1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(12/08/06 7:46pm)
I have a confession: I'm a whore for Nancy Meyers' movies. I feel so warm and fuzzy every time I watch "Father of the Bride," I'm practically a human blanket. I laugh just as hard as Diane Keaton cries during "Something's Gotta Give," and it's disgusting how many times I've seen "The Parent Trap" (I can even teach the kick-ass handshake.) Director Meyers is the queen of comfort food movies, and her latest, "The Holiday," is one delectable bowl of chicken noodle soup.\n"The Holiday" would probably better be viewed at home where one has access to a fast-forward button (and pajamas). The beginning drags as it has to deal with the film's awkward premise. Heartbroken by their ruined relationships, Hollywood hot shot Amanda (Cameron Diaz), and British every-girl Iris (Kate Winslet) switch homes to vacation and escape their hectic lives (although if you ask me these houses are way too nice -- fantastically furnished by set decorator Cindy Carr and crew. Also, their jobs, and wardrobes are far too nice to be depressed). But once the film gets going, it becomes charming as hell. While on holiday, Iris befriends Amanda's delightful elderly neighbor, a veteran screenwriter played by veteran actor Eli Wallach, (who did kind of play the same role a few weeks ago on an episode of "Studio 60"), and a love interest played by a surprisingly convincing Jack Black. Amanda on the other hand falls for Iris' brother Graham (Jude Law fresh out of a tanning bed). \nWhile the actors all do a great job, Meyers (who also wrote the screenplay) is clearly the film's star. She's quite the cinematic magician. Not only does she show us how she'll perform her tricks and practice constructive film elements, we still unsuspectingly fall for them. She wonderfully sprinkles the film with 1960s Phil Spector classics, jazz, and Hans Zimmers' flowing score. Meyers obviously wants to keep the romanticized feel of classic Hollywood alive (references to old films are often made), and achieves it with the film's heartening tone and amiable supporting characters. While "The Holiday" takes place in a fantasy world where only love matters, never does it feel as contrived as most romantic comedies. Charming is really the only way to describe the film.\nWhat a coincidence that "The Holiday" comes out during the holiday season. Round up some friends and family and melt in its warm glow together.
(12/08/06 7:44pm)
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, it's the holiday season, and we all know what that means. It's the release of what will be some of the best movies of the year. And a day before its worldwide release, let me tell you that "Blood Diamond" falls into that category. Director Edward Zwick ("The Last Samurai") has produced a film whose storytelling is not only entertaining but horrifically real, one both factual and eye-opening. \nStarring Leonardo DiCaprio as South African mercenary Danny Archer, "Blood Diamond" takes place in the late 1990s during the chaotic civil war in Sierra Leone. While in jail, Archer overhears that a fellow prisoner, Solomon (Djimon Hounsou), discovered a rare pink diamond while working for the R.U.F. in the diamond fields. Once released, Archer finds Solomon and promises that in exchange for the diamond, which Solomon has buried in the fields, Archer will reunite him with his family who was taken by the rebels. Archer also meets Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist, who has the power and equipment to help the two recover the diamond.\nDon't let the trailers turn you off. Plain and simple, "Diamond" is amazing. Leonardo DiCaprio shines. With his perfect accent, consistent throughout the film, he delivers yet another performance of a lifetime. Djimon Hounsou also gives a remarkable performance as the passionate Solomon. Both performances are Oscar worthy. Not to mention, the content of the film itself is spectacular; the stunning cinematography and action sequences are unmistakably realistic. The story alone will capture your heart and make you realize that this ongoing war is not just something in a fictional film, but an ongoing battle today. \nWith its intense plot-line and graphic shots, "Diamond" is certainly for a mature audience. If you are someone who only goes to the movies a few times a year, make the trip to see "Blood Diamond." You won't regret it.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, it's the holiday season, and we all know what that means. It's the release of what will be some of the best movies of the year. And a day before its worldwide release, let me tell you that "Blood Diamond" falls into that category. Director Edward Zwick ("The Last Samurai") has produced a film whose storytelling is not only entertaining but horrifically real, one both factual and eye-opening. \nStarring Leonardo DiCaprio as South African mercenary Danny Archer, "Blood Diamond" takes place in the late 1990s during the chaotic civil war in Sierra Leone. While in jail, Archer overhears that a fellow prisoner, Solomon (Djimon Hounsou), discovered a rare pink diamond while working for the R.U.F. in the diamond fields. Once released, Archer finds Solomon and promises that in exchange for the diamond, which Solomon has buried in the fields, Archer will reunite him with his family who was taken by the rebels. Archer also meets Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist, who has the power and equipment to help the two recover the diamond.\nDon't let the trailers turn you off. Plain and simple, "Diamond" is amazing. Leonardo DiCaprio shines. With his perfect accent, consistent throughout the film, he delivers yet another performance of a lifetime. Djimon Hounsou also gives a remarkable performance as the passionate Solomon. Both performances are Oscar worthy. Not to mention, the content of the film itself is spectacular; the stunning cinematography and action sequences are unmistakably realistic. The story alone will capture your heart and make you realize that this ongoing war is not just something in a fictional film, but an ongoing battle today. \nWith its intense plot-line and graphic shots, "Diamond" is certainly for a mature audience. If you are someone who only goes to the movies a few times a year, make the trip to see "Blood Diamond." You won't regret it.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
