photo editor at GOLF MAGAZINE, and her father is a freelance photographer who is currently taking photos in China for Vanity Fair.\nHowever, Boretz Keating said she doesn’t think her daughter will become a journalist. It’s pretty much up in the air for Keating as to what she wants to do with her life, her mother said. \n“I love the fact that it is (up in the air),” Boretz Keating said. “Who should be so self-assured at that age?”
(09/06/07 4:00am)
"Blades of Glory" fits nicely in the pantheon of figure-skating films -- "Ice Castles," "The Cutting Edge" and the Disney cheeseball "Ice Princess." Whether this is a testament to its quality or an indication of its inconsequentiality is in the eye of the beholder. Those who are fans of Will Ferrell's and Jon Heder's brand of over-the-top, lovable schlub humor will not be disappointed. However, there aren't many surprises here, either. \nHeder and Ferrell play Jimmy MacElroy and Chazz Michael Michaels. The two are rival figure skaters who team up as the sport's first men's pair after an on-ice fight gets them banned from singles competition for life. But this isn't merely "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" on ice. The directors don't dwell on questioning or mocking the men's sexuality, choosing instead to focus on the inherent humor in figure skating -- the spandex, bedazzled leotards; interpretive dance steps; and moves like the flying camel. There are even elements of deception, romance, action, abandonment and incest thrown in for good measure. \nSome of the biggest laughs in the movie come from real-life husband and wife Will Arnett and Amy Poehler, who play a brother-sister pair. Their hip-hop homage to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch's "Good Vibrations" leaves the audience begging for more. Luckily, the DVD extras deliver just that. \nIn addition to a hilarious sit-down with Arnett and Poehler, there are interviews with several members of cast and crew, featurettes about how the film was made and how the skating stunts were executed, deleted scenes, a gag reel and more. One of the best extras is the bonus time with an obsessed fan of Jimmy MacElroy, Hector, played by Nick Swardson ("Reno 911!: Miami"). Although his on-screen time is too short, it's clear we can expect great (and hilarious) things from Swardson in the future.\nNoticeably absent in the extras is a director commentary, but it's absence isn't bothersome. It's not like this movie is an epic classic requiring the insight of its directors to understand the subtle intricacies of a fart joke. Those who hated "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Anchorman" will probably not like "Blades of Glory," because it's pretty much the same old schtick. However, those looking for a lighthearted laugh will do right by picking up this film.
(08/23/07 4:00am)
Think of this issue of WEEKEND as a sneak-peak. This issue of WEEKEND is the nerdy girl in the teen movie before she takes off her glasses, lets down her hair and is made-over for senior prom, but the second issue of WEEKEND will be the hot girl walking into prom with her highlighted hair and false self-esteem, ready to dirty dance until she is crowned prom queen. And you can expect every WEEKEND for the next 16 weeks to look just as good. \nNext Thursday, WEEKEND will return to its full, 20-page glory -- bigger, bolder, blonder. If there was a way to embed videos and scent effects in paper, we'd do it. Hell, we'd even throw in a free sample of Bagel Bites if we could develop a warming pocket in the center spread -- when pizza's in a magazine, you can eat pizza any time. However, technology being what it is, that won't be possible. But you can still expect some old favorites and new features from WEEKEND.\n"Quick Hits," "That's What She Said" and our partnership with WIUX will continue, and look for "Last-word lounge" to feed your brain with a potpourri of pop-culture commentary. "The Schwaggs," an original cartoon by Erich Reinhard, will also premiere.\nSee you next WEEKEND.
(08/04/07 4:00am)
My friend tried to persuade his girlfriend to see this movie by describing it as "Caddyshack" meets "Soul Plane." Needless to say, she was not expecting much going into this movie, and neither was I. \nWhile the movie was entertaining (most of the laughs go to Faizon Love's fart jokes and Andy Milonakis' "white kid gone gangsta"), there were so many subplots it felt as if I had spent 90 minutes channel-surfing. \nThe movie's premise is simple -- rapper C-Note, a.k.a. Christopher Hawkins (played well enough by Outkast's Big Boi), is determined to join Carolina Pines, a country club full of stuffy white guys. They try to keep him out, so he purchases the land containing the 17th hole, forcing the club to include Hawkins and his entourage. Hilarity ensues.\nThe tee shot had potential, but the ball bounces in the rough. Amidst quick music clips that read like mini music videos, the viewer is left juggling a love story, a flashback sequence featuring C-Note's father (a former caddy whose course record is not recognized by the club), an assassination plot carried out by two little people (apparently a comedy staple these days), a polo match, and a young, white caddy who has shots in his bag Happy Gilmore would envy. \nWith production backing from big names -- including Queen Latifah and the Weinsteins -- one would expect this movie to at least be cohesive. After sifting through the detritus, however, you'll feel as if you've wasted two hours of your life. Sure, you might laugh, but you can laugh for free by watching the dramatic chipmunk on YouTube for two hours.\n"Who's Your Caddy" misses its chance to be a sport comedy hit and would be better described as "Caddyshack II" meets "Soul Plane." Fore!
(07/19/07 4:00am)
There is something to be said about a movie that encourages you to believe in the impossible, follow your dreams and support your family unconditionally. There is also something to be said for overkill, and this movie has plenty of all these ingredients.\nThe premise is as ridiculous as the name promises. A former astronaut (Billy Bob Thornton) builds a rocket in the barn of his Texas farm -- although we never see the man do any actual farming. Though the townsfolk call him crazy, he is determined to launch himself into space with little more than the love of a woman (Virginia Madsen), the engineering skills of his 15-year-old son and a bank account that suspiciously never dries up.\nAs usual, Thornton is a winner. The man can play an "everyman" character like nobody else, and Madsen and the rest of the cast hold their own. Even so, the hour and 41 minutes of the film drag because, let's face it, we all know how it's going to end before we even put it in the DVD player.\nExpect no surprises from the extras, either. There's the making-of documentary with cast and crew pouring on the schmaltz about how they became a family during the filmmaking process. The features are rounded out with a NASA astronaut interview and more than eight minutes of outtakes. This excruciatingly long blooper reel is worth watching only for the "Sling Blade" impression Thornton does at the end. \nThis movie is not bad, but not great. I suppose it might be a fair alternative if you go to the video store and every other movie with the plot "family man gives a finger to the naysayers and overcomes great obstacles to achieve his long-lost dream" has already been rented. Otherwise, stick to movies such as "The Rookie," which did this plot before and better than this movie.