I have a confession: I'm a whore for Nancy Meyers' movies. I feel so warm and fuzzy every time I watch "Father of the Bride," I'm practically a human blanket. I laugh just as hard as Diane Keaton cries during "Something's Gotta Give," and it's disgusting how many times I've seen "The Parent Trap" (I can even teach the kick-ass handshake.) Director Meyers is the queen of comfort food movies, and her latest, "The Holiday," is one delectable bowl of chicken noodle soup.\n"The Holiday" would probably better be viewed at home where one has access to a fast-forward button (and pajamas). The beginning drags as it has to deal with the film's awkward premise. Heartbroken by their ruined relationships, Hollywood hot shot Amanda (Cameron Diaz), and British every-girl Iris (Kate Winslet) switch homes to vacation and escape their hectic lives (although if you ask me these houses are way too nice -- fantastically furnished by set decorator Cindy Carr and crew. Also, their jobs, and wardrobes are far too nice to be depressed). But once the film gets going, it becomes charming as hell. While on holiday, Iris befriends Amanda's delightful elderly neighbor, a veteran screenwriter played by veteran actor Eli Wallach, (who did kind of play the same role a few weeks ago on an episode of "Studio 60"), and a love interest played by a surprisingly convincing Jack Black. Amanda on the other hand falls for Iris' brother Graham (Jude Law fresh out of a tanning bed). \nWhile the actors all do a great job, Meyers (who also wrote the screenplay) is clearly the film's star. She's quite the cinematic magician. Not only does she show us how she'll perform her tricks and practice constructive film elements, we still unsuspectingly fall for them. She wonderfully sprinkles the film with 1960s Phil Spector classics, jazz, and Hans Zimmers' flowing score. Meyers obviously wants to keep the romanticized feel of classic Hollywood alive (references to old films are often made), and achieves it with the film's heartening tone and amiable supporting characters. While "The Holiday" takes place in a fantasy world where only love matters, never does it feel as contrived as most romantic comedies. Charming is really the only way to describe the film.\nWhat a coincidence that "The Holiday" comes out during the holiday season. Round up some friends and family and melt in its warm glow together.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
At the time of my writing this, Incubus' has been getting fairly positive reviews -- from Allmusic.com, the Associated Press, the L.A. Times and so on. This has led me to consider and reconsider my initial reaction to this disc. But each successive spin has only reaffirmed my conclusion: Someone has to stand up to this madness -- to butcher the famous Edmund Burke quote, "All that is required for (mediocrity) to prevail is for good (critics) to do nothing."\nLight Grenades represents a conflux of two powerful currents of mainstream dullness -- the generic post-grunge sound that refuses to die out no matter the horrors wrought upon it (Candlebox, Creed, Nickelback); and the generic, feel-good, pop therapy lyrics most commonly associated with Coldplay's Chris Martin. Thus, Light Grenades is not merely generic, but hyper-generic -- like products in the 1984 cult classic film "Repo Man," its album artwork should be a plain white wrapper with "Rock Band" printed across the front.\nThis isn't to say that it's as notoriously dreadful as Creed or Nickelback -- Incubus brings the rock effectively, if familiarly, on tracks such as "Anna Molly," "Light Grenades" and "Rogues." The hooks are there, the energy's there and the lyrics play a decidedly secondary role to the spirited drums, blasting guitars and raw timbre of Brandon Boyd's voice.\nProblems arise when things slow and quiet down -- and for a nominal rock group, you'd be surprised how often this occurs on Light Grenades. With the instruments dialed back, you can't avoid paying attention to what Boyd is singing -- which is usually an unbearably sappy variation on "don't worry, things will be all right" (worst offenders: "Dig," "Love Hurts" and "Diamonds and Coal").\nLight Grenades is so powerfully bland, it'll probably sell a zillion copies. But please know that there's an abundance of exciting, original music out there -- you don't have to settle for this.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
This movie should have never been made. Like Jay-Z announcing the Black album was his last, Kevin Smith assured fans he was done with his Jersey crew after "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." Both Smith and Jay-Z should have known when to fade to black.\nThere's no reason to make "U.S. Marshalls" 15 years after "The Fugitive," and even less reason to bring back Jay and Randall a dozen years later for one more trip to the Quik Stop.\nThe original "Clerks" is wonderful. Made for under $30,000 in black and white, the humor is biting, offensive and captures the 90's malaise and ambivalence of early 20s guys. \n"Clerks II," on the other hand, ends with the line, "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives," with no sense of irony. It's that bad.\nIt's the second worst Kevin Smith movie. "Jersey Girl" is absolute Hollywood schlock without an interesting scene or idea. "Clerks II" is right above "Jersey Girl" on the Smith totem poll hovering two feet off the ground. A hundred feet up the poll are "Mallrats," "Dogma," "Chasing Amy" and "Clerk" wondering how Smith could go so soft in his old age. \nIn an excruciatingly long behind-the-scenes on the second disc, Smith said he had the idea to start the movie with the Talking Heads song "Nothing but Flowers" and end with the boys owning the Quik Stop. All he had to do was write the middle hour and a half. And he did so by inserting a pathetic love triangle, lame Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings geek arguments and sex with a donkey. \nWhat makes this movie so bad is, well, a lot of things. It's predictable, but above all, else Smith has lost his ability to be cutting edge. His donkey sex and "porch monkey" jokes teeter on the edge of being offensive or shocking, but they produce few laughs.\nThe 2-disc DVD is packed with extras like three commentaries, deleted scenes, but more of a bad thing is bad. Even the bloopers are boring. \nThere was a Clerks cartoon that was quite good, worked on a lot of levels, and captured the spirit and hilarity of the original. But for now, Smith has got to figure out what made his movies so enjoyable, how to write a good love story like "Chasing Amy," and stop Jay and Silent Bob from making me nod off throughout "Clerks II. "\nIf these are the movies he chooses to make, Kevin Smith's whole perspective is whack. Maybe I'll love him when he fades to black.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. \nCase in point: The three Burger King-inspired video games on sale for $3.99 each with the purchase of a value meal at participating restaurants.\nEach of the games features a variety of soulless corporate characters for you to play as, including the always creepy King, Whopper Jr. and super model Brooke Burke.\n"Sneak King" is easily the worst of the bunch (quite an accomplishment), and the most terrifying video game since "Resident Evil."\nYou play as The King, complete with perfectly rendered never changing smile, as he wanders around such areas as a construction yard and a random neighborhood surprising people with artery-clogging Burger King goodness.\nThe more surprised people are the more points you score, and the more points you score, the more you die a little bit inside.\nIt's kind of like "Metal Gear Solid," if "Metal Gear Solid" sucked, and instead of shooting terrorists, Snake threw hamburgers at them with a dumb grin on his face.\n"Pocketbike Racer" features the aforementioned cast of Burger King rejects racing miniature motorcycles on a variety of inspired courses, including, and I swear I'm not making this up, the Burger King parking lot.\nIn theory, a "Mario Kart" clone featuring The King and his pals on bikes for a few bucks doesn't sound too bad, but when you quickly come to the realization that the controls were made to emulate the feeling of a Burger King extra value meal sliding down your digestive tract, the appeal quickly wears off.\n"Big Bumpin'" is the least offensive of these three horrible games, featuring some decent last man standing action with bumper cars and a genuinely fun hockey game that can be played over Xbox Live.\nIf you ever see these games sitting on your friend's shelf, they're worth putting in for a few minutes to gawk and say, "My God, someone actually thought this was a good idea!" and then laugh at your friend for buying such garbage, but otherwise they're not worth the effort, even at the bargain price of $3.99 each. You really do get what you pay for.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
1. My Chemical Romance -- The Black Parade\nMaking the biggest career leap forward in 2006 is New Jersey outfit My Chemical Romance, who by wearing their influences (Queen, Pink Floyd, Bowie) on their sleeves tackled a concept album about a teen dying of cancer and knocked it out of the park. That Gerard Way and his band threw on Sgt. Pepper costumes and pretended they were someone else for awhile is a notable coincidence. By jettisoning the occasional grating vocals of their debut and expanding the pop songcraft of their platinum sophomore release "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge," My Chemical Romance has matured into a band worth watching closely. \nStandout track: "Disenchanted"
(12/08/06 5:00am)
Mr. Big, professional midget wrestler, leaps off the top rope of the ring and tackles cruiser-weight wrestler Bobby Black in his signature move, the "drop kick off the top rope." All 4'9" and 135 pounds of Mr. Big knocks Black onto the mat with a slam, but soon Black and his tag team partner have managed to pin Mr. Big. \nEnter TVZ.\nThe tag-team comprised of brothers Tom and Troy Van Zant rushes into the ring, though whether it is to help Mr. Big or beat on their chief rivals, tag-team Bobby Black and Donny Idol, is unclear. The crowd cheers for TMZ and Mr. Big or boos their opponents, shouting "Opie" at Idol because of his baby face. Wrestlers fly out of the ring right and left, occasionally pausing to clobber each other on the way.\nDing, ding, ding — the bell rings and an early match of last Saturday's show is over for the time being. But at Hoosier Professional Wrestling, it ain't really over until founder Jerry Wilson says so. \nWhen I first set out for Wilson's wrestling ring in Columbus, Ind., I was a little nervous, given that I don't know the difference between any of the many acronym-ed wrestling associations. Nevertheless, Hoosier Pro Wrestling turned out to be entirely more entertaining than I expected. The wrestlers constantly interacted with the crowd. Usually the crowd insulted the wrestler's ability or his sister, while wrestlers responded with comments about the crowd's choices of hairstyle.\n"I'll knock the rest of your teeth out," one wrestler, Dr. Love, hollers at a heckling fan. \nOthers play to the crowd. "The Bouncer" emerges from behind the tarp marking off a "backstage" area carrying a keg of beer on his shoulders and yells, "Who wants some beeeeeeeer?"\nNot surprisingly, the fans approve of the Bouncer, who ends up winning his match. \nWilson has hosted fights in the Family Arts Center at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds every month for almost the last nine years. He uses about 40-50 wrestlers every year and even fights them once in a while.\n"I occasionally get beat up," he corrects.\nAfter the Mr. Big-Idol-Black-TVZ fight, Wilson decrees that the best is yet to come. He orders Idol and Black to find a third partner and face Mr. Big and TVZ once more before the night is out. The crowd cheers, and Idol and Black snag Big John Wall as their partner. The challenge is on.\nAs more matches take place, I grow used to the loud smacking sound every time the wrestlers hit the ground. And I was growing to be just a tiny bit curious when suddenly someone noticed me flinching at each throw.\n"You don't know anything about wrestling at all, do you?" \nApparently not. But does that mean that it sounds a lot worse than it is, or that it isn't real? \n"We don't do fake," Wilson says. "It's real, the punches are good. If you aren't trained right and you fall wrong, you could break your neck." \nAfter I see one wrestler twist his knee, this seems fair enough. And the wrestlers? \n"It's as real as you believe it is," Mr. Big says. "If the crowd says it's real, it is. And I've had cracked ribs, a broken leg and a bruised kidney. I was in the hospital for 30 days, pissing blood."\nWalking through the crowd — and seeing two-year-old Jayden attempt to tackle his father, smack-down style — I start to feel more comfortable. I easily dash around scattering chairs as wrestlers tumble into the crowd, and I settle down next to a row of particularly intense fans to watch the melee.\n"I've been watching since childhood — I watch it on TV every Thursday and come here every month," Jennifer Eckiwaudah says. "I cheer for TVZ, always. Those other guys (Black and Idol) disrespected me personally."\nThe "show" — everyone is very careful to refer to it this way, not as a competition — is held in the Family Arts Center, which on other days holds activities such as the Saddle Club. And it certainly is a family event. Along one row sat four generations of a family, all screaming and heckling the wrestlers without mercy.\n"I've been watching since — shit — since the 1960s," Beverly Rumple, who attended with her mother, daughter and grandson, says. "I've been coming here every month. They have good matches." \nFor her part, Rumple, who is married to the son of wrestling legend Dick the Bruiser, says HPW wrestling is real. And a veteran of almost 50 years of wrestling fandom, she'd certainly be someone who'd know. \n"It's not like its fake, they're really wrassling," Rumple says. "Some places you go its staged. But to me, this is real."\nWhich brought up another point: the "wrestling" versus "wrasslin'" dilemma. As a wrestling (wrasslin') newbie, I have no idea what the difference is.\n"It's 'wrestling,' but down South you say it 'wrasslin,'" Wilson says. \nWilson also trains fighters, he says, and he has about four in training right now. He once trained Jillian Hall, a female wrestler who made it to "WWE Smackdown!" On this note, he mentions that he could certainly train me. An option I briefly consider before finding out that beginning wrestlers make about $30 per fight, which is only slightly better than a career in journalism and with considerably more pain involved. \nBut TVZ and company have returned for the three-on-three match, and I go back to paying attention. By this point, any semblance of rules have been abandoned, and though it is supposed to be one wrestler fighting at a time, soon all three are smacking each other. And apparently the ring was just a guideline, because most of them have totally abandoned it, fighting in the crowd and walloping each other with chairs. The more painful looking hits include Big John Wall — at least 300 pounds — jumping on top of the comparatively diminutive Van Zant brothers. \nBut ultimately, TVZ emerge as victors and seemingly all 185 members of the crowd erupt. Unfortunately for TVZ, however, Tom Van Zant twists his knee and is taken out of competition. Still, the show goes on as brother Troy teams up with someone else for remaining fights.\nMore fights follow, including a final "bloodbath" between Diceman Ronnie Vegas and Ox Harley, with Wilson himself getting involved. It ends in double disqualification after the contenders violently scattered most of the chairs and tables around the ring. But it garnered loud cheers — though one little girl hid in the bathroom to avoid the wrestlers. \n"'The Hammer' didn't show, but we gave them a good show anyway," Wilson says, mopping his forehead. "Nobody is leaving disappointed, and they'll be back next month."\nThe next show will be Jan. 6. Though I can't promise that I'll have committed to a future in professional wrestling by then, the important thing is that I have options.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
Every Christmas people save up their money to buy things that will show their loved ones just how much they care. They sneak them into the house to wrap them up, and then they place them under the Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, people tear through wrapping paper to find exactly what they wanted.\nThat's what's supposed to happen, but it doesn't always work out that way.\nMany people have discovered that giving someone a gift doesn't always create the desired effect, and sometimes, people get stuck with things they don't really want. Twenty-one-year-old Bloomington resident C.R. Hoke discovered this truth firsthand when he was in high school. One day, Hoke was at the mall with his girlfriend. The couple eventually made their way to the pet store where Hoke's girlfriend cast her eyes upon a rabbit, and it was love at first sight. Seizing the opportunity to be able to buy his girlfriend a gift he was sure she wanted, Hoke decided to buy the rabbit for her.\n"I bought a cage, the rabbit, everything," Hoke says. "It was over a hundred bucks."\nHoke felt like the boyfriend of the year until he arrived at his girlfriend's house. When the couple arrived with the rabbit, his girlfriend's parents were less than pleased.\n"While my girlfriend and her parents were arguing back and forth, I'm just standing there holding this cage with a rabbit in it," Hoke says. "Then her dad was like 'Why did you do this?'"\nAfter that, Hoke began to get hot and felt like he was going to start sweating. Eventually, the arguing subsided, and it was decided that the rabbit could stay for one night in the garage, but after that, Hoke had to take the rabbit. Hoke attempted to return the rabbit to the pet store, but the pet store wouldn't take the rabbit back.\n"I was with my friend, and he started mouthing off to the guy, but that didn't do any good," Hoke says.\nHaving no other choice, Hoke took the rabbit home.\n"My parents were cool with it," Hoke says. "We let it run around in the backyard."\nUnbeknownst to him, Hoke's mother had just had their lawn treated by ChemLawn.\n"The next day my eight-year-old brother finds the rabbit stiff as a board lying on its side," Hoke says.\nThe rabbit was dead.\n"It broke my little brother's heart," Hoke says.\nGift-givers are not the only victims of bad gift-giving. Gift receivers can be victims, too, as freshman Michelle Hoover found out at a young age. Every year, about 25 or 30 of her family members would get together for Christmas, Hoover says.\n"I was about seven or eight years old, and I had just started wearing training bras," Hoover says. "My godmother asked my mom what she should get me for Christmas."\nOn Christmas morning, everyone was in the family room watching the children open their gifts. Hoover opened her godmother's gift and found a matching training bra and underwear.\n"I about crapped myself," Hoover says. "I was so embarrassed."\nThe kids had to hold up what they got so the adults could take pictures Hoover says.\n"I had to hold it up against my body and let them take pictures of me," Hoover says. "You have no idea how embarrassing it is when you first start wearing a bra to have it displayed to my entire family."\nBad gift-givers should remember that what goes around, comes around. Sophomore Griffin Lock and the rest of his family have been reminded of this every Christmas now for the decade. It all started when Lock's uncle asked his grandpa for turtleneck sweaters for Christmas.\n"My grandpa, an older man and not really with modern society, responded by giving my uncle a box containing about 10 dickeys," Lock says.\nDickeys are the neck part of a turtleneck and nothing else, Lock says.\n"Of course, my family, who gets off on comedic situations, lost it," Lock says.\nLock says the next year, his uncle decided to fight back. One year later, Lock's dad opened his Christmas present from his uncle.\n"There, to his surprise, was a red dickey from the gift package a year before, laughing him in the face," Lock says.\nLock's dad was not the kind of person to be one-upped and responded in kind by giving Lock's uncle a shirt the next year, but inside was the red dickey.\n"Every year since then, on Christmas, the dickey is passed back and forth between my dad and my uncle as a reminder of how horrible that was," Lock says.\nUnconventional gift-giving rules can help ensure that people get what they really want. Senior Christopher Meadows and a group of several friends decided one Christmas that all the gifts they gave to each other had to come from College Adult Books.\n"Among the gifts purchased were fuzzy pink handcuffs, edible body paint that caused the skin to tingle, erotic dice, magnum condoms and a plastic sheep," Meadows says.\nAnother stipulation for this particular gift-giving experience, Meadows says, was that all gifts must be used.\n"'Far as I know, everyone kept their words," he says.\nWaiting to find out what you're getting for Christmas can also set you up for unpleasant surprises. Freshman Jessica Quillen's sister found this out the hard way.\n"My family always bothers each other about what they're getting from everyone," Quillen says.\nSo one year when Quillen's sister asked what she was getting for Christmas, Quillen told her she was getting a box of rocks.\n"She didn't believe me, and she kept asking, and I kept telling her, 'a box of rocks,'" Quillen says.\nOn Christmas, when Quillen's sister opened a box filled with rocks, she found out that Quillen wasn't lying.\n"So finally, when she opened it up, she realized I was telling her the truth, until she saw the ring box, of course," Quillen says, referring to her actual gift of jewelry.\nThis holiday season will bring countless other gift-giving mishaps, but if you shy away from live animals and matching undergarments, you can greatly reduce your chance of acquiring a gift-giving horror story.
(12/08/06 5:00am)
Oh, the holiday season. It's the typical dilemma -- does Dad really need another lame tie? Where would Mom really put another Yankee candle? What should I get for my new boyfriend -- will he like me enough? Or worse, what if he spends more money on me than I do on him? Oh! And it's only our first Christmas!\nRest assured, WEEKEND's gift guide is here. Whether you have $10 or $100, one or all of these gifts has the potential for perfection for someone in your life.
(11/29/06 11:09pm)
A few years ago, publicizing a concert meant posting a million fliers to telephone poles, getting ads in local newspapers and telling your friends to come via word of mouth.\nToday, it also means posting MySpace with messages, getting videos on YouTube and spreading the word via E-mail mailing lists.\nTelecommunications professor Mark Deuze is thrilled about this shift in advertising, and he wants his students to see its potential for innovative marketing strategies.\nThat's why his Telecommunications P451 class, (Topical Seminar in Media & Society) Creative Industries, a class about the changing media culture, has been working on a project all semester in which groups of students have been assigned the publicity of six local bands. \nThe project will culminate tomorrow, when these bands will meet at Rhino's Youth Center & All-Ages Music Club and compete in a show called "Rockshow Snowdown." The band that brings in the most people will get access to a recording studio in Bloomington.\n"In essence, it's like a 'Battle of the Bands' concert," Deuze says. "However, the student part of this is that they take on the PR duties. Every band gets assigned a team of three to four students, and they come up with creative ways to promote the band and Rhino's."\nDeuze came up with the idea for his class to do the project while attending a meeting for a service learning fellowship, which happened to be held at Rhino's on that particular day. \nRhino's is a youth club whose goal is to provide a place for youth in the Bloomington community ages 13 to 18 to come after school and engage in programs through which they can learn about and produce video, journalism, radio and mural arts, according to its Web site. On the weekends, the center functions as an all-ages concert venue, where the youth learn how to bring in bands and put on shows.\n"It reminded me of the places I used to hang out (at) as a kid," Deuze says.\nAt the meeting, Deuze met Brad Wilhelm, the director of Rhino's, and decided he wanted to do something to support the local music community and support it by doing something fun at the same time.\nThe cover charge for the event is $6, and proceeds go to Rhino's.\n"This project has generated a lot of interest, but it's generated a lot of interest from the local music industry, which is really cool. The people at Rhino's are excited about supporting us, and the bands are too."\nWilhelm says he is hoping that the project will raise money for Rhino's but also is glad that the event is providing the chance to develop a relationship between Rhino's and IU students. \nHe also hopes that it will show the bands some tools to promote themselves.\nWilhelm says, "Showing up not only helps support a really cool youth program, it also helps out the bands as well."\nIn using his class to help Rhino's, Deuze is also providing invaluable experience for his students in learning how to utilize the new marketing tools available.\n"Students do very different things with their media than my generation or their parents' generation," Deuze says. "They're more in control, less likely to go out and buy things than buy things online."\nNot only has this new generation switched from paper to computer, he says, it has also allowed for more niche markets.\n"Everybody can start a MySpace page, and there's a lot of stories of small bands making it big these days," he writes in an e-mail. "The idea of 'creative industries' is a new way of looking at media companies suggesting that the days of predictable superstars like Prince or Madonna are over."\nDeuze says students also get practice working with the bands and getting hands-on experience with PR. The students have been the ones to come up with the ideas of creating Facebook profiles for the event, MySpace profiles for the bands and putting videos up on YouTube.\nBut the groups have concocted a lot of original ideas outside of the expected networking sites as well.\nThe band Trio In Stereo's team is a media-savvy bunch: Two of their members are heavily involved at WIUX, and one is involved at IUSTV.\nTheir work with IU's radio and television stations has allowed them to get their band on "local priority" (where they are played at least once an hour) and put their band on the IUSTV show "Amp'd." \nTrio In Stereo team member and WIUX dee-jay Jon Coombs says his team will also be giving away tickets to the show later in the week on the radio.\n"We want to try to keep it fresh in people's minds," says Coombs.\nKate Bohn, a team member for Busman's Holiday, says her group has been mixing traditional forms of advertising with more innovative ones.\n"We made fliers, we also sent out a street team," she says. "We're getting t-shirts made, a CD in the line-up for WIUX, passing out things like pens."\nCody Burgess, a member of the metal/hardcore band Sentinel, says his PR team has also been advertising with handbills around local high schools, but they have been trying to make the most use out of electronic media. \nIn addition to MySpace and student radio play, they also have a Facebook group.\nBroken Stone publicity teammate Lyndsey Hall says her group has been putting fliers on cars at high schools and putting sample CDs in shops around Bloomington.\nShe says, "This way, if the people like the music they will see the flyer and know where they can come see the band.\nHaris Mohammad, a team member for Forever In Effigy, has a more eclectic idea.\n"Two to three days before the show starts, I'm going to dress up as something really strange," he says. "That will get more attention than fliers."\nWhile wearing his strange outfit, he plans to mill around places like downtown and in parking lots, places where he knows students will come.\nHolly Renshaw, a team member for The Romance, says her team's advertising strategies are based on the age of the audience they think will want to see their band.\n"We're really targeting the younger audience," she says. "Online marketing, recruiting fans, putting up fliers around high schools, having people tell more people."\nThe ultimate goal of everyone involved in "Rock Show Snowdown" is that as many people as possible come and have a good time.\n"Overall," says Renshaw, "I just want people to show up at the concert"
(11/29/06 11:07pm)
Comedian Michael Richards said Sunday he did not consider himself a racist, and that he was "shattered" by the comments he made to two young black men during a tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club.\nRichards appeared on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep Hope Alive," as part of a series of apologies for the incident. He said he knew his comments hurt the black community, and hoped to meet with the two men.\nHe told Jackson that he had not used the language before.\n"That's why I'm shattered by it. The way this came through me was like a freight train. After it was over, when I went to look for them, they had gone. And I've tried to meet them, to talk to them, to get some healing," he said.\nRichards, who played Jerry Seinfeld's wacky neighbor Kramer on the TV sitcom "Seinfeld," was performing at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory last week when he lashed out at hecklers with a string of racial obscenities and profane language. A cell phone video camera captured the outburst, and the incident later appeared on TMZ.com.\nRichards told Jackson the tirade was fueled by anger, not bigotry. He said he wanted to hurt those who had hurt him.\n"I was in a place of humiliation," he said.\nRichards' publicist, Howard Rubenstein, said Saturday that Richards has begun psychiatric counseling in Los Angeles to learn how to manage his anger.\n"He acknowledged that his statements were harmful and opened a terrible racial wound in our nation," Rubenstein said. "He pledges never ever to say anything like that again. He's quite remorseful."\nJackson, who has called Richards' words "hateful," "sick," and "deep-seated," said the comedian's inclusion on the show was a chance for a broader discussion about "cultural isolation" in the entertainment industry.\nRichards noted that the racial epithet he used is frequent in the entertainment industry--- and acknowledged that it could have consequences.\n"I fear that young whites will think it's cool to go around and use that word because they see very cool people in the show business using that word so freely," he said. "Perhaps that's what came through in that ... the vernacular is so accessible."
(11/29/06 11:04pm)
The streets were quiet, the parking lots were empty and there was hardly a soul in sight at Kirkwood and Indiana avenues. It was early evening the day before Thanksgiving.\nInside the Kirkwood Observatory, IU Astronomy department chairperson Catherine Pilachowski and graduate student Christian Johnson adjusted the 12-inch telescope. Twelve inches refers to the diameter of the telescope that won't be available to the eyes of the public again until spring break 2007.\nThe Kirkwood Observatory will be closed for the winter, but that does not necessarily mean you are cut off from the heavens for the rest of the season. The skies are always open, and if you know what tools to use and where to go, you can enjoy the universe all winter long.\nWith the Observatory closed, you might need to find your own viewing apparatus.\n"Pro astronomers use telescopes with mirrors that are three and a half meters in diameter," Pilachowski says. "A typical telescope for personal use is four to eight inches."\nPilachowski uses a 3.5-meter telescope at the WIYN observatory in Arizona for her research. WIYN stands for and is funded by Wisconsin, Indiana and Yale universities and the National Observatory of America.\nBut for amateur stargazers who do not have access to a three-and-a-half meter telescope, there is a more practical means to enhance their stargazing experience.\n"Binoculars are best for simple sky use," Pilachowski says.\nBinoculars are able to intensify the light that is collected by our pupils, which can only open about half a centimeter, Pilachowski says. Just like binoculars, telescopes collect light and allow us to see hundreds of stars that are too faint to be seen by the naked eye.\nBloomington resident Aleisha Kropf and her six-year-old daughter came with friends to enjoy use of the telescope at the Kirkwood Observatory on its last night of the year. Kropf says her daughter enjoys learning about the stars and planets.\n"I like to follow her interests," Kropf says.\nAnd sometimes Kropf has to leave Bloomington to follow her daughter's interests.\n"We usually go out of the city to stargaze," she adds.\nKropf says she goes north of campus to Griffy Lake to stargaze, but even there, the city lights can inhibit her experience. To really escape the city lights, Kropf will go to the campgrounds at Hardin Ridge, which is near Lake Monroe.\nPilachowski agrees that people would have to get away from the downtown lights if they want to enjoy the night sky. As the light from stars larger than our own sun shoots through space, it is often drowned out before it ever reaches human eyes because of the artificial light from ever-expanding urban centers. People are becoming much less connected with the night sky, Pilachowski says.\n"(They) should take time out to look; it's full of amazing things," Pilachowski says.\nGriffy Lake can be a fairly dark place for those stargazers who reside within the Bloomington city limits, she says. She also says that some of Bloomington's city parks such as Bryan and Southeast are good places to explore the night sky.\n"I've never been to Karst," Pilachowski says, referring to Bloomington's west side park. "My guess is Lowe's and those other stores are pretty bright, but it might be good."\nBut having good tools or a good location won't help if you don't know what you're looking at. To keep track of what to watch for in the sky, magazines and Web sites can be helpful. Pilachowski suggests Sky and Telescope magazine, Astronomy magazine and Night Sky as good resources for amateur stargazers. Web sites like nightskyinfo.com and weatherunderground.com produce nightly sky charts. Star charts show what the sky looks like in the four different seasons, and Johnson says they are also a good resource for amateur stargazers.\nAnother way to learn more about stargazing is to attend a "star party" put on by an astronomy club. Star parties are usually held in state parks, and the members of the astronomy club that are sponsoring the party bring out their telescopes and knowledge to share with anyone who is interested, Johnson says. He has attended such parties before.\n"I was surprised at the numbers," Johnson says, referring the amount of people who came to share their interest in stars.\nTwo nearby astronomy clubs are the Stone Belt Stargazers in Bedford and the Indiana Astronomical Society in Indianapolis. Pilachowski says both groups are eager for new members who want to become familiar with what's out in the night sky.\nBut sometimes even the time of year can be against a stargazer. As seasons change, so does the show in the night sky. Kropf says that she and her daughter went stargazing quite a bit last fall, but the season can make stargazing difficult. Binoculars are generally great for looking at the planets, but not at this time of year, Pilachowski says.\n"Right now the only planets we can see with the naked eye are only up during the daytime because they're near the sun," Pilachowski says.\nBut she says more planets will gradually become visible again next spring. Mars will be visible in the mornings.\nUntil then, stargazers can enjoy Orion's Belt, which can be found by looking to the south in the early morning. As winter sets in, Orion will become an evening constellation. Pilachowski says that those who can find it should use a pair of binoculars to look at the middle star in the sword.\n"The middle star of the sword is not a star at all; it's a nebula," Pilachowski says.\nAccording to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Web site, a nebula is a cloud of dust particles and gases in space. The term nebula comes from the Latin word for cloud.\nAfter aiming the telescope for guests at the Kirkwood Observatory toward a few more star attractions such as the red giant Enif and the globular cluster M15, Pilachowski and Johnson closed things up for the night and for the winter. They'll have to wait it out till spring for the ultimate light show experience.
(11/29/06 11:01pm)
I've always found "Octopus' Garden" to be a pretty average song. I mean, as far as Abbey Road goes. Then I heard the version on Love. Slowed down and mashed up with "Good Night," all of a sudden, Ringo sounds majestic. And perfect. It's moments like this and the seamless transition from Rubber Soul classics "Drive My Car" to "What You're Doing" to "The Word," all in one track that make this the most important Beatles release in over 30 years.\nLove is the perfect word for this compilation album. George Martin -- "the fifth Beatle" -- has done it again. It's not a best-of Beatles love songs collection or a re-hash of old songs like the Beatles 1 album. It's a mash-up, similar to what Danger Mouse tried to do when he created the Gray Album, which combined Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album, only ... this one is good. Really good. And who better to take on the imposing task of messing with the master tapes of all-time classic Beatles songs than Martin, with help from his son Giles? \nFor the first couple of listens through, anyone with a passing Beatles knowledge will have fun picking out the individual drum parts, guitar riffs and vocals. But Love is not a novelty album. It's the perfect cure for fans that haven't put on a Beatles album in years because they have listened to them too much (if that's possible). Not one track is the same as how it was when originally released. Created for a Cirque du Soleil performance, I can't wait to see how the show matches up with the album, but unlike the new Tenacious D soundtrack, this album stands alone quite well. And it will likely stand the test of time as it only gets better with each additional listen. \nStarting with a haunting bare vocal version of "Because," the album has 26 tracks, but has nearly double that thanks to the many flourishes of parts of songs mixed in here and there. While some songs go nearly untouched, others are beautifully strewn together mixes. On first listen, the one that stood out is a combination of the sitar in "Within You, Without You" with the vocals of "Tomorrow Never Knows" before segueing into the full "Within You, Without You." Martin makes the whole process feel effortless. \nWhen IU Beatles professor Glenn Gass told my class that he used to have past classes create their own White Album by turning the two-disc classic into one unstoppable force of an album, I thought I'd give it a try. Before I drown in your E-mails saying it's sacrilegious to mess with the album, I want to say that at Thanksgiving I gave thanks for every minute of the White Album. OK, maybe not Yoko's input on "Revolution 9" or her voice on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." I'm not even trying to create a definitive version. Everyone has their own favorites. As Paul once said, "Come on, It's the Beatles White Album." But let's see if I can't create something interesting here -- in the spirit of Martin's beautiful Love.
(11/29/06 10:59pm)
"An Inconvenient Truth" is one of the scariest films ever made. That said, it's not a slasher movie... it's a documentary.\nThe film takes the viewer through former Vice President Al Gore's slide show on the effects of global warming on Earth. The slide show is inter-spliced with different montages of events in Gore's life that led him to become so adamant about this issue. He also provides examples of his time at college, and a certain professor that introduced the concept of global warming to him, which led to his lifetime commitment to it. He says in the film that he's probably shown slide shows regarding global warming "at least a thousand times."\nGore shows glaciers, mountains, Antarctica and Greenland. He shows the audience what these places used to look like, what they look like now and how they will be if we don't stop releasing the amount of carbon that we produce into the atmosphere. \nOne of the strongest points that Gore makes in his slide show is the affect of global warming upon typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes. He uses Hurricane Katrina to relay the message that a warmer ocean creates a stronger and more powerful hurricane and if we do nothing, these storms will only worsen and create more havoc. \nGore and the director do a fantastic job of showing just how prevalent global warming is to the world. One of the funnier lines that Gore states in the movie is that, "Maybe there are other, bigger issues to worry about besides terrorism." \nThe only weak part of the film is a sense that some of it is "cheesy." During the different montages, the director put in (what felt like) a hundred shots of Gore working away at his slide show on his trendy Mac laptop. These scenes of Gore industriously working added nothing.\nThis film will have a powerful and lasting affect on anyone who takes just an hour and a half out of their day to watch it. It may not be an ideal date movie, but it's certainly one that everyone needs to see.
(11/29/06 10:56pm)
Perhaps it's due to the extensive marketing for their (supposedly disappointing) compilation, Stop The Clocks, but with every listen to ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's So Divided, I can't help but think of Oasis. It's not that the two sound similar per se. Rather, with So Divided, Trail Of Dead seem to have taken Oasis' road to success (for better or worse): forget originality, artistic merit or profound lyrics; just crank out visceral, well-crafted, satisfying rock that the listeners will like. Thus, before purchasing So Divided, you should consider where you fall in this dichotomy (don't worry -- there's no right answer).\nThe consensus among critics is that, stung by the poor reception of 2005's ambitious Worlds Apart, Trail Of Dead decided to craft something more crowd-pleasing. And, indeed, So Divided is. For one thing, non-song tracks are kept to a minimum (these are the mostly-crowd-noise introduction and "Segue: In The Dreams of the Unreal" which, like Radiohead's "Fitter Happier," is doomed to be deleted from one's playlist after the second listen). For another, propulsive drums, hooky riffs and fist-pumping choruses abound. "Stand In Silence," "Wasted State of Mind," "So Divided" and the Shins-esque "Eight Day Hell" simply demand stadiums full of head-banging, chanting fans.\nHowever, the flip-side is a lingering sense of déjà vu -- one is continually left asking "where have I heard this before?" It's not that Trail of Dead apes anyone specifically (no one that sprung to my mind, anyway), but that the songwriting employs such shop-worn elements. The blues riff in "Naked Sun" is so old, it was probably on Moses' desert-crossing mix-tape. And "Cold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory" is an amalgamation of acoustic guitar/piano rock-ballad clichés. Worst, in as much as the lyrics have any meaning, it's standard whining about the hardships of touring.\nBut, then again, avant-garde noise-rock is much harder to sing along to...
(11/29/06 10:54pm)
Like many music fans, I was curious to check out Damien Rice's debut, O, back in 2003, having heard some good things about it. After giving Rice a chance and understanding what type of music he is attempting to create, I liked what I was hearing. \nSo it was an automatic decision to pick up his latest effort, 9, when it was released. Upon the first listen, I found myself slightly surprised at how effectively he stayed true to his "sound," while continuing to impress my ears. Rice uses back-up vocalist Lisa Hannigan to perfection on the first track, "9 Crimes," also the album's first single. On "Elephant," he titles a previously untitled track that had been played live for a few years. By analogizing love, death and loss, Rice once again proves he's one of the hottest new songwriters out today. \nHe even finds a way to bring the subject of yoga to the forefront on "Dogs," the album's fifth track, "She lives with an orange tree/The girl that does yoga." Cellist Vyvienne Long adds a fulfilling wall of sound on "The Animals Were Gone." Rice continually laments what may be a recent break-up or hardship, or perhaps it's all fiction. On 9, it doesn't seem to matter because he does it so well that you have to believe him. \nRice's lyrics bleed sincerity. They seep into your heart and force you to hear what they are saying. Only great lyrics jump out of the speakers with such force, and truly great writers who can create them are rare. When one such rare songwriter compounds his prose with an exotic lineup of talented musicians, words like masterpiece and perfection find themselves in the discussion. \nI can't possibly recommend this album more strongly. It will not leave any listener disappointed, unless you were looking for the latest Ryan Cabrera-style artist.
(11/29/06 10:50pm)
Jay-Z is the Michael Jordan of rap.\nAfter a long reign on top, Michael Jordan retired, tried his hand at playing baseball and being an executive and returned, slightly shamed and not quite as skilled to the game. After Def-Jam's crushing failure with Rick Ross' ill-conceived "Port of Miami," Jay-Z, the self-proclaimed MJ of rap, was forced out of retirement and Kingdom Come is his slightly shamed, not-quite-cutting-it attempt to breathe life into his talent-starved record label. \nKingdom Come is almost completely about an aging Jay-Z's insanely large bank account. Jay-Z also talks a bit about other rappers' lack of skill (compared, of course, with his stellar rap abilities), weed and women, including a stripper who will always have a special place in his heart, but for the most part, it's all about having more money than God. Juxtaposed with rap's humble beginnings as party music in the projects of New York City, Jay-Z's approach will sit well with Republicans everywhere.\nAn entire generation of yuppies will be glad to hear "30 Something," Jay-Z's ode to being nearly 40. In this song, Jay-Z, now 37, claims 30 as the new 20, boasts about his good credit, being able to buy his favorite basketball team and nightspot, and being young and hip enough to know what clothes, cars and watches are cool, but old enough to manage his money.\nEven more ridiculous than "30 Something" is the pairing of "I Made It" and "Anything." "I Made It" reminisces about his rise from young boy freestyling over a cheap boombox to rap icon. The hook pays tribute to his mother, who encouraged him all the way. The next song "Anything," is about getting nasty with a stripper. Mom must feel great! \nIn his defense, Jay-Z's flow is more polished than ever, his beats are worlds above those on The Black Album, and lyrical content aside, Kingdom Come is a pretty solid album. The complete package is pretty mature, but it's clear that Jay-Z has lost touch with his roots. If this were his freshman or sophomore effort, it would be a very impressive display of great promise, but for a seasoned veteran with 10 albums under his belt, Kingdom Come is as pathetic as MJ's batting skills.
(11/29/06 10:48pm)
I won't lie. I'm a sucker for anything cute. Once a critter's eye-size-to-face ratio reaches a certain point, I'll follow it anywhere, giggling contentedly as I go. I'm like a Catholic schoolgirl.\nOr I was, until I saw "Happy Feet." Do not be taken in by the lies, my friends. Do not be swept away by the singing and the dancing and the pretty penguins, or even by the Robin Williams, for the sad truth of the matter is that this movie has little going for it besides fancy computer animation and bouncy, flightless waterfowl.\nThe premise of the film is pretty simple: Unlike all of the other emperor penguins in the entire colony, young Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) is born without the ability to sing and is instead cursed with the inability to keep his tapping feet still and quiet. He is told he will never fit in with the rest of the colony, as their entire civilization is based on finding one's own "heart song" and singing it out. He'll never know the joy of romance, as the penguins mate through music. At one point, he's even banished from the group.\nI was hopeful in the beginning. I found myself feeling quite sorry for poor Mumble, and I was optimistic enough to believe that the movie would carry some real meaning. But the "happy feet" lose their rhythm partway through the film, when the storyline veers violently off course and becomes some sermon on happy-feely environmentalism. Yuck.\nThe problem is that the movie loses its focus. Other big animated films this year have managed to concentrate on a few key themes. Disney/Pixar's "Cars" was mostly about slowing down to enjoy the important things in life. Sony's "Monster House" focused on the fear of the unknown realm of adulthood. Even Dreamworks' flop "Flushed Away" stuck pretty stubbornly to a theme of cheap animation.\nWhen halfway through "Happy Feet" Mumble sets off on a quest to stop the humans from ravaging the Antarctic food chain, I lost interest. The movie stopped being about Mumble and his struggle to find acceptance, and I stopped caring. The film's great soundtrack faded into the background, there were too few dance sequences after that point, and we become disconnected from nearly all of the characters. What a shame.\nIf I wanted some suit to waddle around and squawk at me about how my wasteful habits are destroying our ecosystem, I would have rented "An Inconvenient Truth." I wanted the singing, dancing penguins to say something meaningful and personal to me, and I was thoroughly disappointed.
